Author's Note

This is just the Info you might want to know to get yourself up to speed with what's going on. But this is not going to be the style that the majority of the story is in. Hope you enjoy my take on Cyberpunk Equestria.

Prologe

Cyber-Buck:
A Tale Of Dystopian Equestria
By Narrative Lockheart.
Prolog:
Progress.
Progress is defined as movement towards the actualization of a goal, and I believe that behind every action we undertake is the underlying need for progress. For you see, the hunger to seek advancement has and, always will be at the core of who and what we are. For proof of this you need look no further than our own self-imposed necessity to discover our cutie marks.
As our lives begin, innocently enough, we start with nothing more than a bare flank, and a future open to endless possibilities. We place so much meaning into such a little thing, that we lead ourselves to believe that to be devoid of our flank born image would mean that we were living an incomplete life; a half-life. In answer to this, and the demand that we to be true to ourselves, we set out to discover our marks with unerring purpose and reckless abandon. From these actions we cannot continue to believe that it is the machinations of nature or magic that compels us to seek our destiny; it is our choice and ours alone.
Once we learn of what lies before us, and the path to our future presents itself, we attempt to shape our lives around our gifts; for what good comes from a talent if it is not used. But, what if our talents were never intended to be used for the benefit of others? Would we still search for it, and accept whatever destiny has in store for us? I believe that we would, and should that belief be accurate, then from this one possibility we could draw parallels between the two; that, like our cutie marks we might not be compelled to seek progress for altruistic purposes, but instead for our own sakes.
Despite this, we, with wide eyes full of hope and wonder look towards the future, but shouldn’t we have questioned if we were truly ready for that future? Will our search for progress bring us the satisfaction we believe it will? What will we do if the fate in store for us falls short of our dreams? And what do we risk losing of ourselves in order to initiate such growth? Despite all the wisdom we were said to possess, when confronted with these questions no answers could be found. In hindsight we should have realized that our pursuit for progress had been flawed from the start; for it is clear we had no knowing of where this path would lead us.
There was however one unspoken question that we had inadvertently answered ourselves. It was a circumstance that we had failed to conceive any possible solution for, because of its singular, potent and disturbing nature. It was for these reasons we were compelled to omit it. We omitted it, yes in part out of fear, and perhaps no small amount of blind optimism, in the hope that these events would never come to pass. This question had never before been so important than in the years following the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle. We had hoped that we would never haft to confront this question, but despite our best efforts it was answered none the less.
Will we be able to safeguard ourselves form the horrors we create or worse become, all in the name of progress?

It was in this name, when harmony failed us, that we catalyzed the cycle of events that corrupted our world. The beautiful land once known as Equestria had become peaceful no longer. Neither the decimation of its lands, nor the subjugation of its people was responsible for the afflictions that befell our home. Instead our nation had become tainted and perverted by our own hooves. Equestria’s own had been betrayed from within. Transformed into a wretched mockery of their forms selves, they have now become nearly unrecognizable as the harmonious beings we were once proud to call ponies.
Strife, violence and bigotry now permeate the world in a miasma that has found its way into the hearts of ponies. You ask how these events came to happen. I do as well, but I will do my best to convey the events of most significant import as they had unfolded, so that you might understand.
This story revolves around the iron hoofed Mega-corps that now holds Equestria under their sway, the cybernetics that infest every strata of pony society and the devices known as the Sparkle Drive systems. But knowledge of our past alone will not help you to understand, not if you fail to grasp the reasons why. Why things transpired the way they did, and why we felt they needed to happen. It is because of these reasons Equestria can never go back to the way it was. Perhaps we could have done more to save ourselves; perhaps we should have foreseen where this path was leading us. And perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself.
To put it simply, it all started because we sought progress with no regard for the consequences. Everything that happened, everything we did, was all in the name of progress.
I will tell you of where these changes began and of how these events set a hero in motion. This tale begins; once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria.
Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there was crowned a princess. She was not one of those high and mighty princesses, who doled out orders and unreasonable demands, nor was she a dainty, saccharine one, who let others make decisions for her. She was a unicorn, and never before was there a more kindhearted and spirited being to wear the crown than her. Her name was Twilight Sparkle, and she was the princess of the magic of friendship. Now that name might sound silly to your ears, but you would do well to remember it, for this story would not have occurred if not for her, the actions of her friends and the events that transpired so many years ago.
Within one lifetime we had come from a simple period of magic and harmony, to one of computers, industry and engineering. Intrigued by science and technology as well as magic, Princess Twilight Sparkle gave her every available resource to the finest minds and researchers that Canterlot had to offer; guided by the belief that Equestria could only benefit from more knowledge. With the princess’s backing and influence the technological state of Equestria blossomed forth at an extraordinary rate, as small towns and villages expanded into vast cities and sprawling metropolises.
More so now than ever before, magically powered machines were needed to produce more products for the ever growing demands of Equestria. Technology, food and medicine were not only needed to be produced with greater efficiency but were also required to evolve as time passed. With a need for resources and materials on the rise new businesses and companies appeared in response to these growing demands.
With the expansion of small businesses and industries, advancements in technology were to be expected, but nopony could have ever predicted the most influential advancement of all. Home computers made of new sciences. The base of these new sciences focused well beyond the normal concepts of magically powering these machines born of industry, but rather on combining both magic and technology together. These special computers were named after their creator, wielder of the most powerful magic in all of Equestria. These computers were given the name of Sparkle Drive Systems.
The potential of merging magic and technology together was extraordinary, as it allowed the Sparkle drive systems to put magic in the hooves of ponies that could otherwise never have used it. In addition it aided in overcoming the limitations present in purely mechanical computers. Over time magic had become less distinguishable from a special talent, unique to only a hoof full of ponies, then as an effective means to accomplish a task. As the Sparkle Drive Systems changed how ponies viewed magic, they had also begun to lay the ground work for the next big step in Equestrian history.
Within twelve years’ time, after the Sparkle Drives were made available to the public, news of strange research was emanating from Canterlot. Something had been discovered within Canterlot’s laboratories, but the researchers would tell nopony of what they had found; about what their experiments had unearthed, but secrets of this magnitude, no matter how well protected could not be held forever.
However even to this day nopony quite knows how the scientists and researchers even conceived of these radical concepts, but once word had leaked of what they had begun testing in their labs, they were forced to tell the princesses everything. It was here that everything changed.
Pony kind had found a path to improve themselves in ways that had never before been conceived as possible. What they discovered broke all the rules and taboos of modern medicine. We had thought then that Sparkle drives were the epitome of pony engineering, but they were just the first step before a massive leap into the future. The ponies of Equestria had successfully mapped the neural pathways of pony kind.
With this discovery the ponies of Equestria found a method that, if done properly, could theoretically fuse working mechanical parts with living flesh. It was little more than a decade after Twilight sparkle had been crowned as a princess of Equestria, that cybernetics were conceived, not as a fanciful dream, but as a real possibility. The potential for cybernetics far exceeded the use of Sparkle drive systems, and despite their practicality, the opportunity alone was enough to compel Princes Twilight to dedicate herself, and many of Canterlots finest minds to make this dream a reality.
It would seem that the path to advancement is never as easy a road as we would like it to be, as months turned to years, and no progress was made. Of the countless grueling tests that were performed, all ended in failures or inconclusive data. Marred by a track record of disappointments, it was beginning to look like the dream of cybernetics would stay just that, and Princess Twilight was ready to declare the whole attempt a complete boondoggle. That was until the third year of testing. It came out of the blue, as if by magic, sudden and unexpected, news of the first series of successful tests had returned.
Princess Twilight had become so elated by their success, that she decided, nay felt obligated to hold a grand celebration that lasted several days. Streamers were hung, silly hats were worn and cider flowed like rivers as ponies partook in the festivities. Princess Twilight truly believed that day to be the beginning of a new chapter of prosperity for Equestria, and reveled every moment of this momentous achievement.
The joy however was not to last, and the time of celebration was short lived. As all good things come so too must the bad.
With these new cybernetics, ponies that had become crippled by accidents or mishaps were given new more powerful limbs and bodies. These bodies made of chrome metal and wires were able to out preform even the most athletic and strongest of ponies. Ostensibly this was received as one of the many positive outcomes, as they soon discovered that one pony alone could buck apples from sunrise to sun set, or clear the sky in “five” seconds flat, and feel only minor fatigue if any.
It was from these benefits that our troubles came. For if one pony could pull the weight of an entire work team, then ideally there was no need to have a full staff. The outsourcing was subtle at first. One layoff one month, then two, then three; slowly but surely the jobs in Equestria began to dry up.
In the postindustrial Equestria, it was perceived that only ponies who could bring more than physical labor to the table would be allowed to keep their positions. Earth ponies in particular were hit hard by this cybernetic revolution, and were given few options but to accept what little work they were able to acquire. With the job market scarce, the unemployed ponies of Equestria descended into poverty. Though granted living assistance by new tax laws, the numerous disenfranchised ponies found little comfort in the meager pittance they were forced to live on.
An economic crisis that seemed to have no foreseeable end fell over Equestria. It wasn’t long before ponies became desperate, and in the grip of desperation ponies will do crazy things. As always if there is something that can be made to benefit others, it could also be subverted for personal gain.
With Equestria in a state of turmoil, a criminal element quickly emerged. Utilizing cybernetic implants as weapons, the modified ponies became emboldened by their new physical might, and began to terrorize the good ponies of Equestria. However before too long, the civilian ponies failed to yield enough of a profit for the criminals to target. Instead they turned their sights to the companies that produced these advanced technologies, as they presented a much greater reword.
Companies like Bountiful Butterfly Pharmaceuticals, Tiaracorp and others found themselves under attack, frequently and brutally by cybered up delinquents. New security measures were implemented to stave off this rabble, but it wasn’t enough. They just kept coming. The once unthinkable became a necessity for protection, as security forces and police were forced to carry firearms, but still the crime wave still would not relent.
In order to protect their interests, the corporations were forced to demand royal intervention, but after many days and nights of contemplation, the princesses found that they could do nothing to arbitrate the problem. The rouge ponies refused to see reason. Believing that they would only return to the endless hunger and squalor their lives had been cursed to endure until now, they refused all terms the princesses brought to them. They had power now, and they were not going to give it up.
However if the greater good was to be preserved the princesses could take no aggressive action against these ponies, as it would only harm the innocent or spark even more bloodshed. The princesses failed their subjects that day, and with a grave declaration, they stated form that point on the independent businesses were to be held responsible for the protection of their own goods and services.
No help came from Canterlot that day, and so the companies became desperate, and in the grip of desperation, ponies will do crazy things. It was not long before the corporations divined a new way to protect there investments. With their backs against the wall they were forced to find aid outside of pony kind. That aid came in the form of griffins and cyberneticly altered diamond dogs.
The corporations were quick to make effective use of these mercenaries. The dogs though stupid were amazingly mobile, while griffins held the advantage of flight, as well as impressive combat prowess. Commanding both fear and respect, dogs and griffins made even more effective protectors than anypony ever could. It was not long before every company, every business, and every corporation had their very own private army. Those who did not were picked off, not just by criminals but by their rival companies as well.
At some indeterminate point, the main concerns of Equestria had shifted. We had turned away from industry and prosperity to further a burgeoning arms race between criminals, companies and even Canterlot itself.
Protected as it was Canterlot had not been sheltered form the troubles that plagued the rest of Equestria. They had to contend with their own hardships and difficulties along the way. Coming under siege on all sides, Canterlot was bombarded by every business that based there. The royal princesses and high born ponies found themselves over run, but not by weaponized cybernetics or cut throat mercenary forces. Instead the princesses had become assaulted by lobbyists, protesters and mountains of potions. All of which required the royal seal of approval.
As time went on the demand for cybernetics, medicine and even weapons grew, and the princess’s authorization was needed for everything from permits, to licensing agreements and even copyrights. At the forefront of these arguments was the earth pony corps of engineers led by the ever growing Tiaracorp, and the unicorn science division of Canterlot. With declarations that stated that the U.S.D.C were infringing on earth pony engineering, Tiaracorp appealed to the princesses to pass an edict that would regulate the further creation of magically based technology.
To this day I don’t know who to blame for this shortsightedness, but I suppose nopony could have imagined that the final not in Equestria’s noose would come, not from the weapons or criminals, but instead by the bureaucracy.
For some unforeseen reason the princess found in favor of Tiaracorp, and implemented their edict within a few short weeks. This edict did not just regulate the production of magical tech; it was expressly written to give the earth pony corps of engineers a monopoly on nearly all future contracts and designs. This effectively halted the production of nearly all magically fused technology. The end result of witch terminated the further creation of any Sparkle drive systems.
With one quill stroke the magical technology industry shattered overnight, and the Sparkle drive systems quickly fell off the market and into obscurity. Though more jobs were lost, and more ponies were driven to crime, earth ponies were given an opportunity to seize greater power for themselves, and from the shadow of these events, a burgeoning resentment was beginning to form between the pony races.
After this new law was passed earth pony technology boomed, now that strict technologically based computers and cybernetics dominated the market. With access to cybernetics made readily more available, the ponies who could afford it began purchasing more outlandish and superfluous implants as time went on. This new trend grew to the point where cybernetics were no longer just for prosthetics, they had now become a fashion statement.
We learned in those days that ethics and what’s right must always take a back seat when set against self-interest and profit. Instead of the relatively safe yet difficult process of magically fusing technology into the body, ponies resorted to brute force invasive surgery, in order to implant their new cybertech. This method was not only more dangerous, it also had the added effect of placing even more money into the coffers of the various corporations. With a growing list of side effects as a result of this method, it became harder for some ponies to continue to trust this emerging fad.
Numerous ponies in Ponyville vilified cybernetics and those who used them. Believing cybernetics to be abhorrent, they blamed them for driving good honest ponies to crime and insanity. On numerous occasions they requested the princesses to ban the further use and distribution of cybertech, but no response ever came. Enraged by the princess’s silence, aggression began to grow between the citizens of Ponyville and Canterlot; until the day it all boiled over, the day they marched upon the castle.
The details of that day are sketchy, and nopony really knows exactly what happened. What is known for certain, is that day ended with the spilled blood of countless innocent ponies, and the princesses who were said to be so horrified and outraged by what had transpired, decreed that the skies above Ponyville would be closed off forever, as punishment for their crimes. On that day and every day since the Pegasus of Cloudsdale were forced by royal decree to cover the sky above Ponyville in a blanket of thick clouds, blocking out both sun and moon.
After those events the ponies that survived the massacre returned home, only to find themselves surrounded by enemies on all sides. No longer were they just against the firms, but also the royalty of Canterlot and the other ponies that lived in Ponyville as well. They were hated and reviled, cast out of civilized company and were declared traitors of Equestria.
The traitorous ponies implored their fellow Ponyvillions to believe that they were innocent of these crimes. However earnest their pleas may have been, they were still hated and despised, for as long as they lived in Ponyville, the sky would be closed off forevermore. Embittered from their alienation by those they had sought to protect, the Ponyville rebels vowed that they would never forget, they would never forgive and they would never leave. So the renegades fled into the dark places of Ponyville, waiting, preparing to strike only when the time was right.
The world has changed much since then. Well over fifty years have passed since the advent of cybernetics. More than fifty years since the sun last shined on Ponyville. And for nearly fifty years the princesses have stayed in seclusion within Canterlot Castle. Speaking to nopony and being seen by nopony; their only noted actions as of this day have been the passing of new laws, and the raising of the sun and moon.
The tale of these events ends here, but it is with knowledge of this dark time that our story can truly begin. It begins with a young unicorn stallion named Bright-eyes, an emergency call, a chance encounter and a piece of old technology that would change Equestria one last time.