Fallout Equestria New Horizons: Demon Mares

by starwars90001

Rating: mature
Tags: Drama, Gore, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Fallout, Adventure, Violence, Alternate Universe
Length: 20575

In the Hoofington wasteland life is short, violent, and filled with horrors that destroys the sanity of ponies. But four mares stand up to the darkness with burning fury, a cybermare, an alicorn, a mutant, and a filly. The Security Mares

In the hellscape that is the Wasteland, life is short, violent, and destroys the sanity of its inhabitants. No place is more like this than the Hoofington wasteland, once a city of prosperity is now a twisted mockery of arcane metal and technology. Luring many with the promises of wealth from old world treasures it becomes nothing more than a death trap for all who come. Radiation, violent wildlife, and Taint that will mutant to your very core. Your body, your mind, your soul will be broken and become a husk of what it once was. And ultimately you will become a monster in your own right, giving into the cruelty of the wasteland.

In this era a cult has sprung up, preaching promises of riches and hope in return for complete servitude to it's 'goddess'. Driven by a holy quest they seek the total control of the city and to use its bounty to conquer the wastes, turning it into their holy kingdom.

But there are Four mares who fight with violenting burning fury against the darkness. A cybermare, an Alicorn, a mutant, and filly fight a righteous crusade to end the cult and bring peace to the Hoof. With bullets, swords, and magic they will bathe in the blood of the wicked, they will shield the innocent, and they will be the demons that bring down the false Goddess and her cult.

For they are the Security Mares.

Art by Vector Brony, this story is a tribute to Project Horizons so reading that first is advised.

Criticism is needed please, mostly in the spelling and grama department.

Published 2020-07-21 19:50:00 UTC
Last updated 2020-07-28 18:20:55 UTC

Playing Blackjack with a Rampaging Alicorn

Author's Note

Good music for this chapter

Bring da rucks

Protect your neck

Playing Blackjack with a Rampaging Alicorn

When I plan my attack, I doubt that you're ready

The cool winds blew across the brownish land of the Equestrian wasteland, the dead trees and grass blowing along with it. Pools of rainbow-colored liquid filled the area with skeletons of various creatures flooding along the poisonous water. The ruins of many buildings scatter the landscape, the scars of a long-dead civilization.

Tail Whip lowered the scope of his sniper rifle from it and sighed, looking over the wasteland below from the view of his watchtower, the yellow stallion scanned the trail leading down a mountainside and ending at a cave. The Stallion mustered the sniper rifle onto his back then looked around his humble aboard. A few packs of ammo and Sugar apples sat on a table behind him, an ashtray with the remains of cigars lay on the floor, the smoke still coming from a recent light.

“Why do I have to get guard duty?” he brought his left forehoof to his muzzle, looking over a metal device that enclosed around his hoof with a screen, buttons, and dial on top. Pressing a button with his right hoof he smiled in relief as the sound of music began to play. “At least the radio signal is good out here.” Tail Whip began to relax when the music stop to be replaced by the voice of an ecstatic stallion.

“Hello, Wasteland! DJ Pon-3 to bring you the news.” Tail Whip’s face went from a smile to an annoyed frown as his only escape from the burden was taken away, replaced by his most hated pony. DJ-Pon3 was the radio stallion of the entire wasteland, playing songs from before the war and telling wastelanders of the various events around the country. To many, the stallion was a voice of hope as he told the truth no matter how bad it hurt, but for Tail Whip the pony was the bane of his existence. His self-righteous and annoying glee getting on the yellow buck’s nerves.

“Just wait for it to end Tail Whip.” He grumbled under his breath. “Let him talk for a few minutes and it’s back to the music.” The buck went back to looking over the wasteland ignoring the voice of the DJ. Minutes passed as the DJ went through news from around the wasteland, rejoicing in the deeds of some while condemning crimes of others, Tail Whip finally breathe a sigh of relief as the DJ shut up and the beautiful voice of a mare played over the radio. “All good things come to those who wait.” He smiled just for a sec as his head exploded into pieces.

His body went limp and fell over into a bloody mess, the sounds of the mare’s wonderful voice still being heard from his forehoof. In the night three shadows descended from the sky landing softly in a blue field of energy, they made their way inside the cave only to be stopped in their tracks by the sight of a large metal door built into the cave walls. One of the shadows knocked on the metal wall, a few seconds passed until a small hole in the door slid open.

“What’s the password?” A deep voice asked as green eyes appeared in the hole, his question was met with a bullet. A thud could be heard from the other side of the door as one of the shadows attached a small metal device to the door, then pressed a series of keys on the metal box. The device began to beep as a red light turned off and on.

Ponies dressed in combat armor with guns either held in their mouth or a saddle-like harness that held two large firearms ran toward the door and took up firing positions from behind wood crates and cave walls. After a minute the only thing that could be heard was a faint beeping sound, minute by minute, second by second, all guns were pointed at the metal door. And then suddenly chaos.

The door exploded inward sending pieces of metal everywhere, one golden colored unicorn mare was hit in the leg dropping her gun from her magical grip. A second passed then streams of bullets filled the air tearing several crates and killing ponies hiding behind them. Ponies hiding behind cave walls returned fire blindly into the smoke, only to be met with perfect aimed shots to the head. Soon fire filled the hall as small apple-shaped objects floated into the small space and exploded. Within a minute the fighting stopped leaving a hallway of smoke and bodies.

As the dust clouds disappeared the form of three figures walked over the scene unphased and quiet. The one leading the group stood up on two legs like a Minotaur, her limps were a smooth black metal with white cracks between the joints. She carried two pistols, one a 12.7mm and the other a 45 caliber revolver in talons that extended from her forehooves. Dark blue barding covered most of her body with a black riot helmet completely hiding the cyborg’s facial features. The number 99 was printed on her with a little white filly symbol printed under it.

Behind her walked a strange pony in dense-looking armor that covered most of her torso, spikes ran along the back of the armor with dry blood on them. Her hooves were covered by hoof claws that looked like it could tear anything apart with enough force. A metal helmet adored her head with spikes done into a trident-shaped ornament on top, a metal mask blocking out her muzzle leaving only pink eyes as the only thing that could be seen.

And the last one a dark blue unicorn mare with a long flowing blue mane that seemed to weave on its own followed behind her, she wore a black dress with a bow tie around the neck and a black funeral hat to top off the look. The most unusual thing about her appearance was the sight of wings on the unicorn that sported from the black dress. Her horn lit up with a blue glow as three large weapons floated above her, a minigun to her left, a grenade launcher to her right and a very large gun that looked more like a small cannon floated right behind her.

The trio trotted quietly through the hall with the lead cyber pony shooting with an unnatural speed at any pony that came across them. Throughout the cave tunnels, ponies were rushing back and forth, grabbing weapons, setting up chokepoints, traps, and walls to stop the three invaders. As they approached a barricade made of old sandbags, from behind the poor defense ponies fired at the trio only for their bullets to bounce off a light blue sphere that surrounded the mares. One unicorn floated a rocket launcher over her side, waiting until they were in range she bit the device handle, and with a loud whoosh, the rocket fired.

As the rocket approached the mares they kept trotting as if nothing was happening, then as the rocket was about to hit them it froze in midair. Enveloped in the same blue aura that surrounded the trio it hovered for a second before turning around and flying back toward its user. The ponies had a second to react before the rocket slammed into their defense blowing them apart, in a beautiful sight of carnage and fire bodies were sent flying.

As the trio move down the hall, the lead cyber pony stopped short at an entrance leading off from their path. Rising her right leg and pointing the .45 at it, she did a slashing motion and the armored pony behind her nodded. Quickly running in front of the cyber brog and into the entryway, the armored pony was met with high caliber round slamming into her. The impact caused her to stumble back a bit, the round denting the armor but not piercing. The armored pony after regaining her composure darted down the pathway, from behind stacks of crates a griffon with a green eyepiece that flashed numbers held a large long barrel gun, an anti-material rifle. Flanked by two unicorns holding automatic rifles in their magical grips, they pepper the charging armored pony while the griffon lined up another shot, their bullets bounced harmlessly off the armor as she stampeded towards them.

The griffon finally lined up a perfect shot, firing the bullet it hit the charging pony right in the open visor blowing out an eye, but instead of falling or even stumbling, she kept charging as nothing happened. The attacker quickly tried to retreat but the armored mare jumped at them, landing on the griffon and crushing her with a sickening sound. She then proceeded to stab a claw into the pony on her right and tear out their head, then bashed it into the pony on the left.

After a minute the armored mare rejoined the group, her pink eye completely restored. The trio moved on, the only sound being the metal steps as they moved.

As the trio walked through the hall bullets flew at them from all directions only to bounce harmlessly off a blue bubble around the trio. The larger blue mare floated her strange cannon into a doorway on the right. With a loud thunderous roar, the weapon fired and the sounds of explosions followed. In front of them, the path broke into two sections going east and west. The cyber mare stopping for a moment then looking each path over.

The jet-black visor that hid her face flashed bright red for a moment then returned to its normal darkness. She turned her companions then and pointed her 12.7mm pistol at the right path, moving her metal limb in a circular and formation.

The two larger mares nodded in unison then made their way down the west hallway, the cyber mare followed suit running at an unnatural pace in another direction.

From behind an overturned desk, a cream-colored unicorn stallion held a shaw-off shotgun in his magical grip, a purple aura surrounding the weapon. Looking around what was his former office he made sure his ponies were in position, two mares flank the doorway with battle saddles mounted with assault rifles while a zebra holding a sniper rifle in her hooves pointed directly at the door from behind him.

Silence and a general sense of fear followed for minutes but that changed when the sounds of gunfire started blaring up, at first they were far away then they increase in frequency by the minute. Then the gunshots stopped and gave way to an eerie silence, all everyone in the room holding on to their guns tightly waiting for the attacker to make their move.

The door exploded outward, sending pieces everywhere, the two mares flanking the door were sent back as scrap tore into their barding. Before anyone could recover an apple-shaped device was thrown into the room, a blinding light consumed it a second later. The cream-colored stallion tried to get a bearing on the situation but the sounds of gunfire filled the room causing him to duck under his desk. Bodies hitting the floor could be heard all around him then as quickly as the chaos started it stop, the only thing he could hear was the ringing in his ears.

As he lifted his head from his desk to look around he was met with the horror of his ponies laying dead around him, the two mares laying at separate ends of the room bullet holes in their heads. The Zebra mare’s body hung from the desk. But most frightening of all was that the attacker was nowhere to be seen.

He got to his hooves, ignoring the pain in his legs, and thought of making a mad dash for the door. That thought died as the feel of metal fingers wrapped around his throat and brought him face to face with the jet black visor of the cyber mare.

“Please, I could pay you a fortune. Howse 1000 caps sound?” His begging was only met with cold silence. The visor turned a bright red as the cyber mare looked at him. “I won't do my business here anymore, if you let me go I will leave the hoof and you will never hear from me.” Still, nothing as she brought her right hoof up, and extended talons came out. “Your security right? you don’t kill defenseless ponies if they surrender. Spare me! Please!”

“That mare left a long time ago.” Her voice sent chills down his spine. Her red eyes began to glow, using other talons she pressed on his right eye, she pushed his eye into the socket. The sounds of screams were the only thing that could be heard throughout the halls of the tunnels, and then silence.

With a loud explosion, a mare was torn in two, her body falling to the floor as the hooves of other ponies tramped and fell over her. Three more met her fate as the fleeing crowd ran from their attackers. Behind them large light blue unicorn walked calmly alongside her armored friend, firing the strange cannon-like weapon, picking off more ponies as they strolled. The fleeing herd ran toward their only hope, a large set of metal doors that led to a huge open interior filled with cages. As the herd ran the double doors began to close forcing ponies to gallop faster, five made through before the metal doors closed too tight leaving ten behind to their fate.

The ponies looked between each other, some beating on the doors screaming for help. Their pleas stop when a rough-sounding voice spoke from behind. “Well, this your bad day mate.” They all turned to see the armored mare staring at them, while her face was hidden the faint sight of a smile could be seen. The sight of her sinister pink glowing eyes cause three of the ponies to cower in fear, the close’s pony, a purple mare stood frozen at the monster in front of her.

With the swing of her forelegs, her hoof claws tore into the purple mare’s muzzle and with a yank, the whole mouth was torn off. The purple pony fell limp to the ground. The ones close to the door began beating on it again while the others went for weapons in their hosters.

Before they could attack the armored mare launched forward, putting her hooves around a golden buck’s neck as he reached for his gun. With a hard headbutt, she drove the spike on her helmet into the pony’s eye socket, a second later he stopped moving. Before she could drop his body the other ponies pulled their guns into their mouths and began firing, most bounce off her armor but the ones aimed at her legs found their mark, tearing away flesh and then bone. One unicorn mare to her side blew out the armored mare’s left hind leg with a shotgun.

But she did not fall, yell in pain, or whimper instead, a quiet giggle turned into a hard laugh that stopped the ponies from shooting, they looked at her in confusion than in horror as her wound healed. The bone restoring itself then the skin and fur, until the white coat with red stripes returned. “Ya are rich, you thought you could kill me.” her glowing eyes narrowed. “Now which of you, fools want to be chop chop first?” Her pink eyes dotted to the unicorn with the shotgun. “How about you mate?”

Before the mare could even move the armored mare launched herself at the unicorn. Stampeding into the mare with a sickening crunch the strange mare pushed the unicorn mare into another pony as her charge continue. With a loud crash, the two ponies lie limp against the cave wall. The strange mare turned to the remaining five ponies, all who wore expresses of dread and spoke coldly. “ I’m not done yet, mate.”

She charged them, in seconds she ripped and tore through them rearing the entire cave tunnel with blood and corpses. Looking on at the whole display the large unicorn mare simply sighed, waiting until the carnage was done her horn lift up and a saddlebag on her flank opened, floating a white flower out, she brought it to her mouth and ate it. When her sack was done she simply spoke condescendingly.

“Rampage are you done yet?” while quite they got the strip pony’s attention, Rampage gave her a ‘what?’ look that made the large unicorn huff in annoyance. “Rampage I know you find these types of jobs fun, but do remember our main objective. Your slaughter comes second to that remember?”

“Oh right sorry Lacunae, got carried away.” Rampage tried to hide her embarrassment, this hadn’t been the first time she’d got carried away on a job. Nearly cost them once, boss chewed her out for that. “Hold on have that door down in a second.” Rampage trotted up to the metal doors, and with a quick spin, she bucked the doors with her hind legs.

With tremendous force, the doors bent after each buck, until with the last kick the doors gave way. Falling backward with a loud cling as it hit the floor, dust filled the air. Rampage’s greeting was met with a hell storm of bullets, the barrage of fire simply annoying the mare. From inside the room, eighteen ponies kept firing endlessly hoping the mare would just die! But as the sound of guns clicking empty started happening one after another, a sense of dread filled the ponies as the dust settled. But as things became cleared the doorway was completely empty say for their fallen brethren.

“You should pay attention to your opponent instead of just randomly shooting.” a soft but cold voice spoke from behind them before any pony could turn around all of them were encased in a bluish glow and lifted into the air. The sound of cracking and popping of necks followed as the bodies hit the floor the form of a large unicorn mare stood watching the carnage she had created. “They might just sneak up on you.”

Trotting up from behind her the striped armored mare huff at her in an annoyed tone. “I could have handled that you know.” She stared up at the larger mare with a smirk as pinkish light began closing bullet holes on the mare's face.

“You were taking too long, we need to rush this job along, remember?” The larger mare gave the striped a stern but friendly look “Besides your armor was getting damaged a bit, you want to explain to the boss why you need another set?”

The smaller mare made an annoyed huff at the idea, the amount of yelling she expected for just a few dents made her groan deeply as the thought of another verbal tear down ran through her. “Yeah yeah, Celestia knows we don’t need the boss chewing us out.” The striped mare turned to face their real objective, behind them sat cages stacked into piles on top of each other. Inside was a sight that spoke to the cruelty of the Wasteland, slaves. Some were dirty and unkempt, others looked badly injured with scars on their bodies, all wore metal collars attached to bars of the cage to keep mobility limited.

The striped mare grunted angrily at the sight, while she had seen it all before it was enough to get her blood boiling. “Didn’t we stop this?” she thought to herself as they trotted to a cage.

The ponies inside tried to move away as the two mares approached, fearing painted on all their faces. This made the two mares stop in their tracks giving each other a worried look before the larger mare trotted to the cage. It was only when the cheerful shouts of a young filly chained up in the corner at the sight of the mares

“It’s them! It’s them, Mama! It’s the Heroes!” At first, an older light pink mare tried to hush her child but as the filly kept shouting all the ponies in the cage looked at the mares with a sense of hope they thought they never would have again

With a kind smile and smooth sounding voice Lacunae spoke. “You need not worry, we are here to release you.” The ponies in the cage's eyes lit up with surprise.

“We are the Demon Mares.”

The pony that rules even the Security Mares, the Capitalist filly

The Meek ain't gonna inherit shit! because I'll take it

Hoofington, the most violent region in the entire wasteland. Named so after the giant-shaped hoofed island sitting in the middle of a large river leading to the ocean. Before the war, this land was a drip in greater Equestria, a small settlement of little interest. But when the war started it became a place of installation, the Hoof turned from a backwater to the third most advanced city in the nation with the motto “Hoofington rises” behind it. Also made it a target for Equestria’s greatest enemies, with its advanced defense system it stood for any attack but it failed like the rest of the country when the bombs drop.

But even dead the city stood, as its black tower loomed over the wasteland as if it stood above it. The green glow of the core city creating a sickening green taint to the landscape itself. The land was dotted with hundreds of makeshift towns that sported in the wake of the end of the world, all seeking to carve their piece of the pie.

Charity watched all of this from the safety of a view screen with a smirk on her face, staring at the wasteland gave her a sense of pride she hadn't felt since she started her first business. Of course, owning a hidden underground government shelter as your base of operations was another type of pride, the pride that comes when you know you made it.

But this was nothing for what’s to come, when she was done the wasteland would be hers.

She sat back in her chair turned back to her desk, piles of neatly stacked papers sat to her sides, the room that she had made her office was a large former command room with screens showing the entire area around the encloser. a metal box-shaped device sat next to her, a yellow screen flashing test before laminating her face. Her smile grew as text saying 'Mission completed' popped up on her screen.

“Finally, it's all coming together.” That was all she said as she looked up to the sound of buzzing from the box that spooked her. The screen flash then slowly forms into an image of a yellow earth pony mare with a red mane, tied up by a red bow.

“Looks like the mission was a success, the Security Mares have been killing it these last few jobs.” She spoke with a hard accent in glee. “Them girls are something else, they lay the smackdown harder than a bull gone wild.”

Charity just nodded and sat back, the little unicorn’s horn lighting in a yellowish glow. A desk draw was incased in the unicorn’s magic grip and sled open, with the same aura a pencil and papers flew onto the desk. And within a second was jolting down words, Charity had never been great in magical telekinesis but she could use it well enough for what she needed.

“Prepare to send this message to the Society when Blackjack and others get back.” She paused in thought. “And tell the Reapers that our favor is about to come in.” She turned back to the screens, staring at the wasteland with that same wicked smile. “With this everything we’ve been planning will come to head, that bitch won’t see what’s coming to her.”

A buzzing sound broke Charity from her thought as the screen flashed blue. “The Security Mares have returned Ms.Charity, Blackjack says they have presented the Society order.” The mare on the screen cringed a bit at that last part, clearly being an A.I. didn’t stop from you getting disgusted at more vi;; thing.

“Well send them in, I don't have all day.”

Another buzz sounded and two large double sted open to reveal the trio standing in a dimly lit white hallway. In the middle, the cyber mare carried a bag in her talons that dropped with red sustains to the center of the office, she raised the bag as proof of a finished job. “Job’s all finished boss, wasn’t super hard but we needed to use a rocket or two,” she said with a little hed breath. “Yep, nothing over the budget boss.” The cyber mare seemed to coward a little before her superior, a filly. Young enough to be her younger sister.

Charity just nodded waving her hoof. “Job well done Blackjack. Y'all can have the rest of the week off if you want while I set up the next job.” Then she paused for a moment. “But none of you will be paid for the week, understand?” That got groans from Blackjack and Rampage but Charity just rolled her eyes got annoyed at it. “Don’t y'all groaned at me, should I remind you all how you fucked that job last month?”

“Bu-But Charity that I didn’t know we were transporting glass.” Blackjack protested.

“You dropped 4,000 caps of glass items from Canterlot you idiot! That job would have helped a lot and you missed it up on a hunch!” At that the cyber mare backed down, knowing she had lost. Rampage giggled at the display causing Charity to give her the stink eye. “Oh don’t think your perfect Rampage, I see those dens in that armor! Do you know how much that cost?”

Rampage just looked away as if trying to escape the attention brought on her. “2-2,000 ca-.”

“No! No! No! 6,000 caps to get your armor repair to full condition by the Reapers. 6,000 for you waste away rushing into anti-material fire you fucking moron! Rampage you are trotting money waster when you're supposed to be a Reaper Death commando and a Zebra Impy act like one!”

The sight of an armored death mare like Rampage being lectured like a school filly by an actual Filly would be a humorous sight, in reality when one understood the power dynamic between Charity and her “employees” it took on a more “horrifying” sight. Rampage simply just kept her mouth shut as Charity took the bag away from Blackjack floating it to the side of her desk.

“Besides your all getting your biggest payday next job. The one we’ve been preparing for a year now.” They all lit up at that. “The next job is one we spent two years training, six months building towards, we're getting our revenge.” all of them showed surprise at that. Looks of shock between them. “So rest up the rest of the week, go enjoy yourself if you want. but get ready, because the next job we’re taking the fight to that bitch Dawn and her Hargbriners.”

All three mares stared at each other without saying a word, but the same expression written on their faces. Determination and desire. Blackjack turned to face Charity. “Just one thing boss.” She grabbed the helmet with her talons and remove it to her side. Revealing a white pony with a black-red strip mane, eyes that glowed a soft hue of red that was unnatural. But most noticeable of all was the sight of a shattered horn on her head.

“Dawn’s mine you understand and mine alone.” There was no argument just a simple nod from the young filly. With that the three mares trotted out of the office, Charity silently watching as they want. When they were gone she turned back to her wasteland with the same wicked smile.

“Hoofigton rises indeed.”

Prophet of the Machine Goddess, Goddess of the dead city

Your heaven is someone's else hell

The screen before her flashed images of the former battle, a cave that had once been host to the last slave operation in Hoofington was now nothing more than an empty wreck. Bodies lay scattered about, doors below or tore open, and smoke bellowed from room to room. She had to admit watching their hoof work for the last year had interested her as to how good they had gotten, from wiping out pirates to ending slavery in the hoof they seemed to have done it all. Yet the question still remains, how did they resurface so fast and get so well-armed?

Dawn looked away from the console losing interest in the images and looking around the large command room, consoles with monitors litter the room with ponies watching all of them, various images from around the Hoof gave her Harbingers eyes everywhere. Looking to her side a young stocky green mare in white combat armor stood watching with a look of fright at the sight, mixing of shock and awe written on her as if she bore witness to Celestia’s fury. Dawn looked at her with a hint of amusement, clearly, the new merc wasn’t expecting this level of death and destruction from just three mares.

“What’s wrong Captain Green Field? Are the Demon Mares that amazing?” Dawn smiled somewhat smugly at the tough as nails mercenary captain. When the Dead Horses had signed on their current job they always mocked that working for the Harbingers would be easy caps, now they’d seen what awaited them on the job.

Green Field snapping to attention tried to put on a more professional face to keep her tough composure. “No Ma’am these “Security Mares” are just overblown mercs, nothing that the Dead Horses can’t handle.” She said with a little hesitation in her voice.

Dawn didn’t mind the merc’s bravo but failed to understand the level of threat before her. She would meet the same fate as the last few mercenary companies that fought against Demons but Dawn hoped they would at least serve some use. “Ms.Green I would like for you to gather your company and the other mercs. I believe its time to prepare for an attack.” Dawn turned to her in cold expression, the calm demeanor of the mare leaving for a more commanding presence. “I have important matters to attend too, contact me only when you need me.”

“Yes, Prophet.” was all Green Field said as she watched the graceful form of the pegasus mare trotting out the sliding door.

Trotting through the hall Dawn always stunned on some leveled at the simple sight of it, the halls radiant cleanness with a pedestal white that seemed almost heavenly in its design, with pre-war magic tech this based she and her followers took over was a marvel of engineering that made the rest of the wasteland look like a hellhole in comparison. A marvel she wished to spread to the rest of the Wasteland but to do that she needed one thing first.

Passing a hall of windows, she stopped to gaze upon the Wasteland below from her tower. With the blessing of their Goddess, they had claimed the Stable-Tec tower, the largest building outside the Core as their own. Turning it into a temple to their goddess, now this served as both a beacon to the faithful who would come and a barrier against those who would threaten them. Walls of newly made steel surrounded the town with gun towers protecting the outside, inside a makeshift town thrived with hundreds of ponies, griffins, and even zebras making a life here.

She smiled at it, soon the faithful would be rewarded.

Trotting into an elevator that shared the same cleanliness as the rest of the hallway, she turned to the elevator's control panel and extended a hoof covered in clothing. From the hoof a talon spilled forth and pressed the number 13.

When the elevator stopped and opened its door it revealed a harmonic sight of a large living room. A couch and chairs were set facing a fireplace at the center of the room, a small kitchen with several cabinets and a rainbow fridge overlooked already prepared food sat to the far right of Dawn. Stairs lead to a balcony that overlooked the living room below, Dawn trotted up the stairs hearing a faint sound of music playing.

“She’s playing that song again huh?” Trotting through a hall with four doors on each wall, Dawn stopped at the door last on the right. Pushing the already cracked door she was greeted by the sight of a grey pegasus mare laying on a bed curled up into a ball, a radio playing a familiar song.

Dawn looked around the room, it was the perfect filly heaven. A bright pink hug was invented in everything from the beds to the dresser. A bookcase was filled with tons of scientific literature and biology books right sat on the right wall, small model planets and stars hung from in a mock-up of the solar system. The younger pegasus looked almost at peace in the setting if the face of a destroyed mare wasn’t written all over her.

Dawn looked at her, the mirror image of her with a grey coat and purple mane to boot. One could easily confuse them as sisters at a glance only the sights of age telling them apart. Dawn somewhat took pride in that fact. Trotting up to the younger mare Dawn took a seat on the opposite side of her bed and looked at her.

“Listening to that old song again Glory?” She spoke calmly and motherly hoping for some response this time. But no response came, instead, the same awkward quiet they usually shared. “The silent treatment this week Glory? Haven’t we been through this before?” Still, she did not answer. “Glory, everything I do is for your and Equestria’s benefit, I didn’t want to hurt you but your friends stood in the way of that quest. I just want you to live in an Equestria where there are no raiders, mutants, Taint, and Magical Radiation. Where you and your sisters can run across the green fields, playing in the beautiful sun, and stare at the sky from the ground without that accursed cloud cover. Where glorious technology we access is spread across the land, and ponies live a peaceful life without knowing the pain the wasteland brings.”

A small hiccup could be heard from the younger mare, and with pain in her tone, she asked. “What about Blackjack? What’s in that world for her?”

At that, Dawn angrily got up and smashed a hoof into the floor. “She's going to die that’s what! I built all of this for you! I betrayal the Enclave, gave my body, my soul so that my family and Wasteland can have a bright future. If I have to kill one mare and take away my Daughter's wife I will!” Glory shurk back at that, turning away from her so-called mother. Dawn simply turned away and started for the door. But before she could Glory muttered something under her breath.

“You already did.” was all Dawn could faintly hear. She didn’t turn to face her daughter, she just left.

Mares tv and chilling beneath the dead earth

Author's Note

Chill music for this chapter

Sofa king by MF Doom

Bored! | Made By The Universoul Will

Mares tv and chilling beneath the dead earth

Every week, it's mystery meat, seaweed stewed

The cloud cover that blocked out the sun for nearly two hundred years oftentimes produces very severe weather, but in the Hoof, it was worse. An endless stream of storms always hit the Hoof every other week, turning an already miserable area of the Wasteland to a funfair of misery. To add to the view Hoofington’s towers that sat at the heart of all of it, the giant black spares overlooking the entire valley.

To Blackjack though the rain Hoofington meant listening to the endless rushing of water through pipes and the drips coming from the ceiling. More than once did she have to fix the cracks in the wall just to get some sleep, or what she now called sleep. Yawning and getting up with a tired posture, she scanned the mess that was her small room, glowing of eyes lighting up the room as she looked around. A table with empty blueberry whiskey bottles sat to the side of her bed, a terminal nestled against the wall with a faint blue glow from its view screen, shelves lined the room with an assortment of items from guns to armored barding.

As the white unicorn mare got to her hooves she scratched her mane with her talons, she sluggishly walked over boxes of old snacks and clothes littering the floor. “Mom would kill me if she saw how I treated my room now.” Blackjack let the thought pass as she opened her door to a brick hallway.

Making a clunking sound with every step, she walked down the hallway unlit she came out into a midsize living where a collection of living chairs and a couch faced a view screen, in the right hoof corner of the room a Contrabass next to a large sky blue piano on top a makeshift stage ready to play at any time. A kitchen faced the living from the opposite side of the cyber mare. There Rampage stood over a pot stringing as bubbles and the smell of cooking food filter throughout the room.

“What’s for dinner Ramp?” Blackjack yawned as she walked over to the couch.

“Fried Manticore and carrot soup.” Rampage said as she grabbed a piece of meat and tossed it into the pot.

Blackjack’s face just cringed at that. Clearly the thought of eating meat still didn’t sit right with her after all these years. “You know Rampage I know you like to eat meat but the rest of us.” She tried to hold her words. “Well, we never develop the taste for it.”

“Oh, So I go out there, risk getting caught by Harbingers and kill a month’s worth of food just for you to whine, whine, whine about how you don’t like meat?” the red stripe white mare stop her cooking and place her forehooves on the counter in a triangle formation, leading on to her hooves she smiled with a smuggish expression. “Since you don’t like my cooking we can go back to eating what we did before.” Her grin turned crueler. “You can go back to eating rusted scrap metal and bricks once a month, Luu Luu drinking Rads, and Charity will only get food.”

She grabbed the pot and lifted it off the table, standing on her back hooves she made her way toward a doorway in the kitchen. “Since you want to be a bludger I think I should get rid of this soup. How about that mate?

Blackjack protested as quickly as she could. “Ah, no thank you Rampage your meat cooking is great I’m just being a picky eater that’s all.” She laughed nervously.

Blackjack would rather eat meat Rampage savage off a dead mutant frog then go back to eating rusted scrap. It had the taste of mud mix with salt and eating it gave her stomach pains. All the tasty metals Blackjack could eat were off-limits, only to be used in repair or crafting weapons.

Rampage turned around, a smile of victory on her face as she walked back to the counter. “See Blackjack I knew you would see reason.” chuckled as she placed the pot down and went back to cooking. “Besides meat’s good you, it builds muscles and keeps you healthy.”

“Healthy if you don’t mind vomiting.” Lacunae walked out the hallway Blackjack entered from carrying a glass filled with red wine in her magic, her blue flowing mane magically flowed gracefully behind her. She wore a dark dress that had stars that flickered as she trotted. “Arloste in all the 30 years I’ve known you I’ve never gotten used to your.” She paused for a moment. “Refined tastes.”

Rampage just huff at that. “That’s because you got an elitist diet, Luu Luu. You were spoiled by those Canterlot 5 star restaurants.” Standing up straight and taking a high brown posture Rampage put her best high society voice. “Oh I only eat my carrots if their barbie to 250 degrees, with only the finest spice from Griffin lands and Canterlot sauces, added on.” the alicorn just giggled at her friend’s mocking. “Luu Luu we live in that Wasteland now! Ain’t no time to be a pretentious eater, gotta eat what you kill! Eat what you steal! And most importantly old shit from a 200 year old supermarket.”

“I don’t agree with the killing part but you are a little too hard to please Lacunae.” Blackjack wasn’t fully in the conversation, instead, turning on the view screen with a box shaped device. On it images of a pony being chased by a griffin played. “Remember when we went to Flank and you wouldn’t buy a drink unless it was fresh blueberries mixed with 7 month old liquor.” Blackjack stared back at her with a smug face. “Me and P-21 had to tell you how uptight you were being.”

Lacunae just looked between both of them, giving them her best ‘really?’ look. “Ah yes, I’m getting food advice from Mare who eats her own flesh, and Stable pony who ate chips made from recycled shit and body parts her whole life. Truly my tastes are to “Uptight” for mares of such good tastes.” That got both of them to shut up while Lacunae took a sip of her red wine in victory.

Charity trotted into the room, carrying an assortment of sacks in her magical grip. “Blackjack move over I got cartoons to finish.” She took a seat next to the bigger mare and unwrap a candy revealing a chocolate bar underneath.

“Say boss mind if I borrow some caps? I want to buy some new parts for my bike, he needs more spark mileage..” Blackjack put on her widest grin, the grin that any filly would do when begging their parents for something.

The actual Filly just gave her a look any parent would give that begging. “Do I look like I’m made of money? Bitch no, go sale that trash you horde in storage.” She said barely looking at the cyber mare.

“What! I can’t sell my stuff off! Some of that stuff was hard fought!” Blackjack protests to Charity that just gave her a look.

“Oh, you mean like that sniper rifle you never use?” She said in an angrier mocking tone. “Or that collection of old porn you barely watch?”

Blackjack looked away, her face turning red at the claim. “I wasn’t finished watching all of them, I was just half through.”

If Charity groaned any louder they would hear in the heavens. She closed her eyes and she muttered angrily. “Luna damn it Blackjack, why are you such a pervert.”

Lacunae chuckled at the display trotted over to the kitchen where she sat the glass down on a counter. “Arloste I’m going out tonight so I won’t be able to partake in your cooking. Could you leave me a bow for when I return.” Rampage just nodded to her friend, the two having a perfect understanding of each other.

“I have a date at the society and I don’t like being late.”

Blackjack’s ears perked up at the conversation. When it came to relationships and most importantly physical interaction she was all ears. “So Lacunae you and Strong Hooves been bumping flanks?” Rampage asked while grinning ear to ear.

The question was met with a friendly eye roll from the Alicorn. “No, we’re taking things steady, I’ve only been on three dates. We don’t rush anything.”

Blackjack just giggled and fell back on the couch holding back full laughter while the Alicorn glared daggers at her. “Geez Lacunae even your nightlife is uptight.” the cyber mare ignored the burning look she was getting and just grinned. “Live it up Lacunae, you don’t have to do the good little pony thing like before the war. Back in Stable 99 if you didn’t get some flank after the first time you weren’t worth it.” Lacunae just rolled her eyes, always listening to Blackjack gave her a headache. “Where I come from you would still be a virgin up there with the Stable’s priestess. And I think even she got some behind the scenes.”

“Your right Blackjack I should live like you and your kin do. I should act like a degenerate who has sex with every mare I see like some filly in heat, while having no real relationships what so ever, truly the life.” Lacunae said as she looked at Blackjack with the most contemptuous look.

If words could kill Blackjack would be a pile of ash from the levels of burns Lacunae could dish out. Blackjack just shut up and went back to watching the viewscreen, Lacunae just turned back to Rampage. “I will be back probably in the morning, no need to wait up.” She turned back to the cyber mare. “And you Blackjack do your horn treatment while I’m gone, Arloste will tell if you didn’t.” Blackjack nodded shamefully. With that, the Alicorn walked gracefully out of the doorway in the kitchen.

“See ya Luu Luu, tell Steel Boy I said hi when you see him.” Rampage went back to cooking while Blackjack and Charity watched a cartoon of two cowponies battling aliens.

Later the trio sat at the bar that lined the front of the kitchen, Blackjack, and Charity sitting on the outside while Rampage sat on the inside like some type of bartender, Blackjack had to cringe her way through the meal while Charity and Rampage ate the meal like it was candy.

Blackjack pushed away her food trying to find a topic to get her mind off it. Getting lost in thought her thoughts fell again on the big question that they all had on their minds. “Do you guys think we’re ready for this?” the tone of fear and uncertainty in the cyber mare's voice gave pause to the others. “Dawn and her Harbingers are going to throw everything they have at us, this gonna be the biggest battle since we fought Sanguine and his mutants.”

Rampage and Charity had expressions of longing desires written all over them. Rampage spoke up first in a cold voice. “For what those Dongos did to Chapel, did to the Crusaders, to my husband.” Now her voice was becoming more threatening. “We’re gonna buried those fuckers.”

“We didn’t prepare for a year just to back out now.” Charity interjected. “Remember what Dawn did to P-21? Remember how Scotch die?” Blackjack shink back at that. “Remember who has your wife locked up in their base. Or have you gone back to merciful little saint have you?”

Blackjack glared with red burning hate. “The only mercy their getting is the barrels of my shotgun.”

“Well I hope ya’ll don’t go and get yourself broke before I can finish the upgrades Sugarcubes.” A robotic voice with a strange accent made the mares turn to look at the large view screen. On it a light yellow mare with a light red mane done into a bow stared back excitedly at the mares. “Y'all gals already saddling up for the final battle, and I still have several upgrades to test out.”

Charity huff at the view screen mare, she gave her best ‘not this again’ face as she spoke. “Listen Apple Bloom. I told you that we don’t need any more upgrades to our gear, we’re literally about to have the big final battle. We don’t have time to waste getting more upgrades.”

The image of the yellow mare’s ears lowered, disappointment showing as if Charity had taken away her favorite toy. Blackjack sensing the awkward mood that had spur up, walked back into the living room, a good idea coming to mind. “Apple Bloom howse about I test some of those new limb and SATS mods. I’m sure they can help in the upcoming battle.”

The cute looking mare shot up at that, the vigor she just had a moment ago returning in full force. “Thanks Blackjack, I’ve been dying to try out the new SATS mods!” The joy at which the view screen pony shouted made Blackjack cringe back a little but she kept her smile. “Come to the lab, I can do the tests now.”

Blackjack nodded, the thought passing through her mind, this was the perfect escape from the dinner and the perfect excuse to skip horn treatment. “Sorry, Rampage can’t finish dinner today, put it in the fridge okay? Also tell Lacunae that Apple Bloom needed me.” Rampage raised an eye brow at that but before the mare could protest Blackjack was already running down the hall.

The room Apple Bloom called her lab was an old medical area that had been converted into a more general sciences room, there was still sighs of the old medical center with med beds and scanning equipment scattered around, but the area clearly had been redesigned. A set of workbenches and metal forges lined the front wall, piles of scrap metal, and robot parts laid in an eastern corner of the room, in the center of the room a silver metal table stood. From the ceiling, several spider-like arms extended toward the table below, various devices such as a saw blade and injection needle on them.

“Alright Sugarcube, let’s get this business on the road.” The gleeful accent mare’s voice boomed from speakers in the corners of the room.

Placing herself on the table and turning to look up at the spider-like limbs, a sense of unease hit Blackjack. She had been in this position before, going through several of these operations, but no matter how many times she did the feeling that those arms would rip her apart never went away. But she fought to keep that unease to herself, never allowing Apple Bloom to know it.

“So Bloomie, what’s the mods your installing?” Blackjack hoped some small talk would take her mind off the limbs of death above her.

“Oh! I decide to redo SATS to make it faster to activate, and it can now target more specific parts of a target like say the or the eye pupil. I’ve also added a system that will tell you how hurt ponies around you are, for letting yall know who to shot more.” An arm with a wire at the end lower itself down toward Blackjack’s left forehoof, a compartment on the hoof opened showing a collection of ported embedded into the hoof.

The wire connected with a small blue and in an instant Blackjack’s vision was filled with numbers that she seldom understood. “The mods should take 30 minutes to install, but the limp upgrades will take an hour.”

“What are the limp upgrades anyway?”

“Oh, it’s a new Stealth Buck system along with grappling hooves for ya. Should make getting out of a spot easy for ya honeypie.”

Another limp extended down, this one having a drill that lower to blackjack’s left forehoof. The cyber mare simply laid back and tried to relax as the drill undid bolts in her arm. “So do you think this will help me beat Dawn?” The thought hung on the mare’s mind. She had given her remaining eye, limbs, and some organs to become this cybernetic creature, all in hopes that it could beat the Angel of the Harbingers.

Apple Bloom took note of the mare’s doubtfulness and tried to reassure her the best she could. “ those cyber pony addons are my best work, I used both Deus and Dawn’s model for yours. Your gonna do fine sugarcube, You’re the Deomh, Deamon?”

“daemonium et stellas.” Blackjack corrected her, laughing a bit. “Sorry I got a hard Zebra name.”
“Well hon you're the deadliest thing outside of Rampage. Y’all will do just fine when the battle starts and you will kick that Prophet's can while saving your wife.” Blackjack smiled at that, the happy upbeatness of the A.I. always brought up the mood no matter what. “Plus I got a score to settle with a certain A.I., got something cooking for her when the fighting starts.”

She didn’t quite know what that last part meant but Blackjack just relaxed and let the arms from the ceiling do their work “For all of this I’m going to make it worth it.”

A holy book of Bad Faith

Yo, I'm labelled as a bad character
No matter what I do I'm labelled as a bad character

Dawn looked over the audience in front of her, standing on a metal circular stage she overlooked a large theater, in front of her stood hundreds of ponies sitting in rows of six with four sets of balconies holding even more ponies. Behind her, a large white screen, a static image of the Harbingers’s symbol, three towers over a green background, projected from a boot plaster at the highest balcony.

Looking to her sides Dawn waved a black hoof to unicorn ponies dressed in sickly green robes. Their horns lit up in a rainbow formation around the mare. Cleaning her throat Dawn spoke with a gentle yet commanding voice. “Welcome all who come to be saved by our great city, for only the faithful and the just will find salvation in this dark era.” She said as her voice boomed.

“For 200 years our great nation of Equestria has been reduced to a blasted balefire hell escape. For 200 years our children have suffered at the horrors of the Equestrian wasteland, Raiders, Slavers, Steel Rangers, and so much more.” Her voice became more firm and more intense as she spoke. “Well not anymore!” the screen behind her flash and the image of two letters and four numbers formed. “With this code, our Goddess can restore our great nation back to the former glory that was taken from us so long ago! She can reopen the city of Hoofington and use its bounty to rebuild our nation!” the loud roar hoof stumps cheering filled the theater as if the second coming of Celestia was happening. Dawn raised her hoof to silence the crowd, her tone changing to a more dyer one.

“But there are those who stand in our way, those who would stop our right to take our future into our hooves. No, my little ponies it’s not the savages of the Reapers and the gangs of the Hoof, nor are they the metallic monks of the Steel Rangers. No, it is instead a pair of four mares that stand in our way, who not only seek to prevent us from greatness but to destroy us.”

She paused dramatically letting her words sink in. “The Demons that call themselves the SECURITY MARES.”

The name got lots of muttering and chatter from the crowd, some wore worried looks, while others talked in confusion. Some wore the face of ponies who knew exactly what Dawn talked about, those ponies preview to the actions of the mares.

“I know that some of you that seem unfamiliar with them or you’ve only known of such mares from rumors and radio. But make no mistake these mares are real, and their actions cost our noble quest halt.” With a click the screen flicker to one of Blackjack, Lacunae, Rampage, and Charity. All standing over a yellow mare that resembled Charity a bit, the small filly held a gun to the older mare’s head with a wicked grin no filly should have on her face. Behind the mares was a scene of death and destruction only a large force could cause, an entire town was set ablaze, buildings burned or were completely destroyed, bodies of dozens of ponies lay everywhere tore or shot apart. It was as if Celestia herself had smitten the town

“Here my little ponies is what the security mares wish to do to us!” That got horrid looks out of dozens of ponies in the audience, some even reconsidering joining this cult, to begin with. “This is our greatest threat, four demon mares who seek to bring our holy cause to a violent end. And they will stop at nothing to see that happen.”

“These mares have many names across the Hoof, and some of them are considered heroes to this area, but they are helots! Do not fall for their tricker.” With another click, the screen change to a film of Blackjack ducking behind the cover of a mailbox as a crowd of ponies fired upon her, to her side a blue stallion was shouting something that the mare just nodded at. The stallion hoofed over four apple shaped metal devices, the mare’s horn flared up, in a flash she disappeared only to reappear behind the crowd, dropping the apple looking devices and flashing away before any of them could react. The apples exploded blowing apart ponies in a colorful haze.

“This is Blackjack,” Dawn said with poison in her voice as if the name was cursed. “First Security Mare.” Dawn stumped a hoof cracking the wooded stage under her a little. “Born out of those cursed Stables, she has walked the Hoof causing death where she goes. It was she who started the war between the Steel Rangers and Reapers four years ago, it was she who is responsible for Sanguine’s rampage, she who has hounded us for over a year now.”

“killer of Deus EX Machina” Another image showed a large cyber pony whose entire body was cybernetic with two cannons stripped to his side that looked like they could tear tanks apart. He looked like death in the flesh if it wasn’t for the scene that was actually playing out, Blackjack stood pin under the mechanical pony pointing a small silver gun to the metallic pony’s chest. From the other side, a beam of heavenly looking light tore the metallic pony body like paper. Blood, oil, and metal pieces flow outward as metal the pony scream.

“Slayer of Sanguine the mad scientist pony” Another image showed Blackjack shooting a ghoulish white stallion in the face with magical energy from her horn, around her monstrous pony-like creatures rushed toward her.

“Daemonium et Stellas And the holder of the last piece of EC-1101!” Next image was Blackjack the cyber mare killing dozens of robe Harbingers with a mad glee on her face. “She has sworn a blood feud with us over the right to simply owe my daughter.

Another click and an image of Rampage appear, the striped mare looked on in cruel glee at sight before her. Mutated bodies surrounded her in a maze of slaughter, some had their torse caved in, others tore to hell, organs were ripped from their bodies and spread around the landscape, heads and hooves were everywhere. All the carnage led back to one source, Rampage was covered in gore looking less pony and more like a beast.

“But the Demonium is not alone, she is followed by Red Death of the Reapers. The Rampage.” quite a few ponies gasp at the sight of the mare, the idea one pony could cause such carnage seemed unreal. “She is a cruel spawn of the old world, given the power of a healing talisman this mare has slaughtered across our land for 70 years now. It was she who wiped out the Collegiate, robbing the wasteland of medical knowledge from 200 years ago, she who helped create the Reapers, bringing forth a gang to terror the wastes. She created the new drug Red Berry creating a new generation of addicts. She is a vile creature whose savage nature knows no bounds. she has the deaths of hundreds and yet even that can’t end her bloodlust. But she is a saint compared to the next mare.”

The image flip to one of Lacunae looking over a gathering of ponies, looking eerie similar to Dawn’s own gathering “Do not let the form of this “angel” fool you, she will tell you that her “Goddess” is the true savior of the wasteland, that you only be saved by joining the Unity and becoming a part of their “Goddess” and be given a form of an Alicorn. Do not believe her lies! She is a false angel of a Devil that seeks nothing but the death of ponykind! Our goddess is true and she provides for all, one does not even have to join our cause to be given the gift of hope. We serve all comers whereas the “Goddess” and her flock serve only themselves.”

With another click, the set of images of became Lacunae towering over several unicorns encased in a bubble while two identical-looking ponies like her looking down at the unicorns. Looks of dread were shared among the gather normal ponies. “They seek to turn all unicorns into their dreaded kind, whether they want to or not. And for the rest of us, death.”

The next image got weirds look from the crowd, some even asking who and why this pony was considered a threat. Behind Dawn stood the image of Charity shaking hooves with an older grayish-white stallion, the Security Mares stood watching the dealing with looks of amusement or interest. “One would think this child this Filly would be the least dangerous of the bunch but in fact she is our greatest foe.”

The confused talking and looks Dawn got made it seem like she was a crazy mare talking about aliens planning their downfall. “This “Filly” is in charge of the rest of these hellmares, she controls them with an iron hoof using a Servant spell, those ponies of death have no free will, they are completely and utterly under her control. But this is not what makes her our greatest enemy, no. It’s the fact that she has access to the entire Hoof tunnels system, she knows where to access them, what areas are safe, and how to prevent others from entering. On top of this she can somehow take control of any system, with it she has gained access to places no pony in 200 years has.” The audience didn’t even know how to respond to that, if it wasn’t their own Prophet saying it they would probably laugh it off.

“Make no mistake this Filly is ruthless, she wishes to take control of the city for herself and deprive the wasteland it’s salvation! I see the doubt in all your eyes, I see the fear in your eyes and I understand it! More than any other foe these four “Mares” are our greatest enemies. And they are formidable, murderous, and driven by bloodlust to destroy our holy quest!”

The sounds of large hoof steps built up and built up. “But we are not without hope my little ponies, Our goddess has sent her angel.” As the steps got closer things began to vibrate with increase fiction. “They were struck down by the Hellmare but our goddess gave them new life, stronger bodies, more power than any pony could have. Yes, we the faithful have an angel of holy steel that will strike down these demonic mares!” from behind the screen the shadow figure could be seen.

Dawn raised her forehooves dramatically in the air as talons came forth, metallic black wings with a greenish glow sprout out her back and she began flying into the air. “With this blessing, we will destroy those who seek denial us. We will take the city of Hoofington as ours, we will save the future for our children.” Then with a loud booming voice. “HOOFINGTON RISES!”

The crowd was joyous at the display, hoof stomping and cheering came from all sides with thunderous appulse. All repeated the same phrase “Hoofington rises.”

Dawn landed back on the ground, her “wings” reseeding. She looked over the gathering with a wicked smile. “Now let’s prepare for battle.”

Demon Mare vs the God of the Machine, Battle for the soul of the Hoof begins

Ante up, no cut that fool
They want to act stupid gun-butt that fool

The week passed with a peace that was eerily uncommon for the Hoof, the usual bloodshed calming down to an almost frighting level. But beneath the surface in the miles-wide maze of tunnels under the Hoof things were heating up.

Staring over the body of a mangle grass green mare lying tore to shears, blood mixing with the murky water. the party of five ponies dressed in combat armor shined lights emitted from their helmets at the gruesome scene before them, all had looks of unease shared between them.

An older looking buck with worn facial features and aged armor trotted up to the body, examining the corpse the elder stallion gave a worried huff. “Looks like somepony got the drop on her, no signs of battle, and it was a quick death.” He looked to a pale stallion wearing goggles who seemed no plus about the finding. “Call it in Card Shark, the Security Mares probably Rampage is down here.”

He nodded, bringing up his left forehoof to his face he ditto with a device attached to his hoof with a screen and buttons on it, the screen flash to life with a radiant green hue. But before the stallion could say anything a figure fell from the raptors of the ceiling landing with two hooves on the pale pony’s neck, making a cracking sound as he slashed into the water.

Quickly turning to see the figure, the party saw the form of the demon cyber mare. Before any of them could turn to shoot her she moved with blinding speed, using her talons she drew a sword from a holder on her hip and decapitated three ponies in quick seclusion. Behind her, a tan unicorn mare tried to get a shot off with her battle saddle, but the cyber mare simply just thrust the sword behind her and stab the mare in the throat. Quickly grabbing the mare’s lump body with her hooves, she used it as a shield from the elder buck’s twin machine gunfire.

Throwing the body at the buck, knocking him back, thrust the sword with such force it implants him and the dead mare’s body. Waiting for a second as he stopped moving, she drew the sword out and flung the blood off it.

Blackjack looked around to see if any more were coming, her cybernetic eyes glowed a red hue as she watched. “Charity I’m approaching the target location. Harbinger scout parties have been small but they expect us.”

“Have any been able to report your location there?”

“No, I’ve killed all of them before any could report back to their headquarters. In fact, they know so little they thought I was Rampage.”

“Good, continue with the mission objective. And make it snappy, the Reapers are already in position.”

“Understood, over and out.” With the glow of eyes die out, looking around Blackjack continue her track down the rusted metal pipe filled tunnel, making sure her steps created no splashes as she went.

The next few run-ins end much the same, only one that got more complicated was when a mare came swinging with a flame thrower, that took a while and using collapsing a pipe on her to do it. But finally, Blackjack reached her final destination, walking quietly toward a light at the end of the tunnel. She came out into a large room with a metal staircase that led from the murky water to a similar metal balcony. On top of it stood two ponies with the same assault rifle battle saddle were talking it up, one a was a rugged-looking mare with spiked was smoking and blowing puffs toward a light blue smaller mare much her to annoyance.

“So you were a raider before you joined the Harbingers?”

“Yep, was born into a tribe that lived in an old movie theater. We called ourselves the Ghost Killers after a villain in an old martial arts flick.”

“What’s with you raiders and names like that anyway?”

“Huh? It’s scared rivals tribes and enemies into fearing you, or to create the sense that these ponies could be dangerous.”

“Yeah but some of those really stupid, like I heard one was called the Smile Squad. Like whose gonna be scared of that? I think your enemy would just fall over laughing from hearing that.”

“Some are stupid obviously, but in defense of dumb raider names, I raise this. If you heard the name Smiled Squad what would you think?”

“That they must be dumb if that's their name?”

“Yes, but it could also mean that their crazy, take pleasure in killing, or are so morally bankrupt that robbing and killing brings a smile to their face. All of a sudden that name takes on a more disturbing meaning. They could also be using that name to lure in ponies who don’t think they're a threat, a way to kill easy prey. Sometimes it’s the unthreatening sounding things that are most dangerous.

“I never thought of it that way, I guess rai-” The word died on the blue mare’s tongue as her head exploded outward, spattering the raider mare in the face causing her to fall back. Before she could react two more bullets found their way into her throat without a sound.

Both mares collapse onto the metal grading as Backjack appear to the side of them. “Huh? Those stealth mods were really helpful this time. I will have to tell Apple Bloom thanks when I get back.” Walking to a blast door connected to the rest of the balcony, she pressed a red button on a panel and the door slid open.

“Charity, this is Blackjack. Entering the Harbinger ‘Temple’ making my way to the generator room, are the others ready?” A hint of worry came out of the cyber mare, this plan needed to go perfectly. They had a small window to make things work and if they failed it could mean death or Dawn escaping, Blackjack couldn’t let that happen at any cost.

“Don’t worry Blackjack their all ready to go, just get your end done first.” With that, the cyber mare nodded and walked into a white hall.

Releasing her magical hold on her earpiece, Charity looked around the deck surrounding her, a set of consoles lined the room from one end to the other, large glass windows set above them giving the whole deck a view of the outside. A command chair sat perfectly in the middle with a panel, it’s flashing buttons with labels that went over Charity’s head. Apple Bloom had told her she would running most of the ship’s function so all Charity had to do was give orders, for that she thanked Celestia for the A.I. mare.

A raspy gruff voice sounded from behind the command chair. “Can’t believe you manage to buy this airship from the Society.” The form of a black elder stallion, who still looked in physical prime trotted up beside her. He wore armor that looked like a mashing of combat armor and sports gear from a prewar poster “Old King Awesome wouldn’t part with this beauty for mostly anything being the last of its type and all. But you somehow convince the old fart to cough it up.” He seemed empress yet kind of worried at that idea. A filly buying a giant airship that could be the last of its type from surviving descendants of high society ponies with deep saddlebags, well it unnerved him a bit.

She just snickered at that. “Well the Society has been a very good customer of my business when I made a proposal to them, they would get my employees to fulfill any high-end job that would cost a small fortune of mercs to do. After they saw how my mares performed they were begging for my services.” Charity grinned evilly at that.

The older buck reeled back. This child was a force to be reckoned with when Big Daddy first met her was confused that somehow this “Filly’ got Rampage and Blackjack to work under her, but all it took was a few minutes of talking to her for him to realize she was no laughing matter. The way she conducted business reminded Big Daddy of a friend he used to have, the cutthroat cleverness made him well if they were related.

“My Reapers are ready but are you sure this plan will work?” When he heard what their plan of attack was, it seemed too risky to make sense.

They would attack from the air and ground while Blackjack disables their power by knocking out their generator, shutting off their defenses around the tower. Then that ‘Alicorn’ would teleport Rampage and the Reaper’s top 30 into the building, they would then search the building for Dawn and capture or kill her. The plan sounded simple enough but it all rides on Blackjack, Big Daddy didn’t like it, putting all his eggs into one basket.

“Have faith Big Daddy.” Charity leaned back relaxing, watching as all her planning fell into place. “This is Blackjack your talking about here. Need I remind you of her achievements before she became a cyber pony?” Big Daddy shook his head, well aware of her abilities. She killed Deus the third top Reaper after all. “Good, she’s now more determined than before to see Dawn pull down, you don’t have to worry about her fucking up because she would rather die than fail.”

Blackjack crept through the greyish halls of the hub, attaching herself to pipes running that along the ceiling and activating her stealth spell, she silently moved throughout the halls, avoiding several groups of ponies dress in purple robes as she went. Finally reaching a set of double doors with a yellow glowing sign named ‘generator’ she scened the area for hostiles, once she was sure no pony was around she detached from the ceiling and snuck into the room as quickly as possible.

The generator was a 10-foot tall cellular that sat on its side with two pipes ejecting out of it, one went into vats of water that bubble and spiral below the metal grading the generator sat on, the other extended up toward the wall, breaking up into several pipes going all across the room. The room was hot and steam created a haze that made the room look bright yellowish. As Blackjack approached the generator she reached into saddle pouches around her waist and pulled out apple-shaped devices

“Charity, this is Blackjack, I’ve reached the main target. Defenses have been little but I expect they don’t know I’m here yet so they haven’t tightened up things more.”

“Good, we’re beginning our attack now, below that thing sky-high then search for Dawn.” The cyber mare nodded, a feeling of want getting to her. She was so close to her goal, so close to her mare.

Outside the shadow of the airship loomed over the Hoof as it approached the towering form of Stable Tec HQ, it’s frighting form causing ponies on the ground to look up in awe and surprise. Inside Big Daddy walked through a classy looking hallway, the floor was velvet carpet with hexagon patterns along dimly lit lights created a nightly mood. the elder stallion approached two ponies dressed in strange armor standing in front of a set of wooden double doors, nodding respectful to the buck one turned and opened the doors revealing a large theater room. Dozens of ponies, griffins, and buffalo sats in the front row of seats facing a stage, as the elder bucked trotted down the walkway many nodded or bowed their heads to him.

Getting onto the stage, he trotted past a grey unicorn mare in the same armor most of the people in the audience wore and onto a poem. The grey mare’s horn lit up and Big Daddy’s voice boomed throughout the theater. “Reapers! Attention!” At that all of the crowd stood up, faces held high saluting the old buck. “Our greatest challenger since the Steel Rangers war is the enemy who sits below us! Today we face an enemy for the very soul of the Hoof, probably Equestria as a whole! They’ve come to the Hoof giving out premises of a better tomorrow under the guise of a False Prophet, but in reality, they want to take the city and conquer us all! They want the technology of the city of Hoofington so that they can build an empire under the name of a fake goddess, and destroying anybody that goes against them, well fuck that! I say that the Reapers show these robe-wearing Holy Flame spouting pansies why the Reapers are the deadliest army in the Wasteland!”

No pony cheered instead they gave a loud stomp and shouted. “Death before honor!” Before saluting the buck.

“Now let's go give ‘em hell!”

On the left side of the gondola of the airship hangar doors opened, the Reapers stood in attention looking determine at the landscape below them. Big Daddy trotted in front of them then turned to the wasteland. “Reapers! Let’s stomp ‘em” With that, the grey buck grab a bottle from a strap around his armor with his teeth and smashed it across the floor. Stepping on the colorful liquid then splashes it all over himself, he grinds his teeth as bat-like wings sprouted out of his torso.

Most non-griffins followed suit making the actual flyers cringe at the display, soon all the Reapers were sprouting wings. Big Daddy just smiled then gallop toward the outside, jumping like a missile into the air than taking flight toward the tower. The Reapers followed him, looking like a Hellstrom of bats descending from the airship. Down on the ground ponies standing on the walls and taking positions behind set up defenses in the complex started firing up at the army of hundreds of gangers coming at them. The gun towers that surrounded walls of the complex turned upward, bellowing cannon fire into the air, only to be answered back by heavy fire from auto-cannon saddles and anti-material rifles.

Inside the tower alerts blared, red lights blinking throughout the halls. Blackjack laughed in gleed at the commotion. “Looks like the party’s about to start, better get this done.” She placed the last of four apple-shaped devices on the generator. Pressing buttons on one of them, she stopped as the sound of large steps began to approach from behind her. Turning quickly around she was greeted with the lumbering form of a giant pony whose entire body was a cybernetic mess of wires and metal plates. His size could give Lacunae a run for her money standing four times the height of any pony, two mounted miniguns set to his sides ready to fire. His eyes glowed red that created a beam in the haze of the room’s mist, pointing with hatred at the cyber mare.

“Deus?” Blackjack said in somewhat disbelief at the monster in front of her. “You know I heard somepony bought the spare parts of your body after I blew you in two.” She said mockingly. “So Dawn restored you huh? Guess you're still mad about what happened huh Doof?” That name got a murderous stare from the metallic monster.

It’s robotic mouth open and muttered one phase at the top of its voice. “CUNT!”

The twin miniguns roared and Blackjack flipped to the side, running as the storm of bullets followed her, looking up she pointed her left forehoof at a pipe. Her hoof fired out like a grappling hook releasing a cable behind it, grabbing on to the pipe the cable retracted pulling Blackjack off the grading and away from the wave of death chasing her. When she caught up with the pipe she swung around it and planted her back hooves on top of the pipe. Deus aimed his fire upward toward her, destroying the room as he went, his bullets bouncing harmlessly off the generator as they moved up. Using the same tactic as before Blackjack fired her left forehoof at a pipe high above the entrance, quickly pulling herself away as soon as her hoof reconnected she dropped like a rock toward the metallic pony before. Landing on his back belly down she tore into his miniguns with talons on her forehooves. Lifting herself up she with the might of several ponies she pulled the guns up while she bit his neck causing the beast to scream and well.

She droved cybernetic teeth into his neck more and more as he struggled, laughing in glee at the metallic pony’s pain. With a huff she jerked back tearing a piece of his throat off, his screams echoing throughout the room as sparks, blood, and oil gash from the wound. Spiting out the metallic pieces in her mouth Blackjack laughed at her hoof work. “Not so one-sided now huh Deus?” she laughed as she wrapped her forehooves around his neck. “I ain’t the scare Stable pony I was three years ago, now I got your cybernetic upgrades. This time I ain’t winning by the skin of my teeth!” She took her left forehoof while holding him with the other, and drove a talon into the red glowing eye socket. Blinding Deus as he thrashes about, his guns tried to at the mare but they weren’t built to turn toward their user only stopping at certain angles.

Deus was galloping around hoping to get the mare off, but Blackjack struck her right hoof talons into the metal pony while using her left hoof to grab one of his miniguns. Pulling up with all her might the gun jerk slowly back, bullets still firing wildly out of it, wires tearing at the force. With a hard yank, the minigun tore from its port, the chain of bullets being torn off with it. As the metallic pony kicked and even galloped into the wall staggering the mare a bit, the cyber mare used her free hoof to reach into her bag pulling out a flat round device, a mine. Pressing a red button in its center she placed the mine on the other minigun than jumped off as quickly as possible. The thrashing the metal pony was doing caused the mine to actively release a spark of magical energy that filled the area around Deus, energy sparked off as the metallic pony stopped mid gallop then fell over.

Blackjack looked at the still form of the monster she once feared, once he had chased her throughout the Hoof with legions of gangers at his beck and call. He’d attacked her home killing mares she grew up with and drove her into the Wasteland. He was partly responsible for the way Blackjack’s life was now, she could violently finish him off but that was Rampage’s call not hers. His daughter should decide if she wants him around, no instead she would just leave him for now. She had bigger fish to fry.

Instead, she looked back at the generator of the room, the bombs she had set being mostly shot up. Luckily she knew how to improvise. Walking over to the machine she pointed her talons at it than stab them into the generator. With frighting vigor she tore the machine piece by piece, using even her teeth to rip it open. When she was done the machine was a pile of barely functioning parts that bellow steam.

All throughout the base lights went dead, the gun turrets outside stop firing leaving the defenders confused. The darkness of the halls gave way to a red glow as backlight turned on, the generator room became a haze of red instead of the sickly yellow.

“Now time to find Glory than Dawn.” Blackjack cracked her neck, getting ready for the big fight.

But before she could leave a voice spoke from loudspeakers in the hall. “Oh Blackjack I knew you would get inside somehow, and since the power is off that means Deus has failed. I must say you have gotten more talented since the last time we met.” The familiar calm motherly voice made Blackjack's blood boil, the only thing she wanted to do was stuff her sword down the mare’s throat. “Is this revenge really worth it Blackjack? I have kept my daughter safe as to my agreement with her for your life, and what have you done with it? Turned yourself into a cyber mare to defeat me, gave up your freedom to a Filly, and have become a glorified merc turning your title of Security into a business slogan. Now, you seek to destroy the greatest we seek and give control of the city to a Filly! Tell me is this worth it?”

The only phrase she utter was. “It’s worth it for him.” She checked her guns, loading them with armor-piercing ammo than walked with methodical anger down the hall.

“Well since you become so inclined towards destroying our holy cause I will throw you a bone. I’m in the presentation room waiting for your arrival. Well, come my little pony let’s end this blood feud.”

Demon Mares vs Cyber Angel, bathing the temple in blood

The rest of the walk Blackjack avoided groups of Harbingers as they galloped around shouting, panicking, and carrying supplies. Taking an elevator up several stories, the cyber mare hanged herself to the ceiling, expecting an attack when the door opened. Sure enough when the door chrome doors sled open a hell storm of bullets followed. Blackjack just simply waited unlit their guns clicked than sprung into action with her 12.7mm pistol, putting three bullets between the eyes of three armored ponies. Checking around to see if any more surprises awaited she walked towards a set of white double doors with an icon of a pony holding a shovel on it.

Walking through double doors she was greeted with a large atrium with five rolls of seats and three sets of them facing a stage nestled into the wall, a red carpet set open to both sides revealing the actors underneath. A grey pegasus mare with a velvet mane set tied to a chair, her eyes stared back with fear yet wanting at the cyber mare as her sight fell on her. Behind her stood her mirror image but older with more aged features, her eyes stood closed yet Blackjack knew she was looking if the grin on her face was anything to go by.

Blackjack's blood boiled as she walked down the walkway between the seats. Her eyes shined red as she narrowed her view at the Prophet of the Harbingers. “Give me Glory Dawn and I might just drop the blood feud between us.” She didn’t know if she meant it that but she needed to at least get Glory away from her Mother

Dawn just cocked her head at that. “You storm my building, kill my followers, unleash an army of gangers onto this Temple, prevent our goddess plan to become fulfilled, and Now you want peace?” She chuckled a bit at that. “I think we’re passing the peace point, now it’s either you go or I do. Or you could surrender the rest of EC-1101?"

“Not a chance in hell.” Blackjack snarled.

“Well too bad.”

“Blackjack, it's a trap! RUN!” Glory yelled out causing her mother to hold her down.

Dawn gestured with her wing, and in an instant ponies came flooding in from doors around the room, not dozens but scores of them armed with magical energy weapons, battle saddles equipped with miniguns or flamers and anti-material rifles. Within seconds she was surrounded with enough firepower to fight a war. Blackjack thought Dawn must have called in half her force just to deal with her, which gave her some pride.

“Brought out your whole congregation to deal with me huh?” She smiled wickedly. “Well let's give you some new followers.”

Before Dawn could order them to fire, a flash appeared in front of the cyber mare, from it the familiar form of an Alicorn dress in a funeral dress appeared. To her side, the heavy armored spiked form of Rampage trotted up, but she was joined by a large collection of ponies and griffins wearing the iconic Reaper armor. A light blue bubble surrendered them as the Alicorn’s horn glowed.

“Yo Dawn long time no see,” Rampaged shouted joyfully at the pegasus. “What you haven’t been with your old flame in 40 years and this is how you greet me? What were you planning an orgy to get me back?”

“Open fire! Kill them” The calm posture Dawn excluded faded giving way to an angry shouting mess. The scores of Harbingers fired on the bubble, creating a light show of destruction as bullets, magical energy, and missiles impacted its surface but the shield held as Lacunae withstood the strain.

Blackjack pulled out her 45. Revolver, holding it and the 12.7 in the talons of both hooves she grinded her teeth. “Let’s get reaping.”

Answering the fire of the Harbingers the Reapers opened fire, their bullets going through the shield blowing apart harbingers. Lacunae Lifted her grenade launcher and began pepping custers of ponies with explosives, blowing apart many and causing others to flee. Rampage grabbed a veil with her hoof claw and smashed it across herself. Sprouting wings she took to the air, leaving the shield to drive toward the Harbingers in the balconies above. The first pony the that came into her view was decapitated with one swing of Reaper mare’s hoof claws. More followed suited as Rampage impaled pony after pony in her spikes, throwing their bodies off into Atruim below. Blackjack put bullet after bullet into every Harbinger's head with experted targeting, no a single bullets was wasted as she counted the number of ponies killed, every time she ran out of ammo one gun she quickly threw out a cartilage and replaced while firing with the other.

The Harbingers fell back overwhelmed by the carnage the Reapers unleashed. Dawn fled with Glory in toe through a door behind the stage as soon as the fighting started. When the shooting stopped the room was a mess of Harbinger corpses surrounding the bubble. bullets holes littered the room with fire threaten to consume the whole area

Blackjack looked at the stage where Dawn fled with her wife, looking back at the rest of the Reapers she pointed to three mares who trotted up at the gesture. One was a caramel unicorn mare wielding a shotgun in her magic, the other was a turquoise mare holding a set of hoof cuffs in her teeth, and the last a red mare with a giant hammer that sparkled with energy. Blackjack held upheld three talons to them. “Mullet’s, Cuffe’s, Smoky. Split up into three teams and cleanse this building of filth, spare only the foals if you find them but leave no pony else alive. I’m taking my team and going after Dawn.” The three mares nodded, turning and giving orders to the Reapers.

Blackjack cocked her guns, weaving Rampage and Lacunae to follow her. the trio trotted along, checking their weapons as they went, their mission was clear, their minds were set. Dawn would die that day even if they had to ripped every brick in the building apart. They would rip and tear until it’s done.

The mares trotted down the hallway, the red hue lights mixing with clean white of the walls creating a feeling of eeriness in the air. As they trotted a group of four ponies armed with melee weapons held in their teeth charged them as they entered a crossroads. Rampage galloped towards them before they could try anything, biting on to the nose of one amber mare, tearing it off and spitting it into the face of a large grey buck. A pitch-black stallion to her side tried to charge but was met with a buck from her hindlegs that broke his neck in one hit. Charging, Rampage wrapped her left hoof around the right hoof of the grey buck, then ripped it off with a simple yank. The last of the ponies, a purple mare tried to gallop away but the armored mare of death was faster and caught up with her. Leaping with such force the ground under her cracked, landing on her foe crushing the mare into the lump form of pony and guts. By the end of it, the hall looked like a villain from a slasher movie came through. The mares just kept their trot as if nothing happened.

The next hallway brought its own dangers as the form of a large four-legate beneath crept into view, it’s pony like metal body looked like it could take a rocket to the chest and keep moving as if nothing happened. It carried three mounted weapons, a minigun in its chest that rotated in a circular formation, two arms to its sides that held missile launcher ports in one, and a magical Gatling gun in the other.

As the towering form of the death machine spotted them it opened fire turning the hallway into a cascade of bullets and colorful beams of energy. Lacunae’s horn flared up, but instead of creating a shield around her friends, she created one around the robot, stopping it’s fire before it reached them. As the machine kept firing Lacunae shrunk her shield little by little, the death machine's own fire began to tear into itself. The shield finally enclosed the death machine, crushing it while it destroyed itself with a launch of its own rocket. Releasing her magic spell, Lacunae let out a breath of reprieve, then the mares continued their march towards their target.

Finally, they came upon an elevator with the same icon of a pony holding a shovel. As the trio stopped at the entrance Blackjack fired off her revolver in quick succession, her bullets embedding themselves into thin air. Energy crackled off the bodies of six ponies who appeared out of nowhere than fell to the ground. “Stealth Bucks are only as good as it’s wearer fools.”

Blackjack walked up to the control panel, pressing a button called ‘Presidential suite’ the cyber mare’s eyes glowed when the door opened, as she looked around for traps then gestured for her friends to enter. As the door shut the sound of weird electronic music began playing from the speakers, that Blackjack and Lacunae blocked out as best they could with the cyber mare playing her own music in her head, Rampage was the only one swinging to the beat. “Yo Blackjack tell Applebloom to download the soundtracks from this place when we’re done?”

The cyber mare just stared at her. “Really we’re going into our biggest fight and you only care about getting some new tracks to listen to?”

The strange stripe mare gave ‘yeah’ making the cyber mare shake her head. “Fine, but after we’re done here got it?” The stripe mare stomped in glee shaking the elevator much to the annoyance of her companions.

Finally, the elevator stopped, the doors slid open revealing the large living room with marvel floors, sitting on a couch humming a tune Dawn looked at the warm sight of a roaring blaze in the fireplace. She turned to them with the same closed eyes motherly smile she gave everypony. “Well Blackjack your one deter-”

Blackjack stomped into the room and pointed a talon violently towards the mare. “No! Shut the fuck up! No more talking, no more bartering, no more Fucking Mercy. Just shut up and FIGHT!”

The pegasus simply just shrugged her shoulders nonecaring. “Okay.”

Her eyes opened quickly, the purple pupils turning from a light hue to a violet glow. The black jumpsuit that surrounded her body tore as talon spring forth from her hooves, her limbs extended ripping cloth revealing black metal plates underneath that glowed a sickly green in a hexagon pattern. Her wings became sharp spikes spreading out further and further unit the mare became an almost nightmarish version of an angel pony. The motherly smile she kept on her face became a disturbing grin as she looked towards the Security Mares.

“Well now let’s get started shall we.”

Blackjack and Lacunae opened fire, the combined bullets of pistols and minigun forcing the pegasus to dodge to the left. Rampage rushed her, launching herself into the air than doing a flip and spin bringing her hindlegs to bear toward the cyber pegasus face. Dawn simply just grabbed the legs with her foretalons, then swung the striped mare back at her friends, causing Blackjack to jump over the body as it smashed into Lacunae’s shield. The cyber mare bum-rushed her with sword drawn, Lacunae ceased firing as she helped Rampage up, Blackjack attacked Dawn with sword and pistol, the two doing a dance of death as the cyber mare’s shots and sword strikes were met with counters from one of Dawn’s metal feathers. Finally, Blackjack made contact with a slice across the pegasus mid-section, but it was only a flesh that was quickly countered by Dawn embedding her right hinetalons into Blackjack’s chest. It pierce the armor but didn't connect with flesh, the cyber mare quickly recovered and tried to shoot the pegasus dead center in the face but Dawn threw her to the side, Blackjack falling into the kitchen as she flew.

Lacunae’s horn lit up again forming dozens of magical arrows, while Rampage took a battle stance. Dawn took to the air and drove towards them at such speed both mares had little time to react, the alicorn's cascade of arrows flew at the coming death angel but Dawn put her wings up as a shield as they sped towards her, Rampage tried to charge while the pegasus was protecting herself, but one wing just swatted her to the side as the other kept the pegasus safe. Lacunae quickly put a shield around herself hoping it would protect her from the coming attack, but Dawn lowered her wings as she closed the distance than slashed at the shield with her foretalons, cutting through it like a knife through butter. Before the alicorn could react Dawn slashed at both her chest and neck creating huge gashes in the mare’s body. Lacunae fell back with a look of shock on her face, Dawn stood over ready to deliver the final blow but hoof claws embedded themselves into her side as she was pushed with violent force away from her foe. She was slammed against the wall, the claws going deeper inside causing a black liquid to leak from the wound, looking through dazed eyes at her attacker she was greeted with the sight of an enraged Rampage.

Through pain breathes she spit. “Found a new toy to impale me with Rampage?” She laughed as she coughed up blood, Rampage just shrunk the claws deeper and deeper. Dawn grab one of the forelegs with her talons and drove the other into the stripe mare’s armored chest than with a yank she tore the hoof stabbed into her off the striped mare, pushing her back then took to the air, her talons still embedded into the armor carrying Rampage up with her. Rampage tried to stab the mare with the other hoof as the tore off one regrew, but Dawn lifted the mare above her and smashed her into the ceiling. Before Rampage could act Dawn grab left hoof with her right talons and tore off the remaining limb. From there Dawn began to rip and tear the mare faster than she could regenerate, pieces of meat and metal rained down from the ceiling creating a room looked like a blood fest, various organs and spikes laying everywhere. When she was done pealing Rampage like an orange all that was left was a pink glowing orb that radiant a heart in its center.

Flapping her metal wings Dawn lowered herself down while holding the orb wanting in her talons. She stared at it with cold eyes. “I can finally give you the death you wanted my old mare.” her talons glowed and the orb begin to crack little by little in her grip, but she was shot in the flank before she could break it.

Looking to her side she saw Blackjack stepping out of the kitchen with the 12.7mm smokin, a shooty expression on her face. “Kill me before you touch anyone else you understand me?”

Dawn nodded then picked up the orb and threw into the fireplace. The orb glowed pink as flesh tried to grow around but it was burned away by the flames. Dawn turned towards Blackjack, her talons sharpening, her bloodlust growing. Both mares took reading positions ready to be unleash in a savage slashing release. As the sounds of war could be heard throughout the building and outside both mares just waited.

Finally Dawn moved and both rushed each over, Blackjack fired her gun as they closed the distance but Dawn blocked every shot with her hooves. As they clashed Dawn knocked the pistol from Blackjack’s talons into the air, where it landed on the balcony above to some pony's hooves. Finally facing each other, both mares just slashed at each other with reckless abandonment, cutting through boths armor, tearing each other apart piece by piece. Blackjack tore off her left wing, while slashed her left eye, finally Dawn slab the mare in the stomach causing her to fall. Before Blackjack could get up Dawn smashed her down with her right hind leg, lumping over the cyber mare she ready herself for the kill.

“This is what happens demons fight an angel, they get SMITHED!” she drove her foretalons at the mare’s neck.

The loud bang of a pistol went off, a hole formed in Dawn’s head. The pegasus fell back confused, barely able to process what was happening. All she did was look up, another bang and a hole blasted into her eye socket. She uttered a word before falling over.

Blackjack got up while holding her the wound in her chest, her left eye being the only one that could gaze up at her savior. Who she saw made her heart stop, above her Glory held her family’s 12.7mm pistol in her mouth, the barrel still smoking from the shot. Blackjack saw the hurt look in her eye and tried to get up and confronted her but she fell. Glory getting knocked out of her trace spit the gun out rushing Blackjack’s side.

“I’m sorry Glory. I should have come sooner.” Two embrace in a hug as the pegasus cried into her wife’s chest. “I’m sorry, so sorry.”

“I thought you were gonna die.”

“I will never die as long as you're in danger, I will fight to my last breath to make sure you're safe.” Blackjack hugged tightly, hoping that moment would never end.

As Glory broke off she looked over her wife, gasping at the wounds the cyber mare suffered. “Your hurt badly, we need to get you a healing potion.”

“I’m fine Glory, nothing a few meals of gems can’t handle.” Blackjack thanked Apple Bloom for the self repairing talisman in her, the girl thought of everything.

Glory just shook her head. “After all these years you're still that Stable Pony who throws herself into the fire for others.”

“Hey what can I say. Security saves ponies, it’s a hard habit to break and you know my bad habits.”

That mare the pegasus smiled, even after all these years the pony she fell for was still there. Still the loveable goofball in the face of it all.

Helping the others was an easy task, a quick bottle of magical radiation filled water and Lacunae was moving again. For Rampage all they did was remove the orb from the fire place, ten wait as the flesh regrew.

As the other got their bearings Glory looked upon the still form of her mother, a knot forming in her throat. “Blackjack, can you do something for me?”

Blackjack stopped at her wife’s tone change. “What is Glory?”

“After all of this is done I want to bury my mom at Chapel.”

Victory for a filly and Nexus mods

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.

Epilogue

Epilogue:

He stared down at the collection of photos and papers on his desk. Images of the same four mares in various situations gave him pause as he gazed upon the photos with curious eyes. Deep in thought, he almost didn’t hear the voice of the mare above him.

“These are all the photos and data the agents could find on them sir.” Looking up from the mess on his desk, he stared at the form of a midnight blue pegasus mare. Her stoic face the usual professionalism she showed when around him.

He pushed the photos and papers to the side, hoping the mare would have more than this. “So this was all we could gather on Security and her team?” He’d hoped learning about a few surface dwellers wouldn’t be that hard but instead, these mares seemed almost a looy for him.

“From what we gathered sir.” She began in earnest. “Blackjack was a Stable pony chased from her in Stable 99 by the Reaper Deus. He seemed to be in pursuit of some code that an influential zombie pony called Sanguine wanted, she met Glory after saving her from what the surfacers call Raiders. She was then injured by bounty hunters sent by this Deus and saved by the Reaper Rampage and the priestess of this Goddess Lacunae. She killed Deus, started a small-scale war in the Hoof, and then killed Sanguine after He unleashed monsters on the Hoof to capture her.”

“What about her relation to Dawn?”

“She seemed to have no relation, it seems that her feud with Dawn came from the Dashite aiding slavers in attacking Security’s new home in that small town.” She paused for a moment. “Chapel they call it?”

“What about the other three?” For all this data mining on Security, she was only half the danger these other mares were equally if not more dangerous than her.

“Outside of the exploits of the Reaper Rampage, nothing. The Alicorn and filly are complete mysteries, even Rampage we know nothing about where she came from.”

“And Security's cyber upgrades?”

“It's based on Deus’s model but we don’t know where or how she got them. The only groups who could do such a procedure are hundreds of miles away from this area.” She shook her head in anger. “We don’t even know who keeps upgrading her, we think they must have a scientist who worked on Steel pony.”

The red stallion sighed, these mares had just become a problem for his goals. And even a threat to what he sought to protect but if he played his cards right they could become good allies or a dagger pointed at his enemies. “Turnip.” The salute at the mention of her name. “Keep a close on these mares, watch them see if they pose a threat to Thunderbolt tower. If they do, take them out, if they don’t see their open to talks.”

“Understood Operative Lighthooves”