Fallout: Equestria- The Nightmare Initiative

Once upon a time in the magical land of Equestria…

Harmony and Love slowly gave way to Corruption and Greed. Ponies slowly began to care more about money and power than friendship and harmony. Friends and neighbors grew distant and paranoid. War broke out, severing bonds between nations. The resulting arms race built itself up to a breaking point, culminating in a violent and tumultuous finale. But this would not be the end. In the days before the megaspells dropped, thousands were spared by deep underground shelters known as Stables. Here they were able to survive the initial contamination and poisons created by the megaspells.

When the dust settled, and ponies crawled from the wreckage, the survivors slowly realized that this was not the end, but a new beginning. Destroyed cities slowly began to be rebuilt. Ponies began to realize how they strayed, and Harmony began to slowly fill the barren lands of Equestria once again.

But sometimes things are not always as they seem; and sometimes, the things we hold dear are nothing but false echoes to shield ourselves from nightmares we hope never to face.

Fallout Equestria:

The Nightmare Initiative

Prologue: The Happy Ending

Bright Idea woke to the sounds of birds singing outside his window. The sound made him smile lazily as he rolled onto his side. It brought fond memories to the forefront of his mind. Fluttershy had asked a flock of birds to sing at his wedding… what was it, nine years now?

Speaking of wedding, there was an empty warm spot on the bed that brought Bright out of his train of thought. He wasn’t surprised at it. In fact it was something he had become accustomed to. His wife had always been an early riser compared to him. Bright allowed himself a moment more of laying still before dragging himself off the side of the bed. As he made to leave his upstairs bedroom he hesitated at the mirror for a moment.

Bright was surprised at how little he seemed to age in the last few years. His green mane showed no signs of gray, despite the stress of the war some years back, and by all appearances he was as healthy as ever. “Why so blue?” He joked at his reflection, which wore a passive expression. It was a terrible pun, one his wife seemed to love asking him. Bright always thought he was more of a gray, personally. He shook his head and smiled. Time for breakfast.

Bright trotted downstairs to where the scent of baking had already begun to fill the air of Sugarcube Corner. It was a routine that had become a sort of morning ritual at this point in his marriage. “Smells delicious as always, Pinkie!” Bright called out to his wife. The energetic mare poked her head out of the kitchen doorway. “Of course it does, silly! I’ve been using Mr. and Mrs. Cake’s recipes since they left me the bakery, and I don’t plan on changing those one bit!” Pinkie replied with a giggle. “Besides, I’m nowhere near as good a baker as Mr. and Mrs. Cake were. If I changed the recipe now, the food would taste different. Then everypony would stop coming because they didn’t like the food, and then we’d lose Sugarcube Corner because we couldn’t afford the property and have to sell it. Sponge Cake wouldn’t do well in school because she wouldn’t have anywhere to do her homework and then she’d flunk out, being forced to work on a rock farm. And of course we’d go help because the thought of our daughter working on a rock farm would-“

Bright silenced the tangent with a delicate kiss. “All right. No changing the Cake’s recipe. I promise.” He glanced through the doorway past Pinkie Pie. “Where is Sponge Cake anyway? Shouldn’t she be getting ready for school?”

“Attack!”

Bright Idea let out a false cry of terror as a unicorn filly leapt onto his back. He flopped forward in a defeated manner. “Oh no! Master spy Sponge Cake has defeated me! Whatever shall I do? I know… I’ll eat the spy so she can’t get me anymore!” Bright let out a playful growl and his daughter let out a squeal of delight, fleeing into the kitchen. He chased the lavender filly into the room, laughing at the game.

“Breakfast is already on the table, you two. You don’t need to eat Sponge Cake today… Unless it’s the sponge cake I’m making for somepony’s first day back to school party!” Pinkie Pie stood on her hind legs, making a Y shape with her body as she let out the party announcement. “Yay! I love your parties, Mommy!” Sponge Cake began hopping for joy around Pinkie Pie.

Bright let the celebrations continue for a short moment as he levitated a cup of coffee over to himself. “All right, I need to get going to work.” Bright gave a quick peck to his wife and one on Sponge Cake’s forehead. “Daddy has to hurry. Today he’s showing Ponyville a new invention. This could really help everypony.”

“Aww…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be done around lunchtime.”

Sponge Cake let out a sigh. “Okay…”

“If you’re good at school today, Daddy will come say hi at lunch. How does that sound?”

Sponge Cake let out another squeal of happiness.

“All right, I’m off!” Bright Idea struck a pose, one hoof thrust in front of him. He supposed that he picked up the dramatics from Pinkie Pie but, oddly enough, couldn’t really remember when he had started them.

Pinkie nuzzled Bright’s neck gently. “Good luck! When you get home you can help with the party decorations.” She leaned in close, her muzzle next to Bright’s ear. “And don’t forget to visit Sponge Cake at school. She’s nervous about going back to school without her C-u-t-i-e M-a-r-k.” Pinkie whispered the words, keeping her daughter from hearing.

“No fair! I wanna know the secret too!” Sponge Cake tried getting close to her parents to listen in.

“It’s a secret about the party silly. If I told you now, then it wouldn’t be a surprise. Okie Dokie Lokie?” Pinkie Pie deflected the prying quickly, before Sponge Cake could overhear. Bright was grateful for it. Sponge Cake had become more and more obsessed with getting her cutie mark. She was just at that age, he supposed.

“Okay, enough horsing around. I have to get to work.” Bright gave Pinkie another kiss (Sponge Cake audibly gagged at the sight) and pecked Sponge Cake on the forehead. “Bye you two. I love you both.”

“Bye, honey bun! I’ll see you after work! Don’t forget you’re helping me set up the par- Woooah!” Pinkie Pie began to shake up and down uncontrollably, though the episode only lasted for a second. “That was a doozie! I haven’t had one of those in a while. I wonder what that was for.” Pinkie Pie rubbed her chin thoughtfully before another fit overtook her. It passed as quickly as the first. “That’s funny…“ A third fit struck the mare, causing a look of realization to cross her face. “Oh no! I lost track of time!” Another fit of shaking. Pinkie Pie grabbed Bright Idea’s face with her forehooves. “Bright, I know this is gonna sound super, duper weird; but you have to go to Sugarcube Corner when you wake up!”

“Pinkie Pie we’re in-“ Bright started to let his wife know that he was already in Sugarcube corner.

“Promise me! It’s really important!” Panic filled Pinkie Pie’s expression. Whatever was happening had the mare terrified.

“Okay, I promise. Pinkie what’s-“

“Pinkie Promise!”

Bright let out a sigh, seeing that whatever was happening with her Pinkie Sense was important to his wife. “Cross my heart, hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye.” He completed the phrase with a series of hoof motions to complete the silly promise that ended in a hoof poking his eyelid. “Now will you please tell me-“

“No time! Sugarcube Corner! Go!” The last thing Bright Idea saw was the tears that had begun welling up in the eyes of his lover. He wanted to say something to comfort her, something that would make her smile. Instead the world around him seemed to break apart into a jumble of images and memories. These, in turn, seemed to break apart into static.

Bright Idea’s world went dark and he was filled with a jumble of thoughts and confusion. A pleasant mare’s voice echoed around him. “Stable Occupant Awakening Procedures complete. Opening pod door. Watch your step!” Bright had no time to react (or comprehend what was happening) as he fell forward, landing hard on a cool floor. A faint humming filled the air about him as he slowly cracked his eyes open. “What?” Harsh fluorescent lighting burned his retinas for a few moments before he was able to see anything. When his eyes finally did adjust, Bright found himself lying on his side, looking up at a cold, metal ceiling.