The Rise of Wrath

Salinear woke with a startled shake. He looked around. Next to him were two happy-looking ponies in lab coats.

"Excellent! You're awake! How do you feel?" The closer scientist asked. She had blood red eyes, but they were calm. She was a unicorn with a white coat, and seemed pleasant enough.

Salinear shook off his wooziness. "I... I feel fine, I think. Where am I?"

"A top-secret government facility. Don't worry; you're in good hooves." The second spoke, although Sal didn't necessarily believe him. The second scientist was obviously military, his grizzled black coat and cold emerald eyes... Eyes Sal thought were familiar.

"What about Diceroll? The 31st?"

"They think your dead. We can't reveal the fact your alive to them."

"Why the hell not?!" Sal shouted, a burst of rage running through him.

The veteran shook his head. "Because, you are now part of a top secret government project."

Sal blinked. He had heard of Equestria's many secret projects, but had never actually seen a facility for such an undertaking. And why we're such big words floating around in his head?

As if by reading his mind, the closer scientist sighed. "We had to help some of your mental recovery, and decided to augment it along the way. You're IQ's been increased, as well as reaction time and a number of other things."

Sal nodded slowly, the idea of ponies rooting around in his brain slow to take take affect. "So, what am I here for?"

The veteran spoke again. "You're going to be testing a new weapon made to combat against the changeling Grand Admiral Wrath and his army. Simulated, of course, but a weapon none the less. But, before we introduce you to the weapon, put on this."

With that, he pulled out a leather suit, similar to that a fighter pilot might wear, including a helmet. The veteran spoke. "Now, the helmet must be kept on at all times. Just in case. Alright?"

Sal nodded, got out of the bed he was in, and donned the suit. Despite being shot by an orbital friendship cannon, he felt fine.

He found that unsettling.

The two scientists then led him out in to a twisted maze of tunnels and halls, all underground. Other ponies bustled past, some in scientists' lab coats, others wearing blatant military armor and weapons.

"So, where's this experimental weapon?" he said.

"Right here."

What he saw as the doors slid open, took his breath away.

...

Diceroll stood in his office in the 31st's base, along with both Erasalo and Long Shot. In front of him, was his wife.

Diceroll spoke. "May I ask why we are being accused of treason?"

"One. Each and everyone of you were at the Manehatten incident. It was you specifically Diceroll, who was called personally by the enemy supreme commander, and you who told Rainer to use Project Eclipse."

"You can check all my stallions files. Both myself and all of them have ever heard of this Project Eclipse. I'm guessing it was a research unit on the Orbital Friendship Cannon?"

Rosie sighed. "What I'm about to tell you is highly confidential."

"We can keep secrets."

"Project Eclipse is indeed the research division of the larger Friendship Above Project. A weapon capable of showing a single stroke of force to cause others to reconsider bad moves. We don't want war. Something that make it so that we can scare the enemy to the negotiation table is great. Something that can cause their entire army to become vaporized in a single shot while we're sitting happily behind a desk sipping coffee is even better. Eclipse was researching ways to make the O.F.C. more cost effective, as the magical stress causes energy crystals to be burned out, and require replacing. However, we recently learned that the caverns near Eclipse's headquarters and the complex itself have been compromised. We sent a team in, but all they found was a looted base and stripped cave, like it was mined away. The changelings have moved bases. However, they presumably have information on a large and very powerful project."

Diceroll blinked. "What good would it do him."

"What?"

"What good will Eclipse do Wrath? Eclipse probably had no direct control over the satellite, correct?"

"Yes..."

"Then why did he hit the base? Unless he had a way to directly control the O.F.C., the satellite is useless to him. In any case, he doesn't seem the type for mass destruction. No, he's no terrorist, wanting Megadeath. No, he wants domination. That Lieutenant herself granted us a look at the pride Wrath carries. He wants to be powerful, not lord over a land of the dead. The changelings wanted to enslave us as love puppets, not turn us into carrion. What use would the O.F.C. Be to him? Yes, he could wipe out a whole city in one shot, but that's a whole city's population gone from the Changelings slaves. More concentrated bursts could be used on military targets, but to what end? Used as that, it requires a perfect angle, the perfect spot in space, to fire. Sometimes, one might have to wait days for a satellite to get that perfect image. By then, the military target may no longer be viable. So, why?"

Rosie opened her mouth, then closed it. "Damn it Diceroll, you don't have the Amulet behind your back do you?"

"No."

"Alright, cause that was astoundingly brilliant for you. What would he want. The test data was for large scale weapons. Wrath couldn't use the research unless he had access to colossal amounts of energy crystals, titanium, various other minerals, the nine yards! Alright. You've made your point Diceroll. May I speak to you privately."

Diceroll nodded. "Alright. Dismissed."

The others reluctantly left the room.

Diceroll sighed. "So you really are pregnant. Damn it, I had been so careful."

"Hey, that's not what I wanted to talk about. But, on that topic, yes, I am pregnant. And you were the cause. Don't worry. We'll do fine."

"I'm away on official business ninety percent of the time. When do you think I could see my child? And what type of parent doesn't see their child at every birthday, every holiday? You've put me in a hell of a predicament between family and duty."

"We'll figure it out. We still have a few months."

Diceroll shook his head. "If I live that long. Anyway, you gave me an idea."

Rosie smiled. "Good, I was hoping you had one. Why I pulled you out."

"When you talked, you mentioned..."

"No!" Rosie's face went from kindly and listening to enraged in an instant. "Look what that thing did to you last time! You wore it for ten minutes, and you're still having nightmares! I can't let you, even of it means if we win or loose this war!!!"

Now, it was Diceroll's turn to be angry. "Wrath has already targeted me several times. He has held a regard for me! You think, if he wins, that this entire thing will just blow over! You and I can handle inprisonment, but what about our foal! Hell, that's if he lets us live!"

Rosie stumbled. "I.... Diceroll. You know what it does to you."

"That's why it must be me to wear it. No one here cares for me enough to keep me alive except you. My stallions know not to lay down their lives for me. Trust me, I'll hold it off as long as I can, but if Wrath begins to gain the upper hoof, or if he does something that would mean he could soon get that upper hoof, I will wear it, an I will stop him. Now, I have work to get to. I'm leaving for Canterlot in the morning, another military meeting on the events in Manehatten."

...

Wrath smiled silently. All was falling into place.

He and Fenris walked along the cold, frozen mountains in the north, approximately several hundred miles away from the Crystal Empire. Around them was encamped changeling troops. Above was a storm rolling in.

The storm wasn't one of the legendary blizzards that had been known to dig through the mountains. Being summer, this was in fact an oncoming downpour.

As the rain turned from trickle in to drenching, Wrath spoke. "So, have the troops been briefed? Delta source notified? Sombra prepared?"

Fenris nodded, shivering in the cold rain. Changeling Officer Chitin was some of the best armor in the world, but it did nothing to keep the hot and cold out. "Yes, Sir. They are awaiting your orders."

Wrath meanwhile, was thriving in the rain. "Good, give word for Task Force Charlie to begin immediately tomorrow, just after Delta Source does its job. 2400 hours later, have Task Force Alpha, Bravo, and Delta all begin. Keep the rest in reserve."

Fenris nodded again, then, as he slipped on a wet slope, sending rocks plumetting down twenty feet onto another ledge, swore. "When will this damn storm let up?!"

Wrath chuckled, then laughed, then outright guffawed. "Oh Fenris! Don't you see! The storm isn't ending!" he said, dramatically reinforced by a flash of lightning not a quarter mile away, deafening Fenris.

After the deafness subsided, Wrath finished his statement.

"The storm has only just begun."