Fallout Equestria: Shaping Shadow - Book 4

Shadow awoke nice and early. His body immediately reverted back to barracks mode. Nopony else was awake. Shadow knew what he had to do to be ready for the day. He quickly strapped on his battle saddle and then tossed the heavy anti-machine rifle on his back.

Shadow trotted out of the Citadel and began to move, sprinting to get his body back in sync. It had been neglected since leaving Rosemary. It felt good to run himself through the morning workout routines. To exercise his wings, Shadow moved to a building to get out of sight. Even short sprints down the straight hall and using the elevator shaft for a few stories of elevation sprints felt divine.

Shadow trotted back to the Citadel. He was soaked in sweat. He needed to change out of his sticky clothes, but had nothing to change into. His wings were a huge compromise. The showers were private enough that Shadow was able to quickly use one and only wear his armored jacket and cloak. Few ponies were still up. The tips of his wings stuck out from under the jacket. He had to find something fast. He cloak was not enough cover them for long.

Shadow headed to the Quartermaster shop to see when it was opened. The sign was flipped to open, despite it being marked closed on the store hours. Shadow opened up the door and stepped in.

“Welcome,” a tired mare yawned. “We are open 24 hours during the rodeo and exposition. What can I help you with? Oh, and I am Scribe Yearling.”

“I need another change of clothes,” Shadow Stated. “I am competing in the Reactive Rifle Competition and did a short workout. But now those are all sticky and yucky. I am looking for a body suit. Probably similar to what is worn under the power armor.”

“Follow me,” Scribe Yearling said waking up a bit more. “Nothing here is worn by Steel Rangers. Steel Ranger equipment is for Steel Rangers only. We have some similar choices that should be what you are looking for. This rack should be your size.”

Shadow began to flip through the rack. Most of it was dresses or distinctly mare fashion. The unisex stuff was loose fitting, and not tight enough for a base layer.

Shadow Flare skipped over a jacket but flipped back to it as something caught his eye. The jacket wasn’t alone. What had caught Shadow's eye was a beret, sky blue with a patch on display. 1st ESF division with a dagger flanked by wings.

The jacket reminded Shadow of The Captain’s jacket, and then Marble Fall’s Wonderbolt jacket. Shadow pulled out the blue suit underneath it. It was similar to the flight suits and would fit him. It had holes for wings. Shadow looked at the jacket again. It too had holes for the wings, but it also had a heavy flap on the back that could be secured to cover the wings, just like The Captain had. It was definitely designed to keep the elements out. It would hide his wings, even if he didn’t use the holes.

“What is this?” Shadow asked.

“Ah yes, the Blue Berets,” Scribe Yearling yawned. “They were the elite of the elite. The Pegasi who were first in and last out. They did the tough jobs nopony else could do during the war.”

“This is from the war?” Shadow asked.

“Yep,” Scribe Yearling nodded.

“Shouldn’t it be kept, preserved?”

Scribe Yearling laughed. “Why? The Pegasi might have been special back then. But their egos were bigger than anypony else’s. And then they left us to rot. So why would we care? Their job in history has been preserved. I am one of the keepers on history. But they were not as good or special as they were thought to be. Besides, we have pictures. We don’t need uniforms.”

“You keep history?” Shadow asked to clarify.

“Yes,” She nodded.

“What do you know about Kifopiga?”

“About what?”

“Okay, then a Captain Rumble? What do you know about him?”

“Never heard of Captain Rumble. Was he in the Steel Rangers?”

“No,” Shadow shook his head. “A Cloudship Captain during the war. He flew the Flash Magnus.”

“Never heard of it.”

“The Cloudship Red Dawn?”

“Nope.”

“The cloudship class Fairy?”

“Never heard of that class.”

“It was early war,” Shadow said disappointed. “What happened to Soarin?”

“Soarin? The Wonderbolt?”

“Yes,” Shadow nodded.

“He was a Wonderbolt, and when they were disbanded, nothing was heard from him.”

“Spitfire?”

“The same.”

“What about the Equestria Navy’s fleet.”

“Equestria never had a fleet per say. They did have multiple ships they outfitted for war, but nothing organized.”

“Two Toned?”

“Some Zebra general, but nothing specific. What are you getting at?”

Shadow shook his head, disappointed. “Things I learned over the years.”

Scribe Yearling smiled at Shadow Flare. “A lot of legends and lore have arisen about the great war. We preserve history. Stuff that we know happened. Yes, we do research lore to determine if it is history or fake. And we try and find out any new history, but much of it is just legends with no real foundation.”

Shadow was sad to hear that they were so out of touch. Even though some of it was happening the last few weeks of the war, he still expected more from them. They said they were the Equestrian Military, and that they preserved this history, yet they had no clue about some of these basics, critical aspects. Two Toned was a critical player in the war. The assault on Kifopiga took time to orchestrate, so they should have known something about it. The cloudship classes should be readily available. They should have known that Soarin was a teacher and that Equestria was building an organized navy.

Shadow Flare switched back to business. “I showered after I warmed up this morning, is there a place I can try this on.”

“Right back here,” Scribe Yearling directed him.

Shadow didn’t expect the suit to fit him as well as it did. He looked in the mirror and loved what he saw. It felt right. It was a Pegasus uniform, albeit an old one. He had to be extra careful to not slip up while wearing this.

Shadow fixed the beret on his head and felt even more at home with the pony staring back at him in the mirror. He didn’t feel the wasteland’s chains. He felt empowered. He felt strong and ready to face whatever the wasteland threw at him.

As expected, the jacket fit him very well. He didn’t put his wings through the holes and kept the flap secure, but it warmed him up in all the right ways. His wings loosened up as it swaddled them. Shadow stepped out of the changing room.

“This is what I was looking for,” Shadow declared. “Well, not exactly, but it does exactly what I need it to do.”

“Wonderful,” Scribe Yearly smiled. “Lets get you checked out.”

The whole thing cost Shadow 200 caps. Nopony wanted something associated with the pegasi. Shadow pinned his badge on the jacket on his left breast, where the training device would go. Now he felt complete.

Shadow took his red jacket, hat and cloak back to the locker and put it away. The room was busy as ponies were awake and getting ready for the day. Shadow headed out to the cafeteria for breakfast. He saw Earthen Charm and Red Tip ahead of him getting there food.

Shadow sat down with them.

“Wow,” Earthen Charm said, looking Shadow over. “That is a big change. You look great.”

“I have not seen you with this,” Red Tip added, approving.

“I got up early and did a workout,” Shadow stated. “Everything got sweaty, fast. So I needed something to wear after I showered. The quartermaster didn’t have much in my size for stallions. This was cheap and I can wear it under my soft armor jacket. Plus, this jacket is amazingly soft and warm, while not being overpowering during the summer. And the beret is nice.”

“What are the patches of?” Red Tip asked.

“A pegasus unit during the war,” Shadow stated blankly. “Some special unit, also known for their blue berets. Which meant it was cheap. Because nopony wants anything Pegasus. I don’t give a shit, obviously.”

“Well, you look totally different,” Earthen Charm said in between bites. “Like taller. Bigger. Much more confident. It suits you much more than the other.”

“Thanks,” Shadow smiled. “I will crush that course now. I’m not just another wastelander in this. It’s got that military feel to it. A similar feeling to what I had during my preparatory stage before heading out to the Equestrian wasteland.”

“But what about you?” Shadow asked Earthen Charm, flipping the conversation. “You qualified for the obstacle course. When are those finals?”

“This afternoon,” Earthen Charm replied.

“Is that your only competition?”

“No,” Earthen Charm giggled. “I am in everything. And the few things I am not in, I have teammates in. I am bucking for Top Rodeo Competitor and Top Rodeo Team. Only four can be in a team. We took third in the hay bail stack yesterday. And placed first in the Speed Plowing. We are a strong team this year. For solo competitions, you can have multiple team members competing. My specialty is that obstacle course and the marathon.

“Unfortunately, that means I miss most of the other competitions because I am always doing something. I do get to see the Long Distance Competition. Its the big finale of the exposition, despite the Steel Rangers not having much of a presence, it still brings a big crowd.”

“Speaking of that, I have to go. I have the lasso competition to get to.”

Earthen Charm got up and had to rush out.

“I’ll swing by to watch the Reactive Rifle qualifiers,” Red Tip said. “She probably won’t even be up while I watch you compete. Things move fast and get flipped around quickly.”

“Well, for now, we can watch her in the lasso thing,” Shadow said. “I will have to ditch soon to check in and be ready for my run.”

“They won’t let you see the course before you get in for your run,” Red Tip warned.

“Just like it should be,” Shadow chuckled enthusiastically.

Shadow stood up. “But lets go watch this competition. I have no idea what a lasso is.”

Red Tip laughed as he got up and began to explain it to Shadow. The stands were already crowded, but they were let into VIP seating. Earthen Charm had put them on her list of approved watchers. She was on Red Tip’s for the Long Distance Competition.

It was a trick competition. A set of actions set up in a routine that ended with the roping of hay bail to show full control of the lasso. It was impressive watching each competitor whirl the rope around and around.

Earthen Charm took third in the competition. The end marked the time when Shadow had to head to check in for the Reactive Rifle Competition. Shadow stepped out and trotted over to the giant wall that had been erected to keep out prying eyes. It was constructed from simple cloth sheets.

“Name?” The Initiate asked.

“Mtoaji,” Shadow replied.

“You are checked in. Take this number and pin it to yourself. Head in through the door for orientation.”

Shadow got Red Tip on his VIP list. As an afterthought, he put Earthen Charm down to be safe. Shadow stepped through the sheet and found himself with 20 others. An older stallion in power armor stepped onto a small riser stage.

“Welcome to the qualifiers. Your job is to move through the course hitting every target as fast as possible. We are not counting hit percentages or ammo costs. Just hit every target and move on. Any questions?”

Nopony had any so they were sent to the next staging area. It had plenty of seats for them to sit down on. Here they just had to wait until their number came up. Shadow was number 41.

A monochromatic yellow Steel Ranger trotted over. She was wearing well polished armor and had a small royal blue right shoulder cloak with a Yellow Gemstone on it’s corner.

“I’m Yellow Quartz,” She said without emotion. “You are Mtoaji. Identifying you is even easier since you bought that ridiculous blue beret costume. Trying to play soldier?”

“You have looked into me,” Shadow said back with a slight grin cresting on his left cheek. “You had to go through the trouble to find out what I could.”

“A pony doesn’t just go through and clean out the Hawks,” Yellow Quartz stated. “I was on the team sent out to see if the rumors were true. We found no evidence anypony survived the encounter. Every blood trail had a body at the end of it.

“Still, do you recall killing a blue mare with a silver mane put up in mohawk?”

“Yep,” Shadow said, letting the grin grow a bit. “Razor is what she was called. Put a 00 buck shell into her face. Blew out the back of her head. Not much was left.”

“Yes,” Yellow Quartz said slowly. “We found her decaying, barely together. We couldn’t even bring her head in for full confirmation. Thankfully, my superiors knew what she looked like. She had a bounty on her head. But you never turned it in.”

Shadow dropped the grin and shrugged. “I went after them for their guns. We had already clashed before. I didn’t know about the bounty until I got back to Trottingham. But it wasn’t worth it heading back out. I didn’t need it.”

“You come in here a short while back, immediately bought a condo, furnish it with brand new pieces, and then have them redo solid lighting to be perfect, including adding more. You spent twice as many caps on the remodel than you did on the place and you can’t get most of that back when you sell it. You don’t need caps after that?”

“Nope,” Shadow chuckled. “Like I said. I went for their guns. Got some other stuff and good deal of caps. Trottingham was bled dry for firearms after the interesting happenings with Black Widow. I left on a trip and came back in the middle of that storm. I made a good amount on a haul. And then the buying prices were still on the high end when I sold the Hawk’s haul off. So I made plenty.”

“Not many would pass up a free bounty,” Yellow Quartz cautioned. “Especially after they did the work. All you had to do was go back.”

Shadow shrugged.

“You come out of nowhere. Nopony knows where you are from. Your name isn’t Equestrian. We have no idea what it means. You are in search of something, but putting down roots and spending a lot of caps on digging them a nice deep hole to be planted in.”

Shadow chuckled deeply. “And the problem is what? My business is mine. How I chose to live while I do what I have to do is my choice. If I want to buy a place, I buy a place. If I want new furniture, okay. The real problem is, you can’t figure me out? You can’t read me? Guess what, that is expected. You don’t need to know any of that. It is personal and doesn’t involve you or anypony here or the Steel Rangers at all.”

“Lets make this simple,” Yellow Quartz said puffing her chest out. “It actually is a problem because I care for the safety of the citizens around here. I am supposed to get to know them and keep on the look out for trouble makers. You are going out of your way to be unknowable.”

Shadow smirked. “Earn it. But until then, you get to wonder how I beat your ass in this course. I assume you have been lined up for what, two, no, three years to take this by storm and reclaim the Steel Ranger honor on the Reactive Rifle Course?”

Shadow leaned in to whisper to her. He had to stretch up some. “Plus, I know that outside of that armor, you are just barely bigger than me.”

Her cheeks got red and she became more flustered, but had no answers. Yellow Quartz stormed off after another moment, leaving Shadow to sit down and relax. The others had given them wide berth. They might be there to compete, but they didn’t want to get swept up into a fight between a Steel Ranger and another. Especially a Steel Ranger as confident as Yellow Quartz.

More ponies flooded in as they checked in and were put through the short orientation. Most of them were antsy. Shadow just took deep breaths and brought his mind back to Black’s flight deck.

It floated away from him and moved the ACS. All that was in his mind was the Fillydelphia recreation course. Quick transitions as dictated by the flags, never going the same way for more than a few turns. If he could make it through there are deadly speeds, he could make it through this reactive course. Marble Falls had hammered a spherical 360 degree awareness into Shadow, and he didn’t have to worry about most of the directions.

30 minute warning was called. Shadow sat by while others began to fret even more. The first pony, a Unicorn, was up and soon the buzzer sounded and gunfire erupted. Number two was brought in almost immediately after, causing Shadow to shift tactics. He had to be ready immediately. They were moving faster than expected.

Shadow drew two rifle magazines and tapped them on the ground to make sure the rounds were seated in the back. He drew two shotgun magazines and tapped them back as well. It was a speed game, his 00 buck would probably be useful.

The announcer came over the PA system. “Next up, number 30, is a mare that has been itching to get into this competition for three years. Last year she could have torn it up, but she was still an initiate. Now she is a full blown Knight! Knight Yellow Quartz! She has been training hard the past few years to reclaim our lost glory in this competition. And she doesn’t just do courses either. Knight Yellow Quartz is constantly out on patrols, doing real work to keep you safe!”

The buzzer blared and Shadow heard a torrent of fire. It was over half a minute later and followed by a thunderous applause. Shadow was going to have his work cut out for him. At least he just had to pass the qualifiers.

Shadow focused on breathing as the numbers were getting closer and closer. Shadow stood on deck as #40 began his run. It took him a while. A good minute to clear the course.

An Initiate waved Shadow in. Shadow stepped into a long, wide hall. He could tell that it took a right turn at the end to continue on it’s way. There were walls to simulate cover and allow for a sturdy shooting platform if needed. Stands were all around the course, above it to watch. Unicorn magic was shielding them from stray bullets, fragments and any other dangers.

Shadow crouched low.

The red light at the end beeped and turned yellow. The buzzer sounded as the light turned green. A target swung out from the wall and Shadow shot it as he moved forward. Another popped out on the other side. Shadow shot it. Two popped out, flanking him. Shadow gunned them down in short bursts. He slowed his pace because he was getting ahead of the targets popping out.

Six targets popped up all at the same time at the end of the course before it turned. The first one went down but Shadow ran out. Shadow bumped the trigger rod to his shotgun and fired three times, letting the buckshot spread take the other five down. As they fell his reload on his rifle was done. Shadow bumped the trigger rod back to his rifle and dashed to the corner for the turn.

A target popped up all the way down the lane and Shadow put it immediately back down. He was focused, using short bursts to aggressively put the targets back in their place, some before they had locked all the way out. Two more turns and he was at the end, a nice perfect square.

“Thirty four seconds,” The Initiate said as Shadow stepped out of the course. “That puts you in an easy second place. Of course, you are just 41. There are 126 trying to qualify. Only a fourth have hit the course.”

“Of course,” Shadow said, working to catch his breath and calm his heart rate back down.

It was thrilling being in there. His adrenaline had him on a wonderful high. It was a lot easier than what they used in the Enclave training courses. Shadow could hear the targets move. He could see where they sat and might pop up.

He also noted where targets were that didn’t pop up. The swing out ones were easy to note. The swing up had to be placed out of the way, but also were easy to spy if you understood how they functioned. The sliding up ones were the most difficult. The same for the ones that slid out from the wall or cover. They could be hidden quite easily and didn’t take much of a mechanism to work. When struck, they flipped back to be retracted later.

Knight Yellow Quartz was standing by, stoically. But her eyes as she watched Shadow walk by conveyed her concern. Nopony had beaten 50 seconds, and even though only a quarter had gone, it didn’t look like they would be knocked out of the top spots in the qualifiers.

Yellow Quartz was the benchmark. She was #30 for a reason. After her, ponies began to be eliminated. The competitors had seating above the exit to watch the rest. Shadow Flare stayed in the pit with Yellow Quartz. It kept her on the edge of her hooves. Nopony else was dominating the course like they had. She wanted him out of sight to recover from the shock, but Shadow wasn’t going to give that to her.

Another Initiate stepped into the pit. “Mtoaji, you have a visitor.”

Shadow stood up and followed him around the corner to the outside. Red Tip was there, beaming.

Damn impressive. I am glad I stepped away to watch you because you destroyed that course. You used your shotgun to take down multiple targets! Nopony does that!”

Shadow chuckled. “Nopony brings Shotguns in here. Its partially my backup. I did what I needed to do with it.”

“While reloading! That takes skill. Military precision! I have never seen anypony reload like that.

“It was nothing special,” Shadow shrugged with a smile. “I just went in and shot the targets. They are going to have to be faster if they want to really test us.”

“Oh, they will get faster,” Red Tip chuckled. “I look forward to seeing you in the real competition.”

“You are on my VIP list,” Shadow said. “So you have a seat to be awed by me some more. I haven’t done anything special, yet.”

“How did you change your guns in the middle of the reload?” Red Tip asked.

“Its a simple technique that transfers the trigger bar to the trigger for that weapon. Since its only two, its up or down.”

“Only two? How many have you had at one?”

“Ummm,” Shadow said thinking. “Eight. But it used a different electrical system. We had manual overrides set up in a similar fashion. That was complicated and actually took time to pull the rod to make the switch. This is simple. I had a very good technician work this system out.”

“Insane,” Red Tip said shaking his head. “Insane. But I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. Not after getting to know you a little bit. How shaken is Knight Yellow Quartz?”

“A good amount,” Shadow replied. “And me staying in the pit instead of watching the others is driving her nuts.”

“I’ll let you get back to it,” Red Tip replied. “But Earthen Charm took first in the hay bail toss. Next up is the final runs for the obstacle course.”

Shadow was torn. He wanted to watch Earthen Charm, but staying here was advantageous.

“You have to wait and see where you land,” Red Tip finished. “I’ll update you.”

Shadow stepped back inside. Knight Yellow Quartz tensed up when she saw him round the corner. Number 53 also joined them. He took third place with 46 seconds on the clock.

“Impressive,” He said to both of them. “I wish I had gotten to see you both make your runs.”

“You fumbled the reload, didn’t you?” Shadow asked.

“Yeah,” He admitted. “I did.”

“You still shouldn’t be knocked out,” Shadow stated. “The way the spread is going, its going to be hard to push your to 31.”

“This is your first time here,” He said. “I am Primer. My parents were Steel Rangers, but I chose to marry a farmer and work the soil.”

“Good for you,” Shadow smiled. “Farming isn’t easy and it is very sorely needed.”

“I make them proud by competing here, letting them know I haven’t lost my touch. I’m the current champion. You two rushed the course, but you will have to take into account your shot percentages after this.”

“That is the way I like it,” Shadow chuckled. “This whole run and gun, fine. It has it’s use. But I hate wasting ammo and prefer to keep things clean and efficient.”

“That is what I like to hear,” Primer chuckled. “I know Knight Yellow Quartz knows how to do that. But seeing another citizen know the same, its going to make for a real fun time. And I see you are rocking two rifles.”

“Yep,” Shadow said with a nod. “A 5.56 auto and a DCD 10 round box magazine shotgun.”

“That’s a shotgun?” Primer asked shocked. Even Yellow Quartz’s ears perked up.

“Yep,” Shadow grinned. That row of 6 targets that popped up on the back. One went down and forced me to reload. As I did, I switched to it and took the last five down with 3 shots of 00 Buck. The reload was finished so I switched back to the 5.56 and kept rolling.”

“Impressive,” Primer replied. “Two guns on a battle saddle will come in mighty useful.”

“It would be better if I had my left gun installed,” Shadow said, immediately regretting it. “Yeah… I, I used to have another 5.56 rifle on my left. But I had it removed to facilitate a larger saddlebag. I haven’t regretted it, ever. Now it would be useful, but its just a dumb contest and I don’t have the rifle anymore. My set up is best for what I have to do while scavenging.”

“That is what matters,” Primer replied. “It doesn’t sound like you actually need that second gun. Or I guess it would be the third.”

“Nope,” Shadow smiled. “I don’t.”

They continued in silence, waiting as the others took their turn. Initiates had to go out and clean up spent brass every so often so others didn’t slip. An attempt to keep it as fair and safe as possible. The other top five from last year were sub 50 seconds, but none of them hit the 30s.

By the end, it was clear who the real contenders were. With the top 30 moving on, Shadow Flare was going second to last. Because he had the second best score. The scribe overseeing the Reactive Rifle Competition greeted them in the pit.

“Some rules to go over for the next round, which begins 8am tomorrow morning. There are three rounds planned. Each one will get progressively more difficult. Each one will knock off the lower 10. The scoring is simple. One target hit equals -1 point. The first round has 30 targets, the second round has 45 targets, and the final round has 60 targets. Every single bullet fired adds a point. The goal is to be at zero. A target and a bullet cancel each other out. Shoot two at a target and you add one point. There will be no ties. If there happens to be a tie for the last slot to move to the next round, neither will advance. The speed you move through will be the determining factor. Everything is on a timer. The targets will not pop up until the previous set are down. If you need more ammo, we sell it at the quartermaster shop in the Generosity Wing. Any questions?”

Nopony had any questions. Shadow filed out with the rest of them. The wall that faced the main center walkway had a chalk board mounted on it with each of their names and starting positions on display.

Shadow needed to double check his ammo supplies. He was certain he had enough, but Shadow wouldn’t rest with it on his mind. Shadow unlocked his locker and pulled his throw bag out. He untied it and pulled the ammo can out. He double counted his anti-machine rifle rounds. 90. The standard for that long distance was 30, five per distance. But the matches always had to go over that to finalize the winner.

Shadow unwrapped his loaded magazines. Six, 30 round magazines. That would mean two a round, and the final round would require 60 shots. Shadow also had a bag of 60 loose rounds. The Shotgun had four spare magazines with 20 loose shells. If Shadow could hit multiple targets with his shotgun, he could reach negative numbers to win. But he doubted they would put them in a row again.

Shadow packed it up and locked the cabinet. He went in search of Red Tip and Earthen Charm. Red Tip was easy to find. He was in the middle of the courtyard having a talk with an old stallion dressed in fancy scribe robes. Red Tip saw Shadow and waved him over.

“Mtoaji, this is High Scribe Pea Soup,” Red Tip said.

“Wonderful to meet you,” Pea Soup said extending a hoof.

Shadow shook his hoof with a smile. “It is good to be here. This is a unique and interesting place you have set up.”

“Thank you,” Pea Soup smiled. “But it doesn’t have to stay ours. We are looking for quality ponies to join up. Ponies who believe they can make a difference and you show you have the skill to make that difference. I am speaking about the Hawks.”

Shadow rolled his eyes. “Not interested. I have a job to do that is unrelated to you and the Steel Rangers. I’m here, for now, until I can solve my problem and move on.”

“So I have heard,” Pea Soup replied. “But can you blame us for trying? Especially with somepony like yourself. Skilled, able to handle the wasteland, and just look at yourself; you can wear a uniform with a strong back and right mind. It looks marvelous on you. Even after competing, you barely broke a sweat.”

“I was only in there for 34 seconds,” Shadow replied. “No time to sweat.”

“Exactly!” Pea Soup exclaimed. “Everypony else was sweating right from the start. I watched Knight Yellow Quartz. She kept a cool head, but halfway through, she had some sweat. Not you though. You acted like you were trained for it.”

“I was,” Shadow stated blankly. “That was nothing.”

“Then what has you here, alone?” Pea Soup prodded,

“Fate,” Shadow said, resisting the urge to spit. “The reason I came is still the same and the requirements for leaving are… well that’s shifted, but I am managing. I just need the right information.”

“And if we have it?” Pea Soup asked.

“You don’t,” Shadow replied.

“Try me.”

“Alright,” Shadow grinned. “Are you any good with history?”

“I am the Proctor of the Order of the Quill. The history and record keeping division of the Steel Rangers.”

Shadow fired away. “What and where is Kifopiga?”

Pea Body took a second to prepare before responding. “Never heard of it. Perhaps it is under a different name?”

Shadow moved on. “Who is Two Toned?”

“A Zebra general. A nasty fellow who reigned terror on Equestria for the later part of the war. It is he who was responsible for the launching of the spells.”

“Who is Captain Rumble?”

“I do not recall a Captain Rumble,” Pea Soup admitted. “But Captains were a lower rank in the Equestrian Military.”

“He flew the Flash Magnus,” Shadow added.

“I do not know the airship captains,” Pea Soup replied. “Flash Magnus was a good name for a cloudship. The legendary character is from very, very old Equestria and he was an important Pegasus hero.”

“A cloudship named Red Dawn?”

“A Red Dawn served in a strong roll early on. An early version transport. She was soon out classed by larger, better ships which became known as Sky-Tanks. It was the Red Dawn who, alongside the Blue Berets, out maneuvered the Zebras at Stalliongrad, finally winning the battle after the whole thing started all over again from the Ministry of Peace’s miscalculation.”

Shadow gave an approving nod. “Who is Soarin?”

“A Wonderbolt before they were disbanded. He went on to teach after they were disbanded. Many pegasi learned to fight under his wing. The Legend says that it was his protegees who went on to create the Blue Beret.”

“You have answered more than Scribe Yearling could,” Shadow said.

“She is young, and still has much to learn,” Pea Soup replied. “And this information is stored away, now buried by more relevant information. Relevant to our survival.”

“Spitfire?”

“Another Wonderbolt, but I do not know what happened to her. She purposefully stayed out of the limelight.”

“What do you know about Equestria’s navy?”

“Equestria never fielded a proper navy. Luna was working to build a real fleet to secure the seas.”

Shadow stood there, thinking. Perhaps they had the equipment to reach the Enclave. “How do you keep in touch with the other contingents?”

“We send out patrols to directly contact them. Why?”

“No telecommunications?”

Pea Soup shook his head. “Only a short distance. We can’t even reach the power plant on most days. If the clouds cleared, we probably could with our set up now. We are getting things installed to be able to talk to the power plant directly. You wiping out the Hawks saved us a lot of time and blood.”

Shadow shook his head. “You do not have the information I need. I would pay dearly for it, but you do not know Kifopiga. That is the keystone to everything.”

“However,” Shadow said with a smile growing. Perhaps you could tell me more about these Blue Beret pegasi. I am wearing their uniform after all. I have to get more clothes. But that is off topic.”

“We don’t have much, but come with me. I can show you what we do know. They are fascinating. Small squads won whole battles for Equestria. Of course, they often needed the Steel Rangers to come in fast or they would not survive. But their job paved the way for the Equestrian Army to get to the goal with sometimes no extra forces. Whole charges across open land went unchallenged because the Zebras were dealing with the Blue Berets! They were the proudest thing to come out of Cloudsdale. Ever. Even over Rainbow Dash because she didn’t really do anything.”

Shadow sat down besides Pea Soup and began to read everything he could pull up about the Blue Berets. Not only were there written documents, but pictures and live combat footage. From them dashing out of the low openings of cloudship transports to fighting Zebras in bloody hoof to hoof combat.

One of the videos was from the helmet camera of a dead beret, laying there as his comrades fought to secure the drop zone. More of the cadences from Basic Training made sense as Shadow watched them literally take the drop zone so a cloudship could come in and drop troops off in advanced positions.

It all made Shadow proud to be a Pegasus. Fuck the current division. What they did back then was beyond that. They too were fighting for their families in the best way they knew how. Shadow skipped dinner to learn more and went to bed much later than he should have. But the songs they had recorded were stuck in his mind and they guided his dreams.

Music

Fighting soldiers from the sky

Fearless Pegasi who fly and die

Pegasi who mean just what they say

The brave Pegasi of the Blue Beret

Silver wings upon their chest

These are Pegasi, Equestria's best

One hundred Pegasi will test today

But only three win the Blue Beret

Trained to live off nature's land

Trained in combat, hoof-to-hoof

Pegasi who fight by night and day

Courage peak from the Blue Berets

Silver wings upon their chest

These are Pegasi, Equestria's best

One hundred Pegasi will test today

But only three win the Blue Beret

Back at home a young wife waits

Her Blue Beret has met his fate

He has died for those oppressed

Leaving her his last request

Put silver wings on my son's chest

Make him one of Equestria's best

He'll be a stallion they'll test one day

Have him win the Blue Beret.

Music

Lay the green sod on me

carve my name in stone

lay the green sod on me

the soldier has come home

don't mourn for me, my darling

don't cry when I am gone

don't mourn for me, my darling

the soldier will come home

my friends have gone before me

and layed their tired bodies down

my friends have gone before me

to prepare the resting ground

let me go to sleep now

to march and fight no more

let me go to sleep now

I'm tired, my body's sore

so lay the green sod on me

put the wreath upon my stone

lay the green sod on me

the soldier has come home

Music

Come all ye young mares

And hear my sad tale

'Bout a brave young trooper, who's wings did fail

As he went up into the cloudy sky

He sang a sad song on his way to die

He sang, "My love, is far-far from me. Far above the Equestrian ground,"

"I left her there, with a tear in her eye, for I must go where brave pegasi die."

Whoa-whoa-oh, yes I must go where brave pegasi die

As he went out of the ship into the stormy night

I saw the young trooper in a burst of fiery light

As he fell through the night, his armor all in flame

A smile on his lips, he cried out his girl's name

We found the young trooper

No longer will he be sore

From the great cloud bird, he'll jump no more

His face was pale, as pure as milk

And we wrapped him 'round in a soft cloud’s silk

Whoa-whoa-oh, yes we wrapped him 'round in a soft cloud’s silk

So all ye young maidens, come listen to me, never love a Pegasus trooper

You'll never be free

For some dark night when he falls through the sky

His wings will not open; your love will die

Whoa-whoa-oh, his wings will not open; your love will die

Music

12 pegasi strong and true

12 pegasi fight for you

On their heads a beret of blue

12 pegasi, invincible

The A-team

12 pegasi heard the call

Ready to give their all

They bring hope where they are seen

12 pegasi, invincible

The A-team

From Equestria's tropical jungle rains

All the way to The Zebra’s burning plains

Where ever there's trouble

Night or day

Go the pegasi of the Blue Beret

To fan the fire of freedoms dream

12 pegasi invincible the A-team

12 pegasi invincible the A-team

I'm A Lucky One
Badge of Courage
I'm Watching The Raindrops Fall
Salute To The Nurses
Garet Trooper
Bamiba