Legion of Heart
Chapter 2: Legion of Heart
“This day was going to be perfect, the kind of day of which I’ve dreamed since I was small…”
I woke up. That was the first thing that surprised me. Then I realized I was still warm, and not laying on snow, ice or slush-water, yet I could easily feel that though the Pip-Buck was still on me, the suit with the talisman had been removed. Somepony had taken it off of me, but it hadn’t been one of the lab ponies, as they all knew how to easily remove Pip-Bucks using the omnitool. I looked around, my vision blurry at first, and my heart and stomach lurched with the memory of that dream, the burning of…
I was in a room, with a shot and singed pony that was lying unconscious. The smell of singed fur and burning bodies assaulted my nostrils, and I cringed, closing my eyes and backing up with a whimper as my vision flashed with the dying bodies of my tribe, faces I knew screaming in horror and agony as they rolled on the snow to extinguish the blaze, but only spreading it faster along their bodies.
Then I snapped out of it, my breathing heavy as I calmed myself and slowly approached the pony. He was badly hurt, but his breathing was stable. Somepony had actually managed to patch up some of his wounds, but the hasty, messy bandages indicated the medic was either untrained or in an extreme rush. Either option was quite possible.
I turned my attention to the room. It was clearly one of the cave rooms, the stone walls still familiar, but the entrance had been blocked by the bed. The mattress was on the ground, I had been left on it while unconscious. I again thought of what had happened, and realized my horn would be useless for a few days. I’d burned it out and nearly killed myself in the attempt to save anypony I could. Guilt washed over me as my fast mind began to swarm with thoughts of all the scenarios, everything I could’ve done better. I could’ve been faster, I could’ve given out instructions, I could’ve looked back at the cave when I’d first arrived at the top of the snow hill… I refused to place the blame on anypony but myself. If I’d just-
The stallion moved, turning over a little and breaking me from my endless circle of self-blame, and I saw his singed, permanently scarred face, his purple coat singed black on one side, and I noticed another bandage covering one eye. Then I really saw him.
Goddesses… It was Clever.
As much as I’d hoped, I had hardly expected him to survive after the fire, and in my restless dreams, his was one of the faces I’d seen screaming until he lay still on the snow, fire still claiming the remains of his body as I was helpless to do anything but watch.
His other eye opened.
“Krystal… Heh, should’ve guessed you’d be quick enough to break a line in the fire.” He gave a slight grin, the disfigured skin on his face clearly paining him, as he winced immediately after. “Shit. Ugh, that fire wasn’t normal. It wasn’t standard oil-based. It might’ve been something from pre-war, normal fires don’t just keep going with pure snow-water. I have no clue what that was, no chemical compound I recognize would burn like that without something else.” He started to get up, and waved a hoof at me before I even tried to stop him, “I need to feel the extent of the damage. If these fires were magic-based, I need to know how much muscle damage there might be. I’m not just good with tech, you know.” He flashed a half grin with the less scarred part of his face, hiding the wince, though I saw the pain in his eyes. Or eye.
“I’m sorry, if I’d just been faster, or stronger, I could’ve just taken out all the flames at once instead. I wasn’t thinking clearly-“
He snorted a little, “Krystal Clear. Not thinking clearly? I dread to see the day that happens. You were the fastest and smartest pony at the scene. Nopony else thought of creating a magical vacuum to clear the fire. Water just made it worse, and the gunshots behind all of us were making everypony try to decide whether they could simply hop over the line of fire. It was a deathtrap for all of us, you saved plenty more than would’ve survived otherwise.” He kept his one good eye locked on mine, and I didn’t look away, knowing I needed this, but knowing it wouldn’t fix the guilt (You can’t fix dead) in my mind.
I nodded back at him, a lock of hair falling over my left eye, and I brushed it away before glancing at the blocked entryway. “Well, we’re stuck for a while. My horn is burned out, your horn is burned. We just need to wait, I guess…” I sat in silence, looking down as Clever watched me. He was a good buck, we’d grown up playing together, finding all the hiding spots in the caves, reading books together, and eventually we were distanced as I found my cutie mark first. My new job and hobbies took me away for nearly two years, before he came over to my room as a surprise visit after I’d spent the night working on a project for a spell, and after a glance at the advanced diagram on my cave, he left a few notes for me on the wall as I snored. Those notes pointed out any and every flaw, and the next day, after fixing my equation, I saw him with a cocky grin, new lab coat put on, standing next to my working spot in the labs. He’d been more skilled at biology than I, but he’d shown his skill with magical theories and technology multiple times as well.
I hadn’t realized I’d looked back up at him until he flashed the same old cocky grin at me for a moment, “I know I still look good, but come on, I’m not a painting.” Then he chuckled. Despite the situation we were in, he was able to keep smiling. Keep going.
Then I realized he was distracting me as my nostrils caught another whiff of the burnt fur, making me yelp and flinch as screams filled my ears for a fraction of a second. My senses cleared quickly, and I noticed he’d moved almost instantly next to me, eyes widened with worry.
“I’m… I’ll be fine. Just remembering what I saw… I just, I’ll need a while to get over it.” I tried to cover up my anxiety, breathing deeply without the scent of anything burnt. He nodded solemnly, then we both looked up as we saw a glow around the bedframe blocking the door. A soft rumble and the falling of rocks from the other side proved that even if we’d just tried shoving the frame away, we would never have made it out in our condition.
A crystal pony walked inside, her armor well insulated, but not in the way a scout’s equipment was. They weren’t scouts from outside, they’d been digging. The dust on her tail showed this further, as well as the lack of moisture and my utter lack of recognition of her face. The armor was standard, but I noticed an engraving on the side, the angle bad for me to fully examine it, and my attention went from her attire to her gaze. She watched the pair of us for a moment, then spoke in a soft, but clear voice.
“You are the unicorn who created the heating device, correct?” I glanced at Clever, he looked back and shrugged.
“I am.” I had no clue where this was going, but I doubted they’d kill me. If they wanted to, they’d have done it while I was out, right?
Unless they needed to make an example… A surprisingly dark, possibly sadistic, but also eerily correct voice popped up in my head. I did my best to ignore the implications.
“Come.” The order was soft, but something in her look told me it wasn’t an optional choice. I looked at Clever again, “He stays.” The mare stated. Clever nodded slowly once and I got up, looking back at Clever as the mare led me out, sealing the doorway again.
I wasn’t entirely sure where we were, as the only clue I had was the dull stone hall I’d been looking at all my life. The rooms were all blocked off in some way or another, and I wasn’t able to get a look inside, either to see any ponies, nor orient myself. The shining crystalline mare with me seemed to know exactly where we were going, though, as she kept right to my side, stopping me with pulls of her magic if we were taking a turn. Within the next few minutes, I began noticing things. Marks from what I guessed were bullets, and the casings on the ground, and soon small patches of blood, sometimes lines indicating the injured pony’s attempt to flee while bleeding out.
It had been a massacre. But how? The questions started flooding my mind, who were these ponies, why did they do this, what did they want? I remained silent, as did the mare next to me. Her coat, now that I was looking at it, was a green hue that seemed to shimmer and sparkle due to the nature of her crystal coat.
“Here you go alone.” She stopped, and I recognized where I was. Shells and casings of bullets combined with the blood marks down the halls marked that here was where the shooting was most intense, but the mare pointed me not down the hall, but towards the exit leading to another section, one I was much less familiar with; The mines, and by extension, the tunnels.
The mining had ceased once space had grown to be able to properly accommodate an estimated 300 ponies. As such, the last places to be mined had little or no inhabitants, but the rooms were made just in case they were later needed. In addition to that, the areas this deep into the cave system had once had tunnels leading to other places. I’d heard that there was once a network of tunnels that extended all the way to Equestria, specifically one to Canterlot, even. These tunnels were supposed to be used to travel from one place to another in the event the land became irradiated, though simple mathematic formulas involving the reach of radiation show that this was a stupid idea, further showing that the ponies of the pre-war world never believed the zebras would launch their balefire strike.
These tunnels proved extremely practical, and from the records of inhabitants in the terminals by the library, many ponies headed through them from here, intent on reaching family, friends, or searching for what might be left of their homes. In particular, crystal ponies seemed to be headed for nowhere but the Capitol City, which would lead them through half a dozen other caves. The likelihood of any of them having made it there was high for about a decade. The caves deteriorated quickly, though our tribe managed to keep them in shape for usage until roughly fifteen to twenty five years ago. Traders and travelers headed through the tunnels leaving our tribe started to go missing. It seemed like there was something in the caves, and an armed escort was provided for the next group, with a Pip-Buck actively broadcasting as they went.
They were attacked in the tunnels, ambushed, and when the guards managed to fight them off, slaying the attackers, they proved to be ponies of a nearby tribe. They returned, and the Icehorn began setting up a defensive system involving flares and guards signaling if an attack was near, keeping the tunnels safe. Fewer began leaving the caves, only those who were not Icehorn by birth and could not be dissuaded from leaving. What happened to them was not recorded.
After mere weeks of more or less locking down passage through the tunnels, the tribe known as the Frosthoof, descendants of survivors from Neighton, struck our tribe, using the tunnels. In a defensive and valiant move, the guards sent one stallion back while they held the tunnels. The stallions all had the same message of attack, and the order was given to collapse the tunnels. They’ve been like that since well before I was born.
Now these tunnels were open. I realized that somepony in another tribe must’ve either had a great talent for mining or access to a lot of explosives. Entrances to dark tunnels were open, rocks shattered, and some supports erected that I didn’t remember seeing before. But more importantly, I saw the attacking forces, all in the same barding, emblazoned with a rugged heart form, like it was carved from a rock, on the haunches, covering where their cutie marks would be. I was familiar with some of the closer tribes’ marks, but this stone heart was unfamiliar.
My attention went from the markings to the ponies. Most seemed to be crystalline, but the normal ponies among them appeared to be lower ranking, their armor dirtier (Though admittedly it could easily have been simply the lack of sparkling from their coats that made them seem dirtier in comparison), their weapons mere pistols in comparison to the larger rifles or shotguns that many of the crystal ponies looked to be equipped with.
One pony caught my attention in particular, a pure black mare that nearly escaped my perception entirely, then seemingly disappeared into the gloom that filled this area. I didn’t look for her, knowing I was expected by… somepony, the one probably behind all this. I went down towards the main area of the mines, where the main tunnel entrances were, as well as where the miners had stopped once the population had enough room to live a century and a half ago.
Upon arrival, I was stopped by a guard in that light, heart-marked armor. His horn glowed as he kept me in place for a few moments, just watching me. I quivered, a little unsure of what he wanted, but before I could start to fear for myself, he stopped his spell.
“Unarmed. You may go.” He stepped aside, and I found myself thinking I need a spell to detect things… as I continued. My thoughts were again distracted by what I saw as I tried to figure out this group before meeting the mare in charge. I mentally braced myself as I continued, heading down a small set of stairs, then through a hallway to the largest part of the caves, second to the food production areas.
I wasn’t really expecting a stallion. Maybe a mare, hard and constantly scowling, or scarred heavily, but I really wasn’t thinking of a gentle-looking, brown-eyed and cream colored stallion sitting on a small cushion and simply watching me come in. He nodded once at a nearby guardsmare, and she set out another cushion and stepped away. He then gestured at it while looking directly at me.
Thinking it would be unwise to act foalish, especially as the area had nearly two dozen ponies of various types, all armed quite well, I accepted and sat on the offered cushion, facing him and watching his face to see if there was anything to show what he was underneath. He simply offered a pleasant smile, though his eyes seemed sad as he began the conversation after a short, tense silence.
“I’m sorry,” I blinked, absolutely not expecting this. He didn’t let me catch myself before continuing, “I was ordered to come here with this group, but I was unaware they’d been ordered to take it by force. As such, when arriving, I was not prepared for them pulling their firearms and beginning to fire. This was my fault.”
I was speechless. A part of me wanted to just scream at him, yes, yes it was all your fault, get the hell out of here, just go, you’ve done enough harm but a larger part was aware that he wasn’t done, and kept me from simply letting loose the anger I’d felt.
He waited, and once he understood I wasn’t going to reply, he resumed, “I know you must utterly hate me, but this was for purposes vital to the Crystal Empire. We need your tribe, and more importantly, the resources and technology you have here. Out of all of the tribes we’ve been finding in the Empire, this one has been doing excellently, and has some of the most technologically advanced ponies we’ve seen, as well as been the only tribe to attempt anything resembling progress in terms of engineering and spells.
“In particular, you.” He watched me, the sad look gone, his eyes now judging my reaction, though the friendly soft smile remained. I kept my face as flat as possible, despite my terrible lack of skill in poker and blackjack, I managed to feel success as he seemed to give up on getting me to react. “You created something that could keep ponies in the cold without freezing for weeks, maybe even months longer. You kept the Haylian fire from consuming your tribe with an instantly improvised spell, or was it something you had used before?” I shook my head slowly and he nodded, satisfied, “You are a very clever pony, Miss, and if there’s anything that we need, it’s clever ponies.”
He finished, and seemed to relax a little. I calmly considered my words, analyzed his, and after another, longer silence, finally replied. “You say “we”. Who are you, and the ponies you serve? What tribe do you belong to? For that matter, why would you think I would want to help you after you annihilated everything I’ve known?”
He seemed to do that same sad smile, as if in understanding. “We have not annihilated everything you’ve known. Your life can of course return to how it was, if you simply assist us. Your tribe will become part of the Legion I serve, and you and the Icehoof will help the Princess greatly. In return, you will be leaders, well respected and valued, with great positions within the Legion of the Heart.” He paused for a moment, “If you tell us what you know on that device you created, and how you were able to nullify the fire.”
I watched him, seeing through his kindness suddenly. He wanted to both enable this “Legion” to travel further, most likely not in the attempt to trade or help other tribes, and secondly he was looking for the flaw in his Haylian fire, to stop it from being exploited again. “That depends. I have my own terms.” I wanted to stall, think of a way to get my tribe off the hook. I highly doubted the Legion would be so kind as to raise the Icehoof to positions of power once they knew everything we did.
He was a bit faster in thoughts, “I’m afraid that’s not an option. Your terms are irrelevant, as we have the upper hoof. If you assist us, no harm will come to you or your tribe.” The bloodstains and scorch marks were proof of the opposite, “By my word as Legionnaire.” He put his hoof to his chest, then lowered it again. I simply remained silent, mind racing.
The silence was disturbed as a pony walked towards us. He was clad in a black cape, his mane a dark blue, nearly equally black as his solid red coat was covered in a metallic armor that seemed to shimmer as he moved, the links and rings curiously making no sound. I watched his clear, bright green eyes as he walked towards us, prompting the quick bowing of everypony in the room. His horn was a strange rust red color, different from his coat. I kept my gaze focused on him as he approached.
“This is the mare?” His voice was smooth, and I tilted my head slightly, unconsciously. The buck I had been talking to nodded, and the red stallion smiled warmly at me, though I still felt that it would be wise to keep my guard up. His walk was confident, strong; he was clearly a leader. “May I ask your name?” He stopped about two pony lengths away from me. I noticed he wasn’t visibly armed, though he could hide something under his cloak.
“Krystal Clear.”
“Interesting.” He grinned a little, “Crystal is seldom clear unless it is pure. But when a clear crystal is found, it must be kept in good care, lest the clarity become corrupted and the flawless surface marred.” He spoke as if to an old friend, or to a student. His voice seemed to double, without being overwhelming, but giving the feeling that he would be heard clearly if a dozen ponies were arguing in the room, and he simply spoke a single word calmly. It was a voice I found myself intrigued by, as I watched him speak. “My name is One-Trick, but most call me Jack.”
I kept watching, not speaking as he slowly sat down, a cushion appearing under him as he cast a spell. He seemed to be waiting for me to reply, but after some moments of silence, he spoke again.
“Do you know what we are trying to do here? Why we were forced to take your tribe with violence and fire?” the words made me want to re-ignite my fury, but his calm, cautious tone kept me from reacting violently.
I still felt myself heat up as I replied, “To steal our knowledge and technology, learn to use it for yourself and then discard us afterwards without home or belongings?” The buck from earlier glanced at me sharply before softening again. I mentally grinned in triumph at the reaction.
Then One-Trick one-upped me. “No. We are trying to help you by uniting your tribe with all tribes across the Crystal Empire.” His tone was no different, he wasn’t grinning, his eyes betrayed no sign of him setting me up for a shock, nor that he was lying in any way. I felt my eyes widen, then I frowned and my eyebrows furrowed.
“By slaughtering us? You killed so many of our number! You would’ve killed them all if I hadn’t-“
“Saved them? You saved some of those who leapt through the fire, but far from all of your tribe were jumping. Many surrendered instantly, all who attempted to strike back had to be stopped, but we were not shooting them in cold blood.” He tilted his head a little, as if shocked I’d ever think such a thing, “We were here to help, but were met with violence. Naturally, we had to defend ourselves. I wish it hadn’t come to such, but sadly, there was little I could do to prevent it.”
I had nothing to say suddenly, the regret in his eyes looked so real. I paused, then changed tactics.
“What do you want from me?”
“Your hoof in helping us unite the country.” He took no time to reply, as if knowing I’d eventually ask. The answer was stated so simply, I was caught by surprise and blinked at him. He smiled a little, then continued, “We had heard and seen your notes on the Thermostatic Aura device, and the few scientists we had were able to confirm your notes might be possible, but we were unable to create it ourselves. As such, we wanted your help. With this, we could scout and travel the Empire in search of anypony to help. We could save every tribe with this.”
I wanted to hate him. I really did, but wasn’t this idea the same I’d had when I first thought of the Aura? Simple logic told me that if force was needed to get this device, it would be worth it if it saved and connected all the tribes in the Wastes. Maybe we could even survive by travelling south, towards Equestria, perhaps finding ponies in need. It was my dream to help using my talent, but I wasn’t sure how until recently. Maybe helping these ponies would lead me to accomplishing that, and it would be worth the deaths of-
Clever’s face rushed through my mind, the smell of singed flesh again harassed my senses, and I forced myself not to flinch as they faded again, leaving me looking at Jack, no longer tempted by his offer by any means.
“I need time to prepare. I will require the assistance of my friends and co-workers, among them a stallion named Clever, he was in the same room as me when I woke up, and a mare called Four-Eyes. Then I’ll need access to my lab and materials, and I can try to recreate it. Also, I’ll need the equipment you took from me, minus the weapons, of course.” The means of escape were still being worked on, but I felt like if I could buy some time, maybe we could break out. “The Haylian fire, as you called it, I’ll have to have isolated nearby to experiment with.”
“That’s not acceptable. Your gear must remain away from you, in case you have something hidden.” The first buck began, shaking his head.
I sighed, as if trying to explain things to a foal, “Then how am I supposed to recreate the barding? It wasn’t exactly in mass-production. I need the original prototype to use as a model, and all my gear has are some tools and things for working with. If you can’t give me them back, then I’ll need a spark welder, a barding in good condition, the circuitboards of at least 3 computers, two small screens, roughly the size of a hoof, a incendiary talisman, matter adjuster, two sets of all-purpose repair tools, one set of magical tools, and an aura conductor.” He simply stared at me for a moment, and I smiled back at him, “Everything but the screens, circuitboards and the extra set of barding are all in my bags or among my gear. The rest of the supplies I can get in some of the stockpiles in the lab sections.” I looked at the red coated stallion again, “Unless you’d rather supply everything yourselves, it would just be easier.”
He smiled slightly and nodded, “That’s fine; you can have access to anything and anyone you wish. I will insist on a small team of our scientists to be present, however. I have other things to tend to in the meantime.” He then looked at the much less calm stallion, “You will send a single guard to escort her wherever she needs to go, and then come with me.” He then looked at me once more, “I bid you good day, Ms. Clear. Please be ready with the project within two hours.”
The other stallion frowned, then motioned to a mare before turning with One-Trick as the leading stallion left down a side tunnel. I think it was the general direction of the food production, which reminded me that there were possibly hundreds more ponies trapped and imprisoned here.
My plan to escape started to feel much less plausible when I added a few hundred wounded or inexperienced ponies to the party.
I took a deep breath, and then looked at the mare assigned to go with me. “How many of my tribe survived and are imprisoned here?”
She tilted her head slightly, “None.” I felt my eyebrows furrow, “The wounded are being tended to, but are only kept in rooms temporarily until they are healed. The ones who attempt to revolt are simply kept isolated to avoid unnecessary violence until they will be peaceful. We’re not monsters.”
I scowled, starting to become a little annoyed at their attempts to placate me and say they weren’t monsters. I’d smelled the smoke and burning, I knew they weren’t exactly kind.
With a sigh of barely contained frustration, I turned away, headed towards the door. I was stopped by a guard, and was about to get furious before he lightly pointed to the side, where a simple robed pony was bringing a saddlebag. My saddlebag, in fact. I calmed down, not wanting to seemingly blow up at nothing, and nodded my thanks to him before moving towards the pony. He (I think it was a he) stopped, the robe’s hood shadowing his face too much for me to see, but the small blinking light drew my attention to the collar on his neck.
“Don’t. I can see where you’re looking. If you even pull on it, the bomb blows.” The mare guard said from next to me, “Take your things and we will go to assemble what you need. The ponies you named will be found and brought to the labs, so you only need to take what supplies you require. If there are other things you need, we can send others to acquire them for you to save time.” These ponies were clearly organized, but I had finally found one more thing to prove they weren’t the righteous group they claimed to be.
I hated the very thought of slavers, slaves and slavery in general. It disgusted me that ponies existed and survived off of selling living, conscious ponies to others. Not that selling dead ponies would be better, but the point still stands. A flash of red tinted my vision for a moment as I felt my anger re-igniting from when I first saw Clever burned in the room. I kept it suppressed and levitated my bags onto my back, then took another glance around the room.
Facing away from the door, there were three tunnels straight across the room, two of which had been re-opened. On the same wall as the exit of the cave room, roughly twenty yards from the hallway and stairs, was the tunnel leading to the gardens and artificial farm. On either side of the room, two sealed tunnels were being examined by other crystal ponies, all with clothing emblazoned with that roughly-cut heart shape. They were accompanied by a small group of guards, armed with small firearms I wasn’t familiar with. They looked like submachine guns, but with my lack of firearms training, I couldn’t be sure.
I turned back, leaving the large room, trying to think of my next move, all of my plans being scrapped the moment they formed. The halls blended into each other as I walked the familiar, but no longer comforting route through the caverns, past blocked doorways I assumed other ponies were being held, and I began to notice open doors, with more ponies in hooded cloaks, these unmarked by any form of symbol. In one room, I saw one standing next to a mattress, levitating bandages as she worked on a wounded stallion. I heard her softly humming some form of lullaby, murmuring something when he groaned in pain or discomfort. I kept walking, feeling my resolve and will to retaliate waver, unsure if these ponies were the ones I should be aiming my fury at. I paused in the hallway, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, then opening them again, seeing the guardsmare next to me, looking curious.
“Is something wrong? Did you forget something?” I have to give it to her, she seemed genuinely harmless. Well, maybe that was the wrong word, but she obviously meant it when she said she was no monster. The others… I’d decide when the time came.
I shook my head, “No, I just was clearing my thoughts for a moment.” I started to walk, then paused, looking at her, “Actually… I have a couple questions I’d like to ask while we walk.” She looked unsure, but I continued walking, asking without actually letting her respond, “These roughly cut hearts your tribe wears, they’re not a symbol of any tribe I recognize, and by default not one of a tribe we’ve encountered in our history. Who exactly are you?”
She was quick to respond, “We’re a section of the Legion of the Heart.”
When she didn’t offer anything further, I followed up with, “What are your goals? I know One-Trick said the idea was to unite the Empire, but how exactly are you planning on doing so? Are the tunnels all around the Empire still functional? Have sections of the surface managed to melt or become clear of the snow?” I turned a corner, headed for the lab storage sections.
“I do not know. I don’t need to know, I follow our leader, and whatever orders are given, we’ll act out. From what I know, the majority of the tunnels in the Crystal Empire are traversable, though not all of them are recommended to travel through. No surface reports have mentioned a surviving settlement above ground.” Okay, she wasn’t rude, she answered what I asked without any issues, most of this I guessed, but she also wasn’t offering more. Not that I expected her to. I was a smart talker, not a smooth one.
Running out of questions, I continued, “Those ponies that were treating the wounded, they didn’t have the heart marking. Are they also of the Legion?” the opening to the storage was just ahead, third last door on the right. I turned and tried to open the large door with my horn, then winced, my horn sparking as it angrily reminded me of its current condition. The door stubbornly remained shut, and I opened it manually with my hooves. Mentally, I noted that I could still use my horn for minor levitation, but heavy things were going to hurt.
She waited until I had finished before responding, “They’re the Frostborn Nomads. They began to journey through the Empire many years ago, and some of them devote their entire lives to helping those in need.”
I was even less certain of what I could do now than before, my plans coming apart as even fighting to freedom became a non-option. I couldn’t kill doctors, not when they were here to help.
I shoved my thoughts aside, took a deep breath and looked at the assorted junk, and I smiled, knowing each and every piece in the piles and boxes, having disassembled the machines myself for the scraps. With practiced ease, I pulled out exactly what I needed, then some extra components to experiment with and to use in case something broke. My bags were getting heavy as I finished, backing out of the storage room and closing it once again.
“You’re ready? Are there any other things you need?” The guard asked me, her almost friendly and calm expression somewhat contrasted by the very dangerous looking firearm at her side. I got the feeling that once I went in to start this, I wouldn’t have much of a chance to get anything else afterwards and I hesitated.
“I… No, nothing I need, but one thing I’d like. My dad should be somewhere around, he’s a scientist as well, and I’d like him to be there to help. Also, I have a necklace I keep in my room that I keep as a lucky charm. If, uh… if it’s not a big deal, would you let me get it?” The necklace was all I had from my mom, she was a scout and had been good at her job, having found and mapped a large area that others hadn’t managed to check in decades.
She disappeared on a mission that I knew little about. I knew she was supposed to have returned after just a week, at most, but when two weeks passed, there was little hope. Ponies could only carry so many supplies, and with the weight of the thermo suits just to stay warm, the most a single scout could hope to carry would be enough for a couple days, maybe half a week if well-rationed. The rest of the weight would be taken by a shovel to create shelter, firestarters to keep warm, and weapons for self-defense. The problem is that the extremely strong ponies that worked out consistently were not well-made for scouting; their bodies were too bulky and slow, the suits had to be adjusted to fit, and they were slowed by the snow, too heavy to avoid sinking completely down. Food was an issue, and it was a massively limiting factor to the range of our scouts. Until I began working on the thermostatic field (Though I was still working on a better name for it), which could drastically increase the distance a scout would be able to travel without cold being the barrier holding them back.
My mom came back one day with a necklace. She hadn’t found a food stash, but a jewelry store under the vast snow-covered country, and with nothing else of value to return with, she took the jewels and shared them when she returned. Some of the gems were magical and could be used, but many were so-called “dead” gems: gems without the ability to hold or channel magic unless a large current was sent through them. They were useless for much other than decoration, and my necklace was one of those gems. On the back, my mom had engraved “To the one most cherished in my heart. I love you, Krystal.” She had given a similar trinket to my father, but he kept it off most of the time, like I did, as the jewelry quickly interfered with the experiments we did.
I kept my eyes on the guard as she paused, then nodded, “Very well. Lead the way.” She was still armed, and hadn’t put her weapon away. I nodded and walked down the hallways, the clopping of hooves on stone echoing as they always had, but less familiar activity in the rooms I passed. My mind drifted to thoughts of how my tribe would recover from this. If they could recover… Everything was changed for the worse, even if this Legion group simply left us alone now, none of our tribe would ever be as welcoming to strangers again. I knew this, and I felt more than the fury of before.
I was saddened. Saddened in the way of seeing a filly learn about the harsh realities of death… I was sad for what the Legion had taken; our “innocence”, in a sense…
Lost in thought, I almost forgot the turn towards my room, and I finally stopped at the arched entry. My paper was laying on the desk, an assignment I would never turn in. My bed was still messy, and under it were old books and items I’d stored over the years, most of which I probably didn’t remember any longer. I looked at my shelves, opposite the bed on the right hoof wall, and the necklace softly shimmered back at me. I levitated it and fastened the clasp around my neck, knowing the enchantment on it would keep it from falling off unless I took it off myself. Looking at myself in the mirror, I noticed I had my own burn, a light line along the side of my face, but with the lack of pain, I figured it was simply the fur that was burnt off, no damage to the hide.
When I turned back, the guardsmare was looking around the room, as if curious. “Your room is… simple.” She decided to say, “You are young, yet I don’t see any signs of it in your furnishings.”
“Well, I probably hid anything particularly embarrassing or immature under the bed, but you’re right. I spend more time outside of my room, so I use it more for studies and work.” I glanced around, the only personal things I cherished hidden under my bed or kept on the shelves. “Don’t we need to go to the labs?” I wanted to go, I hated how my mind was racing for ways to plan an escape of some sort, and the longer I was with this mare, the less I wanted to hurt them… Not that I believed I could, all my escape ideas were coming up blank.
She nodded, and returning to my side we began the walk towards the lab area. I was becoming desperate, my usually sharp mind unable to create a likely scenario that involved the Icehorn tribe becoming free without most of them dying anyways. Even that was a short-term idea, which would prove futile when Legion reinforcements arrived. Perhaps… Perhaps it was better to simply give up, maybe take advantage of an opening someday in the future.
“Ms. Clear. I would have a word with you privately.” The smooth voice from the side of the hallway caught me off guard, and the mare next to me nearly lifted her weapon, then stopped, as did I. “I have something I’d like to share with you before the tests begin.” Jack was standing in a side room, an unused storage space just down the hall of the labs, and he looked at the guard, “You can go to the labs and keep watch while I discuss things with her.” The unicorn nodded once, then evenly walked down towards the entrance to the laboratories, her hooves quietly clopping against the stone floor.
I was already suspicious of One Trick, but with no excuse or plan I simply entered the small room without a word. Only after the stallion had closed the door did I speak.
“What do you-“
“You’re in quite a predicament, Krystal.” He simply held up a hoof, smiling slightly as he looked at me, “Your tribe is in the hooves of the Legion, and although I can understand you wanting to take action, there is nothing you can safely do without great consequences inflicted on the innocents, both on your side and the Legion’s.”
“Don’t you mean your side and mine?” I glared at him, a cold fire in my stomach igniting as he spoke. I quickly gathered that he wasn’t simply gloating, rubbing salt in fresh wounds. He spoke like a third party, one not associated or sanctioning the Legion’s actions here. “What do you want from me?”
He slowly walked back and forth, the cramped space limiting how much pacing he could do, “I want what I asked for; a functioning module for the heating system you created and a possible way to defeat the Haylian fire. Not, however, for the reasons you think.” He actually grinned a little, “I am leading a small section of the Legion, one that recently has wished to separate from the main body. This is why we attempted to take control of an area, and would very much rather keep away from bloodshed. I understand if you don’t trust me, but I offer you this: Should you keep your end of the bargain, I will not only allow you to leave however you wish, but I will allow you to leave with up to two ponies you wish to take with you, supplies for a journey, one pony I will send with you, and anything else you wish to take, within reason.”
“If you think I’m going to just let you send somepony with me to spy on us-“ I couldn’t possibly be expected to trust him, he could just as easily be playing me into a trap.
“No. I’m sending you somepony to make sure you survive the journey. Leaving the Legion isn’t something most ponies get a chance to do. If you leave, you will instantly become enemies with the main body of the Legion. However, if you do choose to accept, you will get a chance to do something about it.” He stopped pacing, smile gone, and I noticed his voice changing from smooth to rigid and clearly serious. Either he was an amazing poker player, had figured that he couldn’t sweet talk me or he was deadly serious about what he was saying.
I wasn’t sure which was more foreboding.
He continued, eyes locked on mine, keeping me from moving, “I have reports of some sort of strangeness coming from the leader of the Legion. Who that leader is, nopony seems to know, nor where they are. The Legion is breaking down in some places, but this isn’t new. However, tribes that have tried to break from the Legion before always have been dealt with heavily. Knowing this, I am going to use this place to keep the Legion from taking control here, for reasons of my own. I would send you with a pony I… trust, to an extent, but I know she can and will keep you alive if I were to give her the order. Other than that, I will have nothing more to do with your journey, but you will not be able to return here.”
I kept my eyes on his, neither of us moving after he finished, him waiting on my reaction, me judging his words and offer. “Why should I trust you? What would the point of investigating the Legion be? Why would it be worth leaving my home?”
His eyes were calm and his voice even as he replied, “Because if you don’t, we are all going to die.”
Quest perk gained: Free, at a Price – You are free from being locked to any single faction by using this perk in dialogue choices, but you may lose reputation permanently with that faction by doing so.
Reputation change: Legion – Neutral to Shunned
Reputation change: Wild Cards – Neutral to Unpredictable
Quest reward: Party – You may now recruit and manage a party of ponies to travel with. This amount is limited by various factors, including Karma, Charisma and Reputation with each character’s faction. Some characters will join you for certain periods regardless of these factors.
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I like your story so far. Next to pegasi and griffins, the crystal ponies are my favorites.
In one of the first sentences of your exposition, you write
.
It's just very,very, very minor nitpicking, but I think you should add something like husband in front of Shining Armor. Of course, this doesn't compromise the understanding of what you wrote, but it just sounds...weird. As if Shining would be somekind of magical armor. As I said, just minor nitpicking.
I have to admit, I don't really get what has happened in chapter 1, more specifically, who has done what.
As far as I can tell, the Legion attacked the tribe in the tunnels, forcing the non-combatants to flee to the outside. And then there's this fire.
I simply assume the bad guys (the Legion) started the fire somehow, but how did they do this and why (except of course being evil)? And after a battle with no control over the casualties of valuable (to them, since (cliche) scientist usually don't fight) ponies, they want to assimilate whats left.
Don't get me wrong, I "like" where this is going and I'm fully aware of the cruelties any legions committed sometimes, but the whole fire-part seemed a bit...contraproductive.
Promising story gets a like.
4177685 Thanks, and the fire will be explained in time, but the counterproductive thing was semi-intentional and already known.
I got that planned out for later. As for the Shining Armor thing, you have a point, but I was thinking of it in the way of how some couples are written in stories, like "Richard and his Sarah" or something like that. I know it makes it a little weird in this particular instance, due to Shining Armor's name, but as long as the overall understanding isn't lost, I don't think that particular line needs to be changed. That said, I really appreciate that you took the time to give me feedback! 
I wish there was a :fluttersquee: icon, cause I'd spam it now. This will have to do 
Edit: Oh, and the confusion with who did what is somewhat intentional. I didn't clarify who attacked the tribe in the past, so it can be assumed that Krystal doesn't know either, meaning there might not be records of the official attackers. The Legion started the fire, yes, but in the next few chapters (at least in what I've planned), more will become clear and the reason of the fire will be mentioned. In other words, all will become... Crystal Clear
Thanks for adding your story to the Fallout Equestria Group! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions!
4199015 It's been in the FoE group for a while
, I just added it to another folder 
4201642 Oh... I thought that cover art looked familiar... Well this is awkward.
So... thanks or adding your story to another folder in the Fallout Equestria Group?
4204300 You're welcome!