No Sacrifice No Paradise

It´s hard to believe how everything can be destroyed so easily. Buildings hundreds of years old just vanished in a matter of seconds along with the lives of thousands of ponies. War spares no one.  It´s easy to start a War but the hard part is finishing it.   The griffons were able to find the way to end it, unfortunately when the bombs fell everything was destroyed, including them. I like to believe that they didn’t know how much damage they would cause, that they weren’t stupid enough to send something that would destroy them also. But what could you expect from a griffon… those ¨things¨ had peanuts size brain.

Luckily not everything was lost when the bombs fell. From the moment the war started Canterlot was protected by a magic shield maintained by the Royal Guard. The shield was able to absorb most part of the damage and could save the city from complete annihilation. Only a few broken windows and some cracked buildings had left the bombardment and thanks to the Goddesses everypony in Canterlot could survive that fatidic day. Well…..almost everypony.  Although the Chief of the Royal Guard advised everyone about the risks, Princess Celestia and Luna they both left the city to visit Twilight and their friends in Ponyville….that same the bomb fell over all Equestria.

Since then the Royal Guard has protected Canterlot and kept the magic shield to protect the city from hostilities from the Equestria Wasteland. It has been a hundred years since the ¨incident¨ and maintaining this ¨piece of paradise¨ in this unforgivable land has become a harder task every day. Our only duty is to protect and maintain the city because life only exists in Canterlot and thanks to the city we all live.

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-"So….  what do you need for now?" – I asked despise already knowing what he needed me for

-"We lost 70% of the sowing because of the radiation wich means I need you and the scavenging team going out and search for more food"- responded  my old commander without taking his eyes away from his window though wich  he could see the Canterlot .

-"Again! Come on Big Jack! You know how these incursions always end!" – I responded releasing all the anger I had inside me.

-"You think I don’t know! Of course I do! But what do you want me to do; we have a whole city to feed  you know? And it is hard to do so without any food."

-"You need to solve the problem from the radiation quick… I am getting tired of this shit."

-"And you need to show more respect to your commander."- *sigh*- "I understand how you feel but now I can´t do anything about your situation. The City needs food, it is the scavenging team responsibility and you will lead the team; that’s how things work now and you need to accept it."

*sigh*-"When?"

-"Tomorrow. The food reserves won´t last long so the faster the better"

-"We will be ready at the checkpoint at the 0600 hours"- I said with any emotions more than resentments

-"Before you go you also need to make a visit to the cauldrons; ¨Screw¨ has been saying that he needs some pieces for his machines "- just a moment before I  left that messy and dark office the elder pony approached me from behind and landed a hoof on my back- "Glad you understand."

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While I was leaving the castle, the Royal Guard HQ as it was known , I was wondering how this whole operation will result. Going in search for food would mean that I will need as many ponies as possible to bring a much as food as we could but that  mean that we will be more expose to any kind of attacks. I was beginig to get a headache.

Finally I got out of the castle after steping down through hundreds of stairs. In the outside I took a look to the sky which was completely covered by the tone purple of the shield but behind this one you could appreciate a gray and depressing sky. The castle also didn’t cause any sense of joy. Its walls have lost their original color long ago and it was covered with metal foils and sandbags that the Royal Guard had put for security reasons, giving the castle  the look of a military base instead of a royal facility. Luckily the rest of the city wasn’t in that bad shape, despite being deteriorated most of the buildings in the city were able to maintain their white original color and give a sense of decency to the city.

After a short walk I got to the central square. The giant clock in of the building showed that it was already 3 o´clock. In one of the alleys near the square was a single door building without windows guarded all the time by two ponies of the Royal Guard armed with two fully automatic guns and perfectly groomed with their black uniforms. I still think that sending two guards to protect the entrance to the cities underground was a waste of resource but Big Jack didn’t want any pony to go messing around near the cauldrons. I showed them my identification, which was nothing more than an old piece of paper with my name and a seal of the Royal Guard that certificated me as a leader of the scavenging team, and I  entered without any more questions.

The boiler room was a very narrow place, since the machines occupy most of the space. The room also had hundreds of tubes blowing steam constantly. The heat was so terrible that just seconds after coming in  I was sweating profusely.  Suddenly a pony came under one of the boilers with  fogged protection googles.

-"You must BenFancy Gun"- said the blue earth pony while taking his lenses off and wipe his sweat of his forehead- "Big Jack told me you would come for the list of pieces I need"

-"Yep,  just tell me what you need and where I can find them"

-"I just made a list of the parts I need…… now I just need to find it"- Screws started looking from  head to toe but could not seem to remember where he has left it,  until he finally found  it under one of their toolboxes. He gave a sigh of relief, then cleared his throat and began to recite the parts of the list.

-"Three steel tubes, a pair of tweezers and 10 screws. Yes! Everything is correct. All the specifics  you may need are written on the list- and he handed it to me. - Oh! One more thing! You need to listen this very carefully: The screws I need…"- suddenly the sound of one of the pipes bursting followed by a call of help stopped Screws from finishing his sentence.

-"Boss! The pipes have too much pressure"!

-"Of course not! I adjusted the pressure this morning! You just need to turn the valve to the left and everything will stabilize!"

-"The valve doesn’t turn boss!"

*sigh*- "Wait a minute Mr. Fancy this would be quick"

I could hear how Screw started yelling to the poor initiate. ¨Screws¨ was a luckily pony his cutie mark was, well, a screw. He loved working in the boiler rooms and since he arrived and took charge of them, Canterlot hasn’t suffered any blackouts. He was very proud of his job. Most of the ponies in the city didn’t have that much luck. The city didn’t care if you have a special talent , like painting or writting books if the city needed you working in the boiler room you went to the boiler room if the city needed you in the Guard you went to the guard. That is how things have worked since the ¨incident¨ and how they will always be.

This brought memories to my mind, one day while I was walking in the city as a filly,  I started to sing a song that my mother used to sing me, seconds latter my cutie mark appeared.  It was a black treble clef. I was so excited but my enthusiasm didn’t last long; I soon realized that a singer was no use for the city and when I grow up I was enlisted in the scavenging team.  It resulted that I also have a good  surviving instinct outside the city, so good that after some years I was named leader of the peloton and latter ¨Chief Commander of the Scavenging Team of the Royal Guard from Canterlot¨; a pretty long title if you ask me. I felt sorry for the poor initiate, he probably hated working at the cauldrons but he didn’t have a choice.

-"This damn initiates! They don’t seem to understand how delicate these machines are… well let me remember  where I was before… right the screws! The screws I need must be really small from the size of a tooth. It is really important you take this into account,  any other size won´t  make job."

I turned my head back to him and responded -"Don’t worry I won´t forget"

-"You CAN´T forget!"

After that I said goodbye and left the boiler room. The outside felt really chilly compared with the boiler room. I started walking to my apartment because I wanted to take my equipment with me before I met with the rest of my team at the barracks.  I was a privileged pony  in Canterlot, not only I had a high rank in the Royal Guard but I also had my own apartment, most of the ponies had to live in communes. I thanked that to my grandfather, Fancy Pants. He always told me stories about the life before the ¨incident¨ how he was a very important landowner and a member of the high class society when I was a filly.  I always dreamed of having a life like that someday;  what a foul I was.  He was able to maintain social status after the ¨incident¨ serving as a mediator within the Royal Guard and the rest of the ponies in the city, not everyone agreed  with the Royal Guard taking control of the city. After he passed away my family was able to live in the apartment and now that my parents are gone too, the apartment is all for myself.

When I came home I took the things I needed most:  my personal revolver, some armor and my loved helmet, the rest of my stuff was in the barracks. I was tired and wanted to sleep a bit but I needed to prepare my team for the incursion before nightfall. I had  been thinking in the plan for the operation but I knew that it would be very risky reaching the point of madness. But we didn’t have any other choice, or at least any other I could think of.

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-"Manehattan"

The five peloton leaders looked at me wordless. It was just like the plan couldn’t  get into their minds.  Finally one of them broke the silence.

-"It´s too far away!" -said Sultani

-"He is right Chief!" -added FireWick, the only mare in the whole scavenging team and the best peloton leader I ever had- "it´s too dangerous to make such a long incursion"

-"That´s why I will need of the whole team for the operation"

-"What!?" –screamed everypony  followed by FireWick´s claim

-"Are you nuts Chief!? Did something happen to you or what!? You are talking about taking 50 ponies outside the city for a 4 days long incursion to unexplored territory!"

-"She has a point Fancy , said Sultani  and now we have 2 damn initiates. They would not be able to handle such a big operation."

-"There is no choice! All I need of you is to have your pelotons ready for 600 hours at the designated  checkpoint outside the shield."

-"There has to be another way Fancy, something less risky…"- said DelaRose who had remained silent ¨till then

-"THERE IS NO OTHER WAY!" –I responded releasing all the tension and frustration that I had accumulated since my visit to Big Jack- "We are the scavenging team! We take risks for the sake of the city! And we are going to Manehattan point. No discussion!" –I calmed myself down a bit and continued -"Besides, if we do our job right we should be leaving Manehattan with enough food for a long time,  we won´t need to leave the city any time soon."

After I ended my intervention there was complete silence. Everypony remained silent, eyes down toward the table in the middle of the room. I  to broke the silence allowing everypony to leave the room, without  words the officers left the room and started preparing their ponies. I stood alone in the room thinking. I knew, not everypony was going to come back but I was afraid that  none of them will make it.  The risks of this operation made me doubt if it was worth but at the end we really didn’t have a choice. Canterlot had very limited food reserves and Cloudsdale and Ponyville have already been cleared up of any useful materials of food reserves. Manehattan was the only option.

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The sun hadn’t come out but the whole team was already prepared near the exit of the city.  56 ponies, including the officers and me, all heavily armed with their battle saddles and dressed up with their black armors and helmets. We sure looked intimidating but we where nothing compared to what we might find  outside the shield. Two white unicorns opened a hole through the shield and quickly we passed through  and left the city behind.  At the bottom of the mountain was the checkpoint, here where posted the only guards Canterlot had outside the shield.  Working at a checkpoint was the most dangerous job you could get, besides the scavenging team of course.

The checkpoint was nothing more than a bunch of sandbags staked on one another with a tin roof above them. Inside the ¨mini-bunker¨ was just two ponies armed with a stationary 50 cal. Machine gun. Today one of those ponies was Silver Hoof, a good friend of mine. I approached him and he greeted me.

-C"Again Fancy? This is  the fourth time in 3 months"

-"You know how this is. The city needs food not ponies. Our lives aren’t as important as can of apples."

He looked behind me and gave a look at the whole team -"Well it seems you have a lot of company. I haven’t seen so many ponies outside the city in my whole life as checkpoint guard…."

-"This a special situation" -*sigh*- "We have  a long road ahead of us I think we should get started"

-"Good luck then"–he finished saying with a sad face and then we gave us hug –"Please, come back.."

Before we left the checkpoint I decided to give the whole team one last reminder.

-"Team stick together all the time, always watch your back and be attentive for any strange noises. We are going to unknown territory and I don’t want anypony doing other stuff more than be looking for food. Everything is clear?"

-"Yes Sir!" –shouted at the same time. But just before I gave the order to start moving one of the initiated lifted his right hoof as a filly would do in class when he wants to make a question

-"Yes? Initiate"

-"What would happen to the city if we fail?"-everypony immediately turned their look at the poor initiate with anger and incomprehension. Then he shrugged his shoulders and looked at the floor with embarrassment.

-"We are the scavenging team. We don’t fail…. Don’t worry initiate, everything is going to end fine" –I wasn’t even sure if I believed that myself but at least I was able to cheer up the initiate and the rest of the team

-"Damn right Chief!" –continued Fire Wick- "We are the scavenging team! Nothing stops us! Hooah!"

-"Hooah!" –screamed the rest team even the poor initiate that still had his head down but he was smiling.

We started marching our way away from the checkpoint into the Equestrian Wasteland. Even with all the gun power we possessed,  the Wasteland was a hostile and terrible  place to travel. I prayed to Luna and Celestia… they were the only ones that could save us from the horrors of  Wasteland.

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The Equestrian Wasteland was a dreary and depressing place to be. The sky was covered by gray clouds that barely allowed the pass of the sunlinght,  and the landscape was black the color of the ashes that covered it, there where dead trees everyehere, since the “incident” this was the view. The radiation ended the griffon’s job. Everything touched by radiation looked either died or mutated. Hundred years after the bombs the radiation was still a problem in some areas, but at least we were able to travel without any special suits.

I was at the front with the first peloton, the second was covering the right flank and the third the left one.  The other pelotons where covering our rear end and we turned positions every 10 kilometers.  From our current position I was able to take a look to the Everfree Forest. This  Forest was a fucked up place even before the radiation but now entering there was a certain death. The worst creatures that rounded the Wasteland came from there but I was hoping that maybe this time they decided to stay at home and didn’t give us any problems.

We were moving fast, after all staying in the same position for too long would mean exposing the whole team to an attack. I wanted to be able to reach shelter at the Holley Shade Mountains before it get dark, for tomorrow morning be could pass the train tunnel and be just a few hours away from Manehattan. I had studied the map hundreds of times,  I memorize the road to Manehattan like the back of my own hoof, but at the end a 100 year old map wasn’t such a reliable source; most of the railroads in the map had disappear and I wouldn’t  be surprised if the tunnel to Manehattan was collapsed.  At our current speed I was sure we would make it with time to spare but I  didn’t want to lower the pace. Luckily we weren’t finding any major resistance in our way, some radsprite that we could easily take with one shoot, until now this was a perfect operation.

Before midday we reached the Neighagra Falls. Now that all the rivers  went dry the once glorious and beautiful Neighagra Falls were nothing more than a bunch of meaningless rocks. Sadly with the good news something bad had to happen. The road to the H.S. Mountains was blocked by a collapse. We would have to turn back, go to the Foal Mountains and from there take the railroads that connected with Holley Shades and then finally make our way to the tunnel. We would loose time. The last I wanted to happen was to be caught in complete darkness  without any refuge.  But I guessed that some parts of this operation where out of my control.

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We had to change our positions, instead of being separated in 5 groups to protect every angle we had to stay together the whole time in a perfect straight line. Getting lost in the dark was pretty easy even with our flashlights. The problem was that traveling with flashlights at night was not something that went unnoticed, less if there were 50 of them. I keep myself at the front and from time to time I sent one of the pegasus to check the road ahead. Walking in the darkness of  Wasteland makes you feel like an endless nightmare without any chance of waking up and the cold wind freezing your fur gave you the feel of being already dead. We couldn’t go as fast as I wanted, but we finally were getting to the Holley Shade Mountains. I just wished I could see the light of the day again.

I raised my left hoof and we all stopped. I had heard a strange noise coming from my right side and I wasn’t going to keep moving until  I make sure we were safe. The whole team, without leaving their positions, started searching with their flashlights for anything suspicious in the surroundings. The night was calm and not a single thing was moving near us, even the wind stopped blowing. Before I could rise my hoof again to give the order to move the scream of the ponies in the rear end  of the line followed by shoots stopped me. Within the chaos of the fight and the deafening sound of the bullets I was unable  to see  the creature that was attacking.

-"Take cover!! Stick together!!"

The shoots stopped but the chaos and anguish remained. The damn creature wasn’t death it was stilll prowling around. I took cover with other ponies behind a rock and tried to reorganize the team that now was separated.

-"What is your situation!?"

-"O.K!"

-"O.K!"

-"No casualties!"

-"Everything O.K here Chief!" –I was ready to celebrate the fact that none of my ponies had been killed during the attack but my hopes went down, by the voice, almost sobbing  from Sultani.

-"2 casualties….".- he was breathing heavily –"and 3 injures!"

The situation was critic. We didn’t know where the creature was,  and we also had injured ponies and because we separated from each other we were exposed to another attack.

-"Stay where you are Sult! We are going towards you! The rest of the team, stay in your positions!" -*sigh* -okay everypony –" I started whispering to ponies with me  -we need to move fast and get to their positions. Ready?"

Everypony nodded but I could felt the fear in their looks especially in the initiate, the poor filly had tears in his face and was trembling. He was the personification of pure anguisht and anxiety.  We left our cover and started moving and just a few steps after,  I heard the crack of crystal in my back. I was already feeling the breath of the creature over my neck but the initiate was able to distract me from my thoughts .

In a low voice  he said  –"damn…my flashlight"

-"keep moving" -I said immediately, a broken flashlight was the least of our problems.

-"I just need to get a flare out of my backpack…."

-"keep moving"- I heard when the flare was lighted , seconds later he dropped it.

The damn initiate he didn’t cover his back and when he got up from collecting his flare he was staring face to face to a cockatrice. The red eyes of the creature from the size of a plate where starring at the initiate who wasn’t able to shoot or do anything. He was completely paralyzed and his legs were starting to become real stone.

-"Stop looking at it you moron!" –screamed FireWick who was also watching the poor initiate from her cover. I didn’t realize at the moment but I also was paralyzed, I just stood there doing nothing to protect him, I could feel his fear. Luckily FireWick was able to give the order I couldn’t.

-"SHOOT THE DAMN THING!!!!"

All the flashlights pointed the creature and a storm of bullets fell on it , unlike previous seconds the monster  was now surrounded. The creature lifted his head and screamed in pain then it knocked off the steal motionless initiate and tried to escape but it collapsed before it had any chances of leaving. The cockatrice was still squalling in the floor alive. Without thinking I took my revolver out of my backpack and approached the creature. The cockatrices were habitants from the Everfree Forest, but it looked like this one got lost from home. As if a creature with evil eyes that turns you into stone, wasn’t a big threat enough, the radiation mutated the damn thing making it stronger and bigger. It´s height surpass a big door, talons the size of a head and it was completely covered in black scales and feathers making it more dangerous at night.  We already had enough and the crockatrice wasn’t the worst creature out there in the Wasteland. When I finally reached the creature I put 3 bullets in its head, finally  it was dead.

The whole fight took less than 3 minutes but left the whole team in a bad shape  we needed extra time to recover. We started taking care of the injured so we could start moving again as quick as possible. We didn’t have the time to offer a proper bury to any of our comrades, their bodies would become part of the Wasteland just like the creature that killed them. Luckily everypony, including the injured were able to move, except one. If the damn initiate had move, or tried to escape instead of looking at the creature eyes, maybe his legs hadn’t become stone. But that didn’t happen and now I had pony that couldn’t walk  and I couldnt do anything about it.

-"What do we do now, Fancy?" –asked DeHoof, leader of the third peloton where the initiate was assigned, he has remained  side by side with the initiate trying to calm him the helpless pony  couldn’t stop crying in desperation.

-"I can´t spare no pony to take him back to Canterlot and taking him with us will be dead load."

-"You are not saying that…."-I interrupted him before he could finish the sentence.

-"It is either that or leaving him here just waiting for another creature to come! It is merciful."

-"I wouldn’t do it sir, it just isn’t right!"

-"You are his peloton leader it´s your duty!"

-"No!"

–"IT IS AN ORDER!" –DeHoof stared at me full of angry and holding back his tears. Then he turned back and started walking to the initiate. The initiate stopped crying and stared at DeHoof who now was pointing one the rifles in his battle saddle right to his head. He squeezed his mount and closed his eyes followed by the lonely sound of a shot. His head hit the ground and the blood began spread along the ground mixing with the ashes.

DeHoof passed next to me, gave me a cold look and continued moving. When I turn back I was surrounded by the looks of the whole team, some ponies showed anger, others sadness but for most of them it was disappointment. Now I can understand what the initiate must had felt just hours ago when asked what would happen if we fail. It was hard to believe that everything can change so quickly. He could have had a long life but I guess it wasn’t his destiny, now we had to finish the operation give their deaths some ¨a value¨, some ¨meaning¨ if you want to put it like that.

-"What is everypony staring at! Get ready! We have to move fast! We don’t want other creature coming to attack us!" –without saying more words the whole team started moving again in the same position as they were before we all could feel the absence of our former comrades.  Again the night turned  into complete silence just like if nothing had happen.

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Within all the disgrace there was a small glint of light,  when finally we were able to reach the railroads without any more ¨inconveniences¨. We found a small train station partially in ruins as we entered the place we make sure it was safe, we could spent the rest of the night there and get ready to set of first hour morning.

The place was a complete mess but some parts remained intact, we found rooms with roof. The windows were either cracked or gone; the floor was full of ashes and rests of newspapers. One of them has a headline: ¨Equestria winning the War!¨ how blind we where. Despite being a place with some protection we took turns to patrol the area. As I was the commander I got to rest first. I was so tired that I soon as I place my head in a pillow of ashes I closed my eyes and felt asleep. I was in the darkness with nothing more than my thoughts and one second later he was there. The initiate was standing right in front of my but in some way it wasn’t him. His eyes were completely white, he had no teeth and the right side of his head was disfigured.  My heart started beating very fast and I began to lose my breath, as he approached I listened a whisper in my left ear: ¨I can´t move¨. I tried to run away from him just to realize that my four legs had become stone and   now the initiate was gone.  I felt how the temperature dropped and then two red eyes the size of plates  came out of darkness. I heard a strong roar and after that I woke up. I was drenched in sweat and I felt even more tired than I was before I went to sleep. I put on my battle saddle again and went out to make my patrol. When I was out I came across with DeHoof who was staring at the moon, as I approached him he began to speak before I could say a word.

-"You know Fancy, my mother used to told me stories about the spirits of the bad ponies and how they were banish to the moon after their death so that they would hurt anypony again."

-"You should go to sleep, it has been an exhausting day. Especially for you.- without taking his eyes from  the moon he replied with relief"

-"Yes sir"

He entered the train station silently and left me alone in the outside. Now I was the one staring at the moon. It was sure a delight to see.

A few hours later we were ready get going but before we left we finished cleaning up the building taking any useful supplies. It turns out that  I could get all the pieces that ¨Screws¨ needed out of an old heater. Taking out that weight out of my shoulder we began our way to the tunnel. The tunnel entrance was less than 40 minutes away. The entrance was breathtaking, it was bigger than anything I have seen before. It walls where made of pure concrete and metal, not even the bombs were able to collapsed them. The problem was that it was at least 3 miles long, three fucking miles into  complete darkness without any route of escape.  But taking any other road would mean loosing more time and thanks to our delay yesterday we couldnt gave us that privilege now. We continued  in the same way that we move at night; in straight line one behind the other.

Walking in the tunnel was a complete psychological torture. We had to stop every 5 minutes because we all listen and feel something but nothing really appeared. I was also suffering from flashlights from my nightmare as we moved, I was in a point that I truly believed that the initiate would stand in front of me any second. The constant sound of a drip almost made me loose my mind for a second but I was able to contain myself. The rest of the team wasn’t any better, you could heard their heavy breathing and the beating of their hearts as they move step by step. We finally where able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, we rushed our passing. I felt that at the end we were all running as if  if something was chasing us. I took a big breath of air as we finally left the tunnel, I had never been so happy to see the Wasteland. But now there was something different within all the ashes. Not far away, we now could see the ruins of the one biggest and most bustling metropolis in Equestria,  Manehattan.

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The city was completely devastated. The skyscrapers that once were the emblem of the city now were only a few floors tall. The streets were filled with building ruins making hard to move through them. The wind blew between the buildings raising large amounts of ashes, this  was surely a desolated and forsaken place.

We didn’t have the time to admire the rests of the city; we had a job to do so we began to scavenge.  Building by building, street by street we searched for any kind of food source. But my biggest fear was becoming truth, there was nothing left in Manehattan. It didn’t make  sense even after the bombs there must be at least some food scraps. When Apple Family  Inc. patented the caned food to make it last they actually meant it, but now we couldn’t  find not even one. We were taking great risks in the process and  I was getting desperate every passing second, the city was huge and still we didn’t find anything. I was about to cry. The whole team was exhausted not only physically but mentally, failure after failure was wearing them out. We couldn’t leave the city with our hooves empty, we needed to find something.

It was already past midday and still no progress in our search.  I wanted to divide the pelotons so  we could cover more ground  but I wasn’t going to take the risk, the interior of the city  was a mystery for us. As we moved I spotted at the distance something out of the ordinary.  In one the street ahead there was a giant steel wall blocking the way, but this once didn’t look like  the ruins of a building it seemed pony made. As we approached the wall I could see more details, it was definitely pony-made and on the left side  I could see what seemed to be an opening mechanism.   We all stared at the wall and I tried pushing it while the rest of team just expected.

-"Ain´t you gonna help me?" –we all started pushing the damn wall. Even with the help of 52 stallions and one mare the door was hard to move but I could hear the sound of the gears slowly moving on the other side.

-"Hold it right there!" –a stallion said with authority from the top of the wall now pointing at us with his battle saddle. We all gave a step back in astonishment. I knew that the wall was pony made but I didn’t expected any pony to actually be behind it. I could hear how at my left FireWick had charged her rifle and now was also pointing the stallion.

-"Don’t do any stupid will you. We outnumber you."

-"Beware, behind this door we have enough gun power to take care of all of you". –That word. WE. Sounded in my ears! . There was actually more ponies inside, all my life I had been taught that Canterlot was the only place left in Equestria with pony-life and now I was told that there was civilization behind this wall. I needed to see it.

-"Take it easy FireWick! My apologies for the behaviour of my team commander" -FireWick gave me a cold look -" but we have come here for an important mission and we need to talk to the pony in charge."

He watched me for a few seconds and then turned his head and gave a call -"Hey! Go call the sergeant! Quick!"

We waited outside the wall for a few minutes meanwhile the stallion kept an eye on us.  We finally heard a noise at the other side of the wall and the stallion ordered  to step back from the wall, then they  opened  it. The wall made a huge noise while opening, it was so big and heavy that it could only be open on one side.  Behind the shadows of the wall emerged a brown pegasus dressed with a green uniform and beret, like the ones the Equestria Army used to have.

-"The Mayor has allowed all of you to enter with the condition that you all get disarmed.  We handed our weapons."

-"Do it" –I said to my team and they quickly began to disassemble their battle saddles without complaining. I didn’t like the idea of being surrounded of unknown ponies without any way of defending myself but I knew that it was the condition to enter. Other few stallions quickly began to pick up our guns and to check our backpacks.

-"Don’t worry you will get them when you leave the city. One more thing though, the Mayor wants to meet you. You are the leader of this group, right?" –the stallion directed  me in a derogatory way.

-"Yes…"

-"Then follow me. The rest of your team will be taken to a special area."

I didn’t trust this stallion one bit but I was sure FireWick and the others pelotons leaders would be able to handle any danger situation even without weapons. As I followed the pegasus I started getting a perspective about the city. All the buildings in the inside have been repaired so that they could serve as homes. In some of the roofs I could see one or two ponies armed with a 50 cal. turrets  keeping an eye inside and outside  the surroundings. I got a bit anxious as I saw one of the ponies pointing at as  I move. I guessed they had to be cautious they didn’t had a magic shield to protect them. The streets were clear of any debris making movement easier. From time to time one of the ponies gave me a look as I went through the city. There were many of them. Not as many as in Canterlot but way more than I expected. The stallion told me to wait in front of a building and left me alone as if I wasn’t worth his time to watch over me. The building, in which I was waiting had a classic style resembling some buildings from Canterlot and it still maintained it white color. At the top of the beautiful wooden crafted door you could read ¨Rarity&Pommels Fashions¨ written in cursive with purple and white blue for each name.

-"We wanted to make the old Town Hall our HQ but it is  hard to rebuilt  a place that is nothing but ashes" –said an old red unicorn  perfectly arranged in a suit making contrast with the rest of the city. After giving a small exhale with relief he prosecuted.

-"This building had to do the job. After all, this was the most elegant and exclusive building in the city. ¨Rarity&Pommels¨, they used to make the best suits and dresses in all Equestria."

-"My grandfather knew Rarity" –I responded as many memories of my grandfather came to mind

-"May I ask who was your grandfather as he had the pleasure to meet one of the element of harmony"

-"He was Fancy Pants, member of the Royal  Canterlot Council"

-"Oh, that explains quite a lot"

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The stallion who I have been talking with was the Mayor. He was called BlackBun and after introducing himself we entered the building in which his office was located. The room was a complete delightful; the floor was covered by a carpet with bright colors the walls were covered with paintings from the city´s times and from the ceiling hung a beautiful crystal chandelier. BlackBun sat behind his elegant and giant black wooden desk and looked at me with joy, delighted with my astonishment with the room. Not even in Canterlot that remained  intact after the bombs I have seen such a beautiful decorated room. I felt guilty in some way for being covered in dirt and ashes littering the room.

-"Isn´t nice, is it?"

-"Of course it is. Our ¨mayor¨ office´s is just a dark room with a metal desk. This is just….just….I wouldn’t have believe that a place like this could exist in the Wasteland" –he stared at me for quite a long time making me fell a bit awkward. But then began talking again in his calm voice.

-"I have so many questions for you. But I guess you must be in the same position and what kind of host would I be if dont answer you questions first. Ask me anything about this place and I will try to answer the best I can."

The cordiality of BlackBun was extremely opposite compared  with the ¨soldiers¨ I met in the wall. Despite how strange everything seemed in this place this was my chance to understand who this ponies where and how they where still alive.   I wasn’t going to waste this chance.

-"First off all, how did your society survived the bombs?"

-"Shelters, my little pony, shelters. You see, our Mayor during the war was sure that something bad was goin to happen and we didn’t have magic power to make a shield big enough to protect the whole city so he built as many shelters as possible and when the alarms sounded they all seek refuge in them. But they didn’t have too much time, most of the shelters didn’t get a single pony, We are the decedents of those who were able to find one on time"

-"Why did you leave the shelters? I mean you were safe there and you had provisions of some kind"

-"Our home is here in the streets of this once glorious city not in those shelters underground. When they left they made contact with the other shelters and began to rebuild this place. Since then we have maintained a stable society."

-"And those militaries what? There did they come from?"

-"Many battalions were assigned to Manehattan in case of a griffon invasion. Just like the others they run into the shelters when the alarms went on. Being a military has become some kind of tradition,  they have inherited their weapons and equipment from generation to generation until nowadays. There used to be plenty more of them but the process of protecting Manehattan hasn’t been easy. We are still recovering from a plague of RadSprites 3 years ago"- I didn’t know what that was exactly   but in some way I was glad I didn’t.

-"Sooooo… how do you became Mayor?"

-"You aren’t thinking on talking my job, are you?" –he followed his question by a extremely loud laugh from which it took him some time to recover –"Ufh… that was funny… there is a council of 5 civilians and 4 militaries that select the Mayor. The damn militaries are always trying to get their commander in  charge of the city but they always loose. Could you image what would happen if the militaries have all the power, that day our society as civilized ponies will end."

Coming from a place in which the Royal Guard had the complete control I know that he was neither correct nor incorrect. The Royal Guard had been able to maintain life safe in Canterlot but I had to admit we all lived under some kind of dictatorship that didn’t give us a choice about our destiny.  We remained in the room for a couple of  hours while I asked more questions about issues regarding the political organization of the city, how  they protect the city and many other things,. After having my curiosity satisfied I proceeded to answer his questions. I told him about our magic shield, the problems with the radiation and the food shortage, and about the Royal Guard having the control of the city.

-"Well… your city will never truly progress until you get rid of that government"

-"I think we are fine. They are strict but only because it is necessary."

-"But you could be better! All this militaries are the same, they are all closed mind, they won´t take any risk if that meant losing their positions.

My grandfather also used to tell me stories about the world before and he said that everything that happened is fault of the militaries."

-"As a member of the guard I think we have been doing our job to protect the other."

-"Ouh, I am really sorry I didn’t know you were one of ¨them¨."

From this moment the conversation change completely  he was no longer the King unicorn I been talking, now his attitude resembled the one of the soldier at the wall.

-"I guess a member of the Royal Canterlot Guard must be all the way around here for some important reason and not just for a social visit. What are your intentions and yours heavily armed ponies here, Mr. Fancy?" –I didn’t like his new attitude one bit but I had to show respect after all he still was the Mayor and controlled the city.

-"Well, like I told you earlier in the city we have a problem with our harvest getting affected by the radiation. I was sent here with my team to recollect any source of food  so that the city can get through the crisis."

-"You won´t find any food here…"- he answered with a cold way

-"Pardon!?"

-"Like I said, you won´t find any food here. During the year we scavenged the city completely for any useful material or food, anything  the food is long gone."

-"But…but…you said the city had plenty of food storages; that you even had food left from the shelters that were never used."

-"It is true but I can´t spare any of it. Have you seen the state we live in? Ha? We don’t have a magic shield that protects us every moment. Many building don’t even have a roof or doors. Answer me. What would happen if my city suffers from an attack of some of the horrors from  Wasteland and we don’t have enough resources to recover? Then there will one guilty and that would be me and after I get executed the militaries will take the control. I can´t let that happen." *sigh*." Three days away from here in the south there is a city called Philly Delpha and as far as I know it is abandoned. It could have many resources for scavenging. You could get your team there."

-"But Mayor Bun…you need to understand we need to get those resources as fast as possible to the city otherwise the city would  starve to death. We can´t go that far."

-"Well, then I can´t help you or your city. I´m sorry"

I felt so helpless. Like if I was being punched several times in the stomach every moment he explained how he wasn’t going to do anything about all our problems. All this travel, the problems, the deaths, the pain, the suffering and the anguish, all for what? A lesson about Manehattan history followed by shitty excuses of an old unicorn obsessed with the idea of the militaries taking his charge. I just wanted to hit him with my hooves.

-"And one more thing…." –I didn’t really want to hear him anymore

-"You  and your team are only allowed to stay here until nightfall. It´s for security reasons, nothing personal. Well, it been a pleasure meeting you but I have other matters to attend. I wish you luck in your travels"

He extended his left hoof towards me as if he really expected me to shake it.

-"Fuck you!" –I got closer putting my horn over his. I was red witt fury

-"Guards!" –just a second latter I was caught by two strong earth ponies. if they hadn’t enter the room I don’t know if I could have handle myself.

-"Take them out of the city immediately!"

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

As we were putting our equipment back all of the soldiers where pointing us with their battle saddles ready to shot if we did any suspicious moment. I felt as if I was going to be executed any second, the atmosphere was tense at all times.

-"HEY! Where is our fucking armor!?"

-"You will get them once you are outside the wall –responded the same pony that just hours ago let us in the city."

When we arrived I was excited and curious but now I was leaving with my hooves empty and nothing but hate for the ponies behind that wall, even more that the one I felt for the creatures in Wasteland. We finally were escorted out of the steel door and with a loud din it closed. They threw us a pair of bags with our armor over the wall. They  were half empty.

-"Where is the rest of our armor BASTARDS!" –screamed FireWick

-"Let´s go FireWick, they won´t gave it back to us!"

Before we started moving again FireWick spited on the floor with contempt. We all were tired of walking and our stay in the city was not long enough to take a rest. But we really couldn’t spare more time, we had to think in another plan. We couldnt go back with our hooves empty to Canterlot and any other location was too far away. I felt cornered into a position with no escape.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I gave the order to stop and everypony took a breath. Until now we all have remain silent but it was time to talk about our next move before living the city. While we were moving I thought in plan but I wasn’t even sure if it was a good idea or not.

-"What now Chief?"

-"Well like they said they won´t share with us their food supplies. So we will have to take it."

-"Hold on Chief, you mean like stealing the city´s food? That wouldn’t mean letting them starve to death? I  mad at them but that is going to far…"

-"The Mayor told me they had plenty of food plus we don’t have other choice."

-"NO FANCY! NOT THIS TIME!" –DeHoof started saying this with his face red in anger –"there is innocent ponies there we can´t do that to them!"

-"Our priority is Canterlot and its inhabitants not this city."

• "But what about Philly Delpha, you said that the Mayor told you about a city that hasn’t  being scavenge. We could get there and then go back to Canterlot?"

Everypony began to settle and to affirm. This time I didn’t have any support.

-"I know you don’t agree with my plan , but there is no choice, is Canterlot or them! We are taking that food and no more discussions!"

-"No!" –DeHoof stood in front of me with authority –"we are not listening to the orders of a crazy pony. You can go alone and try to get their food. We, the scavenging team, are going to Philly Delpha and found food for Canterlot!"

I had enough of this foul.

-"You want to go! Then go! But think of this! You have no idea how to get to Philly Delpha and it is a 3 long day trip into unknown territory with Luna knows what creatures in the way! If any of you is even able to get to city you still have to find if there is really food left.  It is  probably a hostile place and if anypony is able to get there and back  to Canterlot would have less food that expected because of all the supplies needed for that long journey.   By the time you get to the city half of the population would be already suffering of hunger!"

Everypony remained in a complete silence as if they were processing  the real situation they were in. The once confident DeHoof  was now unsure.

-"You really think we won´t make it to Philly Delpha….."

-"Not without casualties and we already had enough –my voice was now tired –I don’t like it either but we have to do it."

With frustration FireWick spoke – "How do we do it Chief? We don’t even know where they have their food"

-"I do. Don’t worry I have a plan."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I approach the city in complete darkness when the night felt. Nothing more than few flashlights were illuminating the wall, but they won´t be there much longer. The plan was simple one pony would go to the other side of the city and set a fire with one of our flares. One big enough so that it would get the guard´ of attention. While they were taking care of the fire we would use FireWick´s special grenades to open a hole in one of the concrete buildings. The coordination had to be perfect,   the fire was to be set in the precise  moment so we can  detonate the grenades  get in the city, repel any resistance and get access to the food storages.

Everything went just as the plan. We heard the screams at the other side of the city and we knew the fire had worked. The grenades opened a nice hole in the city walls  allowing us to enter the city. We moved as fast as possible and we reached the building where I remembered I was pointed by a turret. That building was more secure than the Town Hall and the only logic explanation was that it had to be the food storage. Now the building was unguarded and it was locked with several padlocks. We coulnt  risk making any noises now that we were in the heart of the city so I asked CrystalBreak to open it with his lock pick skills. He was really good but it seemed that this locks were harder than usual so he was taking longer. Every second  meant more risk of being discovered I felt my heart throbbing faster and faster.

-"Ain´t nobody got time for that" –said FireWick before moving out of the way the concentrated CrytalBreak and shooting her shotgun three times drilling the locks and opening the door in the process.

I wanted to yell at her for putting the operation at more risk but we didn’t have time for that. We entered the building and turned our flashlights, we just couldnt believe what we saw. Mountains and mountains of food cans. The whole building was full of it. I had never seen so much food in our lifes. I started felling angrier towards Mayor Bun, they could have easily afford us some food he  was just arrogant and selfish. Well at the end I was being selfish too. Shaking my head I came back to the reality and began to take as much food as possible. Our backpacks were getting full and we decided to left part of our, already limited, armor so that we could take even more food. When we finished we weighted at least 300 pounds more. We had to left the city quick but being so many with and with extra weight it wasn’t going to be easy. We managed to get out the same way we came in, until now the plan was a complete success. Even DeHoof, who was the responsible of starting the fire, was already waiting for us. But when I thought everything had ended in a clean way, he had to appear.

The two shoots of my revolver went though his chest and if that didn’t kill him the fall did. Now he was bleeding in the floor, lifeless. I just killed a pony. I had never done it before but the poor pegasus showed in this exact moment and I just couldnt risk him warning everypony in the city. My hooves began to shake. It was one thing killing a creature than killing another pony like me. I was paralyzed, seeing his body bleeding motionless. He didn’t even have a uniform, the poor yellow pegasus was just a civilian that was unfortunate to sneak around in the wrong place. FireWick gave me a slap with his hoof in the head and we started moving. There was no time for tears.

As we left the city we could hear the sounds of shoots and screams at the distance. We just had release the Tartarus in the poor city.  Just Celestia and Luna can know what had happen to the poor ponies from New Manehattan after we left. We could be responsible of starting a massacre in the city just for a bunch of food cans.  It didn’t seem to be worth it.  But now our only duty left was to get back home safe and  finish our job.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The whole travel back to Canterlot passed in complete silence. No pony talked to each other during the whole way. But what I could felt was their judging looks and expressions. The travel was also shorter despite the extra cargo. In just a day and a half we reached Canterlot again without any more inconvenients. When I finally entered the magic shield I started crying, I just was releasing all the anxiety and stress I had lived.  I wanted to talk to Big Jack immediately after we arrived. I wasn’t going to tell him anything about the story behind all the operation. We had the food it was all he needed to know.

-"You and your team have done well. While you were outside we were able to find the origin of the radiation in our crops.  All this time it was just a pipe from the outside that connected with our water system. The next harvest is going to be completely clean. "

-"Great…" -I said without enthusiasm.  I couldn’t handle the feeling that the whole operation was then just a waste and that all the justifications I used to steal from New Manehattan´s food where now lies.

-"Please don’t be to excited you are going have a heart attack!" –said Big Jack with sarcasm –"I have something to tell you that may get you enthusiasm. Now that the radiation problem is solved the city doesn’t need much of a scavenging team, or at least not such a big one. After all this year at the service of the city I think you deserve a different job, you know something less dangerous."

-"Thank you…". –I was too tired to feel happiness

After that I left his office and went to my apartment and tried to sleep. But it was just impossible. I kept having nightmares just like the one I had at the train station but these ones were worse. Ponies on fire, screams and the image of the pegasus falling repeating over and over again were all in my nightmares. I thought that I should do something to clear my mind, trying to get distracted. I decided to visit  ¨Screws¨ with the pieces he asked me for. After all that was still part of my assigment.

I was late at night but the boiler room never sleeps. When I entered I felt how relaxing the warming steam was and make me want to stay. ¨Screws¨, as usual, was working in one of his machine as I interrupted him.

-"I already  heard you came back but I haven’t had time to welcome you"

-"Don’t worry I know you are always busy down here. I only came here to bring you your pieces." –I handed him the bag with all the things that I recovered from the train station and was about to leave when I was interrupted

-"These are big screws…."

-"Yes?"

-"For Luna sake! I told you I needed small ones I can´t use this shit! It´s like if I am talking to an initiate" *sigh* "Please leave I don’t want to see you around here you may broke something. I will see want can I do to keep this things running without the pieces." –he finished saying with annoyance and frustration.

I left in a hurry. I went to my apartment took me revolver and went to the city´s exit. I lost 3 ponies, sent a city to chaos, lost part of my own sanity just for what? That a pony that has spent it´s whole life living in a shield gives me a sermon about how incompetent I was! I was going to showed him I was going to get those parts he needed all by myself and he and everypony would see who I was. I was the Commander of Canterlot´s Royal Guard Scavenging Team!

Yelling and giving orders I made my way to the checkpoint where I was greeted by Silver Hoof.

-"What are you doing?"

-"I´m going to get some pieces for ¨Screws¨ it will be quick" –he watched behind me and realize it was just me

"-Are you okay?"–he asked with a tone of preoccupation

Until now I didn’t realize what I was doing. I was going to the Wasteland completely alone only armed with my revolver just to get some parts. It was suicide. But till now I realized the insanity of my actions, but I just didn’t care.. If my own city couldnt bring peace to myself there was no place I could escape from my sins.

-"Yes. Everything is allright. It will be quick, don’t worry." – I said trying to crack a smile

-"Be careful my friend" –he said before giving me a hug as if he knows what was my destiny

And so I made my way to the Equestria Wasteland once again this time never to come back.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++END+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

May Celestia doesn’t banish me to the moon….