Fallout: Equestria - The Storm

Fallout: Equestria - The Storm

Chapter 28: Old Wounds

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Raptors were much faster than Storm Cruisers, so chasing them down was easier said than done. I did everything I could to help the Vetera close the gap, even transforming myself partially into a satyr so I could strengthen the storm clouds powering our engines.

We lost communications the closer we got to Equestria. Novabeam surmised that the Enclave were broadcasting their jamming signal far and wide to disrupt us. I could only hope that Wavestone had reached Neighvarro and successfully ordered a ceasefire. Thankfully, long range radar was still operational, allowing us to track our targets. They had just crossed the coastline, passing Fillydelphia as the sun set, and were dropping in altitude. We started intercepting snippets of Enclave comm chatter.

“Target iszzSH wounded. ZzzzSShhh losing speed… going down over Hollow Shades. Move in to fissZZHHhh her off.”

We weren’t going to make it. The Enclave had Ember pinned, and were about to kill her. The Vetera was passing Filly when we got another burst of chatter, free of distortion.

“That got her! She crashed right into that abandoned village. Made a hell of a crater, must have busted into a cavern of some kind. Wait… New contacts! Bat ponies!? All forces, engage! Have a squad confirm our kill!”

Lilith… They’re not a match for Enclave soldiers.

“What do you mean there’s no sign of a body? Soldier, several-ton dragons don’t just vanish!”

“There’s no dragon down here, sir. Just some kind of weird mural thing. Wait… Something’s coming out of it!”

The chatter became screaming, then static. The Raptors’ radar blips winked out on our scanners. All eyes fell on me as the Vetera’s command center went silent. Novabeam's expression turned from confusion to worry as she saw my eyes go wide and my breath become rapid. They couldn’t understand how a dying dragon could disappear, then reappear and immediately destroy two cloud ships. I, however, knew exactly what happened. The Darkness had a new host.

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I ordered the Vetera to set down near Hollow Shades and administer aid to any creature who needed it. The two Raptors were obliterated, umbrakinetic dragon fire burning through what was left of their grounded husks. Bat ponies used their own shadow magic to help put out pegasi who could still be saved, and hippogriffs brought them to our med bay. There were barely any survivors, and the officers had all been annihilated by the black inferno.

When I asked where Ember went, a badly burned pegasus lifted what was left of her wing to the sky. Thankfully, not in Neighvarro’s direction. I could still regroup with Wavestone and warn them. To the few pegasi who were mostly uninjured, I told them to get in contact with their people and have them shut down their communication jammers and bunker down. Into stables, if possible. Lilith and I made it clear that this Shadow Dragon the Darkness turned Ember into cannot be fought, especially at night. It’s invincible.

After identifying the fastest flier among us, I tasked them with going to Tenpony and updating DJ Pon3. All of Equestria needed to be aware of this threat as quickly as possible. Hopefully the pegasi could hear his station. They were clearly Ember’s primary target right now.

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The crew got the Vetera airborne as quickly as possible. The instant the Enclave’s jammers went down, emergency signals were sent out on all available channels. All hippogriff vessels were ordered to return to Aris, aside from the Novo, who were ordered to join us in Manehattan, and one ship left in the Dragon Lands to continue giving aid. There were only two things that I could think of that could handle the Shadow Dragon, and they were both at Tenpony.

During the journey, we heard countless distress calls. The remains of the Enclave’s fleet were being completely destroyed. I could take solace in the fact that, for now, Ember was only hitting military targets. Neither Ember nor the Darkness would know about Littlepip, so I was confident she was safe. The pegasi, however, were being massacred.

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Lilith told me more about what kind of enemy we were facing. Despite my experience, I still didn’t know much. The Darkness was being fueled by Ember’s grief and rage, and she won’t be satisfied until the pegasi were brought to the brink of extinction as her kind were. An entity that powerful could take an immense amount of lives in a single night, but there was nothing that could be done until the sun came up. Once day arrived, the Shadow Dragon would be weakened by the celestial light, and would try to go into hiding until sunset. We needed to act before then, draw her out, and combine the might of the Elements of Harmony with the Celestia One solar mega spell. Like how Starswirl and I saved Knight in Limbo, the Darkness needed to be sufficiently weakened. Once it was, it would be up to Ember to let go.

Spike and Slash needed to be there, and I personally sent out the message to ‘Watcher’ about what was happening. I also demanded frequent updates about any surviving dragons matching Smolder’s description. Prayers to the Spirits, she needed to be there too.

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As we descended over Manehattan alongside the Novo, those prayers were answered. I received word that while Slash’s mother was severely wounded, in a near-death state, medical teams managed to save her. Unfortunately, she would not be in any condition to fly anytime soon. It took some doing, but she was laid in a massive net so the Storm Cruiser Silverstream could haul her to us.

The Gilded Gull waited along the Buckson River, and I made my way to Tenpony to regroup with my friends. I had a lot of bad news to deliver.

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It wasn’t too surprising that Sabre and Crimson joined our meeting in the Athenaeum. This was now the Whiteclaw’s district, after all. He’d already sent several messages to Vanhoover, warning them of the potential threat. All six Elements were there as well, and I finally met Charity. The yellow-coated, blue-maned, unicorn merchant mare had originally been annoyed to travel so far from Hoofington, but quickly understood the direness of the situation. Spike was on the roof, talking to everyone through a sprite-bot.

When my friends arrived, I broke the news to them about Knight, showing them her broken core. They were all heartbroken, but Crimson was the most affected. He’d spent nearly as much time in her mindscape as me, and she had been unconditionally kind to him. The giant griffon probably grew just as close to her as I had. I asked Life Bloom and Homage if they would keep the core secure, and they agreed, the latter locking it in a safe behind a large painting.

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I brightened Slash’s mood when I told her that Smolder was still alive, and was being brought here. She hugged me almost as tightly as the Storm King had crushed me. When I told her how I needed her help to free Ember from the darkness, she was conflicted, and scared.

“Last time I saw her, she nearly killed me, stripped my name, and cast me out.” She trembled. “And her feelings towards Spike aren’t any better. What makes you think either of us being there will help the situation?”

I held her. “You’re her family. You, Spike, and Smolder have to remind her that she hasn’t lost everything.”

“I hurt her…” Slash wiped her eyes.

“And I betrayed her.” Spike spoke up. “Smolder, she might listen to. But us?”

Crimson stepped up to them, his eyes still wet from learning about Knight. “I was just as scared about seeing Gawdyna again. I betrayed and hurt her, and I thought she’d never forgive me. Honestly, I thought she’d kill me.” He smiled. “Instead, she let me meet my daughter. Family is a powerful bond. Don’t underestimate its power to heal a broken person.”

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With nothing but time until morning came, I went back to the Vetera and visited the brig. I found Spinella, bruised and battered, beaten to near death by the Storm King for her failure to kill me. A nurse tended to her as she laid across a gurney, and my former lieutenant winced and turned away from me when she saw me.

“Commodore,” she groaned.

“It’s King, now.” My claim caught her attention. Being in a cell this whole time, she wasn’t up to date. “If you hadn’t poisoned me, I might have never known about my birthright.” I smiled cruelly at her.

Spinella grumbled. “I had my orders. Either you drank that poison or I hanged.” Fear entered her eyes. “Are you…”

My claw rested on her shoulder. “The Storm King began his rule by putting dissidents on a noose. I have no intention of doing the same.”

To our surprise, the nurse spoke up. “I’d object otherwise. Spinella here is a little over two months pregnant.”

The injured mare turned away from me again as I did a double take. We both knew I was the father. The night we shared before I got sent to Equestria…

A nervous laugh escaped me. “You’re very lucky I killed the Storm King. He wanted the royal line to end. The instant he learned…”

“I know.” Spinella rubbed her claws.

I sat on my haunches as it started to really sink in. She was carrying my child, and she was being kept in a warship’s brig. “I’ll have you moved into Tenpony’s clinic. Under guard.”

The idea of being a father didn’t completely blind side me, because… Hollow Shades. Still, hers would be my first hippogriff child. Thinking on the topic further, I should check on Ginger in Novac. It’s not likely, but it is possible for hippogriffs and griffons to have offspring.

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Returning to the Athenaeum, Gritt surprised me by telling me I had a ‘I just found out I got someone pregnant’ look on my face. When I asked how he could tell, he said he wore the same expression when he learned his fling with Gwen became more serious than he intended.

“Jade wasn’t planned?” I asked.

“No, and I’ll fucking kill you if you tell her.” He was smiling, but that could still be a serious threat. I had no plans to find out. His brow furrowed. “Oh, don’t tell me it’s the bitch who poisoned you.”

“Yeah…” I looked around, and noticed Crimson giving me a knowing look. He knew what it was like to have a child with someone who may not be 'mother of the year' material.

“That’ll be a fun conversation when your kid grows up.” Gritt continued, his voice imitating a fledgling. “Hey, dad, why is mom in jail forever?”

I shook my head. “I’m not keeping Spinella in prison, even if that’s what she deserves.”

He laughed. “Your call, dude. At least keep her under house arrest or something.” That was a good idea.

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News of an entire pegasus city being destroyed darkened the atmosphere, everyone going quiet. The Shadow Dragon ran out of Enclave soldiers to kill, and was now slaughtering civilians. There were still two hours before sunrise. Our collective inability to do anything until then gnawed at our souls.

An unlucky NCR trooper’s comment about ‘putting Ember down’ sent Slash into a rage. She had the earth pony buck against the wall by his neck in an instant.

“IT’S NOT HER FAULT!” She screamed through tears. Homage and Velvet pulled the two apart.

I glared at the coughing soldier. “You have no idea what the Darkness can make a creature do. Worst part of it is, it tricks you into thinking you’re still in control.” I leaned closer. “So when we SAVE her, she’s going to have a guilt on her conscience you couldn’t fathom.”

Homage questioned how I knew that. My answer got caught in my throat. Knight and Lilith were the only people who knew what exactly happened in Limbo. We never told another soul. It was time to come clean.

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When I finished, everyone was horrified by me, and by the Darkness. When I wasn’t even fully possessed by it, the entity got me to use a friend to ruthlessly butcher some of the purest souls to ever grace Equestria’s soil.

“If Knight forgave me, I expect you all to forgive Ember.” My eyes pleaded with them. “It’s not her fault.”

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Footnote:
Max Level Reached.