Chapters Chapter Zero - Expository introduction
In Equia, an alternate Equestria...
The wonders of magic and technology brought the world together, giving ponies and non-ponies everywhere an unparalleled quality of life. It seemed as though there was nothing that could stop Equian progress...
2011. The Event occurs.
For over 20 years, what remains of civilization fights for scraps in the Resource Wars. The death toll continues rising as desperate acts of warfare rage across the world.
Eventually, the fighting ceases. The ponies and the non-ponies that survived must now face their new reality: in a post-magic world, together they must rebuild.
Over the decades that follow, new territories and new countries emerge, and new technologies develop from the ashes of the Resource Wars. From semi-independent warlord holdings to countries emulating pre-Event nations, all kinds of new symbols and flags rise above the Equian lands.
Mareope, 2040. Following a civil war, two unicorn princesses, Eloisa and Selina, reform the pre-Event country of Gallopeia. Initially, their territory only extends to what was once considered the Capital Region, but they soon reunite the 12 historical Gallopeian regions under a single flag.
Over the following years, the first non-magitech power sources come online in Mareope, with the activation of the first solar panel arrays, providing power to a local village. Windmill parks soon follow, and by 2045, primitive but functional computers are activated, using retrofitted magitech equipment.
Manafuel, a magitech power source, was one of the casualties of the Event, immobilizing virtually every motor vehicle.
2055. A substitute for manafuel is discovered. Originally named Flimflamium Miracle Go-Fast Juice, the substance was later renamed to simply Flamium, and allowed motor vehicles to return to the roads, significantly improving trading and rebuilding between the fractured regions.
Flamium is a 100% substitute for manafuel, extracted from various fungal cultivars. The mushroom species viable for flamium extraction became known as Flamushrooms.
Many territories begin cultivating and distilling Flamushrooms for Flamium production. Flamium becomes a valuable commodity, and communities in control of Flamium refineries soon grow to become the most prosperous.
An unintentional side-effect of this discovery is the formation of Flamium gangs, a colloquial name for roving bands of criminals riding Flamium-powered vehicles, reintroducing highway robbery to the world, and becoming the biggest scourge of the countryside.
For the decades that follow, most roads and virtually every highway become infested with these gangs, making it significantly difficult to travel between towns, villages, and communities. Armed caravans become the norm, towns can no longer guarantee security outside of their borders and realms of influence.
Mareope, 2099. Stories of the past become legends. Incredulity for the magical feats of yore settles.
One of the post-Event nations, the Kingdom of Gallopeia, is no longer able to communicate with countries far to the east. Soon, a rumor circulates: an advancing, hostile force is conquering every civilization in sight, pilfering their resources or razing them out of existence.
2100. A powerful, hostile military force identifying itself as the Cloneling Forces invades the eastern regions of Gallopeia. All defense forces are quickly overwhelmed; it seems as though no matter how many Clonelings they killed, more replacements always seemed to make their way back to the battlefield.
Within months, the entire country is under siege. The leader of the Cloneling Forces, Queen Kolkalis, announces that all Mareopean territories under her control now form the Kolkalis Empire. The Gallopeian leaders, Princesses Eloisa and Selina, are forced into exile in Neighland.
2101. The Kolkalis Empire spans across all of Mareope, with the exception of the Eichean Isles. The last four free countries of Mareope; Neighland, Trotsland, Eiriu, and Llywelyn, form an alliance. However, they lack the forces or the equipment to take on the Empire, and none of the other world leaders from the far-away continents are responding to their desperate call for help.
In secret, the leaders of the Eichean Isles, meet with the exiled Gallopeian leaders. Together with Eloisa and Selina, Princess Carysa of Neighland, Princess Rae of Llywelyn, Princess Lazuli of Trotsland, and Princess Fiera of Eiriu form the Free Council of Six and sign a secret pact, vowing to defend the Isles to the last pony.
Intelligence makes its way to the princesses, with reports strongly suggesting that the entirety of the Cloneling Forces depends on compliance drugs and the will of the Queen. The information suggests that if the link between the Clonelings and their Queen is broken, they will eventually lose their ability to organize on their own. They will remain dangerous and capable of fighting, but the Queen is the figurative central nervous system of her entire organization.
The plan becomes clear. Queen Kolkalis must be assassinated.
The Council of Six agrees to fund a secret operation to that end, Operation Liberate the Light . Only once the Queen is defeated can a full-scale military intervention be considered. The Gallopeian princesses enlist the help of former Gallopeian Intelligence Services field agent Tanya Lumen, alias "Twilight."
Twilight is given the task of contacting the best and most capable for-hires she can find, in order to assemble a small "crack team" of agents to infiltrate the now fractured and occupied regions of Gallopeia, penetrate deep into enemy territory, reach the Gallopeian capital city, Lucina, and assassinate the Queen.
To entice the most skilled operators, the Princesses authorize Twilight to offer 50 000 bits, plus gear and training to any capable individuals responding to the call, with a second cash prize in case the operation is a success: 1 million bits, no questions asked, for each member of the team.
For the next 18 months, Twilight scouts for talent, assembling, equipping and training her team, until she finds the best for-hires the free world had to offer. Together, they form Squad 16 .
2103. Squad 16 secretly infiltrates the island of Kelpsey, strategically located between Neighland and Leonia, one of the twelve Gallopeian regions. Hearing that the Cloneling Forces restrict ferry travel between Kelpsey and the mainland down to four times a year, the team exploits an opportunity to blend among the civilians and reach Leonia undetected.
Dressed in civilian clothes, with equipment hidden in travel bags, the members of Squad 16 board a ferry en route for Grandbeach, the nearest Leonese town.
This is their story.
Author's Note
TECHNICALLY THE STORY HASN'T STARTED but since I'm developing this alternate universe from the ground up, I felt that having some exposition would help somewhat . The real first chapter will be properly numbered.
On that note, don't be scared by the fact I activated nearly every single red tag; I definitely think all of those themes will be involved at some point in this decidedly not bright and cheery story, but not in every chapter and not all at once.
Grandbeach, Leonia.
Dear diary. Another day, another 12 hours of work at the canned fish factory. Just need to put words on paper to empty my head of thoughts, like I do every evening.
I wish I knew what Grandbeach was like, before all of this, I mean. Before the invasion. Before the Event. It's a small coastal town, we have beaches, we have fishing, we have hotels, and we have restaurants. I imagine we had all kinds of fancy, wonderful things on top of all this back then.
Today, things are different. Since the Cloneling Forces invaded, the town is under occupation. Its coastal location made it easy to fortify. Of course, they didn't build walls to protect us. It was to keep us in. I heard it's like that with every town the clonelings control.
We are forced to continue living, fishing, selling, producing like usual, but on top of having to sustain ourselves, a large part of the town's resources goes to them. They view it as "paying tribute," but it's not like there's a choice.
It's not just to keep the population under their control. They need it. After all, these creatures reproduce within weeks. In two months, they can pop a whole batch of adults. So of course they need to be fed, clothed, equipped, given things to do. It's honestly terrifying. They'll eat anything too. Meat, fish, bones. Anything that could possibly have calories.
At least it's relatively safe to live under cloneling occupation... Flamium gangs haven't tried raiding our town in almost a year now. If there's any fighting, disorder, let alone criminal activity, they squash it. Hard. Even some of the roads outside of town are safe, from what I heard. But it's not like we're allowed to leave easily. In fact, most of us do not have any authorization to leave. I don't know what kind of lucky or privileged pony gets that elusive free travel authorization, but they sure as hell didn't give one to anyone I know.
We have to make do with what they allow us to have, which isn't much. To keep us fed, they demolished whole patches of land down to the earth, then they built those... strange farms, putting some of us to work in them, telling us to use this strange but useful fertilizer. We're not quite sure where it comes from, just that it's quite efficient. Crops grow quickly and in good health. After they take their "tribute," we get to keep the rest.
In short, we're well-fed and well-protected, but it's like a prison. We work for them, we sustain them as well as ourselves. If we don't comply, if we try to resist or escape the town, they beat us, they shoot the stallions, they take the mares away. I heard whole towns got razed that way... I heard they don't even sleep. They're always watching. I always feel like I'm being watched, especially when I'm at work.
If only magic came back. Maybe we could throw all of them out in the ocean...
The only time I have some respite is when I make it home. But I don't know if we can really call it living. Oh, Sun above... Please, please send some help... And please don't let the clonelings find this diary. They'll kill me if they read what's inside...
- Slack Water, Former Mayor of Grandbeach
February 20, 2103 06:30 AM
Although it's still dark and cold outside, officially, the day has started about an hour ago for the inhabitants of Grandbeach.
If this was any other day of the month, it would be business as usual; get up early, get ready to toil away at work. But today is a little different: many locals are grouped together near the old harbor, awaiting eagerly. After all, today is a special day: the ferry from the Sey Islands is about to return; this only happens four times a year.
Many of the ponies waiting in the cold are expecting the visit of an "islander;" a friend or a family member who lives and works on Kelpsey Island, or its close neighbor, Kadansey Island.
Just as the sky turns from black to a cool shade of blue, announcing the rising sun, the ferry slowly approaches on the horizon, a small black speck soon becoming a large, rusty boat transporting a few hundred passengers. The ferry is, of course, escorted by token cloneling security on their "gunboats" - really, repurposed civilian dinghies equipped with machine guns on pintle mounts.
The ancient boat slowly approaches the docks, and the gangway is deployed, allowing its passengers to set hoof on the mainland at last. Most of the ponies on board quickly find their friends and family members waiting for them at the old marina. Some, however, disperse directly onto the streets, presumably walking their way home alone.
Among these passengers are six mares. They had a plan: meet each other out of sight from the local ponies, or worse, one of the 'lings . The plan was simple: the team leader goes first and marks the agreed-upon location. Then, each of the others come out, one by one, keeping themselves as inconspicuous as possible. Once the team is gathered in the same location, they'll be able to plan their next move.
The first of these six mares is a purple-furred unicorn with a short violet mane. This mare is clad in all-black; leather jacket, dress pants, sturdy boots, subdued tactical gloves. Sharp eye, neutral expression, brisk pace. Although she's dragging a heavy, silver-colored travel bag behind her, she knows exactly where she's going. No drawing attention to herself, just straight to the objective. She quickly clears the harbor and the small crowd of ponies, crossing the road and disappearing into nearby streets.
After about ten minutes of walking past ruined buildings and abandoned shops, the purple mare finds her way around ever-increasing inclines, walking up narrow streets, looking for a specific building, until she finds the location she's looking for: the Big Blue Hotel.
According to pre-Event signs, the Big Blue had just gotten its fourth golden horseshoe, becoming the first hotel in town to achieve the prestigious rating. But the purple mare ignored all of it, finding instead the access door to the hotel's underground parking lot, full of the rusted, ruined remains of old manafuel-powered cars, long rendered useless.
There was no light inside of the parking lot, so the purple mare reached for a set of glow sticks inside of her jacket, bending the first until an audible snap is heard, then vigorously shaking it until it begins glowing bright green.
"Let there be light," she mutters to herself, as a small area near the parking lot's service door is now glowing green.
The mare snaps and shakes the second one, before tying it to a string and attaching it to the door handle, causing it to glow green as well. This is the signal for her teammates to follow, the confirmation that it's indeed the right meeting point.
Glow sticks are brightly visible, but it's the crack of dawn and a part of town full of abandoned buildings. She gambled on the fact that whoever was brave enough to face the cold would probably be at the harbor, if not at work, and that there wouldn't be any 'lings patrolling here anytime soon.
"And now we wait," she mutters once again, sitting on her travel bag, just a few paces from the door. By now, the sky turned a brighter shade of blue, right at the edge of daytime. The purple mare's tail flickers. She hopes her teammates would arrive soon, before it gets too bright. There's a whole day of work ahead of them, after all.
After no more than three minutes of waiting, the purple mare hears the sound of hoofsteps approaching. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but the very brief moment of uncertainty - Who is it? Is it my teammate? What if it's a patrol? - made her tense up, heart rate increasing.
"Twilight?"It is my teammate. Thank the Sun, she thought to herself, before responding and inviting her inside the abandoned parking lot.
"AJ. Come in."
AJ drags in two travel bags behind her without so much as breaking a sweat. She joins Twilight, choosing to sit cross-legged on the cold floor.
As soon as AJ seats herself, Twilight asks. "Are the others on their way?"
Just two minutes later, more hoofsteps. A very pink mare, with an unkempt, raspberry poofy pink mane done up in a ponytail, and a pair of piercing blue eyes. A faded yellow tank top, a white ballcap, a cyan hoodie, olive green cargo shorts, and a pair of jungle boots.
"Hiiiii! I hope I'm not late!"
The purple mare looked displeased. "The sun's rising, they better be here fast."
Pinks pulls in another travel bag, totaling three mares and four suitcases in the abandoned parking lot. AJ reaches for a half-finished pack of Pacer 200 cigarettes and a metal lighter, bringing one up to her lips. One silent glance in Twilight's direction before lighting it, who nods in response.
Exactly three minutes and one cigarette later, the three mares hear the sound of a travel bag hitting the pavement outside, followed by that of two landing hooves.
A short-stack of a butter-colored pegasus makes an entrance, with her own bag in tow. Light pink mane, mildly pudgy constitution, and soft facial traits. A simple dress of plain, pastel colors: a tan dress coat over a grey sweater, brown cargo pants, and a pair of brown ranger boots, similar to AJ's.
"Hey again, girls... It's good to be in pleasant company," the "Doc" said, with a very muted voice.
Twilight checks her watch, still looking rather annoyed. "Already six-fifty... If they're not here in five minutes, I am tearing them a new asshole."
The clock hits 06:54 when finally, more sounds approach. Two sets of hoofsteps and the noise of rolling plastic wheels against the old pavement. Mild, muffled anger and whining from both of the mares."...told you that I'd rather fly up there..." "...not MY fault..." "...got too many bags!..."
The purple team leader's expression goes flat. "There they are."
Finally, two more mares come into view. A curvaceous alabaster mare with a well-brushed violet mane and a ladylike demeanor, followed by a dirty, ragged-looking, slouched sky blue mare with a rainbow-colored mane, a seemingly permanent layer of soot and grime all over her body, and nonexistent chest dimensions.
They couldn't be more radically opposed in looks, posture, and even accents . The violet-maned, sapphire-eyed one stands out as the one with the most expensive tastes; a white leather jacket over a light blue dress shirt, a faded violet pencil skirt, and a pair of matching high boots.
In contrast, the rainbow-maned mare wears an old, oil-stained brown beret, a dirty tank top that was once white, a black set of mechanic's overalls, a pair of tan work gloves with the thumb and index fingers cut off, forming partially fingerless gloves, and an old pair of black work boots.
Just about the only thing they seem to have in common is the fact they each carry two travel bags.
Both of them look rather angry at each other. Twilight takes notice, immediately raising a hand to attract their attention.
The alabaster mare responds first, in a clear, Prench-accented voice. "I have, Twilight. With the racket Phoebe was making, I had to mind our hindquarters constantly. It's a miracle she didn't wake the whole town up."
The rainbow-maned mare responds, with a thick Trottish accent. "Well, maybe if Little Miss Luxurious stopped acting like a keuw for five minutes and remembered I have me a pair o' wings , I woulda' offered to make two right-quick trips so neither of us didnae have to carry bags all the way here!"
To which "Little Miss Luxurious" responds with an offended groan. "Phoebe, why would you bother making three trips to the rendez-vous point? Both of us getting there in one trip, each with our two bags, was enough! I think you're just too eager to fly off on your own again."
"Humph! Think what you want. I was just tryna be nice, ya keuw. "crude. "
Flutters whimpers, AJ looks nonplussed, and Pinks keeps silent, but Twilight decides to defuse the situation. "Will the both of you shut up and stop fighting for five seconds? All six of us are here, we're all safe, and we all have our bags. We're also in enemy territory , so please, let's keep it orderly and focused."
The discontent quiets down.
"Let's do the military thing and do a headcount... Line up in front of me, please."
All five of the other mares shift and stand up, forming a single line in front of Twilight, like a small group of soldiers in front of their sergeant. She then begins listing off names.
"Anne-Jacqueline Fielding?"
Pinks lifts up a hand. "Wait! You didn't list all of our names!"
Twilight crosses her arms, giving each of her teammates a glance, before speaking up once more.
"Fillies, welcome to Operation Liberate the Light. Starting today, and until this operation is over, you're officially under my command as part of Squad 16.
She pauses to observe the reactions. AJ nodded firmly, thinking of her family back home. Agathe - who prefers the moniker of Madame Rarity - thinks of her sister. Diane smiled, thinking of her own sisters, as did Doc, with a warm thought for her parents. Only Phoebe - or Mechanic Dash as she prefers to be called - didn't react much at the thought of family.
"We all know the overall situation. Now, let's think short-term. I brought us here because this hotel is long-abandoned. The entire north side of the building sustained artillery impacts decades ago, and I don't want us to fall off on the beach outside. It's probably too unsafe to stay in."
Cue Rarity pouting.
"...However, this parking lot is still fine. This is going to be our - hopefully very temporary - base of operations. Number one priority is to get out of Grandbeach. We need a vehicle, and we need a plan. Once we're out on the road and away from cloneling attention, all we have to worry about are the patrols, so expect a lot of offroading and camping. Are we clear on that?"
Nodding and noises of agreement.
"Good. Any questions?"
The mechanic mare raises her hand. "Aye, you said we need a vehicle... I don't s'pose ya want to do this the loud an' fast way?"
AJ leans and mutters in Doc's ear. "What's that word she said?"
Twilight seemed lost in thought for a moment, giving Dash's idea some serious consideration.
Doc raises her hand. "So, this is it, then? We're really on our own from here on? It's... I don't want to sound like I'm chickening out, but it's hitting me now... It's just us . On hoof."
Twilight takes a deep breath before responding.
"Yes, we're on our own. Remember what I taught you at the camp in Neighland, about On-Site Procurement tactics? This is it. Outside of what's in those bags, everything we need, we have to secure ourselves. And we will, starting with a vehicle.
The Doc doesn't seem reassured, but she forces herself to nod-nod.
"No more questions?"
Rarity raises her hand. "I do have one. Are we really going to set up camp here? In an underground parking lot? I thought you'd have liked something with more... practicality."
Rarity rests her hands on her hips.beds and windows than stay in this dark, damp lot lit with glowsticks."
Twilight gives her classy teammate an amused smirk. "Any objections from the team?"
None whatsoever. The rest of the squad seems enthusiastic about the idea of exploring an abandoned hotel to use as a temporary camp.hide if you see anyone. AJ, Pinks, Rares, you're with me, we're breaking in."
Twilight's squadmates respond with an enthusiastic "Yes ma'am," before splitting. The two pegasi leave their bags behind and move out, whereas the rest navigate the parking lot, in search of stairs into the hotel.
Author's Note
In this AU, ponies survive on a pescatarian diet, although they keep the consumption of anything that is technically meat (fish, animal seafood) to a minimum. The staples are fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains.
If the mix of real names and familiar nicknames felt confusing, or if you need a cheat sheet, here's a helpful list:
Tanya Lumen - Twilight
Anne-Jacqueline Fielding - AJ
Diane Pie - Pinks or Pinkie (plus one more, which will be very important in the future)
Fleur Whitehurst - Doc, Doc Flutters, or just Flutters
Phoebe Bailey - Dash, Mech Dash (and a number of other nicknames that will be talked about in detail in the future as well)
Agathe Desjardins - Madame Rarity, Rarity, or Rares.
Chapter 2 - First contact
Grandbeach, Leonia February 20, 2103 07:30 AM
Although it is still the morning, the skies have reached daytime brightness. Barely a cloud above, just a hint of wind, it looks like today's weather will be calm and beautiful.
Four members of Squad 16 are now squirreling their way up from the Big Blue's underground parking lot, trying to find a door or an accessway into the hotel's corridors. After navigating around countless rusted cars and wrecks, the team finds itself all the way in the back of the parking lot. They ignore the dead elevator door, gathering themselves around the service door with a stairway symbol instead.
"Let me find my kit, and I shall get us inside," exclaimed Rarity, enthusiastic, while opening one of her travel bags. She plunges the entirety of her arm inside of it, fishing for something amidst what seems like an impossibly dense quantity of belongings.
Twilight crosses her arms, judgmentally staring at the bag, full to bursting with stuff. She had warned her squadmates repeatedly about the importance of not carrying too much useless crap, but here they are, with nine bags for six...
Immediately, Rarity's lips curl into a smile, and she immediately gets to work. The alabaster mare reaches up to the top of the door with her fingertips, looking for an opening. When she finds one, she inserts the prybar and slides it down as close as possible to the lock. She looks back, glancing at her three companions.
"Stand back, girls! Wouldn't want splinters flying in your eyes."
Suddenly, Rarity applies as much force as she can muster onto her miniature prybar.Crack!
Rares turns to her teammates, a proud expression on her face. She then opens the door and imitates a butler, gesturing at them to come in.
Any anxiety on Twilight's face had evaporated in an instant. "Great work!"
Being the squadleader, Twilight comes in first. She is followed by Pinks, AJ, and in last, Rarity. The four make their way upstairs and into the dusty, dilapidated reception. It feels as though this place hasn't seen guests for a century. Many of the walls are cracked and damaged, virtually all of the windows long shattered. A significant amount of furniture had been haphazardly moved to block the front door, forming a crude barricade.
Twilight realized this was good news; as long as they kept away from the windows on the street side and didn't make any kind of undue noises, no-one should be able to see them from the outside, keeping their chances of detection low.
The purple mare seems satisfied with this idea. "This is a pretty good spot... With a little work, we can have ourselves a cozy little camping spot."
She turns to her squadmates, distributing orders. "Rares, AJ, go up the stairs, break into bedrooms if you must. Find me two or three mattresses in good condition, nothing that looks too shot or eaten by humidity. If you find any blankets, bedcovers, anything like that, throw them downstairs too."
"Hey, hey, what about me, Twilight?" Pinks asks, with her trademark perpetual smile.
Twilight walks up to the barricaded front door, trying to look through the openings to check outside. She repeats the same thing with the other windows in the back of the lobby, also crudely barricaded. Finally, she turns back to her pink teammate. "Can you do your thing and find yourself a vantage point? I can't see shit from here... I think you'll want a better spot."
Outside, the road forms a U-turn, with the corner facing directly in front of the hotel's front door. The road is situated on an incline, with one branch going uphill and the other going downhill - where they came from.
The two pegasi had walked up the street, stopping about sixty to seventy yards from the hotel's front door. Flutters looks nervous.
Doc Flutters takes a few steps back, eyeing the hotel roof. She knows what she must do, but she never seemed to get used to the actual process. The short pegasus then gulped down, mustered all of the courage she could, and started sprinting down the street, eyes still locked on the roof. After 15 yards of sprinting, she jumps, lunging forward, arms outstretched and wings fully deployed, squeaking in anxiety the whole time, fully expecting to majestically perform what pegasi refer to as "eating shit" and kill herself on the pavement.
But she does not! She ascends! In fact, her first wing-flap deployed enough force to send garbage on the ground flying and rolling away. And as soon as Flutters realizes that yes, she can fly, she is not a gigantic chicken, and she will be fine after all, all of the flying reflexes and natural instincts return to her in an instant. Having overshot past the hotel, the Doc yaws and circles back, lowering her speed and landing gently on the hotel's roof.
The medic mare breathes a huge sigh of relief, rubbing sweat off her forehead, before flashing a thumbs up at Dash.
The rainbow-maned mechanic smiles, full of pride for her fellow pegasus. "Pure dead brilliant mare, aye," she lets out to her companion, almost shouting it to her, before remembering they're not supposed to bring attention to themselves.
The two pegasi reunited on the roof, they start observing the extent of the damage. Most of the northern side of the Big Blue collapsed a long time ago, being the combined results of artillery shelling and decades of abandonment and decay. While peering down the cracked edges of the roof, Flutters thought to herself that there is no way the entire hotel isn't completely unsafe.
The butter-colored mare turned to her colleague. "Hey, Dash... How long do you reckon we'll be staying?"
The creaking of a metallic door interrupts the conversation, and a familiar voice calls out to the both of them from behind. "Hi-hiiii! Whatcha two lovebirds talking about?"
"Ay, Pinks," Dash turned with a grin, quite amused to see the Pinkest One. "Whatcha find yer way up here for?"
The pink earth pony makes her way to the edge, finding the view enthralling. "Woah... Amazing view! I might come back here for vacation! When Bug Season is over, of course!"
After the laughter died down, Flutters speaks up again. "I think we can pretty much confirm that not a single of the north-side rooms looks safe... I mean, I took a glimpse while I was circling back, and it looks bad to me."
10:08 AM
The wind outside has picked up, but the six mares have gotten busy in the past few hours, slowly transforming the abandoned hotel lobby into a sort of impromptu camping site.
Twilight made several trips between the underground parking lot and the lobby, bringing each of the nine bags upstairs, aligning them in front of the receptionist's counter.
A few minutes past 10 in the morning, there is now a line of "beds" in the lobby, composed of old furniture doors, salvaged bedcovers, and pillows.
Twilight, arms crossed, looks rather satisfied with the good work. "Excellent, that will do. I know it sounds like a lot of effort for very little use, but I would rather we stay warm even if it's just one night."
Every mare gets to business opening their travel suitcases. Some are heavier than others, some contain more things than the others, but one thing is sure, they did not come unprepared.
Each case contains a set of assorted tools and equipment. #1 contains water supplies (canteens, foldable buckets, bladders, purification tablets), #2 contains survival rations and a fishing kit, #3 is full of clothing and wearables (plenty of spare sets of underwear), #4 contains their six-pony tent and sleeping bags, #5 is entirely dedicated to first aid and medical items, #6 is full of tools and hardware, #7 has their weapons, ammunition, and knives, and #8 carries their belts, vests, pouches, holsters, and other miscellaneous equipment. #9 is just backpacks - they take a fair amount of space, after all.
After spending about half an hour checking that everything is indeed checked and accounted for, the mares gear up. Vests and backpacks come on, belts are clipped into place, pouches and equipment are filled in. Before long, the six incognito mares turned into six battle-ready operators, complete with all of the weapons and equipment they are supposed to carry. Many tools and items still remain in the travel cases, highlighting their need for a vehicle...
"There we go," Twilight opined, with a satisfied smile. "There's my team of professionals. Now, I suppose you all want some action?"
The purple leader smiles some more in satisfaction. "Good fillies. All right. The plan is fairly simple... in theory. The 'lings likely occupy the old government buildings; police, town hall, fire station, you name it. But we're not interested in fire trucks or old patrol cars; what we want is one of their vans. Do you remember those big Leader transportation vans? Gallopeian police and military used those things all the time, no doubt the 'lings are putting these to use now."
Dash lifted a hand. "Aye, with the large sliding side doors and the three-liter engine? Big lumberin' van like that, I reckon it'd carry us and all our shite without a hitch."
The squad leader retrieves a local area map from her navigation kit, unfolding it on the floor and inviting everyone to take a closer look.
The purple mare then points at specific spots on the map.
No-one has any questions, so she continues.
"All right. AJ, Rares, you're with me. We're gonna go for a stroll in civilian mode, see if we can spot one of the vans we're looking for, then take it around here. Take off your kits, but keep a knife and a sidearm. Rarity, you bring your lockpicking kit in case we have doors on the way. AJ, you're keeping security for the two of us, I'll be driving until we meet the others."
Twilight points at a specific spot on the map. "In the meantime, Dash, Flutters, you're gonna put your wings to use again. I need you to fly as discretely as possible. Go to this neighborhood, observe the town exits, find which street or which road looks the least guarded. I'll radio you when we've got the van, I'll take it back here so we can load our supplies, then I'll radio you again when we're on our way. Whatever you do, don't get spotted! Once the van's loaded, we're getting out of here fast . We'll be meeting the two of you on our way out."
Pinks blinks twice. "What about me?"
Twilight finishes. "I'm counting on you girls. No fuck-ups, okay? Stay frosty, do what you need to do, and we'll be on our way. Everyone ready?"
11:47 AM On the roof of the Big Blue...
Pinks had decided to gear up in full, bringing her spotting kit and her precision rifle to the roof. The rifle isn't set up yet, but from where she stands, she has a prime view over the U-shaped road in front of the hotel. If anybody comes into view, she can't miss it.
The pink earth mare speaks to herself, as if to reassure herself.
She takes a deep breath.
Meanwhile... A few hundred feet above the town...
Doc Flutters and Mech Dash are flying side by side far above the town, wearing their full kit. It's not easy to fly with a backpack on, so both of them apply the under-belly technique: Carrying their bags under their chest while in flight, keeping the wings unobstructed.
The two pegasi pass over a few sports fields, noticing they're covered in what looks like tents.
Doc comments on it. "Hey Dash? There are camps on those soccer fields... Don't you think that's a little weird?"
Continuing their flight, the two mares observe from a distance, as silently as possible. It feels as though they are the only pegasi in the air, and that fact is slowly creeping on Dash's mind...
"Oi, Doc, I don't mean ta worry you, but... Ya notice somethin'?"
Flutters takes a deep breath, trying to focus on the task at hand. "It's horrible... All those walls and roadblocks... I can't see a single spot they missed..."
The two pegasi begin descending to investigate the area; a completely abandoned suburban corner at the eastern edge of Grandbeach, right next to the countryside. Not a single living soul in sight besides themselves.
Reflexively, Dash reaches for her big red pipe wrench - and like any proper Trottish mare, she calls it her spanner . Even with firearms at her disposal, the mare has always felt more comfortable with it than any other tool or weapon. No matter what it is she did; fixing engines or busting skulls, the spanner has always been at her side, or in her hands.
Dash points to the road ahead. "Y'see that intersection a couple of paces ahead? Road to the right. We walk to the end of it, we should find our gateway to the countryside."
The pair follows Dash's directions, turning right at the first intersection and following the road. Still more abandoned houses on both of their sides. The once well-kept gardens, miniature trees, and bushes are now growing everywhere, far past the fences, to the point they would obstruct the roads, if vehicles still traveled them.
"It's like walking through a ghost town," mumbles Flutters. "It's one thing to be told what to expect, but seeing it in person..."
The pair reaches the end of the road. The house walls and fences on the sides stop, and the asphalt suddenly gives way for a dirt path, with the odd muddy water puddle. Ahead of them, the countryside, for miles and miles.
"Lookit that. Maybe the 'lings aren't as thorough as we thought," Dash exclaims brightly, smiling, with her hands on her hips. "That there looks like an exit to me."
Flutters was about to respond when one of her ears flickers rearwards, hearing an unknown buzzing noise... Multiple buzzing noises, fast approaching their location.
A cloneling patrol. They must've spotted them flying in the area...
Flutters peeks from behind the corner to try and count how many of them there are. She then retreats back behind the wall, and it takes all of her strength not to squeak in terror.
Nearby, the small cloneling squad lands on the ground, chitinous hooves landing one after the other. Immediately, all of them draw pistols from their holsters. Pupil-less green eyes scanning their surroundings.
Two of them remain posted on the street, keeping their eyes up in case their pegasus fugitives are trying to flee. The other three begin their search. Unfortunately, the gate they kick open is that of the house the two mares are hiding behind.
While the clonelings approach, Dash tugs her partner in the other direction, using hand signs to communicate two very simple commands: "This way" and "Follow me." The rainbow-maned mare circles around the house, looking for a way out that will keep them out of sight, but there's no obvious way out. If they fly, they risk being spotted. If they stay, the searching party will find them. And if they make any noise, it's surely going to alert them as well.
Dash mutters into her partner's ear. "Is yer shotgun loaded?"
The plan is in motion. Both of them creep into the abandoned house through the patio door, walking over broken glass and bits of wood, knowing full well the 'lings are mere feet away. Flutters hides into the house's kitchen, into a corner, nervously reaching for her weapon of choice, a 12 gauge pump-action shotgun.
She remembered why she picked the 12 gauge. How Twilight explained to her that less-lethal shells work in it. How she insisted she should only use those, until Twilight had to convince her to "carry real ammo" as well.
Now, it all comes to a head. Crouching in the disaffected kitchen, shotgun pointed ahead of her, she lies in ambush, ready to put holes in the first bug she sees.
Dash, meanwhile, creeps further into the house, past the kitchen, and into the old living room, where she spots a stairway to the second floor. The front windows - those facing the road - still have their curtains, even if dirty and dusty. This will buy her time, they won't see her immediately.
Reaching for her own weapon, a short, Neighlish, 5.56mm bullpup assault rifle, the mechanic mare climbs a few of the stairs up, giving herself a view of the living room and - most importantly - the front door. From there, she points her weapon, sights trained on the front door... the second they kick in the door is the second she pulls the trigger. Safety off, set to semi-auto.
Both mares are in place, they're now waiting for the shit to hit the fan. Both of them are tense, stock firmly locked against the shoulder.
A few brief seconds of tense silence, followed by the hoofsteps of the first cloneling approaching the patio door. He hesitates. He is just outside of Flutters' line of sight. If only he'd made one more step...
The first thing Doc Flutters saw is the side of a 9mm handgun, then the cloneling's hands holding it. He enters, he does not notice Flutters to his left, looking straight ahead of him. She raised her 12 gauge up to her target's side, at the torso, aligning her sights and pressing the trigger.
BLAM
A split-second after the shotgun blast, several crows nestled into nearby trees immediately flee in panic, startling the two clonelings outside. As if the sight of the flying corvids struck fear into their otherwise simple brains, they rush towards the house instead of flying back to town, exactly as Dash had predicted.
Inside, one of the lings found itself with nine new holes into the side of its torso. He turned to Flutters, wide-eyed, before exhaling and crashing on the floor. But before the medic had the chance to realize what just happened, all hell breaks loose.
The second of the three 'lings on Flutters's side immediately enters, concentrating on his fallen comrade instead of who had just shot him. Without a second thought, the medic mare racks the slide, and...
BLAM
Nine pellets form a tight cluster and destroy the second cloneling's left wing, spine, and many internal organs. He dies instantly, awkwardly piled on top of the first body.
Rack-clack.
The third and last cloneling behind the house is getting second thoughts, slamming his back against the wall in fear.
With the red dot sight firmly pointed at the closest of them, Mech Dash pressed the trigger twice, teeth gritted. Two loud cracks, complete with muzzle blast, briefly illuminate the room. Each bullet finds its way into - and through - her target, one striking the chest and the other passing clean through the right shoulder. He goes down, screaming.
His partner fires, wildly, in Dash's direction, causing more, loud, reverberating bangs in the living room. He's not as accurate, instead cutting holes into the wall behind the blue pegasus. Pointing her red dot onto the other one, she fires again; three shots, and an insult, probably her favorite. "Ya fukken KEUW!" He too, went down.
After this very brief moment of chaos comes silence once more. Having gotten all of her targets and no longer hearing shots coming from the kitchen, the rainbow-maned pegasus went to meet her partner. She first sees the two bodies Flutters had dropped, glancing immediately to the right to see a mortified Flutters, not exactly understanding why.
With one hand, the butter mare made frantic hand signs, pointing to the patio door. Dash squints. She doesn't understand - there's nobody there.
Dash heard it, but unfortunately, so did the last surviving 'ling. He runs - and Dash hears him run too, causing the mare to sprint with reckless abandon outside the house. When she sees him, wings deployed, about to jump and fly off, Dash makes a desperate lunge forwards to prevent him from taking off.
Both of them come crashing down on the grass.
"Oh no ya don't, ya fukken bawbag!"
"Don't move!" The doc screamed, muzzle pointed at the cloneling's face, who stops moving, but responds with a hiss! of defiance."Wanker! Idiot! Piece o' shite! Who's gonna take it?! Take THAT! Keuw!"
Before she could deliver another hit, Flutters squeaks and stops Dash's arm. "Stop! Stop!!... He's dead! They're all dead! That's enough, please, Sun above... that's enough--... Oh, oh dear."
The Doc had no time to speak another word. She ran a few feet away, doubling over and spitting out the contents of her stomach. The shock and the sheer violence Flutters experienced in the last few minutes had finally caught up to her, causing her to unceremoniously vomit in the back of the garden.
Flutters coughs and hacks, reaching for a tissue in one of her pockets and wiping her face. She looks pale.
The blue pegasus meets the yellow one, offering a reassuring hand. Flutters responds by giving Dash a tight hug, tears flowing out of her eyes.
Mech Dash's smile disapppears in turn. "Aye. Want me to break it to Big Purple?""Twilight here. Speak." "...Are you two safe?" "If you have time, hide the bodies. Take the guns if you got the space. Hide yourselves, keep an eye out. Don't move a fucking ear. What's the address?"
Dash turns to Flutters. "Oi, hen, what's the street name?""That's past the retail park, right? We're on our way. Stay put, we just need to grab our stuff and Pinkie at the hotel, then we'll meet you there. If you see any clonelings, you hide. Do NOT turn this into a last stand, am I clear?"
Flutters turns to her fellow pegasus. "She sounds a little tense..."
Author's Note
Some action at last! In the next chapter, we will see how Twilight, AJ, and Rares fared while all of this was going on.
I didn't want to bog this chapter down with a long and highly-detailed list of equipment to keep the story moving, but I do keep a reference document handy containing a list of things they have in their possession.
Hopefully, it outlines the reason why the team needs to secure a vehicle and why they can't just start hoofing it.
If you feel like it would help you enjoy the story more to see that list of equipment, you can take a peek on this doc , which also contains Twilight's notes and plans.
Grandbeach, Leonia February 20, 2103 11:47 AM
In the town streets...
While Pinks is busy guarding the hotel, and the two pegasi are off scouting for a way out of town, the remaining half of the Squad are on foot, cautiously traversing the streets and keeping their heads on a swivel for any signs of cloneling activity.
Twilight leads the group, map in one hand. On this map, the location of a nearby police station, alongside pencil-scribbled arrows, marking their route. Right by her side is Rarity, walking with her usual confident stride. Behind the group, AJ, as neutral and as nonchalant as ever, hands down her pockets.
All three do have a "Plan B" option - their handguns, concealed - but the purple unicorn was clear on the matter: last resort only, preferably never.
The Madame couldn't help but look around, observing the storefronts, her eye attracted by each abandoned store as it comes into view.
Rarity is interrupted suddenly by Twilight raising her hand, palm open, and pointed at her teammates - the close-quarters hand sign for "Stop".
"Shit... Left, left, left, follow me," Twilight mutters, guiding her two squadmates through the shattered glass storefront of an abandoned clothing store. All three mares penetrate the old, compromised store, walking over old, dusty, broken glass, hiding out of view into the unlit corners, behind piles of cardboard boxes and empty racks.
"Whew," sighs Rarity, before turning to Twilight. "Surely there are easier ways to get to our destination..."
AJ does not seem to care much for the bickering, but she cares even less for hiding in an old, dusty shop. She rarely utters any words, but she does tap-tap Twilight's shoulder. "Should ah check outside, see if the coast's clear?"
Rarity, still visibly miffed, speaks up again. "Twilight, dearie, I wasn't trying to criticize you, but surely we won't always have a store to hide into at every street..."out of here. But until then..." She recites the next few words through her teeth. "Stick, to, the, damn, plan..."
After a few minutes of silently navigating from sidewalk to sidewalk, traversing one street after another, their destination comes into view on the left side of the street: a large, dilapidated, C-shaped building with a central courtyard and a gate on the east side. Above the gate, a large black sign: SECURITY ADMINISTRATION - HIVE 50218 , flanked by two more of the same K symbols as those on the cop car. Above the front door, the same sign.
"There it is," mumbles Twilight, peeking from the corner of a neighboring apartment building.
AJ taps on her squadleader's shoulder. "Twilight, can I suggest somethin'?"
Both Twilight and Rares smile in approval, appearing to enjoy where this idea is going. The three retreat back down the street and away from the station, turning into a dirty, narrow alleyway. There, the group gathers materials for their plan: mounds of paper garbage and discarded newspapers, and a large plastic dumpster on wheels.
Just a few minutes later, the group pushes the rattling dumpster back down the street, its lid open, already belching smoke, pushing it towards the police station's courtyard entrance and causing it to hit the metal gate. The second the three mares let go of the burning dumpster is the second they run back, hiding in ambush right around the corner from the gate.
Within minutes, the dumpster is now vomiting flames and sending a huge amount of smoke into the gate's tunnel and the interior courtyard. The cloneling response doesn't take long... Two Security Administration drones run to the gate, unlocking it and chittering in panic at the sight of something that is definitely not supposed to happen.
Right around the corner, just as one of the clonelings announced his intention, all three of the mares reach for a weapon; but not a firearm. AJ produces her trusty bowie knife, Twilight clicks her folding blade open, and Rarity pulles one of her boot knives out.
The 'ling passes, facial expression somewhere in between anger and frustration, without noticing the three ponies waiting in ambush, giving an opportunity for AJ to stomp behind him, left hand raised and ready to grab, right hand firmly holding the blade.
Before the chitinous creature has a chance to turn around and scream, he feels a large, meaty orange hand crush his neck, and something stab him through the right wing and the lower section of the back.yanks the knife back out. The 'ling drops on the ground, never to get back up again.
All the while, the dumpster continues burning away in the middle of the street.
As if on cue, the second cloneling from earlier - a shorter, female drone with green eyes - comes running with a fire extinguisher, stripping the safety and hosing it down, completely ignorant of the three armed mares behind her.
All the hapless drone could think of was controlling the fire, with 100 thoughts a minute wondering how that could happen.How could it happen, she thought. Don't we have this town under control? This is not natural, this is the work of someo--
Thunk!
The drone's grip on the fire extinguisher loosens, causing it to drop on the asphalt noisily. Soon, the rest of the 'ling's body drops before Rarity's feet, in an undignified manner.
Twilight remains tense, as their job wasn't quite done yet, but she flashes a thumbs-up to her fellow unicorn. Rarity then lifts the body up, gathering as much strength as she could to throw it into the dumpster, following that with the fire extinguisher. Only after that does she return against the wall, in ambush.
Twilight raises an eyebrow. "Why'd you do that?"
Time is now of the essence; the alarm may not have been raised, but they need to locate their target vehicle. The courtyard is full of old squad cars, some looking less functional than others. The southeast corner had seemingly been transformed into a makeshift chop shop, with one half-disassembled car surrounded with parts and tools.
Twilight glances around and up. Windows on every wall, at all levels. One access by hoof on the south side, and one on the north side. The mare's internal thoughts are focused on not getting caught. If even a single cloneling is peering down the window, they'll notice us, and this escape will be anything but a smooth one...
"Okay, girls," she starts. "Act casual. Don't run, don't rush, just walk in there, follow me, we're going to take this van like it's the most normal thing in the world. You girls ready?"
All three mares penetrate into the police station's courtyard. Walking, but at a brisk pace. The tension is high, and the silence is deafening. Every hoofstep feels as though it might alert the whole neighborhood. For a moment, it felt like the longest, tensest 60 feet the three mares ever had to endure.
But to their surprise, nothing. No alert. No running army of clonelings. They just walked right up to the parked vans, and the set of keys AJ found was the right one.
Once seated, Twi takes a moment to breathe, audibly exhaling. "I can't believe that worked as easily as it did."
Right as Twilight turns the first corner on her way back to the Big Blue Hotel, she hears Dash's voice in her earpiece."This is Mech Dash. Twi, uh... I got good news and I got bad news, over."
12:01 PM On the roof of the Big Blue...
Without a single soul in sight on the streets below, the main emotion dominating Pinks' mind was boredom... at least, until the conversation between Mech Dash and Twilight suddenly occurs over the comms.
She speaks up, even though her hands are nowhere near her talkie, as though she is talking to herself or an imaginary friend. "They're coming! Oh oh oh, they're coming!" A gasp of realization. "But it sounds like they're in trouble! Oh no, no no no, we can't be in trouble now, can we? Impossible. My Pinkth Sense says we're fine!"
No response, aside from the distant mewing of a seagull colony in the sky. Pinks looks up. "Well, ha-ha-ha to you too!"
The one-sided conversation with the seagulls is interrupted by her hearing the sound of an engine. At first, the Pinkest one smiles - surely this is Twilight returning to pick her up and everyone's stuff!
The pink earth mare winces at herself, feeling responsible "Oh no..."
The car stops, practically in front of the condemned entrance. "Oh no no no."What if they peek inside and see our stuff? What if they see or hear me on the roof? What if I've been spotted already?!
Pinks takes a deep breath, inhaling, then exhaling. Her normally expressive face gradually neutralizes into a stone-faced look, mildly frowning at best. She then gets up, eyes scanning for something on the rooftop, until locating a broken cinder block. The now mean-looking pink mare lifts it, gauging its weight, finding it to be satisfactorily heavy, then carrying it all the way back to her next, next to her bag and her rifle.
The sniper mare sits back down, clicking the walkie on and speaking with a noticeably lower, flatter tone."Twilight here. What's the matter?" "Shit. Five minutes away. Are you spotted?" The purple mare's displeasure is palpable. Today really isn't a good day."Stay out of trouble. Keep an eye on, advise if they do anything suspicious or if they leave. We're on our way, will deal with it when we arrive. Stay frosty, Diane. Out."
A few stories below, the front passenger door opens at last. Out of it comes a cloneling drone wearing the Security Administration officer uniform. Diane overhears him speak as he gets out.
Said drone walks towards the door, falling out of Diane's view. Now the situation becomes very tense for her. There's a very real possibility that he'll peek in and notice for sure the Squad's gear in the hotel's lobby. She glances at the broken chunk of cinder block... Wondering if maybe she tosses it just right onto the engine, they won't be able to get away...
Much to her displeasure, the streets are so dead-silent she can even hear him relieving himself on the door.
After an interminable 20 seconds, the distinctive noise stops. Then the 'ling speaks up. "Hey. 161? 161, come take a look!"
CRASH
A piece of cinder block falls directly onto the police car's hood, digging a huge dent into it. Immediately, the female drone screams an order to her colleague. "138, CALL THE STATION RIGHT NOW! I'M GETTING HIS ASS!"
Diane clicks on her walkie. "This is Diane, I'm in the shit, I'm in the shit!"
Before the clonelings get the time to react, another engine is heard approaching. This time, it's the stolen van, with Twilight, Rares, and AJ on board.
The cop drone could not finish her sentence, interrupted by three gunshots. Twilight had opened her window, drawing her pistol and opening fire. Quickly, her colleague, 138, returns fire, dumping five shots haphazardly into the van, shattering the glass on the front left headlight, putting a hole in the windshield, another into the left rear-view mirror - shattering it too - and three into the front-left fender.
"Rares, get out and check the bodies! AJ, with me, you're helping me haul our shit into the van!""I'm fine," responds the pink mare, flatly. "They spotted our stuff, they were about to call for backup but you were right on time."
The Madame quickly checks the two cop drones to make sure they're down, but Twilight's aim had been true - the male drone took four to the chest and one through the neck, while the female drone took all three to the chest.
After loading the vehicle up, Twilight returns to the driver's seat. AJ and Rares retake their spots in front, and Pinks takes one of the four seats in the back.
12:24 PM Grocery Road, at the southeastern edge of Grandbeach
Mech Dash stands before her handiwork: five dead clonelings, piled up like sacks of potatoes in the bathtub. She had taken care of stripping the bodies from their weapons and magazines, scoring five old 9mm semi-automatics and fifteen spare magazines in total, all but one of which are full. The only one that wasn't full was short five rounds - the bullets that missed her earlier. Despite that, it represented 220 rounds of ammunition.
The guns and magazines aren't light, taking up a significant amount of space in her bag. Put all together, the extra guns made up about 21 pounds of metal, and she could feel the difference.
Dash calls out to her colleague, who had taken up refuge upstairs. "Oi, Flutterbutter? I'm all done 'ere! Ya see anythin'?"
A radio call from Twilight comes through in their earpieces. "Twilight here. Vehicle secured, gear's in the back, we're almost to your street. Any more limas on your side?" "Got it," the squadlead responds, finally sounding a little more relieved. "We don't have time to dawdle, so make yourselves visible; we'll pick you up. Keep your eyes out for a white van with sirens off, that will be us. Twi out."
The Trottish mare grins. "Aw, finally. I've been itchin' to drive something for days now."
The two pegasi find themselves outside once again, not having to wait more than three minutes before the van shows up, parking it in a hurry. Twilight hops out of the driver's seat, while Rarity comes out of the passenger door.
"Dash, take the wheel," orders Twilight. "I'm going passenger next to AJ. Rarity, Flutters, in the back with Diane."
The rainbow-maned mare throws her bag at Flutters, freeing her back to take her spot into the driver's seat.
Dash looks ecstatic. "Oh, fukken A. Been waiting for this a looong time. Where to, Big Purple?"
The van departs, disappearing into the countryside, the team finally on the move.
Author's Note
If you are unsure, "Lima" is the radio phonetic code for the letter L - for 'ling , of course.
Next episode: The countryside!