Fallout Equestria: Forged
Chapter 1
“Gooood morning fillies and gentlecolts, it’s 7 o’clock and the weather report for the day has just been flown to me by a fine member of the Equestrian Weather Authority. It seems we have clear skies across the nation. Now for the news: Princess Luna has recentl-”
I clicked off my radio alarm with a groan. As much as I love Dj PON3, her enthusiasm was a bit too much to take this early in the morning. I rolled over to see my wife, Clover Blossom, had already gotten up. I stood up and walked into the hall of our new home. As I stepped into the hallway the smell of frying eggs and toast wafts into my nose setting my mouth to watering.
“Smells delicious! “ I said as I strode into the kitchen, delighting in the sight of my wife. Clover was a Pegasus with a beautiful white coat and purple mane.
“I should hope so honey,” she said. “It’ll be done in just a few minutes so go get cleaned up”
I stepped into the bathroom and turned on the tap. Glancing in the mirror, my eyes roll over my features from my blue eyes in a fairly average face to my horn sticking out between the bangs of my ash colored mane cut in a short, easily controlled style and my charcoal grey coat. I splash some water on my face and levitate a towel to wipe off.
Stepping back into the kitchen, I sit down at the table. Clover placed a delectable looking plate of fried eggs, hash browns, and toast with butter down in front of me. After thanking her for the breakfast I dug in. Clover and I discussed the pleasant nothings of married life like the neighborhood gossip and whether or not we should go for a walk later. As I was cleaning up the breakfast dishes there was an excited knocking at our front door.
“Who is it dear?”, I asked.
“That darn Stable-Tec salespony again! She comes by every day looking for you.” Clover says in response. “I run her off most days. Want me to?”
“No, I’ll answer it.”
I walked over to the front door and opened it to see an earth pony mare with a clipboard wearing a fedora and trenchcoat. She looks down at her clipboard and starts to say what seems to be a well rehearsed, if not well executed, speech.
“Good morning sir or madam, my name is Sandy Shores, how are you? I am well. I am here as a representative of Stable-Tec. We are proud to inform you that due to your family’s military service and employment in the Ministry of Wartime Technology, you have been accepted into the local Stable, Stable 30, free of charge! Please fill out these forms and tell us what makes You special.” said Sandy Shores, barely pausing to breathe. I looked down at the papers. “If I fill this out will you let us be?”
“Oh most definitely sir!”
“Alrighty then.” I said taking the papers and the pen and setting to work filling out the forms. Why did they need my college GPA and to know if I could handle myself in a hoof-wrestling contest with Minister Applejack (even getting on in years she is one of the strongest ponies I’ve met) and to what degree of success? Odd questions aside, I finished the paperwork, signed the bottom and levitated the clipboard back to Ms. Shores.
“There you go ma’am. Have a good day.”
“Thank you so much-. “She glanced at the clipboard. “-Cast Iron. Have a wonderful day and a better future underground! “
As I watched her head down the road I could’ve sworn I heard her say something about a cookware set being hers.
I turned and shut the door and glanced over at my wife and was struck with just how beautiful she was. Using my magic I flicked on the radio and stepped behind her and whispered in her ear.
“May I have this dance?”
She giggled and we danced to some song by Sweetie Belle or Coloratura, I wasn’t sure who. All that mattered was the mare in front of me. As the next song began to play I kissed her and oh how I wished to stay there all day with her but duty called. I have regretted very few things in my life as much as I regret going to work that morning. I said my goodbyes and headed off to work.
I stepped into the Ministry of War-Time Technology office building at just past 8:30 in the morning and already the place was buzzing, almost literally, with activity. Courier ponies ran to and fro delivering messages, secretaries took memos and fetched coffee, and Lab Techs like me headed to the lifts to check-in. I was happy to see that students from M.I.T. (Manehattan Institute of Technology) on a tour, all hopeful for a chance to help put an end to this blasted war. This was the first tour since the failed assassination of Ministry Mare Applejack. After that security beefed up even more. The Protecti-ponies had been reprogrammed to be more hostile to those deemed “Intruders”. I nearly had my horn zapped off once because I didn’t have my I.D. badge pinned to my lab coat. Luckily I am pretty tough for a unicorn and got my badge out before it did too much damage. Stepping onto the lift I tap the button to take me down to my lab.
Now I should take a moment to explain what I actually did for the MoWT. I worked in the Super Special Defense Department working on the “Steel Under Great Arcane Reinforcement and Battle Engaging Equipment” project or Project S.U.G.A.R.B.E.E.. I know that sounds like a strange name but to be honest there had been a contest in the lab to see who could come up with the most convoluted name that was also an apple name. I won myself 50 bits that day. We were tasked with beefing up the Steel Ranger power armor to withstand the new munitions the zebras had started using. It worked by weaving a magical lattice into the metal of the suit so that the force of any mundane round that hit it would be spread out over the whole suit and thus preventing the armor from being penetrated. This could in theory work with explosives too. The spell could be applied to most apparel too. Now it wouldn’t be as effective on say a tuxedo or gala dress as a suit of power armor but it would stop a knife for sure.
After reaching the lower level I headed through the maze-like passages that made up the basement. My team and I had to present our findings and the prototype to the Board and, if the rumors were true, Ministry Mare Applejack later that afternoon. I spent the morning typing away at a terminal until my stomach started to protest. Pushing back from my desk I checked my desk clock and saw it was nearly noon. There was plenty of time for me to eat lunch at home with Clover if I left now.
“Hey Emerald, I’m gonna have lunch at home today. I’ll be back before the presentation.”, I said to my fellow lab tech, Emerald Armor.
“ Alright but you better not be late or I’ll kill you myself.”, he replied in a surprisingly deep voice that did not match his slight green frame.
I responded with a laugh as I was halfway out the door. I barely noticed the time it took to get home. I walked into my house and kissed Clover. We talked about our plans for the evening when a sound like a terrible whining scream issued forth from the radio.
“EMERGENCY ALERT CLOUDSDALE HAS FALLEN. ATTACKS ARE EMINENT IN ALL MAJOR CITIES AROUND EQUESTRIA. PLEASE MOVE TO YOUR NEAREST SHELTER. THIS MESSAGE REPEATS.”
Clover and I galloped out of our house like the maw of Tartarus was nipping our tails. Stable 30 was close we could make it. We rounded the corner and saw a crowd trying to rush a chain link fence that was the only thing between them and safety. Well that and the heavily armed guards. I pulled Clover along and muscled our way to the front. Upon seeing our cutiemarks the guard with a clipboard allowed us to pass. Clover and I breathed a sigh of relief as we stepped on to the elevator that would take us to the Stable. Thank Celestia, we’d made it. Just then, as if Discord decided to play a horrible prank, there was a brilliant flash of sickening green light. Thankfully we were underground before the wind and heat from the balefire reached us.
Once we stopped at the bottom we were ushered through the Stable-Tec introduction process. This mainly consisted of being told to put on a blue jumpsuit with gold trim and a scientist rushing us off to Decontamination. Now I would normally consider myself a rather intelligent pony, I graduated near the top of my class at M.I.T., but this was a rather stressful situation. I say this because I should have noticed that these were not, in fact, decontam pods but cryopods. That being said, I didn’t notice and Clover and I happily stepped into our pods.
“See you on the other side.”, I said.
“I love you”
“I love you too.” She replied.
Then the pods closed and we knew no more.
Author's Note
Let me know what you think! I am working on the story but I am really slow.
