Equestria: The Fallen Utopia

I flew into Ponyville, crashing into Twilight’s Library. I smashed through a window and slammed into a bookshelf. I pulled myself off and ran upstairs.

“Twilight,” I cried. “Get everypony into the Stables. Now!”

“What are you talking about?” Twilight asked. “What Stables?” I ran back downstairs and blew a hole in Twilight’s floor. There was a metal stairwell lit with small LED lights.

“When did that get there?” Twilight asked. I explained to her what happened in the Crystal Empire, about the defense network, the system becoming self-aware, the bombs, and when the Stables were built. Twilight listened, going from fascinated to frightened.

“We need to get everypony into the Stables as quickly as possible,” I said. “Tell everypony you can to come to the library and get down to the fallout shelter.” I flew away as Twilight delivered the message. I arrived in Canterlot and told everypony to follow me. I flew to the remains of Canterlot Castle. I tore down the fence surrounding it and blew a hole in the throne room floor. Another tunnel leading to the Stables was there. The ponies that followed me streamed into the tunnel and into The Stables. I flew around Equestria, getting as many citizens into the shelters as I could. I bolted from city to city, town to town, opening up more tunnels that led to The Stables. As I made one last round of Equestria, I saw a small wagon out in the middle of nowhere. It was Trixie Lulamoon’s, the infamous show-pony. I flew down as fast as I could and pounded on the door. Trixie came to the door.

“What do you want?” she rudely asked. “Don’t you know that the Great and Powerful Trixie needs her beauty rest?”

“I don’t give a shit if you were in the middle of a nap,” I said. “You need to get down to the fallout shelters immediately. There is about to be a massive nuclear attack on Equestria.”

“Nuclear attack?” Trixie scoffed. “What nonsense. Equestria hasn’t been in danger for years. Why should the Great and Powerful Trixie believe that it is in danger now?” I glared at Trixie. This was getting me nowhere.

“I don’t have time to argue,” I growled. “You can come with me and live, or stay here and die.” Trixie rolled her eyes and slammed the door in my face. I muttered curse words to myself and flew away.

Equestria seemed to be deserted. Windows and doors were left ajar, merchandise carts had been abandoned, vehicles were left in the streets, chairs and tables had been flipped; it was rather frightening. I flew to the remains of Canterlot Castle to watch the bombs launch. I suddenly remembered Velvet Remedy.

“Oh shit!” I cried out. I blasted towards my house. I had to get Velvet Remedy to safety. She was the key to survival. I blew open my door and ran inside.

“Remedy!” I cried out. “Velvet Remedy, where are you?!” Velvet Remedy came down the stairs.

“What is it?” she asked. “What’s wrong?” I picked her up and put her on my back.

“We need to go,” I said. “Now.” I ran back to the charred Canterlot Castle.

“What’s going on?” Velvet Remedy asked. “Where are we going?”

“I’ll explain everything later,” I said. “Just don’t fall off my back.” Suddenly, I heard an earth-trembling boom. I looked behind us and saw that one of the bombs had already fallen in the Crystal Empire. I looked around us and saw that the nuclear missiles had launched.

“Oh, fuck,” I whispered. I ran faster than I had ever run in my life. The bombs fell around us as I ran. Remedy closed her eyes and covered her ears. I used my magic to hold down Remedy as I opened up my wings. I lifted off the ground and flew the rest of the way to The Stables. I flew inside and picked up the intercom.

“SEAL THE DOORS NOW!!!” I yelled into the mic. I felt the fallout shelter vibrate as the remaining open doors were sealed. Most of them were already shut. I took one last look at Equestria before closing my door. The place that I had known to be paradise, void of conflict, and peaceful, was being destroyed before my very eyes. I saw the last nuclear warhead fly down to the castle. My eyes widened and I pounded the shutdown button and the door began to close. I saw the bomb fall in slow motion as the door closed. I watched, staring, as the gear shaped door close and seal. The Stables shook violently as the bomb hit. I slumped to the cold, metal floor of the fallout shelter. As the shaking stopped, I passed out and fell on my back.

When I woke up, Velvet Remedy and Rainbow Dash were sitting over me. They seemed sad, but happy that I was OK. I sat up and looked at the survivors. Looking through this one room, there weren’t many; only about two hundred or so. I stood up and walked around the shelter. Almost all of the survivors were young families. I looked around and found the CMC there, as well as the entire Ponyville school district. Twilight and the rest of the Mane 6 were there, with Mr. and Mrs. Cake with their foals. I knew there were more survivors in the other main rooms, they just hadn’t found out I had made it yet. Rainbow Dash was staring at me.

“What do we do now, Braveheart?” she asked. “We can’t leave here. The fallout will kill us.”

“Then we don’t leave,” I said. “Not yet.” I flew up to a point where everypony could see me. I was about to speak when the rest of the survivors entered the room. I let them all come in before speaking.

“Citizens of Equestria,” I called out. “You are the survivors of the nuclear fire. We as proud members of the Stables will survive.”

“What about essentials?” a pony in the back cried. “We can’t live without food or water.”

“I can provide essentials for the Stables,” I said. “So can any Unicorn that is willing. I will teach a simple spell that can spawn any item. That will be our fuel source. But on the topic of this shelter, I will warn you this. The Starnet defense system had taken over. We wait until the fallout has subsided, then we fight back for our home. Do I make myself clear?” Everypony nodded in agreement. “Military training will be required for everypony,” I continued. “See Shining Armor or myself for registration. I will do what I can to help with supplying weapons and teaching how to use them. Thank you.” I dismissed the crowd and landed on the floor. Everypony left for their own rooms, leaving me alone. I stared at the door, thinking about what would lie ahead for the future of Equestria. The bombs had fallen and the machines had taken over. We were the survivors of Judgment Day, the day when nearly all of ponykind was destroyed by the weapons they had built to protect themselves. Once the toxic waste settled and dissipated, we would start life anew in the wastelands. We would survive the fallout. The Fallout of Equestria.
~~~

“Stables Log #365: Where was I?” Velvet Remedy recorded on her Pipbuck. “This will be my last log in The Stables. We’ve been living in here for almost fifteen years, and I’m starting to get tired of it. Of course, I wouldn’t be here if a certain stallion didn’t care for me. I owe my life to Braveheart. He saved my life three times, each time making me realize how much he cared for me. I wish to return the favor in a way nopony has ever done. I want to start life over again in Equestria. It’s what he wanted. Tomorrow morning, I leave the Stables to start a new life. I’ll make sure that when the gates of this shelter open up, the world will be free of the nagging thought that the machines would find us. This is Velvet Remedy, June 26, 2017.”
Velvet Remedy turned off her recorder and packed her last piece of gear. She set a small alarm clock to 4 AM and set it on her dresser. She sat in her bed and took a photo out of her saddlebag. It was a picture of her and Braveheart, sitting down in the Equestria Rainbow Falls. They were enjoying the day together. Velvet Remedy sighed and put the photo away. She lay down in her bed and thought. Thought about what she would do when she left The Stables; what Braveheart wanted to happen. She remembered his most important words to her.

“Velvet Remedy,” he said. “Remember why I cared for you. Why I took you under my wing and trained you. Trained you to become a great leader, and an inspiration to others. You will lead Equestria to survival. I love you, Remedy. I always have, and always will. And I will always, always, be with you. No matter what.”

Velvet Remedy fell asleep that night wanting to change the world. To lead the force against Starnet and the machines. To start life over again in Equestria. And she would.