Twilight blinked as the foal cried out in fear and the rest scattered while the kid, who apparently was named Dawn just stared at her with wide eyed horror and Twilight hear a click behind her and raised her shield just in time to blocked the rifle bullet and based on the sound it had been a .308 or something close to it.

She looked back over her shoulder to see a terrified earth pony stallion not much older than a foal trying to rack the bolt back on his rifle as he stared at her with fear which was making him clumsy and unable to work the bolt. There was a bust of machinegun fire that peppered her shield from her side and she looked and was shocked to see an actual foal with a small SMG in his mouth aimed at her. As she watched he fired another burst at her and then she saw more of the foals and adult rushing out with guns and other weapons, whatever they could find it seemed, as they had baseball bats, knives, she even saw a few rusty swords as well as other house hold items.

The ones with guns opened fired on her but their shots failed to so much as scratch her shield as she watched the chaos around her unfold and tried to figure out what the hell was going on. When she saw a small foal not much older than a toddler trying to pull the pin from a grenade she had had had enough of this insanity.

“ENOUGH!” She shouted in the Royal Canterlot Voice to be heard over the gunfire and used her magic to seize every weapons being held by a pony and yanked them from their grasps and held them above her head. The use of the Royal Canterlot Voice as well as the fact she disarmed them all in one go caused all of ponies to freeze in place and look at her in wide eyed horror.

With an annoyed scowl she pushed off the hood of the Hog, she hadn’t left that spot since leaning against it before all the chaos started, and spoke in a more normal voice but one that carried the authority of a military commander. “You people sure have a real funny way of greeting guests to your town; do you treat everyone that way or just me? Hm?” She demanded as she fixed the ones in front of her with her scowl causing them to flinch back, she didn’t fix the foals with her look, just the adult who let children wield weapons. “I’m waiting for an answer and I am losing patience.”

The ponies were literally shaking where they stood and she wouldn’t be surprised if some of them actually wet themselves based on how they were acting. Finally a stallion spoke up his voice quaking with fear. “y-you’re an alicorn.” He said simply.

Twilight blinked and looked back over her shoulder at her wings. “Holy crap I am! I hadn’t noticed.” She said sarcastically and looked back at the one who had spoken. “Mind telling me something I don’t know?”

The Stallion swallowed nervously. “Ain’t you here to drag us unicorns off to be added to Unity?” he asked.

Twilight blinked. “What in the name of all things under the sun is Unity?” She asked tilting her head in confusion.

This caused some of the ponies to also share a look before the stallion spoke again this time with a little less fear and more confusion. “You know? Your Goddess’ Unity for unicorns.”

Twilight blinked once more, this was making less and less sense. “Ok first off, I stopped believing in gods a long time ago, secondly I still have no idea what Unity is much less who this Goddess is but frankly she sounds like a bitch if she forces people to join her religion.”

This caused all of the ponies to blink in confusion and a few murmurs to be heard b Twilight, her hearing was set to normal range so she couldn’t make out much more than the fact it was voices. “Based on your reaction I’m guessing this Goddess has something to do with why it looks like a battle was fought in the street?” She asked gesturing to the craters and the fact several buildings had been damaged and one building that looked to have been a church partly collapsed.

“No, that was a ghoul named Sanguine and the small army he had.” The stallion said with a bit more confidence and Twilight notices they were all started to show less fear as she talked with them and she softened her voice.

“Alright, no idea what that is but that doesn’t matter.” She said. “If I give these back to you do you promise to not shoot me some again?” She asked pointing up at the weapons above her head. And the ponies looked nervous but slowly they nodded one by one and Twilight returned their weapons, wee except for she didn’t rearm the foals as that was ridiculous arming children. She gave all the weapons to the adults and dropped her shield.

She saw a large pony dressed in funeral attire of all things watching her from near the ruined church and she also saw several ponies galloping for the town from up on the hill. She stood there, hands behind her back waiting to see what the new arrivals did and if she would need to disarm them as well in case they had the same greeting for Twilight as the town had.

The ponies arrived and she saw one was a unicorn mare wearing thick black body armor with a rearing filly on it that Twilight knew well, come to think of it all the foals save the kid wore the capes of the CMC. It was interesting to see that group existed here as well though why they knew how to use guns didn’t make a lot of sense to her but if the CMC could spread across Equestria back home then why not spread to another reality as it wouldn’t surprise her with some of the crazy stunts the founders pulled off before finally earning their Cutie Marks.

The other pony entering the town was a Pegasus wearing a hooded cloak but Twilight saw a hint of a cyan muzzle hidden within. And lastly a blue earth pony with a wide brimmed black hat, all of them armed with the white unicorn mare having what looked like a shotgun while the Pegasus wore the same type of saddles the EDF used only this had some strange weapon Twilight defiantly didn’t recognize attacked to it and the blue stallion had what appeared to be a grenade launcher on his back, as they neared town she watched him split off from the group, no doubt to move into a flanking position, which meant these ponies were used to fighting tactically.

As they entered the town they slowed down as they saw everyone gathered around Twilight and the Hog looking confused. “Greetings.” Twilight said. “ I do hope you aren’t planning on greeting me the same way this town did as I can tell you it has worn out my patience as I have been having a rather annoying past few days.” She said stiffly, a commander speaking to a couple of soldiers caught raiding the mess hall after hours.

The two ponies glanced at each other before the unicorn slowly stepped forward, her shot gun not aimed at anything but still in a position to easily be brought up in a moment. “Why are you here?” The mare asked her. “I know alicorns can’t stand being around the Hoof do to the Innervation so you must have a reason for coming.”

Twilight gestured at the kid who was rooted to the ground a few feet away. “Kid said this was the nearest town and I gave her a ride here.” She said gesturing to the Hog behind herself. “I’m assuming this region is called the Hoof? As for Innervation I have no idea what that is.” She explained simply.

The mare cocked her head to the side. “It’s sort of like a screaming noise, you should be hearing as it’s all over this valley in some form or another.”

Twilight paused as she focused, while she did hear something the cybernetics in her ears must be dampening it though it did sound like a lovely scream of pain and anguish and was more soothing to her then bothersome. “Well I think I hear something but not very well.” She said looking over the mare. She was of about average build for a unicorn who kept themselves in decent shape with a messy red and black mane, her horn was a bit on the small side but that didn’t really mean much, what caught the soldiers eye the most was that her legs were cybernetic like Twilight’s, though looked to be of a different design then hers had been or were now and it seem her eyes were as well, interesting.

The mare tilted her head slightly once more, why did that seem familiar to Twilight? “You aren’t like other alicorns.” She said.

“I’m not like most ponies I’m sure.” Twilight said with a shrug. “Hell you are the first other augmented pony I have ever met.” She said gesturing to the mare’s cybernetics. “Also could you ask your friend to stop aiming his launcher at me? It’s making my skin crawl and when that happens I tend to go on the defensive and that’s when people die and I’d rather not do that at this point in time.” She said looking over at the second story window of one of the buildings catching just the barest glimpse of movement as the blue pony moved out of sight, the guy was good at stealth but Twilight hadn’t lived this long without having good awareness of what’s around her, it had developed a sort of sixth sense of when someone was aiming at her that was unseen.

The unicorn mare blinked at what Twilight said. “How did you…”

“I’m a soldier with over fifty years’ experience to my name as both a grunt and military leader; I know when someone is aiming at me.” Twilight said firmly. “Anyways since I think it’s clear I mean no ill intent cause believe me if I did then we wouldn’t be standing here talking and I would have left the Kid where I found her.” She said gesturing to Dawn who seemed to be recovering from whatever shock she had been in. “Seeing as I am new in town would you mind introducing yourselves as you are the first lot not to act afraid of me.” Twilight asked.

The mare slowly nodded and slung her shotgun seems she agreed with Twilight. “My name is Blackjack…why are you laughing? It’s not a funny name!” The mare said defensively.

Twilight couldn’t help chuckling at meeting a pony named after her favorite card game. “Sorry, it’s not that the name is funny, it’s that it’s the name of a card game I enjoy a great deal” She said and gestured for the mare to go on.

The Pegasus stepped up beside the unicorn. “This is Glory and…”The blue stallion walked out to the building wearing a slight scowl on his face. “P-21.”

Twilight amused smile dropped at the name of the stallion and her left eye twitched behind her visor. “Interesting name you have sir.” She said in a complete neutral voice, she could recognize a designation a mile away but the unicorn mare didn’t seem to be the type and how the stallion moved didn’t indicate anything like what designations are for came from the mare so he was from somewhere that used them and had most likely met the mare afterwards, either escaping to being deployed.

“And the big pony behind me is?” Twilight asked pointing at the large unicorn in funeral attire as she had walked over once the weapons were lowered and walked by Twilight to join the others, something was off about the large mare and Twilight had a distinct feeling she was hiding something with her clothes but also that the mare was filled with a profound sadness that few could deal with, the fact the mare hadn’t eaten a bullet and was actually walking around spoke volumes of an inner strength of some sort.

“That’s Lacunae.” The mare said and the large pony bowed her head slightly.

“It is a pleasure to meet you.” She said in a soft pleasant voice that seemed like she was not sued to using. Strange, Twilight allowed herself to see the magical aura around the mares and saw that Blackjack had a lot of potential but it seemed she had not bothered to practice much while Lacunae had a lot of power though her aura was odd, Twilight wasn’t sure but her aura was different then a normal pony’s should be.

“It’s nice to meet you all.” Twilight said with a smile as she relaxed a bit. “I’m Commander Twilight Sparkle of the Equestrian Defense Force.” She said and the town became deathly quiet. Twilight glanced around and all eyes were on her in confusion, disbelief and a few had angry scowls. “I get the feeling something I said has some meaning yes?” Twilight asked looking back at the ponies she had been talking to, the white unicorn was staring at her in shock while the larger unicorn’s eyes looked different then they had been, almost as if she were a different person at that moment and she couldn’t see the pegasus’ face do to the hood and the earth pony was staring at her.

“I’m sorry, I think I miss heard, it sounded like you said your name was Twilight Sparkle.” Blackjack said.

Twilight nodded. “I did, it’s my name.” She said and the group before her shared a look.

“You are named after one of the Ministry Mares?” Blackjack asked her voice a bit uncertain.

“Ministry what?” Twilight said in confusion, what was with all these names and titles. “I have no idea what that was, as far as I know my parents didn’t name me after anyone or anything. It’s just the name I’ve had all my life.”

“Remove your helmet.” P-21 said.

Twilight blinked.” Excuse me?” She asked.

“I asked you to remove your helmet so we can see your face.” He said. “please.” He added as an afterthought.

Twilight stared at him before rolling her eyes behind her visor and sighing. “Fine whatever I was getting tired of wearing it anyways.” She said and undid the strap under her chin and pulled off the helmet allowing her mane to fall out, she kept it short these days so as to fit in the helmet better as well as make it harder for an enemy to grab onto her. Her made getting the first bit of air in the last hour felt good and Twilight scrubbed her fingers through her mane as she put her helmet under her other arm. “There happy?” She asked as she looked at them. Somehow, against all odds the town got even quieter as everyone’s eyes were locked on her; even the kid had recovered and was staring at her.

“Ok, what in the hell is going on? I mean honestly this is getting on my nerves.” Twilight said scowling.

Blackjack was staring at her in true disbelief as was everyone else around her. “I….you….what?” The mare said, her brain seeming to have short circuited.

“I have a distinct feeling my counterpart fucked up royally.” Twilight said. “Didn’t she?” Looking at P-21 as he seemed to be the most stable right now.

“Counterpart?” He asked proving her theory, her statement seemed to have shocked everyone else out of there dazes as well as the confusion took over.

Twilight sighed and leaned back against the front of the Hog. “See this.” She said taping its grill and he nodded. “Ever seen anything like it before.” He shook his head. “Exactly, because it’s not from here, I got it from the last dimension I visited, didn’t mean to keep it as I only brought it with due to it might have come in handy against the Covenant.” She said. “This isn’t even something I had seen, well least not this version of it as we haven’t built anything like it in Equestria, well my Equestria.” She said.

She looked at him as he processed the information. “If I may ask a question.” She asked and he nodded after a bit. “I know this is most likely Equestria, so what the hell happened to it? This looks like something close to a Mass Extinction Event.”

“Balefire bombs happened, ending the war with the Zebras.” A stallion in the crowd said and twilight looked at him

“Balefire bombs?” She asked and the stallion struggled a bit and she got the feeling even eh wasn’t sure but he gave her the gist of it.

“So, nukes.” She said and placed her hands behind her head and laced her fingers as she rested her head in her hands. “Knew Equus wasn’t ready for nuclear power yet.” She said and sighed shaking her head. “Fucking stupid.”

“You said it was due to a war with the Zebras?” Twilight said looking at the stallion who had spoken before and he nodded and Twilight rubbed the bridge of her nose. “If not for the fact my counterpart is most likely dead I’d have no choice but to beat my own ass for allowing this to happen.” She said and sighed before putting her helmet back on.” Did they even try diplomacy?” She asked the crowd and a few shook their heads and Twilight sighed once more.

She was going to have to keep her name to herself while here and she doubted her counterpart was very popular for being part of this major screw up. She looked at Lacunae and saw her eyes were still different watching her intently, no mistaking it, something else were there as none of what Twilight had sensed about the large unicorn was there anymore, most likely a split personality.

Looking back at Blackjack she saw she had recovered from the shock of her name and was no looking at her somewhat normally. “Is there somewhere I can go that is quiet, I have some work to do.” She asked and slowly the white unicorn nodded.

“Uh…yeah. I think it would be alright if you stayed at Star House.” The mare said and Twilight nodded.

“Lead the way.” She said and caught the town’s people looking at her Hog; if they were survivors of a MEE then they were eyeing part of the hog they could strip. The crowd jumped back when the Hog vanished into thin air and Twilight smiled with amusement as she looked back at the ponies before her. “Now I am ready to go.”

Blackjack eyed the alicorn Twilight and looked back where the Warthog had been. “How did you do that?” She asked.

Twilight sighed. “Why is it only my Equestian seems to have the pocket dimension spell, I mean honestly it’s not like it’s that complicated of a spell.” She muttered loudly. Anyways can we get a move on?” She asked and the mare named Blackjack blinked and nodded before turning and heading for the hill her and her friends had come running down with Twilight following behind a bit off, right beside Lacunae , or at least whoever was in control right now.

“So mind telling me who you are as it’s clear you aren’t Lacunae.” She said softly so only the larger unicorn would hear.

“I do not know what you are talking about.” The mare said in a close approximation of Lacunae voice but to someone who was a master of The Game of Houses the subtle differences might as well have been screamed at her.

“You are talking to a trained soldier and someone who has been trained by Equestrian Politics, at least my version. I know you aren’t her and are someone else.” She said pleasantly.

“You are perceptive.” A voice said in Twilight head and she froze and looked at the mare beside her who calmly looked back at her. “I am the Goddess of Unity.” The voice said and Twilight blinked as she started walking.

“So you are what the towns people attacked me over, interesting.” Twilight said calmly.

“Yes, not everyone is enlightened to know the power of Unity and my Alicorns.” The voice said. “We are superior for the dangers of the wasteland are no danger to us.”

Twilight nodded. “Good to know, still think you are a bitch for forcing people to join.” Twilight said.

“You insolent foal!” The voice yelled in Twilight head and she winced.” How dare you say that of the great and powerful Goddess!”

Twilight started laughing. “Oh my god really, did you just say ‘The Great and Powerful Goddess?” “She laughed. “Holy ship I haven’t heard someone sue that title in a few years.” She said and looked at the mare with a smirk. “Hello Trixie, how’s life been treating you in this shit hole?”

This cause the other mare to look at her sharply. “We know not who this Trixie is you speak if, we are the Goddess.”

“Keep telling yourself that but I know that arrogance anywhere as I am the one who broke Trixie of it when we fought when she had the Alicorn Amulet.” Twilight said. “I am also the one who gave her career the break it needed for her to become a headliner across Equestria.”

“You did what?” the Goddess said, the loud bombastic voice gone for a moment for a one of disbelief.

“I helped her get her break, after some events that happened back home I needed way to boost morale in the army, what better way than a show, I knew just the show mare who could do it.” Twilight smirked. “At first she just did shows for the soldiers and their families but soon word spread and once I started taking lessons in illusory magic from her, let’s just say having the Commander of the entire army saying you were the best illusionist in Equestria was a very big deal for getting a career off the ground and she soon had job offers for many hot spots in Equestria and was the top magicians in the land, even did a few foreign jobs as well as royal events at the castle in Canterlot for the Royal Sisters themselves.” Twilight said with a smile. “And she never forgot how she got her start and did shows for the EDF completely pro bono.”

“She….She did shows for the Royal Sisters? At the Castle?” The Goddess asked a bit hesitantly.

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, even did a few Grand Galloping Galas.” Twilight said off handedly. “Like is aid she was the top magician in Equestria.”

“And you took lessons from you? You specifically?” The Goddess asked once more.

“Hell yeah, just because magic is my talent doesn’t mean it all comes easy, I always had trouble with illusionary magic as it was somewhat hard to explain in a book and was more a subject that needed to be taught visually.’ Twilight explained. “And I thought, why not asked someone whose talent is illusionary magic?” She nodded. “Worked out well for both of her, I got to learn the magic and she got a big break. I never did get as good as her at illusions but then her talent was that form of magic so it makes sense I was second to her as I’m most a jack of all trades.”

The Goddess was quiet for a while as they walked. “Well you are a very generous mare.” She said slowly. “However I am not this Trixie you think I am for I am the Goddess and I will save this land!” She said going back to the showboating arrogance near the end. “You would be a great addition to Unity….what is that…” The Goddess said still inside of Twilight’s head.

“What is what?” Twilight asked looking around for something in the distance.

“Something is….AAARGG” The Goddess screamed inside of Twilight head and Lacunae’s head jerked back as if she were struck and Twilight could tell the Goddess retreated and Lacunae was back as her demeanor changed and she swayed slightly on her hooves.

“That was….unpleasant….”She said in Twilight’s head closing her eyes to steady herself

“What was?” Twilight asked looking at the alicorn in concern.

“I do not but something harmed the Goddess, I believe it was felt all across Unity.” She said and opened her eyes and started walking again and Twilight moved to follow.

“Ok, well no idea what could do that but ok. “Twilight said.

“Is it true what you said about the Trixie in your world?” The dark alicorn asked.

Twilight nodded. “Every word, I have no reason to lie about it, she was a top performer till she retired and even then she still did shows every now and then till she passed away a few years ago, she had a huge funeral with all sorts of guests, it was very nice.” Twilight chuckled and shook her hair. “She was always a performer even in death she made sure people were entertained as she had arranged everything for her own funeral and donated about half her wealth to the EDF as a thank you for her break and the rest to various charities around Equestria.”

The Alicorn smiled softly. “I believe your words of what happened to your Trixie had an effect on the Goddess, though it was small and I do not know what it will mean for her.”

“You sure the Goddess would want you telling me that?” Twilight asked.

“She has closed herself off from me as she usually does because being in this place hurts her.” Lacunae explained. “We are here.”

Twilight looked from the disguised alicorn and saw the were approaching a small house set against some large rocks. Twilight could only describe it as pleasant looking. She followed Blackjack and the other three as they walked into the house. The interior of the house looked much like a normal house back home, though everything looked old and there was dirt here and there but based on how the outside looked, and compared to the first house she walked in, the house looked nice.

She did not expect to see another pony though wearing spiked black armor with red strips on her white fur who was calmly lying back on the couch using a clawed hoof to pick her nose. “Hey Blackjack what was all the fuss in town about?” The mare asked in a board manner.

“Uh…well.” Blackjack said and stepped to the side to reveling Twilight standing there.

The striped mare facehoofed. “Don’t tell me you found another pony to take in; what’s this one’s story? Raiders kill her entire family and she’s on a quest of vengeance?”

Twilight blinked and looked at the white unicorn. “Do you normally recruit people with backgrounds like that?” She asked.

“ehhh….kind of?” The mare said a bit sheepishly.

Twilight had to chuckle at that. “So you are building an army of fighters with sad back stories.” She said and shook her head. “Explains a few things.” She said before looking back at the striped mare. “I’m not exactly joining your group, merely looking for a place to do some work is all and Blackjack offered me the use of this house.” She said. “You can call me Commander.” She said not using her name after the town.

The mare blinked and sat up. “What kind of a name is that? I tell you it’s not, it’s a military rank.” She said firmly and Twilight blinked and the medical information for the mare went haywire. It kept flashing that she was deceased, then that she had a heartbeat, then that she was in cardiac arrest, then that she wasn’t a pony but a zebra, then that she had been shot over a dozen times in the chest, then changed to say she had been shot in the head. Twilight had to close her eyes as the information overload was giving her a head.
Rubbing the side of her head. “Yes I am aware that it is a military rank, thank you. However it is what I would like you to call me.” She said a bit exasperated, the headache mixed with being fired upon in the town plus finding out what her counterpart had done to this Equestria had made her have very little patience.

“Ma’am yes ma’am!” The mare barked and when Twilight opened her eyes she saw the striped mare was giving her a proper salute and looking straight ahead as if standing at attention.

“At ease.” Twilight said automatically and the mare dropped into rest for a moment before her posture relaxed and she looked at Twilight with a cocky grin.

“So even if you aren’t joining our little group yet, what is your story, I bet it’s a real tear jerker.” She said.

Twilight sighed. “I am not joining your group, I am merely here waiting to be found by some people and to do some work as this place is the calmest vie been to in the last few days. As for my story let’s just say….I am a traveler of sorts.” She said, it wasn’t a lie, she had hoped to multiple dimensions in her life at this point and several in a row the last couple of days.

“Oh? So no real destination in mind?” The mare said walking towards Twilight.

“Well I am working my way home but seem to keep getting side tracked.” She said as she watched the mare as she kept walking towards her with that same cocky grin.

“Right right, I bet you have all sorts of stories too.” The mare said and suddenly her right hoof shot out when she was close enough to strike.

Twilight raised her hoof and blocked the strike. She then blocked the next one the mare threw at her. The mare launched into a full on attack as the rest of the group seemed to only be mildly surprised by this. However they seemed to be surprised when Twilight head-butted the am rein the face to stagger back and then deployed one of her blades and buried its full length into the mare’s left eye socket.

Twilight withdrew her blade. “Whoops didn’t mean to do that.” She said and looked at the group. “Sorry about that, was a reflex.” She said and slung the blood from the blade, whatever magic infused them kept them from ever being stained and for blood to easily be removed by either whipping it off or merely slinging it off.

“Oh that’s alright, she does that sometimes.” Blackjack said and Twilight blinked as she showed no reaction to her friend being killed in her living room. That concerned Twilight a great deal and she thought maybe this mare was more messed up in the head then she herself was and that was a scary thought.

She found out why when the corpse groaned and sat up holding a hood over here eye as a pink light emanated from it and after a few moments she dropped her hoof to revel her eye, perfectly fine. Twilight had only one thing to say to this.

“How in the name of Celestia’s flaming ass are you not dead?!”

Author's Note

Maximum Level Reached

Barter: 75
Energy Weapons: 50
Explosives: 100
Guns: 100
Lockpick: 35
Medicine: 100
Melee Weapons: 100
Repair: 100
Science: 100
Sneak: 70
Speech: 80
Survival: 85
Unarmed: 100