“All those who oppose the Enclave will fail! I am General Death Scythe, and this is my pledge -- nopony, NO ONE will take this great nation away from me! Goddesses bless the Enclave! Goddesses bless Equestria!”
Normally, I don’t like waking up. I’m always still tired and it’s boring to be up when you’re tired. But today was going to be different! Today was what all the adults had been talking about, and whatever the big ponies were doing beneath the giant sheet they were all talking about was going to be shown!
I just know it’s going to be so awesome!
I opened my eyes real quick, so quick that the light actually stung a little. There was usually a little light coming through the windows and cracks between the curtains, that’s how I knew it was time to wake! Of course I had to yawn first, and sit up.
Looking around, everything was just how I liked it! I mean… I don’t really have any toys beside Mr Snowflake, my teddy, but he was sat in the corner like a super cool guard! My parents say they wilI but me some more when they’ve got the money, but Mr Snowflake is awesome! I also took a moment to get myself untangled from my sheets as well, almost tripping as I did so.
But oh well, not even that could ruin this day!
After all, school was cancelled!
I gave a super hop from my bed and landed on the floor! The door was already open a crack, stupid thing never does shut properly, and I began to walk over to it. Mama and Papa are probably already up, they’re always up super early! I don’t know how they do it, they must have super powers! I don’t even see them go to sleep, since they always put me to bed first. Do they even sleep? Maybe I should ask them?
Oh! I can hear them talking outside, I should let them do that before I find out their secrets.
I can see them through the barely open door, they’re standing in the hallway. Mama is a unicorn like me, and she’s really pretty! She’s got a green coat kinda like mine, but kinda darker. She had brown hair like both me and Dad too! Though, Papa’s blue coat looks kinda messy this morning. I wonder what he has been doing? Earth pony stuff maybe?
Oh! They’re whispering! I bet it’s about their secret super powers, this is going to be great to listen in on!
“-can’t believe they’ve been here for fifteen years…” Mama whispered to Papa. Huh, maybe not super powers then. Bleh, disappointment. “They’re just getting worse, Bulk. Ever since what happened at Junction R-7…”
Papa put a hoof on Mama’s shouler. “Hey, we’re fine. As long as we’re contributing and working, they won’t target us.”
“But what if-”
“We’ll be fine, Meadow,” he repeated. “We’re honorary citizens, unless we go publicly protesting they won’t touch us. We certainly paid enough.”
“I still don’t want to know how we were able to afford that,” Mama said. What were they paying for? Was it a surprise!? “Though it was enough bits to get us through. They only otherwise let in ponies they really need. And I don’t think we would qualify…”
“Yeah, no doubt about that,” Dad said with that sigh he always gives when I’ve done something wrong. I hope I’m wrong about that… “But… sometimes I regret moving us in here. The other ponies in here... I’m not sure I want to be the kind of pony those feathered bastards would approve of and find ‘useful’.”
Naughty word!
“You’re better than them, Bulk,” Mama assured Papa, gently nudging his hoof away. “You remember when we first saw them, right?”
“I can’t forget,” Papa answered. “Their raptors bombing everything that moved, turning Friendship City to dust only to later rebuild it as one of their fucking bases to dominate from.”
Oh come on, Dad! Sheesh, somepony needs a naughty word jar…
“And do you remember… her?” Mama asked, though I’m not sure who she’s talking about…
“What, the Hellmare?” he replied with a snort.
“Lightbringer,” Mama corrected. “You Arbu foals know full well about what was going on there.”
“She killed my parents. I know they weren’t good ponies, but they were still family,” Papa responded. Oh, sounded like he was talking about bad ponies…
It’s a good thing the Enclave protects us from them!
“Well, I know that she’s the only reason either of us lived beyond that day,” Mama retorted. “Before they went and killed her at New Appleoosa. I just… wish heroes like The Stable Dweller still existed.”
“The Equestrian Wasteland isn’t a good place for heroes,” Dad said with a shake of his head. “They’re too strong now. Look what happened to the resistance.”
“They’re still around…”
“Barely.”
I was confused. I don’t really know who ‘The Stable Dweller’ is, or a lot of the other weird words they’re using. And who were the bad guys they were talking about? The Enclave wouldn’t let them anywhere near to us though… right?
I was so confused, I tripped on my own hooves and fell out into the hallway.
Actually… I meant to do that! Yush! My grand entrance!
“Sweet Shine!” Mama suddenly shouted, I was in trouble… “Young filly, what are you doing up this early!?”
I got up off of the floor, sniffing a big. I don’t like it when I make Mama upset, I’m a bad filly…
“I just wanted to be up for the Enclave’s party…” I muttered, trying not to cry. Big ponies don’t cry. “I’m sorry…”
“You didn’t hear us talking just then, did you?” Dad asked nervously.
“Nuh uh!” I lied. I didn’t want to make them sadder. “I-I just wanted to come and get hugs!”
They both seemed to calm down.
“I’m sorry for shouting, honey,” Mama said as she gave me a quick cuddle and nuzzle on the head. Heh, that tickled! “Your father and I were just talking about grown up stuff. So… do you want breakfast?”
I nodded really fast! Strong ponies ate well! At least, that’s what Dad always says.
Mama giggled. “Well, alright then. Come on.”
Mama led me into the kitchen, which was always really clean thanks to that Mr Handy robot, but they’d recently shut him down for some reason… I’m sure it was fine, though! Mama and Papa always knew best!
I jumped up onto a chair as Mama went to get yum yums! A little bug on the table caught my eye, scuttling about on its man legs. It was tiny, not like scary radroaches.
“Hi Mr Buggy!” I squeed to the little creature. It looked up at me for a second, before scuttling away and off the table. “OK, bye Mr Buggy!”
Now that Mr Buggy had gone back to his bug family, Mama came back with a small box of Dandy Colt Apples and a half full Sparkle-Cola. The apples tasted weird, but the Sparkle-Cola was nice and carroty! At least that’s what the bottle says it tastes like, I’ve never had a real carrot before. I wonder if they taste like Sparkle-Cola?
I was just finishing up when somepony knocked really hard on the door. Wow, they must be strong.
And for some reason, my parents shared a weird look.
“Stay here, honey,” Papa said as he left me with Mama.
I sat still, I knew he was going to meet the nice pony a the door. And I know listening in is bad, but I’ve already done it once! And who knows? I might even understand this one! I just had to listen in really hard…
“Your presence is required at the ceremony,” the pony with the weird distorted voice said to Papa.
“W-we’re just getting ready, really. We will be right over.”
“Now, dirt pony,” the other voice said back. Hey, that’s mean! “All residents are required to attend. Don’t test my patience.”
“OK! OK! I’ll get my family and we’ll be right over just… please don’t do that.”
Do what? Who was Papa talking to…?
When Papa came back into the kitchen, he looked really worried about something. There wasn’t a bad pony at the door, was there?
“We’re, uh… being summoned it seems,” Papa said to Mama. “We’d better go, before…”
“A-alright,” Mama replied, before kneeling down before me. “Shine, stay close to me. OK?”
I gave her a quick nod. That seemed good enough, and I hopped off of the chair and onto her back. We then all went through the house, and pretty soon we were walking out of the front door. Outside was always really sunny and blue! I love it outside! Some of my friends at school say everywhere else is all gloomy because of the clouds, though my parents say that they’re just trying to scare me. I hope I get find out someday.
There were also a lot of ponies out here, a lot of them seemed really excited like me! But… some of them looked sad for some reason. I also looked around for the bad pony my Papa talked to, but I only saw a good pony!
The pegasus was in the big metal suits the strongest Enclave liked to wear! His eyes were all bright and yellow, and a big tail with a pointy end swung a little behind him. He also had weird sparking things they used to punish the bad ponies strapped to his sides, glowing with pretty green magic. Papa called the big metal things ‘X-01 power armor’, whatever that meant. But I want one!
“Get moving,” the good Enclave pony said, and Mama and Papa joined the other ponies walking down the street.
The street was really bright and colourful, the metal homes around all had ponies coming out to walk with us. In the distance I could see the big wall around our district, which everypony says just separates us from the rest of Manehatten. I’m not sure why, but I’m sure there’s a cool reason!
Some of my friends also say this whole area used to be where a load of giant buildings were. But I’ve never seen any, Tenpony Tower is the tallest building around. Though, I can see some weird buildings just over the wall if I get high enough, so maybe there were and they were taken away?
Oh well, I would see soon, because we were all leaving the centre of the city for the first time in, well… ever! Mama and Papa say the place we’re going to see used to be called Friendship City. I don’t know why, though, it’s just a part of Manehatten after all! I mean, I’d never seen the rest of the city or Equestria, but I bet they’re nice!
But they’ve also said the Enclave have built something cool they want to show us there! I can’t wait to see it and the rest of the city!
There were so many ponies all walking with us! Everypony is so excited to find out about the sheet thing that the entire districts coming along! I even see a few other fillies and colts in the crowd, though Mama told me to stay close so I don’t run off to any of them. Still, I bet they’ll all find it really cool too!
There were also more of the big Enclave ponies around, and some smaller once that weren’t in the big metal suits with the stingy tails. They weren’t walking with us, but just seemed to be watched as we walked while their bad pony stoppers went all crackly and sparky. Oh, I bet they’re making sure we’re safe!
Thanks, nice ponies!
I made myself comfortable on Mama’s back, and just watched the houses pass by as we moved. The wall got bigger and bigger as we got closer, normally I’m not allowed to get this close, so more excitement!
“There’s the checkpoint,” Dad eventually muttered, and I saw him looking at some of the Enclave ponies ahead.
There was a really big door in the wall, and I saw the barriers the Enclave ponies were standing behind. They were talking to each pony that went through, before letting them past. Just behind that door was the entire world!
And it was soon out turn.
“Names,” the Enclave pony said, this one not wearing the big metal suit.
“Bulk Loader,” Daddy said to the pony in the booth as he did something on his terminal. “My wife, Bright Meadow. And our daughter, Sweet Shine.”
The pony was quiet for a moment as he looked at the screen, before mumbling: “Adult male. Adult female. Small filly.” He grunted, and then looked up at Dad. “Alright, you’re clear. Don’t wander off, stay with the group. Do not have us send out a… search party.”
“Yes sir,” Papa replied. “W-why would we ever leave this place?”
The pony didn’t respond, simply glancing at the terminal again before shaking his head and letting us through.
That was weird. But at least I was finally about to see the outside!
…
Why was everything broken?
Everything out here looks really strange. From the moment we went through the door, I could see a whole lot of grey and brown. Oh, there are those buildings my friends talked about! They’re definitely tall, but they also look… pointy. Like somepony broke them. It’s… actually kinda scary out here.
B-but other ponies are walking just fine, like nothing has changed! Oh, and the nice Enclave ponies are out here too! See? It can’t be that bad if ponies are out here, I shouldn’t judge. That would be mean, and I’m not mean!
We just keep walking through the tall, broken buildings. There’s a road, but it’s all cracked and stuff. Everything at home is all nice and new, but out here…
Maybe they just need a Mr Handy bot to clean things up? They should get on that.
As we kept moving, I could see a few new buildings. These seemed smaller and less broken, but they still seemed to be all dirty and stuff. There were other ponies here too, and I could see Enclave getting them out of their homes. They were also walking, though they weren’t walking with us for some reason even though we were going the same way. Oh hey! I see a family, and they have a filly my age! I really want to say hi and make a new friend, but I still can’t leave unless Mama or Papa say so.
Hey, maybe after the Enclave’s party!
Then I heard shouting.
All the ponies around seemed to stop, and I looked towards the loud noises. One of the big Enclave ponies was looking at a stallion with a big stick in his mouth, and the stick had nails in it. I don’t really know what’s going of with that, and the pony seemed to be really scared for some reason.
“Get away!” the pony shouted as the Enclave guy moved towards him, and he hit them with the stick. Why would he do that? “You monsters! Just leave us alone!”
The Enclave pony’s big tail thing hit the other pony in the side of the head, and he dropped the stick with a lot of read coming from his head. He then tripped and fell, trying to crawl away.
“Please… Please…”
There was a flash of green from the Enclave pony, and the stallion turned into goop.
“Stay in line! Keep moving, or we will open fire on all non-citizens!” the Enclave pony shouted at the other ponies, though not at any of us.
A lot of the dirty-looking ponies started to cry, I guess they had been really scared that the stallion attacked the nice Enclave pony. But most of the ponies we were with gave cheers to the power armor guy, and a few even spit at the goop. Ew.
“Don’t look, honey…” Mama whimpered, both she and Dad seemed to have been really scared like the dirty ponies too.
But they didn’t have to worry now, the Enclave pony protected us!
We soon left the dead mean pony behind, and I started to see the buildings give way to open air. And now that I looked, it was all cloud for as far as I could see. And I could see pretty far!
Oh, and that’s a lot of water!
The land seemed to stop dead ahead, and there was a large body of water between the beach and an island just offshore. The island had a really big metal building on it, with a wall spanning the outside. There was a bridge down the beach a ways, and I could see a lot of Enclave ponies on it doing stuff. Looking back at the building, I could see a couple of vertibucks come in for a landing somewhere behind the wall. And at the centre of the island, shooting high into the sky, was something covered by a giant white sheet.
“Daddy, what is that place?” I asked.
“Oh, uh…” he began to reply. “It’s where the Enclave ponies sleep. Their, uh, base. It’s where they work.”
“I thought the Enclave ponies did all their stuff in Tenpony?” I asked. I also saw them around out district ‘patrolling’, whatever that meant. But I had been told most of the Enclave do stuff in Tenpony Tower.
“Yes, they do…” Dad admitted. So which one was it!? “But those Enclave on the island don’t just work in Manehatten. They go, well… everywhere.”
Ohhhh, I get it. I think.
Some of the Enclave ponies directed us to a huge sitting area that they had set up. I could see all the ponies from our district being sent over there, while the dirty ponies were all being taken down into the beach where there were no seats for them.
“Dirty fucking Enclave assholes,” one of the dirty ponies muttered while looking at the ponies from our district, just as he was shoved down towards the beach.
Was he talking about us? But I’m not dirty, I had a bath last night! Silly pony must be confused.
Mama and Papa found our seats, and I hopped off of Mama’s back and nestled between her legs instead as she sat down. All the other ponies from out district sat around us, looking excited. I could also see the dirty ponies down the the beach, who looked less so.
They were weird.
I don’t know how long we were waiting, but time flies when you’re having fun. Eventually the Enclave ponies shouted for everypony to quieten down, and then, on a metal platform that had set up just off of the beach directly ahead of us, a pony stood in that big metal armor. Though he didn’t have the helmet on, I realised.
“Fillies and gentlecolts,” the pony said towards us, before looking at the ponies stood on the beach. “And… masses of the wastes. We are here today to celebrate a tremendous event in our history, one celebrating our unity and purity against the mutated monstrosities and foreign devils that plague our dear Equestria.”
While the standing ponies stayed quiet, the ponies sitting around us all began to stamp and cheer, and I joined in. Cheering was awesome! Though Mama and Papa didn’t join in, so I guess they were letting me have all the fun!
“Yes, thank you,” the speaker continued. “Fifteen years ago, we liberated this fair island as part of our efforts to reclaim and rebuild and fair country. When out raptors came down from the heavens, and eliminated terrorists the likes of the Applejack’s Rangers and ‘The Stable Dweller’!”
More cheering as several poles flanking the speaker had flags raised on them, displaying the image of a large ‘E’ surrounded by stars and two wings.
“Behold, the visage of the old Grand Pegasus Enclave!” the pony announced. “Simpler times, and the foundations of what was to come. And now we are here, fifteen years later, as family. A united Equestria, the Grand Equestrian Enclave!”
Several more flags were raised, this time being white with a central black circle with two golden thunderbolts inside.
“Not since the time of the goddesses Celestia and Luna has this country seen such prosperity, and our final victory of the stripes is assured, their blight upon our world coming to an end,” he proclaimed amidst cheers from me and the other ponies from my district. “But even as the war is won, the time to rebuild pressed on forward. But we will rebuild! The Enclave will reign supreme! All hail Death Scythe, and all hail the Enclave!”
“ALL HAIL THE ENCLAVE!” the adults sitting around me bellowed, making me jump.
And then I saw the sheet shift, and begin to fall, the ropes holding it in place having been cut. And what emerged was both huge and breathtaking. It was a mare in traditional Royal Guard armor the likes I’d seen in history books, complete with the helmet. The mare was holding a sword high into the sky and held a shield against her chest. On the shield was the engraving: ‘In Enclave We Trust’. From the statue also hung the flag of the Grand Equestrian Enclave.
Simultaneous, there was a thunderous BOOM as three Enclave fighter planes shot past us high above while trailing white, black, and yellow streams of smoke.
And then, through the cheers, I felt something wet splatter on my shoulder. As I looked up, some of my joy dimmed as I saw Mama… crying? W-why… why was Mama crying?
“Mama…?”
She looked down at me, wiping away her tears as Papa wet to rub her back in comfort. They both looked really sad for some reason, though now they were smiling really badly. Did I do something wrong?
“It’s nothing, dear,” Mama assured me. “They’re just… tears of joy. Yes, that’s it. Nothing to worry about, just enjoy yourself.”
I might have pressed some more, but then- Oh! Mini flags!
One of the nice ponies was giving all the fillies and colts in the sitting area small Enclave flags to wave, two each, one being the big ‘E’ and the other being the newer lightning bolts. I began waving them around, cheering with almost everypony else as the fighter planes continued to perform with all kinds of pretty effects! Meanwhile, the dirty ponies were beginning to be led away, looking all upset and angry. I don’t know why though, the Enclave were the best!
But…
Why did my cheering just make Mama cry harder…?
Fallout: Equestria - Resistance
