War… war never changes.
Goddesses, I honestly didn’t ever think I’d be dragged into this kind of thing. My ancestors may have been dragged into a war, but here I am. I thought that I would spend my whole life in the Stable just like my mother… just like my daughter. But things changed, the world and our lives have changed as a result of the actions of ponies that have been long dead.
Now all I want is to see the Stable again. To see my daughter again, but I know at this point that it is unlikely to happen. If this ever somehow gets to Midnight, I’m sorry, I should have been a better mother and not abandoned you like this.
Goddesses… here I am writing this after everything that happened like it’s nothing. But I should probably start from the beginning if you want to know everything that’s going on. I don’t know how much impact my words and actions will have on Equestria, but here we are.
My name is Nebula Sparkle, my family goes back to the old days of Equestria… long before this war destroyed our world. A lot of mistakes were made, and on behalf of my family, I apologize. I left my home Stable in order to try and finish a mission set down by my ancestor.
One that sent shockwaves through Equestria that I may never quite understand the effects of. And for that I am sorry, I should have been more careful, or at least been more aware of those around me.
So, this is my story. This isn’t a story about a war, this is a story about survival in the face of the worst things that the Equestrian Wasteland can throw at you. But I fear that someday what I brought about will lead to something more. A war that will either leave us in further ashes or pull us out of the flames once and for all.
And war… war never changes.
00000
In the northern part of Equestria, close to the border of the old Crystal Empire, there was the Great Northern Wilderness. Seated at the base of the Crystal Mountains, the large forest was rarely visited by the rest of the world. So the tribes that called it home were separate from the civilizations that had risen in the rest of Equestria in the wake of the apocalypse.
One such tribe was known as the Dayrunners. A nomadic Unicorn tribe that moved throughout the forest, but preferred their ancestral home off the central road near an old-world Stable.
In the Dayrunners village proper, a Unicorn stallion with a red coat and a short golden mane was making his way into the village. He was pulling a makeshift cart behind him that had several dead animals piled on it. He pulled it into the center of the village and unhitched himself as several more tribal ponies started unloading it.
“Hey Blaze, how was the hunting?” One of the Unicorns asked as he brushed himself off.
“Okay, but they seem to be moving again, we may have to move the village,” Blaze said with a sigh as he checked on his kills. “This should feed the village for a while at least. Elder Spark doesn’t believe it’s the right time to move.”
“Yeah, it’s not the best time to be moving,” the Unicorn agreed. “Not with some of the mares in the state they’re in. We shouldn’t put the foals at risk right now.”
“Agreed,” Blaze said as he started walking towards one of the huts. He smiled a little as he took a deep breath. He had been away for a few days now on his hunt, it wasn’t unusual for him, but he had wished that he didn’t have to leave this time.
He pushed the cloth open that covered the entrance to the hut and smiled as he entered. Seated against the wall was a tired looking Unicorn mare with dark blue fur and a black mane and tail with a cutie mark of two crossed arrows. Her usually calm demeanor was a bit haggard, but he could see her beauty through it.
She looked up at him and smiled a little as she nodded down between her hind legs where a filly was nursing. “Sorry for not getting up, but she just started feeding. How did the hunt go?”
“Well enough, but the animals are starting to move out of this area,” Blaze said as he nuzzled his wife gently. “It’s good to see you again, Midnight. I missed you both so much while I was gone. So how’s our little one doing?”
“Keeping me up at night, but that’s to be expected,” Midnight replied with a chuckle as she nuzzled back. “I’ve been waiting for your return for her official naming ceremony.”
“Of course, I’m sorry I had to leave but it was my turn,” Blaze sighed. “Have you picked a name for her yet?”
“Hmm… I was thinking about Aurora,” Midnight said with a soft smile. “It’s a perfect name for her if you ask me.”
“Heh, Aurora Sparkle huh?” Blaze asked with a light smirk.
“Don’t even suggest that, you know I wanted to move away from that little tradition of my family’s,” Midnight said indignantly. “We’ve been Sparkles going back to when Eclipse first came into Stable 13. After what happened, I’m not so sure that she should consider herself part of that legacy…”
“Midnight, you can’t hide from your family your whole life,” Blaze said as he brushed his wife’s mane back a little. “Just because your mother ran out on you doesn’t mean…”
“I’m still a Sparkle, that same blood runs in my veins…” Midnight interrupted as she looked down at her daughter. “In her veins. She doesn’t have to know what our family did in the past, she doesn’t have to carry that shame like I do.”
“I think if given the chance, she would understand,” Blaze reminded her. “Perhaps we should let her decide for herself, once she’s old enough. It is unusual, but we can leave her last name blank, if you wish.”
“Fine, we’ll do that,” Midnight said as the filly stopped nursing. She sighed a little and burped her daughter before she held the small blue Unicorn filly gently in her forelegs. “Blaze, I’m scared. I don’t know the first thing about being a mother, my own mom left me alone years ago. What am I supposed to do?”
“Just do what comes naturally to you, you’ll make a good mother, I know it,” Blaze said as they gently wrapped the filly up and gently placed her in her crib.. “Now come on, we need to get ready for the Naming Ceremony.”
“Yeah, okay,” Midnight said as she looked down at her daughter for a long moment.
Her own mother had vanished when she was just a filly, sometimes she even had a hard time remembering her. It hadn’t been easy, but she had managed, especially with help from the other ponies in the Stable, and then in her Tribe. Since then she had become an expert hunter, and now had a loving husband and daughter.
She sighed a little as she thought about her mother. Part of her hoped that maybe she was still out there somewhere, but she knew at this point the odds were against it. Part of her wanted to go out and find her, but she knew that there was no point in it. She couldn’t leave her family behind, she had obligations now.
She wasn’t going to become her mother.
00000
The naming ceremony was one of the most important ceremonies in the Dayrunner Tribe. It marked the point where a pony was officially considered part of the Tribe. Usually it was done after birth, but rarely when ponies were brought into the tribe at an older age it was still performed.
The tribe had gathered in the center of the village around Midnight and Blaze. The Elder, Bright Spark, an aging Unicorn mare dressed in shaman garb, approached them with a bowl of crushed berries of different colors. She took some in her hoof and drew markings on half of Midnight and Blaze’s faces. Each mark was a mirror image of the other.
“It is our duty as a Tribe to grow,” she said as she finished the markings on them both. “And this world comes in cycles. The cycle of birth is among the most sacred to us of the Day. For you two have brought life into this world and brought it before the Tribe, we welcome this new life. You have done well, and this life shall grow amongst us and become part of the whole. Come children, your greatest task has just begun. Name the filly, and make her one of the Dayrunners.”
Midnight gently levitated her daughter up and spoke the words she had learned by heart by now. “Daughter of the Sun, you are welcomed among your Tribe, may it become your family as it has ours. I name you Aurora, for the lights that dance upon the night sky. May they guide you as your life continues.”
“And may time bring you understanding,” Blaze said. “You will someday learn more of your family. But for now, may your second name remain silent. That will be your choice once you are of the age. I welcome Aurora as part of my family and of the Tribe. What say you, Elder?”
“The Tribe welcomes the child of the dancing lights, mark her as one of our own,” Bright Spark said as she levitated the bowl over to the parents.
They each took some paint on their hooves and drew on the filly’s face. Both of them drew a mark that reflected the one placed on their own faces, making a perfect symbol resembling a sun on the filly’s face. She gurgled a little as she looked up confused between her two parents.
“We give you, Aurora of the Dayrunner Tribe.” Midnight said as they presented the filly to the rest of the Tribe. “Welcome her as you would your own child. For we are all one family.”
As the ceremony came to a conclusion, Midnight and Blaze started to walk back towards their hut. Blaze was holding Aurora gently in his hooves, the two of them smiled as they talked, enjoying the moment together. Midnight reached over and nuzzled him gently. “She’s beautiful, don’t you think?”
“Just as beautiful as her mother,” Blaze replied as he nuzzled her back. “I’m glad that we had her. Wanna have another?”
“Hang on there, we gotta make sure this one isn’t screwed up first,” Midnight chuckled as they stopped by their hut. It was only a matter of time before they would have to pick up and leave, but she was concerned about moving Aurora when she was so young. “Come on, we should go get her…”
She was cut off when she heard a cry of surprise. She whirled around and was surprised to see a tall purple Alicorn standing in the middle of the village center. They had never seen one, but the occasional outsider had brought stories of them. The Tribesponies drew their weapons, preparing to fight as the purple Alicorn stood there.
“I am looking for Midnight Sparkle,” She said in a calm voice that echoed through the forest nonetheless.
“Get Aurora to safety, I’ll handle this,” Midnight hissed to her husband as she levitated up her rifle. “If she’s here for the Tribe then we can’t put Aurora in danger.”
Blaze nodded weakly as he secured Aurora and started making his way out while Midnight approached the Alicorn. She was still gripping her gun as if her life depended on it, and for all she knew it did.
“I’m Midnight Sparkle, what do you want?” She said, trying not to sound nervous around the false Goddess.
“I come bearing gifts, you have nothing to fear from me,” the Alicorn replied as she used her magic to open up her bags slowly. Midnight and the other tribesponies looked worried for a moment, but were surprised to see that she had taken out an old crate. She set it down on the ground carefully. “She wanted you to have them?”
“She? She who?” Midnight asked as she brushed off the crate. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the six pointed purple star with wings and accompanied by five stars. “This belonged to the Ministry of Arcane Science…”
“Midnight, you will want to see what is in the crate,” The Alicorn said as she turned away, spreading her wings as she prepared to take off again. “It may provide the answers you’ve been seeking.”
“Answers? What are you talking about?” Midnight demanded as she stepped forward towards the Alicorn. “Who are you?”
“Who I am is not important, maybe someday you will know,” the Alicorn said. “But you are not yet ready, Midnight. I am sorry that it had to come to this, but someday you will understand. At least I hope so.”
She spread her wings and took off, leaving Midnight more confused than ever. She placed her hooves on the crate and cautiously opened it, not sure what to expect. Sitting on the top was an old PipBuck that looked like it had been through more than a few fights, though it still seemed to be working. Underneath it was two cases, and both of them had a familiar design painted on them, three shining six-pointed stars surrounded by a strange amorphous shape.
It had been her mother’s cutie mark.
She carefully closed the crate and stared at it for a moment. If this belonged to her mother, there was no telling what was inside. She headed back towards her hut, levitating the crate behind her, she’d have to figure this out later, maybe talk to Blaze about it first. Aurora came first though, she wasn’t going to worry about it just yet.
00000
“Midnight, are you okay?” Blaze asked as he nuzzled his wife gently. She was staring down at Aurora who was fast asleep in a crib they had fashioned. “You’ve been distracted ever since that Alicorn came to the village.”
“I’m trying to decide what I should do about this crate,” Midnight sighed as she trotted over to where she had left the crate. Blaze looked at it a bit confused as she unlocked it again and opened it up. “These things have my mother’s cutie mark on them… I’m not sure if I’m ready to actually see what’s in them.”
“Midnight, you’ve always been afraid of becoming your mother,” Blaze said as he placed his hoof gently on his wife’s. “Or is it something else?”
“That’s part of it,” Midnight admitted. “But it’s also because I’m afraid. I never knew what happened to her, I always assumed she died somewhere out there in the Wasteland. I’m afraid that this will give me answers that I really don’t want because part of me hoped she would come back someday. That it’ll tell me what happened, and I’m not sure I’m ready even after so many years.”
“I think she would want you to know for sure,” Blaze replied with a gentle smile. “Maybe this came from her to tell you that it’s time to move on. What harm would it be for you to check it out?”
“I… guess you have a point,” Midnight said as she opened the crate up again and took out the PipBuck. She hadn’t looked at it too carefully earlier, but she noticed through all the damage done to it, there was also a dent on the side. She chuckled a little when she remembered that, she had gotten into this PipBuck when she was just a filly and had knocked it against a metal table.
This was her Mother’s PipBuck, there was no doubt about that.
She finally opened the two boxes inside and was surprised to find that one of them contained orbs and the other contained holotapes. It took her a moment to recognize the orbs as Memory Orbs, a family in the Stable kept a stock of them, and they hadn’t left the Stable. They said that they were holding them for somepony, but hadn’t ever gone into detail.
So what were these for? She picked up one of the holotapes and took a moment to realize that it was numbered with the number five. She looked around and found the one numbered one and put in the earbuds from the PipBuck before putting in the Holotape. She took a deep breath, not knowing what to expect.
“Hello Midnight, I hope that this message finds you well, I don’t know how long it has been since I recorded it, but I hope that you have grown into a fine mare,” her mother’s voice said over the earbuds. “I know that my leaving must have been hard on you. But I also know that you’re a strong pony who can weather the storm. I would hope that if Stable 13 has opened up like it was supposed to, you have found some small peace in the Wasteland.
“I left these messages in order to provide an account of what happened to me and why I had to leave our home. I know that you won’t completely understand, you may even resent me for what I had to do. I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to come back to you… maybe I should have… maybe what I did was ultimately selfish.
Goddesses… I’m sorry for what I did to you. I really am just selfish.
Midnight I am so sorry. But I’ve made my choice, and I don’t want you following in my footsteps, you must make your own choices now. I left this so you could have closure, and I hope it helps you more than anything.
Midnight, I love you. And maybe someday… maybe I’ll get to see you again, somehow, someday… but stay strong for me. For now, my stories are all I can offer to you, I hope they give you something.”
Midnight looked at a piece of paper that gave a rough idea of what Memory Orbs to watch first. She took a deep breath and picked up the first one, maybe it was worth at least getting some of the story.
She tapped into the memory orb and the world around her went white.
00000
Nebula Sparkle’s Perspective.
“Nebula, thank you for coming to see me on such short notice,” Overmare Periwinkle said as I took a seat across from her. She didn’t look happy to have had to call me in here, and I didn’t blame her, I didn’t like it either and I wasn’t even sure what was going on. “Were you at least able to finish your class?”
“Yeah, you called for me just as we were finishing the assessments,” I answered as I brushed my mane back a little. “Though I don’t even know why I’m here. Is there some sort of problem?”
“It’s complicated,” Periwinkle answered as she put on her glasses and turned to her computer. “Nebula, as you know this Stable was built partially by your ancestor, Twilight Sparkle and her Ministry in addition to Stable-Tec.”
“Yeah, I know, what’s the point?” I asked.
“It turns out that there was more to it than just building this place,” Periwinkle answered. “Twilight did a lot to this Stable, as well as to other places around Equestria. And the only pony who can follow it is one of her descendants, such as yourself.”
“Wait, Twilight left behind some sort of mission for her descendants? What if we hadn’t made it into the Stable?” I pointed out. “What if it came up when there was only a foal?”
“Nebula calm down, this isn’t something that was taken lightly,” the Overmare sighed as she looked down at the floor. “Twilight set this Stable up as part of what she called Project Union. I know that this won’t exactly make sense, but maybe this will help. It was left in the care of the Stable’s first Overmare by Twilight herself.”
“Wait… what exactly is Project Union?” I asked, confused. “What does Stable 13 have to do with it?”
“This video will explain everything better than I can,” Periwinkle said as she levitated up a holotape and walked over to a projector. She put it in and the projector started up, playing a video of Twilight Sparkle next to a chalkboard.
“Hello there, future member of the Sparkle family, I’m sorry that I couldn’t be there in person to give you this message,” Twilight said on the video. “I’m here to talk to you about Project Union, one of the most important projects put together by the Ministry of Arcane Science. Stable 13 is the Focal Point of this Project, which means that it is where you will have to start from.”
She turned to the board and tapped it with a piece of chalk before drawing out a rough looking map of Equestria. She drew a circle at the rough location of Stable 13, before drawing six more at points around Equestria before turning back to the camera.
“Project Union is all about these seven points around Equestria,” Twilight continued. “Each of them is a data node within a powerful network of computers made by the MAS. They were designed to be used in the event of a Megaspell Exchange between Equestria and the Zebra Empire. I should have been able to activate them myself, but if the network does not register activation within a preset amount of time, or if the network goes offline, Overmare Glimmer or one of her successors will have to call upon one of my descendants in Stable 13 in order to establish or reestablish the network.”
“Great, she wants me to go all over Equestria then…” I muttered as I looked at the projection of the blackboard. “Where would I even start with that kind of thing?”
“Shh, she’s not done yet,” Periwinkle said.
“I know this isn’t an easy thing to ask of you, I don’t know what’s out there and neither do you,” Twilight said as she sat down on her desk. “What I do know is that you are probably the only Pony capable of this. Project Union was developed to gather data on the state of Equestria as well as determine the best course of action for its future. If this works out, Stable 13 will open, and you will be allowed to return home. The Union Network will give your fellow Stable Dwellers a new home as well as a way to keep a close eye out for things. Maybe even you’ll find me at the end of the trail, if I’m lucky I’ll have made it to the final place before the bombs fall.”
Leave the Stable? It wasn’t like she hadn’t thought about it before, but the idea of leaving the Stable kind of scared her. Especially if there was no real way of knowing what was out there, and there was another reason. I couldn’t leave Midnight behind to live in this Stable without me, I was the only family she really had.
What was I supposed to do?
“I know that the prospect of leaving your home won’t be easy for you,” Twilight continued. “You likely have friends and family in Stable 13, maybe even children. I shouldn’t be asking you to do this, but this has to be done. Project Union is important to the future of Equestria, without it there is no chance of rebuilding Equestria. Project Union when combined with other projects will ensure Equestria’s recovery.”
She sighed a little and rubbed her temples a little before looking away from the camera. She stood there in silence for a moment. It was like she was figuring out how to put what she had to say next into words. The older mare took a deep breath and closed her eyes before finally continuing to speak.
“I don’t know your name, all I know is that you’re my flesh and blood,” she said. “You’re a Sparkle, that means you’ve got a lot of potential for good… or maybe not. I had Stable-Tec make Stable 13 as a way to create the best ponies possible for this project. I’m sorry that you have to do this, but it can only be a Sparkle. I can’t promise you’ll make it home, I can’t promise that you will be the same pony you were when you left home. But I promise you that it will make your home safe. Your family will be safe. Project Union is the future, you will need to first go to the MAS Hub in Manehattan. The Overmare will have more instructions for you. Goodbye, and good luck.”
Chapter 1: Out of the Stable
“I honestly wasn’t sure what to think about this when I first started studying what my mother had left for me. I was a new mother myself at the time, I had to start wondering if maybe I was in the same position, would I have done the same thing she did? There’s no simple answer to this question, and I hope to Celestia that I never have to find out.
What scares me more is that for a time, I had to make the same choice.”
- General Midnight Sparkle, 13 ASR (After Sunshine and Rainbows).
“I can’t do this,” I said as I looked at Periwinkle. “I have a daughter and my students. I can’t go out into Equestria and leave Midnight behind. And we both know we can’t have me bring her with me either. This is insane, how do we even know that everything’s even still in place?”
“Because the computer system in Stable 13 is connected to them,” Periwinkle sighed. “We would know if there was a disruption in the system. As for Midnight, I can’t lie and say she’s going to understand what’s going on or why you have to leave. But she’s going to be taken care of, I promise I’ll watch her until you come back like she was my own daughter.”
“And what if I don’t come back?”
“Then I will raise her and take care of her,” Periwinkle said as she placed her hoof on mine and gave me a gentle smile. “Nebula, I know that you don’t want to do this. I hated having to ask you to do this. You’ve been my best friend ever since we were fillies.”
I smiled a little at that as I thought about all the trouble that the two of us would get into when we were fillies. The old Overmare, Periwinkle’s mother, had to get us out of trouble more than once. She had always been like a second mother to Midnight, and I knew that she was being honest when she said that. That didn’t make this easier though, I was pretty sure that I didn’t have a choice.
I smiled at Periwinkle and hugged her tight. “You know… you could’ve been more…” I said as I thought about everything we had been through. We had once been together, but fate had other plans for us.
“I know, and I promise that everything is going to be just fine,” Periwinkle said as she hugged me back. “Nebula, Midnight is going to be just fine. I promise that I will do everything I can to protect her. Are you going to be okay?”
“I honestly don’t know,” I admitted. “I don’t really have a choice, do I?”
“It’s ultimately up to you, but if you don’t go Midnight may have to do it when she’s older,” Periwinkle answered. “It has to be a Sparkle who does this.”
I thought for a long moment, if I didn’t do this then what would happen to Midnight? Would she have to make the same decision when she was old enough? I couldn’t put her through that, maybe if I went then I’d at least have a chance of making it home…
At least I hoped I would.
“I don’t really have a choice, do I?” I asked softly. “I’m going to have to do this or it’s going to fall into the hooves of Midnight or some other pony…”
“I think it’s the right decision, yes,” Periwinkle sighed as she placed her hoof on my shoulder. “And I promise that everything will be okay here.”
“Okay…” I sighed. “I don’t know how I’m going to explain this to Midnight though. And what about the school?
“Don’t worry about the school, we have that covered,” Periwinkle said with a soft smile.
“You’re not going to have Ivory take over, are you? She mumbles through half her lessons,” I groaned as Periwinkle just laughed. “The students won’t be able to learn anything. Maybe I should…”
“It’ll be fine, don’t worry,” Periwinkle said. “You just worry about getting ready to leave and figuring out how you’re going to tell Midnight.”
She gave me one last hug and I nodded before heading out of her office. I was really going to hate having to do this, but at the moment it seemed like I had no choice in the matter. I just had to hope that maybe somehow I was going to be able to make it back.
And if I didn’t, that Midnight was going to be okay.
00000
“Mommy, are you okay?” A voice said from next to me as I looked down to see Midnight looking up at me. I had been going over what information and maps we had on Equestria, it wasn’t much. “You look sad.”
“Oh Midnight…” I said softly as I levitated up the filly and hugged her tightly. “I was just looking over a few things that’s all.”
“Are you sure?” Midnight asked with a tilt of her head. She looked at my desk where the papers were strewn about. “These belonged to Eclipse, right?”
Eclipse Sparkle, our ancestor and Twilight Sparkle’s daughter. I had gotten out as many of her papers as I could. “Yeah, our family has been keeping them in storage. I was just… looking them over out of curiosity.”
“Mommy, I know when you’re lying,” Midnight said softly. “You get a little twitch in the side of your mouth and pause randomly between words. Why are you lying?”
“Sweetie, I…” I sighed a little as I just hugged her tighter. “It’s going to be okay, I promise. Mommy just has to leave for a while, Auntie Periwinkle is going to watch you while I’m gone.”
“Wait, where are you going?” Midnight asked as she tilted her head a little. “Why do you have to go at all? Is this about Equestria?”
“Yeah… I’m sorry Midnight, I wish that I didn’t have to go at all,” I sighed as I brushed her black mane out of her eyes. “I don’t want to do this, Midnight, but I have to leave. I should be back though.”
“Why do you have to go?” Midnight asked, tears welling up in her blue eyes. “I don’t want you to leave, I want you to stay here with me!”
“Midnight, I don’t want to do this either,” I said as I held her close, now I was starting to cry too. “But I swear to you, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure I can get back home. Once everything is done, life can return to normal. Periwinkle is going to take…”
“I don’t want Auntie Periwinkle, I want you!” Midnight said as she buried her face into my chest. I sighed a little and stroked her mane gently. “Please, don’t go… Why do you have to go?”
“Because it’s for the best, and I promise I’m going to be back,” I said as I held her close. “You’re the most important thing in my life, Midnight. I love you, and I promise that I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t think that it was the right decision to make. I’m so sorry, Midnight…”
Midnight just stood there for a moment, crying. “Mommy, please don’t go.”
“I wish that I could do that,” I said with a sigh as I hugged her tight. “I know that it’s going to be hard on you. But you’re a strong filly, and I know that I’m going to be able to make it back. Unfortunately it’s the only choice I have.”
“Fine…” Midnight said softly. “How long until you have to go?”
“A few days, a week at most,” I answered. “I wish I could tell you how long I’m going to be gone. Just promise me that you’re going to be good for Auntie Periwinkle, okay?”
“Okay, but you better come back,” Midnight said. “Promise?”
“I promise,” I said as I released her from the hug. “Come on, let’s go get you ready for bed. We’ve both got a lot to do.”
I smiled a little as I led her into her bedroom. She laid down in her bed as I tucked her in and gave her a kiss on the cheek as her eyes closed. She slowly drifted off to sleep, I smiled a little at my daughter as she snored lightly before I returned back to my desk. I looked at the papers on my desk one more moment and thought for a long moment.
The papers didn’t say anything about Project Union, but they did detail several Ministry of Arcane Science facilities around Equestria. I placed my hoof on Manehattan, which sounded like it should be my first stop. It was going to be a long trek to get to it and the Ministry hub that was there.
Maybe if I had a faster transport it would be easier. But for now I just had to figure out what I was going to do first. I was going to have to first figure out how to get through whatever was on the surface.
I just had to hope I was going to be okay.
00000
The Stable 13 Door was a large gear shaped door at the front of the Stable. I looked up at it for a moment, glancing back at the faded welcome sign above it. I took a deep breath as I looked back at Midnight and Periwinkle who were coming in. I had my saddlebags with supplies along with a pistol given to me by Security.
“Are you ready, mommy?” Midnight asked, shuddering a little. “Are you going to be okay out there?”
“Honestly? I have no idea,” I admitted as I looked at the Stable 13 door. “I guess I don’t really have a choice though. Do you promise you’ll be good for Aunt Periwinkle?”
“I promise, but I’d rather go with you…” Midnight sighed. “Are you sure I can’t go with you?”
“No Midnight, you can’t go with me,” I said with a chuckle.
“Aww, but what if I promise to eat all my rations?” Midnight asked with a pout.
“No, you can’t go, it’s not safe for little fillies,” I said as I booped her nose and gave her one last hug. “I’ll be back, be good.”
“Okay,” Midnight said with a smile that I knew she didn’t really feel. She just wanted to make me feel better, not that was easy. “Be safe out there, okay mommy?”
“Okay,” I said with a smile and nodded as I looked back at Periwinkle. “Take care of my daughter, got it? I’d hate to have to come back and kick your flank.”
“Don’t worry, she’s in safe hooves,” Periwinkle said. She headed over to the control panel and flipped a few switches and pressed a button. The alarms went off as the giant metal thing slid into place and the door opened with a metal screech.
I released Midnight from the hug and nuzzled her gently. I took a deep breath and headed out of the Stable slowly. I turned around as I was outside and waved as the gear shaped behind me. I was left in total darkness.
00000
It didn’t take me long to walk out of the cave. I covered my eyes when a bright light hit my eyes. I lowered my leg after a moment as I became used to the light and looked around, realizing that I was in the middle of a forest looking up at the sky.
The world outside the Stable was not like anything I had expected. There were trees, a lot of freakin’ trees. There was a path through the trees that I started to walk towards when I suddenly heard a whistling sound as an arrow flew over my head and hit a tree. “What in the name of the goddesses…”
“Stay where you are!” A voice said as I slowly turned towards the source of the voice.
Standing in the forest was a Unicorn mare with a golden coat with a silver mane with several golden streaks in it. She was holding a bow with an arrow notched in it that she pointed at me. As opposed to my barding, her’s was made of a different, rough material and she had several markings painted on her face and visible fur.
“Your Metal Bow, remove it slowly,” she said, gesturing towards my gun. I nodded and slowly slid it out of my holster and placed it on the ground. “What are you doing on our Sacred Ground?”
“I came from Stable 13, we didn’t know this was your sacred ground,” I said as I gulped a little. I didn’t want to give this pony a reason to shoot me. “My name is Nebula Sparkle. I’m a teacher from Stable 13, I was sent out in order to…”
“You were sent by the gods?” The Unicorn asked, making me pause for a moment. She lowered her bow slightly at this new information. “If you can set foot on sacred ground without being of the Tribe then you must have been sent by the gods.”
“Well, I suppose that’s one way to look at it…” I muttered. “Listen, I’m just a pony, I’m here because I was sent on a journey. A mission or quest if you want to call it that. Do you live nearby?”
“The Tribe calls the Wilderness home, but the village is still three days travel away from our ancestral home,” the Unicorn said. “I’m just a scout sent to make sure that everything is okay here. If you are sent by the gods then I will give you a place to stay if you wish. At least until you know where you must go next.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to impose,” I said.
“Nonsense, these scouting trips are some of the most boring parts of life in the Tribe,” the mare said with a smile. “I would welcome the company. My name is Bright Spark of the Dayrunner Tribe.”
“Nebula Sparkle of Stable 13,” I said as I offered her my hoof and she smiled and shook it. I was surprised at how strong her grip felt.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nebula Sparkle of Stable 13,” Bright Spark said. “Now come, I will show you to my camp. It’s not far from here.”
“Alright, let’s go,” I said as the Unicorn turned and walked back down the path through the forest.
I paused a moment as I thought about this. This pony wasn’t like anypony I had seen in the Stable or in any of the books that I had read about pre-war Equestria. I guess that made sense, I couldn’t expect everything to be exactly the same, right? Well, here I was out in Equestria and it was time to learn more about society.
I just hoped that someday I’d be able to show Midnight what I learned.
“Are you coming, Nebula Sparkle of Stable 13?” Bright Spark asked as she looked back at me. “My camp isn’t far, but you may get lost in these woods.”
“Right, sorry, was just thinking,” I said and replaced my gun before I followed after the other Unicorn.
00000
“You are really from the Holy Cave then?” Bright Spark asked as we reached her camp. It was fairly makeshift with loose bedding laid out on the ground and food and other supplies hanging from the tree. “I’ve never heard of anypony coming out from behind the door.”
“As far as I can remember I’m the only one who’s ever left,” I answered as I set my saddlebags down and stretched out a little. “I honestly didn’t expect to leave the Stable either. But I was given a mission and I must finish it. For the sake of my family and friends back in the Stable.”
“I understand that,” Bright Spark replied. “I have a mate and foals back with the Tribe who I haven’t been able to see in weeks due to this scouting mission. I know she is worried about me, but it’s for the good of the Tribe. I just hope that I can find what I need and report that things are well before they arrive.”
“What are you looking for anyway?” I asked. I had to admit that I was curious about this odd Tribal Pony. How different were ponies going to be like out here?
“Meat, game, food to be hunted,” Bright Spark answered. “Or whatever else I can find. We don’t have a lot of edible plants around here.”
“Wait, ponies outside the Stable eat meat?” I asked, I was surprised by that. “Why?”
“You might want to look up,” Bright Spark answered as she took down some food. I glanced up through the tree branches and realized that the sky was covered with clouds. “The cloud cover has been there for as long as anypony can remember. Plants are scarce as a result.”
Okay, that made sense now that she said it out loud. Then again, why was there a cloud cover like that? That didn’t make sense, then again a lot of things weren’t making sense. At least there was somepony that knew something about this place.
“I understand, I think,” I said as I sat down on the ground. “I’m sorry, I guess I have a lot of questions about the world outside. I didn’t think I’d actually run into another pony this quickly though.”
“So where are you going?” Bright Spark asked. “It’s a big world out there after all. You said you have a place to go.”
“Manehattan, to the old Ministry of Arcane Sciences Hub there,” I answered as I started going through my supplies again. “I was told to go there as part of something called Project Union. I don’t know if that makes any sense to you though.”
“Manehattan? That’s where the radio stallion broadcasts from,” Bright Spark answered and I looked at her curiously. “Carmel found an old pre-war radio a while back. We found a radio DJ that I think is broadcasting out of there.”
“Huh, interesting,” I said as I checked my PipBuck’s radio out of curiosity. Sure enough there it was, Tenpony Tower Radio. Along with a few other broadcasts that were mostly too far away to pick up anything concrete. I activated it and placed an earbud in my ear as I heard the music for a moment before the sound of a stallion’s smooth voice came over the radio.
“Hello ponies out there in the Wasteland, it’s your friend DJ Pon3 coming at you across the airwaves,” the stallion said. “I’ve got the latest news coming at you from around Equestria. It seems that there are new rumors coming out of the settlement of Blackwood out near Splendid Valley of unusual activity happening in the valley at night. I don’t know what’s going on out there, but if you’re headed that way be careful. The last thing we need right now is even more problems.
“In other news, Raiders bearing a mark of a black dragon have appeared in Fillydelphia and are causing trouble for the ponies there. The local sheriff is asking for volunteers for a posse to help deal with them, but there’s not much confidence that they’ll be able to do much. I wish them luck though.
Now, let’s turn it over to the music. My assistant just found these records here in the ruins of Manehattan. So, how about we enjoy a little music after all that bad news. Enjoy my little ponies.”
Music began to play as I leaned back a little and enjoyed the sounds. I eventually removed my earbuds as I took out an apple that had been given to me from the Stable’s orchards. I took a bite before I noticed that Bright Spark was looking at me curiously.
“What, have you never seen an Apple before?” I asked.
“No, but it looks like a grenade, curious,” Bright Spark answered. She reached into a bag and took out an odd looking mushroom. “How about we trade? This is a Twilight Cap they grow nearby and they’re edible.”
“Huh, okay,” I said as I tossed her the apple and she gave me the mushroom. I looked at it for a moment before I took a bite, the radiation detector on my PipBuck went off a little, but it wasn’t that bad. “That’s pretty good.”
Bright Spark nodded as we ate in silence.
00000
A couple of days passed as Bright Spark helped me get more accustomed to life out of the Stable. I actually wasn’t too bad with the bow, at least after I managed to not send my arrows flying in the wrong direction. I didn’t want to waste my bullets right now anyway, especially when there wasn’t anything threatening at the moment.
On the third day we heard the sound of hooves on the Great Northern Road as Bright Spark called it, which cut through the Wilderness. We headed towards where it was coming from, and even knowing what was coming I was still a little surprised. There were more ponies than I could count, mostly pulling wagons or fussing with foals as they made their way down the road.
I had seen ponies in large numbers back in Stable 13 sure, but there was something different about this. Like with all the odds against them, these ponies had survived in the Wasteland for over 150 years. That gave me some hope for our future.
“Come on, I’ll introduce you,” Bright Spark said as she led me down towards the group, giving them a wave.
“Uh, okay,” I said as I felt myself getting pulled along. I honestly suddenly felt a bit nervous about meeting so many ponies at the same time. After all my time working as a teacher I had no idea why I was suddenly feeling stage fright. I gulped and stopped behind Bright Spark and rubbed the back of my head a little. “Uh… hi.”
“A Stable Dweller, as I live and breathe,” An older Unicorn mare said as she walked forward and offered me a hoof. She had a blue coat with a smattering of white spots across it and a greying mane “I am Night Wish, the Elder of the Dayrunners Tribe. I wasn’t expecting to actually meet one of your kind in these woods.”
“Uh… yeah… I’m Nebula, Nebula Sparkle,” I said nervously as I shook her hoof. “I came from Stable 13. Have you ever seen any other Stable Dwellers?”
“Not around here and not recently, but when I was young I traveled around a bit, I met a stallion from Stable 8, but I don’t know what happened to him after that,” Night Wish answered. “You’re from the Stable in the sacred cave then?”
“Uh, yes, if that’s what you call it,” I said as a few of the ponies moved in closer to examine me. A few of them were foals who probably had never seen anything like me before. “I was sent out here on a mission to try and get to Manehattan. I found Bright Spark here when I left the Stable, and uh… could you not crowd me please?”
“Sorry, children give her some room,” Night Wish said as the foals nodded and backed off. “I’m sorry, they were just curious. It is rare that we see anypony not from the Wilderness. Are you going to be okay?
“Yeah, sorry… I’m used to being surrounded by foals from my job, but… I dunno,” I said as I rubbed the back of my head a little. “Maybe it's just because I’m not used to being around ponies I haven’t met before. But it is nice to meet all of you.”
I must’ve spent the next hour or more being introduced to more members of the Dayrunners Tribe. When it felt like I was uncomfortable they backed off to let me relax a moment. It wasn’t so bad really, I just had to get used to it.
We eventually continued down the road and through a side path into the forest. We headed up a hill in a clearing to a closed off area that I was told was the Tribe’s settling area in this part of the Wilderness. The Dayrunners started to put up buildings made of collapsible materials, it was simple but effective.
“Come on Nebula, you will stay with my family,” Bright Spark said as she walked towards one of the huts which was being set up by a Stallion. Two foals, a filly and a colt were playing nearby, they all stopped and smiled when they saw us approaching.
“Mommy!” The filly said as she and her brother ran up to Bright and hugged her tight. “I’m so happy to see that you’re okay!”
“Yeah!” The colt said as he turned and looked at me curiously. “You’re the Stable Dweller then? What’s your name?”
“Uh, Nebula,” I said as I brushed my mane back for a moment. I couldn’t help but smile a little. They were both around the same age as Midnight. Though that just made me a little sad as I thought about her. “What are your names?”
“Spark Shine,” the filly answered.
“Blaze,” the colt answered as he smiled and looked back at his mother. “Is she going to stay with the Tribe?”
“No, she has other things to attend to,” Bright Spark said as she walked up to us with a smile, her husband, or mate I guess following close behind. “But she is welcome to stay as long as she needs to of course.”
“Thanks… I guess I can stay a bit, not like I’m on a time limit or something…” I said as I rubbed the back of my head a little. “Really, given that I don’t really know what’s out there. Maybe I should stay and see if I can learn anything at least.”
“Agreed, you are free to stay with us as long as you wish,” the stallion said. “What do we do now, Bright? Is there any news of our prey?”
“They have been moving more and more to the north, it’s weird,” Bright Spark answered as she shook her head a little. “We may need to move again soon. But this area seems to be sufficient, at least for the moment.”
I started going through my bags, taking things out. I laid out the bedding I had and took a deep breath. Even though I was in an unfamiliar land, things weren’t so bad. The Dayrunners were friendly enough and at least I had a place to stay right now. At least until I had to move on to Manehattan.
I nodded a little as I took a seat in the hut. For the moment there was nothing to do but get comfortable while the village was set up. There wasn't a whole lot I could do and honestly I just wanted to stay out of the way to make sure that I didn't cause any problems for them.
For the moment, I just turned on my radio and listened to DJ Pon3 again.
00000
"Uh, is it normal to eat with the rest of the Tribe?" I asked as Bright led me out of the hut. It was now evening and there was a large bonfire lit at the center of town.
"Don't worry, Nebula, this is normal for us when we return to our sacred lands," Bright Spark answered as she took a seat around the fire with her family and nodded for me to do the same thing. "Come, sit, we have many things to do, and guests are always welcome."
"Okay," I said as I took a seat next to Bright. "What should I..."
Before I could finish that sentence the fire started to flare up as Night Wish teleported into view. The older Unicorn was still filled with a lot of life and she smiled as she looked at all of us, the light of the flames dancing against her face gave her an eerie look in the night. She smiled as she began to sing in a language I did not understand, but the others around the fire were enraptured, listening carefully to each word.
Night Wish finally stopped as she began speaking in Ponish this time. “It has been many a year since our ancestors came to these woods,” she said as magic began to dance from her horn. “They came here looking for safety when fire came from the sky and poisoned our land. But they found the great door and its promise closed to the Tribe.”
She was talking about Stable 13. The Stable Door had been closed not long after the apocalypse when my own ancestors had made it in there. The only time it had ever been opened again was when Rainbow Dash had entered it.
“But we never forgot, and the Dayrunners came into being, for we would not allow ourselves to perish in the poison,” Night Wish continued as she danced around. “We would become stronger, and someday maybe the Great Door would open and we would find out what happened to our brothers and sisters underground. The Tribe would travel, and find new lands and ways to survive.”
I had to admit I was enraptured by the story of the Dayrunners. This was a society like nothing I had ever even considered before. And they were out here, in the Wasteland surviving against all odds. Part of me had wondered what things would be like if they had made it into the Stable after all, but at least they had survived.
“The Goddesses have blessed us on this eve,” Night Wish said as her eyes fell on me. “A pony from beyond the Great Door has come to us with a great Quest. It is a sign that change is coming, if it is change for good or bad, it is up to fate.”
I shrunk back a little, realizing that a lot of the ponies were suddenly looking at me. The nervousness that had hit me earlier hit me again. It was hard to believe that I was so nervous about this kind of thing with how my life had been up to this point. I took a deep breath and smiled nervously, waving to them a little.
“Uh, hi,” I said as I felt smaller than I ever had. I honestly didn’t know exactly what I was going to say about all that. “I, uh… excuse me…”
I quickly got up and ran off, leaving the gathered ponies behind me.
00000
I found myself quickly back at the hut, breathing heavily as I entered it. I slumped down to the ground, maybe I should just leave. Right now being here wasn’t doing me any good, I slowly started grabbing my things again, I’d slip out while I had the chance and figure out how to get to Manehattan from here on my own.
“Nebula, are you alright?” Bright Spark asked as she came in. “You ran off in quite a hurry.”
“I… uh…” I said as I rubbed the back of my head a little. “I guess it’s kind of like what happened back on the road. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I was never like this in the Stable. I guess it’s all these new ponies paying attention to me or something.”
“Well, I don’t think it’s always going to be the case,” Bright said as she sat down next to me. “There are a lot of places out in the Wasteland where you would just be another face. I’m sorry that my Tribe made you uncomfortable.”
“It’s okay,” I said, even if I didn’t really feel it. “It’s honestly, something I’m not that sure about. I don’t even know if I was ready for all of this. This world, it’s just so large, and unknown to me.”
“Maybe you should not go alone,” Bright suggested. “You should not be out there alone. It’s not safe in Equestria, even with your metal bow. You should be careful either way though, what do you want to do?”
“You’re right, but I don’t know anypony that is actually willing to go with me,” I sighed. “And I couldn’t ask you to go with me. You’ve already been away from your family for a short time. I don’t want to ask you to do that again.”
“Well, then I am going to offer,” Bright said. “You need a guide out here. I have traveled these lands more than most ponies. You are going to need somepony to help you get to Manehattan, I may not have made it that far but I can still help.”
I actually paused a moment at that. It was a good offer, and I admit that I like the mare. But at the same time I honestly wasn’t sure I could ask that of her. I was already having to leave my family behind, but why would I ask that of her? Then again she was offering, but still, I wasn’t sure what I’d say to that.
“I can’t ask you to do that,” I finally said. “You have ponies here who you should spend time with.”
“I am a scout, it’s part of the job for ponies like me, and my family understands that,” Bright answered with a soft smile. “I will talk to them and explain the situation. If we can stay a little longer that would be good if possible.”
“Yeah… I guess that would be fine, we can stay a few more days,” I answered with a soft smile. “I’d rather not keep you from your family for too long.”
“It is fine, but thank you,” Bright said with a slight bow of her head. “I will admit that it will be hard to be away from them. But at the same time it would not be right for me to just leave you out there alone.”
“Thanks,” I said as I took a deep breath. “So, what should we do now? I’m not sure I can go back out there.”
“Just stay in here Nebula, everypony will understand,” Bright said as she gave me a nod. “I can stay here with you if you would like.”
“No, go, be with your family,” I said with a shake of my head and she nodded and headed out.
I sat back a moment and sighed. I honestly wasn’t sure what to think of this or if I really should have sent her away. I sighed a little as I laid down on my bedding and stared up at the thatched ceiling. How was I actually going to do this? Was I even capable of doing this? It felt like Twilight was putting a lot of pressure on me to get this one job done, and she wasn’t even around anymore.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes as I thought about it. There wasn’t a lot I could do right now, and I just wanted to spend some time alone. I thought about Stable 13 and Midnight, I couldn’t imagine what she was going through right now.
For a moment I wondered if maybe I should go back. Then again I was pretty sure that I wouldn’t be able to get back in if I tried. So for now I had to figure out how to best proceed, I guess I didn’t have anything else to do at the moment other than go to Manehattan.
And maybe after all was said and done I’d get to see Midnight again.
00000
The next few days passed without incident. The ponies of the Dayrunners gave me my space, a few of them went in and asked me a few questions, which I answered to the best of my ability. Things were actually pretty normal now, and I was starting to get used to life among the Dayrunners, though I knew I’d have to leave soon.
So after four days in the Dayrunner camp me and Bright were getting ready to leave as we packed away food, water, and other things. I slung my saddlebags over my barrel as Bright was saying good-bye to her family.
“Are you sure you have to go so soon?” Blaze asked.
“Yes, I promise I’ll be back soon,” Bright said as she kissed him gently on the forehead. “Be good for your father, okay?”
“Yeah, okay,” Blaze said as he hugged his mother and smiled a little. “Promise me you’ll come back with a lot of stories?”
“I promise,” Bright said as she hugged Spark and her husband before she headed back to me and gave me a nod. “Are you ready to go, Nebula?”
“Yeah, I guess,” I said with a nervous smile. “Do you know how far it’ll be to Manehattan?”
“I don’t, a few days, maybe more,” Bright said as we started out of the village together. “It’s a long way away. Do you know what will happen when you get there?”
“Honestly? I don’t know for sure,” I admitted with a shrug. “I’m supposed to find things at Ministry of Arcane Science facilities around Equestria. I guess I’ll find out where I’m supposed to go when I get to where I’m going in Manehattan.”
“Well, I hope whatever you’re doing is worth it,” Bright said. “Manehattan isn’t exactly the safest place in Equestria right now from what I’ve heard.”
“Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind, thank you,” I said as we walked on in silence for a while. It was, kind of nice really. The Wilderness was mostly overgrown with plants, but the trail we were following towards the road was pretty much clear. I hummed a light tune to myself as we moved along.
The silence was weird. I think other than all the ponies that was the most unsettling thing I had experienced so far. Back in the Stable there was always noise of some sort, but here it was silent. There was only the sound of our hooves against the old road as we walked along.
“Where does this lead to anyway?” I asked curiously as I looked back north.
“The Mountains, and beyond that… I do not know,” Bright admitted. “There are tales of a place to the north of here. An ancient land dominated by snow and ice, with an Empire made of crystal at the center. It is said that it was destroyed when the bombs fell, but some say that it is still out there somewhere.”
“Huh… I haven’t heard of anything like that before,” I commented. “Do you believe that there’s anything beyond those mountains?”
“Honestly? I do not know,” Bright shrugged. “We have not ventured into the Mountains, that is something for other Tribes to do. We’re content to live here in the Wilderness for the most part. It is where our holy sites and things are of course.”
“Yeah, I guess that makes sense,” I agreed.
“Yeah, but the fact of the matter is that animals are moving away so who knows,” Bright said with a shrug. “We may have to move away soon enough.”
“Are you going to be able to find them again if they move while we’re gone?”
“Yes, of course, I am a tracker after all, I know how to find them,” Bright said as we continued to walk. “I appreciate your concern Nebula, but I will be fine. This may be the farthest I have gone from home, but I will be able to find my way back. Even when your home moves around, your heart never does, and that is where home truly is.”
“That’s, profound,” I commented as I looked at her for a moment. “I promise I’ll get you back to your family, Bright. If you ever want to leave, I promise that I won’t take offense. I wouldn’t want you to stay if you don’t want to.”
“Thank you,” Bright said with a soft smile. “But for now, I’m ready to come along. We have a long journey ahead of us. Let’s go see what else the Wasteland has in store for us.”
She walked ahead and I paused a moment and then smiled a little. She was right, I just had to make sure that I was really going to be okay. Our first stop was Manehattan, whatever was waiting for me there scared me.
Now, the time had come for us to venture into the unknown. I just had to hope that I really was going to be okay. I slipped my earbuds on again and the sound of music went through my ears.
“Then you’re never took far to look back
At the vengeance or the fall
When there’s nothing else left
But to take your curtain call.”
LEVEL UP!
Perk Received: Stable Teacher.
Details: You have a knowledge of pre-war Equestria as well as life in the Stable. You get a bonus to speech checks when talking to Ghouls or other Stable Dwellers.
