Resident Pon-Evil - Operation: Equestrian Downfall

by Delta 727

Epilogue: Memory Lane

With Harrow's End exposed, and the team safe away in Canterlot, Harmony's Elements are heroes. As they reflect their past and represent their future, X-Ray, Beltway, Blade, and Acid are heroes. But after the loss of Acid, all that can be made is a memorial. When it seems the memory is lost, Harmony's Elements turn their gaze to the horizons.

The trumpets sounded all across Canterlot. Every pony for miles that survived the outbreak had gathered in the Royal Palace and lined the walkways. Just outside, a Pegasi team landed with a large transport capsule. A soldier trotted over to the hatch, pressed the release, and it fell open. Inside stood three stallions and a mare. As they trotted out, the crowds cheered. These were Harmony's Elements with their new friend from the Canterlot Security Department itself. The four now stood outside the capsule as a white, rainbow-mane mare and a blue, black-starry-maned mare trotted out of the Royal Palace, their unicorn horns and their wings held high. These were Princesses Celestia and Luna themselves, venturing forward to greet the heroes of the wasteland of Equestria. In turn, they touched their horns on the teams' heads, and stepped back to face them.

"You have done well, Harmony's Elements," Celestia said. "It is a great honor to be known as the heroes who helped us all to see the lies of Harrow's End." The white alicorn turned her head. "Guards. Take the prisoners. I will deal with them later..." As she finished, three Royal Guards clopped their way into the transport container, and returned with the Harrow's End Commander, the SpecOps Leading Officer, and the scientist from the meeting of the evidence disposal. The scientist was yelling across the whole square as the guards led them away.

"Let me go! I'm innocent! I could have left, but they threatened to kill me! You must believe me-" The Royal Guard bucked the scientist across the head, knocking him out cold. The guard dragged him along and led them away to the holding prisons.

"Will I be allowed to recieve time with thy spoken traitors?" Luna said in her royal accent. "I possess numerous ideas for their demise."

"We do not want to kill them, my dear sister," Celestia responded. "We'll see what we do with them, but you'll have your fill of 'time with the traitors'. " Luna simply nodded. "Come with me. It's time you were recognized as the heroes you are. We have fixed the roof of the castle to celebrate your ceremony with a view from the Pegasi in the clouds," Celestia turned toward the Royal Palace, followed by Luna and the team. As they all trotted down the main hall, ponies cheered and clopped their hooves together, Pegasi in the crowd flying in cheer and flips. Celestia led them onto a main stage, with Luna at her side, and the Elements with the Department officer lined up behind. She silenced the cheers with a flash of bright magic from her horn, releasing the retractable ceiling to shine down pure sunlight onto the stage. The Pegasi above cheered and applauded, and Celestia addressed the crowd.

"Good day to you all! We are gathered to recognize three heroes and their accomplice in the downfall of a corporation that has betrayed us. Fighting their way through death and decay, they have exposed Harrow's End as liars and the corporation will be demolished and punished accordingly." She stepped aside, Luna still at her flank. "I introduce to you, X-Ray," X-Ray stepped forward, "Blade," Blade stepped forward to X-Ray's right, "Chainlink," Chainlink trotted next to Blade, "and Marigold." Marigold stepped forward last, her head high and golden mane flowing in the wind. "The three stallions and ex-operatives of Harrow's End who brought out the lies, and Marigold who supported them in the downfall of Dmitri Zernovski as equal of a traitor."

Marigold spoke up, saying, "Now c'mon, y'all!" She looked at the three stallions, "You can take off those masks now. I'm sure we'd all like to see you in person!" The team glanced between each other, and Celestia dipped her head.

"Go on," she said.

X-Ray stepped forward. He had kept his respiratior in place, but removed his thermal goggles and body cover off of his head. He was a grey Earth pony with a long, green mane. His eyes were a light blue, and he had a long scar on the left of his jaw that led down his neck. X-Ray would soon move on into the Special Services division of the Canterlot Corporation, using his skills and abilities to support in seeking out an enemy before they even had time to suspect.

Blade moved forward next. He removed his mask, hood, and recon goggles. He was a black Earth pony with a red mane and grey eyes. There was a small gash mark across his muzzle. Blade would later become an Operation Patrol guard set on post to defend Canterlot against several attacks that would fail against the city

Chainlink stepped forward last, removed his helmet, mask, and respirator tubes. He was a bulky, brown Earth pony with an orange mane and purple eyes. One of his ears was torn, and a large scratch crossed over his left eye. Chainlink would later be re-hired to the Royal Guard Corporation of Engineers, and promoted to head demolition director.

Marigold stared on proudly of the team she had aided in driving Harrow's End into the ground. She would later become a Liutenant in her Department.

"Although, sadly, one mare had not made the success of the mission," Celestia went on. "Her name was Acid, an ex-virologist for Harrow's End. After her daughter was killed in a horde invasion in the hospital morgue, she vowed revenge against Harrow's End. She had saved her team from execution, but sacrificed herself to kill Dmitri in his own explosive vest trigger. The spirits of Acid and her daugher, Shade, now resign among the skies, and will be remembered in memorial by a statue crafted in their honor." Celestia looked to her sister, and Luna signaled to a large drape over a towering object. A member of the Pegasi team pulled it down, and a statue stood before them. Acid, with her Canterlot sidearm still in hoof and face mask in place, stood with a small filly that looked like a smaller version of her riding on her back. The stone eyes stared off into the distance, and the filly on her back was actually smiling. The crowd cheered in honor and celebration of the sacrifice and success in her mission.

"In her honor, the traitors shall still be put to fair trial," the crowd chanted disapproval, yelling 'guilty' several times before Celestia raised a hoof to silence them, "Even if the verdict is obvious. But in the meantime, this statue shall be placed here in the Royal Palace as a rememberance to the virologist and her daughter." She trotted over to the base of the statue, and pulled down one last tarp to reveal a plaque titled, 'A Soldier and Her Filly'.

In that moment of cheering, X-Ray looked to the sky. As his light blue eyes scanned the clouds, he spotted something. And for the first time, after years of emotional solitude, X-Ray had done something the rest of the team had never seen him do before.

He smiled.

Blade noticed him, followed by Chainlink and Marigold. As they followed his gaze, a large smile also appeared on the face of Blade, Marigold chuckled, and Chainlink gave a sound of, 'Well, whaddaya know?' .

For what they were looking at were the sparkling celestial spirits of a grey mare with a black mane and an identically colored filly staring down at them from the clouds above.