Co-Head of Engineering Applejack Personal Terminal
>>>Harmony Initiative: Engineering Division
>>> 9th of Sunrise
>>> 5:56 A.M.
I don't believe this. As if it wasn't bad enough with the damn aliens running around snatching people; now we have ponies, actual ponies, attacking our allies, and on top of everything they're running around with Solemn's cutie mark. Now Twilight's got Solemn and her mom locked up while she tries to get to the bottom of this. Locking up Solemn was one thing- I don't like it, but I get it- hauling her ma in on top of it; that's just wrong.
I can't imagine those two being enemies, spies, or anything of the sort. Overnight's got the Engineering Department running as finely tuned as any of the machines here; she's practically a mom to everyone down here. And she couldn't ask for a better daughter either. Mare put her life on the line to go out there and fight for us and got herself shot saving a teammate. I hope Twilight sorts this out soon. Really don't want something bad to happen to those two.
***
Engineer Overnight Vigil Personal Log (Pen and Paper entry)
How could this have happened? After all Solemn and I have been doing for everyone, how can they think we could be spies? Did they think Solemn coming to visit me in Engineering was some sort of rendezvous to compare notes or send information? Do they think I was gathering information during my shifts? Why did this happen?
I could barely keep it together when Commander Sparkle came to question me. She even put me under a lie detection spell. She wanted to know about our past, the people we associated with, and how Solemn got her cutie mark. And even with all of that, she still doesn't think we can be trusted.
I never really saw how Solemn got her mark or what it ever stood for; I just remember how proud I was when she finally found her destiny, how wonderful and unique her cutie mark looked. But now there are those... ponies... are out there attacking others and wearing Solemn's mark all the while, slandering it. They're the cause for all of this, Luna damn them.
Twilight even had records of our friends and family. What could she hope to find from that? Solemn only had Rime and May for friends and I mainly had my coworkers. Twilight even asked about Solemn's father. Constant Watch...there's a name I haven't thought of in a long while. But for some reason she didn't seem to have anything on Constant. Which is strange seeing how he was part of the Union Science Council.
Oh Constant, where did you go? Why couldn't you stay and see Solemn grow up? Why couldn't you have stayed one more day to see her find her destiny? You just drifted away. Even the Science Council lost track of you. I thought your work there made you happy.... I thought Solemn and I made you happy... All you left us was that letter with your cutie mark stamped on it; 'You are relied on. You are needed.' That was it. To this day I still don't understand it. Maybe one day I'll find out. And maybe I'll figure out what your mark means too. You and Solemn have that in common.
***
Corporal Rime Runner Personal Terminal
>>>Harmony Initiative: Fireteam Valor
>>> 9th of Sunrise
>>> 12:16 P.M.
>>> Addressed to Commander Twilight Sparkle
Commander, I'm sure it is rather obvious that this message is in response to your 'detaining' of Solemn and her mother. Rest assured, I have things to say to that but first I wanted to tell you some things of a personal nature.
I didn't have an easy childhood growing up. I never had much luck in the way of friends. My larger size either intimidated the other children or gave them cause to mock me for it. I got into fights for it time and time again but the teasing never ceased. One day, it finally stopped, but only because they found an easier target to push around. The bullies had cornered a little blue unicorn filly, stole her glasses, and pushed her around until she broke down and began to cry, which only served to encourage them further. The sight of it just pissed me off. I flew into a rage and beat up every last one of them. After that, I expected the unicorn to run off screaming in terror over what I'd just done, but imagine my surprise when she hugged and thanked me for saving her. That filly was Solemn Vigil. And we've been together ever since.
Solemn always dreamed of joining the Royal Guard but she never thought she had what it took to join. Her mother told me how she idolized me for always being there for her, to protect her. I wanted to stay close to Solemn, and achieve her dream for her. That was what gave me the motivation to join the local Coast Guard.
My mother was a Royal Guard. And her mother. And all the mares in my family, back to Cold Wind. I studied and trained for months upon months before I applied. Mom didn't live long enough to see me join, but I fight to honor her and Solemn as if she were a part of my own family.
A pony without family is left shivering alone in the cold.
So, when you took Solemn and Overnight, you left me no one to turn to here. You didn't just take the Vigil family, you took someone from MY family too. Don't expect me to fight for you while you have this witch-hunt going.
***
Solemn Vigil Personal Log (Pen and Paper entry)
I don't understand it. How could this have happened? I wanted to make up for the ponies who died in Manehatten. To protect Equestria and help make the world a better place. And prove that I could do something worthwhile. I fought as best I could. I promised to be faithful to the Initiative. I vowed to uphold the tenants of Harmony. I swore to trust Twilight and be honest with her. But it wasn't enough.
Now, Princess Twilight thinks I'm a threat to the cause. Even worse, she thinks my mother is as well. She thinks we have something to do with that group of killers, all because they're running around with MY cutie mark. How can that be possible? Why did this happen to me?
Now I'm being suspected of espionage and treason, my mother is in jeopardy, and I don't know what they're going to do to Rime. Maybe I shouldn't have agreed to be a part of this. Mom and Rime wouldn't be in this fiasco. They only joined because I did and now they're paying for it and it's all because of me and my cutie mark. And it kills me that I can't do anything about it.
Mom... Rime... I'm so sorry...
I wish we could go back to the happier days back home. Running errands and doing odd jobs for the neighbors. Surprising Mom with dinner when she got back home from work. Paying a visit to Rime on her patrols. Going with Rime to see May perform stunts and hanging out afterwards, just the three of us. I miss that so much.
May...
We haven't seen or heard from each other since the aliens came and this madness started. I just hope you're alright, May. I know Mom and Rime think about you too. I wish I- we could see you again. You always knew how to make ponies laugh, how to cheer them up, how to just make their day better. What I would give to see you right now. It feels like a part of my heart is missing, without you around. I don't even know where you are or even if you're safe or not. I just want us back together again.
May, wherever you are, I miss you.
***
Private Earth Step After Action Report
>>> Royal Guard: Manehatten Division
>>> 9th of Sunrise
>>> 7:17 P.M.
>>> Addressed to Investigator Moondancer
To be honest I'm not sure what I could tell you about the attack that you haven't heard from a hundred other reports. They all seem to go the same way: ordinary night, all peaceful, until the sky falls in and then everypony goes into a panic either running for their life or going mad and going after each other. That's how it went on my end and I'm pretty sure that's how it happened on the others. Well, except in my case there was one thing, or should I say one pony, that stood out.
My squad was dispatched downtown to try and provide whatever help we could but we were overwhelmed by a veritable stampede of ponies getting the hell away from whatever was causing this disaster right after we arrived. We managed to hold position through the oncoming crowds until the 'others' started showing up, the crazed ones. They came at us running, with a wild look in their eyes, their only thought to tear us apart. We held them off at first, at least until some of my squadmates started to turn and went mad as well. We had to make a hasty retreat, lest we got overrun on the spot, and we each took off in a different direction, I could only hope my team would be fine as I took off down an alleyway and five of the crazies broke off to pursue me, a unicorn, a pegasus and three earth ponies. I tried to lose them down the maze of alleys but they were relentless and while I put some space between us I eventually got myself cornered in a dead end.
The pegasus and unicorn were the first to show, the earth ponies trailing behind some ways. The pegasus tried to dive bomb me, but being an earth pony I braced for the hit and proceeded to give her a left hook to the face before throwing her into a dumpster and causing the lid to shut on her. Unfortunately, I had turned by back to the unicorn who decided to skewer my back leg with his horn and try to pin me down. He would have kept me busy til the earth ponies arrived, and with a bad leg I wouldn't have had a prayer. Until I had some help from above. Literally.
A pegasus simply dropped out the air right on top of the unicorn and put him out instantly. A cute pegasus mare: green coat, yellow mane, pink eyes, and a smiling sun for a cutie mark. She just gave me this sweet, little smile, as if saving ponies like that was part of her daily routine. Before either of us could even ask for a name, we heard a scream from the other side of the alley. Apparently a stallion was running, carrying his filly into the alley from a Royal Guard that went crazy and in his attempt to get away, he went right into the path of the three earth ponies still chasing me. Now the four crazies were beating on the stallion as he tried to use his body to shield the filly from their attacks. With my leg in such bad shape and the mare that saved me starting to shiver in fear, I didn't think there was much hope for them.
At least I thought she was shivering in fear, until I saw her smile widen and she took off like hell on wheels. She flew right at them then spun around in mid-flight and kicked one the the earth ponies in the head and sent him skidding down the alley out cold. The others quickly turned their attention to her and I thought she would get mauled like that father did. Instead, she managed go hoof to hoof with the Royal Guard and civilian. She didn't seem to have much in the way of technique or style but she made up for it in viciousness and an incredible ability to dodge. She rained jabs, blows on weak points and even bites on the three, only taking some glancing hits in return, all the while her grin grew wider still. I finally got why the mare was smiling; she was a battle maniac. She didn't just seem to enjoy fighting, she loved it.
Despite their best efforts, the earth ponies eventually succumbed to her ferocious assault and went down; the green mare standing victorious. I had thought that was the end of it, but the pegasus looked over to the crying filly tending to her dad's beaten form. Something about that must have really set her off because she snapped back to the beaten crazed ponies; her smile wider than ever. With a crazed gleam in her eyes like that of her opponents and a demented grin on her face, she slowly walked over to her fallen foes. That's when I came to the horrible realization as to why she seemed to smile more and more as the fight went on. It wasn't the smile of a pony happy to see you or that of a pony that loved to battle...
It was a smile of a pony that reveled in inflicting pain on others... and she was just getting started.
I hobbled over as fast as I could with my bad leg, hoping to stop her from doing something that couldn't be undone. I pulled her hoof away and turned her towards me, getting a close up of her sadistic smile and that manic look in her eyes. As she stared at me, a look of realization came over her and her look of madness slowly passed being replace by a look of horror instead. She broke down and cried into my shoulder, frantically repeating, 'I'm sorry' over and over. The poor mare thought she killed those ponies and I spent most of the night comforting her and watching the father and filly until help arrived.
Gotta say, I hope that mare is okay. And I really hope no one gets on her bad side again.
***
Chief Scientist Starlight Glimmer Personal Terminal
>>>Harmony Initiative: Research Division
>>> 11th of Sunrise
>>> 8:14 A.M.
>>> Addressed to Commander Twilight Sparkle
There was a point and time in my life where I would have easily tossed ponies into a dungeon for nothing more than his or her cutie mark. I don’t think I need to explain exactly when that time was for you to know what I’m talking about. Would it really have been so hard for us to have a trial or armed escorts?
Have you really so much to fear from a single mare and her mother who -- might I add -- has difficulty walking? I understand your lie detection spells set off an alarm or two, but was confining them to a prison cell before Luna had the chance to scan over their memories necessary?
I understand the safety of all in the base is paramount, but safety is often built on trust. I’m sure you’ve noticed most ponies in Engineering are going so far as to refuse to work as an act of protest, some soldiers even threatening to do the same, if Solemn or her mother isn’t released. Now, I’m hoping you’ll listen to reason and do exactly that. Their trust will be a hard thing to gain back, but I’d be willing to help however I can. Maybe we could offer Overnight some Fuse treatments to help relieve her pain? There’s a start.
I know you’re scared, but the truth is, so is everypony else. Suspicion is a weapon just as dangerous as any blade or rifle.
***
Captain Spitfire Personal Terminal
>>>Harmony Initiative: Wonderbolts
>>> 11th of Sunrise
>>> 3:45 P.M.
>>> Addressed to Commander Twilight Sparkle
The detainment of Solemn Vigil, while many will argue was unjust, is completely necessary. It's been met with disagreements and it's understandable. But those ponies haven't seen what those unicorns did to the griffons of that town. Corpses burned and houses destroyed for no good reason. Griffons lost their lives to ponies with her cutie mark, and even though she'll be playing the innocence card, I don't think we can trust anybody who shares their cutie mark with the enemy.
Most ponies are going to want Solemn Vigil's freedom. I think it'd be best if she stayed where she is now. We don't know how much we can really trust her.
***
PROJECT SAFEGUARD PROGRESS REPORT
>>>Harmony Initiative: Robotics And Alien Technology Division
>>> 11th of Sunrise
>>> 5:14 P.M.
>>>Addressed to: Chief Scientist Starlight Glimmer
>>Status: Complete
>File by: Dr. Bronze Sprocket
Armor fittings have been completed and durability tests have shown immense promise. Soldiers need not worry about flexibility and maneuverability with the armors designed by various members of the team. I'm quite proud to say that this armor could truly make a difference between life and death for our soldiers. Mass production should be able to begin soon, with yours and Commander Sparkle's approval.
***
PROJECT RED GLARE PROGRESS REPORT
>>>Harmony Initiative: Combat Technology Division
>>> 11th of Sunrise
>>> 7:19 A.M.
>>>Addressed to: Chief Scientist Starlight Glimmer
>>Status: Complete
>File by: Dr. Zeldamar
After many sleepless nights and copious, copious, struggling, we've finally created a full functioning arcane laser rifle! We're not able to completely replicate the process of using whatever the aliens use for power cells, but we've managed to circumvent that through creating a stable and regenerative enchantment to amethyst crystals with help of several unicorns (Might want to give those guys a break for a while). In essence, not only do our soldiers have powerful super heated magical beams firing through these things, but reloading isn't even a problem! Infinite ammunition for all of our troops!