Anonymous in Nu-Questria 2

They led you all in a single line back to the trucks.

It was hard to walk in chains. You had to stoop over so you didn’t pull at the line so much.

The creatures taunted you and prodded you along with the butts of their rifles. Zelina watched the entire time, so they didn’t dare to go further with it.

They took you to where their vehicles were parked on a rough dirt trail. All of them looked like gas guzzling troop transports. They sported worn and shredded canopies, and their frames were marred with rust.

Zelina stepped up into one of the truck beds with a heavily armored creature. She then ordered you and the ponies up onto the truck with her.

You loaded in one by one. There were no benches or seats, just dried wood planks with flaking paint.

The massive engine block of the troop carrier roared to life, and soon you were bouncing along your way towards the tower.

Zelina’s sizable bulk occupied one corner of the vehicle by itself. The adjacent corner was taken up by the medium-sized, bipedal creature in full armor. Zelina gripped the metal support rods for the roof to balance her upper torso as the truck jostled around.

“Well.” She says. “Where to begin?”

“Just tell us. What happened to cause ponies to stop being friends?” Sunny asks.

You and the other ponies perk up when she asks this.

“Hm.” Zelina says. “Now normally I don’t do this... but you’ve made such an impression on me, Starscout.”

She taps a claw on one of the metal supports for the truck’s roof and grins.

“Let me put it this way, Sunny. Do you know what that symbol you were carrying around means to us?”

Sunny looks at her with a resolute if detached expression. “It’s the symbol of your enemy. You hate... Princess Twilight.”

“Hate? Oh no. I don’t hate her personally.” Zelina says, putting a hand on her chest. “The world hates her, Sunny. The world fears her, and I don’t blame them. For what she did, she deserved to die. Our nations came to an agreement on this a long time ago.”

She glances around quickly at everyone. “And by the way, that includes your little pony tribes.” She adds, pointing a finger coldly at the group.

“What?!” Sunny says.

“Don’t interrupt.” Zelina says. She snaps her fingers.

Sunny glowers at her.

Zelina clears her throat. “Yes. Long ago, all of Equestria was ruled by that oppressive queen. The queen of magic. The queen of power. She brought so many wonders into the world. She gave lives of comfort and ease to those who supported her. In return, they gave up their freedom. A cruel fate, but... people were a lot dumber back then I suppose.”

Zelina is momentarily interrupted by a bump in the road.

“Of course, she didn’t stop there. She turned her sights to the countries outside of Equestria, and planned to take their lands for her kingdom. She did this not through war, but by spreading her magic devices so that creatures like ourselves would rely on them.”

“The creatures accepted this at first. Her magic made life easier, after all. But then they saw how it made people weak and easy to influence. They saw her true plan. She sought to take control of the entire world by making all of its people too complacent to fight back. With no one to oppose her, she could do whatever she wanted.”

“What? Twilight would never-” Sunny yells.

“What did I say about interrupting?!” Zelina says in a raised tone.

The guard raises up his rifle and glares menacingly through the visor of his helmet. Sunny maintains her hateful expression, but she leans back and casts her gaze to the side.

“Now then.” Zelina says.

“My great-grandfather was an incredible centaur. Or at least, that’s what I’ve been told. He and his friends were among the few who were willing to stand up to the queen. The queen hunted them down and broke up their peaceful demonstrations. Many creatures lost their lives in the struggle. His group suffered many defeats, and stood no real chance against the queen and her magic.”

Zelina leans forward with a peppy smile.

“That is, until they found the secret of how to stop her magic from working.” She says.

She leans back and gestures grandly with her claws.

“They put a great plan into action. Slowly, they managed to disrupt the queen’s magic. The creatures around the world began to notice. Bit by bit, they began to wake up and join the fight. The tide turned against her, and her end drew near.”

Zelina grins wider, seeming to relish telling this story.

“She was surrounded and ready to be struck down. It should have been simple. Easy. But, out of nowhere she activated a secret weapon and nearly wiped out everything in Equestria in the process.”

Sunny gasps in disbelief. She puts a hoof over her mouth. “N-no!” She says.

Zelina sighs in mock sympathy. “But it’s true. This weapon was so powerful it nearly destroyed every city in the world. It left scars across the land. That storm you see in the distance? It never ends. She made it.”

“There are many names for it. The Ever-Storm, The Sea of Dead Queens, The Gate to Fucking Tartarus. Call it whatever you want.”

Her eyes shine and she claps once. She throws her hands up and splays her fingers.

“I just prefer to call it the world’s asshole! Welcome!” She says extravagantly.

Sunny looks shocked. Her mouth hangs open.

Zelina folds her arms in and looks at Sunny with a patronizing gaze.

“It’s no coincidence that you ended up here little pony. All of the bad ones eventually do. It’s inevitable. Quite sad, really.”

“Y-you still haven’t answered my question” Sunny says. “So... did this weapon get blamed on ponies?”

Zelina grins and tugs on the canopy of the truck. With a tearing sound it rips off the metal supports and flutters off the side of the truck, twisting in the wind before settling on the muddy road.

“Well, to put it simply....” She says. “Just look around you, Sunny. Do you really want something like this to happen again?”

You glance around at the barren landscape surrounding the road. You notice dead, blackened trees are everywhere now. All are devoid of leaves or any other greenery. The ground is rocky and covered with spots of mud. Bone-white concrete structures stick out at awkward angles here and there.

“This land is broken forever from the war. There’s toxic rain that kills all plants and animals in a thirty kilometer radius. Nothing can grow here. We have to rely on shipments to survive.” Zelina says.

She turns to Sunny. “One angry dictator did this. Just out of spite. Now, I’m normally not one to judge, but that is simply unforgivable, wouldn’t you say?”

“I don’t... believe you.” Sunny says desperately. “That’s not something she would do.”

“Is it not?” Zelina says. “I get that you’re obsessed with the old world. You know, carrying her symbol and all that. But those times are long-gone Sunny. Are you so sure it was a blissful and perfect as you think it was?”

Sunny grimaces at Zelina. Then she turns to you. With a huff, she gives you a look that shows she’s confident in her assertions.

She looks back at Zelina and says, “I am certain. I have it on good authority that this pony is not who you think she was.”

Zelina shakes her head. “Tut-tut-tut. Sunny. I expected more from you. Do you think that our people coerced the pony tribes into separating? Pff. No. Your ancestors willing agreed to do it. That’s the truth.”

“You lie. Do you have anything... any single bit of proof to back that up?!” Sunny says angrily. The other ponies are glaring along with Sunny. They seem to be taking this personally.

Zelina just grins. Behind her, the black tower rises up starkly against the gray clouds of the storm. A single spear-like silhouette marking the headquarters of the army.

“Of course.” Zelina says. “I’ll show you the treaty that was signed. But Sunny, this is old news. It happened, I dunno, over one-hundred and eighty years ago?”

“H-huh?” Sunny balks.

“Well yeah. The only way to ensure an alicorn isn’t born is to separate the races.” Zelina says. “Back then, all you ponies agreed to do this. It’s for the best, you know?”

Zelina shrugs.

“Alright.” Sunny says. “Clearly we are not going to agree on this. So let’s just move on. What are you doing here, any way? Why stay in this desolate place?”

“Oh, us?” Zelina says, gesturing a hand casually at her bodyguard.

“Well, to put it simply. We’re the platoon that’s tasked with protecting this place from snooping little critters like you.” She says, pointing a claw.

Sunny tilts her ears back and frowns.

“We’re also *technically* supposed to clean up all the magic artifacts and dispose of them throughout the area. That would have happened about forty fucking years ago if my soldiers weren’t all a bunch of perverts, idiots and assholes.” Zelina says.

She looks over to the creature in armor to her side. “No offense, private.”

The solider just nods once.

Zelina grins and then leans forward to Sunny. She cups her hand over her mouth and lowers her voice to a whisper.

“We also - and this is a secret - have to watch the storm. Just in case.” She says.

Sunny lifts her head up and tweaks her ears towards the centaur.

“There are rumors. Whispers. They say the queen might still live.” Zelina says. “They say she sleeps below the storm. That’s why it grows five meters every year. Her rage is ever-expanding. It boils the water to make the toxic clouds. It is a symbol of her undying hatred.”

“Do... do you really believe this?” Sunny asks hesitantly.

“Oh no, of course not! It’s all just superstition.” She says, punctuating it with a small laugh.

“But then again, a magic pony on a magic airship did almost fly directly into it today. So really, I’m not so sure *what* to believe any more.” She says.

Her eyes spark with a curious sort of wonder. Sunny turns her head and grimaces.

“So... the only reason you shot down our ship is because you think all magic is dangerous?” Sunny asks.

“Why yes.” Zelina says plainly.

Sunny lowers her head. “Why take it so far? Our ship wasn’t a weapon. It wasn’t going to harm anyone.”

“Oh?” Zelina says. “And I suppose you weren’t going to hurt Nails and his group with your magic, either. Is that right?”

Sunny jolts upright and looks at Zelina. Her eyes narrow to pinpricks.

Zelina titters. “Nails told me about your magic, Sunny. He said you nearly disintegrated him with a laser. Now why would you do that, if magic is not dangerous, hm?”

Sunny takes a breath.

“I wasn’t going to harm him. I never intended to do that.” She says sternly.

“Oh. Well, why not? He was going to kill you. You should have defended yourself.” Zelina says.

“Because I don’t hurt creatures. That’s not who I am.” Sunny says. “I just wanted to scare him, and it worked.”

Sunny and Zelina stare at each other. Zelina seems to be ascertaining if Sunny is lying.

You notice that you’re now getting close to the encampment. The road under the truck turns from dirt to cracked pavement.

“I’m not sure if I believe you, Sunny. In a way, it’s more exciting if I don’t know for sure.” Zelina says. “Just promise me you’ll go easy on my boys if you decide to use it again, will you?

“I already told you. We don’t want to harm anyone.” Sunny says.

“Well, it’s a little late for that, Sunny.” Zelina says. “I guess we’ll see if you’re a pony of your word.”

Zelina smiles and starts to stand up as the truck pulls into the streets of the ruined city. The truck slows down. The tower is only a few blocks away.