Author's Note

Think about by Asheru

Victory for a filly and Nexus mods

Now just Think About, what you know
And what you don't, And what you want
From time right now since your date of birth
Now ask yourself what it's really worth

Charity trotted uncarely through the remains of the battlefield, making sure to step around corpses and gore alike. Most of the building had been taken by now with only a few holdouts, but still, her goal was something else entirely, something she waited for. Carrying a large bag for her size she ignored the Reapers as they galloped about, her mind was one target. “Well, Apple Bloom where’s the main control room?”

A device in the filly’s left ear lit up as she held it. “It’s on the 13 floor behind sealed doors. The doors are keycards only but I can access them.”

Charity nodded, when the Reapers eyes weren’t on her she trotted silently away down a dark hall. Taking an elevator down ten floors Charity came out into a hallway that seemed different than the rest, whereas the rest of the building inferior was a collection of white clean hallways that looked more like a hospital than a business tower, this one was a dark brown with carpet floors instead of marvel ones. “The control room is down the right hall, can’t miss the big dang doors I built.”

“What’s the chance the Reapers have opened the door by now?” a touch of fear hit the filly’s voice as she trotted. The Reapers were clearing the building, it wasn’t a stretch that they would check every sealed room.

“None hun. That room possesses the second powerest computer outside of my pride and joy, the Crusader maneframe. I made sure that the doors would stand up to anything, even a hit from an RPG couldn’t break it.” Apple Bloom paused for a moment giving the idea thought. “Dawn would most likely have it sealed from no pony else but her, so the chances of anypony being inside the room is nota.”

Charity’s stop, her gaze falling on the steel plate doors that seemed like it could take a Megaspell, scorch marks from explosive stain the door but the metal wall stood its ground. A panel sat next to the door, its green taint pouring out of the screen. Floating out a big watch-like device, she galloped to the door, a wire sprouted out the device and floated toward a port in the paneling. When they connected the panel’s screen flicker with the words ‘granting access’ followed by the wine of gears turning.

The metal doors slid open to a small room confident, two giant box-shaped machines took up most of the room with narrow spaces between. Placed against the opposite wall the faint bluish light of a monitor shined in the dimness of the room, it’s screen flickering, a red line running across its surface.

The amount of joy Charity expressed at seeing this was like a foal getting all the presents for Heart’s Warming. She had won, she had come far, she had endured the destruction of her shop, the enslavement of her friends, and the cruel tortures her sister inflicted on her. But now she stood at the top, ready to take the whole damn city for herself.

She floated the device that opened the door, the one held her victory, a Pipbuck. As Filly was about to connect it, a genty voice stopped her. “My my, a little filly shouldn’t be playing with that.”

Looking around the room hastily Charity called Apple Bloom to make sure no stealth ponies were around, only when the voice spoke again did she find where the source was. “So your the little pony whose lead this attack against my followers.” Charity stared at the mainframe in confusion not knowing whether this was a trap or not. “I mean you no harm little one. I just wish to talk.”

“Apple Bloom can you scan for traps, I don’t trust this.” Charity held her earpiece as she looked around worriedly.

“Ain’t nothin’ there sugarcube. Besides, I know who this is. It’s Cogitnum.”

Through the synthetic voice, glees could hear coming computer. “Nice to see you again Apple A.I. I haven’t had much company since I removed you from the main systems. But now it seems you’ve found a friend” the tone changed to a more threatening one at the mention of A.I.’s name. “A friend who plans to overthrow me.”

Charity was lost for words at this. “Wait, your the goddess of Dawn talks about?” The idea almost made the filly burst out laughing. “So all that preaching about how the goddess will come and lift everypony up was just some overturned computer?”

“I’m more than a computer little filly.” The synthetic voice almost seemed hurt by that. “I’m the last ruler of Equestria, Equestria’s last hope to be restored, I am Cogitnum the and the rightful owner of keys to the kingdom you have.” The machine said in a commanding tone.

The yellow filly gave a different huff at the machine, if this machine was all that remained of old equestria than she was glad she was taking the city for herself. “So Dawn takes orders from you right?” The filly’s different face became a stone wall glare at the machine. “Does that mean it was you who told Dawn to make deals with my sister Usury and her slavers? You who gave them high tech weapons and Stealth Bucks to surprise attack us, Did you have all the Crusaders.” Her voice became shouts. “My Friends enslaved and sold off by my fucking sister so nopony would know Harbingers were behind it?”

The machine went silent for a few minutes, stuttering it confessly. “I commanded Dawn to get EC110-1 at any cost, but I didn’t think she would go to such extreme links to achieve like working with slavery that goal.” The way synthetic voice fumble it’s worded just added fuel to the fire that was Charity’s anger.

“You lying bitch.” Charity calmly said through grind teeth, an angry smile forming on her face.. “Your Dawn’s ‘goddess’ aren’t you? What you say goes, what you wanted to do was cover your trail. Wouldn’t look nice for the Harbringer’s image if they wipe out a town so you got some pony to do your dirty work”

“It was for the good of Equestria, without EC-1101 one I can’t use the city. You understand everything I did was for the betterment of ponykind. I didn’t mean for your friends to get hurt, I hope we could buy those foals from Usury after she got code from you, but she had already sold them to different buyers.”

Charity floated the Pipbuck over toward the maneframe, a cruel idea forming in her head. “Apple Bloom I want you to delete Cogitnum’s thinking process, I want to see if A.I can feel pain.”

The synthetic voice of the maneframe protest with fear one shouldn’t be possible. “No! Don’t do that! Listen, you can have the city, I can be your co-ruler.” The begging fell on death ears as the wire from the Pipbuck attached itself to a port in the machine. “I’m the last princess of Equestria, your savior. You wouldn’t kill your princess would you?”

Charity just sorted and shrugged. “Sorry I didn’t vote for you.”

As the wire plug in the screen went wild with symbols, numbers and letters flowed across in a chaotic fashion. Through it all the screams hollowed from maneframe, glitchy voice muttering nonsense as Charity stared on in glee. Finally, it all went silent as the screen turned a flashy red then shut off.

“Who would have thought killing a princess would be fun.” If the yellow could replay doing that again then she would never stop, she hasn't felt satisfaction like since she burned her sister’s town down. But she weaved off the thought, there was still what she came here for. “Apple Bloom, is she gone?”

The cheerful voice of the a.I beamed and hollowed. “Yeah haw! You betcha she’s gone.” If an A.I. could feel joy than this must it through Charity. “I was cooking up a few viruses to deal with her if I ran into her again. Now she’s just a normal A.I no more thinking or plotting for her”

“Good.” The yellow filly said with a smirk. “Now boot up the maneframe, start using EC-1101 to override the city’s systems.”

“Way of ya partner, already doing it. Should have control within an hour.”

She had done it, she had won. It was hers now, with control of the city of Hoofington she would create the greatest business since the war. The first wasteland corporation would come to be under her, her other sisters and father would become business partners or get driven out of the Hoof. She was about to become the queen trader, maybe she’d even buy one of the trade from her father.

“Feels good to be a princess.”

The rest of the week was a mix of relaxing and recovering, the battle giving all the mares their share of scares. The remains of the Harbingers were hunted by the gangs of the hoof at the Reapers command, the survivors either fleeing south or east. Blackjack and Glory had one more thing to do before.

Returning to the town she once called home hasn't been easy for her, the cracking of the wood and destroyed or empty buildings gave the town an eerie feeling she didn’t like seeing. But she promised Glory she would do it, that no matter how much she hated her she Dawn still deserve a proper burial.

Carrying the pony size casket on her back as she and the grey pegasus passed a burnout building, Blackjack sighed at what she was doing. Looking at the ruined structure she felt guilty at what had happened here, once the town’s church where she and her friends gathered to seek confrontation and guidance from Rampage’s late husband, now was a dead shell of its former self. She wondered how Priest would feel seeing his church like this.

Passing out of the dead town the pair trotted up toward a field of gravestones. Most looked weather by time but there were a few that looked well kept and new. There were five of them, all made of marvel with names: Priest, Harpica, Rose, Precious, and P21 written on them. The last name made Blackjack just look away, this place just gave her bad memories. Standing to the left side of the graves were Rampage and Lacunae who both nodded, below a newly dug ditch sat waiting. Dirt covered Rampage’s hooves as the striped mare looked on with somber expression. Lacunae was her opposite, holding a stoic face as she floated another gravestone in her.

As Glory and Blackjack stood above the grave, she swung off the casket and gently placed it into the ditch. Rampage started kicking dirt onto it, filling the hole quickly, Lacunae started a praying one that Blackjack knew all too well. “Harmony reminds us that there is no true love without suffering, there is no gift of life without pain.”

Tears began to well up in Glory’s eyes as the words of the prayer filled her. Blackjack embraced in a hug, she needed to be her wife’s anchor right now, whatever feelings she felt about being here again she fought down, she would be strong for Glory. “It’s okay Glory, It’s over okay. You don’t have to suffer anymore. I will be here to protect you no matter what you hear me?”

“I hate her for what she did to you Blackjack but. She was still my mother, and I killed her, I.” With that the cybermare sheesh her lover, not wanting her to go down that train of thought.

“You were only defending me, your not a killer Glory. Not like me”

They all stood there paying some level of respect to the former prophet, After three years it was finally over, the revenge they so cling for was theirs now there was only one thing left. Glory left a flower at the gravestone’s base muttering a prayer as she left her behind, all the mares trotted away from the town leaving their former lives behind for good. Instead they step toward their future, before them a bridge extended over a river to the monolithic walls of the city of Hoofington, beyond them stood the towering form of dozens of skyscrapers, some that pierced the cloud cover like spikes born out of the ground.

Standing on the brigade Charity waited, her impatient face showing as the mares trotted up. “Well come I don’t have all day, time to see what’s inside.” She lifted the Pipbuck on her left hoof and she spoke into its vigorous joy. “Okay Apple Bloom we’re ready, open that sucker for us.”

The loud screeching sound of metal moving hollowed out as the wall began to part. Slowly opening to sight of a wondrous street that , lights still flicker in buildings making it seem as if the city never died. But the sighs of Balefire still touched here as the skeleton lifted the entire sidewalk, there.

Glory turned to Blackjack with a sense of hope in her heart. “We can actually make the Wasteland a better place now. We can make that bright future that Mom wanted.” She’d hope this would make up for it, that her mother’s evil lead good in the end gave her peace of mind.

“Well come then stop waiting.” Rampage galloped off without leaving her friend stun. “The first one who finds the best hotel for us to live in gets the best VIP room.”

Lacunae chuckled, never once in their whole friendship did the striped mare fail to brighten the mood. “Artsole wait you don’t know if there are Ghouls here.” the alicorn nodded to Charity, the yellow filly was then lifted onto her as the Alicorn took flight.

Both Blackjack and Glory laughed, the somber mood lifting as they both chased after their friends toward a brighter future.

End.

Stable nexus Mods:

Project New Horizons: A huge modification to the base Projection Horizons, this mod overhauls factions, characters, and the main plot to add choice. New ending and factions depending on how you play the first potion of the game, get EC-1101 and decide who gets it: twelve new choices added from the Ghouls of Meatlocker to the Crusaders of Chapel. Battle different final bosses based on this choice.

Cybermare of the new age: Adds 50 new cybernetics to the game, upgrade your pony with addons that make them jump higher, shoot better, and have upgraded SATS, comes with a patch for PNH

Alicorn redo: Lacunae was weak in PH so this mod adds more to her, more spells, more power, more attitude. New improvement Lacunae with PNH addon.

Rampage, the zebra Reaper: Adds more zebra-like fighting abilities, now she can brew potions to use in battle. Has a PNH patch if using that mod

Charity, the capitalist filly: Become a worker for Charity and do quest unlocking new weapons and gear. If PNH is installed this adds her as a choice in the game.

Harbinger holy crusade: Redoes the Harbingers to make them more like a true faction in the wastes. Adds a base for them, upgrades their gear, adds variety to their NPCs, and scales but Dawn to make her more threatening than vanilla.