Prologue 2: KMS Viper
“Only force rules. Force is the first law”
As we waited for hours for the ship, that my dear aunt had apparently conscripted to help me, Aryanne continued to try and send her message to the crowd. Now, she wasn't being as crude as before, instead using insidious methods. Specifically, she was going down the blood purity route of things. What she was doing was simply handing out fliers that described the dangers of inter-species relations. Specifically, the subsequent lower magical potential, and the possibilities of infertility.
Unlike some of the 'facts' we would spew on the trail, her fliers here actually did contain a good amount of information. We had no need to exaggerate because, unlike mixing cultures, the mixing of bloods was a messy business at best. These were no mere fabrications, there were actual studies of Zonys and Mules and how the majority of them couldn't use either races magic sufficiently. And that wasn't even going down the path of if they could have children themselves.
Of course, what we refrained to mention was that the ministry of peace had, for years, been working on several drugs and treatments that can make future children fertile. I had no idea if they had been successful statistically, but I knew that at least some trials had turned up some positive results. This infuriated my aunt, so I tried to avoid the subject around her.
As I pondered these things, a heavy thump sounded beside me as someone sat. "Look there, aye? This bitch is fucking riling things up, it's giving me a headache. We're doing as much as we can here, as much as Staliongrad, but none of the credit." Slowly I turned my head to look at him, and took in the sight. He was massive, twice the size of the largest pony I had ever seen, and he had long fur and antlers. "Oh, sorry ma'am, did I intrude?"
I sighed, calming myself... I could smell him from feet away. But I simply couldn't go off on him now, not in this town. This was not truly pony country. "Look, I'd really like to sit here alone thankyouverymuch." I tried not to wrinkle my nose, but he got my message from my glare. After grabbing my crutches I walked up to my aunt, guiding her away from some Pony-moose hybrids, the thought made me shudder with disgust just judging the situation.
"Look, auntie, can you do this later? I think it'd be best if we get off and get me on that ship. I need to be on my way after all, and this is... not good country for your message. I need to see my father." I sighed, looking into her pretty blue eyes for a second before continuing. "You do want me to spread your words don't you?"
"Of... Course dear." She said, immediately smiling and moving on with me... not hiding the fact that she flicked her tail at the half-breeds. I hobbled after her, and eventually we got to the shipyard. It was filled with heavy oak vessels from before the terminological revolution, and I seemed to be getting on the only close to modern one. It was iron-clad and had the words KMS Viper written on the side.
***
As it turned out, the ship was owned by a close 'friend' of my Aunt. His flag was her cutiemark, for all to see. Honestly, I didn't care for his type, but he did have a way south. And there was this cute little Earth Pony cabin boy who played with me sometimes. Sure, I didn't get out much, but that was hard for someone like me. I had so many issues, especially with my legs, that no one ever wanted to let me wander.
So what I did was stay in my cabin, a well appointed guest room with red velvet wall coverings and carpets and pitifully warm bedding. There wasn't too much to do on the way but read and play with that shy little cabin boy. Neither of us had cutie marks, so during out months-long trip we played lots of little games, trying to get our marks.
I never really cared, but he stopped playing with me at some point. After we spent a time in a Northern Island on the chain in which my papa was on. The captain told me he had stayed ashore, and I didn't blame him. I left that ship the next day, and I didn't look back at the big iron lug. I still don't know what happened to him.
My Father stood on the docks waiting for me, his Brown Fur complimenting my blue as he hugged me, his labcoat open and his glasses pushed back. "Sweetie! I have missed you." He said, smiling at me, before starting to walk me up to the large facility. "I'm so glad you came, we're doing resurch here that you just might be able to help with!" He pointed at the labs, who's giant apple shaped logo seemed to take up the entire front of the building above it's unassuming front door.
"We're working on a couple projects, but mainly for the ministry of peace, and I'm actually working on a project for disabled veterans. I just know that you'll love it." He said, as I stayed quiet, fascinated as I saw glimpses of everything from net-based weaponry to some sort of magically charged substance they were testing on surfaces. But I never got the chance to check them out as he ushered me into a small lab.
"See, Vets are getting crippled all the time, but the MOP doesn't want to wait for natural recovery. With our MWT funding we've been working on tons of things, but this one special peice of equipment has had me interested for the last few months." He ushered me to a table in the center of the lab, and removed a cloth from over some equipment. "I give you the Cast, Appleture Tech. The name might be a bit clunky, but I decided to call it Cat for it's Ability."
Prologue 1: Aunt Aryanne
“Terrorism is the best political weapon for nothing drives people harder than a fear of sudden death.”
War, War is hate. Hate is fear. Fear is Suffering.
It's hard to say what it was like before the war, I wasn't really any more coherent for it than you were, but I do remember a few things. Before the war everypony was nice to each-other, kind, and there was this warm sense of happiness that filled the day. The sun beat down more often before the war started, because the Pegasus were less busy, they had the time to control the weather.
But once the war started, well, it drove my people to darkness that pony kind had not seen since the first harthswarming... Darkness that took the form of racism. I was a cripple, forced by a degenerative bone disease to hobble around with crutches. And once the war took my mother from me, well, I had no qualms about hating the zebras... All of them.
When my mother died my father was wrought with doubt and suffering, he left me to work for a contractor funded by the MWT. It was known, as you might guess, as Appleture. It was created by some relative or other of the MWT directer and the CEO of stabletech. But I really didn't care enough to learn much more, I was too busy grieving.
***
I stayed with my aunt, Aryanne, she was different. Her rhetoric just a few years ago would have forced her away from normal socioty... To the point where once she had formed underground coalitions of like-minded and hateful people. And yet, once the war began, she was given a sot of credence... and everyone began to listen to her, including me.
She hated the zebras, enthusiastically, and she hated each of the other non-pony races. Sure, she focused mostly on the demonic stripes, those that everyone hated with a fervor, but she spoke out against every non-pony race she could find. From the diamond dogs who she railed against despite our government being the ones who made them restless, to the Deer who she claimed were horrible for their refusal to allow either party to march troops through their lands.
And over time, with her constant speeches, and a brewing resentment for those who took my mother from me, I began to come around to her side. I began to see the world in shades of hateful rhetoric... I began to see everyone in the terms of the purity of pony blood. And still that was not done, for in few and secluded speeches we were willing to go further, and claim superiority for the earth-ponies. And speak of how our hard work was still propping up the lazy Pegasi and traitorous Unicorns.
Soon enough I was handing out fliers myself, drawing ponies into the circle as my aunt grew more extreme. Calling for the removal of those who are impure from true settlements, for mobs to go and drive away the donkeys and griffons, and other races that if I'm being honest were our allies. It was horrible, and yet I believed in it because Aryanne was as good at propaganda as Aunt Finish was good at glamorous shots.
With the help of the ministry of image, secretly due to our less than popular opinions, we canvased the country and left fliers and posters that may have had a bit more of my aunt in them than was strictly necessary... in fact, the most popular of these were just shots of my aunt's cutie-mark... to the point where it was instantly recognizable by friend and foe.
This continued for a long time, but eventually my bubble had to burst. It ended the day I got a letter in the mail from my father, which told me I had to go to him. He didn't explain anything, and I was reluctant at first, but Aryanne convinced me that this was for the greater good. Maybe I could get a hold on the area, help spread her message, so I was sent right there. To the lab, in the South Pawsific.
***
We left from Vanhoover, where Aryanne took me on our next transport. It was a small town, but it was the best place to find a ship... But it was still hard to go there, because Vanhoover was a non-pony town. Considering the remoteness I figured it would be fine, but yet my aunt thought it would be somewhat of a problem still. She thought that it would polute the magic of equestria.
“Don’t you see? Ze bloodline of the magicz muz be protected! Ze ponies here, zat are subjected to ze degradation of blood-strength. Don’t you see ze difficulties ponies are having in using ze magicz?” She said as she waved her hoof around at the few ponies that were around, the town was mostly populated by moose and reindeer. There weren't that many ponies, and those that were there seemed to be relying on physical might more then anything else, and I saw unicorns struggling to use simple telekinesis.
Odd of course, but I wasn't going to question it. While it was an advanced city, I was sure that my aunt thought it to be a frontier town filled with savages. Not that I disagreed, I could smell the stench of moose from a mile away. But Still, until I was in the hoofs of a pony ship, I had to sit. My bones weren't good after all, a fact that would have been obvious to anyone due to my crutches.
My aunt was stirring up a fuss to the side, and she seemed to be doing the usual town crier shtick. She was standing up and strutting her ass, mesmerizing ponies and even non-ponies with her movements while her words and propaganda flew over people. I ignored her, even as she passed out fliers with pictures of her flank on them to draw more attention. Honestly, given who was taking them, I wouldn't have been surprised if more wanted pornography than treatus.
Footnote!
Traits Added
Ideology: Blood Purist: You've been indoctrinated as a blood purist, believing in the separation of the races. You Bitch. You gain +20% damage against non-ponies and get unique dialogue options at certain points.
Degenerative Bone Disease: Well, damn, your bones are fucked up... I wonder what could have caused that. You get -2 Endurance, but get unique dialogue options and a 50% bonus to the effects of drugs.
Author's Note
This should be obvious, but for clarification. The views of PJ and Aryanne are not mine, I am using them as a conflict.
