The Rise of Solaris
Fallout Equestria: Influx
Beyond the Adventure
The Rise of Solaris
The Marejave, although part of the greater Equestrian Wasteland, was isolated by its dividing mountain range and had its own set of unique properties and problems that made it practically its own region. Ponies over the two centuries had been plagued by a strange sense of unease around the area of Meadowlark Hill, but when it exploded the ponies of the Marejave wanted to know why. As news passed throughout the towns and New Pegasus as to what happened and what was under Meadowlark Hill, a great sense of relief fell over the populace. However, for some, the darkness was only to grow darker.
Several weeks after the destruction of the Production Facility
A green alicorn dressed in a desert scarf along with sand goggles and a wide brimmed hat stumbled over the jagged rocks that made up the crater perimeter. The crater was cast in a dark shadow as the rising sun of the early morning had yet to shine down within it. She steadied her footing while she looked around the carnage left behind from the explosion. She couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary on the hill itself, but as she peered down into the shadow of the crater, she could then see the remnants of twisted concrete, rebar and steel at the bottom.
“Sister, where on Equus are you?” The alicorn asked herself as she began to stalk around the perimeter. “I can sense your energy. You’re close.”
She stopped and shot her head up when she noticed movement in the corner of her eye. She hurriedly ran up the hill after it, toward the abandoned mine entrance.
“Sister!” She yelled, but as soon as she made it there, she came face to face with something she would only have seen in her nightmares.
Partially hidden by the shadow of the old entrance, a giant skeletal-like alicorn stood before her, its glowing red eyes boring into her as it examined her.
“W-who are you and… where’s my sister?” The alicorn demanded.
The skeletal alicorn tilted its head, producing a sort of whirring noise which told the alicorn that it was some sort of robot. “But Tratos, I’m right here.” The machine spoke in a perfect rendition of the alicorn that Tratos had come to find.
Tratos’s wings fell limp by her sides and her jaw fell as the machine claimed to be her missing sister. “Bu… what… what happened? I… we’ve been so worried about you,” She said on the verge of tears.
The skeletal machine stepped out of the broken entryway and approached the alicorn. “I got injured and well, this machine helped me survive,” It explained when it was mere inches away from her.
Tratos sniffled and closed her eyes. In that moment, two cybernetic cords extended out from the back of the machine’s neck, one moving around to encircle the alicorn’s neck while the other moved up and around until the tip was positioned above her horn.
“Come back with me, sis! I’ve missed you so much!”
The machine replied, losing most of the feminine tone it used before. “I have a better idea. Why don’t you join me instead?” As soon as it said that, the cord around her neck tightened like a vice and a gold mesh shot out from the tip of the other, wrapping around the alicorn’s horn. She struggled, but the machine’s grip was too great, and a sudden loss of energy made her attempts at escape worthless. Her eyes dulled and her cutie mark faded as all her magic was sucked out of her and into the machine, which then cast her aside like a used teabag. It extended its bone-like wings and let out a yell as power flowed throughout its mechanical body until it settled.
Looking down at the near lifeless body of the alicorn, the machine spoke in a perfect rendition of Princess Celestia’s voice. “Thank you for your donation. Your magic will help go to a good cause.” It then used its levitation magic to pick up the alicorn and throw her into the core of the crater.
A couple weeks later. Alicorn Sanctuary.
“Umagon, no! I can’t let you go, not until we know what’s happened to Oxanna and Tratos!” Dr Pear yelled as she barred the main doors that the green alicorn was trying to get passed.
“C’mon Doctor! My friends have been missing for weeks, somepony has to do something!” She cried.
“I know but… argh!” She grunted and stopped as she rubbed at her sore chest. After sacrificing her Regeneration Talisman to Crystal, the healing process of her flesh had reverted to more natural means, meaning the wound was healing slowly, and would cause pain or even reopen if stressed.
“Doctor, are you alright?” Umagon asked in worry as the cybernetic mare sat down away from the door and began to soothingly rub at her chest.
“I’m fine.” She sighed. “I guess I can’t stop you. I know how far we’d go for each other but… please be careful.”
Umagon nodded with a sad smile. “I’ll find them, Doctor. You’ll see.” She pushed open the door and into a snowstorm before disappearing into the night.
A couple of days later, Doctor Pear sat by her radio station with the console plugged into her forehead’s expansion socket to give her direct access to the resort’s communication and surveillance systems. After working with these alicorns for almost a century and a half, she was very familiar with their magic signatures. Not wanting to lose another friend, she decided to use the radio mast to track Umagon’s magical signature.
“The ruins of the Production Facility?” She said out loud to herself when she felt the energy signature of Umagon stop moving.
“The Facility?” Nexus asked as the machine stepped into the room.
Dr Pear jumped at the unexpected arrival of her fellow Mark 2 but relaxed into her seat afterwards. “Yes, I didn’t want to lose Umagon as well, so I’ve been tracking her movements and she’s gone all the way to the ruins of the Production Facility.” Suddenly, Dr Pear’s face contorted into confusion.
“Something wrong, Doctor?” Nexus asked upon seeing the Doctor’s face change.
“There is something else there, a more powerful energy signature that I’ve never felt before.” Dr Pear titled her head while she read the data that flowed into her electronic brain.
“What could it be?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never felt anything like it before.” Her eyes widened.
“Doctor?”
“She’s gone. Umagon’s power signature just faded and… that huge power signature just got stronger, what the hell just happened?” Her eyes widened further in disbelief and horror. “What, Unit-1000!”
Detaching the device from her forehead and quickly reattaching her horn in a practiced flourish, she used her magic to open a drawer on the other side of the room and levitated two small devices out and over to her.
“Nexus, can you do me a quick favour please?” She asked as she quickly checked the devices that looked like large gemstones with some electronics stuck to them.
“Of course. What do you need?”
“Take these. They are teleportation charms. I’ve set one for the Production Facility and the other for here.” She levitated the two charms over to the robot. “Can you please investigate what just happened? If you find Umagon or the cause of that huge energy signature or any evidence that Unit-1000 survived, teleport back immediately.”
“What about Ma’am and Sir?” He asked as he pocketed the return charm and held the one that would take him back to the Facility in his forehoof. “If that machine is still alive, they could be in danger.”
“Until we can verify that Unit-1000 is still alive, I would not like to stress her as she’s still recovering.”
Nexus nodded in understanding. “I’ll be back after a quick recon.”
In a flash of blue light, he was gone. About ten minutes had passed before he returned in another blue flash.
“What did you find?” Dr Pear asked with dejection as she noticed that Umagon was not with him.
Nexus shook his head. “Nothing I’m afraid. There was no evidence of any pony being there and I saw no evidence of or detected Unit-1000 there.”
She sighed sadly. “Another alicorn lost…” She gave the Mark 2 a serious look. “But you’re sure there was nothing of Unit-1000 at all?”
Nexus nodded. “As I said, no energy signatures and no evidence on the grounds around the crater. Besides the effects of time and wind on the sand and sediment, it looked like it did the day it exploded.”
“Thank you, Nexus. I’ll continue to monitor for Umagon and Unit-1000. If I find anything, I’ll let you all know.” Dr Pear twisted her horn to take it off before reconnecting herself to the console.
“Of course. Glad to have helped.” Nexus then left the room.
“Nothing…” Dr Pear turned a few knobs on the console to change the sensory system to specifically look for certain energy signatures. “Still nothing, it… it must have been a glitch in the system.” She sighed once more as she returned the sensory system back to looking for Alicorn Magic.
“I can’t stop looking. I can’t let another alicorn go missing.”
A week later. Upgrade Station Alpha
“The Upgrade Facility is in there?” Unit-04 asked sceptically as it looked at the ruined and run-down house nestled in the rock wall.
“Yes. It was built underground and this house was built on top as a cover,” Unit-1000 explained as the two machines approached. Before they could enter, Unit-1000 stopped and raised its head high in alert.
“Something wrong?”
“Yes. Multiple hostiles detected and they are closing fast.” The skeletal alicorn robot looked down at the smaller robot. “Quickly, get inside.”
Heeding its order, Unit-04 ran ahead to take cover inside the ruined house. As it made it inside and found a safe spot where it could observe its master, a swarm of giant insects began to surround the alicorn robot.
Cazadorables flew in hard and fast from all directions, seeing the pony-shaped robot as food. Just moments before they impacted, Unit-1000 lit its antenna-like horn and a dome of golden magic surrounded it. The giant insects swung their abdomens forward with their stingers at the ready and punctured the shield, but only the stingers that made it through. The insects batted against the shimmering dome while they had their stingers stuck in the shield, but this gave Unit-1000 enough time to look around and identify how many targets it had.
Target reticules began to appear around each and every bug that was caught in the shield as the machine began to charge more power into its horn. The rainbow-coloured gem at the tip began to shine brightly as the power grew. Once the power had reached optimal weapon status, it targeted all the stuck bugs at once and released the power in a quick and deadly blast. Multiple precision beams of destructive magic lanced out from the horn, striking each of the targeted bugs and incinerating them. The remainder of the swarm circling the machine immediately backed off. A single large bug opened its mouth full of razor-sharp teeth and dived at the alicorn robot, only to be incinerated by a single beam of golden magic. Several more were shot down before the swarm dispersed and retreated.
“Even the mutated bugs know when to retreat.” Unit-1000 turned and headed into the destroyed house to meet back up with Unit-04.
“The magic you’ve acquired has helped increase your combat efficiency multiple times over,” Unit-04 said in wonder.
“With the power of four alicorns, plus the slight amplification each one grants, I’m at least six times more powerful than one of those manufactured alicorns in regard to magic output.” Unit-1000 made its way down into the basement and into the Upgrade Station proper.
“Yes, it would seem that with each alicorn you absorb, you gain a zero-point five amplification,” Unit-04 added. “Perhaps it would be beneficial to go to the Alicorn Sanctuary and absorb as many as you can.”
“Absolutely not! There is a difference between the three I absorbed at the Production Facility and the one I absorbed shortly before we arrived here.”
“Difference? They are all manufactured alicorns.”
“Yes, but the three I absorbed first were not insane like the last one. They were free from the Goddess’s control and had their individuality back. They had more right to live than the mindless monster we encountered earlier. So, from now on I cannot and will not kill alicorns like them from the Sanctuary. However, the ones under the Goddess’s control or ones that have lost their minds are fair game.”
Upon entering the old upgrade station, the two machines met a gruesome sight. Lying on a table near the main console was a badly decomposed body of a unicorn. A tattered magician’s hat and cape lay on the floor near the body.
“What is this?” Unit-04 asked in mild surprise.
“A victim of the Mark 2 replacement and disguise protocol,” Unit-1000 replied in a sad tone as it looked over the body. “It would seem this was once a young mare, likely died from dehydration after being left powerless and weak from when Unit-03 took her place.”
“That… sounds really bad.”
“It certainly isn’t a nice way to die, especially for a mare that still had her whole life ahead of her.” Unit-1000 sighed with a hint of shame. “Unit-04, can you please take the body outside and bury her. It’s the least she deserves.”
The smaller machine bowed its head. “Of course.” It stepped up to the table and with care, gently picked up the dead mare and laid her on its back, carrying it outside to bury.
While Unit-04 was gone, the alicorn robot used its cybernetic link cable to connect with the console and assume control of the facility. When Unit-04 returned, it was then directed by Unit-1000 to enter the nearest operational upgrade chamber. Before it entered, the alicorn robot hit the machine with a light blast of magic, a Flesh Binding Spell to ensure the flesh applied would bond to the endoskeleton.
“I am sending you the magic catalogue on file in the system. Pick the unicorn you wish to have the magic from,” Unit-1000 said before opening its wireless communication with the other unit.
After a couple of minutes of browsing, Unit-04 soon stopped on one particular entry: “Subject 084: Raven.”
“Would you like to take Subject 084’s appearance as well? Her DNA is also on file.”
There was a pause as Unit-04 examined the data on who Subject 084 was. It turned out that she was a mare called Raven and was a personal assistant to the late Princess Celestia before the bombs fell. According to the file, she was arrested for treason, but the specifics of her crimes were under the label of “Classified”, which seemed suspicious. Unit-04 ultimately decided to take on Raven’s appearance, for it knew that Unit-1000 would take on Celestia’s appearance, and since it would serve under the alicorn robot, it would be like giving the new Celestia her assistant back.
“Yes.”
“Very well.” Unit-1000 then began the upgrade process.
“Upgrade Station Alpha online… Compatible Infiltration Unit detected… Unicorn upgrade selected and confirmed… System ready, please confirm…”
“Selection confirmed. Begin upgrade process.” Unit-1000 used her link to confirm the upgrade.
A siren sounded as the heavy doors to the upgrade chamber Unit-04 was in closed and the process began. After about half an hour, the door reopened and a cream unicorn mare with a short straight brown mane and tail walked out. Her flanks were decorated with a cutie mark consisting of an inkpot and quill. Said cutie mark appeared to fade on one side, binary code taking place of the initial image. She blinked her new brown eyes as she looked around at herself.
“I feel funny. Like, I’m somepony else,” She said in confusion.
“Something I’ve noticed after absorbing these four alicorns. A part of them seems to be transferred into you, like a part of them was connected to their magic. Thus, I assume the same has happened here; you now have a piece of the original Raven in you. So do take your time and adjust.” Unit-1000 looked up at the upgrade chamber. “It’s my turn now.”
“Nanolathe system ready… Please select genetic marker…” The computer dictated as Unit-1000 changed the settings for flesh application only.
“Warning. File restricted. Please enter security key…”
Unit-1000 transferred its security clearance to the console.
“Processing… Clearance granted; Ministry of Awesome executive authority established… Princess Celestia genetic profile unlocked…”
As this would make her exactly like the late Princess, Unit-1000 decided to alter some genetic markers, to ensure it would not be a complete copy.
“Genetic alteration requested and approved… Please insert compatible Infiltration Unit…”
Disconnecting from the console, Unit-1000 marched over to the upgrade chamber and stepped inside.
“Compatible Infiltrator detected… Nanolathing…”
Unit-1000 proceeded to cast the Flesh Binding Spell upon herself as two nozzles came down from the ceiling and pointed at her. Moments later, a green mist began to spray all over the large machine, and muscle tissue and skin soon began to grow all over it. Before long, the process was complete and when the doors opened, a great white alicorn emerged with flowing red hair in her mane and tail.
“Wow! You look almost exactly like Princess Celestia, though you have a different coloured mane and tail,” Raven commented in amazement.
“Well, I didn’t want to be a complete copy. It would rouse too much suspicion in the wasteland if they saw that Celestia had mysteriously returned from the dead.”
“Fair point. Um, what will you call yourself now?”
“Hmm. Since I am practically Celestia reborn, I will call myself…” The machine paused for a moment in thought before finishing. “Solaris.”
“Solaris. Sounds like a good name.” Raven smiled.
“Thank you. Now let us head east, our destiny awaits.”
Before leaving, Solaris approached the main console and pressed a button that would enable voice command.
“Computer. Activate self-destruct sequence. Authorisation code, Ironside dash one zero zero zero.”
“Confirmed. Self-Destruct sequence initiated… Thirty minutes to detonation, have a nice day…”
“Why are we destroying the facility?” Raven asked as they ascended the stairs to the ground floor of the ruined house.
“To prevent this technology from falling into the wrong hooves.”
The two mares then left the building and began to make their way east. As they neared Lake Meadow, they heard the quiet boom of the station in the distance.
Days later. On board the Dashing Pegasus train to the Equestrian Wasteland
Solaris and Raven sat within a first-class cabin as the train roared down the line at high speed. The two had snuck aboard during the train’s preparations to undertake the journey across Equestria to Manehattan, with a series of quick teleports landing them in an unoccupied cabin in one of the passenger cars. They stayed still and quiet while drawing the curtains of the cabin to minimise being seen whilst the passengers boarded the train. About an hour later, they were on their way and speeding across the desert to the mountains.
“This is the Marshall, close all windows, we are about to enter Grogar Tunnel.” Came the voice of a stallion over the PA system as they neared the tunnel half a day later.
“Well, once we leave the Marejave, our mission begins,” Solaris said as she looked out the window to see the train heading for the mountain range that separated the Marejave from the rest of the Equestrian Wasteland.
“What will we do once we arrive in the main Equestrian Wasteland?” Raven asked.
“During our time free from Ironside, which allowed me to wander in public, I’ve learned of a theme park that would make for the perfect place to begin our restoration of Equestria.”
“A theme park?”
“Yes, Sparkle World. Don’t let the name fool you; Sparkle World is far from any old fun fair. My databanks inform me the place was built like a fortress and there are multiple underground facilities from all the Ministries and Stable-Tec there. It was designed to protect its guests from the war and further help develop things for the war effort.”
“Wow, it sounds like it would make a great place to begin.”
“Yes. We can keep our ponies safe within the walls, and the labs can be used to help further improve their way of life considering how ponies live these days.”
A loud steam whistle interrupted their conversation before everything went dark as the train thundered into the tunnel. It took about half an hour for the train to pass through the tunnel and appear on the other side. Once in the Equestrian Wasteland, it became clear to Solaris and Raven that they were certainly in a new realm. Everything was dark and shrouded in shadow as the skies seemed to be nothing but an infinite canopy of clouds that blocked out the sun.
It wasn’t long after leaving the tunnel that a commotion could be heard outside their door.
“This is the Marshall, every guard to their battle stations immediately. Alicorns incoming,” The same stallion called through the intercom.
“This may require my assistance,” Solaris said as she stood up. “Raven, please wait for me here.”
Raven blinked. “You… don’t want me to help you?” She asked dejectedly.
Solaris gave a small smile as she leaned down and gently wrapped the smaller unicorn in one of her great feathery white wings. “Raven, I value your assistance greatly and would be happy for you to assist me, but I can’t let harm come to you. I’d rather you stay here and be safe.”
Raven nodded with a soft smile on her muzzle. “Ok, but you must take care.”
Solaris stood back up and folded her wing back down to her side. As she stepped up to the door she looked back to Raven. “I will. Thank you.” And with that, she opened the door to their cabin and ventured into the train.
“Battle stations, Alicorn wing incoming!”
Solaris stopped as she passed through the gangway into another car when the intercom sounded again with the threat of attack. She figured the guards were on the roof of the car she was in and teleported herself there. She had assumed correctly, as stationed on each corner of the train cars was a pony in combat armour with their weapons at the ready and scanning the skies. Unfortunately, her teleportation had alerted a few of the guards and their weapons wound up trained on her.
A red light flashed multiple times in Solaris’s HUD to indicate a threat, and she quickly sat on her haunches and held her hooves up.
“Please do not shoot. I am not your enemy.” She spoke clearly and loudly.
“Since when do they come in white and red?” A guard asked as they examined Solaris.
“I dunno, and since when do they do things like that?”
“What should we do?”
“Enough scrutinizing the new one, shields up, incoming!” Another yelled in alarm.
Looking up, the alicorn robot spotted the wing of Alicorns swooping in. Specifically, the wing consisted of a formation of two greens and a blue. With what little data Solaris had on wasteland alicorns, she was aware that they were controlled by a being only known as the Goddess, they always appeared in groups of three and that the formation is always two green alicorns and either a purple or blue one as the lead.
The guards began to open fire with semi-automatic rifles of various calibres, but the shield generated by the two greens prevented any of their bullets from getting through. The blue alicorn reared its head back and threw it forward to send down a powerful lightning attack. Acting quickly, Solaris lit her horn in golden magic and projected a shield over the area of attack, preventing it from hitting the train or the ponies stationed on the roof. The sudden appearance of the shield caught the attention of the alicorn wing, and they soon saw what generated it. They quickly flew up out of range of enemy fire to relay what they had seen with the Goddess and to await further instructions.
Through the blue alicorn’s eyes the Goddess could see what was going on, and she was surprised to see a white alicorn on the roof of the train.
“A new alicorn! No, I will not allow this thing to become a Princess! Destroy it my children!” The Goddess ordered in rage.
The wing of alicorns descended fast, the two greens forming their shield to protect the blue and the blue alicorn charging another lightning attack as they swooped down back towards the train. The blue alicorn threw her head forward and sent its attack towards the white alicorn. The white one responded in kind by firing a single beam. The two attacks met halfway and caused an explosion.
With a yell of frustration, the blue alicorn launched another lightning attack but with more power put into it. Solaris fired another beam while the guards fired their guns. The white alicorn’s beam hit the lightning attack once more, but this time the two attacks were pushing against each other for dominance, all the while the guard’s bullets impacted the shield around them.
“This is impossible! She’s not even trying!” The Goddess cried inside the heads of the alicorns as she noticed how Solaris wasn’t putting much effort into her beam and maintaining a half-lidded, bored expression on her face.
“Time to end this.” Solaris’s beam increased in size and power, pushing the lightning back as a result.
The blue alicorn grunted with effort as she tried to push back against the incoming energy beam but was failing. Her pupils shrank to pinpricks when she realised that she wasn’t going to stop it, and in a last-minute effort she cut her attack and dodged to the side to evade it. Solaris’s beam punched through the shield and barely missed the blue alicorn as she dodged. Unfortunately for the three alicorns, the beam struck one of the green alicorns in the chest and blasted a hole right through her, instantly killing her. With the loss of one of the green alicorns, the shield became half as strong and shrank in size.
“No, my children!” The Goddess shrieked through the mouth of the blue alicorn.
Solaris didn’t waste any time in firing another beam, this one aimed at the other green alicorn. It didn’t react in time as a destructive beam of magic consumed her head and disintegrated it. The blue alicorn became very aware of how out matched she was when the other green alicorn dropped from the sky.
“Retreat!” Ordered the Goddess in fear of her last remaining alicorn.
The blue alicorn turned tail and began to fly away while dodging gunfire.
“It’s getting away!” A guard yelled angrily.
“It won’t get far.” Solaris spread her great white wings and took to the air. Thankfully, she knew how to fly from the data in her electronic brain plus from the alicorns she’d absorbed so far. She beat her wings as she gave chase after the blue one. After a minute she was close enough to the retreating blue alicorn and fired another beam of magic. The alicorn tried to dodge, but in doing so the beam struck her wing and severed it. Solaris teleported to the ground and caught the falling alicorn in her magic before harshly slamming her into the ground. While the blue alicorn lay on her back, partially in the ground from Solaris’s telekinetic slam, she soon found herself being pushed down as Solaris stepped onto her chest to hold her in place.
“It’s not nice to attack innocent ponies, Goddess.” Solaris spoke like she was reprimanding a foal.
“You can not tell me what to do! I am the Goddess!” The blue alicorn spoke in a voice that sounded like it was a mix of four different ponies, but the dominate voice sounded like a haughty stuck-up mare.
Solaris smiled as she bent her neck down to bring her face to face with the downed alicorn. “I wouldn’t be so sure, Goddess. Your time as this fabled all powerful being is coming to an end. Now that I’m here, I will be putting a stop to your activities.” Solaris blinked her eyes so that her irises changed from their soft magenta to a threatening crimson.
“What, you’re a robot?!” The Goddess yelled with a stronger hint in one of the other voices.
“The last one you’ll ever see.” Solaris grinned as with a sickly wet noise from the back of her neck, the cybernetic cable extended out, covered in blood. “You might want to vacate this alicorn’s body, unless you want to know how it feels to have your magic drained.”
The gold mesh from the end of the cable wrapped around the blue alicorn’s horn, and with a scream from the fallen alicorn, her magic began to flow out of her and into the great white alicorn. The Goddess left the body of the blue alicorn the moment she felt the magic being drained.
“What kind of monster is that?”
Solaris cried out as she felt the familiar rush of power flowing through her being, once the blue alicorn’s magic was drained into herself. For several seconds it looked like rainbow-coloured energy was coursing through her veins before it faded. After she recovered, Solaris teleported back to the train.
5 Months Later
Solaris and Raven got off the train in the ruins of what used to be Ponyville, now known as Pon-evil. They evaded being detected by the Raiders that now lived in the old town thanks to the invisibility spell she knew from the blue alicorns she absorbed. They had made their way to the old Golden Oaks Library, which by this point in time was practically a Raider prison/torture house what with the gore and hanging cages inside. Once inside, they scoured the old library for as many magic tomes and scrolls that had survived the test of time and the elements. The limited magic material they found helped increase their range of magical abilities and gave them a greater grasp on how to use and control their magic. Armed with this new knowledge, the pair left the town and headed further east.
As the weeks and months passed, Raven styled her mane into a bun and found a pair of intact black frame glasses that she adorned, whereas Solaris used her magic to forge a set of makeshift regalia made from wasteland metals. Her chest piece had a glowing blue gem inside behind a circular glass panel in the centre, as well as some M.o.A insignias stencilled on the neckband. She saw them as necessary, as she was a product of the M.o.A. Her unit number was also etched into the metal in small font.
Ponies soon began to talk about this new ‘Princess’, as she was the only white alicorn in the whole of the wasteland and she could perform feats that no other alicorn could do. These rumours and stories soon made it to DJ-PON3, who reported on this new alicorn at times but was sceptical of her being real without proof. Solaris soon began to be known by those she helped as Princess Solaris due to near identical resemblance to the late Princess Celestia, sans the red mane and tail. Solaris and Raven soon acquired a little following of ponies that they had helped along the way, promising them that they would keep them safe and lead them to a safe haven.
After five months of travel since the train ride, Solaris defeated and absorbed the magic of three more manufactured alicorns. By that point, she was probably the most powerful magic wielder in the wasteland. The absorption of so many had also affected her mind as time went on, becoming less cold and unemotional, and more kind and caring. That said, she would fiercely defend those under her care, and when she did, she would often revert to her former cold, mechanical nature. An easy indicator to this state is that her magic would turn crimson, along with her irises. Whenever this happened, Raven immediately tried to calm her down, for she feared what Unit-1000 would do with all the power available to it.
“Um, Princess? If I may, where exactly are you leading us? Its just that we’ve been traveling for weeks now,” A stallion refugee timidly asked the large white alicorn.
“Hmm. I suppose you all deserve to know by now,” She said softly before stopping and turning around to face the group that now accompanied them. “Friends,” She began in a loud amplified voice. “I think it is time that you all knew where we are going.”
The crowd stopped and listened while also murmuring to one and other.
“We are heading to a place that will act as a safe haven for you and your foals and will cater to all your needs.”
“A Stable?” One of the refugees interrupted.
“Definitely not. Those things are death traps of the worst kind. No, my friends, we are heading to Sparkle World.”
“Are you insane!? That’s a Raider Stronghold! They murdered and enslaved the settlers that once occupied it with little effort!” A stallion shouted.
“Do not be alarmed, my friends. I will take care of the squatters in person. The park will be ours and a fortress to keep you all safe.”
“How will you achieve this?” Another asked with scepticism.
To answer his question, Solaris turned and spotted a large boulder that had to be at least fifteen feet high and ten feet wide. She reached out with her magic and began to pull the boulder out of the ground, the large rock rising until it was all floating feet in the air. Ponies gasped as the size of it told them that its weight was in the several tonnes. She smiled at their reactions and then looked surprised when several of the refugees bowed to her.
“Please, my friends. You do not need to do that. I’m not crowned and am just like you,” She said, softly and humbly.
“No Princess. You’re far stronger than any of us, and if it wasn’t for you, we’d likely all be dead by now. To us, you’re worthy of that title,” A mare said, loud and serious.
Solaris gave a soft smile, dropped the rock with a crash and a shudder within the ground, and turned back around to lead them. “If only you knew what I really am,” She thought shamefully to herself.
A couple days later, they found themselves in a valley passage that would lead them to the east province of Equestria. Solaris had ordered the group to stay close together and to move quickly behind her, for she suspected the high hills on either side of the path could be good advantage points for would-be bandits. She was proven right when the group reached the halfway point of the passage as numerous trap doors flung open on the road and in the hills around them, and Raiders popped out to ambush them.
“It’s a trap!” Raven screamed as she ducked behind Solaris.
Solaris reacted quickly and generated her newly perfected multi-tiled hex shield, designed to be extremely durable, and if needed, could reinforce one or more sides by breaking the shield up into multiple smaller pieces for directional protection. The panicking crowd soon calmed down as the shield dropped around them and provided them the protection they needed.
Solaris winced when the Raider gang began to attack her shield with all their weapons. The weapons ranged from low calibre makeshift pipeguns to magical lasers, high-powered gatling guns and anti-dragon cannons. Thankfully the strength of her magic plus each tile being a powerful separate piece meant nothing was getting through.
Eventually, the Raiders stopped and one of them called out to another to use their ‘Secret Weapon’. Soon, a Raider clad in power armour that appeared to have all kinds of scrap welded to the frame stepped forward and fired a strange looking black crystal projectile from his grenade launcher.
Solaris’s pupils shrank to pinpricks when her electronic brain identified the object. It appeared these Raiders had found some of the Storm King’s weapons, the projectile itself being a Storm Grenade. Solaris raised a large wing to shield herself as the crystal object punched through the shield with little resistance and detonated, hitting the alicorn. For the first time, Solaris felt pain as the explosive blast ripped apart her wing, leaving nothing but shredded and burnt flesh clinging to her exposed endoskelatal wing, as well as a good portion of her face. She screamed in agony, but quickly growled in anger as her remaining organic eye turned crimson, along with her magic.
The shield immediately collapsed as she lashed out, seizing every single Raider with her magic, about fifty in total, and hauled them into the air, higher and higher until the distance from the ground would be fatal.
“Is this all you scum are good for, attacking and killing innocent ponies for fun?” She growled. “Did you really think I wouldn’t stop you?”
The Raiders tried to retaliate, but her grip on them was so strong they couldn’t move.
“There is only one good way to deal with you, and that’s to kill you all!” She yelled out in rage and began to squeeze them all with her magic.
Raven had soon realised Solaris had become her cold self, and immediately ran around to be in front of her.
“Solaris, stop! This isn’t the way,” She cried.
“Oh, it is! These pests deserve nothing else!”
“No, they don’t! This isn’t you, don’t become that cold uncaring creature! If you do, you’ll be just like them!” Raven reared up and supported herself by propping her forehooves on the alicorn’s chest piece.
Solaris’s intact eye widened as Raven’s words rang in her head. She looked down at her worried friend, her crimson eye fading back to its soft magenta, and her magic returning to its gold colour.
“Y-your right. Thank you, Raven.”
The alicorn looked back up to the captured Raiders and lowered them back down to just a couple of feet off the ground. She then brought the Raider that gave the command for the ‘Secret Weapon’ up to her face, for she figured that he was the leader.
“Ponies deserve a chance at redemption. Change your way of life, stop the stealing, the killing, and perhaps you will find something better.” Her eye turned crimson again, the Raider trembling in terror as he stared at her exposed endoskeleton skull on the side of her face. The glow from her exposed optical unit was clearly seen reflecting in his eyes. “If I find out you’ve been praying on the innocents around here again, there will be no stopping the punishment I’ll bring upon you all.”
Her magic pulsed, and the Raider leader got to see how half of his group were then flung away. Her magic pulsed again, and all but him and the power armoured Raider were left.
“Do not make me regret sparing you,” She growled before he was sent hurtling through the air and out of sight. This left the power armoured one as she gave him an annoyed look. “That hurt,” She simply said before she used her magic to rip the grenade launcher and its ammo box off his armour, and then sent him hurtling away as well.
Gasps and shocked shouts soon cascaded around the refugees as they saw what had happened to their saviour, which soon turned to shouts of anger over the true nature of the alicorn.
“She’s a fucking robot!”
“A tin can has been leading us?”
“She’s not real?”
“She seemed so real and convincing!”
Solaris stepped toward the crowd, but they took a step back in fright. She sighed sadly and took a regal stance, as her regeneration talisman got to work stitching her damaged and burnt flesh back together again.
“My friends, I suppose you all want an explanation, and I will provide you with such,” She said in her amplified voice, which had an electronic buzz to it due to the damage she took. “Yes, I am a cybernetic organism. I was built and created for the purpose of helping and saving ponies like yourself and lead them to a brighter future.” A little white lie, but she had changed and made it her goal to do that. “I am terribly sorry I lied and did not tell you of my origin before. I honestly would not have wanted to either.” She sighed sadly yet again.
“Just who the hell are you?” A pony in the crowd yelled.
“I am Solaris, the cybernetic alicorn,” She said as her wing and her face fully regenerated, her eye being the last thing to grow back to hide her optical unit. “I vow to protect you and lead you to safety. It is my goal in life to ensure the survival of ponies like yourselves.” Solaris then dipped her head. “I will not force you to stay. You are free to leave; I will not stop you. I will understand if you do not wish to follow me any longer.”
As she expected, several of the ponies turned and began to leave, but to her surprise, the majority of the group remained.
A mare in the remnants of what used to be casual wear stepped forward.
“You’ve lied to us, made us believe you were a new ascended alicorn. How can we trust you now?” She asked in a serious tone.
Solaris looked down to the mare and looked into her eyes with her own. “I swear I’ll be up front with you all from now on. I want nothing but to assure your safety and longevity. I will do what I can to protect and guide you to a better future.”
“Do you pinkie promise to not lie to us again?” She asked.
Solaris blinked in surprise. She was aware of this ‘Pinkie Promise’ from data stored in her electronic brain, knowing that it was basically an unbreakable oath, and should you break it, something terrible was likely to occur.
“I do,” The alicorn said before she sat on her hindlegs and began to do the motions of the Pinkie Promise, which on an alicorn of Celestia’s stature looked rather amusing; it certainly got some of the crowd chuckling at the scene.
After the crowd expressed their concerns and Solaris answered their questions and appeased their fears, the group continued. Raven had been worried the entire time as Solaris opened herself to the crowd but was glad most decided to stay and continue to support the alicorn. However, she was curious as to why Solaris took the grenade launcher from the Raider.
“Um, S-Solaris, if you don’t mind me asking, why do you still have that?” She asked while pointing at the weapon in question.
“This is armed with Storm King ammunition. I will need to analyse and experiment with the Storm Grenades it holds so that I can ensure my ability to protect those around me from these weapons. What is the point of having all this power if a simple grenade like this can negate my magic?”
Raven nodded in understanding. “I-I see. I will assist you.”
1 Year after the destruction of the Production Facility: Dusk Town, two miles outside Sparkle World.
It’d been a few months since her exposure, but Solaris resumed her role as the pony to lead and protect those allied with her. In this time, she further refined her Celestia-like personality but retained her fierce battle style. She had also defeated two more wings of alicorns and absorbed the magic of two, bringing her power level to an extreme level. The Goddess, after losing so many of her children to Solaris and in fear of losing more, declared that no more alicorns were to engage her.
Solaris and Raven, along with their large group of refugees, soon arrived at a town that was outside the limits of Sparkle World, the huge theme park visible in the distance. The group stopped when Solaris did, but she soon turned around and spread her wings as she took a regal stance, ready to address her ponies.
“Friends, we are near our goal, but I cannot let you continue with me for the next couple of days,” She spoke loud and clear, but this got the crowd to protest at her decision. “Do not fear, I will return after the job is done.”
“Wait, you’re going to attack that place on your own?”
Solaris nodded her head. “As much as I would love for you all to assist me, I cannot in good faith let you, for if anything were to happen to you, I would not forgive myself. It is best that you remain here and wait for me.” Solaris then turned to Raven. “My dear friend, please, stay here with them and keep them safe.”
Raven was stunned that she was given such a responsibility, but she was torn between worrying for her closest friend fighting the Raiders of Sparkle World alone and staying behind to watch the ponies in their group.
“Everypony, please listen to Raven and stay safe,” Solaris said before she turned to head toward Sparkle World.
As Solaris made her way through the town, she sensed an unusually large power reading and took a quick detour to investigate. As she followed the signal to this power, she turned down a couple of streets before arriving at the town’s central obelisk monument. She tilted her head in confusion as the power she sensed appeared to be coming from an Earth Pony clad in black robes, a bald mane and facial hair being the only noticeable features.
“He who controls the past commands the future, he who commands the future conquers the past,” The pony said in a deep charismatic voice. “Remember that, my child.” He looked at Solaris as she approached, like he knew she was there.
“W-who are you?” Solaris asked in bewilderment.
The unusual Earth Pony just smiled. “Transformation is coming my child; I see you with a big part in it.” And with that, he turned and began to walk away.
Solaris blinked in surprise and confusion as to what the pony said, and then looked upon the obelisk that he had stood before. Etched into the stone she saw a scorpion tail inside a triangular hexagon with the words, “Peace, Unity, Brotherhood,” also etched into the stone beneath the symbol.
“W-wait, you didn’t tell me who you are!” Solaris squeaked when she saw that the stallion was about to turn a corner. She quickly dashed towards him as he went around the corner, but as Solaris arrived to confront him, she froze in shock as the pony had disappeared without a trace, and the street he turned onto was a dead end.
“He… what?” She blinked several times before turning around. “Am I finally going crazy that I’m seeing mysterious robed ponies?” She shook her head to refocus herself and return to her task. “Must remain focused. The wasteland has a habit of throwing curveballs at you.”
As Solaris made it back to the main road, she turned to find Raven galloping towards her. “Raven?”
The small cream mare stopped as she arrived beside the alicorn. “S-solaris, I, I can’t let you go alone. Let me help you.”
“You should stay with the refugees. They’ll need you.”
“No. We talked, and they’ll be fine without me.”
“But I can’t let you come with me. I don’t want you to get hurt,” Solaris said with more emotion to her voice as she looked down at the mare.
“It’s ok. We’re the same inside, remember? I can take it like you can. Besides, you’ve helped teach me some useful tricks,” She argued while flashing her horn.
Solaris smiled and gently hugged the mare with her wing. “Thank you, Raven. You’re such a good friend, but please, stay close to me.”
Raven nodded, and the two cybernetic beings started towards Sparkle World to begin their reclamation from the Raiders.
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This made for a very nice afternoon read, and yes this chapter definitely needs a part 2.
Also, hello there Kane, up to your usual shenanigans? I'm sure absolutely nothing terrible or sinister will come of this.
9787237
Glad you enjoyed the short.
Glad you clocked the reference :p
9787660
TBH, this particular reference was a great deal more explicit and on the nose than most of the others. Really it feels like a setup for another story, perhaps a possible sequel to Broken Steel?
9788066
I like this Solaris character, it is a good look on her.
9792291
Glad you like her ^^
I hope this gets elaborated later on... No way would Raven ever betray Princess Celestia!
Yes! Finally somepony said it!
Raven: What did you expect? That we walk around it for seven days carrying the case of The Elements of Harmony until the walls fall?
10929170
there was a lot of shadiness going on before the bombs fell, ponies being arrested for minor things if it was ever so slightly against the war. i believe if i remember correctly Octavia was arrested for speaking out against the war. Been a LONG time since i read the original FoE, should listen to an audio book of it sometime to refresh my memory of it.
being a product of the M.o.A, Solaris would know exactly what the Stables were meant for.