War stories - Season 4: When the bombs fell

by Col_R4inbow_D4sh

Rating: mature
Tags: Alternate Universe
Length: 3252

When the bombs fell. Those who died had it easy, for they where done with the world. Those born afterwards had it hard just trying to survive, but those who survived had it the worst. For they knew how it was before. Not to many ponies survived the bombs, one pony that wouldn't surprise you did. What happens now? Well you're about to find out

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2016-09-24 08:32:26 UTC

Proluge

"We are trying to get confirmation" The platoon heard over the radio "Confirmed reports of nuclear explosions at Canterlot and Cloudsdale. Dear gods." The reporter said and then only static

"Nuclear?!" A soldier exclaimed

"This is platoon 2 of the 97th Mechanized Infantry division. Canterlot command can you hear me?!"" The commander of the platoon shouted over radio, only static replied

"We have to get back. We got to help Canterlot!" A soldier said, others agreed

"Negative. Our orders are to reinforce the 12th Infantry division, and that's what we're gonna do." The commander replied

Suddenly there was a blinding flash, every soldier that hasn't gone blind when they looked at the source, looked at the extending mushroom

"Isn't Les Manes that way?" A soldier asked

"Who cares! What the fuck was that?!" Another shouted

"That was one of those mega-spells" Rainbow said

"Watch out! A soldier shouted and jumped off the truck and into a ditch" The other looked at him confused as they drove past, that was until he pointed at several big zebra planes

"Eyes on!" A soldier shouted, the whole convoy stopped dead in it's tracks. The anti-air trucks where maned and started to shoot at the planes, and before they could shoot down even one of them, they dropped their payloads. Several big bomb, a very big bombs. The soldiers looked in horror as they hit the city, once again several blinding flash occurred, robbing several other soldiers the eye light... at least those dumb enough to look at the explosions. They screamed in pain and confusion at why they couldn't see anymore

"Shit! Get down!" Rainbow shouted as she jumped out the truck and tried to jump into the ditch, only for the blast wave to hit her while mid-air. The last thing she saw was and heard was soldier screaming in pain as body parts got ripped from them and they flew around. Rainbow's last sight was a house wall nearing rapidly and then... black.

Chapter 1 - The last of her kind

Insturctions

The cyan mare found herself in a black void, levitating in place and no memories what's so ever.

Who am I She asked herself

You have many names. Rainbow Dash, Experiment 626, Sierra 117 and more to come.

What am I?

You are a war hero and veteran. You have killed hundreds maybe even thousands of enemies for your country. Which is now drowned in darkness, a darkness forming out of radiation, diseases and monster. Now you are nothing more than a myth. A military maniac who sees those she knows are dead, But this is no time for selfpity.

I remember fighting, explosions... but everything is hazy.

You've been hit by swords, spears, bullets rifles, tanks shells, wen't past dying and breaking points. You did everything you could, everything in your speed and power... but it wasn't enough.

I couldn't save anypony, could I?

You did save hundreds of ponies before the bombs fell.

Tzz... isn't like it matters now, does it.

Saying that isn't going to help. Learn from your mistakes and become the strongest pony ever to walk equin. If you continue to look forward, things will eventually get better and you'll emerge stronger

Why should I even try to fight. It sounds like whenever I do things get worse.

Because things will always get worse before they get better. If the worlds pushes you, you push back harder. That's how winning is done, so get yourself together!

What am I even fighting for...

You told us that you fight for your friends, your dreams and everything that is dear to you. And no matter how hard it get's, you will try to continue.

How can you know that?

Because giving up isn't you. It's never been and never will be.

Well... Once I wanted to be a war hero...

Everypony said that at least once in their live. But you... you will relieve it in your nightmares. The horros, the death, the killing, the feeling of losing a close or loved one... everything, just like it was yesterday.

It really sounds like I had a lot of hate in me...

The true soldiers fight not because he or she hates what is in front of him or her, but because he or she loves what's behind him or her. Behind you where your friends, loved ones, a place to live. Yes you fought with anger against your enemies, but no matter how angry you where, you always had enough respect for your enemy to never underestemate them... with the exception of one... and that wasn't because of anger. You drew your strength out of the anger, your power to do everything you did. After you stood in front of Big Macintosh's grave, you snapped. You had lost the one you loved most, and there he was before your hoofs but several feet under the ground. But instead of going depressed and cry about it you took the fight to the zebras so no pony else had to go through this feeling, that was and still is your style not mushy, not sappy. But aggressive, and relentless.

So fighting.... fighting seems to be the only thing I'm good in.

No pony can deny that your childhood wasn't fucked, but you made the best out of it. You got raped a couple of times, you had to fight for everything... But the worst... the worst thing was, when you saw your parents being killed if front of you.... you laid besides their corpses for days, never moving an inch. They where good ponies and even better parents. You held onto the memories of them and also drew strength out of them, you tried to make them proud... and they sure as fuck are.

How's that? I'm a god's damned killer...

Yes, but only when you have to be. Your dream from your childhood was always to be a wonderbolt, and when you turned 18 and went to the academy, you got into the reserve. A year later you where choosen to be a full member of the 'bolts. That honored your mother and made her the proudest mother in the world. Several years later you heard rumors of war, and you joined the royal guard. You didn't knew why, but when you found out that your father was an elite of the guard you made it your goal to also become one aswell. And when you made it, it honored your dad and made him the proudest father ever. But not only did you do it for yourself, but also for your friends. What would happen if the griffins, to that time, would win the war. What would happen to you and your friends. So you made it your goal to make sure that woudln't happen. A goal that seemed impossible, but you did it. For a high price yes, but you did it nontheless

My fights have never been fair, where they?

If you find yourself in a fair fight you didn't plan right, you have to take every advantage you have.

You said I underestimated an enemy once, who?

An old friend of yours, named Gilda. She was a griffin, one you met when you where very young. Her childhood was not as bad as yours, but bad nontheless. So you two became very good friends, after a big fight about your new friends she ran away. When hearing about the war she joined the griffin army, you met her on a mountain, overlooking a battlefield. You talked for a bit, about the old times about what happened... you both appologized and forgave eachother. Then because both of you where duty bound... you fought, your loality to her kept you from seriously hurting her, and so did her loality to you, an accident send you flying off the mountain. She was to slow to catch you and your wing was broken at the time. The others found you and where able to get you back to the base and stabilized. You where combat ready a couple of days later. The doctors said that you would soonest walk months later... theres that for you....

You are talking higly of me... why is that?

I once where, where you are now. You told me something I will never forget

Short break

Rise and shine

6 a.m and your hoof can’t make it to the alarm clock before the voices in your head start telling you it’s too early, too dark and too cold to get out of bed. Aching muscles lie still in rebellion pretending not to hear your brain commanding them to move. A legion of voices are giving you permission to hit the snooze button and go back to dream land.

But you didn’t ask their opinion.

The voice you chose to listen to is one of defiance. A voice that says there was a reason why you set that alarm in the first place. So sit up, put your hoofs on the floor and don’t look back because we’ve got work to do. Welcome to the grind.

For what is each day but a series of conflicts between the right way and the easy way. 10,000 streams span out like a river delta before you each one promising the path of least resistance. The thing is you’re headed upstream. And when you make that choice and you decide to turn your back on whats comfortable, safe, and what some would call common sense, well that’s day 1. From there it only gets tougher. So just make sure this is something you want because the easy way out will always be there ready to wash you away. All you have to do is pick up your hoofs.

But you aren’t going to are you? With each step comes the decision to take another. You are on your way now but this is no time to dwell on how far you have come. You are in a fight against an opponent you cant see but oh you can feel them on your heels can’t you, feel them breathing down your neck. You know who that is? That’s you. Your fears, doubts and insecurities lined up like a firing squad ready to shoot you out of the sky. But don’t loose heart. While they aren’t easily defeated they are far from invincible. Remember this is the grind. The battle royal between you and your mind, your body and the devil on your shoulder who is telling you this is just a game, this is just a waste of time, your opponents are stronger than you.

Drown out the voice of uncertainty with the sound of your own heart beat. Burn away your self doubt with the fire underneath you. Remember what we are fighting for and never forget momentum is a cruel mistress. She can turn on the dime with the smallest mistake. She is always searching for the weak place in your armor; the one little thing you forgot to prepare for.

So as long as the devil is hiding the details, the question remains is that all you got? Are you sure? And when answer is yes and you have done all you can to prepare yourself for battle then it’s time to go forth and boldly face your enemy. The enemy within.

Only now you must take that fight into the open, into hostile territory. You are a Manticore in a field of Manticores all hunting the same elusive pray with a desperate starvation that says victory is the only thing that can keep you alive. So believe that voice that says you can run a little faster, you can run a little harder, and that to you the laws of physics are merely a suggestion.

Nobody can judge effort. Because effort is between you and you. Everyday is a new day. And every moment is a new moment. So now you got to show them you are a different creature than you were five minutes ago.

So rise and shine.

And finally all her memories came back to her

Now tell me. Who are you

*Quiet small Chuckle* I'm Rainbow Dash I once wanted to be nothing more than a Wonderbolt. A fast stunt flier with awesome tricks, even though all I knew was violence and death since my childhood. I saw my parents get killed in front my eyes, I have been raped several times, and It all made me stronger... stronger than anypony else it seems. At the beginning it was my willpower, my determination, fury and my anger. Later it might've been because of my enhanced body ... What? You didn't actually thought I was born with metal limps and organs. I got these after I got heavily wounded in the first great war, the war of the sword, spear and the Spartans... that actually how I got one of my nicknames: Sierra 117. I was the 117th pony that has been trained in the sierra company. I've taken so many lives... so many fucking lives. I joined the 'bolts to make my mother proud. And I joined the guard to make my father proud. I tried everything I could to stop the bombs. But I failed, and now I have to live with the knowledge that probably all my friends are dead... but nothing is said until I see them with my own eyes. And even if that is that case, I will see them again. Not in flesh and blood, but they'll always be with me for I can see my dead friends and loved ones. Anyway. Now it seems I must find them and when I do... well... I don't know what then, but I'l figure something out. I always did. My way has always been: Keep going, no matter how much it hurts... keep going, for it can only get better with time and effort. There is no time to dwell on the past, I live in the here and now, and crying over everything wouldn't help anypony.

"Yes. That's the Rainbow I remember. Now Rise. Rise and Shine." The Voice nearly shouted the last part. Echos still rang out as everything went brighter by the second and suddenly it went black

Insturctions

Chapter 1 - The last of her kind

"Rise and shine." Was the last thing Rainbow heard before it wen't black for a few seconds, and then her eyes started to slowly open. Small light beams made their way through whatever she was laying under. She wiggled her left fore-leg free and tried to shove the thing of from her, it wouldn't budge. So she tried to wiggle her second fore-leg free but failed. Not only was she laying on her leg it with all her own weight, but the thing on her seemed also to lay on it too, with a small part at least. She tried anything to wiggle any leg or even wing free, her hind-legs were pinned for good, but finally after a few seconds she got her metal wing free, and together with her left leg she again tried to push the object of from her. It moved, if only a little bit, it was enough for Rainbow to maneuver just a bit more and finally get her second fore-leg free and pushed with all her might. From the sound of it when the object fell down it was metal, the dust it threw around was blocking any view on her surroundings. Rainbow used her wings, or rather her metal wing to fan away the dust. The object was a car... and as she realized her right wing didn't wanted to move, she looked herself over, it was bend several ways, which implying it was broken. She then looked over the rest of her body.  The combat armor was bend, had armored plates missing, there even was one armor plate stuck sideways in another one on her right side. She got out of the armor and looked her body over. A few cuts and bruises here and there... what made her gulp was the big blue nearly black spot on her right side, over her ribs. From what knowledge she had, she could tell there were a couple broken ones, thanks Luna and Celestia her body didn't fully caught up yet. As she finally looked at her surroundings in detail, she found herself in a building... it seemed like the car slammed her through the wall, that would explain her back pain.  As she saw the hole she made she spotted the outside, she slowly walked closer to the hole and her mouth opened wider with every step she took. Everything was just... dead, trees had no leaves and where rotten, skeletons littered the street, big dark clouds covered the entire sky as far as she looked. There was nothing green, not even green grass, nothing. Everything was dead or had far darker colors then before. Her staring got interrupted as finally her body caught up and heavy pain ran through her wing and ribs. She ran back to the armor she threw off and looked for her bag, it laid under some concrete parts, she grabbed them and lifted them off from the bag. When she looked through it, only her armor from the first great war and the dog tags she collected where in it. She looked around the building and spotted a dirty, old magical bandage on the ground and grabbed it. "*Sigh* Better than nothing." She thought, she then grabbed her wing carefully and moved it into the right position, then bound the bandage around it. She then walked back to the bag and grabbed her armor from the first great war out of it. She looked at the old armor for a few seconds, everything she went through with this thing... and here it is still ready to get more, never giving in... same as herself. She then got into the armor, the familiar feeling of metal on her body and her head, plus the smell in her nose made her smile a bit. She then again looked out the hole in the wall, before she walked out, she finally noticed the blinking warning icons on the HUD in her right eye.

"Attention: Energy level low. Attention: Critical Starvation. Attention: Critical Dehydration. Attention: Severe Limp and Organ damage. Attention: Nanites inactive. Attention: Radioactive levels Deadly" She read and pondered on what to do now. She looked on her map, everything was grayish colored, the exception was the building she's in. The marker read: Destroyed house, and was not too far away from Les Manes. She looked around the building one last time, nothing to eat or drink in sight. So she once again grabbed her bag. swung it around her neck and under her left leg, and move her wing through the gap, and finally the bag was secure on her side. She didn't know which cities all got hit directly by balefire missiles, but she had to take her chances, if she wanted to survive. So with nothing to lose she made her way to Roan, for she knew Les Manes was fucked. On her way there was a constant pain everywhere, but she had to push on. Her only chance was to get to the city and get supplies.