The others couldn’t help but be excited over this next part. They were going to learn more about the amazing Power Armor they saw in the beginning, and about this mysterious Brotherhood of Steel. It sounded like a group of knights, protecting the innocent with their advance weapons against the monsters that lurked in the Wasteland. Each of them already could envision wearing Power Armor themselves and blasting timberwolves with lasers or pounding a bandit in the face with a kick full of steel.
Chapter 3: The Brotherhood of Steel - West Coast
When the title appeared, the group was surprised they were learning about a specific Brotherhood of Steel: The West Coast. “I wonder how many divisions of this faction exist, and if we’ll learn then all?” Ocellus asked.
Immediately, the action had already begun after the title vanished. Various humans in Power Armor were fighting in a battle against some unknown enemy using laser weapons while taking cover behind a broken brick wall. They wished they had popcorn as one of powered humans stood out with a gatling laser canon and fired rapid shots while not caring for the blows that hit him; shrugging them off as if they were spitballs. The narrator quoted someone saying that weapons didn’t matter in war compared to those who wielded them. Still, having an army with guns that could turn you into ash didn’t hurt. If there was one constant thing that mankind was good at it was making weapons that evolved into more dangerous and deadly outcomes. Not to mention the constant misuse of them for their ill gains.
“Bronze. Iron. Steel. I don’t know what plutonium is, but I wonder what our next major weapon will be in our world?” replied Silverstream.
“Wouldn’t it be better to live in a world without such a thing?” Sandbar muttered.
“Hey, not everyone wants to play nice. Cozy Glow sure didn’t when she tried to rule Equestria,” Gallus pointed out. “Who knows what she could have done if she was older with her charisma?”
The video changed scenes, showing the steel armored soldiers walking down the road with their laster guns out while a neary farmer, with his lesser impressive shotgun, just watched. The heavily armored troops didn’t pay much attention to him, seeing him as no threat as the narrator talked. He told about how there were those who believed that nobody deserved to hold the power that mankind once had during The Great War. Something all six of the students agreed upon knowing the aftermath. However, there were also those who felt that they alone deserved to hold such power to prevent it from being used in the wrong hands.
Apparently, the Brotherhood of Steel were a well known group of warriors compared to others thanks to their advance equipment. Blueprints of the Power Armor were showed again, giving Ocellus time to quickly finish her drawings of it. Yona looked at it and asked, “Would Yak in Power Armor make good stomping?”
“Yona, I think you could bring the whole school down if you wore that,” Gallus said, chuckling before frowning. “Although, it doesn’t look like it can be used to fly.”
“Yeah, I noticed that. Do you think we could make metal wings to go with that armor?” Smolder asked, grinning. “It would look pretty sick.”
“I wonder if I could use it to swim?” Silverstream asked.
“Unless you want to explore the bottom of the ocean, be my guest.”
Standing in front of a flag designed to a sword with wings and a few gears behind it, a member of the elite order stood proud with his weapon drawn. While they were few in number, The Brotherhood of Steel was one of the more technologically advance factions in the Wasteland. Power and courage were their strengths, as well as their skill and legacy. In fact, according to the narrator, their origins were from a time before The Great War itself.
In the days leading to the Great War, a small military base was experimenting with the FEV virus. The very same sick science that made the Super Mutants which only made the six growl in remembrance of what the people behind such a thing had done to the poor souls in The East Coast. The soldiers there didn’t know what unethical horrors were going on, only that they were ordered to guard it with their lives. It only made the group wish they did know as they saw the evil scientists experimenting on a twisted flesh like being with their tools.
However, they did eventually find out the truth, and the knowledge that they had unknowingly been part of such a horrible act of inhumanity enraged them. It was made worse when it turned out some of their very fellow soldiers were used as guinea pigs. The commanding officer was unable to deal with the knowledge, and his fate was revealed to the group as he stood on chair while a warm gun lay by his hand. Freshly fired into the side of his head by his own finger.
Order quickly restored as his second in command, Roger Maxson, took command to deal with the scenario presented in front of him. This Maxson stood in front of his soldiers, talking to them with vigor and charisma as they all stared at him with reverence. According to the narrator, Maxson was still a figure looked at by the modern Brotherhood members as a paragon similar to religious worship. They honored him then and they still did so today.
“He’s got a warrior’s look in his eyes,” Smolter replied, nodding with a smile. “I like him. He’d make a good Dragon Lord.”
Her approval only increased as Maxson interrogated and executed all the scientists, as shown by them being lined up and blasted into ashes or melted into piles of goo. Despite the violent outcome, the six couldn’t help but cheer at the sight of seeing some justice delivered. Maxson eventually declared secession from his government upon learning they had ties to this.
Yona stomped in approval. “Maxson great leader! Maxson teach bad science men lesson! Yona approve!”
“Same here!” Gallus said as the two slapped paw/hoof.
Curious, Ocellus turned to Sandbar and asked, “Say, Sandbar? Would you ever go against the Princesses if they ever did something like this?”
“What? There’s no way they would ever do anything as evil as this!” Sandbar argued.
“I know, but I’m just curious,” Ocellus said, shrugging her shoulders. “Call it a ‘what if’ scenario.”
The five all looked at Sandbar who was busy biting his lip. He had been taught at a young age to always respect and look up to the Princesses as the best force of good in Equestria. They lead by example, using wisdom and kindness to guide their subjects while protecting them from any threat. Sure, Princess Luna had turned evil before, but she did get better. Yet, what if they did become evil for some reason? What if they started experimenting with dark magic on subjects? What if they took the same path as King Sombra or Queen Chrysalis did? What if they destroyed everything good in Equestria like The United State’s government did? Could he be like Roger Maxson and sacrifice his loyalty to his country for the sake of what was right?
“... yes,” Sandbar answered with a heavy sigh. “I’d be reluctant to do so...but I would. Even if it would look like a losing battle since they’re so powerful and everything.”
Maxson and his soldiers seemed to think the same thing as Sandbar according to the narrator. Despite knowing that his government wouldn’t treason lying down, Maxson had his troops gather their families before bunkering down at the base. They waited for a response, be it by communication or force, and swore to fight on to whatever end might come. Yet there was nothing. No marching of enemy soldiers, no planes bombing them, not even a stern warning letter.
The US government had all but forgotten them, and with good reason. Because, not soon after Maxson started his rebellion, The Great War began.
Maxson had to have some god watching over him as not only did the bunker provide protection against the bombs, but the war itself would destroy the US government. Allowing Maxson to win his rebellion without even firing a shot. After learning this, Maxson and his top troops pondered their choices. They realized that the nation they once fought and lived under was gone. The world had changed, and what they would decide next would not only determine their fate, but their families and future families fate as well.
Would they be survivors armed with the knowledge and technology of The Old World? Or would they be scavengers crawling to survive with decaying equipment in the New World? The answer was clear as day.
The six watched intently as Maxson lead his family, his troops, and their families across the scorching earth, but not after sealing the base. Their weapons and gear made them suitable to survive the early days of the Wasteland to a hidden military bunker known as The Lost HIlls. There, they would rebuild and survive.
“Just like the original founders of Equestria,” Sandbar whispered in awe. For group, they couldn’t help but find some relief in all this. All day they had heard of horrible people doing horrible things with very few heroes acting in the best interest of others. Yet, at long last, they found Roger Maxson. A soldier who rebelled for the sake of what was right, and lead those under his leadership to a new future for the sake of their children and their children’s children.
It wasn’t hard to see why the Brotherhood nearly worshiped Maxson. They were alive because of him and owed it all to his leadership. Generation after generation would learn their military discipline, technology, and the history of the past in order to keep them strong and hidden from the dangers of the world outside the Lost Hills.
It was revealed they rarely ever interacted with outside survivors, except in moments of trade. They preferred to keep to themselves which was understandable to a point. The world was still trying to restore itself from the breakdown of society, and there were plenty of dangers to go with it.
“Kinda sounds like us Griffins. We really don’t like interacting with others,” Gallus said, but smirked at his friends. “Well, almost all others.”
“Aw, we love you too, Gallus,” Silverstream cheerful said as she hugged him.
“Yeah. Yeah. Enough with the mushy stuff,” Gallus complained as he gently pushed her off.
However, the greatest strength of the Brotherhood wasn’t in their armors and weapons, but their technological knowledge of pre-war equipment. They saw two Brotherhood members holding up a group of dirty look farmers with rusty farm equipment. Obviously trying to get the thing working, but didn’t know how. It was established that much was lost to humanity, including the knowledge of how to use some of that advance equipment work. The Brotherhood knew how to make it work and how to fix it, but rarely did they share it with outsides. In fact, it was becoming clear they kept a lot of things to themselves.
“They seem kinda... selfish,” Ocellus pointed out with a frown.
“Eh, I’ve seen selfisher,” Smolder replied with a wave of her hand.
Without that knowledge, the humans on the surface became more tribal and started switching their ray guns for spears just to hunt and eat. All except the Brotherhood of Steel who soon had Maxson’s son running things and his son after him. The Brotherhood formed a council of elders who would lead them, with the High Elder being the chief of the group which was usually someone of the Maxson bloodline, but not always. It felt more like a monarchy than anything in the eyes of the six.
The screen showed three groups of two individuals. One group in robes, the other two in Power Armor, but one looked more advanced and heavier. Despite taking some of their military discipline and rankings from the pre-war US army, The Brotherhood of Steel had three main divisions.
The scribes, dressed in robes, whose job was recording history and maintaining their equipment. “I’d be a Scribe most likely,” Ocellus said with a smile. “It would be fun learning all this advance technology.”
“I think I’d like to be one too! It would be so exciting to learn all of it! And those robes look really cool!” Silverstream stated.
Next was the Knight, a title familiar to all six of them as it was also heard often in their world. These Knights, however, were charged with maintaining and keeping check all the weapons and armor. However, as the narrator explained more about the history of “Knights” two things struck the group that made them all freeze in shock, including Sandbar.
Horses, the cousins of the ponies, were extinct. Second, they were referred as animals.
“Horses...are g-g-gone...that means...ponies too?” Sandbar whispered in horror as he looked at the floor, his heart sinking deep into his chest. His kind... his people... wiped off the face of a planet. All gone.
The others soon walked over and began to hug him as he struggled to deal with this knowledge. It was starting to make sense why he hadn’t seen a single pony in this world after the war. They were all dead. Killed by the bombs. Did the humans not care?
“Wait, what did he mean by animals? Is that some kind of negative term?!” Silverstream growled. Ponies and horses were not animals. They were sentient beings.
“Wait...” Ocellus took a moment to stop and think. Her eyes widened as the group turned to her just as she muttered. “Of course...”
“What? What is it?” Yona asked.
“... guys... I think... I think humans are the only sentient species in this world,” Ocellus revealed.
“But that can’t be! We saw ponies in this world! And ponies-”
“Are just as intelligent as a pet or animal in our world,” finished Ocellus as she made Sandbar tilt his head. “You all know the Redbrick series? About the mice that fight against cats and such who think they are dragons, but compared to us they’re just pets? Not to mention they can’t talk or invent or have free will like us in the real world? They run on instincts?”
“Yeah, but that’s just fiction,” Gallus said, folding his arms.
“Well, it may be fiction in our world, but what if there is a world where they can speak and do the things we, as sentients, can do. What if in this world...” She pointed to the screen. “Humans are the only advance thinking species, and the rest of our kind either doesn’t exist or has the mindset of a common wood animal?”
The others eyes widened as the realization came to them. They slowly turned and began to think on Ocellus’s theory. Not existing was one thing, but to be a simple animal whose only purpose was to eat, sleep, mate and such?
“Woah...” Yona replied.
“I guess... this would make sense as to why they didn’t...save ponies,” Sandbar bitterly replied, shaking his head. “But I still...I still hate the idea...” The others looked at Sandbar as he took a few deep breaths. Ocellus then walked over to him and hugged him, making him freeze up as his face began to turn red.
“Hey, you’re real here. And you’re a sentient being in this world. More importantly, you’re our friend. And we’ll never let you die in some castarophy like these humans did.” The others all smiled and nodded to Sandbar who felt a small smile grow on his muzzle before he hugged Ocellus back.
Separating, the group sat down and quietly continued to watch the video in their efforts to push away the grim revelations they had learned of this world’s pony population. The narrator continued to explain the last group was the Paladins, the ones most people on the surface saw whose job was to blast stuff and protect their fellow members.
They could fight raiders, Super Mutants, or the crazed ghouls that lurked around with their training and advance equipment. However, their main goal was not to fight, and sadly not to save lives. It was to gather technology. Pre-war technology that was once used to devastate the earth, and now they were on a mission to prevent it from happening again. They didn’t care about others outside of their own. They saw them as unintelligent barbarians who were had no right to carry the advance tech they found. They couldn’t be trusted with it, only the Brotherhood deemed themselves worthy and responsible to do so.
“Wow, so much for the knights in shining armor,” Smolder snorted, folding her arms. “They sound like a bunch of elitist snobs who think they know better than everyone.”
“Still, it's not a bad mission to prevent a second apocalypse. I just wished they helped people more,” Ocellus replied, wincing as the narrator revealed they turned away would be joiners towards suicide missions. It was clear they were an arrogant bunch, but that had a price to pay.
When the Super Mutant army was deemed a threat, even The Brotherhood saw this as a cause to take actual action. While they did help a little, the real threat was stopped by a wanderer in a Vault 13 suit accompanied by his dog.
“I wonder if this is the same Vault Dweller we learned about in the last video?” Sandbar wondered, remembering the information from last time.
“Kinda would have been nice to see them fight against the Super Mutants though,” Gallus sighed, wishing he could see more of the Power Armor in action.
Later on, it was revealed the Brotherhood took heavy losses in a war against a growing faction known as The New California Republic (Another name they kept hearing about but didn’t know much). Despite their advance training and weapons, they lost the war with the biggest defeat at a place called The Mojave Wasteland. One of their elders tried to learn the secrets of some big Pre-War area that was a towering building surrounded by hundreds of mirrors for some reason.
It was then that the group managed to finally get a good look at this “NCR”, and the war they brought to the Brotherhood. They were dressed in green and brown armor, some of them looking cowpony like with stetson hats, coats, and wielded weapons that fired fast and quick. Unlike the Brotherhood’s small number, this was a real army as hundreds of the NCR fought and charged against the bunkered Brotherhood forces. Bullets and laser fire sailed through the air like a storm of death. Faces were melted off. Heads were reared back from sniper shots. Men and woman from both sides took as many blows as they could before expiring. It was chaos. It was war.
The group stared in awe at the two armies kept going at each other with such vigor it seemed there was nothing that mattered accepting taking down as many enemies as possible. Despite losing their numbers faster then the Brotherhoods, the NCR kept on regrouping, using small group tactics, surprises, and faster numbers to overwhelm Brotherhood defence posts. Even using their own weapons from their dead comrade in arms to fight back. Yet, the Brotherhood held on. Taking down so many NCR with their last breath, the group couldn’t help but show watch in awe at their valor. Even the less violent ones like Ocellus and Sandbar couldn’t help but find the blood inside them excited at the sight of such battle. Gallus, Smolter and Yona felt their respect for the Brotherhood and the NCR rise up upon seeing such warrior determination, especially for the former. Silverstream only wished her people had this kind of power and courage during the Storm King’s attack. Maybe then they wouldn’t have had to hide for so long in fear of him.
Still, despite their efforts, the Brotherhood was still outnumbered 10 to 1. After losing half their chapter, they were forced to retreat in defeat. It was a devastating outcome for the Mojave chapter who now struggled to survive while in the safety of their hidden base, tinkering away while sending some recruits to gather supplies just to survive. Or get rid of those who questioned their actions.
“Man, you gotta hand it to the Brotherhood. They know how to keep going,” Gallus said with a nod of approval.
“If this was a group of dragons, they’d be respected by everyone back home,” Smolder stated. “Shame they aren’t such a powerhouse anymore. Sounds like this NCR is the new king of the hill.”
“I wonder what they’re like. I mean, they really have to be something to beat the Brotherhood of Steel and all their advance technology,” Silverstream said, rubbing her chin.
The group refocused as the screen showed The Brotherhood of Steel, but this location was different compared to the previous ones. They had seen the Brotherhood in the deserts, but now it seemed they were in the ruins of an old city. The narrator stated that despite the Brotherhood seeing better days. They were still a powerful group of warriors who always found themselves in conflict. One such group was a disavowed chapter who went to the East Coast where the nation’s former capital was, and fought a war against the Super Mutants there to protect it.
It seemed that the six of them were not done learning about the Brotherhood of Steel. After all, if there was a West Coast version of the group then their had to be an East Coast version as well.
But that is a story for another day.