“All pegasi, evacuate the area, Megapell Detonation in T- sixty seconds!” The loudspeaker atop the ship announced.
“Neighvarro is in range!” Cried a stallion from the deck.
Aria Night replied, “Alright, do you have everything you need?” She asked Sparkweld over the radio, who was curled up in the engineering bay looking over dozens of research papers.
“Yes, I think so, I think I can reverse-engineer the spell matrix from here, it’s near fractal in complexity, but it makes some sense…”
“Alright, bring the flux-missile up!”
A hatch opened on the roof of the Nephilim, the flux-bomb, captured from Cloud Forest, was mounted to the end of an old pre-war missile. Neighvarro was in chaos, Harry’s transmission had been picked up by almost everyone in Equestria, and news spread like wildfire, the Enclave were trying to exterminate ponykind! Their hope of victory was null. That wasn’t their true target, however… One-by-one the SPP towers were being torn down. In the north-east one had simply detonated in a magical blast, a message from DJ Pon3 clarifying that he had leveled it… To the east, one had been mysteriously filled with pink cloud, warping the arcane-machinery to non-functionality… To the west one had been bombarded by a group of Steel Rangers using pre-war artillery… To the south, Thunderhead had gone into full revolt and the pegasi had torn down their own tower, a few would have to remain, simply for food production… This was the final target, with this, there was nowhere the Enclave could hide behind the clouds.
From the cloud-fortress rose an impressive white spire, with the press of a button the Flux Missile fired, hitting the base of the tower… The ponies on the bridge hoped that the pegasi in Neighvarro had taken their warning seriously, and that none had stayed too close to the tower. There was a flash of brilliant white magic… From what they knew on the subject, flux bombs were the pony version of a balefire bomb, but the blast was nothing like it, it didn’t burn, it didn’t fill the sky with smoke, it didn’t even have a shockwave, everything within the radius of the bomb was simply turned to dust. Without anything below it, save for the ground a full five kilometers below, the upper segments of the SPP tower simply fell free, you could see it as it fell below the clouds, the clouds having thinned significantly with each tower brought down. When the tower hit the ground, there was one hell of a shockwave from that, and they could see smaller villages around the Neighagra Falls being flattened by the wave of dirt and water kicked up as the tower landed into the Neighagra Lakes. The ponies within the Nephilim hoped those were just raider camps.
“Alright, we're all ready?” Asked Littlepip, overseeing the spellcasting. Spike was also in the corner, watching eagerly. Around the array of machinery were six ponies. Velvet Remedy, Calamity, Homage, Ditzy Doo, Morning Glory, Life Bloom…
“As ready as we’ll ever be…” Said Homage.
“Yup!” Calamity just said.
“Oh I hope my modifications work,” Muttered Morning Glory, placing the Element of Generosity around her neck.
“Alright, I’m activating it now, just focus on your own magic and virtues!” Shouted Spike, throwing a switch. There was a crackle, the six started to glow, energy flowed up the machine and through the thousands of talismans implanted into the metal. There came a flash of power, rolling outward.
The dragon, coated in cybernetics and breathing streams of plasma, hovered over the battlefield, “Get me closer!” Shouted Rampage, as she stood atop the edge of the skytank, the pegasi inside were hesitant, but they passed a bit closer, the dragon turned to try and snach the tank out of the sky, but the pony leapt first, driving herself right into the monster’s mouth, the skytank flew away, while Rampage was swallowed by the beast, a horrible idea on the dragon’s part, even if it didn’t know that at the time… Around the Cathedral a war was raging.
The pegasi crews had overthrown their leadership, and were now fighting with the aid of Steel Rangers and Talons who swarmed over the surface. Steelhooves yelled “Forward, don’t let the enemy gain the momentum!”
Pre-war artillery was brought up, and bombed the outer walls of the Cathedral, several breaches had been made, raiders and slavers, carrying crimson banners with golden eyes, and dressed in their cultist robes, rushed to reinforce the breaches, but they were gunned down by pegasi and rangers, Red Eye had perfected the bypass spell, the Red Legion’s guns could penetrate Enclave armor as if it were paper, but they had not counted on the Rangers or Talons being present, their armor was of different composition, less advanced, but in this situation, far superior. Cultists on the walls were felled by bursts of beam and plasma MEWs, while on the ground Rangers with autocannons and gatling guns mowed down the cultists swarming from within.
The dragon fell down to the ground, after trying to rip itself open from the pain, the cultists stared in shock and awe as Rampage cut herself free, soaked in the dragon’s blood, boiled flesh and melting eyes and burned fur growing back fresh and pristine, her armor had been melted to slag, but she pulled herself free from the white-hot magma and shouted in triumph. She marched forward and ran right into the cultists blocking the door, ripping them apart in hoof-to-hoof combat.
Up in the tallest tower, shielded by powerful spells and talismans, Red Eye watched, things had progressed far faster than intended, but, in a roundabout way, he had still achieved his goals. He watched with some pride at the way the united army of earth ponies, unicorns, pegasi, and griffons had deftly crippled his forces. Beside him, Stern and Protege stood on either side, both looking worried, he had pulled as many of his soldiers as he could from Fillydelphia, it would have been enough to stop the Enclave forces, but not to stop this combined assault. “Damn it! We’ll lose the main gate at this rate!” Stern shouted angrily.
“It appears this battle is lost,” Said Protege, “Should we retreat?”
“No, if we are to lose here we will hold our ground and not flee in cowardice,” Red Eye continued.
Eventually, the gateway was overrun, cultists panicked and fled in droves, between Steelhooves and Rampage they were crushed, between the former Enclave pegasi and the Steel Rangers they were hammered into oblivion. The door to Red Eye’s room burst open and in walked a griffon, one he vaguely recognized, supported by pegasi and Ranger guards. Gawdyna Grimfeathers spoke, “Red Eye, your army has been defeated, and luckily for you I have orders to take you alive, surrender, or I’ll be forced to restrain you.”
Stern and Protege looked like they were about to attack, but Red Eye held them back… Not quite the way he had intended, but he had unified the wasteland, the Pegasi, Rangers, Talons, they had come together to oppose him, unity through a common enemy. He hoped it would last. “Very well, I will come peacefully… So will my advisors here,” he gestured to the griffon and unicorn standing beside him.
“Alright, I’ll be taking you into custody, follow me, and don’t think about trying to escape!”
Gawd lead the three away, taking them aboard a vertibuck and flying into the hangar of an Enclave Thunderhead Airship, they were greeted with a salute by the former Enclave guards, and Red Eye was placed into a cell along with his advisors, they were greeted in the cell by a brown and copper colored pegasus, Colonel Autumn Leaf, stripped of his armor and weapons, who simply gave them an angry glare.
In just a few months, Junction R-7 had grown from a small mercenary camp into a large and prosperous settlement, liberated slaves from Red Eye’s army, Pegasi who had flown down to the surface after Harry Potter’s proclamation aboard the Nephilim, Applejack’s Rangers, Gawd’s Talons, the ponies of Stable 2, several alicorns free from the Goddess and Red Eye, and even a few Hellhounds comprised the population. Most of that population was gathered around a large central stage, built right into the middle of Junction Town. It had been five months since the destruction of Red Eye’s Army at the Battle of Cathedral.
“Oh, I wish I had more time to help you prepare, I’d do it myself but you’re better at this whole public speaking thing than me,” The middle-aged Fluttershy finished preening the Pegasus mare’s feathers and was now combing her tail.
“You didn’t have to do all this for me, you know, Fluttershy…” It was still so weird seeing a two-hundred year old pony standing in the flesh right before her, Glory’s wings certainly felt better than they had in weeks.
“You’re going to go down in history, Glory, I know a bit of what that’s like, it’s my fault that the world is the way that it is, I can at least take the time to help the pony who is going to fix it.”
“I’m not the one who saved us, Blackjack and Littlepip deserve that title.”
“They laid the foundations, but you’re bringing us into the future, Glory,” Velvet had entered the small trailer where Glory was getting prepared, Velvet had brought in a pretty dress with the emblems representing Earth Ponies, Pegasi, Unicorns, Alicorns, Griffons, and Hellhounds embroidered into a sash across the chest, “I hope you enjoy this, I didn’t have much time.”
“It’s wonderful Velvet,” Glory replied, pulling the dress over her and putting her wings through, “Do I look ok?”
“Amazing, darling… Everyone is waiting for you, do Littlepip and Blackjack proud!”
Velvet and Fluttershy waved “bye” to the pegasus mare as she trotted out onto the stage.
She looked a little shy at first, but then found her voice and began speaking, “Ponies, Griffons, Hellhounds, all creatures who we share this world with… I thank you for this chance to address you,” A microphone was brought up to the stage, wired into a radio transmitter, Homage was messing around with the relay’s controls, trying to get the signal to go as far as possible, with luck the far more powerful relays in Tenpony Tower, Thunderhead, and Cloud Forest would pick up the broadcast and relay it even further. “Equestria has suffered, for two centuries it has been a blighted wasteland, filled with horrors, we have been beaten and starved, we have withered and died, but not anymore… Thanks to the help of the Steel Rangers and Dashite Army, we have a second chance, we must not squander this potential, we must rise and rebuild, we must stop our fighting, we must put an end to the raiders and slavers, we must put an end to barbarism and brutality! That is why I thank you for giving me this chance to help, I pray we do not make the mistakes of our ancestors, I, Morning Glory, chosen by the creatures of Junction Town, under democratic election, hereby declare the formation of the New Canterlot Republic, as our first president I hope you will help me to bright about a new dawn for us all…”
“Stern-” The trial was less an actual trial and more just a formal reading of the convict’s crimes and punishment, they had all the evidence they needed, but even this simple trial would go a long way in showing the ponies of the wasteland the ideals of the new republic, “You are guilty of slaving, raider activity, at least two hundred counts mass-murder, and acting against the Republic’s forces in the Battle of Cathedral, as testified by witnesses ‘Murky Seven’, ‘Gawdyna Grimfeathers’, and ‘Glimmerlight’... What do you say in your defence?” Velvet Remedy, wearing the Element of Kindness around her neck as a symbol of her authority, had read Stern’s file and had seen her personally abusing slaves in Fillydelphia, but she tried to be as impartial as possible in her new job as judge.
The courtroom, well, not so much room, more courtyard, as it was the same open space in the middle of Junction Town that President Glory had given her speech in just a few weeks ago. The prisoners, mostly former Enclave personale who refused to join the Dashite Army, and Red Eye’s soldiers captured during the Battle of Cathedral, were lined up, they were not chained, or tied, or even collared, but trying to escape was a bad idea, Talon mercenaries, now the town’s official police force, were lined up on either side, they weren’t going to kill the captives, they had gloves and muzzles on their beaks and talons to prevent such a thing, the guards didn’t like them but they knew it was for the best, at least for now, killing a prisoner would hurt the NCR’s reputation, even if it was on accident. The Steel Rangers, with the help of former Enclave technicians, had set up a live radio and video broadcast of the event, and no doubt the esteemed DJ Pon3 would be putting this in the news.
Stern didn’t bother responding. Velvet continued, “The suspect is found guilty on all charges and sentenced to five years hard labor.” Hard labor was the punishment for slaver activity, it was fitting, the former slave-master being turned into the slave, at least temporarily, unlike a slave they weren’t going to be worked to death, as much as Velvet wished them to be, but their criminal record would follow them wherever they went, most of Junction Town’s population were former slaves, they would find it hard to make friends.
The next prisoner was brought up, “Former Colonel Autumn Leaf,” Velvet continued, “You are found guilty for the murder of five pegasi, resisting arrest by the forces of the Dashite Army, and propagating mass-murder by acting as head of the forces of Enclave Operation Cauterize, as witnessed by Captian Arclight of the NCAFS Raptor Guardian, what do you say in your defence?”
“I say to all the pegasi traitors in the crowd tonight, are you happy! You destroyed the greatest civilisation to ever exist, and turn it into a bastardization of civility! I hope you all burn in hell!”
Velvet sighed, it was clear that were the griffons not keeping the jury at bay, many of the pegasi among them would try to lynch Autumn, “Very well, you are found guilty of all charges and sentenced to ten years imprisonment, primarily for your actions in Operation Cauterize.”
Autumn Leaf glared not at Velvet, but at Calamity, in the jury, who scared back with an equally harsh glare, the pegasus was about to be taken away by the guards when he suddenly flapped his wings and tried to escape, a griffon caught him by the leg and dragged him back down, putting a muzzle on the pegasus’ mouth to keep him from biting as they bound his wings.
Protege was next, and after reading out his crimes, to the mare’s surprise, Murky, and many of the other former slaves in the jury, vouched for him, he wasn’t innocent, but Velvet had to conclude that he was far better than many of the Fillydelphia Slavers she had dragged in, “Due to support from the jury, Protege, your sentence will be reduced to only six months hard labor, I hope when you return to society you will continue to try and be a better pony.”
“Deus Ex Machina, you are guilty of mass-murder, uncounted counts of rape, and several counts of raider activity, what say you in your defense? Nothing? Very well, your punishment will be life imprisonment.” Finally, one-by-one, as the day drew onward, all the prisoners were sent off with their punishments, many in the crowd thought that only five or ten years of labor wasn’t a good enough punishment for the slavers, but Velvet wanted to be kind to them, with luck they would see the error of their ways and become good citizens, the only ones she didn’t tolerate were the raiders, there were a few of them, and she sighed as she had them sent away to life imprisonment. Then, finally, the last prisoner of the day, Red Eye stood before the judge and jury. Every pony there radiated nothing but hatred for him, Velvet sighed, and read out his list of charges. “What do you say in your defence?”
“I wanted to rebuild Equestria, same as you are doing, my methods were different, a little harsh, I will admit, but future generations would applaud the ones who gave themselves to the future of ponykind, at the time it seemed it was the only way to bring about peace and order, I now see I was wrong, for you are doing what I should have done, that is all I have to say.”
“Very well, I can understand your motives, but your crimes are still unforgivable, even if they have motive… You are hereby sentenced to twenty years hard labor.”
Red Eye smiled as he was taken away
Harry sat in the infirmary, she took out a vial of powdered coal, “Carbon, five miligrams, enchanted with… Spell pattern eighty eight,” She read through the Big Book of Arcane Sciences, an old pre-war tome that held some rather fascinating knowledge. “Mix with glycol and reinforce chemical bonds with… Spell pattern fifty six,” She pointed her horn at the mixture and it turned a deep red in color, although not quite done yet, “That creates Arcanocarboglycol, mix with Arcanotyamine,” She continued, mixing together the potions, “And you get a class-I healing potion,” She placed the glowing pink vial on the rack with the other potions she helped synthesize today. It had been a little over a year and a half since the war with the Enclave… Harry’s life since then had been rather boring, mostly just staying at Stable 107 and helping to fix up electronics and repair magical systems. She had taken up a bit of a side-job helping mix up potions…
Ponies and Zebras, long long ago, used to mix up plants and water and oils and enchant them with spells, but slowly the science of alchemy became more and more refined, after the discovery of the atom and the molecule, the ponies looked into which chemicals in the herbs and oils they mixed actually had the effects they wanted, and which chemicals were responsible for the side-effects, and then they analyzed how the magic imbued into the potion actually effected the chemicals… It was fascinating to read about.
Then, there came a voice on the radio systems all throughout the Stable, from Elder Crescent Bolt, “All ponies report to the Stable Door immediately.”
Curious about what was going on, Harry trotted up the stairs and moved to her assigned post. It still caught her a bit by surprise to see a pegasus flying past her through the Stable Atrium, the pegasi that had opted to stay with the Rangers after the war had fit in quick and now made up a third of the Las Pegasus Steel Rangers. Star Paladin Aria Night flew past the foal and got to the elevator before her, Harry swore as Aria closed the door before she could reach it… Damn, now she had to wait for the elevator to come back down.
After Harry got to the Stable’s door she began to work her way through the crowd, Sparkweld was nowhere to be seen, of course, ever since the war he had locked himself up in engineering and was working with a massive stack of papers and design documents. She saw something rather strange beyond the door, five ponies were approaching the Stable in broad daylight… It was interesting how the wasteland was changing since the war, the sky was only sometimes cloudy, sometimes rainy, but none of the oppressive cloud layer, and grass had started to grow in small tufts around fresher, less depleted plots of soil.
Crescent Bolt went to address the newcomers, “President Morning Glory of the New Canterlot Republic,” She began, pointing out the young pegasus with violet mane, silver fur. “Elder Steelhooves of Applejack’s Rangers,” She continued, seeing the older ghoul stallion with bright pink eyes and a small trail of pink mist cascading from his mouth, he looked substantially healthier than any ghoul Harry had ever seen, how he did it she had no idea, but the stallion still had most of his dark green fur. “Army chief of staff Littlepip,” She continued to the small grey mare wearing a blue army uniform and a blue-painted tin helmet that reminded Harry of British soldiers during the world wars. “Chief of internal affairs Gawdyna Grimfeathers,” She said to the large creature Harry realized was a griffon and not a pony. “And finally, former Colonel of the Dashite Army and current Major General of the New Canterlot Air Force, Minty Fresh… I assume you are here to discuss the integration of the Las Pegasus Steel Rangers into the New Canterlot Republic?”
“Yes, we are, you are the largest, strongest, and most well armed of any Steel Rangers contingents, the Manehattan and Hoofington contingents have already been formally inducted into the Applejack’s Rangers and are thus part of the New Canterlot Republic under command of Elder Steelhooves, with you on-” Glory began, but was quickly cut off.
“Yes I am aware of this, I have been paying very close attention to the NCR’s actions ever since the end of the Second Great War… I’m sure you already know what my answer will be.”
“Please, be reasonable Crescent Bolt, I’m sure you don’t want a war with us-” Began Steelhooves but he was cut off again.
“I would be honored to join, my forces and I are at your command, President Morning Glory,” She bowed to the pegasus.