Fallout Equestria: Endless Horizon

Chapter 1: Aella Breeze.

Cramped. Stuffy. Trapped. Unlike most winged creatures, I was rarely bothered by confined spaces. I even enjoyed them to an extent! Something about curling up someplace small and dark always eased my anxiety. Whether it was building forts with my big sister as a fledgling, or dragging myself through a crawlspace to repair some hard-to-reach equipment.

There was nothing relaxing or cozy about my situation though. The screaming wind soaring around my tent made it impossible to relax, constantly reminding me how a layer of canvas was my only reprieve from the raging storm outside. Of how a single blown stick or wrong movement of my talons could open me up to the toxic atmosphere beyond.

Worse, whenever I felt myself getting used to the wind pushing and pounding on my walls a crack of thunder would put me right back on edge. Flashes of lightning so close it made my purple feathers tingle and my mane stand on end.

So I curled up in my nest roll and burrowed my beak into my powder blue coat, wincing and chirping whenever a bolt of lightning landed too close for comfort. I knew it wouldn’t last forever. It couldn’t. Eventually, the ash fall would stop. The wind would calm. I’d be free to fly home on the gentle currents of air drifting off the ocean.

Until then all I could do was wait.

I was exhausted from a day of flying and anxiously ruminating on the terrible night before. My wing muscles ached and my eyes were heavy behind my prescription flight goggles. But my mind wouldn’t stop. Logically I knew that my tent wouldn’t fail. They were designed to keep the magical storms of death at bay. And nothing would attack me. There were very few creatures that could survive in the blood ash for more than a minute or two. The lack of threatening red ticks on the EFS compass imposed on my vision confirmed it. But I still couldn’t rest.

I’d never been in the wilds before. It was my first time dealing with actual danger. With no complex tasks to put my keen mind toward, I decided to go over every single thing that could possibly go wrong! With no way to prepare or solve them from the confinement of the barely me-sized tent. So I was understandably on edge.

There was one line of thought that had less impending doom than the others, so for the sake of my sanity, I followed it. The annoying little fact that I shouldn’t have been out in the wilds on my own in the first place.

Ok, so… It was kind of my fault. I was mature enough to admit that. Everything started off fine. Better than fine. I was flying high! It was my third time being assigned to the repossession team. The adventurous, fearless scavengers kept the settlement flush with everything we needed to live comfortably. The Repo Team was well respected by the community. I hoped that if I went on enough missions, then I’d be respected too. So when the chance to help the Repo Team scavenge for medical equipment came along, I dove right into it.

So being chosen for another mission was a huge deal! Not only to improve my social standing but because of what it said about me. Because while I’m a clumsy, socially awkward mare who often prefers machines to people, I was also the only technician to ever be assigned work outside of the village limits. It was dangerous, important work that was reserved only for the finest engineers, and myself! It meant that they valued my talent and knowledge more than they valued my yet-to-be-complete engineering degree. It meant I was worth something.

But I messed up. I was clumsy and overexcited and stupid! Like a griff who passes out trying to prove she can fly the highest, I wanted to prove myself to them and screwed up. I felt every eye on me as I returned to the transport in shame. Then I panicked. I flew away. Before my official punishment. Before I was even cleared by the medic!

Because as smart and talented as I am, I knew I wasn’t wanted there. Most of them tolerated me at best, because when the actual engineers were too busy with their own work my presence meant the Repo Team could still go out and do their job. They needed someone who could make sure the equipment we were transporting hundreds of kilometres wasn’t a pile of unfixable crap. So while I was only a few credits into my engineering certification when I left school, the years I spent learning to fix and build things with my father made up for it. When they needed it to.

So instead of waiting to be sent home, I sent myself. I flew toward the nearest settlement shortly after lunch. I could make it to Skya before dusk and radio the repo team to tell them I was safe. Then I could catch a ride with the next supply convoy!

But when I arrived at the sprawling metal facility I was turned away. The entire complex was locked down to contain a freak ponypox outbreak. I wanted to be mad at Skya’s guards, but they did nothing wrong. They were just following orders. I couldn’t even blame them for being cautious! While most creatures would assume the megaspell exchange led to our country's end, we actually fell to disease and failing infrastructure decades later. I couldn’t blame them for turning me away.

The only one I could blame for being stuck in the wilds was me.

I needed another distraction. Something, anything to switch my train of thought to a new track. Naturally, my attention turned to my PipBuck! The marvel of arcane technology was the only thing I had that wasn’t supplies or camping gear. With a few taps of the screen, the device's radio switched on. I had a neural implant that I could use to interface with it, but I didn’t bother. The idea was to kill time, after all. I'd already read all of the more... adult-themed stories I had installed on the device. I silently kicked myself for not downloading more books. The thing had an insane amount of storage.

The tent filled with static. Of course, there was only static! I already tried ten times to pick up something on my radio. The dusk storm was too thick to pick up Skya’s broadcasts, and I was too far from home to call for help. But I still kept checking. In the safety of my small tent, one of the few things I had to entertain myself was attempting the routine of hourly check-ins.

The sky flashed red through the walls of the tent as streaks of lightning danced through the clouds. For a moment I could make out the ruins of Mt. Aris behind the bolts, but the image faded as quickly as it came. I fluttered my wings a bit as I tried to keep myself distracted. Being confined without knowing how long it would last was mentally exhausting. Worst, I couldn’t even pace or fly to try and process how exhausting it was!

The light in my tent flickered and dimmed, feeling just as annoyed by my choices as I was. “I’m sorry we left before I got a chance to charge you. I swear, I’ll plug you in when we get back. In fact,” I reached up and flicked the lamp off. “Why don’t we both get some rest? We have nothing better to do.”

I slipped a small pill bottle from my saddlebag. A hippogriff adorned the label, with a cloud of Z’s hanging above it. The words were too worn to read, but the contents were obvious. Sleeping pills: The magical drug that allowed me to get more than an hour and a half of restful sleep a night without having to worry about nightmares or insomnia. I settled on taking half a pill so I wouldn’t be out too long, or too deeply.

A thunderous boom echoed from the sky. I let out an anxious shriek and nuzzled deeper into my pillow. “Just thunder from some lightning I didn’t notice… It’s fine. No point worrying about what I can’t control. Especially something foalish like storms.” I curled into a ball on my sleeping next and tugged my blanket around myself tightly.

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The warm sun on my face was exactly what I needed the following morning. The Ashfall stopped before dawn, giving me plenty of time to pack up and eat before taking flight. The early morning sun cast a wonderful, orange glow across the rolling fields below. Most of Mt Aris was untamed and unpopulated, even before the war, and the wilds continued to dominate most of the island long after. The changing climate and occasionally toxic air killed off a lot of the plant and animal life through the years, leaving behind the most clever, adaptable, or magically charged life to take over. Forests of deadly plants and intangible beasts, plains of apex predators and subterranean horrors, all surviving in the most lethal environment imaginable.

And then there was me, a small, relatively weak avian-equine so distracted by the beauty and resilience of the natural world below, I forgot to respect how dangerous it is. As the cool morning air carried me along, nature was happy to remind me.

A thunderous cry from above sent me tearing across the landscape. I soared over fields of wild wheat and clovers. The only usable cover was clusters of trees, which may as well be piles of kindling for all the good it did me.

The scent of burning weeds and suffering clovers hit me as a suffocating heat washed over me. The blaze bit into my backside to singe my tail and flank. Even when it missed the terrifying bird of prey wore me down. I didn’t know how much smoke my wheezing lungs could handle.

It was the kind of majestic animal Equestrians would go to see in zoos when they still existed, beautiful as it was terrifying. Massive ruby wings adorned its sleek copper body. Meanwhile, the angular features and razor-sharp talons screamed “bird of prey.” Unfortunately to the firehawk’s keen hunter's eyes, I was the prey. A smaller, weaker bird that was dumb enough to be caught in the open, alone and distracted. Its wings cut through the air effortlessly as it looped around for another attack.

My whole body shook as I shot forward with all I had. My heart pounded in my ears as I pushed myself harder, faster than I ever thought I could. My physical education teacher would have been proud, assuming I didn’t bite it in the next thirty seconds. Despite the adrenaline pushing me well past my limits, the creature kept up effortlessly.

The wild bird was gaining on me. It gave up on trying to torch me with its fire and settled on snatching me up in its talons. The razor-sharp digits would tear into the soft feathers and flesh of my wings so I couldn’t hope to escape! Then if I was lucky, the beast would kill me before it ate me.

Naturally, I couldn’t let it. Sure it was stronger, faster, and magic, but I’m Aella. Aella Breeze! Daughter of the most gifted unicorn mare and engineering hippogriff stallion on Mt. Aris! Nothing could stand against me and my wet wrinkly brain!

Also, I had a gun.

With a determined cry, I rolled upside down, bringing the deadly bird into sight against the bright blue sky. I levelled the magical energy pistol towards the silhouette looming above.
My hands shook as I did my best to line up the shot. A talon wrapped around the trigger, ready to squeeze.

Then the world was eerily still. Like I was looking at a photo. I trained with SATS a few times in the past, but it was my first time using it in actual combat. It still felt so eerie. I could see my limbs, and the smoking beak of the firehawk beyond them, but it no longer felt real. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t feel the aching in my chest or the blisters on my rump. It made me wonder how many people activated the spell just as they were moments from death. Too afraid to find out how it all ends. Forced to watch their final moment, until they eventually went mad and released the spell.

I queued up several attacks from my trusty weapon, still in awe of the wrist-mounted device's magical capabilities. Then I dropped out of SATS and the spell went to work, sending streaks of brilliant blue from my pistol. The first two shots grazed it; the next two hit home. One speared through its wing and left a watermelon-sized hole. The other left a horrid burn across its breast.

Two piercing eyes fell shut as its body went limp. I watched her fall with bated breath. Plummeting towards the earth. 50 metres. 100. 500. For the briefest of moments I thought I was safe.

But then with a furious caw, almost a roar, those fiery orange eyes snapped open. Wings spread wide, it caught a breeze. My stomach churned as the updraft brought the beast right toward me.

Oh, griffon feathers.

I righted myself and put every ounce of energy I could into my wings, letting my newfound hope carry me. The firehawk was wounded. I had a shot! I didn’t need to beat it. I only had to avoid being eaten until it decided I wasn’t worth the effort. Until it left for easier prey.

The featherbrain's aim took a major hit, too. Missing so many flight feathers and a few pounds of flesh left it more clumsy. It allowed me to weave and duck away from its attacks, experiencing minor burns at worst. I wasn’t the most acrobatic or athletic flier, but the adrenaline surge impending doom brings is quite incredible. My flight instructor would have been proud.

But then its massive form swallowed the light above me and bathed me in shadow. As the shadow around me grew I knew it was closing in. Diving to strike a killing blow. Razor-sharp talons slashed at the air above me as I dove, but I wasn’t spared. A cascade of red-hot flames danced past, and that was it.

The air around me burned away, searing my lungs. My barrel and flank blistered as my coat burned away. A blood-curdling scream filled my ears and my vision dimmed. I was fragile as glass as I spiralled towards the earth.

Tears collected in my prescription flight goggles as I struggled to fly. To breathe. To do anything. I beat my sore wings in a panic with no sense of rhythm in a desperate attempt to slow my descent. I lost all sense of direction as I tumbled and rolled uncontrollably. I had no idea where the fiery beast was, but it hardly mattered. I could hardly think through the pain and panic, let alone fly. The best I could do was struggle against my failing endurance.

As the ground rushed towards me, my chest heaved. I did my best to roll when I hit the ground to disperse my momentum. Thanks to that and all my wings flailing I survived the rough landing, but the dirt and grass it rubbed into my wounds were like scalpels across my hot flesh.

Every instinct I had said to curl up and rest, but that’s what the hungry predator wanted. So I fought through the pain and assessed the damages with the help of my Eyes-Forward Sparkle. I had considerable damage to the skin of my wings, flank, and my lungs. No broken bones, but I tore several muscles and tendons.

A terrifying shriek from above pushed me to get to my hooves (and claws). The beast was circling above me, waiting for its lunch to exhaust itself and collapse. That certainly wasn’t an option.

My PipBuck saved me again, this time with the inventory sorting spell. In seconds I had everything I needed to keep me going. There was no hesitation as I pulled the drugs and medicine in front of me. They were just tools after all, and in this case, they were the only tool that might work.

First I gagged down a vial of muddy paste with the taste of moss and pine needles. The healing draught went to work immediately, though it wasn’t as gentle as an Equestrian healing potion. I choked and coughed as the pain in my flank and chest compounded, and my skin seemed to crawl and shift against my body.

My vision blurred as I fell back on my haunches. I felt on the verge of passing out as I moved to the next item, a syringe of med-x. The painkiller was spirit sent, calming the horrid burn to an ignorable ache. It was an improvement, but I didn’t have much fight left in me.

Finally, a tablet of buck to put some wind under my wings. The chalky, chewable steroid worked as advertised, sending a surge of energy through my body. I was still shaky and weak, but I was able to move around without keeling over. After a moment of fumbling in the dirt for my fallen weapon, I turned the pistol on the massive bird above.

The slowed time of SATS allowed me to collect myself and think. I couldn’t feel my body while time was paused, which I was thankful for. It was weak. Exhausted. My mind on the other claw was still sharp as a tack.

According to the targeting spell, I had a 45% chance of hitting it in the head. Roughly one in two odds weren’t terrible, but still, anything short of a kill shot and it would have me for lunch.

My weapon droned softly as it released a torrent of magic at my enemy. It dove towards the azure beams, talons spread wide to collect its prize. My heart stopped as I watched with bated breath, as all but one shot sailed past my target. It seemed statistically impossible, but I also wasn't very good at statistics.

It roared furiously, face burnt by the powerful magic, but not enough to dissuade it.

My heart sank. Even my optimism had limits. If I ran or flew it’d catch me. With SATS and my pistol recharging, I couldn’t fight it. I was delicious, slightly burnt toast. I was never a spiritual griff, and I rarely thought about life beyond what was in front of me. With death looming overhead though, I prayed to the spirit of Accord for a swift end.

A deafening boom shook the ground and tore through the sky. Inexplicably, the firehawk’s chest exploded, raining viscera and gore on the fields below. My ears rang as I sat back on my haunches in shock, watching the massive carcass fall lifelessly from the sky.

Somehow, someone blew the predatory bird away. Weapons with that kind of range and power were limited, even before society fell apart, so there was no doubt the attack came from my hometown. The body slammed into the ground just 100 metres away, kicking up a gentle cloud of loose soil in its wake. I just watched half of the birds chest turn to mist, but my eyes remained fixed on it, searching for any sign of movement or a sudden red tick on my EFS.

Morbidity, my first thought after confirming the thousand-plus pounds of dying flesh wasn’t going to suddenly reanimate was that meal rations for the next few days were doing to be a lot more interesting than usual. Somehow my thoughts managed to drift to food after such a horrific display. Meat was something of a delicacy back home, only being available when a Repo Team managed to down a flesh creature. (Not all creatures in hippogriffia took a physical form, making ones that didn’t very, very hard to kill. Never a fun time.) The extra variety would help with morale back in town for the next few days, though it wasn’t likely I’d be credited for it.

A brilliant pink flash behind me pulled me away from my food-based fantasy. As I turned I found myself muzzle to beak with a cotton candy pink unicorn! She was smaller than me like most ponies, with a mess of deep pink and red streaked hair. She wore clean, pressed blue scrubs, just a few shades lighter than my coat. Strong fabric bags hung across her back, emblazoned with a butterfly-centred cross embroidered on the flaps.

Beside her stood a hippogriff with several inches and years on me. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t recall his name. I wasn’t the most social fledgling growing up, mostly just hanging out with my sister and her friends so she could keep an eye on me. His feathers were a deeper purple than mine, with far more contrast. A pair of deadly-looking magical energy rifles were mounted under his wings, flickering with sickly green energy.

Before I could greet my saviours the pink blur at my beak enveloped me. She giggled as she threw her hooves tightly around my neck, though I could still feel her body shaking. The experience left her more worried than her happy voice and bright smile suggested. “Aella, I’m so glad you’re ok. What were you doing out here alone, you could have died! You’re clumsy enough without apex mutants trying to eat your face off.” I squeaked as she hugged me with strength that made me question if she was part earth pony. The pressure on my fresh, now partly healed wounds was an uncomfortable reminder of my horrid state, but I nuzzled into her familiar softness anyway, drying my tears with her coat.

“Aqua, How...What just… What was that…?” I stammered, my masterful mind failing to work out what she had to do with the slain creature behind me. “We’re too far from Gefion village for the canons to reach, what did you do!?”

The pink mare giggled, “I may have… overcharged the coils on the railguns to boost the range…Just a bit. Or rather I asked C.O.R.E to do it, and adjust the aim accordingly. but… Well…” She suddenly looked sheepish.

I sighed and away from her fuzzy pink coat, looking the older mare in the eyes. “Please tell me my sister didn’t just damage one of the city's only working railguns just to save my flank?” There was a long pregnant pause before I burst out laughing and pulled her into another warm embrace. “Of course you did. Thank you for saving my life, Aqua.

“Again.”

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It was a long, exhausting morning after that. All I wanted to do was go home, catch up on some of the work I missed while I was away, and rest. Instead, I spent the early hours being poked, prodded, and dotted over by my overprotective sister.

By noon I was feeling a lot better. My burns were smothered in soothing antibacterial salve, and wrapped tightly in enchanted bandages. It would take a few days to a week to recover fully, but thanks to my quick thinking and a second healing draught, none of my wounds were critical.

Several feathers on my wings and legs burnt up, along with a lot of fur along my left flank. The missing coat wasn’t a big deal, especially given there was already a light blue fuzz growing back into place under my bandages. More annoying was the missing and damaged feathers on my left wing. I wouldn’t be able to fly effectively until most of them grew in again.

My sister Aqua had me stay with her for hours so she could treat and monitor me. She wanted to drag me to the clinic so I could be checked out and treated more thoroughly, but her place of work was already swamped, and I couldn’t take up a bed if someone else needed it. It was incredibly dull considering there wasn’t a single adventure novel among her books, but I appreciated it nonetheless. Eventually, she had to release me from her observation so she could make her shift at the hospital. I felt a bit bad as I left her home. The clinic was overworked and probably needed the technology the Repo Team and I were sent for, while I selfishly left the mission before completing it.

Still, the equipment wouldn’t have made it back for a few more days either way… so it didn’t really make much of a difference.

My home was the last settlement that still used old-world architecture. We lived in colourful hollow trees, magically grown by Elders, Druids, and Scrawls so we could live seamlessly with the nature around us. It was an oasis along the shores of an otherwise desolate island for us, and for the plants and animals too fragile to survive in the wilds beyond. The magically enhanced trees formed a canopy of lush green above us, protecting us from the worst of the ashfall. The windows and balconies built into the trunks and treetops were often the only way to differentiate a normal tree from someone's home.

As badly as I wanted to get home there was an empty achiness in my stomach that I needed to see to, first. So my next stop was the delightful commissary near the center of town! Two dozen tables were set up under several, far larger-than-average trees that functioned like a town hall, with a large food truck at the end. Despite the autowagon being kept in good condition, I’d never seen it run or be moved at all. The one time I asked about it, I was told very firmly that I was not allowed to disassemble or tamper with the steam engine.

I didn’t even plan to have it apart! …For more than a few hours. Steam engines were replaced by pulse-magnetic drive trains, so it was rare to see such a compact one in operation! There is nothing wrong with wanting to see how it runs up close!

A tall griff waved from the service window as I approached. Wheatgrass’s naturally lively green coat was hidden underneath a thin layer of flour, as it often was when she baked. Her necklace was the only part of her that was clean, free to shimmer in the streams of sunlight that broke through the leaves.

Such necklaces were a common site on Mt. Aris. Nearly everyone wore them, myself included. They were the shards of a magical pearl that protected our people for centuries. After the death of Queen Skystar it was broken into shards and shared with everyone.

They say it was a gift from Accord, the spirit of balance. Magic to aid us in maintaining our way of life despite the war-torn state we found ourselves in. I don’t know if it was a gift from some powerful spirit, but the magic held in the tiny fragments is certainly real.

“Afternoon, Aella. A little late for the afternoon meal, but I’m sure we have something here...“ She waved back at the cook, who quickly got to work preparing leftovers for me. In truth, I wanted to show up late. Being around too many people made me feel anxious, and it often lead to conversations where I said or did the wrong thing. I preferred the company of the quiet forest and empty tables.

“I’m surprised to see you so soon,” The worker continued. “I thought ‘The Great General Seaspray the 7th’ had you out with the scav team.” She did dramatic air quotes around his name with an amused eye roll. “Did you… Did it not go well?” There was a touch of concern in her voice.

I chirped dismissively and waved the question off with a wing. “I’d rather not go into it. I had a rough morning of almost being barbecued, and I just want some decent food.”

“Well then, in that case; food we can do.” She turned towards the cook for a minute, and when she returned she was holding a wooden tray of food.

“Fresh red snapper, caught and purged of balefire radiation just this morning. If this doesn’t put a smile on your beak, nothing will.”

My stomach rumbled as I eyed the perfectly prepared Sashimi on the plate. Thinly sliced fish with a side of deliciously salty seaweed and mixed nuts. Of course, the meal wouldn’t be complete without an aromatic mug of creamy, warm, and delightfully sweet coffee. I gave the worker a smile as I grabbed my tray, and trotted off to the furthest table.

I had a hard time being around Wheatgrass sometime. She was sweet, popular, well-respected, and appreciated. All the things I wanted to be. Growing up I thought that if I could be useful, productive, and smart then people would like me! That’s how it worked for my late parents and Aqua. But here was this griff who did just below average in school to go into the service industry, and she was one of the most upbeat, caring, and beloved griffs I knew.

I didn’t hate her or anyone else for it, it just felt like… everyone knew the secret of how to talk to others and be likeable but me. And even when you copy what everyone else does, you can still somehow be wrong! It was infuriating.

“You got that far-off-looking sneer. Did someone spit in your beer?”

I nearly jumped out of my skin as I coughed and choked on a bite of fish as a zebra seemed to manifest in front of me. I was so distracted by my brooding that I hadn’t realized he was there until we were practically muzzle to beak. The striped equine wore a filthy, oil-stained jacket, littered with pockets. A wrench patch with gold trim on his sleeve said not only was he a repair creature like me, but he was a manager. No, he was my manager! And the Chief of Engineering.

Buck.

“C-Chief Engineer Sureclasp! H-Hi! I haven't even had time to message you to set up a meeting. How did you know I was here…?” The zebra always seemed to know what was going on in the settlement before everyone else, and he was less than forthcoming about how. I think he built an illegal radio scanner, but I’d never seen it.

“You know, I keep my ear to the ground. I figured meeting with you before you got lost in your work would be easier for us both. You aren’t the best at making it to meetings, or returning messages.”

Each word made my heart beat faster and my stomach churn. My mind raced with every mistake I’d made, and the endless array of punishments that could follow. I nearly ruined the mission, and then I ran away! A mission I begged for! Then as a result I was nearly eaten, risking not only my life but a PipBuck 4000 and a custom-built recharger pistol! My life was expendable, but the spirit-blessed materials and complex technology of my equipment was irreplaceable.

Somehow noticing my racing anxiety, the buck was quick to reassure me. “I’m not here to pull feathers about what happened. The elders don’t have the time to look into what happened immediately, and when they do I’m sure they will be lenient. They’ve already assured me that everything you’ve been through, and your unique… deficiencies will be taken into account. With that said, you won’t be permitted on another repossession mission until the official inquiries are made. Even then… I don’t think you’ll be allowed in the field again. I’m sorry, Aella. I know how hard you worked to earn that.”

That… wasn’t as bad as I expected. I was terrified I would be banished, or imprisoned. Or imprisoned wherever I was banished to! After almost burning to death, not being allowed on missions hardly seemed like a punishment. And it wasn’t like I wanted to be on the team that badly anyway. It wasn’t a big deal.

“I… I understand. I appreciate you standing up for me. Anyway, you said you had a work assignment for me?” I clung to the idea of a task to do, something I understood and could lose myself in instead of dealing with the mess of emotions knotted up in my chest.

“We’ll get to that. But first I want to know how you’re doing.”

Ugh, of course.

“You had a life-threatening experience today. It may not have been your first, but it’s the first time you’ve had to brave such a high-stress situation on your own. Experiencing post-traumatic stress symptoms is completely expected-”

“I’m fine. Sure I took a few licks, but I fought my flank off, and I did well! Then the railgun blasted it, (and itself,) to bits. Yes, it was a stressful situation, but I came out surprisingly unscathed. I’m fine.”

Sureclasp pulled out a notebook and started scribbling in it with a sigh. Apparently, my lacklustre performance wasn’t enough to convince him. I hoped he wasn’t putting any of it on my record… Or worse, referring me for a psych evaluation. I already had all the therapy I could stomach.

“You’ve been home from Skya for about three months now. How have you been adjusting?” Chief Sureclasp switched to his native tongue to keep the winds from spreading our private discussion. Everyone in our small community knew what I’d been through, but still, I appreciated the discretion. I learned enough of his language from my zebra teachers to keep up. “I know you felt it was important for you to be here for your sister’s operation, but she’s doing very well. If you’re still interested in finishing your Engineering education, you can return next semester. You’ll only be a few months behind. For you, that might as well be a week.” he said.

“I’m… content staying close to home for now,” I signed and looked down at my hardly-eaten food. All the talk about emotions and trauma spoiled my appetite. “None of the settlements are short on engineers, and I’ve been doing good work as a technician. Maybe in a year or two, but… right now it’s too soon.”

The zebra buck nodded “I understand. You’ve been through a lot this year. Losing Karma, your sister's illness, and now this. Take your time. We appreciate the hard work you do in your current position.”

“Now, the thing you’re really interested in. This assignment will feel even less like work than your usual tasks, and that’s the point. It’ll give you some time to clear your head while staying productive.” I leaned closer, hanging on his every word.

“I want you to get the Skystar V flightworthy over the next week. We’ll have some scrap brought to the docks for you to use. We might have need of a few airships in the next few months, and yours is the best maintained.”

I shovelled the rest of my food into my beak and grinned. “Of course, chief! I’ll have it ship shape in no time! I’ll get started right away!” The buck chuckled as I lept out of my seat and rushed toward the docks.

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The Skystar V. A beautiful sailing vessel with a glittering silver haul, two towering masts for the durable canvas sails, and enough rooms below deck to comfortably support an entire crew! My home.

The ship was my father's life's work. After my parents died I continued working on her to feel closer to him. Father taught me everything I know about machines and arcane technology working on that ship. We dreamed of one day taking her out into the world, discovering new places and having epic adventures like the creatures from storybooks he read to me as a fledgling. Rather than let it be torn up and parted out, the council allowed me to keep it as my home and workspace.

I was fairly sure the task was busywork. Something to keep me out of everyone's manes while I licked my wounds and processed what happened. Still, I couldn’t help but be excited at the slim possibility. If they had a need for the ship, then they’d need a technician to keep it running! No creature alive knew that ship better than me!

So I got to it! The solar energy collectors and water condensers were of course fine, seeing as I had both running water and electricity to run my coffee maker. The computers in the control room needed work, the sails needed patching, and several cells in the battery bank had to be swapped out, along with a list of other issues for me to solve.

I couldn’t help but let my mind drift as I worked to the adventures I could have on the ship. The friends I could make, the crew I could work with. The comradery, the comfort, the excitement! And of course, you couldn’t have a good story without a little heartbreak.

None of the issues proved difficult for me, though some were time-consuming. The few times I was uncertain about something, I had help! The ship’s primary control terminal was also a node for CORE, an advanced AI that helped manage and maintain several Mt. Aris settlements. Need data looked up? Done. Complex maths? Of course, it’s made of math! She did in moments what would take most ponies hours, and played a giant role in keeping hippogriffs from going extinct.

Though the rest of our technology didn’t hurt.

By the end of day six, I was golden. Every diagnostic scan found no issues. Every light, switch, fuse, and panel was cleaned inside and out. Every wooden board of the interior was clean, rot-less, and clear coated! The outer hull shined like jewelry. I beamed with pride, knowing how much the Skystar appreciated the attention. Every ratchet click made her hum just a little bit happier.

I outdid myself.

Ping.

…I also neglected to check any of my messages during the work binge, resulting in my workspace’s terminal blooping at me every hour on the hour as a reminder. Sureclasp was right about me not checking my messages enough. But I just get so carried away when I’m working on a project! It isn’t like my boss or my sister don’t matter, it’s just that once I’m in that zone, everything else fades away. I don’t dislike them any more than I dislike, (and need) food! And I forget that when I get working, too.

-🖂︎🖂︎🖂︎-

Gefion-wide public health notice.

For those who aren’t yet aware, a terrible illness has been burning its way through multiple settlements. It is not influenza, pony polks, or any other rumour or lies you may have heard. Lab tests have confirmed… It’s a resurgence of the new plague. The Blue Flu that barely six generations ago upset the precarious balance of our survival, leading to over one million deaths of disease, starvation, and loss of utilities.

The illness spreads easily and is slow to progress in most cases. But in the young and old it can become lethal far more quickly. We are capable of treating and isolating those affected for now, but eventually, the medicine will run out, and the decrease in labour potential will affect our food, energy, and water production.

The Elders and Chiefs are working tirelessly, and have multiple plans in the works to deal with this threat. In the meantime remember, your friends and neighbors are not our enemies. Everyone must work together. Do not let your fear and uncertainty guide you. Give everything you have for each other, and we will overcome this crisis.

Effective immediately, a curfew is in effect, and anyone with symptoms should self-isolate. A full list of rules and regulations will be sent separately. If you wish to do more for your community, contact your Chief. Thank you.

-Central Operations Reliance Engine, by Elders instructions.

🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦

I had a ship. A disease was spreading through the village. We couldn’t produce the medical supplies to effectively treat it. I hadn’t left my workshop in days to catch it. And I had a ship.

They sent emergency supplies to stock the galley and clinic, and I didn’t even consider it!! I thought repairing the Skystar was busy work, but… no, it couldn’t be a coincidence. This was why I was fixing up the ship. They needed me. Or at least needed it.

This was it. My call to action. The hero’s journey playing out before my eyes. My chance to redeem myself in the eyes of my people. To find my place among my kind! No one would care what was wrong with me when I returned with medicine and equipment to save everyone! I could actually be someone.

I didn’t even think as I rushed to message Chief Sureclasp! Maybe I should have… but I was far too excited. I was living an adventure story! It was a dream come true! He was hesitant to accept my offer of help, even after admitting that the Elders had already planned for the possibility that I’d offer. But there was little he could do. Any other flight-worthy vessels were lost years ago headed to the Winged Citadel atop Mt. Aris… with my parents on board

No, no sadness! This was my chance! And more proof! The main character always had a tragic backstory, and mine related to my journey! I’d do what they couldn’t, and sail my ship to success! With any other ships needing weeks to months, before they could fly, I was the best option. I vibrated and fluttered with excitement as I waited for the full mission details.

🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦

The bridge, the heart of the ship. I mostly just used it as an entryway or to run diagnostics with the advanced computer equipment, but now I’d actually be operating her from it! Well… CORE would be operating it through her connection to the central computer. The AI was able to access all of her separate nodes and divide up her consciousness between them. Sending actual data between the access points required an actual connection, however.

Aqua would always get on me about treating it like a person, and she certainly wouldn’t appreciate me referring to her construct as a consciousness, but she felt so real to me… It wasn't just that she was smart and had a personality, I felt this spark from her I could never quite explain. I was always connecting with machines like they were people, though… Something my therapist suggested I try to get over. Ugh.

Everything was perfect. I sat at the circular table screen that functioned as the ship's main terminal, surrounded by banks of control terminals, looking out over the Skystar and the beautiful Mt. Aris terrain through the floor-to-ceiling glass walls that took up most of the front. I was starting an actual adventure, like my father and I always dreamed about! Adventuring to Equestria on a divine quest to find a mythical item to save my people!

But it was hard to be excited…

It was the hologram of a pony projecting from my table screen. She looked exactly like my sister, but completely different. Her normally perfect mane and coat were tangled and matted, her eyes were shadowed and dim, and her normally bubbly, energetic nature we both shared was non-existent. She was like some freaky evil twin or alternate universe version of Aqua.

I didn’t ask how she was doing. Even one as socially inept as me could tell; she was exhausted, overworked, stressed, and most of all worried. As much as I wanted to tell her she didn’t need to be, I couldn’t lie to her. Even in adventure stories, the main character would go through terrible situations and great sacrifices to finally get to the end. As much comfort as pretending gave me, I knew that the real world was often far less forgiving. The good guys don’t always win, and sometimes the one who was supposed to be the hero ends up dead in a ditch.

“I’m sorry, but I have to do this. I can finally be the person I want to be, the one that you and Father always knew I could be! I can be brave, help others, and do something important! Besides… Everyone needs me to do this. People will die if I don’t! I know I may fail, but that’s better than just sitting here waiting to die! My mind, my brain… I’m different. Everyone knows it, and we know they wouldn’t waste resources to save me when they could save someone neurotypical. And maybe… If I pull this off, maybe I can finally find my place, I can-”

“Leave.” Her voice cut like a blade. Everything froze. I couldn’t even breathe. “You’ve avoided the plague that destroyed our nation. Maybe the Ministry of Peace developed some advanced cure-all to make everything better, but it’s been over 200 years. If it was ever real, it may not exist anymore. Please… since mother and father died, all I ever wanted was to make you feel safe and happy. So give up. Find a safe place to live far from here where they can appreciate how different and special you are. Live your life. Some of us are bound to get through this, but… You don’t deserve to die for them.”

The love in her words cut through my mental armour like butter. Every emotion I boxed up and hid away streamed out of me in tears and stifled sobs. Of course, I was scared! Scared of being alone. Scared of the unknown. Scared of leaving everything I knew behind for some strange land I only knew from stories and films. But more than anything, I was scared of failure. Terrified that everything was true. That I was weird. Weak. Useless. A burden. An idiot.

Aqua’s tear-filled eyes met mine as I flashed her a sad, regret-filled smile. My heart shattered as I told her something I thought I never would. “N-no. I’m sorry, but I can’t. I want to… I need to do this! It isn’t just for them, it’s for me. I need to know… I need to see that I can make it on my own. That I can survive without relying on everyone else to put the wind under my wings! Besides… They aren’t mean on purpose. It’s just the way things are, so… They don’t deserve to suffer for that. And I can’t just let you die…

“I can do this. I will do this. I may not be the best fighter or survivalist, but I am one of the smartest creatures on this island. Equestria won’t stand a chance.” My false smile widened. Maybe if I tucked my fear behind enough pride and kindness, she wouldn’t see it.

My sister wiped a tear from her tired eyes. Her voice was horse and shaky. “When did you become so grown up… I understand you feel you need to do this. I’m proud of you for telling me no. I honestly didn’t know you knew that word.” We both laughed, but the sound was hollow.

“I need to rest… I have work early tomorrow. I’ll be getting a copy of all of your progress reports, and I’ll write you digital letters. Do your best, and be safe. I love you. Great sprites guide you.”

“I love you, too.”

The room felt darker and colder when the image cut out. The tiny reflection of her soul through the projection was like a torch of safety and hope. Without it, I was in the dark. I almost gave up right there. It was all so much, and the weight of the task hadn’t even processed in my mind yet. I wanted to go home. Spend my final days with what little family I had left. It sounded so much better than being alone. Easier.

But heroes never did what was easy. Daring doo, the Shrouded Stallion, the Power Ponies, bearers of harmony; they always did the hard thing, the right thing! I wanted her. I wanted to save them all. So I flew off into the unknown, sailing headfirst into the Equestrian Wasteland.

🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦

A day and a half later, the Skystar V glided effortlessly through the air with a soft hum. Rather than enjoying the views of the ocean below, or watching Equestria’s continent slowly grow on the horizon, I was hidden away in my workshop reviewing everything I learned for the fourth time.

The mission I volunteered for was like nothing I’d ever done, leading me to spend hours trying to process the endless possibilities of the impossible mission. Most creatures have a train of thought. I have a train yard. Flocks of thought trains trying to navigate the confusing rail system of my mind while they tried not to strike one another. The sad list I scrounged together was far from helpful.

So far I had;

1. Limited combat training
2. No survival skills
3. One undergraduate degree
4. A glorified houseboat

And somehow I was supposed to use those resources to;

1. Survive post-war Equestria
2. Find a wise creature to give me advice that won't make sense until I need it most! ((Classic adventure story trope! Can't miss that.)
3. Find information on a 200-year-old military project that may not even exist
4. Make unlikely friends ((All the adventure books about Equestrian ponies stress the importance of friendship!))
5. Find a magical mystery cure developed in some secret lab somewhere, maybe.
6. Return home to save the day!

The hero's journey also includes the hero dying in some way and coming back from the dead, but ideally, I planned to skip over that part. Though given the limited stuff I have to work with, odds were I’d end up with only the dying part. No, Aella! Bad! Optimism!!! Don't count your fledglings before they hatch!!!!!

They gave me enough supplies to manage for about two months on my own, roughly how long they’d be able to handle things before everything we spent a century and a half rebuilding would fall to pieces. I also got every file and book on Equestria we had available. We knew a lot about Equestria leading up to the Deluge de Arcana, but everything after the megaspells was muddled. Few survivors that far north were interested in contacting us, and Stable-Tec communications went down just after Canterlot fell.

The best we had were conflicting reports. The Grand Pegasus Enclave, A nation of pegasi living in the airspace above Equestria, (whom we had a very rocky history with,) claimed the surface was a hellish wasteland, populated by uncivilized brutes who refused any attempts at communication. However, several griffon mercenary groups reported that while the wasteland was dangerous, there were villages and cities of survivors, as well as at least 4 still functional Stabe-Tec facilities. It was assumed the griffon contacts were more accurate. We contracted them for accurate information, and a griff never breaks a deal.

Or I thought that was the most accurate information we had. Among the data dump I received were scouting reports from the island of Trottingham, just off Equestria’s southwestern coast. The council never admitted to sending anyone so far from the island, and everything about the mission was redacted and classified. When I asked why they just asked, “Aella, do you know what classified means?”

-🖂︎🖂︎🖂︎-

Recon report, Equestrian wasteland, day 3.

Equestria is nothing like I expected. I knew it would be rough, but stars… it’s worse than I imagined. I always hoped that the home of my people would be more together than this… These morons have had ample time to get their shit together.

The radiation levels are about what we expected, resulting in a massive loss of biodiversity. It'd be easier to count the creatures that survived than to try and figure out how many died out. Despite that, ponies here continue to survive and even thrive in the terribly hostile environment, often through the use of liberated wartime technology, or at the expense of other ponies. Many settlements are littered across Equestria, possibly dozens. LIttered is the most appropriate word, as most post-war buildings are constructed from the garbage of the old world. Settlements like Vision and Tenpony Tower are little more than weak attempts to survive in the burnt-out husks of a dead society, in hopes of somehow restoring it. Others show more promise, building new settlements and tribes while they forge their own collective identities. Ponies here struggle to regain the harmony they once had, it seems. None can agree on how things are done, leading to frequent fights for territory or resources. It would be a fascinating social experiment if it weren't so dangerous and smelly.

The mission is progressing well. We found shipping manifests for advanced equipment and several shield spell generators for the research lab, confirming that not only was it a real place, but it likely survived the war. If there is anything we can use there to try and restore our climate, it could be related to this facility.

Enclave patrols have taken notice of us entering Equestrian airspace, but have yet to make contact. Their scouts are trying (and failing, unsurprisingly) to covertly survey us. I've been assured that so long as they don't know what weapons and defences we may have on board, they will not attempt to harm us or hinder our progress. I'd like to note we've remained well under 1000 metres of Enclave's border. We have not and will not breach their airspace, as per the Non-Aggression Act titled: "The Fairflight Treaty."

Signing off,

-Recon field report 1, Specialist Seatide Uni-24.

🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦

Seatide. Specialist Seatide. Possibly the smartest mare to ever be offered Mt. Aris citizenship, after a rough upbringing in the zebra lands. A brilliant mare, and the highest-level unicorn. My mother.

I don’t know how many times I read it over, but it left my cheeks damp with tears every time. I was told my parents died on an important repo mission up the mountain! I had no idea how important their mission was. Nobody did.

Most of Mt. Aris wasn’t survivable, thanks to the Blood Ash megaspell cast on Beakini Atoll being blown back onto us, rather than deeper into the neighbouring zebra lands. Not only did it rain down magically starved ash on our heads, but it also lingered in the atmosphere above us, making our winters progressively longer and less predictable. My parent's team was sent to Equestria to find a solution; either learn how to disable the weapon, or find information on weather control magic to warm up our island.

I spent my life thinking my parents died searching for an old arcane matrix and some spare bolts in a warehouse somewhere. But they tried trying to make everyone's lives better, to save people! Just like I was doing. I wish I’d known sooner… Being able to give their deaths meaning would have saved my sister and me a lot of heartache.

Heartache that it brought back in force. That I was in no way equipped to deal with. Luckily new emotion welled up with the sorrow and pain. One that was far easier to latch onto. Anger. They lied to me, to everyone! My parents died heroes, and no one even knew! They were ashamed of sending people on such a stupid, impossible task! The government sent half my family to die on a wild chickenhawk chase!

And I was being sent to follow in their wingbeats.

Footnotes:
Welcome to level 2!

Perk added: Mothers Mare, Rank 1! You're your parents' kid, alright! You gain +5 to your repair and energy weapons skills for each rank of this perk you take. You'll need it...

Author's Note

This is the third iteration of the first chapter of my fic, and I’m very happy with how it is now! It’s far more streamlined, and focused on exploring who Aella is as a character, like I wanted it to!

I plan on reworking other chapters to some degree, but none will be this significant other than Chapter 6. I’m SURE I can do a better job on that one, with all I’ve learned since writing it ^.^ I owe my improvement to constructive criticism from my readers and my friends, even if sometimes I was too stubborn to listen to them right away.

Thank you for reading!