Equestria: The Fallen Utopia

Back at Canterlot Castle, Twilight and the others were sitting with me in the waiting room while Luna interrogated Pip.

“Are you OK?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Please tell me you’re all right.”

“I’m fine,” I groaned. “Just tired as hell.” After a time of silence, Luna came back from the interrogation room. She rewound and played the tape of her interrogation.

“So, you are a soldier,” Luna said. “Fighting for whom?” She was standing while pip was cuffed in a chair at a table.

“The 116th under Calamity, fighting for Velvet Remedy,” Pip explained. “From 35 to 42.”

“That’s the year 2042?” Luna asked.

“That’s right,” Pip said.

“Who was the enemy again?” Luna questioned.

“A computer system built for the Crystal Empire by the Rainbow Factory,” Pip responded. I took this thought to mind. A computer system from the Rainbow Factory? Is it still operational?

“I see,” Luna said as she sat down in a second chair. “So this ‘computer’ thinks it can win by killing the father of its enemy. Killing her in the fact before she’s even thought of. Sort of like retroactive abortion.”

“Right,” Pip said. Luna sighed.

“Why didn’t it just kill Remedy then? Why this elaborate scheme with the Terminator?”

“It had no choice,” Pip said. “Their defense grid was smashed. We’d won. Taking out Remedy then would make no difference. Starnet had to wipe out her entire existence.”

“Is that when you captured the lab complex and found that… what was it called…” Luna fumbled through her papers until she found what she was looking for. “…the time displacement equipment?”

“That’s right,” Pip angrily sighed. She was getting sick of questions. “The Terminator had already gone through. Remedy sent me to intercept, then they blew the whole place.”

“Well, how are you supposed to get back?” Luna asked.

“I can’t” Pip said. “Nopony goes home, nopony else comes through. It’s just her and me.” Luna sighed.

“Why didn’t you bring any weapons, something more advanced?” Luna asked. “Don’t you have …ray guns?” Celestia and Luna chuckled at this vague statement. “Show me a piece of future technology.”

“You go naked,” Pip said. “Something about the field generated bio-living organism. Nothing dead will go.”

“Why?” Luna asked.

“I didn’t build the fucking thing!” Pip yelled.

“OK, OK,” Luna said. “But this ‘cyborg,’ if it’s metal…”

“Surrounded by living tissue,” Pip said.

“Oh right,” Luna remembered. “Let’s go back to what I said about…”

“Look,” Pip yelled. “You have heard enough! I have answered your questions, now I have to see Braveheart!”

“Look, the only one you can talk to here is me,” Luna informed.

“Why am I talking to you?” Pip asked. “Who is in authority here?!”

“Pip, I…”

“Shut up!!” Pip yelled. She looked at the camera. “You still don’t get it, do you? She’ll find him. That’s what she does. That’s all she does! You can’t stop her! She’ll wait for you and pull his fucking heart out!” A guard grabbed Pip. “Let go of me!” Celestia told Luna to turn it off. Luna turned off the tape.

“Sorry,” she said to me. I was starting to sweat from Pip’s angry yelling.

“Wow,” Twilight said. “So Pip is crazy?”

“In technical terminology, she’s a loon,” Luna said. Celestia showed me a piece of guard’s armor.

“The mare must have been wearing one of these matching her fur color,” Celestia said. She let me see the guard armor before putting it away. “Try to get some sleep, Braveheart. The rest of you, go back to Ponyville.”

“Take care, Braveheart,” Fluttershy said.

“Be careful,” Twilight said. The Mane 6 left Canterlot Castle and went back to Ponyville. As they were leaving the castle, the Terminator walked in with a leather jacket and sunglasses on. She spoke to the guard at the door.

“I’m a friend of Braveheart,” the Terminator said. “I was told that he’s here. Could I see him please?”

“No,” the guard said. “You can’t see him, he’s making a statement.”

“Where is he?” the Terminator asked. The guard looked up.

“Look, it may take a while,” he said. “If you want to wait, there’s a bench right over there.” The Terminator looked at the bench, then around the entrance. She turned back to the guard.

“I’ll be back,” she said. She turned around and walked away from the castle. After a moment, the Terminator was back with a car. She drove through the door, killing the guard in the process. I heard the crash and woke up. The Terminator got out of the totaled car and began her hunt. A guard turning the hall corner was shot with the Terminator’s AK-47. Other guards heard the shots and ran to see what was going on and were immediately shot by the Terminator. I went for the door, but Celestia opened it.

“Stay here,” She said. She closed and locked the door she came through left through another one. I was in no mood to stay. I busted the door open and went to find Pip. She was still in the interrogation room, alone. I broke her free of her hoofcuffs and we made a break for it. Suddenly, all the lights in the castle blew up, sending sparks flying. The Terminator had overloaded the circuit board. The sparks caught the rugs and curtains on fire and started to burn down the castle. Pip and I ran to the exit as fast as we could. Luna and Celestia evacuated whatever guards were left, but they were trapped in the throne room.

“Sister,” Luna asked. “What can we do? We cannot escape the flame.” Celestia looked at Luna. Luna knew what Celestia was thinking. Celestia wrote two quick letters. One to me and one to Twilight. The two sisters then closed their eyes, and waited.
~~~

Outside of the Castle, me and Pip got into a car and drove to the outskirts of Canterlot. The Terminator exited the castle and followed us on foot. I looked back at the burning castle. I saw a purple and yellow explosion blow from the throne room. I watched with concern, hoping the Princesses were ok. Pip focused on driving, unfazed. I received my letter as we rode on. I opened it up quickly and read it.

“Dear Braveheart, This will be my last letter to you and Twilight. I regret to inform you that we were unable to escape. We couldn't make it. Tell Princess Cadence and Shining Armor what happened. They must know. You, Braveheart, must protect Equestria with your life. Please, do what you can to keep Equestria in balance. To answer your question, the Rainbow Factory could not be dealt with. We barely escaped, luckily more fortunate than you did. I'm sorry, we tried. Princess Twilight will now be appointed your advisor. You may choose further positions for your friends as you feel necessary. Take care of Equestria for me, Braveheart. From, Princess Celestia. Goodbye.”

I put the letter away slowly. I slouched into my seat and watched the castle burn through the mirror. My eyes had started to water. Princess Luna was the one who saved me, and now she was gone. I hung my head started to cry. Pip drove on until she felt we had gone far enough. We stopped at a hotel. Pip got out.

“Come on,” she said. “We'll be staying here for a while.” I didn't follow. Pip walked up to me and put a hoof on my shoulder. I looked up, eyes wet with tears. Pip gave me a sympathetic look. She felt my pain, even if it wasn't the same. I got out of the car and followed Pip to the hotel. She pulled out a large bag of bits.

“Will this be enough?” Pip asked me. I pushed the sack away.

“Yeah, it's enough,” I said. “I don't want to ask where you got it.” I walked up to the hotel counter and asked for a room. Pip requested one with a kitchen. Luckily, there was one room like that available. As we entered the room, I took a look around. It was a quite a bit larger than an apartment room, with a king sized bed and a small kitchen. I cleaned myself up and sat by the window. I sighed.

“So I’m in charge now,” I said to myself. I looked off into the distance at the ruined Canterlot Castle. Pip sat next to me.

“What’s wrong?” She asked. I hesitated to tell her.

“Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are gone,” I said. “I don’t know who to turn to now.”

“You have your friends,” Pip said. “They all have good hearts and obviously care for you.” I smiled.

“Thanks,” I said. I nagged at the thought of my pursuer. “What about the Terminator?” I asked.

“Once we stop it, you can go back to life as normal,” Pip said. “Just remember about Velvet Remedy. She’s very important to the survival of ponykind.”

“I won’t forget,” I assured Pip. I looked back out the window. The castle fire had been dealt with. I walked over to the nearby desk and wrote a letter to Shining Armor and Princess Cadence telling them what had happened. I wrote another letter to the remaining castle guards to leave the castle ruins there, as a tribute to the Princesses. I also ordered that a stone be placed in the center of the ruins, marking where the Princesses had died. I slept with Pip that night, taking shifts watching for the Terminator. On one of my shifts, I thought I saw something. I looked closer and found that it wasn’t anything. I felt secure, for the time being. Pip and I continued to change shifts until I fell asleep.