Somewhere Under the Ruins of Canterlot

Dark.

Cold.

Stale.

Those three words easily described the old passage way that I was trudging through under the ground that was once Canterlot. Otherwise this old passage was identical to it’s counterpart in my own universe. That similarity nagged at the back of my mind. What if there was a Nexus in the cavern at the bottom of the passage? Even if West Wind isn’t down here such power can’t simply be left alone, at least not in this world. But that logically assumes that a Nexus even exists in this universe. Obviously the cavern must exist, as the way down is identical, but will that confluence of the universe exist here as well?

You know what? I should stop with the ‘what if’ questions. They aren’t helping me focus on the task at hand. As my boots hit the bottom of the long staircase I finally noticed that the Nexus chamber was lit up with some portable construction lights. “Looks like someone’s home…” I muttered as I quickly checked my shotgun.

As I stepped into the chamber proper I realized that someone was, in fact, home. There was only one pony in the cavern, standing with his back and wings to me. “Why Dusk, thank you for coming.” West Wind said as he turned to face me.

As our eyes locked I noticed the first major problem; West Wind’s eyes were glowing a blood red. “What’s with the fancy light trick?”

“It’s no trick Commander.” West Wind replied, a certain electronic quality evident in his voice. “It’s simply a sign of my superiority over you.”

“You make it sound like you’re a god.” I retorted.

“Like I said, I'm simply superior!” West Wind spat as he spread his stance out.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “Gee, where have I heard that before?”

As West Wind lunged forward I ducked past the first punch that he threw. “If memory serves, I said something similar to you when you were on the operating table a few years ago.”

“Really? I don’t recall.” I retorted as I threw my own punch, one that West Wind deftly avoided.

“And how would you?” West Wind countered as he failed another attempt at landing a blow. “You were under anesthesia and looked like a fillet!”

“Ah, those were the days!” I chided as I stepped back out of range of another of West Wind’s swings. “If my memory is correct, I did a good job pissing you off when I was awake!” But at that point my luck ran out, and I felt West Wind’s fist slam into the center of my gut.

As I fell to my knees West Wind grabbed my hair and yanked back on my head, pointing my muzzle up to face his glowing red eyes. “Oh you did… And now you’ll pay the price.”

“No he won’t!” As soon as Steeljack’s voice rang out West Wind turned to face the out-of-sight stallion, only for something to slam into the side of his head that managed to stagger the pegasus. I finally caught sight of the grey stallion as he hauled me up to my feet.

“I thought you were covering our way out?” I asked as I brushed some dust off my gear. \

“Ya…” Steeljack muttered as he glanced away from me. “About that…”

Almost as if it was a reflex I rolled my eyes. “Alright, just how screwed are we?”

“I don’t think it’s so much that we’re screwed, but that there probably isn’t enough ammo on this mountain for the two of us to shoot our way out.” Steeljack countered.

Sadly I didn’t get a chance to retort as West Wind grabbed the back of my armor and tossed me to the ground. “Just because you have the numbers doesn’t mean that you still have the advantage!” The pegasus shouted.

As I scrambled back to my feet I saw Steeljack grapple onto West Wind’s back and try to wrench him to the ground. “You sure about that?” Steeljack asked as he struggled with the well-built pegasus.

I finally managed to get in close enough and landed a glancing blow across the metal platework that encompassed half of West Wind’s head. “I don’t think he is. Odds are that part of ole’ Westy’s head is missing!”

When I went to land my second hit West Wind managed to break free of Steeljack’s grasp, lunged out of the way before smashing us together head-first. As the two of us were caught in the moment he drove his clenched fists down onto both of us, and the last thing I remember seeing before passing out was Steeljack’s jaw smacking into the stone floor of the cavern.

***

An Undetermined Amount of Time Later…

“Ugh…” I heard Steeljack groan as consciousness finally returned to me after some time apart. “Anyone catch that license plate?”

After a few more moments I finally realize that I was bound by the wrists to a metal pole behind me. I opened my eyes and saw West Wind standing in front of me, his back turned as he studied the large empty pool that was once the beating heart of this chamber. “Nope, I got a feeling that we’ve got a hit and run on our hands.” I replied.

“If only you were that lucky” West Wind said as he turned around to face the two of us. “Sadly Dusk, I have to inform you that your luck has just run out.”

“And why’s that? Because you decided to open a strip club down here?” I said as I wiggled against the pole that I was tied to. “Really Westy, it’s all about the location and amenities. And believe me, one really scarred stallion in a dank cave in the middle of nowhere is not enough to support whatever your business model is.”

Off to the side I heard Steeljack chuckle, but West Wind’s expression didn’t change. “Well I’m sorry Dusk, but you’re inflated sense of self-worth isn’t doing you any favors.”

“From the sounds of it you’re rather annoyed by my self-worth.”

“And he isn’t the only one.” Came a voice from behind us.

After a few seconds I could see that pony out of the corner of my eye. The first thing I noticed was the bone white fur over a black set of what looked like combat armor. “Oh no…” I muttered.

“What, what is it?” Steeljack asked.

“It’s Dusk realizing that he probably should’ve trusted his instincts.” By now the other pony in the room had decided to stroll into view and stood with West Wind, starring both myself and Steeljack down.

“Kovac…” I muttered, shaking my head in disbelief. “I’m really hoping that you’ve got a good explanation for this.”

Kovac simply shrugged as a wry smirk crossed his face. “Well I do Dusk. This is about power. The power to create, the power to destroy… And how you have always kept me away from that.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“I’m older than I look Commander.” Kovac countered. “In fact, it’s in this very chamber that a version of you denied me my last chance at unbridled power… Goddess, it’s hard to believe that it’s really been almost two hundred years already.”

“Two hundred years? How the hell are you that old?” Steeljack exclaimed.

Kovac shrugged, maintaining that same smug smirk he had been wearing since we first laid our eyes on him. “Well a complete blood transfusion from an individual who is a quarter alicorn tends to have its benefits.”

“Quarter alicorn?”

“You didn’t know?” Kovac said, feigning shock and surprise. “Why Steeljack, our mutual friend here is the grandson of Celestia herself!”

Once I heard that from Kovac, I could swear that I could hear a pin drop with how quiet the cavern became. “What?” Steeljack exclaimed.

“He’s not wrong.” I said, shaking my head. “I just found out a few weeks ago… But that means that Kovac would’ve had to have figured that out about this reality’s version of me.”

“You did raise me.” Kovac retorted. “Well… Your counterpart did, and he was rather honest about his heritage."

"That still doesn't tell me why you're so pissed at me."

"I was orphaned after the bombs fell. My father, Spark, was aboard the airship E-201 when it went missing in the Northern Wastes. And you hid that from me until you were on death’s door in this very cavern. Do you know what that did to me Dusk?”

“I can take a wild guess, considering I’ve been in a similar boat.” I said, still struggling against my binds. “But Spark was an earth pony. Where’d you get the horn?”

For a few seconds Kovac’s horn sparked, before changing color. It went from the same white as his fur to the deep shade of purple that made up a clear night sky. “Why, I took it from you!”

“Goddess… You’re insane!” I heard Steeljack yell.

But Kovac obviously disagreed if his physical response was any indicator. “I’d say I’m more of a visionary Steeljack. Why, I another source of power sitting right next to you… And I’m also sure that I’ll find a use for your enhanced genetics as part of my Synth program.”

“Well that assumes that you even get the chance!”

I immediately recognized the voice, but couldn’t see where it had come from. “Dart?”

“The one and only.” My marefriend’s seemingly disembodied voice replied. “Hate to break it to you Kovac, but I’m going to be taking my friends out of here.”

“Well even if you could, you’d still have to get past the army of my Synths up on the surface.” Kovac retorted.

As soon as he said that a green mare flashed into place behind both Kovac and West Wind. “Already did!” Dart yelled as she bashed West Wind with the butt of her rifle, while turning and ducking under a sudden wide swing from Kovac.

While my marefriend took to the proverbial dancefloor with Kovac and his Pegasus lackey, I felt something cut the bindings that had been holding me to the pole. “Hope we’re not too late.” Jericho muttered.

“You’re just in time.” I said as I rubbed at my wrists, which were feeling decidedly sore after struggling against the ropes that they had been tied up with. “Now have you seen-” Instead of finishing my sentence I grabbed the shotgun that was unceremoniously stuffed in my face.

“Just shut it!” Jericho sharply replied. “Dart, it’s time to go!”

“Got it!” The mare yelled as she swept around Kovac’s back before kicking him straight into the empty Nexus pit.

It’s as we ran out of the cavern and up the stone staircase that I noticed something different about Dart. I only caught it for a brief second, but her mane color was off. After a minute of plodding up the stairs I could see what it was. Gone was the short grey mane that she had topping her head for years, replaced with a long green and white style. “What the hell happened to your hair?” I said as we finally set foot above ground.

“It got burnt off last I checked.” Dart retorted as she turned to face me. “This was the best that Star could pull off on short notice.”

“Well… It looks good!” I exclaimed, forgetting where we were for a brief moment so I could attempt to appreciate the change. But I came back to reality as a large shadow cast itself over the ruins of Canterlot Castle.

“Oh fuck…” I heard Steeljack whisper.

As I turned I could see why he suddenly was starting to panic. “Spike! Glad you could make it! I take it that you got Strike’s message?”

The dragon nodded as he settled on the ground. “Sorry it took me so long. I got tied up with an unexpected guest.”

“Worry about it later!” I yelled as a series of bullets crashed into the ground by my feet. “Spike, we need to go!”

“Are you serious? You want me to fly off with a dragon?!”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. Obviously Steeljack’s underlying terror of dragons might prove to be a bit of a problem… “Don’t worry, I’ve got him covered.” Dart said as she walked up to the distracted grey stallion.

As Dart reeled back with her submachine gun, Steeljack suddenly seemed to realize what she was planning. “Dart, wai-”

CRACK!

“Was that necessary?” I asked as my marefriend hoisted Steeljack’s limp body over her shoulder.

“Do you want him to be kicking and screaming the whole way back to the command post?” Dart retorted as we were scooped up by our dragon rescuer.

Once we were in the air and I could see the small horde of Division and Enclave soldiers that were rushing towards where we had been standing. “No… Can’t say I’d be for it.”

***

Two miles outside of the Canterlot Ruins
Twenty Minutes Later

Seven. That number is how many Division soldiers are still on our side… At least that are alive.

Right after we spoke to Kovac on the picket, before Steeljack and I were dropped in the ruins the situation went south HARD. About half of the five hundred Division soldiers mixed in with the Marines turned and started firing on them. In response the Marines did the only sensible thing and started shooting, targeting any pony in Division armor in sight. Of those out on the field that were caught in the shootout, medics confirmed that approximately four hundred of the Division soldiers were really Synths. The rest… The rest of them probably didn’t know what was happening. The only survivors, Jericho, Specter, a mare named Juno and a few others, only survived because they weren’t on the field. That isn’t to say there wasn’t a fair bit of tension as a result of the sudden betrayal, but Gramps kept everyone from going at each other's throats until the medics confirmed that the few Division agents left were in fact pony.

“So let me get this straight-” Gramps said, pulling me back to the present. “-Kovac is really an earth pony that went and pulled a frankenstein, is well over two hundred years old, is working with West Wind and is apparently responsible for creating an army of synths in secret?”

“That about sums it up.” Spike said, his towering stature taking up a sizable amount of the open space in the tent that Gramps had set up for his command post. “I’m sorry that I didn’t get this information to you sooner, like I said to Dusk I had an unexpected guest.”

“It’s fine son, we’ll learn to cope.” Gramps said with a sigh. “So let's run down our situation. We’ve got an army of Enclave at the summit of the mountain, and our rear guard was entirely composed of Synths. In short, we’re surrounded.”

“We still have the picket, the armor and the Desert Rangers are on their way from Chicacolt. We could try and make a breakout through the rear once they get here.” Dart suggested.

“We could… But I’m still not clear on how you got your hair and face back.” I countered, finally adding something to the conversation.

“Dusk, that’s not important right now.”

“What? I can’t help but be curious…”

“Then put the curiosity aside for now.” Gramps retorted. “I need your head in the game Dusk, otherwise I don’t see how we’ll come up with a workable plan.”

Before we could get into the details of what such a plan would look like, an armored pony stepped into the command tent. The armor was incredibly old, and looked like a beat up set of royal guard armor that has long since lost its golden luster. “I’m not too late, am I Spike?” The stallion asked, his voice sounding coarse and aged under his helmet.

“No, you’re just in time Commander.” The dragon replied.

As the armored pony nodded the gears in my head started turning. “Commander?” I muttered to myself.

“Well it’s good to see you all again… Suffice to say it’s been a long time since I've last seen some of you.” The mystery pony said as he started undoing the clasps holding his helmet in place.

“You’re kidding me…” I said as I turned my attention to the stallion. As his helmet came off I could make out the night sky coloration of his fur, the snow white hair and a distinct area of pink scar tissue where a horn had once been.

“I’m not kidding you Commander.” My older doppelganger said as he curled his helmet up under his arm. “Now then, I believe that we have some business to attend to.”

Author's Note

Now how about that? Kovac's the closest thing to an ancient evil that we've got, Dusk's alicorn genetics finally get reintroduced as a plot point, and apparently his Wasteland Doppleganger is still running around after Kovac claims to have killed him... Just another day at the office, right? Anyway, the next chapter of E-201 will set the stage for Commander Dusk raising Kovac at Spark's request. In the mean time, break the popcorn out, because the end of Broken Mirror is slowly approaching...

In the meantime, anyone got questions? Like what you're seeing so far? Hell, maybe have some gripes? There's a comment section and the Mirrorverse Codex. Read and comment away, because I want to hear from you fellow denizens of this corner of the internet. Until next time gang!
-Striker