//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3.13 - The Empty City 
// Story: Fallout Equestria : Black And White 
// by Philweasel 
//------------------------------//

Dust looked out from the checkpoint, pushing past a long decayed gate and over the skeletons of the guards that had once stood here in proud defense. The tattered remnants of ceremonial uniforms still clung to their bones. This had to be one of the most prestigious guard postings in the zebra territories.

Behind him, he could see as far as the pale green line of the sea, the suburbs of Demonivore just visible. In the other direction, the spire of Drakehome mountain.

Ahead, crystal towers of glass and steel rose among ornate, stone complexes of regal dignity, the damage and decay doing little to disguise the sense of timeless, enduring history. But it wasn't the elegance of Canterlot, all white washed walls and curves. It was fierce and masculine, solid and square. The yellows and browns merged with the rock around it, like the city had grown from the very mountain.

"This is the capital city of my race." Easu breathed, "I feel like it suits us."

"It certainly has presence." Ace agreed, taking a moment to enjoy the view, "We've got to be the only ponies living that have ever seen it up close like this."

"I visited it. Several times." Fluttershy stated, looking uncomfortable as she looked around, "It's all so quiet."

"Exactly as described..." Dust advanced, making sure his shotgun was unholstered and ready. He was really feeling the lack of a battle saddle, the weapon feeling clumsy just supported by a strap. It wasn't exactly how he wanted to tackle the ghost city from which no pony ever returned, "Keep your guard up. You've heard what everypony has said about this place."

Ace followed, a look of concentration passing through his eyes, "I can't feel anything. This place is totally lifeless... no, wait."

Dust turned to the buck, "What is it?"

Ace lifted his head, looking confused, "There's an aura around the city, very powerful magic. But it's not something I've ever felt before."

Easu moved a little way out, silent for a moment before nodding firmly, "I have."

"Where?"

His brow wrinkled, his voice twinged with frustration, "I cannot remember... but it was recent." He concentrated for a moment longer before giving a grunt, "It does not feel dangerous, just... strange. This is a type of magic I've felt very rarely."

"I'm not going to force anypony to follow me." Fluttershy started, her voice soft, "But I do have a plan."

"Say it." Dust stated, giving her an encouraging nod.

Fluttershy looked appreciative, drawing herself a little taller, "I know where we can find electronics shops and a hospital. Upgrading Puppysmiles' sensors will allow her to get a better read of the city, and the hospital will allow me to assess the field's effects on our bodies. We would not have to go far, we can assess any danger from the city outskirts."

Dust thought that was reasonable, and he wasn't about to just turn back now, "Ok, lets do this. Everypony stay close, and keep your weapons at hoof. No telling what we're going to find in there."

¬

The streets were eerily empty, which would have just been another part of the wasteland if their surroundings hadn't been so... preserved.

Some of the windows had been broken, there were bullet holes scattered around and a thick layer of dust covered everything, but otherwise everything looked as if the city had been bustling only a day or so before. Intact neon lights advertised restaurants still laid out with perfectly placed cutlery, new and crisp looking newspapers sitting inside vending machines. Dust walked up to one, frowning briefly at the headline before slipping a knife into the lock and snapping it open. 

'The Voice Daily
Leading Us Into The Maw Of The Devil!
As the rumors of surrender grow more and more plausible members of the government have been seen speaking to Equestrian representatives and defections are rife within the military, with many of our cowardly generals already having abandoned their men in exchange for their own lives.

It is the view of the Voice that we can expect the same of Caesar. The Caesar who spoke of his love for his citizens, yet hasn't made a public appearance in weeks to address our concerns. The Caesar who's very son fornicates with his pony mistress and openly speaks treason in the very halls of power, the Caesar who has in his past counted the disharmonous six as friends!

We stood up against the great devil, we raised a hoof and slapped the oppressor in the face. And for that, Equestria will demand repayment. Will Equestria take it from Caesar, who even now begs and barters for his life? No, because he knows he can buy that life with our lives, our possessions!

When the dark legions of Equestria march down these streets, it will be the innocent civilians that they will come for. Your wives, your children! Caesar will sit fat, his status as an Equestrian puppet now plain for all to see!'

"Fucking journalists. They never change." Dust threw the paper to the floor, moving back towards the group, "To be perfectly honest, I wish this place was a dangerous ruin, infested with monsters. This silence is just creepy."

"And where are all the bodies?" Fluttershy observed, "We haven't even seen a single body so far. This city had a population of millions."

Dust looked over at the bullet holes, moving over to inspect them more carefully. His conclusions only aroused his suspicions, "Zebra hollow point rounds. Made for unarmed targets."

"Like civilians?"

Dust nodded, inspecting the spread, "See here, there's holes in the distribution of shots. A lot of these rounds struck objects that aren't here anymore. Most likely zebra."

Ace looked around, "So where are they? And where is the blood?"

"Dust swept some of the dirt from the road, revealing a dull brown stain, "Here. But it looks like it was washed away, most of the stains are far too faint for the blood to have been here for more than a minute or two."

Ace frowned, looking up at Fluttershy then back at Dust, "They killed a bunch of zebra, then... cleaned up after themselves?"

"Looks that way." Dust looked up towards the tower looming over the city. It seemed even more intact than the other buildings, a jagged spike of glass and steel that looked like a crystal broken into a sheer edge at the top. Antenna clung to it, strange devices with softly pulsing lights. The zebra academy of science, and the source of Caesar's Curse.

And that proved something was very wrong. Because from aerial photos the place was a ruin.

He sighed, speculation could wait. The only way they would find out more was to advance onwards, "Stay alert everypony, we have an entire city and a small army of adventurers unaccounted for. Don't want to share the same fate."

¬

Dust stepped across fallen soda cans, staring down a long street that looked like it had once been a commercial hub. Clothing shops, food shops, toy shops, and most of them sported signs proclaiming either that they still had goods in stock... or that they didn't, and they temporarily closed until new supplies came in.

"These prices are obscene. They have bottles of cheap wine that cost more than an average worker made in a year." Fluttershy complained as she looked through the broken glass window of a liquor store. "Everything here is horrendously overpriced."

"Supplies during war time..." Dust commented, looking around at the nearby houses just over the other side of the street, "This is hoity toity neighborhood by the looks of it. I bet they could afford it. Anything good left?"

Fluttershy turned, looking amusingly offended, "Dust Kicker!"

"We might need it after all this is through. Or we can sell it for supplies later."

She considered his request briefly before turning back to the shop, carefully pulling herself through the broken window and scanning the interior, "It looks like this shop was looted previously... but... ooh." She moved over to a shelf of dusty bottles, blowing the dirt away and inspecting the label, "This is really nice stuff. I used to drink it a lot..."

Ace twitched, "Movement!"

Dust Kicker already had it, rifle propped against his shoulder as he looked down the sight. He briefly paused as he saw it was not monster or feral ghoul, but instead appeared to be a simple zebra, staggering drunkenly from a pile of empty bottles. Still the bottle in his mouth was broken and jagged, and he lunged towards Fluttershy with clear intent...

Dust fired, double tapping the trigger. The first blew the zebra's jaw off and sent the bottle shattering to the ground, the second taking the zebra in the shoulder. The flame enchantments activated on both and the zebra screamed in pain as fire consumed his face, Fluttershy spinning round and quite understandably adding to the screams...

Especially as he fell backwards into the pile of bottles and they went up with a roar, flames consuming both him and the shelf behind in an instant. Fluttershy yelled and felt back against the shelving, flames shooting towards her as the bottles shattered against the heat.

Easu shot past, form a blur as he dived through the window and sped along the already smoldering floorboards, catching Fluttershy and throwing her onto his back, twisting her to his side so she was shielded from the flames. His tail ignited as he rushed back towards the exit, the building near exploding behind him... he dived through the window, hitting the tarmac and instantly dropping into a roll to smoother his smoldering fur. Ace Gold ran over to Fluttershy, Dust quickly moving to Easu.

He helped the zebra pat out his smoldering armor, giving him a relieved and thankful grin, "You're... damn fast."

"Hmph..." He grunted, making it back to his hooves with some brief wincing, "You hesitated because it was suicide for you to enter. I have specifically studied techniques to improve my durability, I was best suited to the task."

The zebra clearly couldn't take a complement, "It was still really impressive."

"I'd say." Fluttershy agreed as Ace helped her back to her hooves. She looked slightly burned, in places, still Easu had done a good job shielding her from the heat. She eyed him gratefully, "You saved my life."

"I would not have been able to if you had not so expertly reattached my leg Lady Fluttershy." Easu turned his head to the flaming building, eyes narrowing, "The real question is, who was that hiding in the shop? He was the first living thing we've seen since we came here."

"He wasn't a ghoul." Dust observed, "But he wasn't wearing any clothes or even carrying a weapon."

"I noticed lots of scaring, like surgical marks." Fluttershy commented, "But I didn't get a real good look."

They considered the matter for several seconds before Dust decided that speculation was a waste of time, "Right, no more distractions. We get straight to the hospital, and work out what's going on here."

¬

Valleyview General Hospital was as silent as the rest of the city, and even neater. The beds in the wards had all been made, paperwork neatly filed away. It was like every zebra had just got up and left. And indeed...

"They did." Fluttershy announced, looking up at all of them from a terminal at the front desk of the outpatients department, "They got an evacuation order and relocated all the patients to an underground bunker a couple of blocks away."

"Well that explains everything."

"Does it?" Dust questioned, it just not adding up for him, "They had enough space to evacuate every zebra in the city? And where are they now? It's been over two hundred years."

"There is no possible way you could sustain the population of this city in a bunker." Fluttershy agreed, looking up from the terminal, "In fact, the mountain shouldn't be able to sustain even a standard sized stable. We're too far above the water table, and sitting on solid rock rather than soil deposits."

"Stranger and stranger... anything else?" Dust questioned.

"Not much. It's all pretty standard... but I've located the labs." She looked up from the console, "We should go up and start tests as soon as possible."

Dust didn't like the way she phrased that, but he supposed making sure the city wasn't killing them was a worthy task, "Lead on then."

They moved upstairs, Easu warning them to stay on guard as they advanced down the corridor. Dust waved the others back and took the lead, soon rewarded by the sound of moaning and banging. He located the source as a door a short way down, currently shaking on it's hinges, "Everypony take positions."

"Feral ghouls." Easu stated as he drew his pistols, "No more than four of them."

Dust nodded, moving his assault rifle into position and kicking open the door with a solid thrust. One of the zebra ghouls inside was instantly knocked to the ground and Dust ignored it, instead pumping a few shots into the head of the second and jumping back. It screamed and briefly clawed it's face before the flame rounds burned it's brains out, a third ghoul making but a single step towards him before Easu calmly kneecapped it and blew it's head off with calm efficiency. His second shot finished off the one on the floor.

Fluttershy shivered before moving past them and rifling through their clothing, most interested in the ghoul who appeared to be wearing a fancy suit. From him she pulled a wallet, ID badge and key card, shifting them apart to inspect them, "This was the Chief Executive of the hospital. I wonder why he stayed behind."

"There's a dead soldier in here." Ace called from inside the room, Dust following into what looked like a reasonably well appointed office. A portrait of Caesar hung above the desk, bookcases of smug looking medical texts with suspiciously pristine covers leaning against the walls.

And indeed there was a dead soldier there, a neat gunshot wound through his temple and his helmet lying a short distance away with torn straps. And what was most disturbing... he didn't look a few hours dead, "Fluttershy, come have a look at this."

She walked in, looking as surprised as them before hurrying over to inspect the body. She prodded and poked briefly before turning to them with a frown, "It's hard to determine a time of death. Rigor mortis hasn't yet set in, but the condition of his flesh suggests he's been dead about two days."

Dust wasn't a doctor, but he had seen his fair share of dead bodies, "That's weird right?"

"Certain drugs can cause that effect..." She shook her head, making a small incision and cutting a piece of flesh away before placing it in a bag. That done she straightened out again, motioning them onwards with a nod, "Let's go find the labs."

¬

"So what's the verdict Doctor Fluttershy?"

"I am actually a doctor you know. Twice." Fluttershy commented as she tapped buttons on the machine she was feeding data into, located within a very large and well equipped laboratory set up full of spinney things, flashing things and noisy things, all of it looking very high tech. Fluttershy worked for a little while on all of them, eventually grinning happily and letting out a little giggle, "Though at the moment I'm feeling rather like Twilight Sparkle. She had a big machine that beeped, just like this."

"Is that the technical term?" Ace commented somewhat dryly.

"Actually Puppy is doing most of the work." Fluttershy admitted with a smile, looking to where Puppy was jacked into one of the mainframes, "I'm not really a lab tech. But this is rather interesting..."

Dust chuckled, she really did look like she was enjoying herself a little too much, "What is it Fluttershy?"

"The soldier, he's been dead five days. And the other three turned into ghouls a little over twenty years ago."

"That doesn't make any sense." Ace protested, "They're all pre-war. They should all be hundreds of years old."

Easu suddenly let out a little gasp, eyes wide. They all turned to him at this unusual loss of composure, Easu taking a moment to centre himself before speaking, "I remember where I felt that magic field before. In Philidious's city we found libraries, full of thousand year old texts. They were preserved by a stasis field, ensuring that they never decayed. Even the bodies inside were fresh after more than a millennium."

Dust didn't like the sound of that, "And this is the same magic?"

"I'm not a master thaumaturgist... but it feels similar." Easu confirmed, "I could not explain why it is present however..."

"That's why the city is in such perfect condition!" Fluttershy exclaimed in excitement.

Dust admitted it made sense, but that still left questions, "But why were those ghouls so decayed and starved looking, yet the body was in such a good condition? How come that guy was only dead for a few days?"

Fluttershy looked thoughtful, silence passing for several seconds before Puppy's voice sounded out suddenly from her speakers, "I think I've worked it out!"

Dust looked round at her camera, giving her a smile, "Go ahead Puppy."

"If the field worked on living creatures the same it did on everything else, it would kill you." Puppy explained, "Your body would be so static that it would basically cease to function. I bet you would find the computers in this place are all twenty years old as well, for the very same reason. Time moves faster for you than it does for the inanimate objects around you."

"But wait..." Ace started, horror dawning, "If this place is in a time dilation field... how much time has passed in here, compared to outside?!"

"I'm sorry." Puppy answered with a soft whine, "I can only determine the effects on organic tissue here. I couldn't even begin to answer questions like that without scientific instruments."

"I... I'm sure it's ok." Fluttershy breathed, looking a little pale at the possibility herself, "We're just going to need to work quickly. Let me just run a few more tests..."

They waited patiently as Fluttershy hmmed and haaaed, Dust trying to hide his impatience. The idea of losing so much time frankly scared him a little, even if he wasn't aging any faster. Really he would technically be aging slower. Still he could only imagine what could be going on out there.

"Oh... my..."

His head flicked up, Fluttershy did not look happy, "What is it Fluttershy?"

"We need as much Rad-X and Rad-away as we can carry." She stated with a slightly trembling voice, the fear clear in her eyes, "And if you feel any sickness, numbness, blurred vision or... necrosis, please tell me immediately."

"Ghoulification?" Dust questioned, quickly inspecting himself for any signs, fortunately still being as intact as he ever was, "But the ambient radiation isn't too high..."

"It's the time dilation field. It's slowing down our metabolisms, making it much easier for the radiation to set into our bodies... and making it far less likely that it will kill us." Fluttershy looked across to Ace with concern, "Ace, you especially need to make sure you keep your radiation levels down."

"Why me?"

"Do I really have to tell you about the danger of excess radiation exposure during adolescence?" Fluttershy lectured, taking a shot of Rad-away from her pack and injecting herself in the shoulder. Once it was done she calmly bent the needle and removed it, setting the empty vial in her bag and looking through the contents, "I've got eight more vials, along with four shots of Rad-X."

"That doesn't leave us a lot to work with."

"No, but we are in a hospital..."

Ace suddenly cut them off, his voice urgent, "We have company."

Dust turned to him, "Who?"

"I don't feel them." Easu stated as his loosened the holsters on his pistols, eyes on the door.

Ace concentrated for a moment, his brow furrowing in concentration. Then he finally nodded, "Robots. Three of them, about minotaur sized. Two floors down... they're splitting up. One is directly below."

"Well we can see them and they can't see us." Dust reasoned, "We just need to avoid them as we..."

Then the sound of heavy machine gun fire started up, along with the sound of collapsing masonry. Dust instantly shouted out a warning, charging forward, scooping Fluttershy onto his back and diving out the room. A second later and the floor shattered upward, carried on a stream of high caliber rounds.

He flung Fluttershy against the wall, mentally apologizing as he span round and unhostered his shotgun. The bullets had stopped, giving him an opportunity to creep forward for a better view.

It spotted him instantly, a row of glowing eyes staring from its spider like body, appraising him from a dozen different angles. Dust braced himself against the wall and unloaded on them, a metal plate sliding across and taking the shot with a resounding clang and a small stumble which was swiftly compensated for by its multiple legs. Dust's eyes widened at this, watching as the machine pretty much shrugged off a shot from a gun that had once taken down Princess Luna at full shields.

And then a turret on its back whipped round and pulsed hot crimson. 

Dust's face instantly caught fire as the beam caught him, screaming in pain as he stumbled back and threw himself to the floor. He thanked Celestia with all his heart as he felt the pain numb with a simple injection, then felt his sight come back a moment later after a healing potion was forced down his throat.

"Fire in the hole!"

He looked up at the bang, seeing a cloud of smoke and debris fill the lab they had been standing in. Easu and Ace stood there watching for further movement, Fluttershy standing over him with a concerned expression, "Are you ok Dust Kicker?"

He nodded quickly, even if the wound still hurt. Damn he hated magic energy weapons, "We need to get out of..."

Red eyes shone through the smoke, a loud, scratchy voice filling the air, "New guests come to my city, and they don't even have the decency to introduce themselves? Detain them my robo-spiders, and bring them to me!"

Dust kicker fired again, at its legs this time. The shot still did no appreciable damage but it knocked the monster off balance at least, unable to find purchase and toppling back into the hole it had created. He grunted and rose onto all fours, waving a hoof at the others, "Go, go!"

They ran down the corridors, Ace lagging behind to help Fluttershy as she began to have trouble catching up. It gave him the chance for a quick sitrep, aware now most of all how much they had lost from the group’s total effectiveness. Without Zenai's energy weapons or Star Swirl's magic, they had just no way to damage these things. His shotgun was the heaviest weapon they had, "Ace, where are they?"

"Give me a moment." He muttered, looking stressed, "Two of them have vanished, I think they've stopped moving."

"Is the other following?"

"No, it's..." Ace paused, then nodded, "They're taking up positions at the stairs down."

"Splitting their forces?" Easu grunted.

"It's a viable strategy, seeing how well armored they are." Dust pointed out, "We can take the windows, rappel down."

Easu narrowed his eyes, "We'll be very exposed."

"I have a satchel charge that I got from the mercenaries" Ace commented, patting his bag, "Not a very big one though."

Dust figured it was better than nothing, "Let me see it."

Ace brought it out of his bag, Dust thanking Celestia for small mercies, "That's a thermite charge. It's designed for taking out armor."

Ace grinned, "There we go. We take one of them out and escape."

"Hold your hooves Ace." Dust warned, seeing the one serious problem with this plan, "You need to get past it's turrets... which I saw have a 360 degree arc... attach this to a vulnerable area, then get out of range before detonating it."

"I can do it." Ace stated firmly, "I can sense this thing, I can dodge it's shots..."

"Don't be an idiot boy." Easu growled, "You cannot dodge a heavy machine gun, no matter how fast you are."

"He's right." Dust agreed, though he wished it was that easy, "That thing blasted me in the head while it's eyes were closed."

"But we have to get by it somehow!"

A small voice sounded out behind them, "I can do it."

They all turned, Fluttershy standing there with a determined look on her face. Dust raised an eyebrow, "Fluttershy?"

"I..." She hesitated, looking bashful for a moment before straightening out again, "I can teleport."

"You can what?"

She looked at them all, slightly confused, "Haven't I told you?"

Ace Gold frowned, "Fluttershy, have you been taking your medications?"

She gave him a frustrated look before simply closing her eyes and relaxing her body, Dust noicing her shoulders tense as if she was about to open up her wings...

And then she blurred and disappeared in a blast of rushing air, Dust turning as he felt a thud of landing hooves behind him. He clamped his jaw firmly shut as she saw Fluttershy there, hair rustling in the wind, turning and giving him a broad smile, "See?"

"That's impossible." Easu muttered, eyes narrowing, "That's a zebra technique, ponies shouldn't be capable..."

Dust chuckled, Fluttershy really was amazing, "She can do the stare after all."

"Maybe I am a zebra?" Fluttershy commented with a grin, "I was never a very good pegasus."

Ace stood there with a face like thunder, eventually speaking up in a low growl, "Is it even worth complaining any more?"

"No." Fluttershy responded, firmly and decisively, "We're doing this. Give me the explosives."

He sighed and passed her the satchel charge, cupping both hooves over it for a moment before looking up at her, "Be careful."

"We'll be in just as much danger." Easu commented with a tinge of irritation, "It will be us drawing it's fire."

"We need to move quickly." Dust ordered, hurrying towards the stairway as he loaded his shotgun and rested it against his forehoof, "Keep it hunkered down, let me try and hit it's turrets."

Ace nodded to them as he crouched next to Dust, "It's just at the bottom, crouched behind a support pillar."

"Right... let's go."

Easu came out first, pistols blazing. As expected they were soon answered by a burst of machine gun fire, Dust moving out but instantly having to duck and roll as he found the energy turret ready and waiting for him. It blasted the wall behind him into glowing fragments, rapidly tracking him as he cursed and scampered for cover.

Then Ace stepped out from behind the cover of the wall, facing the machine straight on as it's clawed metal legs stabbed into the stairs and it's turrets swiveled for a better shot. Ace didn't move, his voice sharp and angry, "Come on you overdesigned slab of trash!"

The voice they had heard before echoed from the machine, furious and every so slightly whiny, "Why you little twerp! What does a pony know about robotics anyway?!"

"Hmph." Ace responded, giving it a dismissive snort, "Let me guess, these things are all operated remotely right? The zebra never could build an artificial intelligence architecture worth a damn."

"You don't know what you're talking about boy! Spider-bots, focus all fire on the runt!"

Both turrets twisted, Ace tensing before leaping to the side with a precise twist, the energy blast vaporizing the machine gun bullets before zipping harmlessly past his shoulder. Dust took the opportunity and braced against the back wall before firing a shotgun blast at the energy turret, sending sparks flying and causing the weapon to retreat back inside the casing. The machine gun turret turned to fire but Dust had already ducked behind the wall, ducking under the rain of debris as the brickwork shattered above him.

"Foolish ponies! My spider bots have built in self repair protocols, and you have no chance of penetrating the primary... what on earth...?"

Dust peaked out, his heart in his mouth as he saw Fluttershy briefly scramble for purchase atop the smooth shell of the spider bot's back, eventually kicking herself forward and diving under the machine gun turret. She slammed the satchel charge into the aperture before throwing herself backwards, disappearing in a burst of air just as it fired a stream of gunfire in her direction.

The machine froze for a brief second, its voice for a moment unsure, "Was that... Fluttershy?"

Dust ducked out, firing another shot at the machine gun turret. It bounced off in a glancing hit, still enough to force it to retreat back into it's shell however. It stuck just before getting all the way inside, grinding against the satchel charge. Fluttershy reappeared just beside him and landed hard on her shoulder, gasping and dropping the detonator. It slid across the ground, Dust lunching forward and slamming his hoof down upon it.

The Spider Bot lurched and deformed, the machine gun turret flung upwards to crack against the roof above in a burst of smoke and fire. Its legs went limp and it stumbled sideways to topple down the stairs with a succession of loud bangs. Fluttershy raised her head, slightly stunned, "Did... we get it...?"

"Looks dead to me." He offered her a hoof, "Need help?"

"No... ow... just bruised..." She gingerly rose, greatly favoring her opposite shoulder, "I've only known how to do that for about a week, I'm still... ow... needing a little more practice."

"You are better with it than zebra that have practiced with it for decades." Easu muttered to himself, starting down the stairs with his guns trained on the fallen machine.

Dust looked warily across at Easu, once again unsettled by his inability to get a read on the zebra. Without Star Swirl he wasn't even sure why he was even here.

But other things demanded his attention. He offered his hoof to Fluttershy, helping her up and supporting her down the stairs to where Easu was waiting. Dust made sure they were all there before starting towards the exit, "Right, let's get out of here. Keep low everypony."

¬

They made it out with just a short duck and run when something tried to snipe them from an upper floor window, scrambling across the hospital grounds with bullets whistling about their ears. They soon made it out of range however, and proceeded to make a brisk pace towards the center of the city where the mighty form of the Grand Palace rose above the city.

Ace moved closer to him as they moved down the street, his voice low, "We're being followed. Behind us."

Dust knew better than to look, "Mirror in my side pocket."

Ace fished it out, holding it up at the right angle for Dust to see the figure creeping about in the background. It was a ghoul, malnourished and pathetic looking, staring at them with fearful, sad eyes. It was clearly intelligent, and didn't seem to be armed, "We ignore him for now."

Ace furrowed his brow, "Really?"

Dust nodded, he had seen this before, "He's using stealth, which means he's intelligent. And if he's survived this long without a weapon, that means he's done it by being fast and knowing the environment. We spook him, he's long gone." He nodded reassuringly at Ace, "Keep an eye on him. If he gets brave enough to approach us, he might be a valuable ally. At the very least he might know something about what happened here."

Ace nodded, reluctantly returning to formation... if a little closer to Fluttershy.

They soon found an electronics shop, Dust leading the way as they stepped around the perfectly preserved shelves, mostly stripped clean like the other shops but still selling a reasonably amount of merchandise. The decor was cheery and given the circumstances highly inappropriate, the door even played a cheery tune as they walked inside. Bright signs declared the promises of high class radios, now 30% off, and that workshops on home improvements would be conducted at the podium each day at ten and three, "Hey Fluttershy, have you noticed that we've barely seen anything acknowledging the war is even on? No pictures of the glorious leader, no recruiting slogans..."

"This place was always very... old money." Fluttershy explained as she looked nervously about the interior, "I'm sure they didn't need to be reminded..."

"This place is consumer central." Ace Gold commented, "Caesar wanted them feeling secure so they'd keep spending money at these places, making money for the war effort."

"That's... a valid conclusion too."

Ace suddenly let out a little squeaking sound, then galloped forward a few meters to stop at a row of shelving that was still stocked up, "This is exactly what we need, and it's top quality too. We just need..."

Then a pony lurched out behind him and rammed a knife into the buck's shoulder.

"ACE!"

Dust cursed, drawing out his shotgun but hesitating at the last moment. He had seen what the weapon could do and Ace was too close, struggling in the pony's grasp...

Then a bullet struck the pony in the temple, causing him to lurch sideways and fling Ace across the tiles. The pony staggered... then turned to face them, blank eyes staring from a half blown away skull. A skull that was completely... "Holy... Celestia's teats..."

Easu hesitated now, his still smoking pistol dropping slightly, "I cannot feel this pony, its thoughts, its emotions..."

Dust had no reason not to fire now, sighting up on the abomination, "That's because it doesn't have a brain!"

It lunged towards them, the empty space where its brain should be all too clear through the bloody hole in its head. Dust scowled in disgust and fired, the powerful shotgun reducing it to chunks.

"Dust Kicker!" Fluttershy loudly complained.

"What?"

"We needed to work out what that thing was!"

Hamburger now, his shotgun wasn't subtle. He looked up at Ace Gold, the foal looking rather unhappy as he discarded an empty vial of healing potion, "You ok?"

"Sure... sorry." He muttered, looking embarrassed, "I got distracted, and... well until he started moving I didn't feel a thing."

"I didn't sense him either." Easu commented, looking across as Fluttershy searched through the mess with a surprising lack of squeamishness, "Do you have any idea Lady Fluttershy?"

"A lot of these organs don't appear to be natural, and there are surgical scars around them. There's a cybernetic device attached to the brainstem, which is the only part of the brain remaining." She looked up from the mess, gulping and shaking her head with a pronounced look of disquiet, "This zebra has been experimented on extensively."

"Then what is he doing out here?" Ace questioned.

"Escaped... let loose?" Dust offered, watching as Ace made his way over with a look of increasing interest, "See something?"

"That device on his brain..." Ace waved his hoof and Fluttershy brought it over, reversing her gloves to seal it in a clear plastic bag and hold it before him. Ace inspected it carefully, finally nodding his head, "It has a transmitter on it. Somepony might very well have been tracking this guy... or even recording his brainwaves."

"The same guy who deployed the spider bots maybe?" Puppy offered from atop Dust's back.

Dust found himself agreeing, even if it was a disquieting notion, "Ever feel like you're in someponies' science experiment?"

"More reason to hurry." Easu urged, "Let us do what we came here for."

¬

"It's wonderful, thank you Ace Gold."

Ace Gold rubbed the back of his head as the... completed form of Puppy stood before him, looking less enthused with his efforts. He eventually shrugged, adjusting one of her sensors with a hoof, and stepping back a pace to get a better look at her, "Get real Puppy, at best it's adequate. You were in priceless, custom built suit of advanced power armor, I'm not going to be able to match that with off the shelf components."

Dust agreed with both of them. It was hardly what she was before, but considering what he had to work with... "It's still some fine work. Take the complement."

"Fine..." Ace helped Dust pick her up and strap her on, her body now secured by the bottom half of a travelers backpack. Attached was a grey, armored shell made of refrigerator parts, with various transmitters and sensors sticking out the back. A camera looped round, fitting against Dust's shoulder so she could see what he saw. The pipbuck on his wrist fed into her systems, and then out through the visor attached to his head. She was heavy, and slightly unbalanced, and lacked the armor plating or the assisting servos... still... "It will serve until we find something better at least."

Dust decided it was time to check out what she could do, "Go on then Puppy, impress us."

"Please plug me into the telephone grid if you could Dust Kicker." She asked, ever so politely. He complied, slipping her lead into the jack they had previous located, Puppy's image flashing a big smiley face, "Yay! Accessing now."

First things first, "Puppy, can you work out where this time field is coming from?"

"Already on it." Puppy declared, throwing a 'computing' logo up on the screen, "I'm forming a map of the area now. Can you get out a paper version so I can mark places of interest?"

They had already found a map during their search of the place, a big touristy one with attractions labeled. Dust spread it out, just inspecting it when Puppy spoke up again, "No surprise where the time magic effect is coming from."

"The academy of science?"

"Right." Puppy confirmed, "At least it's coming from that side of the city, and there's nothing else there with the equipment capable of doing something like this. I'm also picking up... something very wierd from that location."

"Weird?" Dust asked, finding the academy on the map. It seemed to be located within a poorer area of the city, both it and the buildings around fenced off and apparently not open to the public, "Weird how?"

"Well... there's a gravimetric distortion centered on the academy, indicating... well something in the region of ten to the power of sixteen kilograms, at least."

Dust looked at the others, all of them seeming as lost as he was, "Laymans terms."

Puppy sighed, "There's something heavy enough to distort the planet's gravity located on that side of the city... and even stranger, it can't be more than about fifty meters in diameter."

"That's impossible." Ace commented now, lip curling, "There is nothing in the universe that dense... unless somepony's collected their own little white dwarf star."

"I'm only telling you what I see. I'm tapping into governmental systems, give me a moment..." There was a sharp ring and Puppy's happy face appeared, before her smile quickly fell, "I... have located the fallout shelters on the system, along with orders for evacuation."

Dust didn't like the tone of her voice, "What's wrong?"

"They're... all empty." Her frown became even grimmer as she continued, "And Fluttershy is right. These shelters... they are fake."

"Fake?"

"They don't have water talismans, just enough stored water to last maybe a week? And there are clear differences between the construction on the official plans and what I'm detecting on status reports." Puppy popped up a little exclamation mark next to her face, "These shelters aren't designed to operate long term."

Fluttershy's eyes widened, her face pained, "They left them there to die?"

"No..." Puppy looked noticeably uncomfortable, "They were all emptied of their inhabitants, starting a day after the megaspells fell. One after another, over the course of... a month. No indication of where they were taken. But..." She suddenly gulped, her eyes quivering, "But... some of them were simply sealed, trapping the inhabitants inside a non-functional facility. And a few... the number of life signs drops suddenly, some over the course of hours, some... seconds."

Fluttershy covered her mouth, voice choked, "They turned a city of a hundred thousand into a graveyard..."

"Just like everywhere else." Easu dryly commented.

"But this... this was planned, deliberate. And it was done to their own citizens." Fluttershy looked up at Dust, eyes pleading, "This... I know it's not the mission, but our final destination is the Academy of Science right?"

Dust nodded, knowing where this was going, "Yes."

"Then... we need to get answers. Find out... why?"

Dust looked at her with grim determination, "Then we're going to need some bigger guns."

¬

The gunshop was unfortunately one of the few places they had seen so far that didn't look like the inhabitants had just got up and left one day. Indeed it was a wreck, ammo boxes ransacked and thrown to the floor, the till broken open, the door kicked down. Pretty much everything good had already been looted.

Fortunately they didn't seem to have been that interested in the one essential that Dust wasn't sure how I was going to live without, feeling a little thrill as he inspected a long line of pristine, top quality battle saddles. Many of them included mechanisms for firing 'zebra style', stood up on hind legs of course, still there were plenty of standard ones too. To be perfectly honest he hadn't been great at standing on two legs when he was younger, let alone with a little extra weight about his middle.

"Here Fluttershy, some shotgun ammo." Ace stated as he came out of the back room, handing her the shells before looking up at Dust, "Looks like some adventurers had the same idea, they left a computer diary in the back room. Puppy decoded it, looks like they went into the factory district looking for weapon schematics. No reports of seeing anything but empty streets."

"Something got them." Dust commented, slipping his assault rifle and shotgun into his harness and tightening the straps, "Well, all vote for avoiding the factory district at least."

"But we are going to need more weaponry." Easu pointed out, restocking on ammo for his pistols, "But I expect for that we would need to raid a military outpost. We need anti armor, heavy assault weapons. None of that would be sold to civilians."

"Um..."

They turned, Fluttershy looking around nervously. She shrunk a little as they looked at her, embarassed. Dust gave her a reassuring smile, "Go ahead Fluttershy, you know this place better than us."

"Well... I only really got a chance to explore one place in detail." She continued to look nervous, avoiding his gaze, "But its one place I know there will be plenty of weapons and supplies."

"So what's the problem?"

Fluttershy sighed, "Well... bad memories mostly..."

¬

The Imperial Palace.

It resembled the palace at Demonivore in many ways, but was more in every sense. Where as the Demonivore palace had been square, this was hexagonal, and instead sheer lines this instead formed into gentle curves at the sides. It was built in stages, a large central tower in the centre folded into a set of four smaller, then four smaller again linked by an intimidating looking defensive wall that sloped gently upwards. Waters flowed down its steps through a series of impressive looking dragon sculptures, statues of great zebra heroes standing at the four corners of each stage.

It looked old. Really old, looking as solid as the mountain. The relative crudity of it's construction didn't matter, the structure bearing a sense of grandure that made the modern buildings around it look formless in comparison.

The gates stood ahead past a bridge across the surrounding moat, two intimidating looking stone doors bearing archaic looking zebra text. Easu spoke up as they approached, "Invaders are turned away, the thousand death spells of starlight, turn your blade and depart."

Fluttershy looked at him, "You can read that?"

Easu nodded, "Tradash taught me. its old draconic, a powerful language for warding spells."

"Those gates aren't supposed to ever shut." Fluttershy explained as they continued across the courtyard, moving past rows of souvenir shops and tourist booths, "Only in times of invasion."

"I don't recommend getting too close." Easu warned, "I sense powerful magic there."

"So we're not getting in then." Dust accepted with a sigh, feeling a little disappointed.

Fluttershy chuckled cheerfully, turning to him, "Unless you know a secret entrance."

"Really?"

Fluttershy nodded, leading them on past the bridge and down some stairs to a little walkway along the moat. She explained as they followed behind, "We tracked a pony, a thief working for an evil zebra merchant called Centurius. He was trying to kidnap the son of one of the grand council members, and when we pursued him from the palace he escaped down a hidden tunnel."

"This was...?"

"Me, Applejack... was Rainbow Dash there? No... me, Applejack and Pinkie Pie." She declared after a bit of thought, before suddenly jerking to attention and scuttling back a short way, "Here it is!"

Dust watched as she struck her hooves against the brickwork, "Is it likely to be defended?"

"Perhaps..." She admitted, "Caesar Remicon did know about it... and knew that we knew."

"Then weapons ready." Dust advised, watching carefully as Fluttershy ran her hooves along the stone.

Then the wall suddenly swung inwards, revealing a dusty, stone lined room beyond that led into a corridor winding downwards. There was a robot just beyond and Dust almost fired, but it didn't appear to be functional.

Fluttershy looked at the robot herself, took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"Identity confirmed."

Fluttershy jumped, Dust Kicker's teeth tightening on the trigger of his shotgun as the robot suddenly spoke, dust falling from its shoulders. He hesitated briefly as he saw it was the same design as the lost legion maintenance bots, and completely unarmed by the looks of it.

"I am unarmed, please do not be afraid."

So he was right. He waved off the other two, waiting for the machine to speak again.

Fluttershy stared straight at the robot, speaking directly, "Why are you here?"

"Waiting for you Minister Fluttershy." The robot intoned, its voice polite, diplomatic and in slightly accented Equestrian, "You are one of the few ponies who know about this passage, my master Caesar knew that if you wished to enter the palace it would be through here. I see you have armed ponies with you. Are they Equestrian soldiers? Has the city come under invasion?"

"No." Fluttershy shook her head, "They're with me."

"Then my master thanks you for coming yourself. Please, follow the passage to the end, Caesar is eager to meet with you."

Ace eyed the robot with suspicion as he stepped inside, "When was the last time you received a communication from the palace?"

"...working. Eleven years, five months ago." It turned it's camera to Ace, "Update was in non-standard format, still processing contents."

Dust looked down the long tunnel. It didn't seem like anything had been down this way in a long time, but you never knew... "We should continue... carefully. They were obviously expecting you Fluttershy."

"Maybe they thought I would defect." She stated mournfully.

"He asked if the invasion had started." Ace corrected, "They likely expected you to come and negotiate a cease fire."

"Well... maybe it's not too late." Fluttershy noted with a little determination as she started walking, "It's only been a couple of decades, and they locked the doors. They could still be there!"

"More reason to keep our guns ready..." Dust warned as he followed her, eyes scanning for threats.

They corridor wound down and up, while remaining as grey and featureless as ever. Dust figured they were somewhere beneath the palace now, and soon the walls transitioned to well maintained stonework. Finally they found a blank wall looming up before them, Fluttershy moving up and pressing her hoof against the brickwork.

"Fluttershy, be careful..." Dust advanced forward to cover her as the wall swung open, revealing... an empty corridor, soft flame burning in elegantly decorated sconces. Fluttershy advanced, staring around, Dust following and inspecting their surroundings.

It was dusty. No one had been here in a while. Everything was still perfectly in place though, dead plants in some of the planters, the doors all closed, the carpet perfectly angled, "This is the palace?"

"Yes." Fluttershy replied, sounding frustrated, "Come on, the throne room is this way."

A vast hall opened out before them, mighty pillars stretching up to a great mural of zebra history, faded and chipped but still bearing power. Plenty of doors led outwards like the one they had just entered through, along the centre however was a wide carpeted path between two huge stone doors. It was split in two at the centre by a tall, pyramidal spike of rock, a set of shallow stairs leading up to the far entrance. As with the corridor they had just traveled, everything was untouched and totally silent.

"This is quite impressive."

Fluttershy just seemed disquieted by it however, waving them onwards along the outskirts of the room, "This way. I want to check something."

Dust noted her looking at the spike of rock, noticing that she seemed to be avoiding it, "What's that thing in the centre of the room?"

"The seeing stone." Easu noted with tones unable to disguise the reverence in his voice, "It looks into a zebra's heart, can tell if you are attuned to one of the elements of harmony."

He looked across at Fluttershy. She glared back, her hooves dancing nervously across the stone, "I... I already know ok...?"

Easu had already moved out however, stepping across the hall until he stood before the stone with narrowed eyes. After a moment Dust moved out to meet him, Ace treading behind, "Can you see anything?"

"No." Easu stated simply, "Fluttershy, how does it work?"

Fluttershy reluctantly stepped over, voice strained, "You just stand in front of it."

"Let me try." Ace stated, moving over as Easu stepped away. As before the stone simply sat there, "Anything?"

"Doesn't look like it. Maybe this time field is stopping it from working?" Dust theorized as he moved forward himself, staring into nothing but featureless stone, "Well, not that I expected that I would be attuned to harmony."

"Come on." Fluttershy rather angrily insisted, continuing on towards the double doors at the top of the steps.

The doors swung open at the touch of Fluttershy's hoof, Dust feeling a sinking feeling in his stomach as he followed Fluttershy onwards. The room was circular, five pillars standing around the central area. Each was topped with an orb of shining color, inscriptions winding their way up the sides. Charity, Compassion, Optimism, Integrity, Devotion... a larger pillar at the end of the room had no inscription, but was topped with a glowing sculpture of reaching flames made out of a dozen different hues of crystal. At the base of the pillar were two thrones, a larger one decorated with dragon motifs and a smaller decorated with stylized depictions of zebra.

It was empty. Their hoof steps echoed off marbled stone, not a single hoof print in the dust ahead. Fluttershy stopped before the two thrones, her face twitching with complex emotions. Dust looked at her, his hoof reaching out, "Fluttershy..."

"The Dragon Throne of Caesars." Easu stated with quiet reverence, "I never dared think I would stand before it."

"I don't know what I thought I would find here." Fluttershy stated, quietly padding over to the throne and placing a hoof onto the smooth, polished surface, "It's... as empty as the rest of the city... they expected me, but I never..."

Dust looked around the room. The difference between this place and the state room of Canterlot Palace couldn't be more pronounced. The predominant color was grey, the lighting only defining the shadows, the room enclosed and cold. All the same it had weight, a weight that seemed real to him. It was a place of serious decisions, not luxury and pomp.

"What are you doing?!"

He turned at Easu's voice, then looked around at Fluttershy as she climbed up upon the throne. She turned and placed her rump down, head rising imperiously to find itself crowned by the jaws of the dragon and the rising sun above that was carved into the back.

"Hail the great Caesar Fluttershy, long may she reign." Ace muttered to himself.

"No one else was sitting here." Fluttershy stated with a firm, angry tone, hoof hitting the side with a loud crack, "The war is over! The dragon throne is mine!"

"You're two hundred years too late..."

"And... I need a representative of the zebra empire to surrender to me!" Fluttershy declared, sound a little too serious as her wild eyes darted about, "Bring the Caesar to me!"

Dust moved over, looking up at the mare. He could see the desperation there, the pain and anger. All the same, he had to admit that sitting there she looked every inch the Princess, radiating a strange authority that he couldn't deny, "There's no zebra left here Fluttershy."

"There has to be!" She slumped, brow twinging in pain, "There has to be..."

"Excuse me everyone, but I've successfully tapped into their systems." Puppy stated, breaking the silence, "I now have access to their sensor grid."

Finally, something to be happy about, "And?"

"I cannot detect any signs of life within the palace. Security systems are all powered down. This place has been abandoned for a while."

This was becoming stranger and stranger, "Puppy, any records that can tell us where everyone went?"
Puppy nodded on his heads up display, "Searching... found. There's an evacuation shelter within the palace, and an order was sent out just before the megaspells fell ordering all senior figures to report there."

"You know where it is?"

"Yes."

"Then take us there. Time to find some answers."

¬

Dust and led the way as they strolled the silent, echoing corridors, Dust feeling the weight of history despite the ominous silence. The stone corridors were overlaid with twisting lines of mahogany, bearing symbols and depictions of zebra history and culture, the wooden carvings picking out great events illustrated by vivid splashes of color. He walked past one featuring a vast golden dragon standing proudly at the top of a mountain, roaring at the sun as a multitude of smaller dragons flew outwards into the world. Another depicted a battlefield littered with the bodies of thousands of zebra and demonspawn both, a bloodied and weary looking zebra crouching in the centre with his great sword lying broken beside him.

"It's here." Puppy spoke as they reached an intersection, a mural of two kingly looking zebra fighting each other, "I'm accessing it now."

The wall slid open, revealing a set of stone stairs leading down. They ended in a high tech looking airlock, a hole in the roof trailing wires. They walked down together and stood before the great metal door, Dust noticing an autocannon turret had been torn loose and now lay rusting and abandoned in the corner. Puppy closed her eyes and a working symbol appeared, and after a moment the airlock whistled and slid open.

"Oh Celestia's mercy!"

Dust quickly backed away, pushing the others as the pink gas billowed outwards and settled at their feet, revealing a security station beyond. The remains of the royal guard still lay where they fell, one fused partly into his chair.

"Dust Kicker sir." Puppy stated quietly as they stood there in silent horror, "I have access to the bunker's systems. I'm recording no survivors."

"What the hell happened...?" Ace whispered quietly to himself as he finally averted his eyes.

"There... there are dispensers of pink gas built into the room." Puppy replied, her voice shaking, "They were activated remotely an hour after the room was sealed."

Fluttershy gave the pink gas a determined glare, then advanced forward.

"Fluttershy!"

Dust desperately moved to grab her, only to dart close as the pink gas billowed about her body. He didn't know what was going on but he was forced to follow, the gas refusing to go near her but swirling about her body in a way that swept dangerously close to his own hooves, "Fluttershy, how..."

"I'm a pegasus." She answered simply, "It's all just air."

He looked at her hard, unyielding glare, "Are you... staring it into submission...?"

They passed into the next room with Dust pressed up against her flank, the door opening to a vision of further carnage. This was the operations room, a large table in the centre bearing maps and diagrams, stations around the outside for radio operators and other support staff.

They were all dead, twisted, fused with their chairs or the floor, hooves lifted in gasping horror.

"I knew these zebra..." Fluttershy whispered, counting the dead, "Fon, Caesar's major domo, Zinfane, head of the royal knights..." Her eyes flicked about, finally falling as she frowned to herself, "Caesar isn't here. Neither is Prince Nashar."

Dust looked up, "Puppy?"

"The doors log each zebra who steps through these doors." She stated after a moment of hesitation, "I'm logging sixteen zebra entering this chamber, including Caesar. They all remained here, none of them moving further into the facility."

"I count fifteen." Fluttershy quietly confirmed.

"One exited this room afterwards, heading back towards the palace." Puppy continued, "The internal systems didn't recognize him, so the turret at the door shot at him and confirmed a kill. Twenty four seconds later the turret went offline."

"That was the empty space in the roof above the doorway?" Dust mused, "It looked like the turret there had been torn away."

Puppy spoke up after a moment, "The one figure detecting exiting. I have some scans recorded here, and an explanation of why they weren't recognized."

"Go ahead Puppy."

"It looks like a... Canterlot Ghoul."

"And that's why the pink gas didn't kill them." Dust noted with a sigh, "Their body managed to resist the effect, made them immortal. A one in a thousand chance."

"Where did he go after that?" Fluttershy asked insistently, "What happened to him?!"

"I... don't know." Puppy admitted, "The palace records are erased every year. I can't record his progress once he exited the bunker."

"No, that can't..." Fluttershy gasped and closed her eyes, the pink gas coming a little closer...

"Fluttershy!" Dust lifted a hoof, flesh stinging as it touched against his flesh, "Gas!"

"It's not... no! NO!" Fluttershy's eyes opened again, her voice ringing out sharply. A crackle of indigo light shone out, tears starting to run down her face as she continued, "I can't do this again! It should have been me! I would have died a hundred times before I let anypony else suffer, so WHY AM I STILL ALIVE!?"

Dust was torn between his concern for Fluttershy's mental health and the very real terror he felt as the pink gas swirled about his hooves in an increasingly fierce maelstrom, "Fluttershy, it's not... FLUTTERSHY!"

He cried out as she stepped forward out of the small pocket of air, plunging straight into the pink gas. It seemed to stretch and condense before her, the indigo light discharging off through the swirling clouds. Dust huddled up as the gas closed around him, Fluttershy's form disappearing into the deadly haze beyond. Her voice still rung out loud and clear, angry and pained, full of grief as she shouted into the empty room, "I should have done more! I should have sacrificed more, compromised more, been more! It should have been... it should have been Rarity who escaped! She knew what it took, she gave up EVERYTHING! I... I should have been more like her..."

The pink gas rushed forward, Dust ducking down as he felt it sting against his flanks. More and more of it collected at a single point just in front of him, drawn forward by an irresistible pull centered on a glowing ball of indigo light just ahead.

And there was a butterscotch pegasi standing before it, wings extended and glowing with rainbow light, her body young, strong and full of power. That indigo light shone within her now, magic pouring out in a fierce stream. The pink gas was quickly removed from the room by the pull, all collected in a tiny ball floating just before her eyes.

Then Fluttershy gave a final yell and it disappeared with a rush of displaced air, the light fading and Fluttershy collapsing to the ground.

"Fluttershy! Are..." He looked down at her, hesitating. She looked even older than before, weak and shrunken, once again clad in her leather armor. "...you alright?"

She blinked at his hooves, trying to move but quickly giving up on that notion, "Did... did it work?"

Dust looked around, he still couldn't believe it, "The pink gas is gone. What did you do?"

"I... teleported it away... into the skies above the palace..." Fluttershy winced, "...didn't know I could do that..."

"Then why did you try it!?" Dust shouted, trying to control himself and failing. He couldn't help it, he was scared. For a moment there he thought... "You could have died!"

"They... deserve better." Fluttershy looked up at the corpses scattered around, tears forming at her eyes, "They served their country faithfully, and they deserved more than to die like this."

Dust felt his heart shake, "Fluttershy... everypony died like this..."

"I know." She forced herself up onto her hooves, her face twisting in barely contained grief, "That's why... that's why I won't stop until everything is made right..."

She burst into tears, powerful sobs that shook her fragile body. Dust instantly reached forward and took her, holding her tight as she let it all out into her shoulder.

¬

It took a good hour but eventually all the skeletons were removed from the bunker and taken to a nearby room, decorated with images of the souls journey to the great fire and featuring dozens of carved stone slabs where Fluttershy instructed each body to be laid. Dust was not a religious stallion, and personally had always been a fan of just leaving his bones in the dust that named him on the day he finally fell. Still, it felt... right, to give them the final rest that they would have wished. Fluttershy certainly seemed to gain some peace from it.

That task done they got to the real work, connecting Puppy up to the bunker's systems and letting her do her work. It wasn't long before the command centre was up and humming again, Dust enjoying a drink from the wine cabinet as he waited for her to finish processing.

"It appears Caesar did order the megaspell bombardment, but there are... big discrepancies here."

"What do you mean by that?" Dust asked, him and the others gathered around the central table as Puppy displayed a holographic map of Equestria.

"Targets for megaspell impacts are marked." She stated, as a dozen lines lit up around the map. Dust recognized some of them, though most were just... nowhere places. He picked out Splendid Valley though, and a couple of military facilities that had been famous for both their supplies of top class salvage and their high radiation levels. He did notice however that only two populated areas were marked, "This avoids all civilian areas... except Fillydelphia and Cloudsdale."

"Yes. Fillydelphia and Cloudsdale were targeted as Equestria's main manufacturing bases. And I also have orders for Canterlot and Manehatten... but..." Puppy paused, eventually throwing up a message up on the holoprojecter. It looked like a set of instructions, signed by Caesar, "Manehatten was to be targeted with a high grade, conventional magical explosive, to be placed in the Equestrian Military Command Center. After it detonated... zebra troops inside the city were to seize what was left, take command of communications and demand that Equestria surrender."

Silence reigned. Ace spoke first, "What?"

"That's what the orders read. Canterlot on the other hand was to be targeted with a temporal distortion bomb, slowing the area down to the point where one second there would result in an hour passing in the outside world. By the time Princess Luna and the other mages would be able to dispel it, the war would already be over."

"That's not what happened." Dust Kicker stated, knowing it was self evident but needing to say something.

"Well it worked." Ace growled, "Equestria was left without leadership."

"And they panicked." Dust shook his head, giving a deep sigh, "They fired everything they had left, indiscriminately."

"Either these are old orders, or someone changed them before they reached their intended destinations." Easu noted with a low, angry growl, "Someone who wanted the total destruction of Equestria, rather than the intended tactical strike."

"They would have to be either stupid or crazy." Ace pointed out, waving a hoof at the table, "The level of destruction they subjected Equestria to polluted the seas, disrupted weather patterns across the globe. Even without Equestria's retaliation, the zebra lands would have been devastated by the environmental effects."

Dust looked across at Fluttershy. She looked impassive, and that worried him all the more, "Puppy, give me something. Who changed these orders?"

"I'm sorry Dust Kicker." She stated mournfully, "They were transmitted in their intended form, on a encrypted channel to Ebonlode Fortress. If the plans changed, they changed there."

"I've been there." Easu stated with a heavy tone, "General Tacticus shot himself after he was halfway through the Equestria damage report. I assumed he was simply unable to live with his own actions, but... now I am unsure."

"I knew General Tacticus. He was a warrior, but he was honorable. He avoided civilian casualties wherever he could." Fluttershy suddenly stated, her voice shaking with several different emotions at once, "I never believed he could have willingly fired the megaspells."

"These orders were top secret, they would have gone through very limited, very specific channels." Ace stated, his jaw straining and his tone full of cold fury, "It would have been very possible for someone on the inside to change those orders at any one of those points, exchange those explosives for full megaspells, add more targets... it was well known that Equestria had heavily infiltrated their network, they wouldn't have risked confirming these sort of orders for risk of tipping off listening posts."

"Thank you Puppy." Fluttershy stated with a calm, polite tone, proceeding to walk towards the exit, "I am going to get some air."

"Are... you ok?" Dust asked as she passed, looking worryingly calm and controlled.

"I'm fine." She paused, taking a deep breath, "I just... feel a little claustrophobic."

She moved to exit, suddenly stopping and turning around to glare at them all as they went to follow, "All of you!... still have work to do. I am... fine."

Dust looked at the others, all locked in hesitation. By the time he had turned back Fluttershy was gone.

"We cannot leave her alone." Easu stated firmly, "This is information that could break anyone. I worry for her safety."

Dust didn't want to volunteer, not least for fear of angering a certain buck for the seventh time this week. Better to let this fall to others, "Ace, you should..."

"Dust Kicker, make sure she's alright." Ace sighed, then turned back to the table, "I'll keep working with Puppy."

Dust paused. Did Ace just... give his blessing? "Are you sure?"

"I can't deal with this stuff, I'm... a post rainbow kid. I don't know what it's like to deal with... this." He scrunched his muzzle, looking emotional, "She trusts you... and I guess I've got to do the same. Look after her."

Dust gave him a smile, before realizing the buck probably couldn't register that. He settled with a nod, before moving towards the exit at a fast trot, "Keep an eye from here would you?"

"Will do." Puppy replied with a rather inappropriate cheer, "Don't go too far!"

¬

He tried his best to follow Puppy's advice, but Fluttershy sure could move when she wanted to. He had taken several turns at Puppy's direction and now was absolutely sure he was lost, about to ask for confirmation when he heard hoofsteps ahead.

Then they stopped, and Dust took that as opportunity to move silently, creeping to the doorway just ahead. His eyes moved across the room beyond, a small stone chamber empty but for a tall, ornate mirror and Fluttershy standing before it.

Fluttershy walked closer to the mirror, her hoofsteps echoing in the emptiness. She advanced, hesitating, looking up to the glass... towards a soft, innocent mare in the reflection. She smiled as the mare trembled, frozen in Fluttershy's gaze, "Hello Fluttershy."

"I..." The mare shivered, then looked away, her voice was small and scared, "...hello..."

"Please don't be afraid."

The shy, butterscotch mare in the mirror gingerly looked up, meeting her gaze. Her voice was barely above a whisper, "I'm sorry... you’re just... so... different... I never imagined I could be..."

Fluttershy chuckled, dropping her shoulders giving the young mare a kind look, "Not that different."

"Yes you are." The mare gave her a sharp glare, expression a little wild as she retreated a pace, "You're got armor on, and you've got scars... and blood on your hooves!"

Fluttershy looked down, surprised for a moment. Her expression soon turned resigned, "I guess it is a little scary..."

"Are you...?" The mare gingerly asked, her eyes avoidant, "Um, that is... you look like you've come from some great future pony war..."

Fluttershy smirked back at her, voice full of humor, "I guess I have. Trapped inside one of Twilight's books huh?"

"Then I know this isn't true." The mare stated with a grin, "Because... I would be the first to die."

Fluttershy' face finally fell and she was quiet for quite some time. Eventually she spoke, worn and weary, "I'm not entirely sure how I managed it either."

"Well... I guess I have good friends. They always protect me."

"..."

"Where... where are the others?"

Fluttershy's voice cracked, "They're gone. I'm the only one left."

Then the mare in the mirror did something very unexpected. She... giggled. Laughed even. Her face opened up in a big grin, voice losing its shy monotone completely to open up with a far more exited little squeak, "Then I know this isn't true! There's no way I would survive some great pony war and Rainbow Dash wouldn't, or Twilight, or Applejack! You're just joking with me right?"

Fluttershy grinned back, chuckling to herself, "I guess it is a little funny."

"You do look cool." The mare in the mirror assured her, "It's nice to think... even if I know it would never happen, it's nice to think I'll be so... reliable one day. You look even cooler than Rainbow Dash, all rugged and confident! I... I wish I could believe I could ever be that cool..."

"Don't you worry Fluttershy." Fluttershy reassured with a grin, "Rainbow Dash already knows how strong you are. You just have to remind her from time to time."

Then she waved a hoof and the image disappeared, Fluttershy sighing and walking away. Dust moved to follow, only to hesitate as he passed.

What would... he had to admit he was a little curious. How did you activate...?

He looked into the mirror and a young buck looked back out. He was tall and stocky, round cheeks lined with freckles that gave him a cute appearance that the spiky purple Mohican and the facial piercings couldn't disguise. He wore bloody leathers, shoulder decorated with a holed pony skull. His voice was rough, scratchy, trying too hard to sound tough, "What you looking at old man?"

"A punk." Dust replied, looking the buck over with a grin, "Man, I looked stupid."

"Huh, says the fat old fuck with the mad old hermit hair."

Dust touched a hoof to his hair. He had to admit he hadn't had it cut recently. Still, it was better than that stupid purple spike, "Kid, for what its worth... get out while you can. You're too fucking smart to be a raider."

The buck grimaced, "Oh fuck no! No no no! Fuck you old man, fuck you in your stupid cunt! I'm not going to become some fucking old grampa, giving lame ass advice like I know a fuck!"

Dust chuckled. He couldn't help it, it was just too funny, "Celestia's teats, you're a tool. I kinda forgot."

"Your right old man, I'm better than this. I'm better than them, and I'm better than you." He waved a hoof, grinning smugly, "What the fuck you doing, all smacked up and looking like you haven't had a bath in years?"

That was rich, "And what about you?"

"I'm young man. But I'm fucking hungry, hungrier than all those cunts." He turned, proudly displaying his lasso cutie mark, "You see this? All the others tell me what a lame cutie mark this is, because it's not some fucking chainsaw cutting some cunts head off."

"You always bring them back alive."

"Yeah. And you know what?" He smirked, wide and gleeful, "The live ones? They're nicer to fuck, they smell a little better, and they sell for a fucking mint. So fuck you living in the dirt, acting like you know a fuck." He angled his head back, strutting arrogantly, "I'm gonna be the greatest slaver baron in this whole fucking wasteland, I'm gonna wear a fucking velvet suit and spend my evenings fucking the most beautiful mares in the wasteland on a bed of silk. And people will call me mister Dust Kicker, or I'll cut their cocks off and feed them their own dicks."

"Sounds like the good life."

"You bet it old man." The buck smirked, "So get the fuck out of here before I puke, you fat old fuck."

He sighed, shaking his head. The image evaporated as he did it, to Dust's relief quite frankly. Was he really that much of a tool? Gawd punching him seemed more justifiable than ever if this was accurate.

He had... believed himself to be a lone, honorable misfit among the raiders who had raised him. Refusing to indulge in their ways, running away to be a better pony. But... he had always known that it was a comforting lie he had told himself so many times that he himself had grown to believe it. He had been a berk, who had fallen out of that life due to random chance.

"We've both changed so much."

He turned with a start, relieved when he saw it was only Fluttershy. She looked sympathetic and calm, Dust slightly worried by just how calm she looked, "I... it's been a long time since I thought about those days."

"That's a nice luxury." Fluttershy replied, eyes dropping, "You know the statues of my friends that Littlepip found?"

"Yes?"

"They gave them to me, after my return. To help me find myself... after everything." She smiled, meeting Dust's eyes with what looked like genuine happiness, "They helped, they really did. To remember the good times. That Rarity was still looking out for me after all this time."

Dust gave the obvious response, "But?"

"I couldn't live in the past forever. I didn't want to live in the past forever." The joy faded from her face, "My friends are dead. My world is dead. I had to concentrate on making the world I was in now better. So I locked those statues away, and asked the NCR to make me an ambassador."

"We can't live in the past Fluttershy." He stated in agreement, before giving her a sympathetic smile, "But we can take strength from it."

"Dust Kicker..." She gave him a conflicted look before finally speaking, "I feel my past more than ever. Standing here, learning those things... the megaspells weren't just a mistake. A villain, a proper villain intentionally caused the end of the world."

"We... don't entirely know that..."

"We do. There's no other explanation for it." She gave him a firm glare, "I knew the Caesar, I knew Luna, I knew them all. They were my friends, and I hate myself for ever doubting any of them."

Dust shook his head in concern and worry, but still... in the end he decided just to go with it. Fluttershy could well be right, "So we find them and bring them to justice?"

"I don't know Dust Kicker..." She gave him a small, thin smile, "You know, I really am tempted to sit on the Dragon throne for real, become Caesar of the realms and use that power to make things right again."

He grinned, "If you did, you know I would stand at your side."

Her face fell as he said this, mulling over his answer internally. He eyes finally came up after a moment, eyes sad and piercing, "Celestia never took a husband you know. The realm demanded everything from her... she abandoned all the things of her past in order to heal a broken world."

"Fluttershy, you can't..."

"I think I could." She smiled, her eyes shining with a gentle purity, "I really have changed. Once... oh, I would have panicked just thinking about it. Being a Caesar, being a ruler."

Dust knew this was important to her but he didn't want... her getting ahead of herself, "It doesn't mean you have to give everything up..."

"But it does." She pursed her lips, looking regretful but firm, "A ruler must be impartial, fair, cruel or kind as her nation demands. She serves other ponies at the highest level, to the point where their needs of her are all that matters. It is a role with few friends, and no peers."

Dust shivered, it sounded horrible, "Is that something Celestia said?"

"Luna actually." Fluttershy looked at him, her voice testing, "I would give up anything to make this world better. So... is that ok with you Dust Kicker?"

He sighed, knowing the right answer to that question, "Of course it is Fluttershy. Damn, how shallow do you think I am?"

Fluttershy chuckled, "Sorry. And I do need you Dust Kicker, I am so very grateful. I wouldn't have found any of this if it hadn't been for you."

"Any everypony else." He commented back, not about to take sole responsibility for all this, "And Zenai."

"And she will be remembered for it." Fluttershy smiled warmly, nodding behind her, "If you insist on coming, then follow me. There's somewhere that I want to see."

¬

The room had been utterly ruined, shattered shutters hanging out into the balcony beyond, the bedsheets torn and the sofas upended. The very walls had been shattered in places, hoofmarks left in the stone beneath. Fluttershy stepped forward into the wreckage, using a hoof to turn a shattered picture frame over. It revealed a, calm, regal zebra, in his early thirties, ears and neck adorned with tasteful jewelry. Dust recognized him, "Prince Nashar."

"This was his bedroom." Fluttershy noted, looking around with a dim, faraway look, "I've been here before... several times." She sighed, before she caught his eye and her face twisted into a angry frown, “Not like that!”

Dust tried to force his expression into a more neutral one, "I didn't say anything."

"You thought it." She sulkily declared, padding over to the far end of the room, "Do you know how many times I've said this? To journalists, to co-workers... to friends?" She straightened out, tense and furious for a moment before declaring it... with a soft, weary voice drained of emotion, "I never slept with Prince Nashar."

Dust figured this was one discussion where he had to tread carefully, "I believe you."

"I should have." Fluttershy noted after a second, letting out a soft breath, "I don't know if it would have helped, but... I don't know. Would I have done any better at averting all this if I had been his wife? Or would I have made... things worse?"

"I'm not sure one pony could do anything." Dust stated, shifting over a rather battered looking toasting iron, "I doubt even Luna and Caesar could have stopped the war on their... woah..."

A clear blue light suddenly shone from the top of the toasting iron, collecting in a 3d image just above. Captured in neon blue for a moment, the light soon shifted to wrap it in yellows and softer textures, eventually revealing a fit, powerful sky blue pegasi mare of middle years with an elegantly styled golden mane. Fluttershy looked around, smiling for a moment and stepping over with a look of deep nostalgia, "Oh just look at you..."

Dust Kicker looked down at the image. Fluttershy sure seemed to recognize them, "You know who this is?"

"Her name is Lightning Dust." Fluttershy explained, "She was the Prince's wife."

"Ah, the 'pony whore' that the newspaper mentioned." Dust commented grimly, "I was wondering about that."

Fluttershy nodded sadly, "Yes. Given the circumstances you can hardly blame the media for finding the Prince being married to a pony inappropriate."

"I bet she got used to being labeled a spy..."

Fluttershy gave an awkward grin, "Well... she was. Sort of."

Dust Kicker looked down at her, then back at Fluttershy, "That seems... risky."

"Well the prince knew, though that didn't make it any less risky." Fluttershy hesitated noticeably for a moment or two before finally taking a deep breath and letting it out, "I gave the plans for megaspells to her."

Now that made more sense, though it was even more chilling a thought, "She was a spy for the zebra?"

"She was a spy for me." Fluttershy explained with a little bit of defensiveness, "We were all looking for a way to end the war. We came up with the plan for the megaspells together, as a way to even out the field and make victory impossible for either side."

Dust didn't want to go over old ground... but a bad plan, "Well neither side won."

Fluttershy glared coldly at him at this comment, "We didn't know they could be weaponised! When I offered them over they had only been used for shielding spells and healing spells!"

He looked down at the mare, wondering if he trusted Fluttershy's judgment enough to be sure of Lightning Dust and the Prince's intentions. At the end of the day... it didn't matter anymore, "Are you looking for her too?"

"No." Fluttershy stated sadly, "Rainbow Dash told me... she was dead. A month or so before the megaspells."

"How?"

"I don't know." She sighed, "Rainbow Dash and me weren't really... talking by that point. She didn't elaborate, and I didn't ask."

"Hmm." Dust looked around, considering. This was the only room they had found that was so trashed, making him wonder... had the Prince been here? If so, where was he now? "There must be some clue here somewhere."

Fluttershy sighed, sifting through a broken wardrobe full of torn dresses, "Or just old memories..."

"Well, what's this?" Dust asked as he found something strange on the far wall, shifting aside some broken wood that had been hiding it. It looked like a video recorder crossed with a medical scanner, containing dials for volume, neural feedback, source fidelity... it had two hoof shaped indentations, one vented like something was supposed to be pushed inside and one just a indented metal plate.

"I... have no idea." Fluttershy commented as she looked round at the device, "You appear to have to put your hoof on that plate, but..."

"Well, here goes nothing." Dust commented as he brought his hoof forward, ignoring Fluttershy's shout of concern as his hoof clicked against the plate...

¬

He was back in the entrance hall leading up to the throne room, the very same one they had just walked through. 

The first thing that caused him to ponder his situation further was the zebra honor guard standing stern and unblinking along the sides of the room. The second was that he could not move independently, and his body felt... odd. Slimmer, slightly taller but with less power across the shoulders. He was locked here as he moved forward all by himself, his mouth downcast and his brow furrowed. 

What was this? It seemed like...

His stride was finally broken by a voice next to him, bright and female, "We're running out of time."

He looked over, seeing a sky blue pegasi mare, golden mane faded to grey in areas but still not disguising the pride with which she held herself, nor the strength in her body. It didn't take him a second to recognize the mare, having only just seen her in picture form. So this was Lightning Dust... she was wearing a long, silky outfit in the Saddle Arabian style, gems shimmering gently in the torchlight. The body he was inhabiting spoke, in Equestrian he noticed, "My father knows that too. He won't delay much longer."

"Delay is all he seems to do these days." The pegasi commented back, moving away and stopping in the middle of the hall, her eyes firm and unyielding, "Convince him to make a stand, before others take matters into their own hooves."

His body nodded hesitantly, before turning away and continuing towards the throne room at a greater pace than before.

The throne room too was almost the same as before, save for the three figures now inhabiting it. The first was instantly familiar, a zebra of late middle age, stern and hatchet faced, somewhat small and thin but still able to dominate the room with just a firm look. His robes hung off centre and his face was drawn and tired, still one could not mistake the image of great Caesar.

The second was one Dust also knew, having seen his picture before. General Taticus in his buffed to a shine ceremonial armor, helmet removed to reveal his clean cut and solidly trustworthy features.

The third he didn't know. He was taller than the others, an effect only enhanced by the elaborate flowing robes he was wearing. They were inscribed with scientific symbols woven into a long, regal design, reminding Dust of something Velvet Remedy would wear. They made up for a thin, somewhat uninspiring face, topped with a pair of fussy spectacles.

"The guards told me you had arrived. You are late." Caesar declared stiffly, looking uncomfortable as he lounged against his stone throne.

"The meeting does not start for another ten minutes father." The stallion Dust inhabited stated as he approached the throne without hesitation.

Caesar turned away from him, face twitching, "You are late." He lowered his eyes, staring at the floor as he muttered, "You should have been here months ago."

The stallion didn't rise to the bait, simply looking around the room, "Where is the rest of the council?"

"These are all that matter." Caesar stated darkly, "The other offices can run themselves, they no longer interest me. All that I wish to be told is why my senior commander is lying to me."

Tacticus' ears perked up, his brow furrowing, "Lord?"

"You tell me you've won almost every battle, outmaneuvered Equestria at every turn, yet now you retreat from your defensive positions and tell me we must sue for peace." Caesar glared darkly down at him, his voice croaky and wounded, "One of these statements contradicts the other."

"I'm afraid it is not that simple my lord." Tacticus explained with a sigh, bowing his head, "But I am responsible. I have lost our chance for victory with my caution. At the beginning of the war, with Equestria's army destroyed, with the ponies unused to battle, vulnerable to espionage... I could have beaten them. But I did not want to risk overextending our supply lines, wanted to guard against a sudden reversal." He looked up, facing Caesar head on, "I have won every battle by avoiding the ones I could not win. And I abandoned our positions because I no longer saw any battles I could win. I was outnumbered by an equally trained, equally cunning enemy who has become familiar with the terrain."

"How!" Caesar shouted suddenly, his voice cracking, "How could we lose, if we started with every advantage?"

"We did not sir." Tacticus softly corrected, "We destroyed their army, but its army was not all it had. Equestria has factories, technologies, skilled workers, the infrastructure for efficient national co-operation and the cash reserves to maintain it. We had to build most of that from scratch, and we just have not been able to keep up. Equestria can build weapons, deploy vehicles and transport supplies faster than we can."

Caesar waved a dismissive hoof, "Then I will execute the minister for infrastructure."

The stallion Dust inhabited tensed, then spoke up at this with angry voice, "Father, you heard what he said. It's not any zebra's fault, we knew from the start we were at a disadvantage." He took a deep breath before continuing, his vocal cords clearly tense and strained, "This war will only turn against us. We must sue for peace."

Taticus nodded, "Your son is right. I can only delay our defeat at this point."

"And what would peace give us?" Caesar spoke, his tone heavy, "This has never been about resources, or land. This has been about our spirit. Our pride. Proving that culturally, economically, and militarily we can stand hoof to hoof with Equestria."

"We've proven that." The Prince insisted.

"Yes, and what will Luna do to that pride? You've seen the posters, the leaflets, her damn announcements. She is a rabid dog, she will not let up until we beg for mercy." He grunted, looking down at his hooves, "We started weak, divided and under their hoof, and to end the war now would be our victory. Equestria has poured too much into this conflict to let it end that way, they would not stand for it. They would ask for our defeat in the terms of any peace they offer."

The Prince tensed, clearly angry despite his calm tone of voice, "Fluttershy could..."

"No son. She has trapped your heart and hers with this shard of hope, but it is an illusion."

Tacticus sighed, giving a regretful shake of his head before turning his head to Nashar and explaining in a voice layered with resignation, "Fluttershy is already politically isolated, and Ministry of Awesome agents have heavily infiltrated her ministry in an attempt to turn it against her. The attempt on her life four months ago, it was authorized by Princess Luna herself."

Dust was glad Nashar took a breath, shook his head in confusion. It mirrored his own reactions, wondering if Fluttershy knew. Had Luna really ordered Fluttershy's assassination? He couldn't believe it, it didn't... "No. That's a lie. Why would Luna kill her, when she could simply remove her from her position?"

"Because that would label her a threat to her rule, give her credibility with those that oppose the war." Caesar explained, "But her dying at the hooves of zebra assassins, that will only spur public opinion in support of Luna's crusade. Son be reasonable... do you really think Luna hasn't prepared every contingency to ensure Fluttershy will not succeed?"

Nashar hesitated, "I..."

"You are my own son, and I have a dozen plans in place should your ideals overpower your wisdom." He gave a sad shake of his head, "You and Fluttershy both, you are powerless before this thing. I respect your ideals, and I have allowed them. I have allowed you your dialogues with Equestria, your talk of rebellion, even your plans for my death."

Nashar shook with emotion, Dust feeling a pang in his own soul at how casually that had been stated, "Father..."

"I have allowed this because I know it is futile. I know you have no real power, than none of us do." He sat quietly for several moments, nothing save the echoing of distant footsteps in the vast stone hall. Then he turned his head to Tactius, eyes grim and resolved, "The zebra will march into irrelevance and death with honor. They will sing songs, and remember who we were."

"We have fallen before my lord." Tactius gently reminded him, raising his head proudly, "Like Equestria, the Star Demons ruled us for generations, wiped out our history, our culture. Made us a simple instrument of their alien will."

"And we rose again." Caesar noted, nodding his head, "So shall it always be. We zebra have never walked the easy path, and yet we endure still."

"With due respect your eminence, it may not come to that."

Dust was surprised by the voice, as was the prince if his reaction was any indication. His ears pricked up, turning to the side and looking across at the robed zebra that had been standing totally quiet the whole time, "Zenospira?"

"My lord, I know you blame me for the megaspells failing to be the deterrent we had hoped for." The zebra started, giving a apologetic and effusive bow before offering a embarrassed smile, "But I believe my failure to fully capitalize on their power was in trying to copy the equestrian designs, rather than adapt them to zebra magical and technological capabilities."

"Explain Xenospira." Caesar ordered, not looking patient.

"Sir, we might not be able to create stable megaspells of the power Equestria's possesses, but consider this. We have had success with particle fission, it has proven invaluable in meeting our energy demands." The zebra smiled, a little unsettlingly in Dust's opinion, "I believe I can place a low yield, very specialized megaspell into a missile packed with nuclear fuel. Upon impact this megaspell will be enough to create an uncontrolled fission reaction, releasing vast amounts of balefire energy across a wide area."

"Xenospira, explain how this will help?" Tacticus demanded, looking angry, "If we launch these things, Equestria will instantly retaliate."

"Ah, but there's the thing." Xenospira continued with a sly grin, "By delivering the payload in a missile, it becomes capable of penetrating underground bunkers. A precision strike on Equestrian megaspell facilities will render them powerless to mount a counter attack, and in the event that they do... well I'm working on a solution for that as well."

General Tacticus raised an eyebrow, "You have shields capable of stopping a megaspell?"

"That is your problem my dear General." Xenospira stated with a soft, cunning little smile, "You think in terms of shields and spears, and Equestria's are harder and sharper. Thus, we must find new ways to fight."

"Then what do you suggest?" Caesar stated, leaning forward and fixing his eyes on the scientist.

Xenospira gave a sly grin, "My recent... investigations have taking me past the three dimensions, into the higher realms. For how can Equestria hit what isn't there, and never was?"

"Stop being smart and speak plainly Xenospira." Tacticus sharply intoned, looking impatient.

Xenospira gave a reluctant sigh, "I'm afraid I've already said too much. For all this would only provoke an instant attack by Equestria if knowledge of it were to leave this room." He turned his head, giving Dust Kicker a sly, cunning little smile, "Caesar, I deeply apologize, but I do not believe every zebra here can be trusted."

"I understand." Caesar intoned with grim resolve, eyes dark and brow furrowed as he waved a hoof, "General, restrain the Prince."

Dust felt the prince's body tense, then snap into action. He swept round and slammed a hoof into the throne room door, slipping through and into the hall beyond...

Something black, agile and lightning quick interjected before he had a moment to react, slamming into him and knocking him sideways to sprawl painfully across the stone. It hurt, Dust feeling the prince struggle upwards on bruised muscles. He barely got halfway, a booted hoof placed against his back and forcing him downwards with inhuman strength. He was flicked over like he weighed nothing, Dust feeling his stomach lurch as the unmistakable features of Chigaru stared down at him through that familiar facemask, "Stay on the floor your highness. I have orders not to break you any more than I need to."

His voice was higher than he remembered, less gleeful. It was the same zebra though, two hundred years in the past.

"My son, I am sorry for this." Caesar's voice stated from nearby, weighed down with regret, "But I have many children now. Children who need my protection, my wisdom. And that means... sacrificing the things I love."

Tacticus's voice sounded out, "Render him unconscious please Agent."

_


"Dust Kicker, are you alright?"

He looked round, Fluttershy staring at him with a look of deep concern, "I... yes, I'm fine."

Her concern lessened a little, though not by much, "What did you see?"

He averted his eyes, "Nothing good..."

"Dust Kicker..."

She looked at her, so innocent, so soft. It broke his heart, "This is horrible, all of it."

"I lived through it." Fluttershy gently reminded him, touching a hoof against his fur, "Did they mean to destroy the world?"

"I... no..."

"Then that's good... we're going to fix things." She moved forward, drawing him close, cradling his head against her chest, "We're going to fix everything."

¬

"Dust Kicker, I'm detecting a ghoul inside the palace. I think it's..."

"Just keep an eye on it Puppy."

"Dust Kicker, I..."

"Just for a moment ok. This is important."

His ear bud finally went silent as he stepped into the hall hoof in hoof with Fluttershy, the room ahead reaching off far into the distance where windows looked out into a frozen, crystal garden of every hue imaginable. Above, a painted mural depicted the people and works of every culture Dust had heard of and a few he hadn't, all radiating out from a great blazing fire.

"It's exactly how I remember it." Fluttershy commented as she passed into the hall and looked upwards, lips pursing in a complex expression, "I danced with Prince Nashar here, a grand ball in Celestia's honor. Twilight Sparkle danced with Lord Remicon, they talked about politics and philosophy for hours. The world seemed so peaceful then."

Dust spotted the ghoul Puppy had mentioned as they moved inside, withered eyes... hopeful? It was definitely the same one they had seen in the streets, and was fortunately still unarmed. It stared out from an alcove at the side of the hall, quickly ducking out of sight when he realized Dust was looking. 

Well... good for him. He could wait his turn, he wasn’t going to let anything ruin this for him. He turned back to Fluttershy, trying to hide his worry behind a smile, "When we get both sides to work together, we can bring everyone back here again. Help both sides understand."

Fluttershy looked back at him, eyes quivering and a greatful smile, "I hope so."

He chuckled, extending a hoof, "Shall we?"

"Dust Kicker." She warned, though she didn't sound entirely serious, "This is hardly the time or place."

He nodded upwards, "This seems like the perfect place. A shame to waste it even."

She smirked, "Can you even dance?"

Actually he could. Benefits of a wide education, "I'm sure you've got a few moves you can show me."

"Hmm." She chuckled, then linked her hoof with his, "Alright then, but..."

He span her, Fluttershy letting out a yell that swiftly turned into a woop, drawing her close and dropping her low. She panted as he grinned down at her, their muzzles less than an inch apart, "How was that?"

"You cheat!" She protested, unable to suppress the grin on her face, "Where did you learn that?!"

"Heh, you pick up things." He drew her back up, leading her through a gentle turn. Though he generally did his best to stay true to his 'hardened wasteland wanderer' character, ballroom dancing was always something he enjoyed, "I was once the great stallion of Tenpenny Tower, sweeping all those wealthy ladies off their hooves."

"And dodging the gunshots of their husbands?"

He chuckled, drawing her close before swapping positions, "Have you seen them shoot? I was more in danger of forever being branded a 'ruffian'."

She grinned, "You are a ruffian."

"Eh, guilty as..."

And then Fluttershy paused mid move, her eyes widening and her mouth drooping open in shock. She was looking past his shoulder, Dust turning to see the ragged looking ghoul from before running for the door.

"Wait!"

"Fluttershy!" Dust shouted fruitlessly after her as she sped off at full gallop, right on the tail of the mysterious ghoul. He shouted again for her to stop but again he was ignored, clicking his tongue and starting after her. His hooves felt heavy upon the hard stone and Fluttershy had a heavy lead on him, Dust remembering how only today she had struggled to keep up with all of them. Now he was panting himself, driving himself just to keep her in sight as she rushed through the corridors.

His ear bud crackled into life, "Dust Kicker, you're running. What's going on?"

"That ghoul who's been following us? Fluttershy recognizes him or something." He cursed as they drew further and further into the confusing depths of the palace, "Are we still free of hostiles?"

"Affirmative." Easu answered, "Only you, Fluttershy and the ghoul."

"Good." Dust grunted, almost losing Fluttershy for a moment as he took too long between breaths, "Fluttershy... damn it... not like I don't like seeing your bobbing butt or anything..."

Then Puppy burst in, her voice insistent, "I've got some weird readings on sensors."

"Weird how?" Dust answered, seeing Fluttershy slow a little.

"I... think... it's a zebra stealth cloak, more than one of them!"

"Fluttershy, stop!" He shouted, though as he turned the corner he saw she already had. She had stopped inside what looked like a sitting room, plush sofas sitting among dead, skeletal plants, windows looking out onto a small ornamental garden. Pictures of the Caesar were set about the walls, all displaying his regal, frowning face, surrounded by symbols of majesty.

And the ghoul stood in the centre, skinny, decayed body trembling. He was a pathetic sight even by the standards of ghouls, obviously malnourished, bearing the signs of abuse even through the disease that wracked his body, the expression on his face one of utter loss and despair. Fluttershy advanced on him with a look of utter pity, "Oh no, what have they done to you..."

Dust looked around, knowing this was a trap, "Fluttershy, who is this?"

The same scratchy voice that they had heard from the spider robots crackled out from the air around them, tone cruel and mocking, "His name is what he is. Worthless piece of trash. And now he has displayed his true colors once again, betraying the one pony who would still call him friend. How did it feel, leading Fluttershy to her death you worthless pile of dung?"

The ghoul whimpered, covering its head, "I'm so sorry, so sorry..."

Fluttershy advanced on the ghoul, her steps slow and gentle, "It's ok, I'm here..."

"Fluttershy!" Dust drew his shotgun, though he swiftly realized the futility as four spider bots decloaked around him, their weapons trained and eyes shining. He grunted and prepared himself, throwing his shotgun to the ground, "What do you want?!"

"Many things." The spider bot answered, voice crooning in delight, "But this was one of the things I thought was forever lost to me. The one who gave me my megaspells, the one who allowed all this to happen, the sweet, intoxicatingly naive ambassador of peace herself!"

"You're a heartless monster Zenospira." Fluttershy muttered, her cheeks tense.

The spider bot cackled, eyes turning to the ghoul, "We no longer require your services you worthless piece of trash. Go!"

"Wait!" Fluttershy cried out futily, the ghoul simply retreating from her touch and darting out of the room with a look of despair on his face.

Dust moved closer to her, leaning in as he inspected the line of robots training weapons on them, "Who was that Fluttershy? You obviously recognized them."

She looked up at the portraits above, her voice soft and broken, "I never..."

And then Dust's eyes swiveled to the side as something bright and hot flew at him. He had no chance at this range, gasping at it hit him in the chest and his whole body seemed to vanish from under him. That feeling flowed up his neck as he slammed to the floor, remaining conscious for just long enough to see Fluttershy scream...

Before everything was gone.