• Published 12th Aug 2012
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Fallout Equestria : Black And White - Philweasel



Peace between the NCR and Zebra wasteland becomes a battleground between competing factions.

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Chapter 2.17 – Luna Requiem

Chapter 2.17 – Luna Requiem

The cold air was heavy upon Midnight Dreamer’s chest and she was forced to desperately work for every breath, gasping, tensing every muscle to fill her aching lungs. Pain racked her, a dull ache spreading through her muscles as they struggled for oxygen. The wind howled against the thin wooden walls and she was forced to curl up further into the meagre blankets, shivering and crying as a damp, freezing chill drifted across her thin, threadbare coat.

And then the door opened and her mother finally emerged, all her fears and worries disappearing with her smile. She was still as beautiful and strong as the great mountains of her namesake, even with her ribs peeking through her white coat and her bright green eyes circled with dark bags. The bowl in her hands steamed, a bitter but still mouthwatering smell reaching Midnight’s nose. The mare smiled as she lowered it onto the bedside table, her sweet voice cutting through the howling wind outside, “Drink my darling one. It will help your breathing, bring a little warmth to those bones.”

Midnight did so, eagerly. Only able to tolerate liquids for days now, her body cried out for substance of any kind, even this thin soup. At the same time it’s warmth helped her fight off the cold for just a little while more, let her forget about the conditions outside.

And then there was a banging at the door, the mare rising with a look of impatience and giving Midnight a kiss on the forehead before moving out into the main room. Although she couldn’t see her anymore she could still hear, the mare’s voice impatient and stern as she opened the door to let a fierce burst of cold air inside, “What in holy fire are you doing out in this weather Koshiko?”

Another voice swiftly answered, older, gruff and educated, “Just making the rounds, making sure you folk are doing alright.”

“We’re fine Koshiko.”

“Don’t lie to me Sierra Peaks. I can see you haven’t been eating, and I’ve heard the others talk.”

Her voice became sharp, challenging, “Let them talk.”

“The child is malformed, we have all known what that meant from the day she was born. In better times we might have been able to make her time on this world as long and comfortable as possible, but now...”

“Get out of my house.”

“See reason, please. This winter has stretched three seasons now, and food is scarce at the best of times. The girl will die, doctor Shokan says that with even the best of care it will happen before her twelfth year.”

Her mother’s voice dropped, choking slightly, “I’m not taking extra food.”

“No, you’re going hungry yourself. You’re an asset to the community Sierra Peaks, and I can’t let you sacrifice yourself for...”

“For what?! My... daughter! Get out of my house!”

“Sierra...”

“Get out! Get out of here!”

“Ok, ok... please, point that somewhere...”

“Out!”

There was the sound of a quickly slamming door and the sound of heavy breathing before her mother returned, her drawn face even more weary looking and a large rifle slung around her neck. Midnight Dreamer looked up at it, looking for reassurance from the thoughts whirling through her head, “Are they going to take me away?”

Her mother looked at her in shock for a second before firmly shaking her head, “No.”

“Because you’ll protect me.”

Her mother followed her eyes to the rifle, giving an embarrassed smile, “Ah... well... yes! Yes I will!” She trotted over to the wardrobe, throwing it open and routing around for a moment or two before pulling out a slightly moth eaten cloak. She clasped it around her neck and turned back to her, head held erect and proud, “Magus Sierra Peaks, defending children from all manner of nasty zebra!”

Midnight Dreamer giggled, admiring the way the cloak looked on her mother. Deep blue with the symbol of Equestria under Luna’s rule on the sides, sergeant pins on the lapel and a silver moon clasp, the uniform of the first sentinels, magic support division, “When I get old enough, I’m going to use my magic to make all this cold go away and make everypony happy again.”

Her mother smiled broadly, “Oh, I wish you could have met your great grandmother. You two would have got along so well.”

Midnight Dreamer had seen pictures of her great grandmother, memory orbs and the stories of her elders. She had invented a hundred other stories in her head, of the war hero, the settler, the leader. The great mage, who had founded this town, found the well that gave it water, protected it from bandits, “I’ll be a great wizard like her some day, I promise.”

“Haha!” Her mother laughed, joyful and enthusiastic. She bounded over, lowering her down besides her daughter and placing a soft hoof on her forehead, “Just always remember the virtues of our princess little one. Find friends in even the most unexpected of places, bring light to the shadows and master your dreams. Then you will never ever have to be afraid of the dark.”

She nodded, drawing herself close to her mother, feeling their hearts beat as one.


A month later and she was forced to drag herself out of her bed and all the way to Koshiko’s house to report her mother hadn’t come home from her scavenging trip. There had been heavy snowfall and her mother’s white coat did not make it easy to search, two days passing before they found her body buried beneath a snowdrift.

Much debate followed, before a elderly zebra who had lost his own children was finally convinced to take her in. He had been the only applicant.

~

Midnight Dreamer willed her body to take in the sunlight as she made her slow way down the street, the chill making her hooves numb despite the warm weather. She admitted to studying through much of the night and it had left her even weaker than normal, still she was certain she had finally pushed through yet another barrier to controlling her magic. A book she had brought off a travelling sales zebra about proper horn use and care floated before her, the tome smudged and poorly written but pretty much the first bit of information she had found so far about her race. She figured almost everything here would have one day have been taught by her mother, but as the only unicorn in the village puberty was a scary place without something like this.

“Hey, spike head!”

She shot a withering look to the rangy, dirty looking zebra foal bounding towards her, tensing in reflex and feeling her magic crackle slightly, “Don’t call me that.”

“What, spike head? Why’s that spike head?”

“You’re such a child.” She turned back to her book and hurried her pace, only to receive a hard shove from behind. She turned with a growl, feeling her chest become tight as her heart beat faster, “Nau, don’t do that!”

“Why, because you’re all weak and fragile?” He grinned infuriatingly, dancing around her in the most annoying fashion imaginable, “Spike Head, always stuck in a book. Maybe if you played games with us occasionally instead of sitting indoors reading you might actually be able to run five meters without collapsing.”

She resisted the urge to shock him, having got in trouble for that in the past... not least that it was rarely enough to deter anyone half the size of Nau, and was generally responded to with a punch that definitely could flatten her with ease, “I’ve been banned from playing outside and you know it. Mostly because you always bully me!”

“Aww, it’s all in good fun.” He grinned like a imbecile, “Come on, run with me! It will be fun!”

She snapped at him, “Leave me alone! I don’t run and you know it!”

He frowned in annoyance for a second before galloping over and snatching her book out of the air. She gasped, reaching for it only to have it snatched out of her reach. She took it in her magic but he turned his back to her, breaking her hold.

“GIVE IT BACK!”

Nau laughed, took a run up and flung the book as hard as he could, sending it spinning through the air, “Come on Spike Head, go catch it!”

She watched in horror as it struck the wall of a house and exploded into a hundred individual pages, the broken spine falling into the mud and the pages swiftly blown away by the wind. Her hooves wobbled, her lip quivering.

“Oh man...” Nau breathed, “...I didn’t mean to break it.”

She tried to stop it but she just couldn’t help herself. She gasped briefly before the tears ran down her face, uttering a loud unmistakable sob. Her throat hurt, her chest heavy and cold.

Nau turned, clearly mortified, “I didn’t mean it! Don’t tell my dad!”

He reached for her, eyes desperate. She reacted by pure instinct, feeling the magic well up and explode out of her horn in a beam of pure rage, “I HATE YOU!!”

He hit the same wall as the book had, the loud sound of breaking bone echoing through the village. Nau fell to the ground with a long yell and then a pathetic whimpering. The grass around Midnight sizzled, sparks still flying from her horn.

It didn’t take long for others to come running.

~

“She just attacked me. It wasn’t my fault.”

“That child cannot control herself, it’s clear! She’s a unicorn, who knows what she’s learning from those books of hers! We should take them away!”

“Clearly she is in need of tougher discipline...”

“She takes after her mother. Always so arrogant...”

“I do not want my daughter going to classes with her!”

“Child, I hereby decree that you are forbidden to use magic of any form, nor read any book not approved by the elders.”

She stood there, unnaturally calm, her adoptive father standing passive and useless as ever. She stood there and took it, her eyes dwelling on Nau for long seconds before he looked away in shame.

~

She stalked through the dark shadows of the village, her strong, powerful hooves scrapping the floor as she made it towards her prey. She giggled as Nau looked around in fear, observing him from the shadows as she grinned from ear to ear, “Nau, do you know what happens to little boys who lie?”

He shook in fear, almost crying now, “Please, I didn’t mean to...”

“You didn’t mean to... you think that makes it better?”

“No... I...”

“Now everyone you love is DEAD!” She conjured the walking corpses of his family, sending them shambling towards him as they cursed his name. He cried now, loud, screaming sobs, Midnight Dreamer cackling as she appeared before him, her powerful, horrific visage screaming in his face, “AND YOU’RE NEXT!”

She awoke the next day, still weak, still pathetic, still bullied and hated. But Nau sat at his desk, pale and nervous, looking read to wet himself every time she so much as smiled at him. He went home early and sat by the river for the rest of the day, expression withdrawn and depressed.

In the real world, she was just her, weak and pathetic. But in the dreams she was a god. She could take her vengeance, and there was no one to stop her.

It felt good.

______________________________

Vigilant Point was becoming a dark place, the once thriving trading town now increasingly shuttered and fearful. Starhammer’s army roamed restlessly, angry and inpatient, their crimes against the town becoming increasingly blatant.

Dust levered his gun round as a zebra approached cautiously from behind with an iron bar held tight, smirking at him, “Is it worth it son?”

The zebra frowned, considered for just a moment and then turned to gallop away. Dust heard further retreating hooves from all around, just further proof that they had clearly outstayed their welcome... and the eternal night wasn’t getting any less nighty. The moon beamed down, wrapping the world in eerie shadows.

“Um, and this is DJ Voice here, delivering a message from Tandia of Garm. Yep, this is her official response to the night that has now stretched on for thirty eight hours now.”

“Don’t leave them in suspense boss!”

“Right... she says ‘Don’t panic, the night will end’.”

“If you think that’s bad folks, that’s what she used to say to us when eighty four raging starspawn were charging straight at us with unearthly wails.”

“Yes, our wonderful little priestess always was somewhat laconic. Still, she was also always right, so let’s sit back, relax and make the most of it!”

“I always kinda liked the dark. Comes of having a face only a mother would love.”

“So in return for that lovely message of support, here’s one of Tandia’s favourites, ‘Pretty Moon Sentinel’, a traditional little ditty brought to new life by our very own Xintha. So sit back and enjoy wasteland, while you wait for our happy ol’ sun to return.”

Dust smiled, glad there were still folks calling for restraint in all this. If they ever got to Clendel he would have to make a point to stopping off to thank the pair in person. Hopefully they would have a happy ending to report on that radio station of theirs soon, at least if Dust had anything to say about it.

“Is this becoming... personal to you Dust Kickeer?”

The voice cut off the voices of Sharps and Voice with a buzz, familiar, deep tones from his armour leaving no mistake of who it was. Dust composed himself briefly before replying, “I hadn’t really considered it. Luna’s simply a good mare, that I don’t want to see die.”

Red Eye chuckled, “Yet here you are, fighting for her cause without promise of reward.”

“Yeah...” He sighed, not about to argue, “Any suggestions?”

“It is sadly a conflict which feels inevitable, meaningless and depressing. A conflict illustrating all that is wrong with the new world, and why it is doomed to failure.”

“And why is that?”

Red Eye spoke breezily, his voice a long sigh, “Princess Luna, Lord Starhammer... both of them have taken up the symbols of the old world, wielding them clumsily with no understanding of what they represent. They are unable to change their course because they have shackled themselves to old ghosts and stolen ideals, pulling them inevitably to the same failure and death suffered by those who have inspired them.”

“Folks take inspiration from the past. Nothing new.”

“The whole world is trapped within a dream of the past. Nostalgia is a sickness, a disease of the soul. The NCR, Starhammer, Caesar, Luna.... even their names are old, using symbols that were buried long ago. An obsession with the past damns them to repeat it.”

Dust had to admit he had a point about names. He had long worked out that Luna wasn’t really Luna, and even she seemed to be hiding it really poorly these days. That made him slightly uncomfortable, that she was a mare so unhappy with her own identity that she hid it behind a cartoon mask of a princess long dead.

But he was willing to live and let live. What business was it of his? “I think they’re doing this because they want to avoid the mistakes of the past. To see what would have happened if things had gone... differently. To give the past a happy ending.”

“Is that your motivation Dust Kicker?”

Dust frowned, not liking where this conversation was going, “What am I trying to fix?”

“What was it about Cerulean that so fascinated you?” Red Eye’s voice became teasing, “You had met exceptional slaves before, ponies who had defended their towns with honor and skill. What made her different?”

Dust bit back the jolt of pain her name caused, bringing forth memories of cold eyes and a colder voice. Sometimes fascination... infatuation didn’t have a clear ‘why’ to it. However as he thought back he remembered the one thing that had stuck in his mind, “She did it on her own. She didn’t have any friends.” He felt the pain well up again, remembered the quiet, watchful mare peering at him through the bruises and iron bars, “She was fifteen, a quiet, sullen girl considered weird and unsociable by every other pony in the stable. And of the twenty one casualties we suffered taking the place, fifteen of them were down to her. She was the smartest, bravest girl I had ever met, and she was all alone.”

“It seems a lot of ponies like us have trouble forming connections. I wonder if that’s the price of a superior mind, to look at the world through a mathematician’s eye.”

Dust hoped that wasn’t true. It was a cliché he saw borne out a fair few times, still that didn’t make it an absolute rule. A lot of dumb folks had a hard time making friends too, “Were you a lonely child then?”

“Lonely?” Red Eye chuckled, “No. Ponies often wanted to be around me. But friends? That I had trouble with. My deepest emotions were for my enemies, those who challenged me, stood before me and declared their intentions plain. My memories of the mare made me feel she was the same. She should have hated me, yet she was only too willing, even hungry to help me.”

“She believed you could make the wasteland a better place.”

“I have every suspicion she would have stabbed me in the back the moment I was no longer of use to her. She believed she could make the wasteland a better place.” Red Eye corrected with a chuckle, “And now this Luna believes the same. She believes in the image of the pony princess who went insane, conjured eternal night and even in her redemption burned the world. She strips away the uncomfortable parts, and in so doing creates a foundation unsuited to the weight she places upon it.”

Dust felt Red Eye get to him, and worse it was through wounds he didn’t even realise he had. He had loved Cerulean, he had believed in Red Eye... but that had all been a very long time ago, “It’s a noble aim, worth supporting.”

“And so you return to the past again and again, seeking to erase your mistakes.”

He cursed inwardly, “Maybe...”

“You’ll fail. They’ll fail. These symbols of a past forgotten, used without knowledge of the consequences? They’ll destroy everything, just as they once did before.”

“I... don’t believe that.”

“Then maybe I am a cynic.”

Dust sighed, “I hope you are.”

“No matter what you think of me... I hope I am also Dust Kicker. So good luck today, and may you find the absolution you seek.”

~

Dust stepped inside the little house they were using as a base, spotting Zenai and Star Swirl talking to Tradash. After a moment he also spotted Tradash’s heavily bandaged assistant lurking in a corner, keeping a careful eye on him as he moved to the join the group, “I’m back.”

Zenai smiled rather sweetly in his direction, clearly pleased to see him, “Did you manage to get everything we need?”

“Mostly.” He admitted with some regret, not wanting to disappoint that face, “Your plasma pistol was described by everyone I spoke to as only fit to be stripped of parts.”

Her face did indeed drop very suddenly, “It’s not even that badly damaged!”

“It’s a custom piece Zenai, and apparently the induction port was carved clean through. It’s a different size and shape to all standard issue replacement parts, so I think you’ll have to have a new one made.”

“Magical energy weapons were an Equestrian invention, to compete with our alchemically enhanced firearms.” The bandaged zebra commented in a low, glum tone, “You’ll not find a gunsmith capable of forging custom parts outside of Clendel and Demonivore, and even there it is doubtful.”

Zenai looked deeply depressed, Dust trying his best to look reassuring as he handed her a short stubby weapon from his pack. She look it with a rather disdainful look, inspecting it very unenthusiastically, “Thank you... but... this looks like a piece of crap.”

Dust grinned, having thought that himself. Still, even though he wasn’t an expert on magical weapons he did know manufacturing, and could see the quality under the... crap, “It’s a custom model.”

“Yeah, I can tell. It appears to have been made out of a vacuum cleaner.”

“It’s a plasma shotgun, and look. If you twist the dial there it can fire bursts of compressed air, knock enemies flat.”

She looked sceptically at him for a second or two more before accepting it with a sigh, “Fine.”

Tradash gave a grandfatherly chuckle before his face became more serious, closing his eyes as he spoke, “I’m sorry this falls down to you. I try not to feel guilty, but twenty years ago I would be right beside you.” He smiled wearily at Dust, “Terrible really, I’m the same age as you. The difference couldn’t be more pronounced.”

Dust smiled back. In truth he was well aware he had been blessed with terrific constitution, even as he complained of his aches and pains and declining vision, “We all age differently. At least you’re still a renowned scholar, I doubt I’ll be much of anything when my age catches up with me..”

“In truth I hated being a adventurer when I was younger.” Tradash chuckled cheerily, “I was a skinny bookish sort, forever complaining about getting shot at and hiding behind my bigger companions...” His smile disappeared, his face falling and his voice becoming husky, “I hate to see all this death and sadness. I feel powerless to stop it, and I ache to think you might be forced to... harm your friend.”

“I might have a hoof strike to the face waiting for her, but I won’t let anyone kill Luna.” Star Swirl stated firmly, “We just need to get that book off her.”

“Don’t be naive.” Tradash’s assistant finally spoke up in his rough growl of a voice, tone bitter and cynical, “She won’t just snap out of it you take that book from her hooves. It’s wormed it’s way into her heart, connected itself with the Star Demon possessing her. You take that book and she’ll get worse, she will kill you to get it back.”

Dust turned to Tradash, “Is that true?”

He considered for a moment before speaking hesitantly, “As long as the book is still in the area it will retain its hold. I’m told of ponies dreaming of such items, feeling sudden irresistible longing for them long after they were taken. The famed Amulet of Princess Ruby Gleam was famed for infecting a whole noble family, tempting the original holder’s grandchildren into finding and possessing it, even though they had never set eyes on it before. It would help if it was given up willingly, but that is an unlikely scenario I feel.”

“And no destroying it, unless we detonate a spare megaspell on top of it.”

“No.” Tradash shook his head, “I’m sorry, I’m not much help. Seems I can only tell you what you can’t do.”

“We appreciate it.” Dust nodded, smiling at the old zebra. He at the very least was trying to be helpful at least, “We’ll figure something out.”

Star Swirl spoke as Tradash moved to leave, voice quietly hopeful, “Esau? Are you... coming with us?”

“No.” The bandaged zebra stated bluntly.

“Why... why not?”

Esau paused for a moment before growling his answer, “Because I do not believe she can be saved. That the demon was bad enough, but compounding it with a black book? No being can come back from such darkness. It would be a kinder thing to put a bullet in her head and be done with it.” He turned a narrowed eye at Star Swirl, “You would never let me, and to work at cross purposes would just make this situation worse. I will wait here, for you to finally reach that conclusion on your own and do what must be done.”

“If... if it goes that way...” Tradash turned, apologetic, “I will ensure the children are led to safety. I have more than a few favours to call in.”

Star Swirl just let her head drop, lip curling angrily. Dust answered for her, “We’ll keep that in mind, thank you.”

~

They started out ten minutes later, all their preparations done. They all felt the town watching them, soldier and civilian alike. The guards moved aside as they walked through the gates and stared at the long road before them. They couldn’t put this off any longer.

“Kill her, and Starhammer will let the children go.”

Dust turned with a little bit of suprise, the zebra crouched in the dark corners quiet enough to have escaped his attention even at this close range. She was armed with nothing more than a hunting knife at her side, her body lean and agile. He searched quickly for his tongue at the sudden appearance, rather surprised when Star Swirl answered first, “You don’t have to kill her Zenail.”

“Unfortunately, we do.” The zebra spoke icily, her eyes full of disdain, “She humiliated Starhammer in front of every zebra. To not take action now would paint him as weak, defeated.”

Star Swirl blurted her words out desperately, “Zenali, please...”

“Pleading will not change the facts.” She declared coldly, not even looking at the alicorn, “Anypony else?”

Dust sighed, deciding to give her what she wanted, “We’re going to head out to Dusklight by the end of the hour.”

“And?” She questioned.

“We’ll do whatever needs doing.” He wasn’t giving any promises, or being her assassin. Even before his sincere affection for Luna and the knowledge that solving this problem poorly would end up tearing the group apart, he had no sympathy for her reasoning, “Don’t act like the innocent party. Starhammer should have stayed his blade.”

Zenali just glared.

“She was beaten. There was no need to finish her off.” Dust Kicker stated it bluntly, for once not pragmatic or serving a greater plan... simply pissed off, and wanting to moralise. It was an odd feeling, at not once he liked, “It’s a running trend with your boss, and I don’t like it.”

“That he kills his enemies.” Zenali countered smoothly, her expression snooty and dismissive.

“He’s a sadist. He likes to hurt folk.” Dust glared straight on, matching her cool, studied indifference with the steel of a lifetime of experience, “And it’s going to get worse. You keep feeding his ego, and he’ll have less and less of a reason to hold back. And as for his marefriend...”

“You know nothing about either of them.” Zenali declared coldly, “I’m sure you’ve heard of Tandia of Garm. The great and noble elder of the zebra people, the first since the megaspells fell. She believes in harmony, kindness, sparing her enemies.” Her face soured darkly, “And what has it achieved? If she had half the conviction of Celestia or Zephyr she would have already taken an army through these lands and cleared out the scum. Instead it was a task that fell to Starhammer and Luna, two unashamed and very effective killers. I will not apologise for the strength of Starhammer and Kunani, the conviction to unite this world.”

“Is that what you took from Luna’s rise? An effective killer?” Zenai spat, “She took in the weak and desperate, protected them, gave them a home. Your tyrant preys upon the weak, same as the rest of them!”

“I grew up in Clendal. The heartland of the zebra race, where the ‘grass is always greener’.” Zenali grimaced, “It stumbles into oblivion, choking on the weak and dependant. Do you know why they sent Kunani to visit ‘King’ Rashik, a zebra who robbed and whored and worked every day to destroy a kingdom that his father had once made the greatest and most noble in the wasteland? What message they wanted to send to such a zebra?”

Dust spoke for them all, “No.”

“Tandia wanted her to learn the culture and languages of his land, so they could better ‘understand’ and ‘seek to help’ the scumbag.” She lowered glaring eyes at him, “That is the attitude good, peaceful zebra take to the monsters of this world.”

“Luna is not Rashik.”

“Is that why she’s brought about eternal night?”

Dust grunted, “Is that why Kunani consumed the souls of her followers to summon evil spirits?”

Zenali paused, her expression tight and strained. Eventually she spoke, turning cold eyes to Star Swirl, “Star Swirl, I once told you that I was a very effective liar. I am not lying now.” She drew herself up, glaring hotly, “Kunani is my friend, and three times the zebra Starhammer is. And now because she took the only option she could think of to save him, she’s currently locked up, awaiting whatever punishment they deem appropriate. And I will accept that, because it will keep her dreams alive. A dream of a strong, united zebra homeland.”

“And Luna’s dream?” Zenai questioned quietly.

“Is the safety of her children.” Zenali glared at them, “I’m not offering money. I’m offering this. If Luna dies then those children will be allowed to flee. If she lives, then the full might of this army will see the death of every single brat in those caves. That’s my offer.”

Dust looked into her eyes. He was pretty sure she wasn’t lying.

_______________________________________

The cosmos opened up before Luna’s eyes. The secrets of creation lay at her hooves. She looked at the filly currently laid out upon the clinic table, her body carefully cleaned and prepared.

She had been called Darts Dasher. She had been known for her speed and athleticism... and also for having bad eyes and a hyperactive personality that frequently got her in trouble.

Luna looked at her and understood how her legs and wings were constructed, what made her so naturally talented. She understood the defects in her eyes and pituary gland that made her so inattentive and overstimuated. She understood how to apply them to others, how to make the others ‘better’.

She looked around at the sad faces, the pain of loss. They just didn’t understand.

“Luna, we have to pack up the caves.”

She looked round at Radhi, giving him her most enthusiastic smile, “No. You have to help me set up the medical ward, I need some equipment and books...”

“Luna, they’re going to attack any moment now. We have to leave.”

She felt she should be paying attention to him, still her mind kept wandering away from his face back to her grand plans. And that was sensible. He wasn’t important at the moment, just another flesh bag... ugn... she didn’t feel well.

She blinked for a moment, trying to fight off the sudden sickness. She scanned her bodily functions and determined everything was working as normal. How unusual, “No... give me a moment...”

“Luna!”

He sounded... concerned? Of course he was, of course he was. Everything was... right. She straightened out, smiling once more, “We don’t have to run. We can fight them now, we can win.”

Radhi was silent for a moment, simple staring at her. His words when they emerged were slow, considered, “How?”

How? That was a good question, “I can use the body parts here to make the others stronger, more powerful. The more intact corpses can be used as undead shock troops...”

“Luna.” He interrupted her, very rudely she thought, “Please put down that book.”

She looked at the object, dangling from her neck by a chain. It consumed her thoughts, that beautiful, wonderful book that would save them all, “I know, isn’t it wonderful? With this we can win, we can build my silver city.”

Radhi’s voice remained quiet and sad, “I’m your oldest friend right?”

“Of course!”

“Then you can give me that book. You can trust me with it for a while.”

She had to stop herself from lashing out right there and then. She could barely keep her tongue in check, “You... you’re trying to steal my book!”

He backed off a step, “No...”

“This... this isn’t important!” She strode past him, full of anger and nervous energy. She spotted Ebony working a short distance away and went over to meet her, “Ebony!”

Radhi called out desperately behind her, “Luna, no!”

She ignored him. He was a silly zebra, full of silly ideas, “Ebony, bring the intact corpses to one side of the room and sew up all the open wounds and bind the broken bones.”

Ebony turned groggily to Luna, her eyes smudged and weak, “Why?”

“I need to start animating them immediately. If we arm them with simple weapons they could prove very effective at defending these tight corridors.”

“You...” She blinked, “You can bring them back to life?”

“No. I can’t bring souls back.” Luna admitted with a little irritation, frustrated that she was still so limited despite her power. If she could then she could have resurrected Swift Crimson and still have one of her best commanders and fighters. But she would make do, “I can give the corpses some simple instructions, enable them to fight Starhammer’s troops.”

Her eyes widened in horror, “You’re going to create undead from the corpses of our friends?!”

“Yes. It’s the best use of their bodies at the present moment.” Luna declared proudly. She was a little confused when Ebony then walked over and took a ripper chain blade from the table, turning and heading back towards Luna with a rather odd expression, “Ebony, what are you...?”

“Ebony stop!” Radhi shouted urgently from behind, Luna turning in confusion at his voice...

Radhi ran forward and shoved Luna, then yelled and ducked as the ripper took a fairly large tuft of his hair. Luna gasped and backed away as Ebony checked she hadn’t taken Radhi’s head off before leaping for Luna once again. This time she was ready, barking a word of power that struck Ebony backwards to crash down onto her back. The ripper Luna took in her telekinesis, shutting it down and throwing it into the trash disposal. Then she turned to the fallen mare, trying to work out what had just happened, “Ebony, why...?”

“I was trying to get that book off you!” She shouted, glaring at the shaking Radhi a short distance away, “If you hadn’t interfered, I would have cut the chain and we could have gotten rid of it!”

“Why?” Luna asked, tears forming in her eyes, “It’s given me all this power. With this I can save you all!”

Radhi looked round, unable to look her in the eye, “It’s affecting your judgement Luna, can’t you tell? You would never think these kind of things...”

“It’s sent you insane!” Ebony interrupted, her voice a screech, “Desecrating our friends! Let alone how pleased you seem over this whole thing!”

Luna hesitated, unable to understand... quite why... “These corpses are resources. Resources I can use to save us.”

“You got dozens of my friends killed for your own stupid pride! You’re using dark magic, hurting and killing everypony around you, betraying everything you ever stood for!” She shouted, tears spilling from her eyes, “I told you this would happen! I watched you go, knowing I would never see any of you again! And I was right!”

“I’m... I’m right here...”

She snarled, grabbing a bone saw from a trolley and hugging it to her chest, “No, Princess Luna is dead. You? You’re a demon wearing her face.” She set herself low, teeth bared, “Come anywhere near any of these ponies and I will kill you!”

“Ebony, you’re just making this worse...”

“Shut up Radhi!”

Luna smiled desperately at the zebra beside her, “That’s right, she’s being irrational right? You agree with me?”

Radhi gasped a little as she looked to him, adjusting his glasses nervously. Eventually he was forced to answer, “She’s right... Luna, you’re losing your mind. That book is evil, it’s corrupting you.”

“No! NO!” She gasped, looking around desperate for escape. She looked down at the book and overwhelming love seized her, a desire to give herself entirely to the words written there...

She... she wanted to kill them both, make a monster from their corpses and set it upon her enemies. It was the only think that made sense... the ONLY SANE DECISION!

She gasped, coughing until her throat hurt, trying to force... something from her body. Some violent poison, some disease that was making her feel this way. Radhi advanced forward cautiously, “Luna... are you ok?”

“GET AWAY FROM ME!” She backed away, fighting off the urge to kill, to dominate, TO KILL ALL OF THEM!

She took a deep breath, ran out of the morgue and slammed the door shut behind her. She twisted the lock shut with her telekinesis before breaking the key off, her face contorted as she gazed through the glass at the two of them, “Stay... away from me...”

She ran out into the cave, closing her eyes as she locked the doors behind her. She kept them closed as she ran through the infirmary, trying to ignore the dead and wounded around her.

She heard... laughter.

She opened her eyes, creeping closer to the door. It was one of the wards, as expected full of foals wounded the previous day. Their broken, crippled bodies were wrapped in bandages, some marking lost limbs... and they were smiling and laughing.

It was Bleak Fields, one eye bandaged over, playing the fool as normal. He danced over to the younger foals, sending them giggling with goofy expressions, then cheerily reassuring with another badly injured mare that was clearly in pain. He was hurt himself, yet he just couldn’t stop. Just couldn’t stand a downturned face.

It struck Luna deeply. That even in the middle of so much death and despair he could find the light of hope, and give it to others.

And here she was, causing them all so much pain. She hurried out of the infirmary, trying to go... somewhere. Somewhere she could lock herself away, starve this evil out of her. She had to...

She had to fight! Kill Starhammer and this would all go away, all be better...

No! Those weren’t her thoughts, those weren’t...

Those were the only thoughts that made sense!

“Get... out of my head...” Luna struggled for a moment, trying to reach Selene. She needed her help to stop this, needed her to shield her from this evil voice in her head. She felt Selene’s presence, reached for her...

Her body locked up, the black matter around her suddenly seizing control of her body. She felt Selene attack her mind, leap at her throat like a rabid dog turned on its master.

If you will not do what must be done, Selene will. This is for the best, you’ll see.

But Luna was ready for this. Her horn sparked and spells she had prepared months earlier came into effect, Selene hurled away, hissing as she was forced back into the corners of her mind. She felt the dark matter disappear, falling with a thump onto the stone ground. Her missing leg throbbed against the prosthesis as she staggered upright, her naked fur feeling vulnerable and exposed.

“Are you ok?”

Luna turned, her stomach doing summersaults as she saw Niyada walking over. She clamped her tongue, trying to back away from the camel’s advance...

“You look hurt.” Niyada’s expression was full of concern, just inviting Luna to trust. She would have loved nothing more, but she couldn’t... her next words only confirming why, “I don’t recognise you. What’s your name?”

Luna felt a tear run down her cheek, “Leave me alone...”

“Luna?!”

Luna grimaced, shaking her head. No, no this wasn’t right. Not now, not like this. She turned, moving to gallop away...

“Luna, please wait.”

Luna winced as she felt Niyada’s hoof on her shoulder, trying to control her shaking as she paused in place. Niyada... was taller than her like this. It made her feel so vulnerable, so weak. She turned a shivering eye to the mare, voice pleading, “Please Niyada...you have to evacuate the caves, get everypony away from me.”

Niyada’s voice was as calm and kind as ever, “Luna, please. I want to understand. Why are you like... this?”

“Because it’s a lie...”

“What is?”

“Everything... please, I’m dangerous.” Luna felt the tears flow faster now, “Get away from me.”

“Why are you dangerous?”

“I can’t control myself... the book... this book, it has a hold on me and I can’t...” Niyada’s hoof reached for the book and Luna immediately danced back, magic charging at her horn, “GET AWAY FROM IT! IT’S... it’s mine...”

She let her head fall, bitter tears falling to the ground. After all this time resisting demons, dark temptations... and now she was utterly helpless, “Niyada, please. My normal form, the black alicorn? It’s a separate being under my control that I use as my skin. It’s very dangerous and I spent a long time learning to control it, and now... now the book has control of her.”

“Luna, if we leave you alone then...” Niyada let the statement hang, her expression full of compassion as she stood a little way back, body poised to run if needed, “There must be something we can do to help.”

Luna felt the urge to kill return, clenching her teeth and trying to force the impulse back through sheer force of will...

But she was right. Luna was going to lose this fight eventually. She gasped, tears flowing faster as she admitted the terrible truth to herself. She... was already lost, “You can... you can kill me. Kill me! Please!”

Niyada looked scared now, gasping a little before shaking her head, “No...”

“I’m going to lose control! I don’t want to hurt anyone! I... don’t...!”

Niyada moved forward with deceptive swiftness, lunging for her. Luna felt her protectiveness of the book surge and kicked out, striking Niyada several times and hearing her hiss in pain... before the mare’s hooves encircled her and held her tight.

“NO! PLEASE! Let... let go!” She struggled, feeling the book take control, feeling the desire to hurt and dominate...

“You’re the strongest mare I’ve ever met. You brought us together, you fought to protect us, you gave a hundred foals a future they can call their own.” Niyada clutched Luna tighter, absorbing her struggles with barely a grunt, “You can beat this. That book is trying to make you a bad pony Luna, and that’s one thing you’re not.”

“I am! I’m a terrible pony, I’ve done terrible things!” Luna gasped, feeling her mind fill with evil deeds, her cackling joy as zebra burned and knowing it was right and just. She wanted to kill them all, she wanted vengeance and dominance, to abuse them as they had abused her!

“You’re our princess, and these children love you for a reason. They see your soul Luna, and it is a beautiful one.”

“I... I...” Luna took a deep breath and steeled her resolve. She had known for days she had the greatest fight of her life coming, and now she knew it wasn’t with Starhammer. She should have known that long ago, that her greatest foe would be herself, her darkest impulses and Selene turned against her, “I have to fight this thing.” She fixed her eyes on the camel, smiling at her with all the strength she could muster, “Stall for me, and if I don’t emerge after a day come looking. If I... if I break out of my room... it means I’ve lost, and I’m long dead. Put whatever’s left down hard, ok?”

“Luna...” Niyada’s voice shook, “There has to be something we can do to help.”

“You already have.” Luna gave an affectionate nod before heading towards her room, ready for whatever was to come. This time there would be no coming back... but for some reason she was not afraid.

______________________________

They had debated at length the merits of sneaking into the park surrounding Dusklight, eventually deciding that it wasn’t worth the effort. Meeting guards or sentries to negotiate with would be a boon, and they weren’t enemies just yet. Not to mention the desert was dangerous enough at night without straying from the established path.

So they passed through the sad, lonely gates one more time, all of their eyes straying across the pictures of happy children, faded and torn, the tiny skeletons littered all about them. It seemed an ominous start to the mission.

“I wondered when you would finally arrive.”

Dust turned with a controlled trot, weapons angled cautiously. Whoever had spoken obviously already had them in their sights, so hopefully wasn’t an enemy, “Show yourself.”

A pony shaped figure stepped out from a corner shaded by moonlight, it’s silver radiance reflecting off her white cloak with a burst of shining kaleidoscopic reflections. Dust had to admit his breath froze in his throat as she turned and revealed a long delicate muzzle and soft pink eyes, set into a perfect alabaster coat. She smiled at the group and that smile was just as perfect as the rest of her, warm and loving and full of grace.

Puppy spoke up, her tone slightly chastising, “Uncle sir, do I have to turn up the cooling levels?”

“Sunshine Ivory!” Star Swirl exclaimed, galloping forward eagerly, “What are you doing here?”

“I am a priestess of the sun. Somepony appears to have stolen it.” Her expression became slightly more concerned, looking at each of them in turn, “But I am afraid to step forward on my own, my powers are considerable but no match for Luna’s. I was waiting for others to arrive to help.”

Dust grunted, still a little embarrassed by Puppy’s jibe, “Well, we’re here. Such as we are.”

The priestess nodded, “Indeed I had hoped for many more to aid us. Still, three noble souls is a match for five hundred conscripted soldiers, yes? Though I fear it is an unpleasant task which awaits us.”

“Can’t you talk to her?” Star Swirl declared desperately, “You’re her friend, she trusts you!”

Something dark crossed Sunshine Ivory’s face, the mare concealing her eyes beneath her hood for a moment. Her voice was dark as she answered, “Where did you hear that Star Swirl?”

“Luna...” Star Swirl hesitated, “Luna told me. She told me everything.”

Sunshine Ivory emerged from within her hood, once again smiling and calm. She gave a look of slight regret before speaking, “I see. I hoped to guide her towards a better path, however much she tried to drive me away. I had hoped you would not find out... for this is my fault. If I had done something different, maybe this would not have happened.” She closed her eyes, looking pained and deeply regretful, “That is why I am here. I gave her this power, I gave her the idea for Dusklight and helped her set it up. And now she wields both to evil purposes, hurts others with my gifts. And stopping her is my responsibility.”

“No... Luna’s my fri... she’s my sister.” Star Swirl declared fiercely, “And I will save her!”

Sunshine Ivory looked at Star Swirl with deep sadness, a quiet, far away smile across her gentle features, “Oh Star Swirl, you sound so much like Celestia. But like her...”

“We won’t know until we try.” Dust interjected, not really seeing the point of speculation, “But another member of our group is appreciated.”

“Indeed.” Sunshine replied, turning to him, “So shall we get moving? This night is not getting any warmer.”

He nodded, trying to keep his mind off her as he stepped forward and through the archway, the others following behind. The park looked even creepier in the dark, Dust keeping an eye out for anything that might be lying in ambush. He doubted Luna had left this path completely unguarded.

He really didn’t have time for speculation, but something felt off about all this. Sunshine Ivory was linked to both Star Swirl and Luna? Wouldn’t that suggest that she was also behind Star Swirl abandoning them at the corpse of the All-mother? She was pretty and well spoken and polite, but he wasn’t so naive as to think that meant she was necessarily entirely on the level.

He wished they weren’t in a hurry. As it was he was going to have to keep a close eye on her.

“Dust Kicker.”

Puppy spoke bluntly, Dust noting that she didn’t babble his name with numerous honorific’s like she tended to do in the past, “Yes Puppy?”

“I won’t let you kill Luna.” She paused for a moment before speaking again, a little more aggressively, “I’ll shut down this armor if you try to.”

Dust sighed, wishing she had told him this earlier. He certainly didn’t want to kill he either, but he liked to have his options open. But then... maybe it would have been cruel to leave her behind, or discount her opinion. He eventually decided on simply trying to reassuring her of his intentions, “I’m loaded with non-lethal weaponry. I don’t intend to kill her.”

“You have lethal ammo in my reserves, and even the non-lethal ammo options can kill or cripple in the right places.”

Dust admitted this, yes. He initially thought to downgrade to actual non-lethal weaponry, but then reality kicked in, “Princess Luna is very powerful Puppy. Low velocity beanbag rounds and stun darts are just going to bounce off. I’m a good shot, I’m confident that I can put anyone here down without causing them too much injury.”

Her voice softened, “Really?”

“I’ll... do my best. I’m going to be honest here, if the whole of Dusklight chooses to fight us then taking it easy is going to get us killed. There’s a lot of talent in some of those kids, and I’m a heavily outnumbered old man firing low velocity rounds in confined spaces.”

“I’ll protect you uncle sir.” Puppy stated, before her image moved into a pout, “But you have to promise to protect Luna.”

She was being unusually vehement. He was aware she didn’t like killing, but had never made this much of a fuss about it, “Why are you so attached to her Puppy?”

Puppy’s face fell, “Because... she’s my friend. My first real one. And she teaches me stuff, and she’s kind, and believes in me...”

Dust frowned, feeling he was missing something, “I wasn’t aware you had ever spoken.”

She paused for a moment, sounding a little flustered on her reply, “She’s a dreamwalker. She comes to me when my systems are powered down.”

She... what? Dust shivered a little, slightly unsettled by that statement, “I don’t mean to insult you Puppy... but I was under the impression that you were a artificial intelligence, a computer program.”

“That’s why you can’t kill her.” Puppy insisted, quiet but firm, “She made me special, like she made all these other kids special too. She’s a real Princess, like the ones from the stories. She can save this wasteland, make it better.”

Dust Kicker knew Luna was... different. She wasn’t a Goddess created alicorn, and that made her unlike anything else in the wasteland. But as time had gone on he had come to see her as a large unicorn with wings, powerful and talented, but nothing more than the sum of those parts. Maybe that had been a mistake, even though it made him both scornful and a little scared to think of her as some... mythical living goddess, “Did she tell you she was a princess?”

“She told me she wasn’t one.” Puppy stated sadly, “She told me she was just a stupid, ugly girl who managed to spin a convincing lie.”

Dust felt his heart sink, his words swept away. He struggled for something to say, “Puppy... I...”

“She made me feel like a real pony, not just some hollow weapon of war.” Puppy stated with fiery conviction, “And... I don’t think she realises that. I think she really believes that all this is her fault.”

Dust sighed. He allowed the feelings that had lay buried under his cynicism to finally be unleashed, allowing himself, however briefly, to believe, “Then let’s go tell her the truth Puppy.”

____________________________________

“You cannot fight this. You have already failed, you have already invited me into your heart. But do not fret, this is merely the beginning.”

“Nononononono...”

“We shall accomplish great things together.”

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!”

It was no use. Luna writhed on her bedroom floor, throwing herself forcefully against the ground in an attempt to beat these horrible thoughts from her mind. It was already obvious how futile it was, her thoughts already blurring into that of some terrible, alien mind, full of madness and power. It already had Selene, now she felt it take control of her body, holding her breath, locking her legs. She lay there in utter terror, feeling black, creeping tendrils wrap themselves around her mind...

She forced those tendrils back through sheer force of will, competing her stubborness against a dark lord who had once held the entire world in his claws. Her ego, against a godlike force of pure evil. She smiled at that, smiled and laughed, feeling the presence shrink back in frustration and anger. It gave her the power to move back up on her hooves, staring arrogantly ahead as her room melted into a broken, corpse ridden wasteland. She snarled as a beast emerged from the mists, a twisted, broken draconequis with eyes full of madness, clad in ragged, vandalised robes. It glared but she simply advanced forward, setting her mouth in a challenging sneer, “Get out of my fucking head.”

“There is no need for this.” Philidous spoke, his voice raspy and dry, barely a whisper, “Take what I offer. Bring order to the world.”

“Eternal night?” Luna spat, “Is this order? You’re a fucking hack, forcing me into the same, stupid old mistakes. Was this supposed to help?”

“Yes. This makes things simple. One time of day, one way of life. Impose eternal night on the world, create beasts and plants that can only survive at night, let evolution take its course. The night feeds your power, it is the only logical choice.”

“Evolution?” Luna’s sneer became a grimace, bile in her gullet at being in the thrall of this... villainous cliche, “What would you know about evolution? I saw your city, you never learned anything new. Just the same tired old ideas, unable to even conceive of anything outside your field of reference. Zephyr put your city to the torch, Discord nailed you to the wall. You never saw either of them coming.”

Phildious didn’t react with anger to her taunts, simply extending a claw, “If you accept my offer you would be the maker. The world would be in your image, not mine.”

“Even if that was true, what would a world made in one mare’s image be? Nothing but a stark portrait of all their failings.” Luna shook her head, certainty dawning, “You descended into idiocy because you surrounded yourself with reflections of yourself. My experiences have taught me just how much having good friends with different opinions can serve and teach you. Help to make you better than you thought you could ever be.”

Phildious seethed visually for a moment or two before growing calm, folding his claws behind his back, “You don’t have to be like me, you can just take my power...”

“You must think I’m a moron.”

“You...”

“SHUT UP!” She forced his mental influence backwards, her will taking control of the world, throwing aside the corpses and the wastes. She realised now, the truth of it. This was her dream, and he was just a empty ghost. The glittering night sky surrounded them in its place, the jeweled, twinkling stars silhouetting her form. She took Phildious in her telekinesis, forcing him downwards with irresistible force, “I will not take this path. Individual power is not the road to peace.”

Phildious screamed his objections, spittle flying from broken teeth, “You could be the next Celestia!”

“I intend to be the first me.” Luna answered sharply, “Celestia won respect and allegiance by embodying everything she believed in. I will not become anything worthy of respect by abandoning myself for power.”

He smiled desperately, “Very well, you have proven your worth, you have defeated me. Now my secrets are all open to you...”

“No.” Luna shook her head, “This was a mistake. I let fear control me, and it blinded me to the truth.”

Phildious' voice was pleading now, “I can lead you to the truth...”

“You can lead me nowhere. Because you are the ghost of a lonely old failure, who died alone and unmorned.” She shook her head, advancing towards the dracoequis and lifting the black book in her telekinesis, “I will not make the same mistake.”

She felt relief for a moment, then a dozen niggling thoughts. Lock it away, give it away, keep it in her room to test herself, lock it away in a tomb only the most worthy could conquer...

“The world will be better off without you.”

Fear, pleading, a feeling she was going too far, that she couldn’t destroy so much stored knowledge, that the book was worth money, power, fame! It continued as Luna focused her magic, Luna desperately closing her mind against the constant pleading cry...

“You... you cannot do this!” He spat finally, his broken teeth set in a desperate sneer, “Without me, you know what you are. A evil, spiteful little girl, a hypocrite, unworthy of love. You speak of sincerity, of being yourself. You hide behind the image of a long dead princess, because you know your true face is ugly and worthless!”

Luna felt tears drip down her face, “I know.”

“It doesn’t have to be like that! I can give you everything you ever wanted...”

She lifted her head, eyes firm and resolved through the tears, “You will never understand what it is that I want.”

“I COULD! JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT!”

Luna sighed, feeling her heart finally torn open for all to see, “All I ever wanted was to know...

Luna’s voice broke, “...that I wasn’t a monster.”

Phildious lifted a claw, his mouth opening in a desperate scream, “NO!”

She felt the magic surge around her, felt it fill her body. She didn’t know where she got the power from, only knew that it felt right and proper. Her eyes blazed blue, her body arching as she ascended into the air. At that moment she knew she had touched harmony, and that there was nothing she couldn’t do. So she took the book in that magic, wrapped it tight and did the only proper thing.

The book teleported with a flash, Luna letting it go at the peak of the surge and feeling it sail outwards and away. She heard it scream as it drifted outwards into the cold black, spinning at speed towards the hot white. She let it go and closed her mind to it, feeling for what seemed the first time in years a sense of overwhelming peace.

It would take years, decades even. But the black book was now forgotten in cold space, and would one day reach its final destination. Star Swirl had said one had once been destroyed by a megaspell. She wagered on the chance that the sun would do the job just as well.

Selene whined softly, Luna settling down and shedding a tear as she comforted the little voice, “It’s ok Selene. True power doesn’t come from selling yourself out for cheap promises.”

She sat there for a long while, just... thinking. Luna was aware she needed the rest, her body and soul weary from months of abuse. She knew there were things she could do, but also aware deep down that she was in no condition to do them.

Swift Crimson... she wished they could have truly admitted what was between them, had children, become a pair of angrily bickering old survivors. She had mocked him because his beliefs challenged her, made her think about her own morality. She was a better pony because of him, and she only wished she had been the pony who could have made him happy. She had offered him her body so many times, thinking herself generous, giving him what she thought he wanted.

He had wanted the same thing she had in the end. It had taken her until now to realise that, and now she could never tell him. She was alone now because she had been too afraid. All too willing to offer the flesh if it stopped him from going any deeper, towards the parts of her that actually mattered.

She let her head drift down and for the first time since he had died she allowed herself to weep. Both for him and everypony else. Everypony that had been killed because of her.

_____________________________________

“You know what you’re doing. I’ve never seen anyone sneak so well in a white cloak.”

Sunshine Ivory smiled, clearly pleased by his praise as they both kept low and cautious. Star Swirl walked out in the open a short way away, the pair both keeping a close eye on her. They had both soon realised that there was no way of hiding the giant, clumsy alicorn, instead just focusing on keeping their true numbers concealed. Zenai was out there... somewhere, being reassuringly good at the task.

Dust on the other hand was taking the opportunity to get to know their new addition, Sunshine fixing her step before speaking, “I am a master of light magic, and my cloak is reflective. I can use it to hide myself in the moonlight, keep myself hidden even in plain sight.”

“Impressive.” He commented cheerily, “And where did a priestess learn how to step lightly, test for loose ground and keep an eye on the horizon?”

She chuckled quietly as she stepped over a broken pipe, “You have a good eye yourself Dust Kicker.”

“Not really, my eyesight has been going for years. But takes one to know one, and I’ve been a mercenary for a long time.”

She paused a moment before giving a little grin, her tone light, “I did some light security work as a young mare. I didn’t think it had left that much of a mark on me.”

Truth be told, it hadn’t. He had never met a mercenary that was that clean of scars or burns, and her manner didn’t exactly scream it either. If Mint Engine hadn’t told him back in Star Fall he would have never guessed it, but now he knew he could see the clear skill in her stance and focus. She never let her eyes stray from the horizon or glaze over, even as they spoke like this, “What made you give it up?”

“What made you stay?” She questioned, “In all your time as a mercenary, can you really say you have made much real difference? I fought against the evil of the wasteland, but that evil continued to perpetuate itself. I realised that magic and gunfire alone would never be victorious, that it was faith and charity that would change this world.”

Dust considered this. He would say that, yes, he had done some good, but had to admit across the whole NCR there was one name that was always spoken when you spoke of power, positive change and real progress, “You should meet Velvet Remedy of the NCR. I think you two would get along quite well.”

“I agree.” She smiled, a little sparkle in the corner of her eye, “We do receive radio from Equestria in Star Fall, remember? I listened to Velvet Remedy and DJ Pon3 as a young woman, they were what encouraged me to leave Star Fall and become a mercenary.”

He... was surprised by that, “Really?”

She grinned, “Yes. And when I returned, discouraged by my lack of success, listening to the station again revealed that while I was gone she had established a church that was known across Equestria for good deeds and civic leadership. That she had found true success not by the gun, but by the pen and scroll.”

Dust couldn’t help smiling, wondering it Velvet Remedy’s ego could grow any bigger, “I’m pretty sure she would be very pleased to know she inspired ponies all the way in the zebra lands.”

“I hope I can live up to her example.” She spoke quietly and hopefully, “Guiding the nation on the road to virtue.”

Dust chuckled. That was one way to put it, though he knew many would disagree. Personally he liked Velvet Remedy, still he wasn’t naive about the strength of her influence or the fact that she made a mockery of the democratic process. In a way she reminded of Red Eye a little. He had no doubt she was a good mare with good intentions, and respected that she wasn’t afraid to get her hooves dirty to achieve them... “Keep your head down.”

Sunshine Ivory blinked, “What?”

Dust indicated a nearby structure, Puppy already enhancing his zoom to spot the figure within. It was small and childlike, clad entirely in a dirty grey cloak that blended into the surroundings. A rifle sat in the figure’s hooves, barrel focused on the totally unaware Star Swirl, “Follow me. Zenai, can you hear me?”

“Hearing you.”

“We have weapons trained on us. They haven’t fired yet, likely just keeping an eye. I’m going to flank them, keep an eye out for ambushes or traps.”

The mare’s voice shook a little, “Sure...”

They darted through the fairground ruins, Puppy whistling out and highlighting another figure nearer to their position. Dust indicated a new route and they circled, waiting until they were closer before motioning Sunshine Ivory to move forward. He set himself down and pulled out his rifle, Puppy supplying targeting crosshairs and a zoom as he braced himself. Dust appreciated it, but couldn’t help feeling slightly put out, “Why do I even have a scope on my rifle anymore?”

Puppy giggled, “I could turn off targeting if you want...”

“No, that’s ok. Just turn my speakers back on please Puppy.”

“If you wanted I could hack into his earpiece, talk to him that way.”

Dust blinked, honestly taken by suprise, “You can do that?”

Puppy sounded very pleased, “At this range, sure. They’re not even using an encrypted channel.”

Dust was going to ask for an operator’s manual after this was over. The girl was certainly full of surprises, “Please do, thank you Puppy. I want this on all their headsets, can you do that?”

“Wait a moment... sure, they have a channel reserved for multiple signals, I’ve tapped into it now.”

Dust took a deep breath and readied himself, confirming Sunset Ivory had her weapon on the one nearby before himself targeting the first figure. He smiled to himself, waiting for the reaction, “If we could all put our guns down that would be appreciated. We aren’t here to cause trouble.”

He grinned as both figures whirled about in panic, the nearby one freezing as Sunshine Ivory stepped up to him with a smile.

“In case you haven’t noticed we’ve got the draw on all three of you, so if you could come out into the open we can have a reasoned discussion.”

Puppy’s face appeared to the side of his display, “How do you know there’s three of them?”

Dust just grinned as a third figure indeed emerged, meeting up with the first figure and heading towards their comrade and Sunshine Ivory. Dust came to meet them, soon joined by Star Swirl... and Zenai leading a forth figure at gunpoint. He chuckled at her, “Well, seems I miscounted.”

“She’s still limping.” Zenai commented, eyes narrowed cautiously at the forth figure, “You should still be in the medbay.”

The forth figure sniffed briefly before throwing her hood back, revealing a small female zebra with narrow, cautious eyes. Dust had seen her around, one of the members of Zenai’s team at Santoria, Xani he seemed to recall. She looked around nervously for a moment before finally speaking, “I wasn’t able to attend the duel, and my friends got hurt. But I can protect them now.”

“We all feel that way.” One of the others stated, throwing his own hood back. This figure was a zebra youth too, only with half his skin sloughed away and the familiar raspy tone of a ghoul, “We were expecting you earlier. When you didn’t arrive, figured it would be Starhammer’s troops marching through here.”

“It could still happen. He sent us down here to kill Luna, though personally I’m not too enthusiastic about that plan.” Dust grunted, “They all but promised to raise this place to the ground if we take too long.”

Star Swirl turned her head quizzically to the ghoul, “I don’t think I know you.”

“You would remember. My name is Kai. I’m one of the ghosts that haunt this place.” He nodded to his two remaining companions, both throwing their own hoods back to reveal similarly childlike ghouls, “This is Jashin and Zaihide.”

“What’s going on down there?” Zenai stated breathlessly, clearly concerned, “I mean... since Luna returned.”

“We’re not sure.” Kai spoke grimly, looking up at the sky and the full moon hanging above, “Our commanding officer was Swift Crimson, and... Luna has not replaced him. She has merely ordered us to scout for enemies, and for the most part has left the others to their own devices. As you can imagine the lack of leadership is causing its own issues, especially since so many higher ranking ponies were killed during the battle at the proving grounds.”

“Well at least she isn’t randomly killing ponies.” Dust commented, “She might still be rational enough to negotiate with.”

“I’m willing to let you pass, though I don’t know what welcome you will receive at the caves.” Kai nodded to Xani, “Xani, escort them back. We need to continue watching for enemies.”

“Keep your guard up.” Dust warned, “Some of Starhammer’s scouts are easily as good as us at sneaking.”

“I am aware.” Kai replied grimly, “Our eyesight might have decayed over the last two hundred years, but at the moment we’re still the best Dusklight has.”

One of the other ghouls dropped her head, “We should have run when we had the chance. We never had a chance.”

“Chance or not, the facts of the matter stand. Back to postion, both of you.” He nodded grimly to the party, “Good luck. It looks like our fate is in your hands now.”

~

They made their way through the entrance tunnel, familiar graffiti and familiar smells only making his heart sink further. He could feel it in his skin, this place had changed.

They reached the barricades, Xani stepping out first and whispering something inaudible before waving them forward. And forward they came, Dust looking up at the heavy spike trap suspended above the cave entrance. It certainly didn’t look safe, and he was just waiting for it to trigger accidently and spear some nine year old, “Who’s in charge here?”

A mare climbed out from behind the barricades, larger, clearly an adult. Her body was covered in camouflage paint and heavy leather armor, her hair tied back behind an Equestrian infantry helmet. She pointed a shotgun at them, zebra style with the barrel balanced on her leg, “Drop your weapons, all of you!”

“Fluttershy?” Dust peered at the mare, clearly seeing some signs of the pegasus under the grease paint and... mild crazy. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot and she didn’t look like she had been sleeping, deciding to play it cautious, “It’s us Fluttershy...”

“I know it’s you!” She answered firmly, waving her gun at them, “But you were too long, too long gone. And Star Swirl, she’s with HIM! She’s convinced you over to his side!”

Celestia damn it... Fluttershy had lost it again. They really didn’t need this, “Fluttershy, we’re not here to hurt Princess Luna. We’re trying to help her, convince her to lower the sun before a full army comes through here and...”

“We’re ready for them.”

Dust gritted his teeth, “Fluttershy, you can’t take on all of them by yourself. Your trap there is good but it will get, what, three of them at most?”

“What am I supposed to do?!” Fluttershy yelled, before her voice broke and she dropped her gun to the ground. Her head rose after a second, deep pain and regret in her expression, “You’ve been gone three days! It’s all Radhi can do to hold Luna back from doing anything terrible, and the others just aren’t enough to keep everything together! I’ve got a hundred kids in their who’ve lost friends, family...!”

“Fluttershy...” Ace Gold stepped out behind her, placing a hoof on the shaking mare. He had a bandage round his eyes but otherwise stepped quite confidently. He even smiled with his next words, “We’re all glad you’re here. You can set things right, right?”

Dust smiled in relief as the other children came out from behind the barricade, moving forward to meet them. He removed his helmet and placed it down on the ground, brushing his hair back and giving Fluttershy a smile, “We’ll do our best. Where is she right now?”

“She’s...” Ace started, then paused with a worried look on his face. His head turned, seeming to sniff the air for a moment. His mouth opened silently, finally speaking in a quiet, frightened voice, “There’s somepony here... hidden in a stealth cloa...”

A zebra decloaked right next to Dust and swept a gladius round, stealth cloak fluttering. Dust darted back and the blade missed him by moments, only for a solid kick to spin in from the side and knock him to the floor. The zebra leapt on top of him and attempted to drive a blade into his chest, Dust smacking it aside to graze his shoulder before headbutting the zebra and kicking him away.

Fluttershy gasped, grappling for her shotgun before another zebra drove a blade into her shoulder and she dropped. Said zebra didn’t have long to celebrate however, Ace Gold leaping up and kicking him in the face hard enough to knock him flying a good couple of feet, unconscious the second his shattered jaw met the ground.

Dust looked across at the entrance to the caves beyond, knowing that their real target was ahead. He saw hoof prints appearing in the dust and shouted to the foal guarding the exit with a terrified expression, “Watch out, in front...!”

The foal dropped, shot clean through the head. The hoof prints continued past him with barely a pause, “Damnit!”

“Worry about yourself.” The zebra assassin stated as he flipped back onto his hooves and drove in with blade slashing for his throat.

________________________________________________

Luna... dreamt. Of times past. Of times forgotten.

Midnight Dreamer had heard the tales of the Entidi, her village being just past their territory. They had even suffered numerous raids from them back in the old days, her mother, grandmother and great grandmother having filled them full of enough holes to dissuade them by the time she was born. As such she had always considered them storybook villains, ghosts to scare children into behaving.

Now she saw them on the road below, dragging wagons full of beaten children towards a vast slave market on the ridge. They laughed as they threw rocks at the cowering foals, shouted and jeered, using language that made her sick to her stomach. They boasted of rape and murder in an almost casual tone.

And there was too many of them. She had already learned that even like this she wasn’t invincible, and there were at least twenty well armed zebra in that camp. She couldn’t leave those children to their fate, but there was no way she could free them with all those...

Midnight Dreamer grinned as she saw the wagon filled with spare weapons and ammo, almost totally unguarded and a plan already forming. She shrouded herself in magical darkness and took flight, soaring smoothly down the cliff face and into the shadow of the prisoner cage. She fought the urge to gag as she used her dreamwalking ability to dim the minds of the slavers, encouraging them further into daydreams of debauchery and vice. That gave her enough time to creep closer to the captive foals, revealing herself to them bit by bit and shushing them with a hoof to her lips. She spoke quietly, “Can you fight? Do you know how to use weapons?”

Fear and hesitation moved across their faces, as expected. No pony spoke. Midnight Dreamer realised then that she had made a terrible mistake, that these foals were just children, scared and...

“I can fight.” A foal moved through the group with clear authority, a young, red coated pegasus with clear muscle under the bruises and deeper injuries, “Give us a chance, I’ll have every pony here ready.”

Midnight Dreamer blushed for a moment at the stallion’s grim confidence before nodding firmly, unlocking the cage with a quick spell and floating over a steady stream of guns and ammo from the cart. The pegasus took a revolver with grim determination, quietly beckoning forward other children to take weapons of their own...

“Hey! The slaves are escaping!”

Midnight Dreamer span round, spotting the slaver yelling out with eyes agog... before he dropped, his brains blasted across the sand.

“Everypony who wants to live, take a weapon and fight!” The pegasus hopped down, aiming his weapon once more at the swarm of slavers now rousing from their stupor, “Give these bastards exactly what they deserve!”

A slaver aimed up and fired a blast of buckshot right at the pegasus, Midnight Dreamer growling and deflecting it away with her shields before sending forth a roar of magic that sent zebra tumbling, “Stay behind my barrier and keep firing!”

...the battle was a blur, a whirl of terror, sound and pain. She followed Swift Crimson, shouted his orders to the others, used her height to serve as a rallying point...

And now she stood among the burning structures of the slaver fortress, a hundred armed zebra dead and wounded, her small band of twenty eight standing victorious. Some cheered, others just looked shocked...

Twenty six. Her band of twenty six.

She looked down at the two dead foals. One was male, skinny and wild eyed. He had a haunted look in his eye, had thrown himself desperately at the enemy with insane bravery. Apparently no one had known his name. He had been silent the entire journey. The other was a female, chubby and pink furred, with a pretty face and curly hair tied into pigtails. Her family had been rich merchants before they had been waylaid by slavers and she had been taken. Her name was Cheery Smiles and she had spent most of the time crying and snivelling, had been killed when she fell behind the others and got caught in the open.

Midnight Dreamer saw something... terrible, sad and meaningless in their small dead bodies. She was a demon, a terrible pony who hurt and tormented others, who used dark magic and pacts with demons.

And she was the only one who seemed to care. What did that say about this world?

She knelt down, tears flooding down her face as she cried. She didn’t care that the others were watching, she saw the humiliation as tribute to these two lives that should not have ended so soon. She finally stood to see them all watching her, twenty six ponies looking at her expectantly. She was full of anger, putting it into her voice as she yelled at them, “What are you still doing here? Go! You’re free!”

It was the crimson pegasus who answered first, stepping forward with fierce eyes, “We’re free? To do anything we choose?”

“Yes.” Midnight Dreamer spoke firmly, feeling that this at least brought off a few of her sins, “So go. I’ll... I’ll bury these two.”

The pegasus shook his head, stepping forward, “We’ll bury them together.”

“...there’s no need...”

“You gave me freedom to make my own choices. And now I make the only one that makes sense.” He stepped forward, dropping into a elegant, strong bow straight out of the storybooks, “I am Swift Crimson, and I pledge myself body and soul to you Princess Luna.”

Midnight Dreamer couldn’t help but gasp, her eyes wide. No... no! This wasn’t... she wasn’t...

The foals surged forward after a moment’s hesitation, all falling into bows beside him. Their pledges filled the air as Swift Crimson stood, his eyes turned to Midnight Dreamer with a look of fierce devotion.

She had never been looked at like that before.

~

Midnight Dreamer tried to look as convincing and reassuring as possible as Radhi’s eyes threatened to pop out of his head, his jaw hanging limply. She looked back at the troop of thirty one foals behind her and sympathised, turning back to the zebra and insisting pleadingly, “Please, I... I don’t know what to do...”

“Why me?” Radhi stated dumbly, his speech high and strained, “I mean... why do you think I would be able to help?”

“You helped me.”

His expression calmed, still it was grim and slightly desperate, “You were one pony, and you were injured and hungry. I have food and medicine, but I’m... just a alchemist’s assistant.”

“I... I’m so sorry...” Midnight Dreamer sighed, realising that after the initial rush she was truly seeing what a terrible idea this was. She wasn’t a leader, she was a stupid little girl, “I’ve put you in danger bringing them here. We... we should go into the wastes, maybe find a hidden cave somewhere...”

“No.”

Luna looked back at Radhi, the zebra now looking firm and determined, “What?”

“To let another go cold and hungry is to invite that cold into your own heart.” Radhi looked up at her, smiling “I... I might know somewhere where you can hide. I can take you there...”

“No Radhi.” She shook her head, already feeling bad, “You helped me and now I bring all this to your doorstep...”

“Midnight Dreamer... do you know why I want to become an alchemist?”

She looked at him, shaking her head.

Radhi smiled, “I love history, but to read about history is to... understand how much was lost. And that sometimes makes you wonder if there’s any hope left.” He chuckled, expression warm and kind, “But whenever I felt that way my teacher would always encourage me to read the holy books. And they taught me that all life is precious, that we should preserve it, help it grow, that it should be free and vibrant. That we should treat others with respect and kindness, and free ourselves from hate and anger. I read about zebra who had sacrificed their very lives to ensure others could live, who established the infrastructure that allowed entire cities to thrive. And because of that example... I want to become a zebra who sells herbal remedies for money.”

Midnight Dreamer averted her head, abashed. She was well aware what an abomination she was to the Fire, and to see it spoke about by one who she was asking so much of was painful, “Please Radhi, I can’t ask you...”

“I’m grateful.” He smiled broadly, “I thought I was being tested when I found you in my room, felt good when I fed you and dressed your wounds. A good deed to be proud of. Exactly what my faith expected of me.” He shook his head, chuckling, “And now you present me with a whole tribe of homeless, displaced orphans, fleeing from those who wish them imprisoned or dead.”

“And that’s something to be grateful for?” She questioned.

“I have a chance to be like the heroes who have inspired me, who have comforted me in a world of ashes.” He nodded, smiling, “And now the question to me is... can I measure up? Can I follow their example, leave my comfortable life and my possessions behind to life a life of uncertainty and struggle?”

She looked at him, almost ready to cry once again as he smiled back at her with resolve and kindness, “I don’t...”

He chuckled, nodding to her and the other foals, “The answer it seems... is yes. Please, follow me. I know a place where they’ll be safe.”

~

“No! This is not right!”

Luna sighed as another meeting of the council members descended into bickering, once again flaring between the two most stubborn of the group. She had grown tired of this a long time ago, and even Radhi and Niyada had gone quiet, obviously also despairing of their ability to separate the two.

“For fuck sake, Hopeful Spring made a mistake.” Swift Crimson spat, pacing aggressively, his muscles tensed and his posture twitchy, “You have no idea what it’s like out there, just one foal surrounded by a fucking hoard of unfriendly adults.”

Niyada sighed, her voice soft, “Swift, please, keep it civil...”

“I can defend myself.” Ebony spoke sharply before turning her eyes back to Swift Crimson, “When I am operating on a gunshot wound through the upper intestinal tract or delivering a baby, do you think I can afford to get angry or lose control?”

“Well we’re not all you.” Swift Crimson grunted, “Some of us have some fucking emotions.”

Niyada and Radhi both tensed to speak but Luna shot them both looks. She wanted to know Ebony’s response.

“Maybe I do not have emotions.” Ebony spoke, actually seeming calmer than before, “But I do have standards. Integrity. I have to do the best I can or ponies die. Ponies with loved ones, life, things to offer the world. To be without integrity is to be like the slavers we fought against.”

“Oh for...” Swift growled, looking uncomfortable, “You always throw that accusation out, like we’re just another raider group that fought over territory and won. We were slaves Ebony, we fought for our fucking freedom.”

“And now we have the guns and the power. And two days ago one of our chosen representatives to the outside world shot and killed two civilians because they insulted her verbally.” She spoke her words bluntly and simply, her gaze stiff and unblinking, “Do you think that they can tell the difference between us and the ones we replaced? Do you think they will respect us as champions of respect and freedom if we forgive murder because the perpetrator was one of ours?”

Swift Crimson hesitated, shaking slightly before his head fell and his mouth angled itself in a bitter grimace, “So what do we do?”

“I have already told you, as has Radhi.”

Radhi looked startled before grinning nervously, “Please don’t bring me into this Ebony. I’m not sure I know what...”

“We need laws.” Ebony interrupted him with a glare, “We need a fair system that all are equally beholden to.”

“Even me?” Luna spoke questioningly, giving the mare a little smile.

“Yes.” Ebony looked adorably confused by Luna’s smile for a second, though she quickly regained her composure, “Without integrity we are animals, and without laws we cannot know what integrity is.”

Swift Crimson grunted, though there was less force in it now, “Some of us don’t need a written list to know what integrity is...”

Ebony looked slightly distressed for a moment before straightening up once more and looking him in the eye, “Some of us do. We’re not all like you Swift Crimson.”

“I... know... Hopeful Spring is one of my best and most loyal. She’s clever and brave and has been with us from the beginning...” The buck sagged, his eyes clouding over. He took a deep breath before speaking again, “She’s been caught lying repeatedly, she expresses joy over all the zebra she’s killed and she’s been repeatedly reprimanded for bullying the other recruits. I’ve tried to speak to her... but not a week after I’ve spoken to her she does it again.”

“I know you’re loyal to your men Swift, but she’s a poisonous influence.” Niyada spoke gently, “Ebony is right. Hopeful Spring’s example is making the younger children think that it’s right to bully and lie to others, and she’s clearly getting worse.”

Radhi sighed, reluctantly nodding, “We work out a system of laws, and we try her fairly under those laws.”

Luna nodded, glad that they had all arrived at the answer on their own. Maybe this might work out after all, “Thank you Ebony. You have a way of reminding us what’s important.”

“I do not have emotions, and because of that I have no friends and am told that I am a bad pony.” She spoke bluntly, eyes proud, “So if I can remember what is right, then there is no excuse for the rest of you.”

~

Luna stood there, seething, holding herself back from... something horrible. At the very least banishment, though that hardly seemed worthy.

“Luna, this looks more painful for you than me.”

Luna grimaced, “He will suffer for this.”

Niyada sighed, wincing a little as Ebony picked another shard of glass from her eye. Eventually she answered, gently pleading, “Please don’t be hasty Luna.”

She grunted, “He threw glass in your face.”

“He’s a troubled kid.” Niyada actually smiled at this, “I think it scared him more than it did me.”

Luna wasn’t having this anymore. The mare was obviously in shock, or mentally damaged, “Niyada, don’t treat this as a joke. He physically assaulted one of the senior leaders of Dusklight, we have to take a firm hand!”

“No, we don’t.” She breathed, “He blames me for the abuse he suffered, that I escaped it and did nothing to stop it. And yesterday he finally got what he was dreaming of for so long, revenge.”

“Good for him.”

“Did you see how it made him feel?” Niyada questioned, “He was terrified, crying, tried to help me. He made no attempt to escape, or hide what he did.”

Luna hissed in anger, not seeing how this mattered, “And why should I care?”

“Because I think I can help him. Now he’s seen the results of his wrath, I think I can reach him.”

Luna couldn’t see that. Bad ponies deserved to be punished, “He doesn’t deserve help.”

Ebony finally finished, moving away and wiping Niyada’s face gently with a cloth, “It’s all done. The wounds should heal in a couple of days.”

Niyada gave Ebony a grateful nod before turning to look at Luna, “Wounds can be healed Luna, with patience, dedication and kindness. And everyone deserves a little kindness. We’ve all done things we regret. This place is built upon second chances.”

~

Luna was in a bad mood, watching the procession of new arrivals. It had pleased her once, to see the abused children of the wasteland find protection at her door. Now it depressed her. Radhi had given her the statistics, four children a week making their way here. That was too many. Too many to be lost and lonely and without hope.

The latest moved up to her, eyes agog. She turned her head down to him and attempted to smile, hesitating at the question she had asked too many times before. Still, she knew it... helped, “Welcome to Dusklight. I’m Princess Luna, and I promise that here you are safe from whatever you left behind. Please, tell me. Why did you come here, what are you trying to escape?”

The foal chuckled, looking at her with a cheeky grin, “Boredom mostly.”

She hesitated, blinking, “What...?”

He grinned broadly at her expression, shrugging his shoulders, “Don’t be a downer Princess, you sound like this is some crappy orphanage.”

“I...” Luna admitted the comparison was apt, “It feels like it sometimes...”

“Come on! Look at this place!” The foal waved a hoof at the cave around, Luna turning to take in the shining fairy lights, the banners, the scurrying children playing and laughing. She felt like she was seeing it for the first time, especially as the foal continued, “They’re talking about this place through the entire wasteland, a haven for children, where ponies can actually hope for something beyond the next harvest or raider attack!”

“They are?” Luna found herself smiling, turning back to him, “I admit, that’s what I’m planning. To turn this into a proper city, like Canterlot used to be.”

“Whoh.” He breathed, before grinning back at her, “And that’s why I’m here. Kinda sick of dust and mud you know?”

She chuckled, “I know.”

“And Canterlot... I can get behind that.” He nodded firmly, “Plush houses, good food and beautiful princesses? Well you have the last one sorted at least.”

She blushed, giggling like a schoolgirl. This foal was a charmer, “Rather daring words there. What’s your name?”

“Bleak Fields your highness.” The foal stuck out a hoof, beaming at her, “A pleasure to make your acquaintance!”

~

Yes... plush houses, good food, beautiful princesses...

And good friends.

___________________________________________________

Dust sprinted through the caves, growling as he came across another small body cooling in the dust. The battle behind him was still in full swing, still the others were still there to deal with that. He already suspected they were just a diversion for the real assassin.

He moved round the corner just as he heard the sound of struggle. A female zebra in a still flickering stealth cloak was fighting with Blessed Rain, one of the ponies he led at Sanatora. She dodged and weaved just like he taught her, waiting for her moment...

Her eyes flicked round to Dust, widening in hope and relief. She held that expression as the zebra she was fighting drove a small knife into her temple, her eyes rolling back and her small form slumping to the ground.

“FUCKING...!” Dust drew his shotgun and fired, the zebra flicking round with unbelievable speed and agility to spray the corridor with sub-machine gun rounds. His winced as a couple hit him and burst of electricity crawled across his armor, recovering quickly and looking for signs of the mare. He was pleased to see a line of blood left where the zebra had disappeared, calling out, “You said you would leave them in peace!”

“You stated it yourself, you never intended to kill Luna.”

It was Zenali herself, the fucking deceitful bitch. At least now he had a chance to take down Starhammer’s chief scout, something he would very much enjoy, “I’m a mercenary, and even I’m disgusted! When did you give away your soul, tell me?!”

Her voice echoed out, impossible to trace, “It’s because you’re a mercenary that you don’t understand.”

Puppy cried out, “Uncle, behind you!””

Dust turned, stopping Zenali’s blade with a armored hoof. It sparked off the plating, Dust drawing his shotgun and firing at her head. She ducked with astonishing speed, smacking him in the jaw with a swipe of a spiked hoof before driving her blade towards his neck. He turned and it cut across his scalp, slamming his shoulder into the mare before turning full and bucking the staggering zebra in the side. She flew through the air quite a distance before tumbling expertly across the ground, gasping as she slid to a halt and desperately covering herself with her stealth cloak once more.

He fired his shotgun with a roar, the buckshot hitting nothing but dirt, “Fuck! Don’t you run away on me!”

“Getting invested now? Tell me, would you kill children for your Princess Luna?”

He growled, barking his response at the walls, “No! Because I have fucking standards!”

“Would you kill a child for Red Eye?”

“I...” He hesitated, unable to answer. How did she know? How did she... he hadn’t killed them, but he had enslaved them. At the time he thought it was righteous, knowing they were going to Red Eye, to be safe, happy... but he had killed their parents, and many of them died on route. That had been his fault...

“UNCLE!”

Dust looked up just as Zenali uncloaked in front of him, driving a blade into his neck. He gurgled as his hooves failed and he hit the floor, Puppy screaming in his ear as he felt his vision blur. She injected a healing potion but it was no good, the blade still lodged there...

Until the blade was withdrawn with a sweep of air and a clatter as it hit the cave wall, Zenali looking surprised for a second before her eyes narrowed and she charged...

The zebra’s hoof blocked air with a heavy thump, then Zenali grunted as something slammed into her jaw and she was forced back. A darting advance and a sweep of her hoof and the hood of a stealth cloak was thrown back to reveal a second zebra, with stringy grey hair and a heavily scarred neck. The newcomer said nothing, countering with a skilful array of blows that forced Zenali back, slamming a hoof into the younger zebra’s face and blooding her nose.

Zenali growled, threw her stealth cloak back around her and ran, her hoof prints marking the ground back towards the exit. The other zebra followed, her own form disappearing as she replaced her hood and galloped after her.

“Wait! Thanks for the...” Dust watched them go, unsure what had just happened, “...rescue. Puppy, who was that?”

“I don’t know...” Puppy began, “Are we going to follow her?”

“No.” Dust wouldn’t get distracted again. Besides he was pretty sure that strange zebra had this one, “We need to get to the library, find Luna.”

“Right!”

____________________________________

Luna’s dreams... were peaceful. For the first time, there was no pain, or death, or hurt...

And then there was a growl, animalistic and angry. Luna looked round in shock, across a deep black landscape that slowly formed into a burning village.

The village she had destroyed. The village who’s inhabitants she had slaughtered to make a point. And instinctively she knew... this wasn’t a dream. This wasn’t a flashback. She was locked in her mind, with a dark presence looming just out of eyesight.

She almost expected what emerged from the darkness, the sleek black from of a alicorn princess stepping towards her with intent. It’s eyes were wary, challenging. The eyes of an animal, deciding whether to fight or flee.

Luna looked at her hooves, noting the soft grey fur. That made it clear who this was, “Selene, I’m not your enemy.”

Emotions hit her, the alicorn’s eyes radiating them in angry waves. Disappointment, ambition, wrath, pride.

Luna was shamed to answer them, knowing these were simply the things she herself had taught Selene, “I’m so sorry...”

Despair, sadness, vengeance, wrath...

“No!” Luna shouted as the creature circled her, eyes narrowed and dangerous, “You can’t think like that!”

Selene lifted an accusing hoof, pointed directly at her.

“And look where it got me.” Luna shook her head, angling pleading eyes at the beast, “Those emotions took everything from me. It was opportunity rather than my choice that gained me my friends, and before them I was just a monster in the dark. With them, I became a queen, I advanced on the path to become the pony I always wanted to be.” She let her voice fall, “And it was my vengeance and arrogance that took it away from me. I got Swift Crimson killed, it was my actions that invited Starhammer’s wrath.”

Selene gazed at her intensely, her stare inquisitive. Her mind was set on just one thing. ‘And what now?’

Luna smiled at the black alicorn stood before her, feeling her heart fill with hope once again. Everything was messed up, but she could still fix it, “We become the princess they deserve Selene. We live our lives right, we do what we can to find peace.”

Selene didn’t seem convinced, those words washing over her as meaningless babble.

“Maybe when you’re older.” Luna chuckled, before feeling a tear run down her cheek and drop to the floor at her hooves. She sniffed even through her smiles, wiping her cheek with a hoof and feeling her throat choke a little, “Selene, if you learn anything from me, learn this. Friendship heals all hurts. Wrath, selfishness and pride is the source of all suffering. My life proves that as much as anything.”

Selene just stared back, her eyes deep and enigmatic.

“Please... believe that...”

~

Luna awoke suddenly to a knock on the door, rising from the cold floor. She briefly fought to shake off the stiffness and pain before shadow matter formed about her unbidden, Luna finding herself instantly standing in her strong and powerful alicorn self. She felt Selene’s paranoia and protectiveness pulse through her new form and considered that it might be justified. She had no idea who might have arrived to see her, she certainly had plenty of enemies.

Not a moment after she had thought this did she hear the sound of picks inserted into the lock, turning briefly before the door drifted open with a solid clunk. Luna stepped back and charged some subtle defences, preparing for the possibility of combat.

She had not been prepared for the pony who stepped through the door however, clad in a spotless white robe bearing the symbol of the golden sun. It didn’t take long to recognise the mare, even though they had only met in person but a few times, “Sunshine Ivory?”

“Luna...” The priestess turned, face grim beneath her hood as she looked Luna up and down. Eventually she simply sighed, “It is fair to say that things have not gone as planned.”

“I made some bad choices.” Luna smiled, surprised by her presence but glad at the opportunities offered, “But... I’ve got rid of the book. It won’t be affecting me anymore.”

Sunshine Ivory gasped at this, eyes so wide Luna thought they would pop out of her head, “You... got rid of it?”

“I threw it into the sun.”

“Wha... I... how could you?” Sunshine Ivory exclaimed after a moment of gasping disbelief, “It was worth a fortune. All that knowledge... it was your only defence against Starhammer...”

“It’s over. He won.” Luna acknowledged gently, “I’ll take the children into exile, go in peace.”

“You... you can’t.” Sunshine Ivory shook her head, somewhat robotic and stunned in her movements, “He... he would never let you go.”

“Why? There’s nothing to be gained from chasing us.” Luna shook her head, “To be honest, this all seems so stupid. He rose to power by killing a tyrant, he’s got a taste for the dramatic, wants to be a hero, venerates a icon... if that makes him evil, then so am I. The world is full of bloodshed, and the two of us killing each other seems so pointless.”

“Luna... he killed Swift Crimson! So many other children!”

“All the more reason to stop.” Luna answered, feeling sure in herself, “I’m going to ask Star Swirl to come with me. We’ll build a new Dusklight, live in peace... maybe help this business between Caesar and the NCR work itself out without further fighting. I’m tired of death.”

“It... it will never happen...” Sunshine Ivory seemed honestly thrown by this, her voice wavering for a moment before growing stronger, “You lowered the sun. By now the whole world has united against you, they march even now to slaughter your children. You must fight!”

Luna felt the panic creep back. Had she really lost it all? “No... no. I can fix this...”

“Listen to me Luna. You gave up the book but that’s ok. I can give you new weapons, new ways to fight Starhammer. You can retreat from here, take up the fight elsewhere...”

Luna felt anger rise now. Why didn’t she get it? “I don’t want to fight!”

“They’re going to kill all your children Luna! You don’t have a choice!”

Luna stopped then. She stopped and looked at the mare before her, long seconds passing. She stopped and thought, considered the situation laid out before her.

“I’ve always had a choice.”

“Luna, I’m telling you...”

She cut the mare off with a growl, advancing forwards with growing anger. Things finally were starting to make sense, “You’ve told me lots of things.”

Sunshine Ivory backed away a step at her advance, a moment of fear passing through her eyes, “Luna, let’s stop and...”

“You told me to become a dark princess.”

“Luna...”

“You told me to take vengeance for all those oppressed children. You told me not to trust adults.”

“Midnight Dreamer... please... I was trying to help you...”

“You told me to help the attack on Estelle. You told me to resist Starhammer, to not tell Star Swirl the truth.”

Sunshine Ivory was sweating now. She could see the fear in the mare’s eyes, “Let us just sit down and talk about this.”

Luna growled, having to resist the desire to attack there and then. She felt Selene strain to force her hoof, taking a deep breath and willing her to back down... at least for now, “You talk a lot.”

“I am... a diplomat and a advisor Luna, it is what I do. And I can fix this for you Luna. I speak with authority, I can tell them all you are dead, that there is no reason to pursue you further.” She smiled sweetly, ever so reasonable and kind, “Let it go, and you’re a innocent child once again. You can start fresh, with all your mistakes wiped clean.”

“Start again...?” That sounded good. The chance to abandon her mistakes, to live again with a clear conscience...

Sunshine Ivory nodded, a kind, benevolent smile on her face, “It is all going to be ok.”

It was exactly what she wanted to hear. And for the first time Luna saw those words laid out before her and paused. She thought of Ebony, always spitting bitter truths, never compromising that ironclad integrity of hers. Compared to the sweet words of Sunshine Ivory speaking to Ebony had been like taking a brick to the face.

Swift Crimson and Radhi had lied to her... though more they had blinded themselves to the hard truth. Swift Crimson had never doubted her, even when he really should have. However much she had exposed her ugliest sides to him he had always found her beautiful. He had always believed she was worth everything, and in the end he had died for her.

And Radhi, with his gentle ways and selfless devotion, trying to guide her from bad decisions, tirelessly working to bring her good decisions to life... they had always accepted who she was, yet always believed she could be better.

And she had done better, she realised that now. She had done the most important thing in the world... she had given strength to others. She had believed in them, and gave them the confidence and support to realise their worth. Niyada, with her kindness, compassion and care had helped give the youngest of the children here the start in life that some of the others had never experienced. Given them the most precious gift of all, a hope for the future and the strength to make it through the present. Children like Bleak Fields, who had then passed it on to others.

She felt the strength they gave her, felt it well up in her chest. It glowed, warm and comforting, the limitless power inherent in the bonds she had helped create here. And in its truth, it exposed the lies. She looked at Sunshine Ivory, her eyes piercing and her words firm, “Demons tempt you. Tempt you with reasonable feelings that lead to darker places, just so they can feed their hungers, their obsessions.” Luna stated, never more sure in her conviction, “I’ve dealt with them all my life, and I’ve fallen for their tricks too many times. Princess Luna fell for the most poisonous trick of all, convinced that because of the good and noble things she had done those who didn’t accept her were evil and corrupt. I believed that those outside Dusklight were all alike, that the wasteland was against me and I had no friends out there.”

“You were right Luna.” Sunshine Ivory pleaded, “Look at Starhammer, look at what he’s done.”

Luna shook her head, her heart aching in shame at her foolishness, “No matter what he was, I invited him here by providing him an easy target. An evil demon, destroying towns, kidnapping children...”

“It was justice Luna. Look at what you’ve made here...”

“I was always supposed to be a target.” Luna looked at Sunshine Ivory, her first friend. The mare who had given her this strength, who had made her worth something, “You set me up the villain, you intended Starhammer to kill me.”

Sunshine Ivory flushed, her pupils shrinking, “Why... why would I do that?”

“To give Star Swirl a dead sister. To destabilise the wasteland, and give her a reason to unite it under the banner of the Solar Empire.” Even as Luna stated it she knew it to be true, saw it clear in the mare’s eyes, “You set me up to fail. All this time, you’ve been lying to me.”

“No...”

“I’m sorry Sunshine Ivory.” She felt a wave of overwhelming peace come over her, knowing her path now. She didn’t know why she hadn’t seen it before... maybe a fear over losing what she had. But she knew now that what they shared would overcome any obstacle if she just trusted it, “I can’t be the mare that you want. But maybe I can be the one you need.”

Sunshine Ivory’s eyes widened in shock, “W...what?”

Luna’s nodded gently to the mare, extending herself forward invitingly, “Please, whatever you had planned I know you’re a good mare underneath. You saved me, gave me the opportunity to find all this. To be something other than some lonely mare with no friends. And you’re my friend too Sunshine Ivory.”

The mare’s expression shook, shock and anger quivering behind her eyes. Luna saw the darkness within the mare’s heart, the web of chaos and despair that connected the wasteland centred on her. And if she could just break it here...

She saw it, just beyond. The stars filled her vision, a thousand mirrors showing the glorious future just beyond the struggles of the present. Her past flickered by, memories beyond counting all leading to one single conclusion. Not a thing, not an idea... a simple state of being, a knowledge of what harmony was and could be.

The warm glow in her chest expanded, filled her body. It cleansed her, made her new. It was the glow of a mothers touch, a friends words, the unfailing support of family. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as power flowed through her, changing, cleansing...

“NO!”

The scream echoed outwards, the stars burned away, the mirrors shattering into twinkling shards. Sunshine Ivory’s face cracked, plaster falling away to reveal a well of terrifying white heat, the terrible glow of a megaspell in full bloom. It expanded outwards, burning the wasteland clean, a lifeless barren husk devoid of shadow...

The dream fell away around her, consumed in the chaos of primal hate, revealing Sunshine Ivory back to her normal appearance but no less terrifying. Her cloak flew around her, her blue hair now white hot and extending upwards like consuming flame. Primal magic flashed around her, scorching the floorboards and surrounding her in a pulsing corona. She spoke in echoing rage, “You want to know the truth!?” The mare spat, her once beatific face consumed with an animalistic rage and a terrifying fury, “Your magic, your dreamwalking... those were only lucky bonuses. There was a greater reason I chose you!”

Luna stepped back, the peace that she felt torn away in an instant, “What... what...?”

“YOU WERE A WORTHLESS, EVIL WITCH!” Sunshine Ivory stamped a hoof, her cloak singing at the hems, “I thought a pony so devoid of morals or class could be trusted to at least fail convincingly! To be the remorseless villain I could spin a story around, a story I could use to prod Star Swirl into her destiny! But you cannot even do that!”

Luna stepped closer, her voice gentle, pleading, “Please Sunshine Ivory, you have to...”

“No!” Sunshine Ivory cackled briefly before her expression turned back to its normal calm veneer, spoiled only by the curl of a smirk at the sides of her mouth and a glinting light in her eyes, “You... you are a worthless wasteland witch who killed and tormented, brought about eternal night. There is nothing you can teach me, nothing in you worthy of note. The only thing you must do now is die.” Her expression wobbled for a moment before adopting one of deep remorse, “I’m sorry Midnight Dreamer, I wish it hadn’t turned out like this.”

Luna closed her eyes, full of remorse herself, “Sunshine Ivory... I’m sorry too. I don’t want to hurt you, but this has to end now.”

“Don’t moralise to me.” Sunshine Ivory spat.

A moment passed between them, Sunshine Ivory’s hot fury beating against the gentle calm Luna felt welling up within her. And then it broke with a single desperate scream.

Sunshine Ivory almost launched herself forward, eyes burning with fury as her horn ignited into a white hot pillar of flame and she swept it downwards towards Luna with a piercing yell. It was a powerful attack, especially in these close quarters, Luna however was more centred than she had ever been in her life.

She found the focal point of the spell, the point where the magic was anchored and balanced, driving her own magic into it and causing the spell to wither and fail into nothing but stinging sparks. Sunlight Ivory staggered clumsily and Luna struck her with a simple, targeted counter attack, shredding the priestesses’ robe and singing her fur.

Sunshine Ivory panicked and backed away, blasting powerful bolts of energy at Luna. Luna had more trouble with these, not wishing to dodge or deflect them to avoid damage to her room. Still she was able to tank them without much difficulty, focusing her shields at exactly the right moment to shatter the attacks without collateral damage. Another counter spell and Sunshine Ivory was thrown sprawling against a wall, gasping as her burned and bruised body crumpled to the floor.

“Please Sunshine Ivory, stand down.”

She rose, hesitant and cautious, clearly hurting from her wounds. Her eyes looked defeated, her magic shaking and weak, “No... I won’t accept this...”

Luna sighed, “Sunshine...”

Sunshine Ivory attacked again, futile, desperate... Luna engaged her shields and prepared to counter.

The blast of energy veered off mid stream, spinning about Luna’s shield and shooting straight for her bookcase. Luna’s heart leapt in her mouth as she turned to follow, watching all her most valuable books go up in flames, “NO!”

She reached her magic forward to smother the fire... and Sunshine Ivory’s magic struck her hard, a continuous beam of power that stripped away her shields, burned her flesh, shredded her wings. She gasped, wingfeathers bursting into flames, driven sideways to slump hard into the far wall.

Sunshine Ivory gasped as she drew in breath, spent from the massive investiture of power. Luna was in no position to counter.

She didn’t need to inspect her body to know she was hurt. Badly.

Luna turned her head to Sunshine Ivory as she felt the magic surge about the mare, a... calming sense of inevitability seizing her. She gazed into the eyes of fury and bitter resolve, seeing herself reflected. Those eyes had stared into the wasteland, and behind the mask of ivory was a face forever scarred. Luna stared through the fire and smiled slightly, her mind focused on those beautiful silver towers of her dreams.

“YOU ARE PRINCESS LUNA, AND YOUR PLACE IS TO FALL INTO MADNESS AND DIE BEFORE THE LIGHT!”

Luna closed her eyes.

___________________________________________

Dust lifted his head as the sound echoed through the caverns, a deafening thunderclap and a rumble of falling stone. The wall next to the library door exploded, shimmering light radiating outwards and dust and rock raining down with a clatter. It must have hit the electrical circuit because all the lights promptly shut down with a loud crack, some the bulbs shattering and sending rainbow shards of fallen glass glittering.

Something tumbled through the air, something pony shaped. It hit the upper walkway and tore straight through it, broken wood toppling. A tapestry detached and came down in a slow, elegant descent, rippling as it hit the ground. The figure fell past it, striking the third floor walkway at a hard angle and bouncing away to hit the ground with a dull, uncomfortable thud. It was swiftly followed by what was left of the walkway, coating the whole cave floor with a carpet of dust, splinters and broken glass.

Puppy gasped, her voice suddenly strangled, “Dust Kicker, sir! Please... go help!”

A horrible feeling overtook him at Puppy’s tone, carefully hurrying through the debris. He hesitated for a moment as something that looked like a stream of thick black liquid flew at him, moving to dodge...

“Uncle sir, don’t move.”

His servos suddenly seized up and the black stream hit him, panic taking hold for a second... then nothing. Nothing happened, and the black liquid was gone. The servos on his armor were also working, but that wasn’t enough to fully reassure him. Something had obviously happened, and someone had obviously let it, “Puppy, what was that?”

Her voice was low, a very odd sounding monotone, “Nothing.”

“Puppy, you just shut down my armor again. This is the second time.”

“Sir uncle... I’ll tell you later... ok? Just go over to her.”

It didn’t excuse her from future discussion, but she was right that this was no time to discuss the matter. He padded over, shifting aside the broken wood and shielding his eyes to see through the dust.

And finally he found her. A small, rather plain grey filly with a bed and three stars cutie mark. Her side had been torn open, her back and neck at uncomfortable looking angles. Her open mouth was flecked with blood, her half open eyes pale and sightless. He hadn’t seen her around, though she wasn’t particularly distinctive looking with her dull coat and mane, “Do you know her Puppy?”

“Yes.” The little voice stated, her voice cracking painfully, “Her name is Midnight Dreamer.”

He looked down at her for a moment or two before something touched his face, looking up to see a cloud of grey wing feathers drift down around him. They were... the same colour as the filly at his hooves.

But that was impossible. She was after all, a simple unicorn.

_______________________________________________________

This fanfiction is based on Fallout Equestria by Kkat, it is highly recommended that you read that first for context. Reading Fallout Equestria: Pink Eyes by Mimezinga will help understanding, but isn’t required.
Many of the characters and much of the setting are not mine but are on loan from the very awesome Kkat, or are taken from My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic by Hasbro. This story makes no pretentions at being canon with either, and is merely a ‘what-if’ set in the same world.
If you enjoy Fallout Equestria Side Stories, you will want to check the Fallout Equestria Side Stories post on Equestria Daily and the Fallout Equestria Side Stories thread on Ponychan.

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