Fallout Equestria: Crystal Reborn

Chapter 5: The Rising Darkness

"You can deny my warnings all you wish, it won't change your fate."

I have been up for a few hours, I watched the sun rise, I didn't know if Celestia survived or not but the sun was raised. My balcony had the greatest view of the Crystal Empire and Equestria just over the horizon. From what I saw, Equestria was covered in thick clouds, Manehatten and Fillydeplhia were the closest cities, they were a few hours by train and my personal train would get me there in about 5 hours.

"The city doesn't look so bad from up here, I can get the empire back on track," I heard somepony knock on my door, "Oh, come in!" I turned around and say my door open and Rose and Starlight walk in, Starlight was levitating a plate of food.

"We brought some food for you Cadance," Starlight walked out onto the balcony and sat next to me and Rose sat on the other side.

"The city looks beautiful from up here, I wish I could've seen it before the bombs fell on it," Rose laid her head on the balcony rail and sighed.

"The sad part is even if I reunify the crystal ponies how will I provide power, water and food back to the nation, the east side is gone and it's nothing but a crater, the empire's farms are irradiated and the water along with it, and its factories are are either crumbling or destroyed, and I am sure the snow outside is as irradiated as the water. What am I going to do?" I laid my head down on the railing. I was out of ideas, I want to reunify the empire but once I do how can I care for them.

"Well princess, I doubt that Equestria would use megaspells if they didn't know how to clean up the magical radiation," Rose was reassuring, her soft spoken felt like it was Fluttershy talking, maybe she will take her place as the element of kindness.

"Rose is right maybe Equestria has a device to clean the radiation, is there anyway to get to Manehatten not by train?" Starlight posed a interesting question, there was always flying but I can't carry them both and I can't carry one that far, Manehatten by flight was around 3 hours.

"There is my personal train but I don't know how far it can take us, the snowy wasteland the city was built around was supposed to be used as a shield to ward off any threat that wasn't approaching by train or sky, walking through the snowy wasteland is suicide, very few ponies can survive the walk through it just because of distance, lack of food and firewood," I sat down, natural defenses usually isn't a obstacle for just me however, with Rose or Starlight coming with me it will make it to hard to fly or transport them.

"Where is the train at, is it still in the storage area for it," Starlight said as she peered over the balcony to try to find the train storage.

"It should still be there however I don't know if all the rails are still intact enough for us to drive it, and if anypony started a settlement over or around the tracks it would be bad to drive it. I know the empire used to have giant command ship, similar to a giant zeppelin but it took off in the last battle. We may still have a plane that can carry us, it will take some work to get it flying again but we can try, lets head to the hangar in the armory to see if we have any reserves left, Starlight stay topside just in case Pepper is wondering where we are." Starlight nodded and Rose and I walked out of my room and down the stairs and eventually into the throne room. I casted the dark spell to open the door in the floor and descended down the stairs. Eventually we made it to the bottom and with the giant bulk head door opened we walked in, I flipped the switch and turned the lights on, most of the vehicles in the main room looked like they were in good condition. We walked through the armory and into the repair bay, there were several machines inside here used to fix most of our vehicles. In the distance were several Mister Handy's modified for vehicle repair. They looked like they were broken, in the distance the sound of metal hitting the ground was heard.

"What was that!" Rose pulled out her pistol and put it in her mouth, I looked at her, I never got used to using the mouth guard pulling the trigger with my tongue was hard and I preferred to use my magic. "Princess stay sharp, I don't think we are alone down here."

"Yeah after the ghoul attack, I feel like a fool for thinking there wasn't something else down here," I pulled out the Crystal Revolver and loaded 6 shots in the revolving chamber and pushed it back into place. We continued to move in slowly, I had a hunch that we were being watched, we moved past the pile of Mister Handy's and walked through another door, we entered the underground hangar. It was almost empty with the exception of a few single seat aircraft. "We have a hangar that houses one of our prototype bombers its up on the surface if you want to head up there."

"That's fine. Is there a elevator that can lead us to the surface?" Rose walked to one of the aircraft . "Amazing how ponies used to fly these things. Out of all my sisters I love looking at pre-war tech it's just so fascinating."

"We lived in a time of glitz and glamour thats for sure. Harmony brought us together and tore us apart." I said as I walked past her towards the hangar. Rose looked confused and followed behind me.

"What do you mean by that?" she said curiously.

"A long time ago before there were the Ministry Mares there were the Elements of Harmony. They defeated Nightmare Moon which freed Princess Luna. They brought the short lived era known as 'The Age of Harmony'. That went on for a few years and then Equestria got dragged into the whole terrorism thing with the United Zebra Federation and thus began their downward spiral. Celestia stepped down and Luna reigned over the land starting the 'Age of Industrialization' and thus we went to war," I walked up to the elevator control panel and called the elevator down the ceiling opened and light showered in the room.

"Well I knew that, most of it anyways but what do the Ministry Mares have to do with this?" she put her hoof over her eyes to block the light.

"The Elements of Harmony and the Ministry Mares are one in the same," I looked over to her she rolled her eyes.

"I know all this already I have read the basic history one the Ministry Mares on how they saved Equestria and all that." I chuckled at her response.

"Well each element was given its own position of power. Twilight who was my sister-in-law was given the MAS, the Ministry of Arcane Sciences, Applejack was the MWT, Ministry of Wartime Tech, Fluttershy the MoP, Ministry of Peace, Rarity was the MoI, Ministry of Image. Rainbow Dash was given the MAW or Ministry of Awesome and Pinkie Pie had the MoM or better know as the Ministry of Morale. Basic knowledge of my time," the elevator finally reached the bottom floor and we stepped on it. The elevator started to rise.

"Princess what was Equestria like before the war. I mean like before the Elements of Harmony?" Rose asked as she leaned up agains the railing on the elevator.

"Well Equestria was not that much different then during the 'Age of Harmony' I was still a young pony during most of it. Rose did any of the books you read mention anything about me not being a Alicorn?" She shook her head, "Interesting, I was born a pegasus, when I was very little I got my cutie mark rather early as a young filly, I always wanted to try to spread love everywhere I went. Celestia being my aunt transformed me into a Alicorn and she told me I would grow up to do great things," I laughed and then sighed. "Never in all my life has my purpose in life feel so diminished. Spread love where love doesn't exist anymore," Rose looked at me angrily and slapped me.

"With that attitude you can forget about reclaiming your kingdom! You got to show these ponies there is something to love again, we need that Crystal Heart then maybe, just maybe the city will return to normal. The city still being here should be proof enough the Crystal Heart is still around. Consider me your first crystal citizen, we are going to get that heart back or die trying."

"Rose... I don't know what to say," my face hurt but I felt warm inside. "I really needed that," I hugged her, I felt tears rolling down the side of my face. The elevator stopped at the surface, what I saw was appalling. The elevator came up in the middle of the runway, to the left was the control tower and along the runway were a assortment of broken planes. After taking a closer look I noticed several ponies duking it out with each other. The ponies on the ground didn't seem to notice the elevator bring us up. "Rose this could be bad."

"Yeah, the ponies in the tower are using energy weapons. Take a look." I squinted and looked closer, one of the ponies fired a shot from his rifle, a red beam came out and struck on of the ponies lighting him on fire. "Stay low we can run for cover for that plane wing over there," I nodded.

"We should ready our weapon just incase," Rose nodded back in return and I levitated the Crystal Revolver out and spun the chamber, Rose pulled out a small pistol. I counted down: "3, 2, 1..." We ran for the broken wing, one of the ponies in the tower looked our way. He was aiming at us.

"Hey! Hey pink pony! Do you think you can lend us a hoof! These raiders ambushed us here!" The pony in the tower yelled at us. I looked over at Rose and she shrugged at me.

"Maybe they will join us if we help them," Rose said as she looked over our cover, "Looks like they know we are here," shots started hitting the cover we were behind. "There is at least twenty of them, this could prove difficult."

"I don't have many shots for my revolver I have about eight or so," I poked my head out from one of the sides and then opened fire on us again, I quickly brought my head back, "There is cover about a few feet in front of us, come on we can make it we will have a better angle on them," Rose nodded and we ran we left our cover and ran forward to new cover.

Rose took took a shot with her pistol and the bullet hit a pony and he dropped dead, I stood above our cover and used SATS to target the raiders, I selected to shoot one into her body. I pulled the trigger and watched the crystal bullet plow right through the pony into the plane behind her. The ponies in tower started to fire at them, the raiders seemed more worried about us then the ones in the tower. One by one we kept taking them down and gaining ground. I looked to my left and saw some metal apple land by me. Rose looked at it and kicked it away.

"Get down!" Rose yelled, I hit the deck and put my hooves over my head, I heard the apple explode and all I remembered was darkness as I closed my eyes

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"That was really loud," I rubbed my head.

"Princess, princess look up."

I looked up and we were surrounded by raiders. Five of them had us at gunpoint.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? Looks like your still among the living eh, princess," I looked up, it was the red unicorn from before.

"Napalm. If I knew you would go back to being a raider, I would have killed you when I had the chance."

"Believe it or not I am actually under contract, somepony hired us to kill some other pony and here we are. They gave me some pretty sweet weapons too." I saw he was now wearing a battlesadle with a flamer on it, "My boys should be storming the tower as we speak," He knelt down to us, and put his hoof on my chin, "But don't feel too bad it was a noble act to try to save them, if you beg me for forgiveness, maybe I will spare your life and make you my slave, maybe I will keep the white one to she is pretty, where you pick her up?" I just glared angrily at him. "Bitch I am talking to you," he slapped me across the face. "Answer me when I am talking to you."

"Napalm, I swear to my aunt Celestia, I will get you for this."

"Oh I don't think you will, as long as the caps flow you will be seeing me a lot, my slave," He laughed manically, I saw Napalm turn around as I hear the sound of gunfire coming from the tower, "Your little friends won't survive for much longer and they to will fall to us."

Behind me I saw Rose, looking around, I assume she was thinking of a way to get out of this, I heard a explosion come from the tower and everypony turned their attention to it. Rose got up and bucked one of the stallions in the face, he dropped his gun, Rose picked it up. It was a combat shotgun. Rose shot two other raiders and ran for cover, Napalm punched Rose across the face making her lose grip on the gun. She retaliated by bucking him in the side, after a few minutes of hoof to hoof fighting Napalm was gaining the upper hoof. Napalm was bigger and stronger then Rose was. Napalm knocked Rose to the ground, he grabbed a pistol with his magic.

"Its a shame really, such a cute pony too dangerous to be left alive," He pulled back the bolt on pistol.

"No! Don't!" I yelled as loud as I could, Napalm pulled the trigger the bullet plowed right into her torso. Rose's head dropped to the floor, I couldn't tell if she was breathing, but one thing was for sure, I was going to kill Napalm. A tear rolled down my face and I clenched my eyes shut, "This wasteland takes good ponies and takes them away, where was the good Equestria I once knew?"

"Cadance, let me give you a taste of my dark magic, however don't expect me to save you every time you in this situation," I heard Sombra's voice echo through my head, I felt a jolt of pain in my head, I felt a surge of power run through me, it felt like I could cast a mega spell, "Yes, embrace the dark energy and use it," I chuckled at Sombra. "Now kill all who stand in your way."

I opened my eyes, I can feel the dark magic pulsing out of me. I stood up over Napalm, "You have angered me for the last time Napalm, you will die a slow and horrible death," I sent out a pulse of dark magic around me throwing everypony who standing around me back about 10 feet. I casted a dark energy field around me and the raiders opened fire, my shield stopped every bullet. One by one I used my magic to vaporize ponies, the remaining raiders fled, I walked up to Napalm. "Nothing you can say will stop me from killing you," Napalm panicked and activated his flamer. The flames enveloped me but my shield blocked it out, I used my magic to grab hold of his flamer and ripped off his battlesaddle.

"No! Please, have mercy!" Napalm was cowering in fear.

"You deserve a punishment worse then death, but you lucky thats all I am giving you. Good bye Napalm, may you be damned to Tartarus," I charged up all my magic infusing it with the dark magic from Sombra, I release a massive beam of energy at Napalm. When the beam hit him he screamed in agony, until he was no more, all that was left was a shadow burned into the ground where he once stood. I started panting, Sombra's magic is wearing off, I fell to the ground. I was blacking out.

"She's over here!" I heard the pony from the tower shout. "Don't worry we will get you patched up and..." I blackout.

Footnote: Level up.
Perk added: Focus Fire (Level 1): SATS has become a daily part of your life, your accuracy while shooting is increased by 10%.