Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria.....
For centuries, technological progression had been shunned in favor of magic. After all, why waste time and resources on something that may not even work? As such, the technological level of Equestria—and the planet Equis as a whole—had remained at about the same level for far longer than it should have.
It took the stubborn determination of a single pony over four decades ago to set in motion a chain of events that would change the world as we know it forever.
That pony was Divergent Bit, inventor of the world's first arcane reactor.
At its core, the function of the arcane reactor was simple. It took magical energy from the Field that encompassed the planet, converted it to energy usable by machines, then returned it to the Field once more. This in turn brought about the creation of arcanotech, and the advent of a new era of worldwide prosperity.
For the next forty years technological progress exploded at an unprecedented rate, bringing Equestria from the age of wooden carts and steam engines to a level only dreamed of in science fiction.
As Equestria's wealth and power grew, so did that of neighboring nations, for the Princesses were adamant in sharing their newfound power with others for the benefit of all. Fresh minds brought new ideas, which only increased the speed of progress. Neighboring nations which had once found themselves fighting over resources now found themselves setting aside weapons and taking up pens and quills to broker trade agreements, for each had resources useful for each other's technological progress.
Detractors of arcanotech loudly decried it as a means for nations to build horribly destructive machines of war, which would bring about the end of all life on Equis. While it was understood that some research did indeed go towards weapons of war, the number of conflicts across the globe dropped dramatically as the progress of arcanotech spread further and further.
The future was looking promising, and the collective quality of life across the planet was higher than it had ever been. There were even talks of beginning extra-planetary exploration.
Then everything went wrong.
They came without warning or preamble; aetheric maelstroms of horrific proportions roared to life across the planet, darkening the skies as the largest arcane disaster in the planet's history descended upon the inhabitants of Equis.
The Cataclysm had begun.
Entire cities and mountains underwent what was later referred to as "displacement," vanishing in the blink of an eye. Some were never seen again, others reappeared somewhere else on the planet, most often in a space already occupied by something else, causing the two to fuse together in a process that came to be known as "fluxing." Lake-sized portions of the ocean suddenly decided to make their home inland, dumping thousands of gallons of seawater across the land.
The Princesses and their mages assisted arcanotech engineers in distributing and erecting aether shields to cover towns and cities across Equestria, and transmitted the knowledge to as much of the world as they could reach in the hopes that others would be saved.
Eventually the Cataclysm died down, the megastorms grinding to a halt, and the aetheric maelstroms dissipating back into the fabric of the Field. Yet the damage had been done, and done a thousand times over. Equestria was nearly unrecognizable, as was Equis as a whole. Not only had the face of the planet been forcibly reshaped, it was now littered with dangerous anomalies, and often ravaged by aether storms from the destabilized environment.
With their former way of life effectively shattered, the ponies of Equestria were forced to adapt to survive. Many flocked to the cities that survived, but others ventured out into the Fractured Lands of former Equestria, their fate unknown.
These are their stories.
Author's Note
Reworked as of 2-20-20.
When Royalty Meet, Part 1
Princess Celestia let out a long sigh as she set aside the report she had been reading and sat back to contemplate the events that lead up to that point.
It had been three years since the Cataclysm had ended. The planet had been devastated, and Equestria could no longer consider itself the flourishing nation that it once was. The areas still under her and Luna's control were.....surviving. Not growing, not collapsing, but surviving. Water was still plentiful, but food production had been severely crippled during the Cataclysm and was still in the process of being rebuilt.
The white alicorn was just considering seeking out her sister to help take her mind off of things when an urgent knocking sounded out from her study door, followed by the voice of one of her guards. "Your Majesty, you're needed in the command center," the guard called. "Your sister is being summoned as well. Something big is approaching from the Fractured Lands!"
Brushing aside her former thoughts, Celestia stood up quickly and headed towards the door, calling her tiara to her brow with magic. She passed out into the hallway, briefly acknowledging the salutes of her guards with a nod, then strode off towards her destination, flanked by her guards. Her superior height meant that when she started stretching her legs out she covered some serious ground, and her poor guards had to struggle to keep up.
The command center itself was a relatively recent addition to the royal castle. If the mountains of Canterlot and the surrounding foothills were a body, the command center was the brain of it all. From it, the skilled ponies that crewed it could cast their vision out through a network of cameras on the outer walls surrounding the shielded city around the base of the mountains, control the various defense systems, and manage the arcane reactor and aether shield that powered and protected the city.
Celestia was pleased to see her sister was already there, looking at a monitor with a few military staff. "What do we have?" she asked as she approached, deciding to cut straight to the point. Given the number of abominations the Cataclysm had spawned, time might not be on their side.
"Vehicles," Luna said, pointing to the center of the grainy, low-res picture on the screen as she summed up what had been relayed to her so far. "Still far out, but the large dust cloud suggests a convoy. Given the size of them in this image, they must be rather large. My rough estimate puts them at at least the height of a three or four-story house. Conservatively, that is."
Celestia had to stop her jaw from dropping. She could scarcely imagine something that large moving at any reasonable speed, save for maybe an elder dragon on the wing. Shaking herself out of her surprise, she slipped herself into her commander's mindset to take charge of the situation. "What is the ETA of this convoy?" she asked, looking around at the gathered ponies. "About an hour!" came a reply from the other side of the room. Celestia nodded to herself, the gears in her head already starting to turn. "Very well. Launch a drone to see if we can get eyes on this convoy as soon as possible. Bring all external defenses online and begin diverting power to the aether shield. I want it ready to strengthen to lockdown mode at a moment's notice!"
The room exploded into action as ponies began doing what they'd been trained to. A map of the massive city slowly dimmed across the board as the flow of power was rapidly rerouted outwards towards the long-range and point defenses mounted on or near the perimeter walls, and inwards towards the central shield projection spire. The Princesses stood back and let their ponies work, each trusting them to do what was needed.
"Reconnaissance drone launched and en route!"
"Aether shield lockdown mode primed and ready!"
"Automated defenses armed and ready!"
"Perimeter defense platforms manned and awaiting orders, Your Majesty!"
Celestia looked to her sister and nodded, allowing her to take over. The dark alicorn stepped up and leaned forwards to rest her hands on the edge of a control console. "Now we wait for the drone to make visual contact," Luna said as the room fell silent, save for the clacking of keyboards and the whirring of fans. "Notify me and my sister the moment it comes within reasonable range. I want to know just how many of these things we're dealing with."
The wait that followed was filled with tension born of the fear of the unknown. Despite the comfortable temperature of the room, more than one pony felt their clothes slowly damping with sweat and sticking to their fur.
"Visual contact!"
The main screen in the control room was suddenly dominated by an aerial view of the oncoming vehicles. A convoy of six titanic machines thundered across the landscape. Six massive off-road wheels on each machine powered over the uneven terrain while the suspension arms rocked up and down to keep the main body steady and absorb the jarring bumps. The distinctive shape of large cannons could be seen on the tops and sides of the machines, and every so often the lead vehicle would light up with a blue shimmer across its surface, followed by each sequential vehicle behind it. Groups of pegasi could be seen flying alongside the slate gray monsters, darting up and over them in a game of aerial tag. A few started to fly towards the drone, but something seemed to stop them and call them back. Within moments all pegasi had vanished back into the vehicles.
A lone figure stood out atop the leading vehicle in the convoy, one hand holding onto a flagpole mounted into the machine's chassis. Though the flag was difficult for the camera to make out, a few brief shots revealed that there was something resembling a silhouette of the Princesses on it, along with other designs. The figure standing next to the flag looked up towards the drone and waved, seeming completely at ease atop the rocking and swaying mega machine. It held a hand up to its ear and said something. Moments later the entire convoy increased in speed, powering on towards the walled city.
"Y-Your Majesties, we're receiving a hail on a military frequency!" one of the techs called out. "But it's not from a recognized source!" Luna and Celestia looked at each other for a moment, silently discussing their decision with one another. They came to their decision with a nod, then looked back towards the tech. "Patch it through," Celestia ordered. "I'm curious what they have to say." The tech nodded and pressed a few buttons before nodding to the Princess.
Celestia cleared her throat, then spoke. "This is Princess Celestia of Equestria. Who are you, and how did you get this frequency?"
The room was filled with a brief burst of static, then the voice of a mare filtered through, along with the muted background noise of engines and large machinery. "Ah, wonderful! I was hoping that was your drone we just saw," the voice said cheerfully. "Good morning to you, Your Majesty! I figured it was time for my merry little band of misfits to finally show ourselves."
Celestia narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to respond, only for Luna to speak up first. "You did not answer my sister's questions," she said, her voice carrying a hint of steel to it. "We see machines geared for war heading directly for us. Who are you, and what do you want? Answer, or you may find yourselves facing the full might of our defenses."
The mare on the other end was silent for a moment, then there was an audible slapping sound. "I knew I forgot something," the voice said, followed by a whistle. "Boys, lock cannons and close up! We forgot to put the guns away after that hymera yesterday!" On the screen showing the drone's camera feed, the pony on the lead vehicle was seen smacking itself in the forehead, followed by the cannons and guns on each machine retracting back inside and locking closed. "Sorry about that, Your Majesties. We had a bit of a scuffle on the way here," the voice continued. "Most ponies call me the Scrap Queen, but Queenie will do just fine. Me and my boys here make up the Scrappers. We're a bunch of ponies that banded together after the Cataclysm and decided to put our mechanical skills to use. As for how we got this frequency, well, a number of former Royal Guards call themselves Scrappers now, and one of them was able to help us get this frequency." The voice went silent for a bit, letting her words sink in for a moment.
"What I want is simple: I want to meet with the two of you," she finally said. "We're not here to attack or raid or pillage. None of that. I just want to talk. I've got a lot to say, and I think you'll like it."
Princess Celestia held up her hand, preemptively silencing any voices of protest she knew were about to arise. "You surely must realize that your initial presentation leaves much to be desired when it comes to presenting a peaceful front, yes?" she asked. "Nevertheless, you have both my sister and myself intrigued. Hopefully you won't take offense to the fact that our defensive guns will be pointed at you as you approach."
The mare on the radio let out a genuine and honest laugh, and the figure in the drone's view screen could be seen doubling over before looking up to wave at the camera again. "Ha! I'd be upset if you didn't!" she laughed. "Six big scary machines coming out of the depths of the Fractured Lands? I'd start worrying about you if you weren't suspicious. We'll be there soon. I'll keep the main convoy parked further out, and just roll my rig up close to your gates. We'll keep all our weapons locked in, but feel free to fire on us if you see any coming out."
The Princesses looked at each other in surprise at that. "You would willingly ask us to fire upon you and your allies?" Luna asked in confusion. "Why?"
The mare chuckled again. "I'm not asking you to kill us on the spot, I'm saying you can shoot us if you see the guns coming out," she explained. "If the guns never come out, you'll have no reason to shoot us, right? Anyways, I'm getting the call from my boys that I'm needed down below. One of the engines has developed a nasty rod knock, and they need help fixing it before the entire thing grenades and throws a piston through the roof. I'll see you both soon!"
The radio connection cut with another burst of static, and the figure in the drone's camera feed was seen climbing down through a hatch into the vehicle's body. Celestia nodded to the pony in charge of the command room to take over operations, then turned to her sister, clearly still processing the entire interaction. "Lulu, this is really happening, isn't it?" she asked softly. "It feels so surreal." Luna nodded in understanding. "Agreed. But this Scrap Queen seems to be an honest mare, if a little eccentric. Though one would suppose a degree of eccentricity is required for surviving out in the Fractured Lands, as well as producing such impressive machines."
The dark alicorn leaned in and gave her sister a kiss on the cheek. "Come, sister. We must prepare for guests," she said with a smile, leading her towards the door. "You can offer them tea, and I can pester them with questions about their technology." Celestia couldn't help but smile. Maybe things were finally starting to look up for the former lands of Equestria.
Author's Note
Fuckin' finally. I managed to get something out, and I'm actually happy with it. I have a second half of this chapter planned, so I'll try to buckle down and crank it out as soon as possible. Hope you guys enjoy!
