Fallout Equestria: Icicle

by PlagenShiki

Chapter 25 - Logic

        Neighagra Falls. Once it was a tourist hotspot that attracted ponies with the beauty of its cascading waterfalls and clear, sparkling water. What it is now, is nothing like I remember from my college trip. The water still falls, but that is where the similarities end. Neighagra Falls has become a cesspool of radioactivity, so much so even being near the edge of the water causes my PipBuck to start clicking steadily.

        The water itself is a murky and muddy, nothing like it once was. The lake at the bottom is strewn about with litter and I can see a hazardous material transport laying upside down in the water. The trailer of it must have broken open, because barrels of waste are scattered on the shore. If I had to choose one place that shows the tragedy that has befallen Equestria, it would be here. The waters used to be so full of life, but now they carry only death.

        Bubbles appear on the water for a moment and a shape breaks the surface. It is too far to make out, but I can see the shine of an eye. I feel a shiver go down my spine. Death, and whatever that thing is. I continue looking around on the shore and along the cliff face.

        The Rangers and my own group begin searching for Grimoire’s lair. We start with the still functioning dam, but it is completely abandoned, despite the fact it is still functional. We then begin to search the shores, surrounding buildings, and the top of the falls. But nothing stands out as something Grimoire would use.

        I am beginning to think his lair might somehow be at the bottom of the lake. With teleportation, it could be possible. But, unless we get a hold of a lot of rad-x, radaway, and some hazmat suits, there is no way we are going in the water.

        Just then, Cora starts to speak over the radio frequency we are using. “I think I may have found something at the bottom of the falls,” Cora announces. “This rock is of a slightly different color and density that the rock around it. Let me give it a closer look.” There is a pause and then an “Eep! I broke the rock. There was button behind it. Should I press it?” She asks.

        I start walking to where she is as I reply. “No, wait till we regroup. If it is Grimoire’s lair, there’s no telling what will happen when you press it. Let’s regroup on Cora’s location everyone,” I say over the radio.

        A short time later, everyone is gathered on the shore of the lake, near the edge where the falls are closest to the beach. Some rock, that doesn’t actually look quite like actual rock, lays in chunks below a button set into the cliff face. “Ready everyone?” I ask. After receiving nods, I press the button.

        Immediately the ground gives a shudder and the sound of grating reaches my ears. I watch as rock along the cliff begins to pull away, revealing metal supports. A few feet below, stairs are coming out of the cliff as well. These two parallel constructs come about two feet out of the cliff face before stopping. The top one provides shelter against the falling water and cuts a path through the waterfall.

        “Ha!” Twinkle chuckles. “Behind the waterfall? That’s so cliche. Alright Rangers, let’s go fuck up his house!” She starts walking up the stairs and we follow.

        Passing through the waterfall, we enter into a large cavern. The ground around us is wet from the falling water, but after a few feet the ground dries out. Roughly twenty feet in front of us is a large metal door. It isn’t like a Stable door, it is rectangular and split down the middle. Metal bars run the length of it from top to bottom, sealing it closed. On the far right is a single keypad.

        The most curious aspect of this cavern, however, is the old unicorn buck sitting on a patio chair, next to a patio table with a parasol in it. Resting on the table is a teapot, two teacups with matching saucers, a plate of seemingly fresh baked cookies, and a chess set. The buck sees us, smiles, and takes a sip from one of the cups. He floats the saucer in front of him and sets the cup back on it, then floats the pair aside.

        “Well hello there strangers. I wish I had more cups and chairs, but I wasn’t expecting so many guests,” he says with a pleasant tone. He then gestures to the chair across the table from him. “Please, please, come in. At least one of you can take a seat. Let’s chat for a bit,” He says, taking another sip from his cup.

        Hesitantly, we approach the table. He doesn’t appear to have any weapons, but since he is a unicorn we should still be careful. The Rangers keep their guns on him as I sit down in the chair. He immediately picks the teapot up in his magic and fills the empty teacup near me. “Please, relax. Have some tea and cookies,” He says with a smile. The corners of his eyes crinkle as he does so.

        I look at the cookies and tea skeptically. He seems to pick up on my hesitation. “Ah, right. Ponies now-a-days are always wary of strangers offering them food and drink,” He says, not seeming the least bit offended. He then eats a cookie and refills his cup from the teapot and takes a sip. “There, not poisoned or anything. Please, help yourself,” he says, nodding to the others as well. Cygnus shrugs and takes a cookie. From the look on his face as he chews it, it must be pretty good.

        I hesitate, but take a sip of the tea. I blink at the taste. Hu? It is actually pretty good. “Seems you both are enjoying my refreshments. I’m glad, it has been a while since I’ve had guests,” He smiles. “Oh! But where are my manners, I have yet to introduce myself. My name is Noblesse, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” he says with a slight bow.

        Noblesse, hu? For some reason that name sounds familiar. But I can’t remember where I’ve heard it from. “My name is Ratchet,” I reply. Cygnus, Cora, and Shrill introduce themselves as well. Lightning, Arrow, and the other Rangers remain silent, however.

        “Well, it is nice to meet you. Though your armored friends don’t seem to be very talkative. I’m partial to one on one chats anyway. Too many participants in a conversation ruins the experience, in my opinion. So, Ratchet, I take it you are the leader of this group?” Noblesse asks.

        “Kind of,” I reply. “It is complicated. But we can go with that for now,” I add. He nods at my words with his eyes closed.

        “Very well then, I will address you in our talk then. So, what brings you here, might I ask?” Noblesse says politely. “Are you just exploring, coming here for something specific, or perhaps you are here to meet with the master?”

        “The master?” I ask. Noblesse tilts his head as if waiting for me to answer his question. “Er, I suppose we are here for something specific. Who do you mean when you say the master?”

        “Just that, the master of this facility that I keep watch for. I guard this door for him. Though, I suppose you are asking for a specific name. My master’s name is Grimoire,” Noblesse says as plainly as if calling a rose red.

        “You work for Grimoire?” I ask, putting my guard up. It was always a possibility he did work for Grimoire, since he is at this place. But he seems so different from the usual members of Discordia.

        “Indeed. Have since he attacked my village a few years ago,” Noblesse says without a hint of anger in his voice. “He proclaimed that anyone who didn’t join him, would die. I don’t necessarily want to die, do I opted to join him. Though, given my old age, I’m not a fighter. But, I can watch a door,” He says with a smirk. Behind his glasses, I see his eyes dancing with life. They aren’t the eyes of an old buck.

        I raise an eyebrow. “But you don’t have anything to defend the door with. Hasn’t anyone tried to get past you by force?” I ask.

        He chuckles. “They are quickly dissuaded from doing so once they learn the only way through the door is with the password only Grimoire and I know. If they kill me, they lose the password. I do offer to give it out though. I’m not too attached to Grimoire, you know. Though I wouldn’t say I hate him either,” He says nonchalantly.

        “So, you would just give us the password then?” I ask him, slightly hopeful.

        Noblesse smile broadly. “I’ll give you the password,” he says, but upon seeing my eyes light up, he continues. “But, there’s a catch. It can get tedious sitting here. As relaxing it is to watch the waterfall and sip tea all day, it gets dreadfully boring. So let us play a game of chess. If you win or even if you aleve my boredom enough, I’ll give you the password. If you lose, you leave,” He says, laying out the rules.

        “Though,” Noblesse continues, “I’m willing to give you each a chance to beat me. Except for you, Miss Cora. You are an AI, correct?” Cora perks up at his question.

        “How did you know?” Cora asks him.

        “Your voice has a synthetic ring to it and your movements are slightly off. But, I’ve also not heard you breathing this entire time,” Noblesse replies. Hasn’t heard her breathing? Does that mean he can hear everyone else breathing? Just how good are his ears! “It isn’t that I have anything against you, you understand. I’ve had a bad experience with something similar in the past. Played chess against the prototype crusader maneframe once,” he says, seeming to shiver. “Terrifying experience. I don’t wish to do anything like that ever again,” Noblesse concludes.

        “Wait, a prototype? Then you were…” I start to ask, but cuts me off with a nod of his head.

        “Indeed, alive before things went to hell. Though, I am getting up there in age now. A few more years and I’ll be in the ground. But let’s leave the morbidity behind. Chess,” Noblesse says, clasping his hooves together, “do you play, Ratchet?”

        I nod. “I do. In fact, I think out of all of us, only Cora, Cygnus, and myself know the game,” I tell him, recalling the difficulty I had previously explaining chess references to the Rangers. “I’ll play with you. I was quite skilled back in my college days,” I say with a smile. He raises an eyebrow at that, and I realize what I said. College doesn’t exist anymore and given my apparent age, I should never have attended. But he doesn’t seem to press it. Instead, he gestures to the chess board between us.

        “Very good. We will be using my personal chess set. The pieces are different than a usual set, but their purpose is the same. It was a gift I’m quite fond of,” Noblesse says with a smile. I’ve been stealing glances at it up till now, but now I focus my full attention on the set. It is exquisite. The pieces look as though they were individually carved from a single piece of wood. The board is also decorated regally. It is about an inch thick, the sides are carved with intricate designs and a drawer for the pieces is set into it.

        I can tell a master craftsmen worked on this set for hours. I think parts of the board are even decorated with pure gold. It is in excellent condition. But what stands out the most, is the flawless pieces.

The kings are a regal looking Princess Celestia, smiling brilliantly. The queens are Princess Luna, head held up with dignity. The bishops have been replaces with Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy. Twilight is surrounded by books while Fluttershy is carrying a medical bag. The knights are Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash is flying with a rainbow shockwave behind her. Pinkie Pie floats with a group of balloons tied around her midsection. The rooks are Rarity and Applejack. Rarity is surrounded by what look like needles pointing in front of her as she strikes an elegant pose. Applejack is mid-buck, her body in perfect form, emphasising her muscles. The pawns are royal guards. Celestia’s for white and Luna’s for black. To differentiate the others, they wear a black or white sash.

The pieces and board are almost as perfect as the Pinkie figurine I found. It is beautiful, but brings sadness to my heart. I remember Twilight and Applejack talking about the others, how they all used to be together, but the war kept them separate. But now, Applejack will never see her friends again. What about the others though? I can’t help but wonder, are any of them still alive? The wasteland is sad. So terribly, terribly, sad. They separated from each other to try and end the war, but it was all for nothing.

Thinking of the past lets me recall something else. A relatively famous news story about one of Equestria's greatest Chess players beating the prototype Crusader Maneframe. I recall a picture in the paper I saw, Princess Celestia giving the buck a chess set for his accomplishment. His name was...My eyes go wide in realization. “You’re Noblesse Oblige! Equestria’s greatest chess player! The only pony who managed to win against the Crusader Maneframe!” I shout in shock.

Noblesse’s eyes widen in surprise. “I didn’t think anyone knew my whole name anymore. Not only that, but you seem to know about me,” He says, blinking. “Interesting. Let’s add a new element of our game, shall we? You seem to know me, and I’m curious how. You also seem interested in Grimoire. So, for each piece we capture, we can ask one question that must be answered truthfully. How does that sound?” He says with a smile.

He will tell me about Grimoire? If I lose, I won’t get the password, but I will at least get information on Grimoire. That’s good enough for me. “Sounds good to me!” I declare. “Let’s begin, shall we?” Noblesse nods in agreement, smiling contently.

Noblesse makes the first move. The others gather around to watch us as we play. “How about some banter as we play?” Noblesse suggests. “Tell me, why are you going after Grimoire?”

I move a pawn forward as I answer him. “Because he is planning to basically destroy the world again. Killing innocents and doing what he wants. It isn’t right,” I tell him.

Noblesse moves one of his knights. “He is evil. But why are YOU going after him? You strike me as an intellectual, not a fighter. I can understand the Rangers, but you? You are out of your element,” He tells me.

“You’re not wrong,” I say, moving a rook. “I’m not a fighter. But if I don’t fight him, who will? Should I just sit around and hope that someone else deals with him?” I ask.

He holds a hoof to his chin as he moves another pawn. “Plenty of ponies seem content to do just that. They take what small bit of peace they can get, even if it means turning a blind eye to the plight of others,” He says sternly.

I move a pawn to match his, stopping its progress. “I can understand that. The wasteland is cruel. Ponies will sooner steal from you than help you. If I were them, I wouldn’t do anything either,” I mutter.

He rises an eyebrow as he moves a bishop from the back. “What makes you different from them, then?” He asks.

I shrug. “I suppose I have a direction?” I suggest, moving out my queen. “I’ve had a goal ever since I woke up. Something I needed to do. From there, I’ve got a sort of path taking me in the direction I needed to go,” I tell him.

His eyes flash and he takes one of my pawns with his bishop. But, it puts his bishop right in line with my queen. What is he doing? “What do you mean when you said ‘since I woke up’?” He asks. Was that why he did it? To get me to answer that question?

“I was frozen cryogenically. One second I was in the world of Equestria during the war, the next I was in the wasteland after the bombs fell,” I tell him. His eyes widen with curiosity. Then I take his bishop with my queen. “My turn for a question. I know Grimoire has the ability to teleport, heal insanely fast, and even phase himself out of existence. What else can he do?” I ask. Noblesse stares at me in a new wave of shock.

“I never knew Grimoire could do those last two things. It is true he can teleport quite well. He even has an insane pool of magical energy. But he isn’t too adept with a variety of magic. He keeps to himself, but he does talk to himself quite a bit. Him searching for magical artifacts and books is him trying to break past this limitation of his,” Noblesse explains.

“To put it simple, it is impossible that Grimoire made himself phase out of existence or healed himself rapidly. Right now, anyway. In the future, he might unlock those abilities,” He concludes.

“But...The Rangers saw him use those abilities! The shot through him, and even when they hit him, he healed instantly!” I shoot back at him.

Noblesse nods. “It seems like the Rangers who saw him do that are guilty of hasty generalization. They saw their bullets hit him, but he was unhurt. Thus, he must be able to phase out of existence. Such a conclusion could be reached, sure. However, what if I give you some new evidence about his abilities? Grimoire uses illusionary magic,” He says simply.

“Wait, you mean...The Rangers weren’t shooting him, but an illusion he made? But he physically opened a door!” I tell him.

“Just because the illusion is a fake, does not mean he isn’t there,” Noblesse replies. “Using his illusionary magic it is simple for him to make it seem like he is somewhere else, when in reality he could be standing next to you. So, let us say he teleports through a door while he makes his illusion walk through it. Then, while his illusion draws attention, he moves elsewhere and avoids getting shot. That is more than likely what really happened,” he says, shrugging. “But, back to the game at hoof…” He moves his rook.

We continue our game for another few turns without either of us losing a piece. That is, until he takes one of mine. “So, you were frozen, hu? Why?” Noblesse asks.

“My cyropod was actually a prototype. I was giving it an initial test run. During that time, things went to south. I suppose it was just pure luck I was in the pod at the time. Oh, and I say it was a prototype, but it wasn’t the only one,” I tell him as I make my move.

“I see. And I suppose you won’t elude to that last bit until I take another piece. You certainly aren’t boring, Miss Ratchet,” Noblesse says with an easy smile. I chuckle as he makes him move, and then take one of his pawns.

“Is Grimoire here now?” I ask him.

“Hmmm. That is a good question. But one I cannot answer,” He tells me. Seeing my disgruntled expression, he continues. “I can’t answer, because I do not know. I rarely go inside far enough to tell. The entrance has two doors thick. Inside the first door is a small room I call my home. It was once a security check station, I believe,” Noblesse tells me.

“I can open the inner door, but i choose not to, it isn’t the sort of place I want to go poking around.” A grim expression shows on his face. “Regardless, it has been a year or so since I’ve seen him. Have you heard of the cat in the box question? If a cat is put into a box and it is sealed, is the cat alive or dead?” Noblesse asks rhetorically.

“Without opening the box, you cannot tell the state of the cat. Similarly, without opening the second door, I have no way of knowing the state of Grimoire,” He explains as he makes his next move, taking one of my pieces. “Now then, more cryopods than your prototype? Elaborate,” He asks.

“I knew you’d ask that next. As I said previously, mine isn’t the only one. I do not know how many were made, but I know at least Cygnus here was in one. Miss Twilight Sparkle was overseeing my project and she took some liberties to develop the technology along different avenues,” I tell him.

“My pod was conceptualized to be used in Stables. A mass produced model is what it would have become. Cygnus’s pod was similar, but I could tell there were differences. She might have been making them specific to their use. The size, shape, and specific functions of any pods I encounter might vary greatly,” I explain. “Of course, the use of the pods is classified. I even had to be promoted seconds before the bombs fell in order to access them.” I take my next move. He immediately takes another piece.

“I see. I suppose you do not know anything else about that subject then. Tell me about yourself then, Miss Ratchet. I’ll be a bit more specific, tell me about your family,” He asks. I blink at the question, seemingly coming out of nowhere.

“I’m actually an orphan,” I tell him. “I was around three when my parents died. From what I’m told, they were a fantastic duo when it came to magic. The day they died, I was left with a foalsitter while they went to be guest lecturers at Littlehorn. That was the day of the Littlehorn Massacre,” I explain.

“I was raised in an orphanage. Till I went to high school at a boarding school. That’s where my passion for inventing and tinkering was sparked,” I tell him. I leave off there on purpose and take one of his pieces. “My turn. Why does Grimoire want to find Discord’s remains?” I ask.

“Well, it is hard to take the place of something that already exists. Allow me to cite the devil’s proof. A lack of evidence for Discord’s current existence doesn’t fail to prove he exists. However, if Grimoire can find his remains, he can prove Discord is dead,” Noblesse replies. “Think of it as in order to become a king, you have to kill the previous king first. Just because the current king is missing, it doesn’t mean you can take his place.”

“I see. So he needs to confirm Discord’s death before he can fully reach his goal? I suppose as long as he doesn’t find the remains, he is nothing but the leader of an organized band of raiders,” I mutter.

Noblesse frowns. “Even the dullest of blades wielded by someone with the intent to use it is dangerous. Even if they are raiders with poor training and equipment, they are still dangerous,” He mutters.

“If you realize how dangerous they are, why are you here protecting Grimoire’s lair?” I ask him. “Why not leave and go somewhere else?”

He lets out a sigh. “I knew Grimoire years ago. Before he started this crusade of chaos. He was kind, gentle, and protective of his little sister, Spell Book. It had been years since I last saw him when him and his army took the town I was living in at the time. He remembered me. I suppose I’m hoping the child I once knew will return,” Noblesse replies sadly.

“You knew Grimoire before? What made him like this?” I ask. Noblesse smiles slightly.

“Take another of my pieces, and I’ll tell you,” He says, making his next move. We move our dwindling pieces around the board. After a few turns, he takes a piece from me again. “So, you are an orphan, worked for the MoAS, were frozen in time, and are determined to stop Grimoire. You are new to all this, the wasteland. I’ve seen it change over time, become what it is now. You were in Equestria one moment and the Wasteland the next. What do you think of the Wasteland?” He asks.

I tilt my head slightly. That is an odd question. He wants my opinion on the wasteland? “It sucks,” I tell him flatly. “Ponies killing each other, mutant creatures running amok, food and shelter is hard to come by, and you never feel safe. It is awful. Not to mention the majority of the Steel Rangers are hiding in their bunkers and the Pegasi are cowering above the clouds. The future looks grim.” I say.

“But there is a future,” Noblesse replies. “Even if you think it might look grim, there still is one. Many thought the world was ending when the bombs fell, yet here we are. For all your negative remarks just now, you are still trying to stop Grimoire. You must have some hope,” He says.

“Well, of course. No one can know the future, but as long as we are still alive we can hope for a better future,” I tell him. “I’ve seen Friendship City rising from the rubble of Manehatten, I took Tenpony Tower from a horde of ghouls, and the Rangers of Stable 36 wiped out the raiders of Ponyville where new ponies have settled now. If everything is shit, things can only improve, right?” I say with a small shrug.

Noblesse raises an eyebrow. “You took back Tenpony? I wondered who did that. That DJ has been talking about the news every so often. Warning folks of dangerous places. I suppose I should thank you,” He says with a smile. Seeing my look of confusion, he continues. “That tower saved me from death. Along with a number of others. It was shielded against the blast and radiation. We spent the next dozen years there,” He tells me.

“You mean it wasn’t overrun with ghouls from the start? What happened then?” I ask, but she shakes his head.

“Take a piece and ask,” he smiles. Great, now I am falling behind on the questions I need to ask. It is like he is purposefully giving me a reason to keep playing with him and not giving up. But this is getting tough, I’m finding myself outmatched.

We pass the next few turns and he captures a few of my pieces. He asks me simple questions about my past or my thoughts on things currently. Nothing special. But my side of the board is looking particularly sparse. A few more turns, and I manage to take another one of his pieces, though.

I decide to ask about Grimoire, unsure how much longer I’ll be able to take pieces from him. “Tell me about Grimoire’s past,” I ask. Noblesse nods.

“He was a teenager when the bombs fell. Luckily, him and his family lived in a relatively safe area, away from where the bombs fell. They survived without any radiation or harm. However, their town quickly descended into chaos and violence once supplies started to run low. In five years, his parents were murdered and it was just him and his sister,” Noblesse explains.

“They couldn’t stay in the town, not knowing it was only a matter of time before they would meet the same fate. They left, taking everything they could carry and began to wander aimlessly. It was years before I left Tenpony, settled in a new town, and came across the pair,” Noblesse tells me. “For a while, they stayed with me. His sister, Spell Book, was shy and clumsy, but Grimoire was kind, reliable, and doted on his sister. When they were old enough, they set out on their own trying to find their own place to call home.”

“I lost touch with them after that, and it wasn’t until Grimoire returned with his army that I saw him again. I asked about Spell Book and he got angry, violent. He said that she died. He wouldn’t tell me how. But he seemed different, like his memory was off,” Noblesse rubs his chin. “The more I talked with him, the more I realized this. He remembered me, but he didn’t recall ever staying in my care.”

“I asked about his past, but he only told me about unsettling memories. It is like he couldn’t remember anything happy about his life other than his memories with Spell Book. I don’t know what he did exactly, but I expect he manipulated his memories. He was always so kind, but I suspect that in removing his happy memories, he made himself cruel,” Noblesse says. “That’s all I know.”

Great, now I kind of feel bad for the buck. But he still needs to be stopped, there is no negotiating that. Our game continues until a few turns later, I take another piece from him. “Ok, this time tell me about Tenpony Tower.” Noblesse smiles and nods.

“As I said, I was there when the bombs fell, along with a large amount of the residents, guests, shop owners and staff, and Mr. Tenpony himself. At first, all of us were expecting to die, but after a few days we realized we were safe. Relatively speaking, of course. Rationing began, and Tenpony Tower luckily had a surplus of stock at the time,” Noblesse explains.

“For the next dozen years, we lived normally inside the tower. But our supplies began to dwindle. At this point, Mr. Tenpony and his security staff began leading expeditions out of the tower to search for supplies or survivors. They took every precaution, but some of them began to look sickly. No doubt from radiation poisoning. Thankfully, Doctor Hearty was able to treat most of it. However, Mr. Tenpony, who insisted on leading every expedition himself was growing worse and worse,” Noblesse says grimly.

“He got a persistant cough and his hair started to fall out. His eyes even glowed slightly. I never expected that to be what started our exodus. Mr. Tenpony’s skin began to crack and seep black ooze. Honestly, he looked like a walking corpse. Doc Hearty confined him to his room for recovery and refused us entry to see him. A few other of the security staff got the same symptoms and were laid up in Hearty’s medical center,” Noblesse says, letting out a sigh.

“Of course, now I know those symptoms to be ghoulification. However, when Hearty began to declare the security staff under his care dead, we hardly thought anything of it and let him dispose of the corpses. We found out too late he was hiding them and conducting research on them. Not only that, but he began to talk with the security staff about the outside, which he had no prior interest in. A few times I heard the sound of the delivery entrance being opened and closed. Turns out he was bringing more ghouls inside to study, live ones that at,” Noblesse explains.

“Things reached their crescendo when a guest stumbled upon a room filled with ghouls. When we confronted Hearty about this, he declared it was all for the good of Mr. Tenpony. Hearty himself had begun the path to ghoulification. He freed the ghouls, declared that we will all become test subjects for him, and sicced them upon us. A few of us went down in the ensuing chaos, but most of us were able to evacuate the tower. Those of us who were guests went our separate ways, but the aristoponies who lived there and the security staff went off together,” Noblesse says with a sigh.

“And that is the tale of the fall of Tenpony Tower,” He says simply. “Mr. Tenpony tried to do good, but in the end he drove Doc Hearty to madness as the doctor tried to save him. The best of intentions can have unforeseen consequences. You were there, Ratchet. Mr. Tenpony, Doc Hearty, what became of them?” Noblesse asks sadly.

“Hearty was still insane, but wasn’t mindless like the rest of the ghouls. Mr. Tenpony’s ghoul was still alive as well. I killed them both, my friends and I killed every ghoul in the tower,” I tell him with downcast eyes.

Noblesse closes his eyes and bows his head. “I see,” He mutters. “I suppose I must thank you again, then. For bringing them peace and ending their suffering.”

I shake my head. “It wasn’t as grand as all that. It was barbaric,” I tell him. Noblesse frowns.

“I won’t ask about it, but Ratchet, whatever you did, it is alright. You’re not a murderer, not a killer. You are a kindhearted scientist who hopes for a brighter future. You’ll make mistakes, you’ll fall on hard times, but as long as you stay who you are right now, you’ll make it through,” Noblesse tells me with a confident smile. “Now, we have a game to finish, Ratchet. In five turns, I will checkmate you. If you have more questions, take my pieces before then,” He tells me with playfulness in his eyes.

We continue. One turn passes, then another.  Despite my best plays, I can’t take any of his pieces. On the fifth turn a single word escapes Noblesse’s lips, “Checkmate.” I stare at the board, but no matter how I look at it, I’ve lost. I didn’t have any specific questions left to ask, but now will he open the door? “Ratchet,” Noblesse says, “It has been a long time since I’ve had a partner for a match. Too long. Thank you, for staving off my boredom. I’ll open the doors for you.”

Noblesse slowly gets up off his chair and onto his hooves. As he does so, I hear his bones crack and see a look of discomfort on his face. Despite the youth in his eyes, he is still and old buck. He walks over to the terminal near the door and presses a few keys. A low buzz comes from somewhere and mechanical noises start up. The door slowly begins to pull apart, revealing a small security checkpoint with another door behind it.

The old buck walks through the first set of doors and into the security room. Through a window in the wall, I see him using another terminal. A moment later the second door begins opening. He walks back out to us. “I don’t know what’s inside, Ratchet. He could have guards or not have any. He might even have traps. But, with all these ponies behind you, I’m sure you’ll be fine. Come say goodbye before you leave, I’ll be out here admiring the waterfall,” He tells me as he walks towards the table.

I nod to him and then declare, “Alright everypony, let’s go.” We slowly enter into the structure, with the Rangers at the front. It is quiet. No one shouting alarms, no movement or ambiance, just our hoofsteps.

Past the second door is a huge, rectangular metal room. It is probably the size of a hoofball field. About halfway back, I see one door on the right side of the room and all the way in the back is two more, one in the center and one off on the left wall. Magical lighting illuminates everything, as though it is still before the war.

Ministry of Morale posters line the walls at set intervals and between them are what look to be workstations. The workstations vary from simple desks stacked with books to alchemical stations. I even see a few broken sprite bots near one of them. Similarly to the posters, metal statues of ponies are spaced around the room, though they number far less than the posters.

“What is all this?” Shill mutters, echoing my own thoughts. Did Grimoire bring all this here? Perhaps some of it, but not all of it.

“I think this is a Ministry of Morale facility. Posters, Sprite Bots, even the layout...it is like it is arranged so no one can hide what they are doing. Everyone can see what someone else is doing,” I point out.

Cygnus approaches one of the alchemical stations. “This looks like it is used to manufacture drugs. Judging by the equipment, Mint-Als. Though it is on a small scale, I doubt they made much. Only enough to supply a few ponies, if all of the similar stations produce them,” He says.

Or one pony with an addiction. I recall overhearing a conversation about Pinkie Pie’s addiction to Party Time Mint-Als. Could this be where she got them so as not to be conspicuous? I look around at the room. This was an odd amount of equipment of varying uses. And how had the MoM kept this place a secret if it was behind the famous Neighagra Falls?

Everyone else is spreading out, inspecting the various stations. I walk over to the closest door where Twinkle is standing. “Let’s take a look,” She says and opens the door. She carefully checks the corners before entering it fully and declaring, “Clear!” I enter in after her.

It is a barracks style room. Beds arranged to fit as much space as possible. It was a lot like my lab’s setup. Like the previous room, there was nowhere to hide or get any privacy, aside from an empty restroom in the back. This room didn’t look used.

Twinkle and I are finishing up in the room when one of the Rangers calls out for us, “Elder Twinkle! Scribe Crusader Ratchet! I think you may want to see this!” We leave the room and look around for the Ranger who called out for us. He is standing at the door on the left side of the room, all the way at the end.

We make our way to him and he steps aside to show us the room. The room’s walls are lined with what look like filing cabinets that go from floor to ceiling. On each drawer is a single letter, A through Z. One drawer is marked Unknown. I swallow as I pull open one of the drawers, the one marked L.

Inside are wooden cases, only a few inches deep but the length and width of the cases matches up with the dimensions of the cabinet perfectly. On the cases are names, in alphabetical order from front to back. Lavender, Lala, Lemon Heart, I keep reading the names till I get to the last entry Lyra Heartstrings. What are these? I pull out one of the cases at random and open it up.

It is filled with orbs. A shiver runs through my body as I recognize what they are. Memory orbs. Lots of memory orbs. I put the case back and pull out another. More memory orbs. I repeat this process on a few more cases, before closing the cabinet and looking in another. It is exactly the same. Each cabinet, each case is filled with memory orbs. This many? Here? Why? I instantly feel like I shouldn’t be here.

“Ma’ams,” The Ranger speaks up again. “You’ll want to see the other room as well,” He leads us out and to the other room, the one in the center of the the main room. He opens it, and steps in before us, then stands aside as we enter.

“No way,” I mutter as I look at it, feeling myself pale. In the center of the small room is a chair with straps on it. Above the chair is a single piece of equipment that would make anyone who knew about it quiver in fear. “A...a....it is a...memory extractor,” I draw in a shaky breath. I had only seen pictures of one before. A bin is in the corner of the room. Twinkle floats an orb out of it.

“Huh. Is this an empty memory orb then? This bin is full of them. Hundreds, at least,” She tells me. This place suddenly made sense to me. Horrible, horrible sense. The way it was never found out despite its location. They removed the memories of anyone who found it in this very room.

“Destroy it,” I choke out. My throat feels dry. This machine was the greatest fear of every pony in Equestria. It could change who you were, make you forget your entire life. I swallow again and repeat myself, “Destroy it. All of it! Everything in this facility!” I shout.

The Ranger looks at Twinkle who shakes her head. “Calm down Ratchet, we don’t have a lead on Grimoire yet. There will be plenty of time to destroy it after, in fact that was my plan the whole time. This whole place will burn!” She says with a hint of laughter in her voice.

I take a deep breath and turn from the machine, muttering, “You’re right. Let’s find some clue about Grimoire.” With that, I leave the room to search.

The Rangers, my friends, and I scour the facility for any clue about Grimoire. We find strange spell books, magical tomes, and other items he undoubtedly brought here. But what draws my attention is a single leather bound book with the name “Grimoire” on it. I open it up and begin skimming over it.

There are dates on every page and explanations of what happened on that particular day. They start off before the war, but as I turn the pages it rapidly climbs to the present. Is this book...Grimoire’s diary? I quickly flip it to the final entry and read it.

She’s dead. I couldn’t even kill the buck who killed her! I’m worthless, I can’t avenge my own sister! She always said I was kind and gentle, but I can’t be that anymore! Not without her! This world shouldn’t exist anymore, it is filled with nothing but misery and pain. I want to end it, but I can’t bring myself to do so. Which is why I’m writing this now.

I stumbled upon an account of a facility behind Neighagra Falls. When I got here, I discovered a memory collector. It still works and has spare orbs. I think I can get it to work. And I know what I need to do. I have to get rid of my kindness. I need to become hatred. I’ll forget everything happen in my life, except for the memories of happiness with Spell Book. Together with them and the memory of her death, I think I’ll be able to do it. I’ll be able to kill ponies. I’ll be able to end this world, like it should have ended all those years ago.

I suppose this is my final word to myself, my final entry in my diary. Grimoire, don’t read this. If you do, forget again. You need to forget to fight, to end it. Remember sister’s death, the anger we felt. We will destroy everything in this world. I promise.

        Grimoire really did wipe his memories. It is just like Noblesse said. What did he do with the orbs? I go into the room with the cabinets and pull out the drawer marked G. I scan the names and see one scratched off and replaced with Grimoire. I pull it out and open it. Dozens of orbs are inside. Are these all of his happy memories?

        Just then I hear a metallic screech followed by a shout and gunfire. I put the case next to the door and look outside. The metal statues are moving. They are slow, but there are a lot of them. Bullets ricochet off of them without an effect and melee weapons seem to bounce right off. Even the few energy weapons firing only leave scorch marks on the metal. “What is going on?” I shout.

Cygnus runs over to me. “The statues just started moving. They haven’t attacked anyone yet, but it doesn’t seem good,” He informs me.

“Damn it. Is it some sort of security? Did Grimoire do this or the MoM? Ugh. No matter. How are we going to deal with them? Our weapons are useless.” I look around, but none of our weapons seem to be doing a thing. Everyone has seemed to realize this and stops firing.

“Hey, what are they made of?” I ask Cygnus.

“Judging by the color, bronze,” He replies.

“Does that flamethrower of yours reach a high enough temperature to melt bronze?” I ask him.

“Barely,” He answers. “I see what you are getting at. I’ll get it ready, you come up with the specifics.” Cygnus starts muttering.

“Well, you don’t have to melt them completely. Just make it so they can’t move. Aim at their legs. They are slow enough we should be able to round them up and kite them around while you spray them down with fire,” I tell him. He nods and I set about telling the others.

I start with Twinkle who then barks orders to the Rangers. By the time Cygnus is ready, we have most of the walking statues grouped up together. “Let ‘em have it, Cygnus,” I call and he shoots flame, engulfing the legs of the statues. The Rangers taunt the statues and circle the room to keep them away from Cygnus. After a while, I see the statues start to deform and become slower. A few more minutes and their legs and puddles of metal. Cygnus kills the flames.

“Nicely done!” Twinkle declares. “Now, let’s just avoid the molten metal puddle in the middle of the room, and keep looking for a lead.”

I walk over to her. “Actually, I think I found the only that that matters here. Grimoire’s diary and his memory orbs. He doesn’t seem like the type to leave a paper trail now. I say we destroy the place and return to the lab,” I tell her.

Twinkle chuckles. “If you’re sure. Alright Rangers! Blow it all up! Cygnus! Don’t let that flamethrower go to waste! Burn everything! We don’t want Grimoire to be able to use anything here ever again,” She shouts. And just like that we set about destroying everything in the lab. Everything except the memory orbs in the cabinets. I suggest we keep them like they are for the sake of some day knowing what they contain.

We leave the facility and the Rangers start to exit the waterfall cave. Cygnus, Shrill, Cora, Lightning, Arrow, and I, however, stop by Noblesse to say goodbye. “Thank’s again, Noblesse,” I tell him. “We made a mess of the place, but we got something out of it.”

“That’s good to hear, Ratchet. Before you go, take this with you,” Noblesse says, floating the chessboard to me. “I want you to have it. It is a shame for me to keep it, when there is no one to play with. You can teach those with you how to play.”

“Th-Thank you,” I stammer, accepting the chessboard. “But, without it, what will you do? There isn’t much else around here to keep you entertained,” I ask him.

He smiles weakly. “Oh, I’ll watch the waterfall and listen to that DJ’s music. Besides, I don’t have that many more years left in me. I’ll be content with just this,” He replies. Looking at him, he certainly looks a lot older than when we first arrived. His breathing looks sort of labored as well. And he...I see a flicker of movement in the corner of my eye and turn to look at it.

In the shadows of the cave is a figure, cloaked in black with a boney muzzle poking out of the hood. Death. But, no one has died, there aren’t any enemies around and...I turn back and look at Noblesse. He chuckles weakly and closes his eyes. He knows it. He knows he isn’t going to live for a few more years. He’s just barely holding on. He opens his eyes slowly and lets out a sigh. “I think it is time you all get on your way. You’ve got Grimoire to stop, after all. And Ratchet, when you see him, give him a message from me. Tell him, ‘Spell Book would hate what you’ve become’. I never had the heart to tell him it myself. I think he needs to hear it,” He tells me.

I nod, fighting tears. “I will. Let’s go, everyone,” I say. I wait for them to start off before turning to Noblesse one last time. “Thank you, Noblesse. For everything.” He smiles gently and waves me off with his hoof. I’ll take good care of your chessboard, I promise.

Quest Completed!
-Hidden Waters