Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria…
...there was a time of great strife. Where neighboring land fought neighboring land. Where family fought family, and where zebra fought pony. Equestria, like many a country on Equis, was determined to find a winning solution. Secret wars were fought with specialized teams and high tech weaponry, the likes that common zebra or pony never saw. Some of these specialists were cryogenically frozen, along with some members of the Ministry of Awesome. The ministry mares...once the elements of harmony were the driving force behind these advancements. Robotics, Weapons, Armor, and of course… magic. For the kind and shy elements of kindness and ministry mares of peace, they created the tool of destruction that nearly wiped all living beings off the face of the planet. This was the Megaspell, though made deadlier by the Zebra by adding a balefire egg to the weapon. The beginning of the end happened and washed the world in balefire and magical radiation. And the once peaceful land of Equestria was once again brought back into a nation knowing only war...because war never changes…
Waking up in a Cryotube after being knocked out in your home is quite aggravating, though it can become a horrifying prospect if you were frozen for just over two hundred years like I’d been. I woke up in a completely different area than where I lived as well. To give a quick rundown, I was born in Cloudsdale and did all of my schooling and living there until I joined the Ministry of Awesome. I was then stationed in that god awful city of Hoofington at Shadowbolt tower. I retired right before the end, around a year or so before. I retired in the city of Los Alicorn and lived near Santa Mare beach. As to where I woke up, I woke up across the country in Baltimare. How? I don't even know, but I found myself in a Ministry of Awesome safehouse. I crawled out of the pod and looked over myself, checking for any signs of poor health that would be worrying. No, I’m safe now. Let’s check this place out, hopefully there is a gas mask or something to deal with radiation in here. I started to poke through the cabinets and other containers in the room. I came across a Stable-Tec box that was biometrically locked, that had a sealed Ministry of Awesome letter on it, I also found an equipment locker with my codename on it, and a hoof-written warning. It said:
Maverick, when you wake up you may be contacted by an organization called the Grand Pegasus Enclave do not, I repeat DO NOT join them or engage with them positively. They are not who they say they are. They might be a nation of pegasi but they are not the continuation of government that Luna or Celestia would have wanted. Stick to the wasteland, it will offer you more ways to help then even your orders outline. I hope the princesses give you luck, RD.
I stared at the warning for a long while, analyzing the letter as closely as I could to know how Rainbow Dash wrote her letters, and I knew without a doubt it was her writing. I then went over to the equipment locker with my codename on it. I tapped it with a hoof and saw it light up before sliding itself open. Huh, haven’t seen tech like this since the Shadowbolt Tower. I saw my combat barding in the locker along with my old battle-saddle and my custom combat knife. The sidearm was a typical 12.7mm handgun that had some interesting logos on it. I put the equipment back in the box and moved over to the stable-tec box with what were apparently my orders on it. I tapped the box on the biometric lock and was surprised it opened. Huh, I wonder what is in it that it had to be biometrically locked. I opened the front of the box and quickly grabbed my orders with my wing. I stared at the Pip-buck that was stored in the box. A 3000? No, wait a 3000b. Those were only like in one stable if I remember correctly...what the fuck…. I grabbed the pip-buck and looked it over before noticing another note in the box. I put the pip-buck down and read the note:
Specialist Apollo, this is part of your equipment for Operation Black Guardian. This Pip-Buck 3000b has been modified for your operation. It has specialized hacking tools as well as the ability to encrypt any communications you receive on it. It also comes with the typical earbloom and throat mic set-up typical of past operations. Good luck Apollo and may Celestia and Luna bless you with good fortunes on your mission, -Matchwood.
I looked through the box and found the plastic package for the earbloom and mic. Guess they had a reason to abduct me from my home… I then went about putting on the pip-buck and went over to my combat barding. I slipped the barding on, instinctually doing everything I had done two hundred and ten years ago when I was a fulltime agent of the Ministry of Awesome. I then put on the throat mic and ear bloom leaving the cable hanging for the moment as I made sure it was all put on correctly. I then went about putting on the 3000b on my left hoof. God, I hate these pip-buck sometimes. I felt the pip-buck lock itself after I got it on and hit the button to power it on. I was surprised when it started to play a morse-code alert from a military frequency. I ignored the message for a bit and started to run the cable for my ear bloom and throat mic under my armor and then plugged it into my pip-buck. I saw that my pip-buck had already translated the message into a note on the pip-buck as I started to look for the radios tab.
, , DE, GPE, DE, GPE,
Unknown Station, Unknown Station, This is, GPE, This is, GPE, Respond
I looked at the translation and wondered what GPE stood for, and I looked back at the warning from Rainbow Dash. GPE? Grand Pegasus Enclave? Oh shit. I immediately started to go to the radio tab and engaged in communication with them. I used my Push-To-Talk (PTT) button to reply in morse code.
GPE, DE, A, CFM
GPE, This is, Alpha, Acknowledged
The signal went quiet after my response. I put down my hoof and started to put on my battle saddle after looking over my weapons. The assault rifle is good, along with the machine gun slung on the other side. I have something like four thousand rounds for both. The assault rifle is silenced and the bit is the same as when I turned it into the armory on my last day. I paused my musings as I heard a voice come over my ear bloom.
“Alpha, this is Grand Pegasus Enclave Baltimare Station Delta, Respond and Identify yourself!”
I froze in my tracks and sighed and keyed my mic, “Station Delta, this is Apollo Mike Oscar Alpha, over,” I responded hoping that would throw them for a loop. I looked down at my pip-buck and went to the navigation tab to see where I was. I noticed that the marker for my location said I was in “MOA Safehouse Bravo 29.” I sighed and went back to putting on my battle saddle, wanting to make tracks instead of staying here.
“Apollo Mike Oscar Alpha, this is Golf Papa Echo Station Delta what is your business on this frequency and that designation hasn’t been used in over two hundred years, Over”
“Station Delta, Apollo that is my callsign given to me by the Mike Oscar Alpha. I must be on my way, Out” I responded simply and then shut off my radio, hoping they couldn’t trace my location. I started to look around the safehouse and came across some civilian clothing that were used for undercover operations and a set of sturdy military issue saddlebags that I put on. I stashed the civilian clothing in them before finding a medical station and looting it of all the medical supplies I could. So let's recap, my four old weapons from my time in Black Operations, A set of civilian clothing, eight thousand five hundred rounds of ammo total for my bullet launchers, and two healing potions, a syringe of med-x, orange mintals, a bottle of rad-x, and a pouch of rad-away. I guess I’m set.
I walked up to the front door of the safe house and noticed I haven’t heard the tale-tell sign of radiation from my new pip-bucks Geiger counter. I lightly pushed against the door and saw it was locked. I turned on the lamp function of the pip-buck and spotted a lump under the welcome mat and found the key. Really under the fucking welcome mat...amateurs. I opened the door and walked out, and immediately locked it behind me. I knew the safe-house would make a good hidey-hole if I needed it. The dullness of the city shocked me slightly before I noticed the cloud cover. I looked around and saw how ruined the city was and could only Image what Las Pegasus, Los Alicorn, Manehattan, or even Hoofington would look like. I decided to make some distance between the safehouse and myself so I wouldn't compromise its location. As I walked I kept myself alert for any signs of danger. There was never any sure ideas as to what the Magical Radiation of a balefire bomb would do to the local fauna of Equestria. I found a little outcove and decided to take some time configuring my pip-buck and also read my orders. I sat down getting myself as far back into the outcove as I could before lifting my hoof and looking at the pip-buck’s screen. I went through the settings, changing the color to a fare more comfortable Sky Blue. I also turned on the Eyes-Forward-Sparkle or EFS. I made sure the targeting spell was enabled as well. I then put my hoof down and tore open the letter with my combat knife.
Apollo, you’re mission is to do your best to help assist the surviving ponies of Equestria recover and set up a new government. You are to do whatever you can to help as many ponies as you can. Make allies, be diplomatic, work from the shadows if need be. If you are reading these orders that means the worst has happened. Operation Black Guardian is to ensure that Equestria will continue, whether with a new government or maybe with one still run by one or both of the princesses. You’re Rules of Engagement are defensive only, but feel free to adjust them depending on the factions you discover in the new Equestria you find yourself in. There are other agents that are stationed across the nation. If you find yourself heading to the west, Agent Hermes is out there. To your South East in the area of Manehattan, there is Agent Artemis. Stay Safe, and hope that there will be a brighter tomorrow with your help.
-Matchwood.
I sighed at the orders and heard the sound of a pegasus flying past me. I noticed the armor and saw it was similar to the new Ministry of Awesome Pegasus Power Armor. I wonder if the Enclave equips its soldiers with that power armor...I mused to myself as I noticed three more Pegasi fly by in a tight formation. I kept hidden and peaked out and saw they fly right towards the Safehouse. Guess they did track my signal. I started to sprint away from my corner and started to run until I bumped into a metal para-sprite. “Oh, what the fuck!?” I shouted in surprise as I landed on my flank staring up at the hovering thing.
“Are you Apollo? I know this is weird, but head west that Enclave patrol is coming this way. Towards the west is an abandoned gas station. I’ll meet you there,” the thing said before it made a crackling noise, and started to play a song heavy in tuba. As it left I started to get back on my hooves and went west.
+ 30 Exp
Character Trait-
Old World Blues: You’re a pony from the past and found yourself in a destroyed and more dangerous version of the world you left behind. +2 to Intelligence
Special Operative: Your training allows you to be more effective with small arms. You also have a creative mind when it comes to problems, and are able to think quickly on your hooves. +2 to Small Arms, +1 to Strength, +2 to Melee Weapons
Author's Note
I want to thank KKat, Somber, Drako Moon, Stardust Night, CaptainSparx, Tofu, and Mimezinga for being just amazing and for creating the entire universe that I have fallen in love with. I also want to do a shout-out to Drako and Stardust for encouraging me to start this little project. I also wish to thank my Uncle and my friend Quadranero for helping me out with this and being editors for me. I hope you enjoyed reading the first chapter of this and keep going strong.
-Maverick
