The Prologue: A world that once was
The Prologue: A world that once was
This is Equestria, a land of sunshine and rainbows; or it was about twenty years ago, before the events of the world slowly caved in around it. Before coal and oil were needed to mass produce plastics and run our trains; before someone automated carriages and tried to make contraptions that allowed pegasi to transport tens of ponies at a time across the sky. But it wasn't rampant earth pony innovation or the magical exploits of eccentric unicorns that took away this image of a place of sunshine and rainbows, it was the gem trade.
The one place in the world that had massive amounts of natural magic was Equestria, and their gems were key to powering the magical creations. Other nations envied Equestria’s vast quantities of magical gems. Trade was brokered for it all, Gems to the Southlands to the Saddle Arabians and the zebras to get their carbon-based fuels; to the east to get volcanic pumice and exotic crops from the Gryphons and dragons. Trade across the world was booming all because some team of unicorns accidently made a gem that powered engines.
Upon the election of the forty-second royal Tsar of Zebriadonia, the tariffs began to increase. Fewer gems were sent over to the Zebras from Equestria when they stopped sending over less coal. Halfway through the war it became apparent that the new Tsar would not allow mining to enter the holy regions of New Zebawai, where a majority of their resources were. Their own country was hardly making it by with the lack of coal and oil. Now the biggest oil production was in Saddle Arabia, even that was dwindling. What hit the other nations harder was the sudden decreases in gem flow, Equestria was not even close to scratching the surface on their gem deposit, even some laboratories were making synthetic quartz. No one could compete with the technological advancements from having the infinite gem piles.
One would think, ‘how could this be wrong? Bring about the end of rainbows?’ well, it might be a slight exaggeration that rainbows stopped, but no amount of rainbows could fix the issues of the world. Twenty years ago I was conceived into a world of war, the first world war. It started with a zebra prince being shot dead from a rogue gryphon assassin’s crossbow and slowly went to an inclined arms race before it shattered when the Zebras annex saddle Arabia to keep equestrian hands off oil. Within five years, crossbows went to muskets and carriages went to what was to be known as the C1 - Auto-Carriage. Now we have Terminal Computers, Solar energy and a race to weapons of mass destruction.
My name is Polaris; the daughter of a diplomat and an astrologist. When the tensions of the world were starting, a new way of government was made, each race had a representative and soon after the incident at the hoofez canal so did the ministries. Growing up in the presence of these ministries was spectacular, to see first-hoof six mares trying to help along these newborn centers of government; to be a filly and walk beside heroes, princesses, and mentors.
It all changed the day I begged my parents to let princess sparkle sit with me in our Carriage, and they switched to hers. I was so, happy to be beside the representation of all ponies of Equestria and the new ministry mare of the ministry for arcane technology. Then as we got on to mane street, the lavender carriage that was supposed to hold an alicorn princess erupted in bright flames; a blast that would only hospitalize an alicorn, but turn two unicorns to ash.
I was an orphan from that day with centuri, my older brother. He wouldn't know for another day as he was gifted, a student of one of the greatest arcane tinkers in Vanhoover. The Country mourned for them, mostly my father. He was the new ambassador to the unicorn population in the capital, the other two races of pony even respected who he was and how he had equestrian values. I blamed myself every day for what happened. My brother did too under his breath, I couldn't even look at him the same way anymore. Princess Twilight became a pseudo parent to me, guiding me and teaching me simple spells whenever I saw her.
The city that would be my home for the foreseeable future, was pleasant and slowly became a massive ministry hub. Arrival in the city showed me the construction of the second MAT hub and the already built headquarters of the ministry for environment and welfare. Even today I think back on the world and how it's changed, how high the tensions are, how much is…
*
Tears were being held back as my eyes stung. In Front of me was a leather clad adolescent dragon, a wondrous white mare around the same age as him and two camera stallions recording my testimonial. The dust in the unkept orphanage room in which I resided in danced in the sunbeams of the large plate glass window. The camera operator looked up as the director of the small video log looked to me with a heart warming smile.
“Going to be better, even if the stable program is now in use and you are watching this, I know that it will all be bright like it is for me today” It was visible how much emotion I had to hold back, my smile almost comically forced. “I am Polaris, hoping that stable 49 is warm and happy as always”
The light from the camera went off, the stallions packing up and already hoffing out gemdisk copies to the dragon and mare. Soft hoof steps trotted up to me as I let the world go numb around, not wanting to dwell back on a life once lived.
“Will you be okay Polar? I didn’t mean for the testimonials to be so; emotional.” the voice of a siren brought me back to this world, looking into the emerald eyes of the beautiful mare.
“Yes… I should be fine… Thank you Miss Belle.”
“I can already tell you're not fine” she smiled as her magic wrapped around a blanket and draped it over my shoulders “no one has ever called me miss belle, not even the Crusaders. I hope you know Polaris how valuable these testimonials from you and the rest of the blanks who will be put into stable 49 will be, you…” She paused trying to not say foals, fully knowing that in front of her was a mare almost at the age of adulthood. “Young adults are very crucial to this stables purpose.” The dragon behind her walked up and grinned, twirling on his claw the disk copy of what just transpired.
“And I Know Twilight will love to have this, though she would have preferred a memory gem, it is good to give her something even if the stable will never be used.” The slender dragon said, stretching a bit to the side.
“Spike is right dear, we all appreciate very much what you will be doing for the stable initiative. My sister and her fellow ministry mares gave the Crusader Initiative this project as a way to better cement our longevity even after the war.” With that they turned and walked out the door, leaving me in my sunken state.
The world is teetering on disaster and peace. One week I hope EBC will say how princess luna finally has gotten into talks with Zebra policy makers. But all I hear is that our gryphon allies will be stepping up their forces on the front line. That the Crusader initiative is opening more stables and that their armour line has gotten more diverse. That the Ministry of Equestrian Resolution will keep being some sort of strike operations team and not peacekeepers.
I looked about my blank room, as white as my coat and arguably the bulb above me as yellow as my mane. My shelves used to hold figurines of spikenak the barbarian or photos of the ministry mares, now it just has a photo of the last time all my family was together. Upon my foreleg sat a white pipbuck, all the orphaned blank flanks going into the special project were given one with a custom colour. Of course they decided mine should be blank and bland, fit me perfectly.
I sat up, my magic pulling a scarf over me as I looked out into the day outside. In the sky were pegasus and VTOL carriages alike. One noticeably a crusader initiative vehicle that was heading back to canterlot. The streets outside my window were full of so much, culture. Ponies, Zebras, gryphons or even buffalo could be seen in the bustling metropolis.
I grew to love this city, as did the ministries that set up shop here. It was out of the way, distant from the range of attacks but still highly populated. Vanhoover had become what some called, the sanctuary city. The ministry of equestrian culture built their fourth branch in the center of the city, across from the Arcane Technology institute that was researching shield spells.
I stepped out finally, down the halls and into the roadways of the coastal city. The wind was pleasant yet strong as my scarf blew lightly in the wind. Along the pier, there were steel clad earth ponies with large firearms, Crusaders of Steel. They slowly became the main fighting force of the Royal Equestrian Army, followed by a lightweight variant for pegasi and a fabric based one for unicorns. No matter the street festivals or the pony-zebra couples that covertly were snuggled up against the sea wall, you knew a war was at its climax.
As much as I wanted to be outside of that depressing room, my gut was twisting from anxiety. It didn't help that for the better half of my morning I was trying to give a good life story for the Stable Intivie. It almost felt wrong, pretending to be happy explaining how you killed your parents by accidently saving a princess. It… Was too much to dwell on.
I took out the wireless BlueBuck ear piece and slide it in as I tuned the pipbuck to EBC 1 for the end of jazz hour. As the soft melodies of a cello and sax quartet played, I walked along a pristine sea wall. In the luna harbour there were large freighters, a few warships being built in the dry docks and the occasional small sea monster that would pop up for a friendly chat with a fisherman before it went back to convoy guarding.
Life went on as the blissful jazz stopped, the soothing baritone voice of a trottingham accent washed over me as the DJ came back on. “And that was Octavia and the Manehatten jazz quartet playing a new single ‘Cello Mood’ now up next we have a track that will get you swinging into a groove from the songbird herself, sweetie belle, featuring the synthetic work of Vinyl Scratch, our night host. This is Equestria Broadcast one, bringing you the best that music has to offer.”
A song with a fast tempo came on as the unicorn who an hour ago was watching me try not to start crying, started to belt out a beautiful swinging song. Just more trying to convince me that Megaspells weren't being tested in neighvada or that baltimore had to enforce a curfew. I wish it was true, that tomorrow the war would end and I get a cutie mark in a peaceful resolution. Though it was easier to find a colt or mare would wanna date a blank without being a slight pedophile; I'm still single.
I sat upon the crumbled away sea wall as a large cruise ship passed by, heading off to one of the allied nations that didn't believe we were some sort of autocratic slave empire. Daily I would try and cheer myself up, thinking of finally going on one of those adventures and finding a purpose, or just somepony who would help me from being so lonely. It didn't help my brother was always in stable 49, making sure it was air tight for the fateful day. As its first overstallion it made sense even if it sometimes felt like it was for something more important than preservation.
The song came to an end with a cataclysmic decrescendo followed a high-hat’s clang. I was ready for some other brass ensemble to start up to distract me from being the happy go-getting unicorn I once was, before the transmission cut to a somewhat frantic breath.
“We have gotten first reports that” My eyes widened as air raid sirens started up across the port. The ministry tower now glowing a frost blue. “A megaspell has been detonated over Balitmare, we have lost contact with the station.” Standing, my gaze looked over to the MAT building now radiating light as it cast a shield mega spell, allowing the whole city center to be protected. Around Crowds were stammered back in confusion and whispers. Some ran to the shields edges out of sight.
“Our Manehatten office says that its MAT building was able to activate its own shield spell as one of the balefire missiles hit it, the area outside its protection is just… gone. Fillydelphia, Trottronto and now Mareappolis have all stopped communicating with our central station. Canterlot's shields have just been raised up. If it wasn't the end I would tell you I've never seen such a beautiful green in my life.”
Turning, i went slowly towards the stable at the other edge of the harbourside district, the monorail overhead skidding to a stop as the electricity was cut to the platform. Screams of mares and foals echo around the bubble of magical energy, ponies rushing down the sidewalks and some screaming at zebras, blaming them.
“We have gotten confirmation that mareappolis was…. eviscerated when trying to launch its own megaspell’s. Thirty of the sixty eight missiles bound spells launched, were detonated in the Ministry base bordering the city. We pray that atle-” It was cut short to a devastating roar in the background, followed by screaming, so much screaming. My heart sank as it rang out in my ear. “WE HAVE JUST WITNESSED A BALEFIRE BOMB BEING DROPPED ON CANTERLOT.” he was panting before his voice came back, as normal and calm it normally would be. “The shield holds steady but reports are that manehattan have sustained three more blows before its shield was… shattered. No word yet from Las Pegasus, Vanhoover or TallTale. Only Vanhoover, from what we know, has a MAT facility that could contain a protective casing to it”
Everything else, at that moment was static. Then the world stung, my eyes were soaked in a blinding light. Under the dome I could feel the reverberations of the explosion as windows broke and carriages alarms went off. The sheer force of what happened overhead knocked me off my hooves. As I got up I saw the heart of the explosion. What almost looked like screaming souls in the fires of green, a shock wave of force clearing the sky above us. A balefire bomb, a megaspell has just hit Vanhoover. It was moments before the ringing stopped in my ears.
The emerald flames danced down the sides of the shielding, descending with ferocity to the areas around. It seemed that the shield soaked up so much from the bomb but even then, the area around was bleached in light. My eyes were shut tight as the flames burned into my retinas, ears ringing with the sounds of only what could be explained as souls, thousands of souls in necronomic power. My breath trembled as I looked out at the destroyed suburbia that couldn't be enclosed with us. Half a million, half a million lived in the southern suburban area alone. How many died just then, how many across the country, how many were killed to make such a weapon.
“We just got word from Vanhoover that their shield is stable, but las pegasus has fallen. Reportedly the clouds were vapourized as AppleWood bellow became dust. A military transmission said it was a different kind of weapon, one that made magma erupted from below the fault lines… Cloudsdale is reporting that it will be segmenting the city from itself to save as much of the weather distric-” His voice faltered as whispers went over the air.
I couldn't move, even in this protective bubble, I could taste death. Was this my purpose in life, to be a nuclear target? Would I get my cutie mark right as fire ripped me apart.
“Cloudsdale has been attacked by a dirty bomb, all their clouds have become…… thunderheads, a majority of the population were fired on impact. Ponyville has reported that their stable has been sealed. The Crusader Initiative tells us that a good third of all stables have been safely sealed.” Another Cataclysmic roar was heard over the radio, the sounds of shattering were heard in the background. “As you can tell” His voice, his voice knew this would be his final broadcast. “We were hit again but this is brought upon a second mystery. The shield is pure gold now after several bright flashes in the canterlot castle.”
I was so close to the stable, I could see the steel cladded Crusader armour sets that were preventing the masses from breaking through, magical battle saddles charged. They were waiting, for me. Yet my legs wouldn't break into a run, they couldn't. Another Cataclysmic blast went overhead as another balefire hit us.
“More reports now, the crystal empire has sustained several blows from what seemed to be smaller warheads, fell radiation is filling the streets of the city.”
Something finally broke in my mind as I watched another wave of balefire wash down the shield. I started to gallop, I had too. The Stable came closer and closer into view as mothers held crying fillies; fathers demanding safety for their family from the two earth ponies who stood guard.
“Our shield is still holding in canterlot, but I have been informed that…. In the times of the end, we shall play a song” As I heard crying get cut off in the background, a beautiful choir version of the national anthem was played. The two metallic soldiers looked at me, my pipbuck, then at my flank. If it were any other day I would have had the courtesy to teleport one of them a good few hooves in the air; instead, they let me past; slowly backing up to the huge gear shaped door that housed the stable. Ponies scream at us, cursed at us, cursed at me. The voices of the dead would haunt me if I survived this, taunting why a blank-flank could get in. Honestly, I wondered that myself.
The radio turned to static, then just off completely as I stepped into the door control room of stable 49. The huge gear behind me rolled shut as the two crusaders sighed and looked at me. Attendants were smiling as a steel grated bridge extended out to us.
“I hope you were damn worth the wait blanky” muttered a stallion before he was gently hit in the arm by his comrade.
“Our orders to wait for her came from Twilight herself, this stable seems to be one of her experiments” the mare next to him said. Experiments, that word rang out in my heart. IT made me feel, unpony.
As the bridge extended out to me a familiar gold coated stallion broke my trance, a white mane swooped up into a quiff. No words had to be said as the unicorn held a hoof out to me. I pounced him, holding him tight as the tears were allowed to be shed. He was my only family, he has been for a decade, but finally, that thought was cemented in my head.
“Good to see you made it Polaris, I was starting to worry that you wandered outside of the city center.” Centuri smiled and let go of me walking over to a pegasus handing out what looked to be jumpsuits. The staff around me were so, calm. Most were unicorns in lab coats or pegasi in technician bradding. I was given one of these jumpsuits as the Crusaders behind me went off deeper in the stable.
“Centuri, what is my… reason for being so special?” I looked at him as I unbuttoned my blouse with magic, the purple scarf still around me. As the blouse was placed on the table, and then immediately thrown into a bin labeled ‘Radioactive waste’ my brother sighed heavily.
“Because Pol, dear, your old and you haven't found your talent.”
“Thanks for pointing out my shortcomings.” I scoffed at him as the blue and yellow jumpsuit, emblazoned by several references to “49”.
“It true, the reason why you’re so important is that, shortcoming. The Crusader Initiative, and twilight, wanted to study what would happen if we put blank flanked fillies and colts into the new world. IT had to be orphans so we didn't split up families but, you can't just send in children without a leader.” His gaze went back to me and he nickered. “You're the chosen leader of the blank flanks.”
“By the time it's safe to go out there I bet the majority of them would have their talents Centuri….” I dreaded the thought of being a decrepit old mare getting her cutie mark stepping outside, finding out it's 'radiation sponge’ “Unless you mean to say we will be gone of this shelter in a week?” IT was an equally as scary thought to think of being a radiation sponge and 19.
“No no, you actually won't be seeing me for another, well probably forty years or more.” He was leading me away from the door labeled ‘Atrium’ and towards a long hallway. “Well hopefully that long.”
“What are you getting at Cent… Time travel?”
“No no, why do you think we recorded those logs of all the orphans?” My eyes widened as we walked through a door titled ‘Cryo Crystallization’
“You're freezing me… you're freezing me and ten other foals?” The walls were lined with Crystal-Stasis pods, each titled and had a small video screen on it. All of them, had a young pony in it.
“Yep, be excited sis, I bet you will finally find a stallion in the future… or are you back to mares again.” My cheeks flushed red as I looked at my pompous brother, part of me wanted to be frozen so I could come out to see he was also gay. “Now when you're ready, lay against that open one in the back.”
My heart sank seeing the chamber that was going to be, my home. It was the only white one in the room, sidings were gold. Above it read ‘Polaris’ and had a little badge to symbolize I was, important. “I don’t think I am… Ready Cent. This is all too much” But before I could say more, technicians were smiling at me and waiting, my brother nuzzling my flank to push me forward.
“Relax Pol, its what we have trained you for”
“Trained? The only training I've gotten in the last three years was from a very lonely princess who was stationed in Vanhoover. All I got were defensive spells and attack spells, I feel more like a” My eyes widened as I fell back into the chamber.
“Soldier? No no, you're more like a… Pathfinder, or an explorer. Now sleep tight my little star, See you on the other side.” He shut the crystalline door as my hoof pressed to it, tears streaming from me again as I looked dead center in those silver eyes that rivaled my blue ones.
“Listen here Centuri! I will not be your plaything you relas-” I was cut short, I felt my body tense up and my breath stop. My thoughts were fleeting me as crystal formed around me. The last thing I saw was a unicorn mare nuzzle his neck, trying to comfort him; before my world was plunged into darkness.
Author's Note
Level 0,
Xp 0,
Chapter One: The World that now is
“Lease me so that I can” A soft hiss echoes out as I felt everything in my body restore. Air once again refills my lungs, body weak and limp. I look around to a room, as well kept as it was when I went under other than the lights being noticeably dimmer. Before me was a mare with a pink coat and piercing silver eyes, my brother's eyes. Behind her two guard stallions and several onlooking technicians who had a cake.
“Hello Miss Polaris, welcome back to Stable 49” The mare looks up towards me; with what could only be described as a look of hope. I scan around the room, wishing to see an elderly stallion in a wheelchair with a balloon or a party hat that would have been forced on him. All that's in this room are very, hope-filled ponies. Some looked dangerously thin, others slightly bucktoothed.
“Where, is my brother?” The expression on the mare before me drops to that of a stern frown before she looks away. My heart drops like the bombs on the city outside, was it too late, was he dying? Was I woken up to say goodbye? My thoughts raced as I looked to the two colts balancing a cake up that just is frosted with fortynines all over it.
“Miss it has been, two hundred years… Your brother, my great great grandfather passed away.” A shattering was felt in the pit of my stomach, my heart breaking into shards of what it once was. The one colt I let into my life, the one pony that meant something to me in these last three depressing years. Gone, like my parents, in a flash.
“B-but he said it be only sixty years at most.” I tried to move, to get out of the accursed tube that held me for two centuries. It's to false hopes, my body too weak to move that quickly. All that it lead to is a doctor stepping into view, ready to whisk me away on a gurney.
“The initiative was, vastly incorrect with their numbers. It… We will speak of this later, for now, we shall celebrate.”
“This is no time for me to celebrate, to me it was seconds ago bombs fell on my home, now you tell me my brother is dead? This has to be a joke.” The frozen tears once again were sliding down my face as I stepped down onto the cold tile floor. The onlookers looked horrifyingly disappointed and dejected now. What is happening to these ponies to make this so important.
“I, understand.” she turned from me and looked back at my audience. “Everyone to the atrium we will be back in under a hour, I need to explain to our new friend why she is awake now.”
I was astonished as these ponies listened, I couldn't get over the reality of it all, looking around for some sign of it being a prank, my brother coming out from the corner with a newborn in his levitation field telling me I'm an aunt. All I saw, was the counter on the pod saying two hundred and eleven years. The mare walked towards a side door, waiting for me to follow. With shaky steps, I cantered up to her.
“I get it, it's hard to deal with. Honestly growing up listening to your recordings I always expected to see you like this, a mare with nothing left.” Now I was just offended as she led me into a hallway. Along it were portraits of ponies past, Overmares and Stallions. Right before a door that said ‘over office’ above it there was my brother, with a big cheesy smile, hung on the wall. “I don't know what I'd do if I was you, though you least must be glad you didn't get your cutie mark in being frozen.” I panicked and double checked that it was still magnificently blank, never have I loved seeing nothing before.
“I would go back and freeze myself if it was.”
“We wouldn't let you Polaris, we need you. You had training to go to the outside, the fell radiation hasn’t cleared up after all this time. A stable wasn't meant to last this long.” The Overmare office was decorated with memorabilia from the predecessors to the position, on the desk I noticed my brothers Pip statute, a grey coated mare with an orange mane holding to a podium titled “leadership”. There also was a glowing blue memory crystal beside it, a sliver of tape read my name on it. “Polaris, the stable is growing short on food, space, and most importantly genetics. We are dangerously close to forced inbreeding. A good half the stable has some of your brothers blood in them. Several direct descendants are all around. We need a home, the best you can find.”
“Wait, wait… Are you telling me that I was woken just, just to go out into Irradiated equestria? A party and then bucked out the door like a child walking in on her parents making a new sibling!”
“Well, yes, as sad as that is it's our only option. A new foal was born with some major birth defects. We can barely feed him, let alone explain that his parents are cousins without knowing it!”
“I don't even know what to say to you... “
“Tell me you will help us Polaris, we are falling apart here” The overmare opens the blinds on a large plate glass window, showing the atrium below. Inside was the whole stable ready to celebrate. They looked gloomy, no matter how garish the room was decorated, all of them looked ready to end their existence. “All you have to do is find a home Polaris, be our guiding star”
I cringed at the pun and looked over at the pink mare with a disappointed look “your a direct descendant of Centuri aren't you” She nodded and went to walk out to the atrium below.
“Ten minutes Polaris, then please come down to talk to your stable.” I was left, in an office that once held my brother. Along the walls were different photos and small knick knacks of stable related items. My eyes fell back onto the gem sitting on the desk. Memory gems were created to hold important information that could only be delicately laid out in perfect visualization. The Ministry of Emotional Preservation, which went from the ministry of parties to espionage within a year of the war, designed them for their spies so that information could be analyzed delicately.
Light blue magic burst around the gem as it levitated up to the horn that was emanating the same light. Gently I placed the tip against it, eyes tight and teeth clenched waiting for the euphoria to wash over me.
***
A sensation that could only be described as falling from space washed over my mind, it was all black before with a blink of an eye, I was looking out. Almost watching some sort of sick movie through my eyes.
I was, looking at myself, stuck in the chamber. I felt sore, my bones were like cement. The wheelchair that held the host was pushed closer, an IV drip following behind it. Looking back there was an elderly grey mare with a sweet smile. My heart was fluttering in a way I could describe as unhealthy, my lungs felt like sand.
“Go on centuri, tell her your last goodbyes,” She said with a sad, painful smile. My host to a shaky breath and looked back into my sad eyes. Was that how pathetic I looked for two hundred years, permanently crying? No wonder the overmare thought I was going to be so, upset.
“Polaris, my once bouncy sister. It's been seventy years and I am... About to see Celestia again. I hope that when you wake up, you will forgive me for being so distant for your life. After mom and dad died, I blamed you. As much as I never dared say it, I did. Even though it wasn't your fault they died, I couldn't help myself. Now I look back wishing I was more of a brother, giving advice when you tried to date, to help you get your cutie mark, to at least explain to you what the war meant. Instead, I sent you to the Ministry of Arcane on errands, you just happened to meet twilight every other time. She became more of a parent than I could have been. Whenever you get out of there, just remember Pol, I love you for who you are.”
I felt the warm tears sliding down my brother's face, the whole experience of talking through a host was bewildering, but it was hard to recognize how weird it was being in an elderly stallion while my heart was trying to beat hard. This stallion's heart was so close to giving way. I wanted to burst out of that tube, to hug my brother, to tell him that I forgave him. All I did was stay motionless, face still crying and looking like I was about to scream at my brother.
He started to get wheeled away from me, I couldn't help but feel like I wanted to burst out. The mare gave my horn a gentle kiss as she sighed.
“Alright Cent, let's get the memory extracted, your sister will love it one day”
“I really hope she does, before this year she used to be so happy. She would hike up to the MEW headquarters on Gallop mountain every other Friday to see the view of Vanhoover. Now she lives in a tube under a destroyed city that always asked why her ass was blank as a canvas.” Centuri chuckled as I felt my, what I could only describe as soul, being pulled from the memory. “I always wished she just get it one day so that she could stop complaining it was the reason she had no friends. Silly mare, you have to talk to them to become friends.”
A sensation of falling, in reverse, overcame me. I was soaring to the depths of my brother's skull, watching the tube that clung onto my frozen body
***
I was on my back, for welt felt like the fourth time in twenty-four hours, I was crying. Was I really that miserable? The gem slide into one of the breast pockets in the jumpsuit as I stood up. In the Atrium the overmare was addressing the stable dwellers. They were so, frightened. Foals too young to understand were running in the background playing some made up a game as the grown-ups were talking. I felt my brother’s muzzle pressing to me again to push me forward, almost as if a spirit's voice was telling me ‘go forward and make the world smile again Polaris, be their guiding light’. I hate how much that pun makes sense.
Before I went towards the door, my horn enveloped the Pip statute and brought it with me. I felt slightly more confident and almost, charismatic.
The door to the atrium from the overmare office hissed open for me to trot down the stairs. In my head I was considering what their reactions would be if I said no, would they insult me like those in the crowd did or would they grovel at my hooves for me to reconsider. But when the door opened up, I saw the faces of the dejected ponies transform into smiles. Someone prematurely unloading a party popper all over my face, lovely.
“Well, Polaris, what do you have to say to stable 49?” The overmare was on my flank again, smiling, hoping I wasn't going to cause a riot.
“I am going to find a new home for all of you, I will step out into Equestria.” The crowd whinnied and cheered as the party poppers went off, I heard several thank yous and blessings as they finally had a savior. Meanwhile, my soul felt the weight of a hundred lives depending on it.
The OverMares horn lit up in a beautiful golden cascade of light, a similar aura around her throat illuminated.
“Now my little ponies, let us party before our lovely Polaris departs” her voice boomed from an amplification spell. Two young mares pulled me to the center where the cake was, a large knife in it waiting for me to cut it up. All that could be felt now was worry and slight embarrassment about being dragged around by mares.
*
In Front of me was a three tonne door made of rolled steel, blessed by several unicorns before being galvanized with titanium. What it really is, is the door that shut behind me when the world ended. It felt like only hours ago I walked through this to hear Crusaders criticizing who they waited for. Now behind me is a whole stable of ponies, ponies who I just spent a few hours getting to know, hearing their family tale.
They equipped me with a simple nine-millimeter hoof gun, odd name considering most held it in their mouths and fired with their tongue; a sack of apples and two canteens of their purest water. They let me have their highest quality saddle pack and the best bardding they could muster; which in the reality of actual armour was like a police vest you’d find an officer wearing in a museum. In the two packs, I had placed my only two personal items, the gem of my brother's memory; and the Pip Statute.
I looked forward to the massive gear shaped door with the faded yellow numbers, forty-nine. In my levitation field, my purple scarf hung as I wrapped it back around me. I had it wrapped in a way to give me room to place my muzzle into cover my nose or mouth, just in case. I nodded back to the overmare behind me, who greeted it with a big smile.
“Well Polaris, it was short but I hope you can find us a good home. As I said, we have about three months before things get really bad in here, but I hope to see you sooner than that.” She went over to the console that controlled the stable door and turned a crystal key that used to be hidden in her pipbuck.
My heart faltered as the door's alarm was sounding, it mimicked that of the air raid sirens that echoed across vanhoover two centuries ago. There was a whoosh of air from outside as the door slowly churned open, the steel grate bridge extending out under me, carrying me across the small ditch between the door and the stable floor. As the door kept slowly rolling away, I could smell the pungent aroma of death. Soft gasps and sickened noises came from the residents behind me as the open door revealed several skeletons. The ponies who wanted in, who followed me and the crusaders, perished. My stomach sank to see how many foals were among the mass grave beyond the stable door, but only to be reminded more than this was inside the stable behind me. All of them were my responsibility to save.
“I will try to make it two than overmare, for all of you, for equestria.” I forced the best smile I could, those who were affected least by the skeletal heap whinnied in response, the overmare giving her best smile back and mouthing what I believe was ‘Centuri would be proud of you’.
I stepped out into the dark cave that housed the stable as the door slowly shut, shouts of good luck and farewell echoed out from behind me as the door shut once again. I was in the darkness, alone with so many bodies. My pipbuck started whizzing as it was calculating the new outdoor area, correcting the data that used to be on it; I just looked at all the skeletons.
“It wouldn't be right to leave you all here, even if…. Luna is dead, she always said to the public that all life had honour.” My horn lit, eyes watering. “She may not have been my favorite princess but she is right.”
The cave was illuminated by bright blue light, my horns over glow extended over the bodies as my body quaked, too much energy already. Two hundred years really damaged my magic reserves but I had to do this, for their sake. The bones all burst into a magnificent blue light that slowly faded to orange as I fell back on my hind legs, panting.
“May luna guide you safely through the stars, and celestia greet you with warmth” I bowed my head, breathing a bit hard as sweat beaded down my forehead. That spell used to be recreational for scaring ponies on nightmare night, now it felt as tough as lifting a freight car a half meter in the air.
The fires crackled as I walked toward the mouth of the cave, a rush of air went past me from behind the gave as the fires went out. Most likely from the fires using so much oxygen but I swear, I heard the word thank you. Cryo must have taken a lot out of me, though not as much as the view did.
Outside was, beautiful in a morbid way. Vanhoover, was illuminated by the late afternoon sun. The city was more intact than expected, buildings still had missing walls and windows and some leaned on each other. Carriages in the street transformed into husks of twisted metal or molded into the pavement. I step forward, my pipbuck's arcane matrix now booting up for the first time, a message appears in front of my vision.
‘Please hold still for Eyes Forward Sparkle and Crusader Assisted Targeting Spell to calibrate’ Bewildered by it, I froze; even tried to not breathe as I waited for something to signify that it was finished. Within a minute there was a gentle ping, which reminded me of the sound of two gems clashing together. Now my vision had faint statistics and markings around it. Above was a compass, to the bottom an ammo count for my weapon. Then in large letters shown the words ‘STABLE 49’, the automap spell getting to work.
As I trotted closer to the sea wall done the road from the stable, red markings flashed up on the compass. I slowed and skirted around to the side of a destroyed hot carrot stand, looking over its edge at the water. The pipbuck’s Geiger counter ticked slightly as I edged to the seawalls edge. In the water were three giant crab monsters, that the pipbuck took the liberty of naming Marelurks. Out to see I noticed a huge atoll in the center of the Luna Straight.
I got on my belly and crawled across the ground towards the edge of the seawall, to where two hundred years ago I stood, listening to EBC telling me about the bombs. As I got closer, the scuttling of crabs over gravel pierced my ears. They weren't going towards the wall, but into what I could only assume was a heavily irradiated ocean. Reaching the seawalls edge I saw the atoll for what it was, the epicenter.
The water broke upon the structure of upturned rock, greenish fog loomed over it. The last balefire bomb must have missed and landed in the harbour, saving the majority of the structures in the city but heavily polluting the sea. My eyes shot open wide as a massive tentacle slithered over the rocks to grab what I could only guess was a marelurk. The bomb had mutated the friendly sea monsters who guided the ferries around the harbour.
I looked down to my pipbuck and noticed, the headphone icon was active still. Levitating up the earpiece from its spot in the device, I heard the sounds of the radio still playing. To my surprise, I heard the sounds of a jazz ensemble finishing their piece, even if the airwaves were a bit staticky.
“And that was the Canterlot Blues, playing their set in the mares mood. Welcome back to EBC, the wastelands only civilized broadcast.” Pure shock, a mare's voice now directing the radio. It astonished me. “Now our daily newscast, reports of grizzldoors swarms by the ruins of the whitetail woods, we recommend a wide birth around it. Radiation in the crystal falls region has dropped significantly when the settlers there removed a wreckage of Pegasus Skyliner 227 from the falls water supply. New Canterlot would like me to remind you that the trading hours have changed for the city after the incident last week with the raiders. Here at EBC we get our information from you the ponies, stop by our Canterlot office or send a letter our way so we can inform the masses. Next up is a fan favorite then and now, sweetie belle’s black betty.”
Shock, it was the best way to describe how I felt. Not only was the radio working, but there were civilizations out there. It sounded like Canterlot survived, like ponies were rebuilding our home. It also sounded like there was a lot of bad out in the wasteland, but my heart couldn't have been so relieved. Maybe this job, this quest, wouldn't be as hard as I thought it would be.
My ears perked, bringing me out of the slight trance as rusted wheels on rails caught my attention. On the overhead Gala line was, a train. It was stopping at neighnimo station, if I galloped I could catch it at broadway, I had to, it meant civilization. My hooves struck the pavement, the compass flashing red signifying I alerted one of the carb creatures below, but I couldn't care.
I dug up gravel behind me as hooves hit the pavement hard. My heart was pounding, my lungs filling with stale air while I moved closer to the station front. The red pips on the compass faded out a block back while charging forth to the station, before skidding on the now broken up pavement at the base of the station's stairs. I slowly climb up them after vaulting over broken turnstiles to the platform above, veins stinging like my heart was pumping battery acid. Out of shape and out of magic, I hate, cryo.
As my heavy breaths echoed about the station's platform, the train slowly skidded to stop, it was still on the automatic system surprisingly. It shuttered to a halt and the doors opened with a painfully slow hiss, the lights in the carriage flickering. I stepped inside and froze in fear.
The air was filled with the pungent aroma of blood and decay, inside the carriage was body parts and bones decorating the interior. Two stallions were hogtied together in the middle, while three raiders were looking at me. Their manes were burnt, balding and just torn up. The cutie marks I could see on these mongrels were grotesk recreations of the room. I wanted to run, to flee, to bang on the stable doors. Instead, I was in shock, unmoving. The raiders looked surprised but grinned like I was some sort of fresh meal when the doors shut, I walked right onto their plate.
“Welllllll lookie here boys and girls, we gots ourselves a pure white mare” a grizzled looking stallion voiced, trotting up to me. He had a combat shotgun across his back, his cutie mark a skull. “And a blank flank too, perfect for tonight” Celestia I repent my sins, I did not mean to do everything in my life.
“She looks like she's going to pee, Curd that's adorable” the mare who was watching the tied up unicorn and pegasus walked up to me and levitated out some rope. Her horn looked chipped and damaged. “Now girlly if you're good I won't tie you up, and even let you join in my bed with good old Blood Curd here”
I felt the cake coming back up, my eyes watered as I slowly backed into an ad on the wall for sparkle cola. Then the final stallion in the back pulled out bits of flesh on a stick, and, he, ate, it. That's all it took, my stomach lurched. The raiders laughed as frothy blue and purple, cake vile covered their hooves, even licking it off. This only caused a second lurch of my stomach.
“Awww Biscuit ain't that cute, you made her vomit” the stallion known as curd now sat down, tracing his gun at me as the mare forced me into a seat.
“She will be so lovely in the arena, won’t she. A blank flank this size tooooo, adorable!” The mare sat across from me as the train car slide along the rails toward the two sports stadiums in the marina.
The train slowly stopped at stadium station, the electronic voice above trying to say it but was broken beyond repair. The mare pulled me by the scarf out of the train, still to paralyzed to speak while the stallion grabbed the other two captives. I was being led down the station stairs where I could see into the two stadiums. We stopped at the turnstiles which, looked like a holding cell. I was deposited there with the stallions who were now free from their ropes while the raiders went to talk to their compatriots.
“You okay there lass?” Said the softest Trottingham accent I've ever heard, the unicorn looking me over.
“I, maybe… What is going on.” Hold your composure Polaris, be strong, be a leader.
“This is the blood bowl, well the big one is.” the pegasus said with a slightly nordic accent, pointing to what once was an ice hockey center. Blood bowl, I knew that game. My brother had little figurines for it, it was basically bloody hoof ball. “Pretty much it's a game where you have to kill and score goals” So it was literally that boardgame, excellent, I was going to die.
“But you don't need worry about that lass, trust me. Your blank flank puts you in the foal fight.” This didn't sound fun either. The unicorn sighs and looks away. “I say that like its a gift but this is all…”
“Disgusting? Terrible? Uncivilized?” the pegasus rebutted and looked at me with sad eyes. “My name is RustBuck, this is my partner and associate Silvermane, though covered in this much raider blood we probably just look like red and brown ponies.” I felt my stomach lurching, these two were not supposed to be red and brown? “Look, you win the fights you live, you win six you're free, you win three you become a slave… None of this is good but it's all we can say now.”
“I still don't understand how raiders got the trains working, to do this.” I felt a fury building in me.
“They didn’t, they just took this over. On the other line, the… Rusty?”
“The Century line”
“Yeah the Century line, it's operated by this city called New Vanhoover, they live in the rail distribution center. Heck Stadium used to belong to them, as farms. Three years ago in a firefight, they lost it to the raiders of New WestManester, every since it's been a growing cold war between them.” The unicorn paused as the raiders grew close. “They are waiting for the right time to strike, have hope lass. Don't let that white coat soil.”
The raiders grabbed me by the scarf again, my gift. The sickness was being replaced with more anger. My new friends, if I could call them that, waved to me and nuzzled up as I got lead down to the small hoofball stadium. The area between the stadiums was a shanty town of small lean-tos. I could see fillies, mares, even stallions worn to the bone. Several of the mares and fillies had blood caked thighs, this caused the return of sickness and my tail to be tightly pressed against my body but it slowly boiled back to a fury.
I remained silent as raiders laughed at their captives, kicking colts out of the way as they pulled me to the arena. There was a cheering down the halls, as well as the sounds of crying and what I hoped was somepony jumping on a spring mattress.
“You came just in time snow white, we are about to have a fight” the mare pulling me said with glee, I just wished she kept her tail down more. I’ve always hated the smell of rot and fungus. “Just think, your the largest filly in the world. Y’all gonna slaughter them.”
I was deposited in a room filled with colts and fillies, shaking and crying. Some cursing and demoralizing the competition. The pony inside me was screaming, wanting to kill the raiders who did this wanted to; be no better than them. I was having a moral conflict as an older pegasus filly was dropped beside me. She was crying, blood on her hooves yet didn't look like she had exerted herself. She looked up at me and just cried more. The moral conflict was shifting to the dark side again.
She was muttering ‘but momma didn't steal it was me’ as two brass gates opened before us, my eyes widening seeing the blood drenched field. Spikes and fires littered around it. The foals all stepping out to see the crowd. It looked to be, all parents. Other than the box seats which held raiders, and guards walking the stairs, it was all parents. They were forced to watch their children fight to the death.
“FILLIES AND UNGENTLECOLTS! WELCOME TO THIS WEEK'S FOAL-FIESTA. I AM YOUR HOST TODAY, THE ONE AND ONLY RAIDER KING OF VANHOOVER, BRASSSSSS BELLLLL” The loudspeakers echoed out, my gaze zeroed in on this so called king. I felt my body filling with adrenaline, more rage. “NOW TODAY I NOTICE WE GOT A GROWN BLANK, HOW CUTE! WELL WHOEVER KILLS HER GETS A SPECIAL SPOT ON MY SPEAR, OR AT LEAST SHE WILL” His underling were cheering at the thought of me impaled, wonderful.
“NOW WITHOUT FURTHER HESITATION, LET THE FIGHT FOR MY BED START” Oh, that spear, with fillies, wonderful.
The speakers changed to a hard rock soundtrack as the raiders laughed, some of the foals started to run about while others were now biting and bucking those beside them. The filly beside me was, cowering behind my hooves. Her cutie mark was a smiling cloud on what I hope was a blue coat. My moral battle was over, my mind snapped and eyes narrowed.
“By Luna’s night and Celestia’s day,” I stepped forward, over glow coating my horn. “I will bring Vanhoover back home” The air smelt of ozone as I became a passenger in my own body, about to watch the chaos unfold. The crowd grew silent, as a beacon in the late day sun glew bright. My horn drawing every essence of my body, of my soul into it. I felt its power as the air filled with the sweet scent of the ozone.
“Send hell my regards.” the filly's eyes went wide, thinking she was about to be cooked like the meat those raiders ate.
There was a loud crack as my horn unleashed its energy, a bolt of magnificent blue lightning arched from me. CATS was activated, my vision zeroed in on their so called king. The red mark on my compass, as did several others, went out. The bolt connected with his body, lightning arcing across the box seats and frying them. The whole stadium was silent as static charge still went around the metal railing. I was helpless as my body slowly toppled over like a domino from the exhaustion. Before my eyes shut, the filly stood before me, hoping I was still breathing. The last thing my brain recognized was the loud crack of a gunshot echoing through the stadium. Luna, I'm going to come see you now.
Author's Note
Vanhoover Discovered
Level: 1
Xp: 100
