• Published 12th Aug 2012
  • 5,500 Views, 280 Comments

Fallout Equestria : Black And White - Philweasel



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

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Chapter 4.16 - What Price Victory?

She watched in fear, knees trembling as she saw the hole torn through the walls that had protected her since her birth, saw the ruin covered streets of Manehatten that her family had always warned her about. There they stood, swarming riders slick with the blood of ponies and covered in bones and dirty rags. They screamed obscenities, running for cover as her father fired his rifle at them. Their hooves kicked up dust as they charged him, only to be sent scattering with just a touch of his magic. His shields spread across the breach in the tower's wall and their bullets deflected harmlessly, his carefully aimed shots taking the hooves from under them.

He was her father, and her heart swelled in pride.

Until the bullet finally found his shoulder and he screamed, his magic failing. A raider yelled in victory and charged, striking him hard and throwing him to the floor, raising his hooves to stomp...

She slammed her telekinesis into him and the raider sprawled, her hooves kicking up dust as she sprinted for her fallen father, "Don't hurt my daddy!"

Her father looked at her in panic, his hoof reaching out, "No, what are you doing here...?"

The raiders all approached, a terrifying, hungry look in their eyes. Ten of them, all ugly brutish ponies armed to the teeth. They laughed among themselves as they surrounded her, the biggest speaking out, "Well well, a little princess. She'll fetch a good price."

Her father rose, yelling out at them, "Stop it! Take me if you want, but leave her alone!"

"Who said you had a choice old man?" A raider shouted, aiming his weapon at her father, "I think we'll be taking both of you, along with the rest of your pathetic tower. What do you say about that?"

"You cannot..."

A bullet cut through her father's leg and he dropped with a yell, the raider giving an evil sounding giggle at his suffering, "Yeah, tell me again what I can and can't do old man."

She... she wouldn't let them do this. She wouldn't let them hurt her father, destroy her home. They were evil ponies, and they needed to be stopped. She gathered magic within her horn, marching forward to face them, "Get away from my father! You're all bad, naughty ponies!"

The lead raider just smirked, "And you're different little girl?"

"I am!" She set her hooves firm, drawing the magic into her horn as she focused on her rage, her concern for her father... for her dignity as a princess. As heir to a legacy they couldn't even comprehend, "I am heir to Princess Cadence, and you..."

"Enough!" The raider shouted, cutting her off, "Take the girl."

Her father shouted as they advanced, "No, get away from her!"

No. She wouldn't take this. She was better than them, and she intended to prove it. These raiders should count themselves lucky, lucky to see the true might of the old world! She unleashed her magic, screaming out in rage as it flowed through her in deep quivering bursts, "All of you just GO AWAY!"

And with deep rumbling cracks shards of crystal shattered upwards from the ground, lances of shining pink that carved through the raiders with barely any effort at all. Those who were left were bowled over by the deafening roar of energy that shattered the ground around her for a good couple of feet, hurling them through the air to slam down into rubble strewn streets. Her remaining magic came out in a burst of bright pink sparks, exploding into flashes of coloured light as it tumbled forth.

"...what... are you?" Gasped a raider, slumped upon the ground in a bloody mess, "You're just a kid..."

She found herself grinning, her hooves leaving the ground as the power flowed through her in an endless torrent. It was then she realised, that her father was right. That she was special, and that the power to save this world flowed through her blood, "I am a princess of Equestria!"

He shook his head, stunned, "Equestria's gone..."

She focused her magic upon him, burning his ugly face from this earth with grim satisfaction, "We are Equestria."

And from her flank shone a warm, tingling glow, her father looking at her in wonder as he rose. She turned to him, her head feeling light and tingling, her body... warm. He was bleeding, it breaking her heart to see him hurt so, "Daddy, they hurt you..."

"It's ok..." He breathed, still looking down at her in wonderment. He eventually gave her a big smile even through his pain, nodding at her flank, "On your flank..."

Her heart skipped a beat, "Is it really...?"

"It's your cutie mark..." He breathed, then looked at all the dead and dying raiders lying all around, "I've never seen so much magic in one so young..."

She was scared now, the fear returning as she looked at what she had done. She had killed them. She had been so powerful, and she had killed them. And it had been... easy, "I... did I do a bad thing? I hurt those bad ponies..."

He smiled at her with pride in his eyes, moving over and holding her close, "No Dream Star. It means you're a very special pony, and your destiny is only just beginning."

¬

"What is it even meant to be?" DJ Pon3 asked as she lifted her glasses with a hoof, leaning in to stare down at Dream Star's flank, "Is it some kind of... fancy stick?"

Dream Star scoffed, though she admitted it had been her first thought too, "My daddy says it's the castle in the Crystal Empire, and it means that I'm very important."

"Really." DJ Pon3 replied, in a tone that one would use to describe the weather. She let her glasses fall upon her face again, lazily using her long, lanky hoof to scratch her ear, "So your special talent is...?"

"Magic." She declared with sincerity.

"You already knew that." DJ Pon3 expressed, a little disappointment edging into her usual distracted disinterest, "You got a cutie mark in something you were already good at? That's just... dull."

She pouted, following the mare around the room as DJ Pon3 adjusted the dials and monitors, paying little attention to her small guest, "Better than some silly headphone mark..."

"We already have one of those. Belongs to some important radio pony. Forget her name." DJ Pon3 replied distractedly, then turned to angle a hoof towards Dream Star, "Cleaning pony. We always need more of those. Maybe that stick is a mop or something..."

Dream Star just pouted back at the silly pony, though privately she couldn't help but wonder. Was her special talent really magic? She looked at her flank and saw the crystal rod there, topped by a blazing sun. Like a torch, or a beacon.

Her father told her it made her special, but the question still remained.

Why?

¬

The clan was all here. They stood around the bed, paying tribute to the Princess. The last Princess of Equestria.

"We are close now grandmother." Her father stated with pride. He wasn't the oldest but he spoke with authority, all bowing in deference. It was part of what she loved about him, that he could command a room by his very presence, "The Gardens of Harmony will be a reality within a year, perhaps less."

A laugh came from the bed, croaky yet full of life. Princess Skyla was blind and even speaking seemed a effort, still Dream Star felt like you still couldn't get anything past her, "What about the elements of harmony?"

"Unneeded." Her father declared, "Twilight Sparkle used them because they were convenient, but power is power. We will simply route Tenpony's full energy output through the megaspell matrix, this should be more than enough to sustain activation."

"I salute your ingenuity Ebon Star, but that's a lot of power to be playing about with." Skyla responded, her voice holding a sharpness, "Working from Twilight's old notes is not the same thing as working with Twilight, and not even she got it right all the time."

"Actually, it's Silver Scroll. Ebon Star was my father...." He muttered under his breath before quickly straightening up and looking to the other members of the family, "Please, do not worry yourself grandmother. Equestria's legacy, your legacy, will be one that will be spoken of for the rest of history."

_

She wouldn't live to see it, Princess Skyla of Equestria dying in her sleep two months later. Her father took Dream Star to the ballroom after the funeral service, a place that always evoked mixed feelings in her. Yes it was beautiful, yes it was the symbol of their family's influence over Tenpony Towers... but when she looked up at the portrait that hung above the main entrance she couldn't help but feel crushed beneath the weight of expectation.

Princess Cadance. It was like looking in a mirror, only... better in every way.

"Dream Star, I'm sure you've been aware of the issues we have been facing. You saw it in there, surrounded by the old and tired."

Dream Star nodded, though she didn't really want to think about it.

"You are one of only three children to be born to us in ten years." Her father continued, as if she didn't already know, "And out of all of them, you are the brightest, the most magically talented, the most confident in bearing and, excuse a father his vanity, the most beautiful of them all."

She smiled, blushing. She had noticed the admiring looks from the other colts her age, "Thank you father."

"One day this will be your legacy." He stated, nodding up at the portrait above, "I expect you to think about what that means."

She looked up at the portrait, at Princess Cadance's smiling face. What did it mean? She wasn't sure she knew.

¬

Dream Star stood at the doorway, staring in horror at the scene before her. Her father, bloody candlestick clutched in his teeth, crouched over the broken form of Elder Papyrus. Her father looked at her with shaking eyes, dropping the candlestick and moving to face her, "Baby girl..."

"You killed him!?"

Her father shook his head, resolve moving back into his expression. He wiped the blood from his beard, intensity in his stare, "No, I didn't. Dream Star, he was trying to hurt our family, accusing me of... things that just aren't true."

She looked up at her father, face still smeared with blood, "What things?"

"It doesn't matter." He insisted. He looked back at the body, "He has to disappear."

"Disappear?" She breathed, uncomprehending.

"The tunnels below the towers, they're swarming with ghouls. They would never think to look down there." Her father stated, igniting his horn and taking hold of the body, "Help me carry him."

Dream Star gulped, but then she met her father's eyes. He needed her, and she loved him.

She ignited her horn, and took hold of the body.

¬

"...trait... or...all of you... gah..."

Dream Star broke the elder's neck with one final pulse of her telekinesis, hurling him aside to tumble down the steps of the council chamber. Around her lay the other high elders of the Twilight Society, along with their security and staff. Their own guards poked at the corpses for signs of life, Elder Iris shifting slightly before she was swiftly bayoneted through the neck.

"You've done us all proud baby girl." Her father stated as he moved over, snatching the key card from around High Elder Calculus's neck in his teeth and placing it about his own head. He strode to the central console, voice proud, "Accept new executive directives, all functions to be placed under my exclusive access."

Dream Star looked at the bodies that lay around. She had known all of them. Liked many, trusted many, "Was this all really necessary?"

"Our family has led the Twilight Society for generations. We cannot allow anypony to take that away from us." Her father answered, activating the microphone with a quick touch of the controls, "All forces, report."

"The families and other supporters of the council have been dealt with." Came the reply, each word sending shivers up Dream Star's spine, "Sir, DJ Pon3..."

"Yes?"

"She's gone sir. We can't find her anywhere."

Her father growled, even as Dream Star felt a little twinge of relief. Her father's response came quickly, "Find someone else, I want the transition seamless. Tell the wasteland that the Elders tried to take her off the air, and that we bravely stopped their coup."

"Yes sir, right away."

Dream Star watched him as he stepped away from the console, not sure what to say. Despite everything, she still felt... uneasy, "Father, did we really do the right thing?"

"Of course we did baby girl." He responded, giving her a kind smile as he looked to her, "This is for the family, the family that holds the last great bloodline of old Equestria. This is for your future, and the future of the world."

¬

She stood outside upon the control platform they had set up, looking up at the towers that had served as her home for her entire life. How Tenpony must have looked in its heyday, the centre of Equestrian innovation, home to its best and brightest. It would shine again, even brighter. In but a few more minutes, the wasteland would just have been a bad dream.

Or so they hoped. Her eyes moved to her cousin Clear Heart as he ascended the stairs to the control platform, looking harried. He looked to Dream Star and her father as he approached, "We should delay the test."

"Again?" Her father stated with annoyance, "We have gone over this again and again..."

"Your daughter shares my concerns." Clear Heart countered, looking challengingly to Dream Star, "Tell him."

She hesitated, meeting her father's look of betrayal. Her knees shook as she considered her words, "Father..."

"You told me it would work." He responded, nodding encouragingly, "I trust your judgement Dream Star, and don't let the doubts of fools deter you."

"But... I'm not Twilight Sparkle." She started, feeling the fear and expectation weighing upon her, "So much of this is beyond my understanding..."

"Twilight's notes were clear, and tested." He responded with a edge of annoyance, looking back to the second tower, "All Twilight needed to finalise the Gardens of Equestria was power, and a crusader mainframe. We have both."

"But... I don't understand how the spell even works...!"

"The spell is according to Twilight's design, and we have already successfully performed small scale tests of the fundamentals." Her father walked to the edge of the platform and looked down at the crowd below, the guards watching for raiders as the tower inhabitants waited in expectation of a miracle. The miracle their family had promised them, "Dream Star, look to your cutie mark."

She looked down, "My cutie..."

"It is a tower. A tower topped with a blazing sun." He looked to her, challenge in his eyes, "This tower. It is your destiny Dream Star, to activate the Gardens of Equestria and save the world."

Clear Heart scoffed, "Don't let him manipulate you Dream..."

"Enough!" Her father warned, "Dream Star, you are the greatest mage seen in generations, a peer to Twilight Sparkle and Star Swirl. Now is the day when you either accept the responsibilities that come with that, or let fear forever hold you back."

She took a deep breath, pondering her course. She looked to Clear Heart, "We have done all we can to make the ritual safe."

"You have a substitute Crusader Mainframe, and a substitute power source. You are working from notes, scribbled by just one of the scientists on the project." Clear Heart answered, "You know you lack the knowledge to anticipate the effect these things may have."

"The Elements of Harmony are gone, and the original mainframe was destroyed." She reasoned stepping forward to stand at the controls, "I will not abandon the one hope the wasteland has."

"We can do more tests, think about..."

"No." She answered, "My father is right. This is my destiny."

She reached over and pulled the lever.

It was... glorious. The ground blossomed, the poison dissolving into the air. The whole area seemed to sing, a glorious note of hope as the glow from the tower became more and more intense. It was working.

It was working!

Flowers burst upwards from the ground, grew at a tremendous rate...

...then collapsed on themselves, choking and rotting on the stem. The ground cracked and burst, what water it contained boiling off in thick clouds of steam.

Clear Heart shouted desperately, "Shut it down!"

Dream Star hit the lever again, a moment before the second tower caught fire. It seemed to immolate all at once, a huge pyre of flame reaching up to the sky as the crowd ran screaming. A moment later and a bright flash near blinded her, wetness running from her ears as a shockwave shook the ground. She watched as the tower violently tore itself apart, a huge chunk flying through the air to descend straight for them.

Her father slammed into her side, saving her from the slab of masonry that pulped him into bloody chunks across the platform. She watched Clear Heart struggling at the controls, trying desperately to stop the power... before they erupted in a huge explosion of fire and smoke. She had time to watch Clear Skies burn alive before the blast reached her, a rush of pain, impact...

...and darkness.

¬

"Please, try not to move. Your injuries were very severe."

Dream Star opened her eyes. She was in the infirmary, the familiar smell of disinfectant and the hum of the medical scanners. She... couldn't move much, and her body felt numb, but still it was somewhere familiar. Somewhere safe, "What happened...?"

"The experiment your family was conducting... it went badly wrong." Stated a voice from beyond her vision, a voice she recognised as one of the doctors, "The second tower was... destroyed, and the first took a lot of damage."

She panicked then, memories flooded back, "My father..."

"Your father is dead Dream Star. I'm sorry."

"Clear Heart..."

"Dream Star, I'm so sorry, but..."

She looked up at the doctor’s face as he moved over, full of grief and pain. She knew then, what the answer was, "All of them. All of my family."

The doctor gave a slow nod, his expression numb, "I'm... afraid so."

Dream Star settled into the bed, cold and alone as the world collapsed around her.

¬

"You cannot leave Dream Star. We need you here."

She sneered in fury as Hopeshine spoke up behind, his reedy tones the last she needed to hear. She shrugged up the plasma caster secured against her side as she turned, the stallion standing in the doorway with a desperate look on his face. She could understand some of his panic, with the casualties of the disaster they were the only two senior Twilight Society members left alive. Not that her authority counted for jack anymore, she knew they would never trust her again, "That's not what I've been hearing."

"They're just angry Dream Star..."

"They have every right to be." She rebuked, feeling the bile in her throat, "It was my fault. My project. What possible reason could they possibly have to tolerate my presence a second longer?"

Hopeshine hesitated, finally coming out with the big elephant in the room, the issue she knew had motivated this more than any other, "You are the last heir of Princess Cadance. The bloodline can only continue through you."

"Then that bloodline is dead." She spat, "Didn't they tell you?"

"What?"

She smirked, full of bitter amusement at the appropriateness of it all, "My injuries rendered me sterile. My bloodline, my destiny... it has already ended."

Hopeshine paused, shock in his eyes, "I... what are you going to do?"

She laughed then, a laugh of utter hatred and lost hope, "I'm going to save the world, like a hero should."

¬

"We can afford to pay four hundred caps." The town leader stated, his officious manner and stitched together suit as generic and unimpressive as his dirt encrusted village, "I know it's not much but..."

"It's enough." Dream Star interrupted, not giving two fucks what he wanted to give her, "Where are they holed up?"

The town leader paused a moment, clearly hesitant. After a moment he spoke again, patronising and clearly trying not to cause offense, "We estimate about thirty, forty bandits, fortified inside an old military facility complete with turrets and fortifications." He looked at her for a moment to gage her reaction, looking rather worried when she just gave him a smile, "How many companions do you have with you?"

"None." She replied, happy to have found something so worthy this quickly, "And I don't require one cap up front. I call that a bargain, yes?"

¬

Dream Star staggered through the dirt, watching her blood drip steadily upon her hooves. She was torn up, magic burn out aching through her horn, a knife still imbedded in her flank... was this enough? Would this finally be enough?

"It's the mercenary!" Came a call from ahead, Dream Star looking up to see some wastelanders hurrying to meet her. One galloped over with some healing potion clutched in her jaw, the others pointing their guns in the direction from which she came, "We told you it was too much for you! Are they after you? How many?"

She laughed, laughed at the absurdity of it all, "It wasn't enough..."

"We told you it was impossible!"

She shook her head, staggering on as they finally noticed the cloud of smoke that rose up from the bandit camp. Her mouth curled into a smile as she walked away, "I guess it was."

¬

"Yes listeners, the Pink Angel is officially missing. The wasteland warrior who fearlessly charged into combat with bandits, hellhounds and all manner of wasteland monsters has not been seen in several months now. Some say that she has finally met her match out there in the wastes, some that she has simply set off for greener pastures.

I hope it's the latter, for we have so very much to thank her for. Thanks to her the Manehatten area is one of the safest in the wasteland, giving all of us a real chance to survive. Unkillable, determined, and never accepting any reward, she is a testament to our strength as a species.

So wherever she is, I hope this crying warrior has finally found peace."

Dream Star smiled, even as said tears dripped down her face. She clicked the radio off and looked to the horizon, a new world opening up before her.

Maybe she had found peace. Maybe after everything she could let herself believe that there might be a place out there for her.

She set out, determined to find it.

¬

Dream Star narrowed her eyes as she carefully scanned the ground beneath her hooves, motes of magic seeking out and taking hold of each nutrient, each bit of uncontaminated soil. She brought them together, little by little, trying her best not to damage the careful balance…

“What are you doing?”

Dream Star huffed at the cheerful voice behind her, really not in the mood for this. Sure Platinum Pure was a smart kid, and had an admirable curiosity… maybe a little too curious, “I’m purifying the soil, drawing all the good things from all around into a single patch.”

“And that will allow plants to grow?”

“Yes.”

“That will save our village?”

She paused for a moment, fighting the bitterness that compelled her to answer in the negative, “Yes.”

And then there was warmth, contact, a soft cheek against her side. A child’s voice raised in excitement, “Thank you miss! You’re the best pony ever!”

She looked back at him, wanting to berate him for thinking a few square yards of good cropland would make any real difference, if it wouldn’t just draw bandits, if any of this really had any meaning at all. If he really thought she’d done this for greater reasons than scientific curiosity.

She averted her eyes, embarrassed to feel the sting of tears there, “You’re welcome.”

¬

“That’s the Kapellous Constellation.” Dream Star lectured as she drew her hoof across the sky, tracing the path in colour, “If you draw your mana from it widdershins, it grants a colder, more easily directed flow that can aid in more precise spells.”

“Like in combat.”

She shook her head, “No, actually combat magic benefits from being passionate. A cornered animal is a dangerous foe for a reason, real violence is raw and powerful.”

Pure Platinum chuckled, then went silent. Dream Star looked across at him, wondering what was exactly so funny. He sat across from her on the ridge, staring out across the bright lights of the settlements dotted out across the barren wasteland. His face was full of confidence and drive, the soft glow of the clouds above reflected by the white fur that covered his broad, powerful shoulders. It was still something that astounded her sometimes, that seven years ago he had just been a lanky little foal. Now he was far bigger than her, and already able to bring the mares running with just a smile, “What are you laughing at?”

“You, talking about passion.” He stated, looking across at her with his normal rakish expression, “You always seem so logical Dream, so in control.”

She looked away, that feeling far from the truth sometimes, “I find that there’s little to be passionate about in this world.”

“There’s plenty to be passionate about.” He countered, rising to his full height and looking out across the wasteland, “This world needs us Dream. Needs somepony to save it.”

She snorted, wondering if he knew how many times she had tried, “It’s beyond saving.”

“Well I intend to teach you otherwise. On both points.”

She looked at him, obviously having lost track of the conversation, “What’s the second?”

"Having something to be passionate about." He trotted over, drawing her to her hooves with a gentle hoof under her chin. She rose with a frown, not particularly fond of being touched… and her heart froze as he gave her the warmest, most intoxicating smile, his lips reaching down…

…she pulled away, thoughts exploding. To her shame she felt like a little girl again, her composure melting away with every moment, “What are you doing?!”

Pure Platinum smiled, disarming her resistance yet further, “You know what I’m doing.”

“I’m… I’m an old woman…” She protested, this feeling so wrong. When they first met he was just a child, and she…

“You’re the most beautiful creature in this damn wasteland.” He countered with softness, brushing a hoof across her cheek. She shivered at his touch, feeling her heart race as he drew close, “And even if you weren’t, it wouldn’t matter. You could be a wrinkled old grandma and I would still want you. Your knowledge, your power… together, we can save this world.”

Tears came to her eyes, whether from fear, happiness or horrible regret she wasn’t sure. She had been hopeless for so long, desperate for each little piece of validation she could find. To have all this at once, it was too much, “I… you’re the greatest student I’ve ever had Pure Platinum. And I know, if there’s anyone who can do it…”

He cut her off with a hoof to her lips, “I want to be so much more Dream.”

She finally allowed herself to smile back at him, finally allowed herself, after all these years… to hope. To hope that this wasn’t all there was. To hope that she… could be happy.

¬

Dream Star stepped through the ruins of the chaos sphere, pushing past the broken struts and sparking wires towards where the command centre used to be. The once mighty construction was now nearly unrecognisable, nearly carved in two by jagged rocks. The wind blew in from where a huge section of the plating had been torn away, cold and sharp on her cheek.

And then she saw it, silver fur streaked with red. She advanced forward with a heart full of ice, looking down at where the once proud Emperor of Light lay in the ruins of his throne, pierced through by the broken remains of a support strut. He laughed as he saw her, “Dream… looks like you were right…”

“I take no pleasure in it.” She grunted, her hoof looping through the twisted remains of the golden crown that had fallen to the floor, “Did you really think this would help?”

“It’s like you said…” He stated softly, “The world can’t be saved. It’s too far gone. So why not be king of the ashes?”

Tears came to her eyes, even though her heart still felt nothing but cold ice, “I didn’t teach you this…”

“Ha, don’t kid yourself Dream…” He gasped, smirking as he collapsed back against the ground, “You’re as nihilistic as me. The only difference is that I’ve got the courage to do something with my talents.”

“I am doing something with them.” She stated coldly and efficiently, feeling nothing but cold rage as she pressed a hoof against his throat.

He looked like he was laughing, a big smile on his face right to the end.

“Dream!” Fullheart Rider exclaimed as she stepped from the ruins, the other Companions arrayed around him. They were dusty and scarred, still all of them looked alive, faces cheerful. And why shouldn’t they be? They had saved the wasteland. They were heroes, “Is he…?”

She nodded, “Yes.”

“They we’ve done it!” He shouted, a big smile on his face, “You did it Dream! You’re a hero!”

She looked at him, those clear eyes, that sense of purpose, that handsome face. Many called him a hero, the bringer of hope.

She knew that he was just another corpse, and this was just another meaningless victory. She strode past him, not looking back, “Don’t kid yourself Rider. You’re just a killer, like all the others.”

¬

“Yes dear listeners, I would never joke about this. Rider’s Bastion, symbol of peace in the wasteland, has fallen. Yes it was never quite the same after Fullheart’s death, but the Companions were still out there every day fighting the good fight. You will miss them listeners, so I implore you. If you believe in what they stood for, if you want to honor their sacrifice, then take up the cause. Be heroes, and fight for what you believe in.”

Dream Star looked around as the faces of the other Regulators fell, moans and whimpers filling the barracks. She felt nothing, save the satisfaction of having her world view once again vindicated. They were just fighting against inevitability, everything just fading into oblivion. Even the new DJ Pon3 wasn’t as good as the last, Dream Star having noted at least two changes since the mare she had known.

Eventually she spoke up, honestly desiring to lift the mood, “This is a good thing.”

They all looked at her, faces agog. It was Deadshot Lagoon who spoke first, his tones offended, “I knew you were a cynic, but I didn’t think you actually wanted the end of civilisation.”

“Of course I do. We’re mercenaries.” She reasoned, snorting loudly, “This place will be swarming with bandits soon. That means more contracts, more loot, more grateful villagers. Are you honestly sad that ponies who did all that shit for half the price are dead?”

Deadshot lowered his head, “I… am Dream. They were good ponies.”

“And now they’re dead.” She spat, “Let that be a lesson to all of you.”

¬

She opened her eyes, pain shooting through her entire body. She cursed briefly, then tried to let go. Tried to give up.

She had been so close, so close…

“Please don’t move.”

She looked up, shocked to see the solid metal outlines of power armor, emblazoned with the symbol of the Steel Rangers. She had to be hallucinating, the Steel Rangers this far east? And why were they here, why had they rescued…?

“The others?” She asked.

“I’m sorry.” The Ranger turned back to her, revealing a surprisingly young, noble looking face. Softer than she expected, with eyes full of life and fire, “Your friends fought bravely, right to the very end. Their sacrifices will be noted in the Codex, forever remembered.”

Bravery… stupidity was more like it. She had warned Deadshot, she had told him… “Why are you here? Why did you save me?”

He gave a firm, military nod, moving aside to reveal dozens of similarly power armored forms just behind, “We are the Steel Rangers of Equestria, and we are here to help.”

¬

“I wish I had met you sooner. Maybe then I might have convinced more of my brothers to back my cause.”

She wished she had too, her body covered in the soft scribe robes, her eyes moving across a fully stocked laboratory. It had been a long time since she had experienced this kind of environment, yet in many ways… it felt like home. If you had told her she would think that of a Steel Ranger facility she would have laughed in your face, but here she was… “I’m surprised how many you did convince. You’re half the age of many of your followers, yet they seem to trust you implicitly.” She looked back at him, giving Burnished Shield a nod of cautious respect, “You must have some convincing arguments.”

He smiled back at her, a small, thin smile, yet honest and straightforward in a way few could manage, “To be honest many back home think me a traitor, a heretic.”

She snorted, “That could be considered the greatest praise from some.”

He shook his head, “I respect their opinions, but my own had to be voiced. And with the elders blessing, maybe I will show them what can be gained from taking the fight straight to the evils of this world.”
She looked back down at the table. That sounded familiar, “There’s a lot of evil to fight. How many Rangers do you have? Fifty? Sixty?”

“More will come.” He replied, “When the Emperor of Light threatened this territory, it was just five brave souls standing against him.”

She hesitated, eyes widening at that name. For a moment her response stuck in her throat, the memories flooding through her.

"I'm sorry. I guess the scars of that time still dwell upon this land." Burnished Shield stated after a moment, apologetic, "You must have been a teenager back then."

She laughed, looking round at him, "How old do you think I am?"

"Early forties?" He guessed, "That was twenty seven years ago. Did you fight?"

Dream Star considered it, she hadn't been counting her birthdays. That had been when she was thirty six, which meant... "I'm sixty three. Huh."

"That... isn't possible." Burnished Shield started, his eyes now comically wide, "You barely look a day over thirty!"

"Flatterer." She joked, looking up at her reflection in a glass cabinet. As far as she was concerned she was a ugly, wrinkled old tart, but no accounting for taste, "I've experimented on myself quite a bit, increasing my healing capacities, increasing my strength and endurance. We are but machines, good maintenance can keep us going forever."

"You... you are a tremendous woman." Burnished Shield finally forced out, his smile growing wider, "And I think we are going achieve great things together."

¬

Burnished Shield stood on the viewing platform of his cloudship, observing the devastation below. His eyes betrayed not a hint of emotion, simply stern resignation.

"Why did it have to come to this?" Dream Star asked, looking to him to comfort.

"We cannot save the world with good feelings alone." He stated, not taking his eyes off the fires. His voice trembled a little though, barrel chest shifting as he took a breath, "This ship, our weapons, armor... they are only possible due to the alliances we have made. And we cannot allow any pony to jeopardise that."

She looked down at the burning settlement, the bodies lying in the streets as power armored troops cleared the area. They had said that they would rather die than abandon their home. She wondered if their feelings had changed, "We could have negotiated. They must have had a price."

Burnished Shield drew himself up, fire in his eyes, "We cannot allow them to take advantage of us, our cause will not be held to ransom by some dirty wastelanders!" He gritted his teeth, voice lowering as he regained his temper, "Maybe next time, they will not doubt my resolve."

¬

It was a sight to be sure. One few wastelands had ever laid eyes upon. The great edifices of the old world still in their prime, the plazas and skylanes full of the kind of noisy bustle she had only seen in Tenpony. The ponies here lived their lives with the lazy, entitled pace that only came to those assured in their security, who had never known hardship. Is this what the old world had been like?

"I imagine this must be most overwhelming for you. Still, imagine the entire wasteland like this, safe, prosperous, united." President Rainbow Skies stated as he joined them at the balcony, proudly looking across the sights of Las Pegasus, "We can achieve great things together you know."

Dream Star didn't buy the sales talk for a moment. It had been made clear from the start what the terms of the deal would be, "If we provide the resources you ask for, you will be willing to take down the cloud cover?"

"I'm afraid it doesn't work like that my dear." Rainbow Skies answered, waving a hoof about in a rather overwrought manner, "We are a democracy, those decisions are ultimately made by the people. And at present they see all grounders as a threat, despite my best attempts to convince them otherwise."

"And vice versa." She reminded him.

"Exactly." He acknowledged, "In order to have any chance of peace, we must understand one another. Our efforts to civilise the zebra wasteland are constantly thwarted by a lack of trust, due to my predecessor making no attempt to work with the natives. Now our operations there are rapidly becoming more expensive than they're worth, threatening to cut off our one source of resources."

"And so you come to us."

"Indeed!" He answered cheerfully, drawing himself up and proudly adjusting his suit, "We provide you with the blueprints for mines, farms, lumbermills and the weapons to defend them, and you simply pay us with the resources they produce. In time this will convince the pegasus that you can be trusted, and we can finally open the sky to you once more."

Dream Star looked at his fake smile, at the clear greed and hunger in his eyes. It made her physically sick, to be a part of this deceptive game. Is this what they had become? But this was the game they had chosen to play, "I will take your offer back to Burnished Shield Mr President, expect our response within the next week."

¬

"You're asking me to betray my ally."

Dream Star stalked the command centre, furious that Burnished Shield refused to see her point. He just stood there at his post, staring into the hundred scrolling reports of tyranny and murder in the service of power and profit, "He is not your ally, don't you see that?!"

Burnished Shield grimaced, seeming torn for a moment, "It... is the only way."

"The only way is to turn Equestria into a strip mine for the Enclave?"

His eyes hardened at her words, voice full of steel, "I will unite this world. Maybe it will suffer today, maybe they will regard my deeds as evil. But tomorrow, this world will bloom again. Tomorrow this world will see sunlight."

"They are not doing us a favor." Dream Star reminded him, near spitting her words, "They stole the sun from us. What right do they have to ransom it back?"

"It is a ransom I am willing to pay."

She looked at him, his doubts no longer apparent on his face. He no longer hesitated to burn settlements that stood in the way of his plans, no longer hesitated to set his army on those who resisted. The proud paladin she had know barely seemed like a memory, "Do you truly believe this is the right path? Do you have no doubts?"

He answered immediately, "I have no doubts."

She breathed out. She didn't know she still had a conscience, let allow than it would drive her to such extremes. Maybe it was just racism. Maybe she just hated those smug pegasi.

But she knew then that the reasons were immaterial, and that she would not be part of selling this land out to the enclave, "Then I wish you good luck Burnished Shield."

She felt her heart tear as she strode away, through the door, out the main entrance, out into the wasteland. She waited for his voice. For him to admit he was wrong, that he needed her. That something mattered to him more than power.

But no voice came.

¬

"Yes, that's right listeners. The long nightmare is finally over! Burnished Shield has been slain, killed in single combat by the Stable Dweller. With his death and the destruction of the Imperial Stratos his legion has scattered, and the death of Admiral Winter has forced the Enclave to withdraw their own forces.

So what's next for our fabled defender? Well I'm glad you asked, because this old DJ has exclusive news for all of you. The Stable Dweller is at this moment putting together a team to take the battle to the source, to attack the Enclave and take the sun back by force!"

Dream Star listened quietly to the message, feeling a lump well up in her throat. It could have worked, it could have been good... and even though it had gone wrong, he deserved better than to be called a villain by self righteous disk jockeys.

She looked up at Watcher's eye bot, face tensed with rage, "What do you want from me?"

"You've been up there Dream Star, you know more than anypony what's waiting for them up there." Watcher stated back, tinny speakers buzzing, "You can help. You can redeem yourself."

"Redeem myself?" She hissed, sick of this shit. Did he really believe this? "I helped a good pony try to save the world, and you killed him!"

Watcher went quiet, Dream Star annoyed that she couldn't read his expression. He spoke again after a moment, "You left him yourself..."

"I left because I'm tired of killing." She spat, "Killing for him... or killing for you! You tempted ponies into fighting Burnished Shield, you forced him to do those things! You took a naive stable dweller, trained her into an assassin and sent her to kill my friend!"

"That is not true."

"And now you want her take the fight to the Enclave. Taking the best and brightest of the wasteland to almost certain death!"

Watcher paused for a moment longer before speaking again, voice strained, "It's better than doing nothing."

"Burnished Shield said the same to me once." She spat back at him, "Frankly, fuck all of you."

¬

It became known as the rain of fire, a whole district of Las Pegasus and a squadron of Enclave cloudships raining from the sky to crash down upon the wasteland with fierce blasts of flame and death. The clouds opened for but a moment... before closing once more, leaving nothing but questions.

The stable dweller and her team were never seen again.

¬

She almost found it amusing, the struggles of the poor creature on her table. She was aware that sounded sociopathic, but in fairness she hadn't had much cause for social interaction in the last five years. Obviously she was a little rusty with things like 'empathy' and 'social niceties'.

In fairness, her current subject had tried to attack her, "Aren't you a fascinating creature?"

"My sisters will come for me! They fly now, searching the area!" The alicorn shouted, straining at the straps holding her down, "Why can I not teleport? What is this feeling in my horn? Where are my fellow sisters? What happened to me?"

Dream Star chuckled, placing a blood sample under the microscope as she answered, "You must think you're pretty hot stuff. The answer to your questions is simple... I happened to you. Your sisters are dead, your horn is useless, your powers have been removed, and whoever you're communicating with will never find you."

"I..." The alicorn's struggles ceased, the creature now looking profoundly shaken, "Please let me go."

She turned away from the research console and strode back across the factory floor, fixing her eyes on the creature. It was an ugly thing, too tall, too broad in the muzzle, knock legged and poorly shaped. All the same Dream Star could think of no pony in the wasteland who could have created something like this, even her, "First, my questions. Who do you serve?"

"I serve the Goddess." The alicorn squeaked, "The savor of this world, she seeks to preserve life upon this blasted earth. She's creates being like us, unaging, immune to radiation, bound in unity. Soon all will be like us, and Equestria will have been saved."

"A fellow scientist?" She answered in surprise, glad to find that other mares of learning still existed. Still she had heard such speeches before, "Tell your Goddess not to bother. The world cannot be saved."

The alicorn's response was loud and emphatic, "That is not true!"

"Is that how you normally get recruits? Come in force, kidnap them?"

The alicorn's muzzle crinkled, "We tried to approach in peace, but they didn't understand. They mocked us, attacked us."

"And so you attempt to save the world by murder and violence." Dream Star chuckled, igniting her horn and unbuckling the straps. She faced the alicorn boldly as the mare rose from the table, staring her down despite being half the size, "Tell your Goddess that it won't work. One day the wasteland will unite behind some unlikely hero, and your Goddess will end up with a bullet through the forehead. And nothing will ever change."

The alicorn now looked like she was about to cry, stepping down from the table and trying to shake her head clear, "That... cannot be true. We can save this world, we must..."

"And what would you save?" She walked to the window, waving a hoof at the dark clouds beyond, "Even if you could live in this miserable world, if you could survive? What would be the point? Without beauty, without love? Without hope?"

The alicorn stared at Dream Star in utter horror for a moment, then dropped those eyes to the floor. After a moment her head rose again, eyes shining with tears, "How do you know these things?"

"I have lived a very long time. I've seen the death of this hope you speak of with my own eyes, watched the last Princess of Equestria breath her last and her bloodline wither and die." Dream Star stated, "And I've seen every pony who tried to reclaim that magic fail and die."

The alicorn's eyes widened, "You... are of the house of Cadance."

Dream star grimaced, having not thought of her family in a long time, "What of it?"

"Your cutie mark... it is the great tower of the crystal Empire."

Dream Star chuckled at this. She had once considered that the greatest honor, the symbol of her greatness... but now she realised the truth, "The Crystal Empire is lost. It is a symbol of lost hope and the destruction of civilisation, it is the death of love. That is my destiny."

"I refuse to believe that!" The alicorn shouted, then opened her wings wide, "I will take you there."

Dream Star blinked. That was... unexpected, "What?"

"I will take you to the crystal empire!" The alicorn stated firmly, stretching out her wings, "And I will show you there is still hope!"

¬

So this was what it was like to be a pegasus. Dream Star clung to the alicorn's back as they flew across the wasteland, well known landmarks stretched out below. Dream Star admitted it was pleasant, both to fly, and have somepony to talk to. She had a kill spell already in place on the alicorn's heart of course, and a levitation spell ready to go, still for now the mare appeared to be keeping her word, "So what is your name?"

"We do not have names." The alicorn explained, "Within the unity, we are all one."

"But you do not all have the same personalities or talents." Dream Star retorted, finding the very idea ridiculous, "You must have some way of identifying specific individuals."

The alicorn thought for a moment before responding, "Most of us are happy to be simple parts of the whole, interchangeable and part of something greater. A few... become known beyond that role."

"And you?"

"I am... a difficult mare." The alicorn admitted, "When others look to me, it is with disapproval. I do not dance along to the song of the unity like others do... I think, and question too much."

Dream Star scoffed, "No such thing. It is our uniqueness that empowers us, our ability to question that drives progress."

"The Goddess says that it was our differences that caused the war. That under the unity, zebra and ponies would understand one another and the world could be saved."

Dream Star thought on it, not able to come up with any instant comeback. She admitted the world would be a lot more peaceful if everypony truly understood at each other... even if she feared something vital would be lost forever. She eventually changed the subject, targeting the alicorn's previous statement, "When the others attacked me, you hung back. You were cautious, uncertain."

"Yes." The alicorn stated mournfully, "I was afraid. I was a coward."

"You were smart. And you're still alive." Dream Star countered, "You fought better than them too, used your magic for more than brute force."

"You are not making me feel better." She countered with a bit of snottiness, "I want to be part of the unity, I want to be able to sing the song alongside them. I hate that I am different."

"Being different doesn't mean you can't sing along." Dream Star stated, thinking back to her time with DJ Pon3, "A song has many different instruments, many different voices. You have your own song, but that can enhance a melody."

She paused in thought, eventually forcing her words out after a long silence, "I will think on it. I... thank you."

They flew in silence for a long time after that, the air growing cold and the ground fading into white. This was the crystal mountains, a place even the hardiest of wasteland explorers avoided. There was nothing here save death, and even with the cloud cover fading out here it didn't matter. What little heat the sun could manage couldn't even begin to touch the frost here.

But even as Dream Star started to consider turning back the alicorn spoke, "We're here."

She looked down at the endless fields of snow, "There's nothing here."

"No... I can see it in my dreams." The alicorn responded, before dropping into a steep dive. The air whipped past, Dream Star holding on tight as the cut through the falling snow. She felt a twinge of fear, knowing that if this alicorn wanted to betray her now all she would have to do was shake her off. No way would she be able to slow her descent at this speed.

But at the last moment she pulled up, settling down upon the ground with a great puff of snow. Dream Star released her grip and stared around, faced with endless snow... and something else.

It hadn't been obvious from the sky, but from this angle she could see them, the great shards of crystal that decorated the snow. Jagged and random in their distribution, only a couple so much as barely resembled structures. The whole area was as dead and still as the rest of the snowscape, "I told you. It's all gone."

The alicorn strode off into the snow, a tormented look on her face. The snow settled against her fur, soaking her through. Her voice was strangled, "This was all my fault..."

Dream Star raised an eyebrow, "Your fault?"

"I... the Unity remembers this place." The alicorn stated, looking around the ruins, "We tried so hard but... we couldn't save the crystal heart. We couldn't save the crystal ponies. We couldn't... save anypony."

Dream Star looked away, knowing there was only one explanation how this 'goddess' could have first hoof knowledge. And it only proved her point, "All heroes fail. All hope is pointless." She looked up at one of the largest shards, her reflection shining back at her. She turned, looking at the cutie mark clear there upon her wrinkled flesh. A tower of crystal, the sun shining down upon it... "My destiny is a lie."

"Wait... that's not..." The alicorn stepped forward for a better look, confusion on her features, "That's not the crystal palace."

Dream Star turned back to her, frowning, "What are you talking about?"

The alicorn igniting her horn, carving out a picture in the snow. It depicted a large tower, spiking into the sky and supported by four widely spaced legs... Dream Star looked back at her reflection, the tall tiered tower upon her flank clearly different in its appearance.

She looked back at the alicorn, "What is it, if not the crystal palace?!"

"It's..." The alcorn paused for a moment before realisation dawned, "It's made of crystal, but the structure, and the sun above..."

"What?"

"It's... the Single Pegasus Project."

¬

Dream Star prepared herself, staring down the alicorns in front. Three of them, they stood with unnatural stillness a short way across the plains. One was clearly the leader, purple in color with a far more muscular body and a clear and independent anger in her eyes. She advanced forward after a moment's consideration, flanked by the others.

Dream Star readied herself for a fight, yet before she got a chance her own alicorn stepped out in front, "We have much to thank Dream Star for dear sister."

The purple alicorn frowned darkly, fixing her with a judgemental glare, "The Goddess may forgive you, but the fact she sent me to escort you back tells a different story."

Dream Star looked to the strange purple alicorn, seeing a contradiction in her words, "The Goddess allowed her to take me to the crystal empire, spoke through her, gave over her memories..."

"Because the Goddess is a being of infinite mercy and kindness." The purple alicorn stated with a hiss of contempt. Her eyes settled on Dream Star, "Thus my role, of Justicar. I protect the Goddess from her own good nature."

"Dream Star has shown us much sister." Her alicorn stated with conviction, moving between Dream Star and Justicar, "Did not the Goddess believe once that we must work with wastelanders?"

"And they betrayed that trust." Justicar spat, "And proved all those outside the Unity must be destroyed."

Dream Star snorted, wanting to see her try. Still she had no desire for unnecessary violence, "Not that most of the wasteland couldn't do with some destroying, but a little bit of advice... refusing to work with outsiders will eventually unite the whole wasteland against you. And to be honest, that would be a shame. As a hoard of brainwashed monstrosities you're not half bad."

Justicar gave Dream Star a dark look, "Let them come."

"Sister... we are but a few." Her alicorn replied after a moment, then smiled broadly, "We cannot fight them all."

"And we cannot trust any of them." Justicar retorted.

"But... that isn't true." Her alicorn looked behind, smiling at Dream Star, "Some, rare, exceptional ponies have shown that they deserve the friendship of the unity. And perhaps there are others out there who feel the same."

And then all four alicorns seemed to pause for a moment, their eyes blanking. They awoke slowly, Justicar looking disgusted as she turned away. She muttered to herself, her tone bitter, "This is a mistake... I will not accept this."

Her alicorn smirked, "Who is the rebel now sister?"

Justicar glared sharply, then opened her wings and took flight with a little more force than strictly needed. She kept her eyes on the both of them as she ascended before winging away with a burst of air, the other two following.

Dream Star smirked, then looked to her alicorn, "The Goddess agrees?"

"She does." Her alicorn stated, then smiled broadly at Dream Star, "Thank you... for everything."

"See what I mean." Dream Star observed, "You can create a better harmony, by adding a few notes of your own."

Her alicorn nodded, a broad smile spreading across her face, "Yes. I shall be The Singer, and I will add all that I am to the Unity." She nodded to Dream Star, eyes full of affection, "And I wish you well too Dream Star. May you find that which you seek."

Dream Star smiled back. For the first time in a long while... she was feeling pretty good about her chances.

¬

"You're telling me there's not one good gun in this whole town?"

She stood in increasing frustration at the bar of the biggest watering hole in Appleloosa, a glum and depressing cluster of shacks gathered behind a wall mostly made of rubble. Despite, or perhaps because of that, she was told this was one of the best places in the area to hire firepower, mercenaries never short of work... though it appeared her sources had been misinformed, if the grubby earth pony behind the bar was telling the truth.

The bartender gave her a nod, explaining himself, "They all went north. Talons have taken all the work in this area."

She raised an eyebrow, clearly having been gone too long, "Who in the fuck are the Talons?"

"Hey, miss! You looking for a gun?"

She turned, already put on guard by the pubescent whine present in the voice of the pony who had spoken. The rest of him wasn't much more impressive, an earth pony, barely looking more than thirteen, clearly not groomed or washed in weeks, with a chubby, almost cute face, an exaggerated 'tough pony' stance and a pipe pistol hanging from a raider harness, "Yeah, I don't think so kid. Come back when your balls have dropped."

"Hey, fuck off!" He complained, the whine only getting worse, "I've killed dozens of ponies, I'm a fucking badass lady!"

She shook her head, "Sure you are."

He was just about to respond when there was a cry from outside, the door to the tavern suddenly swinging open to reveal an exited looking pony, "Hey everypony, the Talons are here!"

There was a quick rush for the door, Dream Star trotting along behind. She was eager to see what all the fuss was about.

She soon found out the moment she stepped outside, just in time to see them land with a scrape of their mighty talons. She had seen griffons before of course, but this was the first time she had seen more than one of them together. Indeed there was four, a grizzled elder in a formal military uniform draped in medals leading the way. Behind him were two equally solid and handsome looking youths, male and female, behind...

...well it seemed it was babysitting across the whole wasteland, a young female griffon unsteadily trying to strut in her oversized uniform, the combat shotgun at her side threatening to tip her over any moment. The whole effect was deeply offset by the bows in her hair, along with an angelic face that would never look tough no matter how hard she tried.

The elder griffon stepped forward, the crowd going quiet at his stare. His scarred, powerful head reared up, his tones proud and strong, "Ponies of the wasteland, I am General Gerald Grimfeathers of the Talons!"

A cheer went up, cut short as he raised a talon to speak, "For generations, our races have been foes. But no longer! Today we both face a greater threat, two indeed, opposed but equal in their evil!"

"The Enclave!" Shouted a pony nearby.

"Indeed!" Gerald shouted in reply, fury in his expression as he waved a fist, "From us, they stole a home, from you, the sun itself! And they think themselves free from retaliation, safe in their cities above the clouds! They think us beaten!" He paused a moment for this to sink in before continuing, "But we are still strong, we are still proud! As proud and strong as you, the ponies of this unforgiving wasteland! They think us beaten, but I tell you the truth, we retreated because we now understand the meaning of the qualities upon which your Equestria was formed! To join together, to bring down the arrogant with our shared might! We came here to seek your aid, to seek your aid to destroy the evil in the skies!"

A cheer went up, Dream Star admitting that the griffon certainly had presence.

"But first, the second evil we must face. The raiders, and bandits that have tormented you for too long. We understand the need to earn your trust, and so our armies have been deployed across the wasteland as we speak, rooting out the chaos and allowing settlements like this to grow strong. All we ask in return is for you all to aid us in this task, with food, supplies and weapons, advising us on the lay of the land and the locations of these threats."

Dream Star understood now. Rather inconsiderate of them, devastating the local economy. Why hire some dirt pony gunslinger barely above a raider himself, when you could have some handsome griffon sporting military equipment?

Did she just say handsome? She shook her head clear, chastising herself for letting her mind wander.

"Wow, isn't she beautiful?"

She looked down at the kid, who apparently had followed her out. She chuckled at his star struck expression, wondering if would be hypocritical to mock him, "Which one?"

He gulped, flushing red, "The one... with bows in her hair..."

General Gerald's voice lowered as he concluded his speech, "Please, if you need a trade route cleared, a bandit outpost destroyed, talk to one of my children. They will advise you on the resources needed to fund such a venture, and how soon the Talons can be deployed."

He nodded and stepped down, the two elder griffons behind moving forward to take questions. The male advanced straight for them, followed by the little one behind. His eyes clearly moved to the kid, not that he noticed given his eyes were still firmly fixed on the girl beside, "Hey kid!"

The kid looked up, surprised as he met the griffon's eyes, "Uh, what, huh?"

"Staring at my sister is ten bits a second." The griffon announced with a broad grin, "I hope you've got some deep pockets."

The kid looked horrified, stammering as he tried to make excuses. The young griffon beside on the other hoof was quick to jab an elbow into her brother's side, "Kage!"

"Alright 'Dyna !" The griffon relented, nodding back at the kid, "Twenty bits a second."

Dyna only glared, "You're terrible, and I hate you."

"I..." The kid finally forced out, "I want to join!"

Kage laughed, shaking his head, "What?"

"I want to join the talons!"

Kage just laughed, Dyna staring at him for a few more seconds before pointing out the issue, "You can't. You're just a dumb earth pony."

Dream Star grinned, she liked this kid.

The kid however was quick to take offense, clearly having not got the hint yet, "Fuck off, you... you need me!"

Kage shook his head, clearly greatly amused, "And why is that?"

The kid glared hotly at him, "I'm the best fucking shot in my tribe! Just try me!"

Kage sized him up for a moment before grinning, "Alright then... let's have a little test of that." He produced a single cap from behind his wrist, rolling it in his talons, "I'm going to throw this in the air. If you can hit it just before it begins to fall, I'll let you into the talons."

The kid flushed, "That's impossible! It's... tiny!"

Kage smirked, then launched it with a flick of his wrist. Another blur of motion later and the cap exploded apart, smoke rising from the pistol in his claws. Kage quickly looked around to confirm everyone was watching before stylishly returning the pistol to his holster, shrugging his shoulders, "I'm just an impossible guy it seems."

"Yeah." Dyna snarked, "You are."

Dream Star had to admire the griffon's cunning. Ponies might be able to fire larger calibre guns with twice the accuracy of a griffon, and take twice the amount of punishment, but they had one serious problem.

They had great difficulty even looking up, let alone focusing at such angles. Earth ponies most of all.

But she wasn't about to let this smug little griffon win, "Go on kid, I think you can do it."

The kid looked at her, eyes wide, "Really?"

"Yeah. Go on." Dream Star smirked, nodding to Dyna, "You don't want her to think you a coward do you?"

Dyna simply rolled her eyes.

"Well... this should be interesting." Kage stated as he took a cap out of his bag, "Ready?"

"Born fucking ready!" The kid stated, before taking the handle of his pistol in his teeth.

"Right... one, two... three!"

Kage threw the cap, at what Dream Star noted was a rather twisted angle. The griffon was a cheat too it seemed.

The kid angled his head up, stepped back... and fired. It was a good shot, but Dream Star alright knew it was going to miss. She took great pleasure in giving it just a little shove with her magic, watching it veer sideways and cut the cap in half with a solid crack.

Kage's eyes widened in horror, Dyna covering her beak with a talon. The kid simply shouted in triumph, "Fucking bitches! Take that!" His hoof cut out joyfully at the griffons, "I told you I was the best fucking shot in the wasteland! Now you have to let me in!"

Dyna glared at her brother, Kage hesitating in shock for a moment before forcing a laugh, "I was kidding! Seriously, how could you ever join the talons..."

"Are the Grimfeathers liars now?"

Kage turned with a start and a look of utter horror, seeing General Gerald just behind, "Grandfather..."

"You made the boy a deal." Gerald reminded him, eyes cold and unforgiving, "You will honor it."

"But..." Kage waved a desperate talon, "He doesn't even have wings... or access to a bath, quite clearly..."

"That is your problem, as I'm assigning him to your unit." Gerald declared coldly, before looking to the kid, "What is your name boy?"

The kid perked up, grinning so hard Dream Star doubted he would ever be able to stop, "Dust Kicker sir!"

"He's already got more fight in him than some of my children at least." Gerald observed, drawing up proudly and fixing him with a testing look, "Welcome to the Talons Private Dust Kicker. Follow my grandson, he will get you outfitted."

Kage reluctantly nodded, strolling off with Dust Kicker and Dyna cheerfully following behind. The young griffon's voice was sing-song in tone, "You got in trouble!"

"Shut it Dyna ..."

Gerald watched him go, his voice low as he spoke to Dream, "That was a kind thing you did, helping that boy."

Dream Star shrugged, "I was more interested in puncturing that griffon's ego."

"Then I thank you for your efforts." Gerald concluded, facing her now with his bold, powerful stare. Alongside his rumble of a voice, Dream Star felt her knees quiver a little as he spoke, "It will be up to them to lead our people back to their home, to bring the battle to the enclave. They have to be ready for that."

"Not you?"

"I am old." He quietly replied, "I am not naive enough to think I can take a scattering of refugees, gain the trust of our once mortal enemies and take the battle to the most powerful faction in the world in a few short years."

Dream Star touched a hoof to her own wrinkles, quickly deciding that was bullshit. She would not leave the future to the young and stupid, she would not trust that some privileged little shits wouldn't mess up all they had built, "What if I told you that I have a plan to destroy the Enclave already underway, and that all I need is a few good soldiers?"

He looked to her, searching her face for reassurance in her words. Finally he nodded, voice firm, "How many do you need, and where do you want them?"

¬

Dream Star walked through the smoking bodies and the still burning ruins, levitating the datachip from the raider leader's corpse and floating it over to her waiting hoof. Finally, after everything, the second recording was finally hers. To anypony else, a horrifically boring report by Rainbow Dash on cloud formation... if you weren't seeing things from an earth pony's perspective, and realised she was actually talking about rock formations and their minerals, and if you didn't run that through a reasonably standard code wheel and realise that the resulting numbers and letters were a password. And...

"Dream Star, please tell me this was worth it?"

She turned, looking at Regina Grimfeather's blood splattered face. She presented the data chip with distain, not sure how she could even ask that question, "This chip is the key to our victory...!"

"I hope so, because a dozen griffons died getting it." She retorted, sounding a little too hostile for Dream's tastes, "My grandfather's trust in you and your wild theories has already damaged his standing, and battles like this won't help."

Dream Star snorted, having no time for the opinions of small minded fools, "If they're unhappy with this plan, then tell them they're perfectly entitled to go up there and see how fighting the Enclave conventionally goes. My plan is the best chance they have, and they know it."

Regina's beak tensed in anger, her next words a little pointed, "Look, I know such things as tactics and logistics are below your mighty intellect, but we can't operate so far outside our supply lines without vastly reducing our effectiveness. We need to slow down our advance, focus on building a base..."

Dream Star admitted that the duller subjects failed to excite her much, still something there triggered a thought. She considered for a moment or two before the thought solidified, and became more interesting with every moment, "What if I knew a fortified location, boasting advanced technology, plentiful trade facilities and a powerful radio system, located right in the middle of Manehatten?"

Regina looked ready to continue being belligerent, however she eventually relented, "I guess that sounds... useful..."

¬

After all this time, after all these years... no one even gave her a second look, even as she bypassed security through the secret entrance and walked boldly through restricted areas. They just assumed she was supposed to be there, and she was. Oh she was.

The locks opened with a familiar clink, Dream Star feeling the weight settle upon her heart. She remembered everything. They layout of the corridors, the security codes... the paint was different. It used to be green.

She stepped into the lobby of the studio, instantly laying eyes on a lanky teenage pony carrying a stack of records on her shoulders. The pony looked round at Dream in surprise, her oddly blue eyes wide. Dream fixed her with an intimidating glare, "Go get the DJ girl."

She didn't take her eyes off Dream, simply calling out loudly as she stared in fear and uncertainty, "Mix!"

"Eh, what's the fuss Jokeblue?" Came the growly response, a stallion trotting out of the control room. He looked like he hadn't groomed in days, scraggly scruff on his chin and his mane hanging in a tangle, a pair of headphones around his neck and tinted eyeglasses on his muzzle. He raised an eyebrow when he finally noticed Dream Star, "Are you the new cleaning pony?"

"No." Dream Star replied.

"Good, because the bins really need emptying." He responded, rubbing his ear with a hoof and giving a lazy wave, "Jokeblue will show you where everything is."

He then departed. Dream Star trying to suppress a smile for a moment before finally speaking, "The DJ Pon3's haven't got any less eccentric I see."

Jokeblue took notice of this, eyes growing yet wider, "You... know?"

She looked at Jokeblue, noticing the tips of her ears were also tinged blue and pointed out a little more than most ponies, her grey coat weaved with a soft scattering of blue flowerlike growths. Her name was well chosen it seemed, "I lived here... a long time ago."

Jokeblue nodded in understanding, "That's why you knew how to get in! Who are you?!"

"My name is Dream Star, of the house of Cadance." Dream Star confirmed, looking to the mare seriously now, "I need to speak with the Twilight Society."

¬

"We have confirmed that you are who you say you are." Stated the cloaked figure before her, his true identity and that of his fellows hidden within the darkness that lurked beyond the glow of the single light illuminating her, "We welcome you back, Dream Star, Daughter of Cadance, blood of Twilight Sparkle."

Dream Star noted with weary amusement that they had vastly increased the drama while she was gone. She wondered quite when a group descended from scientists had suddenly decided to go full Freebaker on her, but then who was she to judge, "I have come to offer you that which you speak."

"And what is that?"

"The secrets of Twilight Sparkle." She answered, lowering her voice as she paused for effect, "The power of the sky and wind, the way to clearing the darkness from these lands."

"The Single Pegasus Project?" A voice exclaimed from the darkness, "And how do you have access to that?"

Dream Star grinned, she had their attention now, "You have a transportation megaspell, do you not?"

"We do." The figures confirmed, "But we cannot access the SPP. It is sealed to us."

"But what if I knew a way to remotely link up with their systems?" Dream Star asked, "What if I had the access codes to the project?"

"And do you?"

She chuckled, taking the three data disks out of her bag and waving them at the assembled society members, "I have three of the five disks containing them. And I know where the other two can be found."

There was intense whispering for a moment before the council spoke again, "How?"

"That is my secret." She teased, rather enjoying herself.

"And you need our help to get the rest?" Another one of the figures asked.

"I also need a secure base to operate from, one with clean water, solid defences, reliable power and comfortable rooms." Dream Star announced, "Along with the greatest scientific facilities in the world."

"I'm afraid the glory of Tenpony tower has greatly faded over the years." One of the figures admitted, "As you might have noticed, much of the tower has fallen into disrepair."

She grinned, "Then you're lucky I can provide you with all of these things."

There was a further burst of whispering before the answer came, "You will help rebuild the tower?"

"Yes."

"Return the Twilight Society to glory?"

"Of course."

The muttering continued for a moment before the answer came, "And in return?"

She grinned. After all these years, she was back where she started. It felt good, "You help me save the wasteland."

The response was quick, almost over eager, "We accept these terms. It is good to have you back Dream Star."

"It's good to be home." She admitted, a smile spread across her face, "Now let's get to work."

¬

Dream Star pondered the eternal mystery of how all this tech was still working, levitating a thick mass of tangled wiring, and an even bigger mass of duct tape and gum.

"You're not going to break my baby are you?"

Dream Star gave Mix Tape a weary glance, the buck a fusspot beyond imagining. Along with his idea of repairs being stroking a broken console and trying to talk it into working again, she wasn't entirely sure why he was here, "I built precision scientific equipment from scratch. I can handle a simple interface console."

Mix did not look placated, "Yeah, but... she's temperamental. I know how to treat her, she doesn't know you at all... you need a certain touch, you know? "

Dream Star rolled her eyes, "Mix, are you a virgin?"

Jokeblue tittered in a corner, Mix Tape glaring across at her. He eventually backed away, shaking his head, "I'm not sure why this is all necessary. She was working fine."

"The systems were draining twice as much power as they needed, you only had access to a single SPP tower, and you barely had radio coverage of a quarter of Equestria." She countered, giving him a weary glare, "When I'm done, this place will be back to its former glory."

"Was everything really so much better back then Dream Star?" Jokeblue asked eagerly.

Dream paused a moment in thought, giving a slow nod, "Yes... it was."

¬

She sat across from Kage Grimfeathers, the griffon sitting limply upon her office sofa. He had returned a little while ago, however his request for a quick drink before meeting her had been a mistake. He had only just sobered up enough to speak.

Given the circumstances, she decided to go first, "I am sorry about your grandfather. I liked him."

"He... was a great griffon." Kage forced out. His talon then forced its way into his bags, producing a data disk from its folds, "The last one."

"Then the salvation of the wasteland is almost at hoof Kage!"

He chuckled, slowly and a little hesitantly, "Oh, I hope so..." He looked up at her, "If this works... will I have to lead the Talons against the Enclave?"

She noted his tone, "You do not think you are up to it?"

"My grandfather had it easy you know. They all respected him." He shook his head, angry now, "All the other commanders, they constantly question my leadership, won't let up for even a moment. My older sister, she just keeps trying to undermine me, throws her successful missions in my face like I don't have the whole army consuming my every waking moment. And my younger sister!" He threw his talons up in exasperation, "She just spends all her time chasing after boys and looking pretty, whining at me for not paying her enough attention! Does she not realise how much effort I put into keeping her safe?!"

Dream Star had little idea of what to do in this situation. In the end she decided to take a line from the books she had read and walked over to him, looking him straight in the eye, "You can do this Kage. You have your grandfather's blood in you."

"No, I don't..." He whispered, "I'm just some foundling he managed to grab on the way out from our homeland. My parents were accountants."

"You have his legacy." She corrected, "He trained you for this."

"I..." He looked up, smiling at her, "Thank you Dream Star. That... helped. A lot."

It did? It would be the first time she had ever made anyone feel better about themselves, but whatever worked she guessed, "No problem Kage. And don't worry." She looked down at the smooth contors of the data disk, "Soon they'll be hailing you as the greatest griffon to have ever lived."

¬

It was finally time.

Dream Star sat in the control room she had set up, everything a go for the operation. The transporter was just next door, it would take her straight to the SPP. She just had to take the shields down first, and for that she needed access to the SPP mainframe. Access she was a second away from attaining.

She watched the data feed with frustrated impatience, the cursor blinking as it tried to establish connection through the MASEBS... and finally it stopped, 'connection established' scrolling across the screen. She clicked a command and a password, username and access number request blinked up.

She inputted the data that had been on the discs, the computer thinking for a moment...

'What do you want Dream Star?'

Dream Star blinked, the words sitting boldly upon her monitor. How had it known her name? Was somepony playing pranks on her? She quickly typed in her reply, 'Access to the SPP's defence systems.'

'And what would you do with access to the Single Pegasus Project?'

'Save the world!' She impatiently typed.

'And why do you wish to save the world?' Came the reply.

Dream Star seethed, unable to understand why the system was being so difficult. Was this some kind of AI security system, designed to thwart her? She quickly struck her response, 'Does it matter?'

'Do you want to use the SPP to remove the cloud cover?'

'Of course!'

'That would kill a great many pegasi. Destroy their society.'

'I don't care!'

She admitted that might have been inadvisable. The figure on the other end took a few more moments to reply this time, her response scrolling across much slower than before, 'Do you care about the ponies of the wasteland?'

Dream Star sighed, realising she was losing her temper, 'Of course.'

'And do you care about doing the right thing?'

'Yes!'

There was a long pause before the SPP system responded, 'Then install an aquifer. Establish a school.'

Dream Star gave up on trying to restrain her temper, typing furiously, 'Do you care so little about us? Do you care for the pegasi more than you do us poor bastards living on the ground?'

'If I did, I would let them inside.'

'And why don't you?' Dream Star replied, hooves smacking furiously against the keyboard.

'Because they would misuse it.'

The connection shut down, returning Dream Star to the command prompt. She gave a growl and tried to connect again, only to be immediately kicked out. She tried again, finding her password no longer worked.

Then she kicked the computer to the floor, screaming furiously at the walls.

¬

It was a acceptable distraction from her continued efforts to gain access to the SPP, and it had become clear from the last raider attack that Tenpony's defences were long in need of an update. The plans for that update lay out in front of her, Dream Star watching as a team of unicorns lowered the fuel rods into the resonance emitters situated about the tower. They settled with a clunk and Dream Star held her breath, only to release it as a shimmering light flickered about the edifice.

"It worked?" Spoke Elder Mitosis, the old pony raising his eyes in wonder, "The shields work once more?"

Dream Star unleashed one of her most powerful horn blasts, all those around yelling out and ducking away. It soared through the air to impact upon the shields, barely phasing them for a moment before the energy solidified once more. She grinned at her handiwork, "It looks like they do."

¬

A year later, in the same place, looking at the same screen... with the same result.

'I told you, I want to save the world!' She typed furiously.

The response came a moment later, 'Power will not save the world Dream Star. You should understand that better than anypony.'

Dream Star felt her eye twitch at the sheer arrogance, hooves typing furiously, 'I can clear the skies! I can make flowers bloom again!'

'And what then?'

'Excuse me?'

'What will you do about the raiders? What will you do about the enclave?'

Dream Star smirked. She knew exactly what to do with raiders, 'Whatever I have to. With the elements at my control, none will be able to threaten my peace.'

Once again, there was a pause before the words appeared on the screen, 'Power cannot save this world Dream Star. It cannot save you. Abandon this course, before it destroys you as surely as it destroyed Equestria.'

And then the connection shut down once more.

¬

Dream Star walked through the corridors, once crumbling halls now newly repainted and buzzing with life. The markets thrived once more, the inhabitants rich and dressed in the finest fabrics. This was a prototype of her new world, an idea of what was to come. She had expelled the ghouls, restricted admission to the best and brightest. This wasn't just a settlement, this was the crucible in which Equestria would be reborn. Outside, the Talons cleared the scum from her wasteland with brutal efficiency.

She was almost there. She had to be.

¬

'None of it was your fault Dream Star.'

Dream looked up at the console, fresh from her defeat. Her attempts to hack the system, to bypass the security... had failed. Had failed miserably. It was typical for it to want to rub that defeat in her face, "What are you talking about?"

'The deaths of your family, Pure Platinum... everything.'

She snarled, anger building up, "Then why are they all dead?"

'Because the wasteland is cruel, and unfair.'

"Then why am I alive?!"

The response took the anger from her, deflating her with absolute precision, 'Because you're too scared to die, and too tough to kill.'

Dream Star gritted her teeth, tears building in her eyes, "If I jumped off the roof I would likely just bounce."

'I understand Dream Star. And I'm sorry.'

"Just... give me access." She pleaded, desperate now, "It's all that gives my life meaning!"

The response was quick, 'And for your sake, I have to deny you Dream Star. I'm sorry.'

And then the connection shut down.

¬

Dream Star sat, staring out the windows to the vast wasteland beyond. It looked no different to when she had first entered this place.

"It has been four years now Dream Star, and we have seen nothing of the grand gift you promised." Elder Method accused, the young stallion as always backed up by his personal fanclub of similarly youthful and power hungry ponies. They all stared disapprovingly at her, Elder Method pausing a moment before continuing, "You promised us the SPP."

"I didn't give a timeframe." She softly countered, "Haven't I given you enough?"

"Enough?" Elder Method questioned, "In the last year, you have given us nothing. You sit here in your office, funding your personal projects at our expense."

She found some of her old hatred at this accusation, snarling at him, "I'm researching means to beat the SPP's protections..."

"A fools errand." He stated firmly, cutting her off, "We all feel that new leadership is needed, practical, realistic leadership. With the resources we possess we could become the richest, safest settlement in the wasteland, a settlement that would be the envy of all..."

"Is that all you want?" She yelled, spittle flying, "Money? Comfort?!"

"And you just want to be a hero, to sooth your own bruised ego." Elder Method countered, "Allow me to break it to you... the world cannot be saved. And your attempts are doomed, foolish, and pointless."

¬

"Let me in, let me in! LET ME IN!"

She screamed at the screen in futility, a blinking cursor and the 'access denied' message mocking her, taunting her. She screamed at it long and hard, a message finally scrolling across the screen.

'I am sorry.'

¬

"I know you were close with the family. We of course all share your sorrow at these events."

Dream Star stared across her desk, wanting nothing more than to roast the griffon in front of her. Clean, well groomed and with a smile full of charm, Dream Star doubted he had seen a fight in years, "Really?"

Gustavo Firebright lowered his head in sorrow, giving a deep, pained sigh, "I personally attended the scene but it was already too late. They fought bravely, but we confirmed that both Regina and Gawdyna Grimfeathers were slain in the attack."

Dream Star did not avert her glaring eyes from his lying face, "So soon after Kage's disappearance."

"It is a dangerous world out there." Gustave offered.

"After what happened to Stonehoof Traders I think that's been made quite clear." Dream Star stated back with undisguised venom, "I heard that once again you arrived just too late to stop the death of every last pony in that settlement."

Gustave grinned, a little too wide, "The raiders have been getting wily of late."

"Along with growing wings and feathers." She spat, "Stonehoof traders was in direct competition with Mixed Method's business interests. How convenient for him that they're gone."

Gustavo didn't disguise his smirk now, angling his head back and clenching his claws in a rather threatening manner, "Tenpony Towers, as ever, remains our best customer."

Dream Star didn't have to take this shit. Did he really think he could get away with this? "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't take your lying head right off."

"Because it would do you no good." He offered, not a hint of fear on his face, "We all mourn the end of the Grimfeather line, but they lost the allegiance of the Talons long ago with their foolish idealism. You'll not find one griffon who will miss their short sighted leadership. And as for Tenpony Towers... we are all grateful for your work, but it has outgrown you."

Dream Star ignited her horn, "You really think that's enough to save you!?"

"No, I simply trust that you wouldn't destroy that what you've spent so much effort building." Gustavo offered, deadly serious now, "You kill me and the talons will retaliate against Tenpony. Tenpony would turn against you for destroying their economy. And even if you would consider that revenge... Jokeblue, Homage, Inky Black, Dew Dancer?"

She snarled, though the glow of her horn faded, "Are you threatening children now?!"

"No, simply reminding you that innocents suffer when adults make short sighted decisions." Gustavo grinned again, giving a respectful bow, "And that making way for new leadership may well ensure their continued comfort and welfare."

Dream Star should have killed him then... but she was just so tired. Tired of fighting that which could not be fought, of thinking logically against such selfishness and chaos. And honestly... he was right. What really was the point? "Thank you for your advice Gustavo. And may I offer you some?"

He smiled, "Of course."

"Watch your back carefully." She glared hatefully at him, "What goes around, comes around."

¬

"You can't go!"

She stood at the entrance to Tenpony, her saddlebags slung across her shoulders, a plasma caster at her side. It felt so familiar, "I have nothing left to offer."

Jokeblue rounded on Dream Star, her voice angry, "This is your home, no matter what they say!"

"It's not my home." She stated bitterly, feeling nothing but distain and hatred now, "It's become a tower of lies, a monument of deceit. And that's my fault."

Jokeblue blinked, "Your..."

"I gave them hope, and power. And it destroyed them, it simply fed their greed and pride." She shook her head, "The voice in the SPP was right."

Jokeblue gazed hotly at Dream, "It doesn't have to be that way. We can save them!"

"I'm too old Joke." She whispered, then offered the mare one last smile, "You're going to be the next DJ Pon3. Make it mean something."

She just looked up at Dream with tearfilled eyes, finally giving a resolute nod, "I will Dream, don't you worry."

¬

She stepped across the wasteland, the first time she had seen it at ground level in years. It hadn't changed, all her work pointless. Talon company mercs shook down settlements claiming 'protection money', painfully thin farmers tried desperately to grow withered, worthless vegetables from the corrupted ground, and everywhere she only saw greed and suffering. What was even the point?

She sighed as she ventured across the hilltops towards Fillydelpia, for lack of any better direction to take. She eventually reached the top of one of the larger mounds, looking out over the cliff face to the sign of the city in the far off distance. Rumor told that some slaver warlord operated out of it, she was still willing to bet he would be better than what she had left behind.

Her magic flashed a warning, Dream Star engaging her shields just in time to deflect the high velocity anti-armor round that splashed against them. The second shot she managed the same, the third cut across her shoulder in a splash of blood.

Griffons burst from cover around her and dived closer, firing shotguns and flinging grenades. She blasted a hole through one before the blasts forced her back, flinging the debris out against them. Griffons hit the floor screaming, Dream Star blasting them apart before another barrage of sniper rounds cut her apart.

A large, muscular female griffon advanced forward, lifting a flamethrower and dowsing her with napalm. Another shotgun blast after that shattered her horn, flinging her to the ground with pain lancing through her entire body.

"What goes around, comes around." Gustavo Firebright stated with cheerful satisfaction as he advanced, shotgun slung across his shoulder, "I wasn't about to let you make good on that threat."

Dream Star hissed, reaching for her saddlebag, "You... are going to burn... in the pits..."

"I know how close you were to Kage Grimfeathers." Gustavo stated with a smirk, advancing on her with a lazy stride, "When you get to the bottom... tell him hi for me."

The heavy ignited her weapon once more, sending forth a roaring torrent of flame that immolated Dream Star totally. She felt her flesh cook, pain spreading across her entire body. A moment later and the shotgun blast kicked her in the stomach and sent her flying from the ridge.

She was conscious all the way down.

¬

Dream Star opened her eyes, instantly faced with an angel. She wondered for a moment if that meant she was dead, but decided against that for two reasons. One, she was definitely going straight to hades on death and two...

...she hurt like hell, her body aching from top to bottom and her gut feeling like somepony had been playing golf with it, "Ungh..."

"Don't move." The angel asked, with a voice fitting of her appearance. She was a pure, soft white in color, crimson hair hanging in neat curtains either side of her head. Her smile was full of kindness as she looked down at Dream Star, "We're here to look after you."

Dream Star didn't understand. How could she possibly still be alive? "What... happened to me...?"

"We found you collapsed nearby. You looked like you had been walking for miles." The pony gently explained, "You clearly weren't ready to die just yet."

Dream Star closed her eyes, wondering if the pony knew how much that statement stung.

¬

Dream Star stood on the balcony, staring out across the courtyard of the hospital. It sported no external defences, no protection from the wasteland beyond. It was insane, "How do you survive out here?"

"I saved Red Eye's life long ago, back when he was an adventurer." Gentle Heart responded as she stood beside, a watering can in her hooves as she cared for the rather meagre and sickly looking herbs dotted around, "Whatever anypony says, he is not without a sense of gratitude. Given that we are the only medical facility around, he also needs us to continue his expansion east."

Dream Star was surprised, considering what she had seen of Gentle Heart, "You work with slavers?"

"We work with anypony who needs us." Gentle Heart responded, "The slaves would be far worse off without the medicine from our labs, and Red Eye is one of the only ponies I've met with a real plan for the future." She looked round at Dream Star, giving her a sunny look, "We can't all save the world. But we can all try and make it a little better."

Dream Star looked away, this somehow managing to twinge at her heartstrings. She hadn't even been aware she still had them, "Admirable."

"If you think so, we are always looking for more help."

Dream Star looked back at the mare, frowning at her look of guileless benevolence, "There's still creatures out there need killing."

"Why do they need killing?"

Dream Star snorted, "You wouldn't say that if you knew what they had done."

Gentle Heart turned towards the sun, the wind gently ruffling her crimson hair, "Of course I would. I would ask whether killing them would make the world a better place, if my energies couldn't be better spent elsewhere." She looked to Dream Star with eyes pure and strong, "Not because I disagree with killing, but because they're legitimate questions to ask."

Dream Star sighed, admitting that they were. Would killing Gustavo achieve anything? The Grimfeathers were dead, and likely some griffon just as terrible would take over in short order. And were her talents best used for pointless vengeance, when there was still so much suffering? "Maybe you're right."

"Join us Dream Star. We would love to have you."

Dream Star couldn't believe the mare had survived this long being so guileless, "I've done terrible things you know. If you wanted to make this world a better place you should have let me die."

Gentle Heart just shone those bright, trusting eyes right back, "Then how would you ever redeem yourself?"

She frowned, "Some ponies don't deserve redemption."

She smiled back, full of grace, "On that, we disagree."

¬

"You're not going to tell anypony about this are you doc?"

Dream Star sniffed as she gave the injection, levitating the antibiotic cream out of the fridge and floating it over to rather large, powerful but now very sheepish stallion on her table, "Patient doctor confidentially."

He looked down at his crotch, "And this..."

"Apply the cream twice a day and it should clear up." She ordered, before giving him a sharp glare, "And stay clear of any more ghouls for the time being."

"Yes miss..."

She watched him scurry off, flashing a glare across at where Gentle Heart was hunched over a microscope, "Is this what my life has been reduced to?"

"It's very important work." Gentle Heart responded, looking up with one of her customary guileless smiles, "STD's are the second most common source of infertility in the wasteland, after radiation. If we are going to survive as a species we need to ensure the birthrate remains high."

"And you believe that do you?" She responded with a snort, "That we have a chance to survive as a species?"

She nodded, "Yes, I do." Her hoof pointed up at the light above the door, "You have another patient."

Dream Star impatiently struck the button, rolling her eyes as another big, dangerous and very embarrassed looking stallion walked through the door. She held up a hoof as he went to speak, giving him a quick scan with her horn. She rumpled her nose as the results came back, snatching up another tube of cream and floating it over. The stallion caught it, rather surprised, "You don't want to..."

"I don't want to know." She responded, waving him off, "Next patient."

Gentle Heart giggled as he waddled off, "You have such a wonderful bedside manner."

"I'm not here to treat their feelings." She responded with a snort, "If they wanted them spared they should have been more careful where they're sticking their cock."

"And you've never had any indiscretions Dream Star?"

Dream Star was struck by this, pausing for a moment as bad memories resurfaced. She even blushed, a most uncomfortable feeling, "At least I was a little more savvy about making sure they all had a bath first."

"Well you were lucky you had that luxury, and that education." Gentle Heart responded with good cheer, "Before my other work took up too much of my time I used to run the education clinic, I feel it really did do a lot of good. Especially given the range of species in the wasteland these days, being aware of the possible issues can really help..."

Dream Star looked across at her, willing to pay money to have been a fly on the wall for that, "You gave a bunch of smelly slavers sex education?"

"Well they weren't all slavers..." She responded, "But yes. I found it quite enlightening, and heart warming."

"Heart warming?"

She nodded enthusiastically, "Oh yes, you wouldn't think it of them but it really surprised me how many of them were in loving, monogamous relationships. I even did a little bit of relationship counselling."

Dream Star sighed, she really was one in a million, "I have to ask... why don't you have anypony Gentle Heart?"

"Me?" She giggled, though she didn't seem embarrassed at the question, "Well I've experienced enough to know what I'm talking about, but I guess I was always too busy with my work to really pursue a serious relationship."

Dream Star blushed for her, turning away. It suddenly felt so very warm in here.

¬

'You love that mare, don't you?'

Dream Star smirked, her hacking attempt into the SPP once more thwarted. She was left with only the security system's mocking comments, lazily striking out her reply, 'And what do you know about love?'

'Not enough. Perhaps that is why we are both here.'

Dream Star pondered this, wondering why it sometimes seemed her greatest rival was the only one who really understood, "I'm far too old for such things."

'You're never too old for affection, and love.' The voice from the SPP replied, 'I've watched you Dream Star. You are a better mare for being with her, a mare that achieves miracles each and every day. It is that sort of power, the true power of magic, that will save the world.'

Dream Star snorted, "Will it get me into the SPP?"

'It might do, one day.'

"Then we really are doomed." She replied, smirking to herself, "That the fate of the wasteland depends on someone honestly wanting to date my wrinkled, misanthropic flank."

¬

She did have some friends however, and honestly she was surprised how many of the slavers could actually hold a conversation about literature and philosophy. It made sense she guessed, Red Eye was all for education, still it made her laugh that likely the best cultured factions in the wasteland were the slavers and the forces of the Goddess.

One of the slavers who made a particular point in visiting was a young griffon, Elizabetha, who had actually been a talon once upon a time. She had left when Gerald Grimfeathers had died, having apparently received the memo on the future downfall of the Talons long before Dream had.

"It's basic sociology, the concept of group think and too many chefs. Most organisations throughout history have thrived behind one strong leader, and fallen apart once power started to trickle down through the system." Elizabetha explained, adjusting her rose tinted glasses as she took another gulp of her vodka, "Once Kage started to hand those under him more autonomy I knew his downfall was inevitable."

Dream Star wanted to argue, still she had little ground to stand on, "He was a good griffon, but not a strong one. Regina would have been a better choice."

"For all his qualities, Gerald had a sexist streak." Elizabetha noted with a sigh, "One of the many ways that Red Eye is superior."

Dream Star chuckled as she sipped from the tumbler in front of her, feeling the griffon had a bit of a crush, "But Red Eye will eventually age, and die. Exceptional ponies are rare, will one be available when it's time for succession?"

"That is why Celestia was so successful." Elizabetha noted, "Immortal, so integral to the workings of government that she held ultimate power without even have to do much. And incorruptible, what after all could anypony offer her?"

Dream Star smirked, "You're a griffon, this all seems somewhat disloyal of you."

"There was a reason our lands were pathetic backwaters." Elizabetha noted, waving a claw around her, "And that was something else Gerald got wrong. Why should we ever think about reclaiming our home, when there's a perfectly good one right here?"

Dream Star cocked her head, "Take over Equestria?"

"Live here with you." Elizabetha corrected, "The pegasi have stabbed you in the back, why not let us take their place? It's not as if you don't have space to spare."

"True..."

"Red Eye will triumph, believe me." Elizabetha concluded, "And when she does, it will be griffons standing behind him. Stern, and the Talons, we'll prove ourselves worthy to stand beside all of you in building a new world."

Dream Star grimaced slightly at their mention, "How are the Talons doing?"

"Well there is one interesting bit of news." Elizabetha offered, shrugging her shoulders slightly, "Apparently there's a new girl on the block, making her name... or reclaiming it I suppose."

"Who is that?"

"Gawdyna Grimfeathers."

Dream Star frowned, "She's dead."

"I know. Probably a imposter." Elizabetha admitted, "Still, she knows her stuff."

Dream Star agreed, all evidence pointed to Gustavo telling the truth when he claimed the deaths of Regina and her little sister. And speaking of which... "What about Gustavo Firebright, how is he doing lately?"

"Gustavo Firebright, the Talon commander?" Elizabetha asked, then scratched behind her ear with a worried expression, "Were you... friends with him?"

Dream Star smirked evilly, rather amused by the very idea, "Not in the slightest."

"Oh good, because he's very dead." Elizabetha stated, looking relieved, "Gawdyna, she mounted his head on a spike, along with a bunch of other high ranking Talons. Some kind of internal issue I hear."

Dream Star didn't think she would ever stop smiling, "Good for her."

¬

Dream Star knew this was a trap, wondering if her magic was still ready for combat after all this time. She carried no weapon, she figured that might make them underestimate her...

She emerged from the side of the rock formation blocking her view to the right, instantly faced with the familiar form of a griffon silhouetted in the gloom. She jumped sideway, her horn sparking up, "Who are you?!"

"It's me Dream... Elizabetha."

Dream narrowed her eyes, it did... look like her. Still, "Why meet me here? Why not go to the hospital?"

"Then you don't know?"

"Know what?" She advanced, the light from her horn spreading across the griffon. She looked terrible, her fur ungroomed, her feathers a mess, grit and ash still clinging to her, "What happened to you?"

Elizabetha advanced forward, cautiously, scared. Her eyes were sunken and haunted, like she hadn't slept for months, "It... all went wrong. I killed them Dream." She shivered, averting her eyes, "I killed them all."

"Who?"

"Children Dream." Elizabetha's voice cracked, "Hundreds of them, burning to death. Because of me."

This made absolutely no sense. She extended a hoof, "Let us go back to the hospital, we can talk about it..."

"No. I can't." Elizabetha shook her head, stepping away, "You know what Red Eye says. Children are the future of the wasteland, and any who harm them..."

Dream Star sighed, still struggling to understand, "What, exactly, happened out there?"

"A settlement, fortified. It was a tough target, but I was sure there was good salvage and slaves to be found." Elizabetha took a deep, shuddering breath, "But they wouldn't break. I lost dozens of good soldiers to them, and they all told me I should cut my losses and retreat..."

"But you didn't."

"No. I said it was because they were defying Red Eye, but... it was because they were defying me. My pride wouldn't let me turn my back." Elizabetha turned desperate eyes up to Dream, "So I ordered a full bombardment, incendiary rounds. They all told me it was stupid, that there was no salvage in ash and rubble. But I gave the order, and they all burned."

"Including..." Dream Star fought for a good way to say it, "...children."

"There were about seventeen adults protecting about four dozen children. And every single one of them died in... agony." Elizabetha clawed her face, tears running down her cheeks, "I... can't... deal with that. I'm a monster."

"Red Eye will understand." Dream Star soothed, knowing pragmatism would serve as much as compassion. Elizabetha was one of his best commanders, "It was a mistake."

"No, it wasn't." Elizabetha stated, voice hard now, "I thought I was the hero, that I could do no wrong. I let my standards slip, and at that moment innocents died in droves. My arrogance killed those kids, my... pride."

Dream Star didn't know quite what to say. But Elizabetha was being far too hard on herself, "Your worst day is equal to the highest standards of nobility for the rest of the wasteland. And your mistakes what most of them would do cheerfully."

"That's not GOOD enough!" Elizabetha shouted, talon clenching, "I excused any atrocity, any pain and suffering with the knowledge that we were fighting for something, that we weren't just raiders in search of profit and power! That our motives were pure!"

"You made a mistake Elizabetha. That doesn't mean your motives aren't pure."

The griffon shook her head, face contorting in agony, "No. I realise now, all that pain and suffering I inflicted because of my pride. Because I read a couple of books, and starting thinking I knew what was best for everyone. But now I can't see the difference between me and the Steel Rangers. Between me and... Caesar, or Luna." Her eyes lifted to stare straight at Dream Star, "Do you believe Red Eye's cause is pure?"

Dream Star knew Elizabetha would know if she was lying. Hell, she likely already knew her answer, "No. You can't separate us from our selfishness, it's part of all of us. Hero or villain, we're all in it for our selfish egos, to be proven right." She sighed, offering the bag of medical supplies, "But he's better than most. You're better than most Elizabetha."

Elizabetha took the bag, slinging it about her shoulder. She looked off into the distance, quiet as the sun slowly began to rise, "If Dust Kicker asks for me... tell him I'm dead."

"What are you going to do?"

Elizabetha shook her head, shoulders slumping, "To find out if there's any truth at all in this world."

Dream Star couldn't help her reply, "Then you might be gone some time."

"Yeah..." Elizabetha looked back, a bitter smile on her face, "Keep working Dream Star, keep reaching for your destiny. You deserve it more than most."

¬

Even though most of them had been working with them for years now, it was still noticeable how hardened slavers quickly backed away in the face of the troop of alicorns now stepping across the courtyard. Gentle Heart of course met them without fear, all smiles, "It's good to see you all. What can I do for you?"

Their leader was the one with twinkly icy hair, Speaker, that Dream Star understood was their representative to Red Eye. That meant this was an important visit, the three alicorn scanning the area before all focusing their eyes on Gentle Heart, "Red Eye has requested we talk to you in private."

"Of course." Gentle Heart looked to Dream Star, "If you would join me Dream?"

Speaker looked uncertain, "We wish to talk to you..."

"She can help." Gentle Heart stated with a smile, "Please, I know a place we can speak in private."

Dream Star followed the alicorns into the hospital, curious at what this was all about. Gentle Heart seemed to understand what was going on, suggesting she had been expecting them. She certainly hadn't said anything of the sort to Dream...

They finally entered one of the research rooms, the alicorn taking position at one end as Gentle Heart prepared the kettle. Speaker gave her a nervous look, "We do not require..."

"Trust me, you'll love it." She sweetly replied, turning to them with a note of slight regret, "I'm afraid what you're asking of me is no small request. To be honest that you're asking me is a sign of how far down the list you are, I'm barely a research assistant compared to the good doctors Glue and Slaughter."

Dream Star looked to her, confused, "You were working on something for Red Eye and the Goddess?"

The alicorn gave her another nervous expression, Dream Star wishing they would stop acting as a single entity. It was creepy.

Gentle Heart nodded, retrieving the tea and placing it out on the table, adding a supplement to that of each of the alicorn. That done she turned a kind smile to Dream Star, "I'm afraid that's why you've had to pick up so much of my work lately. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but we didn't want to get too many ponies involved."

Dream Star was getting irritated with all this secrecy, "Involved with what?"

"Well... as you know, Red Eye has many alicorn among his forces." Gentle Heart started, "And that's putting it simply. In truth, they are among the linchpins of his vision for the future. As such their welfare is of upmost importance to him."

Dream Star suddenly realised, "Gentle Heart... you're an expert on reproduction, fertility and gynaecology."

"I am... somewhat trained in those fields, yes." Gentle Heart agreed with reluctance.

Dream Star looked to the alicorn, knowing from Singer the one issue that consumed much of the Goddess's time, "You're working on alicorn reproduction."

Gentle Heart nodded, "But I admit, I have found myself somewhat out of my depth. Which is why I want to bring you into the project."

Dream Star frowned, "Why me? I'm no expert."

"Singer believes differently." Speaker stated, some doubt in her eyes, "She said you were one of the few scientists who understood our biology, and that you could be trusted."

"Singer?" Dream Star exclaimed, wondering what exactly the mare had been telling them. She scoffed at the very concept, "Because I almost cut her up once?"

"So she says." The alicorn responded, "Is it true?"

Dream Star considered the matter. In truth while not an expert, she was primarily a high energy magic and engineering specialist, she had picked up a decent enough grounding in biology to help. And she was loath to say no to Gentle Heart.

Still there was something about this that bugged her, "Why the secrecy? Who are you trying to hide this from?"

The alicorn all looked at each other before Speaker finally explained with as straightforward a tone as she could manage, "The Goddess."

Dream Star blinked, "What? Is... that even possible?"

"With some difficulty, yes." Speaker declared, looking worried, "In truth, your words to Singer back then inspired the Goddess to give some alicorns more independence. By doing so, she made it possible to... isolate certain thoughts from the wider unity."

Dream Star hadn't expected this, that was to be sure, "You're betraying the Goddess?"

"We have come to believe her viewpoint... flawed." Speaker explained, placing a hoof against her chest in what was the most genuine piece of body language she had managed so far, "Singer and I, as well as many of our fellow alicorns have come to trust in Red Eye. And we know that the Goddess intends to betray him, that she wishes all unicorns converted to alicorns, and all other species to be eradicated."

Dream Star certainly didn't consider that very shocking, "And you?"

The alicorn paused, looking nervous as she considered her answer, "We... wish to serve as Twilight intended. To serve, and protect lesser ponies. To be the benevolent authority that this world needs."

"Really?"

"I believe her." Gentle Heart stated, turning a big, beautiful smile to Dream Star, "She stood up to Justicar herself, one of the most vicious and bloodthirsty of the alicorns. Sustained significant injuries, I was the one who patched her up."

Dream Star wasn't aware alicorn could fight between themselves, "Wouldn't that count as attacking yourself? With the Unity and all?"

Singer shivered, evidencing quite convincing fear, "The Goddess merely... rebuked my thoughts. Justicar on the other hoof took offense on her behalf, only just refrained from killing me despite the Goddess ordering her to stop."

Dream Star had certainly got the impression that Justicar wasn't entirely stable the first time they had met, "She sounds like just as much a rebel as you."

The alicorn nodded slowly, "She follows loyally, but only because the Goddess gives her plenty of opportunities to indulge her bloodlust and sadism." She shivered, "She is even firmer than the Goddess in her belief that all non-alicorn life is an infestation to be purged."

"And she is rapidly becoming one of the most influential voices within the unity." Gentle Heart noted, "And the alliance between the Goddess and Red Eye is already shaky as it is."

That raised questions, "If the Goddess was to turn against Red Eye... what would that mean to you?"

"If she wished it, she could still take direct control of us." Speaker admitted, "We would have to cut ourselves off to resist, which would be... traumatic. And it still wouldn't guarantee she could not reach us."

Dream Star understood, "But if you had a bargaining chip, like... the secret to curing your fertility problems?"

"Then we could convince many of our sisters that Red Eye offered us true salvation." The alicorn admitted, "Enough to hopefully form a strong enough psychic bond to resist her domination."

"This is important Dream Star. And Singer sincerely trusts you to help." Gentle Heart faced Dream Star now, full of trust and kindness, "Will you join us?"

Dream Star didn't see much of an option. And besides... she did like the alicorn better than most ponies, and had no desire to see them the thralls of some mad god, "Sure... I guess."

"Thank you!" Gentle Heart shouted as she hugged Dream Star tight, "You won't regret this!"

Dream Star relaxed in her embrace, already feeling happy enough with her reward.

¬

His entry was as inconspicuous as possible, still Dream Star saw the signs. A single pony stepping out of a battered, old, but well armed and armored transport truck? A single pony, wearing a dust cloak and hood that totally obscured his features? A trio of griffon in heavy combat armor and wielding high power rifles, trying to look like simple slavers but clearly watching the crowds around the figure?

Dream Star didn't like any of it and quickly followed the pony through the back door of the hospital, throwing up an invisibility spell that totally obscured her from their view. The door led into a sealed storage area, Gentle Heart standing alone within. She appeared to be sorting through one of the crates, the cloaked pony approaching her with intent.

Dream Star tensed for combat, especially as the figure let his coverings fall and Gentle Heart looked up in surprise...

...before smiling, moving forward and meeting the large earth pony stallion in a soft nuzzle, the most affectionate Dream Star had seen her with anypony. It wasn't quite romantic, still Dream Star didn't quite leave vaporisation off the table.

The stallion moved away, flashing a charming grin, "It's been too long Gentle Heart."

"Both of us have important work to do, the personal always has to take a backseat." Gentle Heart stated, giving him a beautiful smile, "Still, it is so very good to see you."

"Heh, you're as charming as ever." The stallion admitted, "Maybe after our business is done we can take a little time..."

"Who's your friend Gentle Heart?" Dream Star stated with barely disguised hostility, glaring upon the stallion as she strolled out from her hiding place, "I don't believe we've met."

But the stallion didn't seem shocked at all, simply turning to her with a calm, dignified step and focusing his glowing cybernetic eye upon her, "But I know you. Gentle Heart has spoken very highly of you Dream Star."

Dream Star's voice choked on her throat.

"May I introduce my dear old friend?" Gentle Heart stated with a cheerful little giggle, "This is..."

"Red Eye." Dream Star choked out.

"The way you were described, I didn't think anypony could intimidate you." Red Eye noted with a grin, then tapped a hoof against the ground, "Word of advice, we Earth ponies have very sensitive hooves. Invisibility does nothing to hide your steps."

"I'll... remember that." Dream Star acknowledged, trying to regain control of her faculties, "What brings you here Lord Red Eye?"

"Work, sadly enough. Work I hear you've been involved in." Red Eye's expression grew more serious, looking back toward Gentle Heart, "Have you heard? About Singer?"

Gentle Heart shook her head, Dream Star not liking his tone at all, "What about Singer?"

"She's dead." Red Eye admitted, genuine grief and annoyance in his tone, "Along with our operations in Appleloosa."

Dream Star took a step back, the news like a kick in the chest. Singer? Ever mischievous, ever the rebel? Showing more charisma in her hoof than the rest of the Unity put together?

"That's... bad." Gentle Heart expressed, with some understatement, "Who was it?"

"Reports say that it was a single pony." Red Eye admitted, flashing a smile devoid of mirth, "Which is either the least funny joke ever, or evidence that I need to raise my recruiting standards."

"Justicar?" Gentle Heart suggested, "She's about the only one I can think of who could pull off such a thing."

Dream Star declined to mention that she had wiped out more than a few bandit camps, and taken out plenty of alicorns. Still, she hadn't heard DJ Pon3 mention any notable heroes lately, "What did the reports say, exactly?"

"A unicorn filly, wearing a stable jumpsuit." Red Eye stated, then headed off Dream Star's comment, "Yeah, I know, a fucking Stable Dweller."

Dream Star bristled, well aware of the precedent, "You have to stop this now. Send your best, and put her in the ground before it's too late."

"That's the last thing I'm going to do." Red Eye responded, smirking knowingly, "Reason one, she'll likely send them back to me in a box. Mare just took out a whole camp and an alicorn lieutenant on her lonesome."

Dream Star hissed, only too eager to accept the job herself, "And reason two?"

Red Eye turned her eyes to Gentle Heart, "That wasn't her only achievement of note out there. Rumor tells that she also rescued Miss Ditzi Doo from raiders, along with a filly she had been protecting."

Gentle Heart opened her eyes wide, "Ditzi Doo was captured by raiders?"

Dream Star felt increasingly like the third wheel, "Who's Ditzi Doo?"

"The best junk merchant in the wasteland, a seriously underrated writer, and a damn good mare." Red Eye answered, then chuckled to himself, "Did some work for her a long time ago. She gave me my favourite rifle as a reward, still got it hung up in my office."

Dream Star didn't see what was so funny, "She could have told this Stable Dweller not to kill your ponies!"

"And reason number three." Red Eye continued, expression becoming more serious, "Ditzi Doo does not work for me. I haven't spoken to her in more than half a decade, because in case you haven't noticed I'm an evil slaving scumbag these days. Good mares, pure hearted mares... they tend to take exception with that."

"Singer was a good mare!"

"Singer was an agent of the Goddess, dipping unicorns in mutigenic goo and working with slavers. Knowing her, she more than likely took the time to mouth off to this vault dweller, really work that angle." Red Eye shook his head, giving Dream Star a look that pierced right through her, "Surely you remember what it was like to be out here for the first time? Full of righteous power, ready to save the world with nothing more than good intentions and plentiful ammo?"

Dream Star really didn't, but she had met enough heroes to understand, "So you're just going to let her shoot up our operation?"

"Yes, I am." Red Eye answered, a sly grin upon his face, "Let this mare carry on her little adventure. Let her visit Arbu and Tenpony. Let her talk it out with the Steel Rangers, and the Goddess, and the Enclave. Let Watcher fill her head with charming lies, and let her see how the ponies out there treat good mares like Ditzi Doo. If she's any kind of real hero she'll find herself heading this way eventually, come to take down the big bad Red Eye."

Gentle Heart looked to him in expectation, "And then?"

"Did I ever tell you how I met Stern?" Red Eye asked, "She was a mercenary, hired to take me down. Killed a bunch of my friends, gave me the hardest fight of my life. So I did the sensible thing. I out maneuvered her, beat her down bad enough to show her exactly who was boss... and I gave her a better offer."

Dream Star lowered her head, not particular enamored of mercy towards those who had hurt her. Personally she also thought Red Eye was reading a little too much into the personality of a mare he had never met, and the attractiveness of his grand plan built on little but good intentions, "You do know we totally failed in finding a cure for the alicorn infertility don't you?"

"I heard." Red Eye admitted, turning to a guilty looking Gentle Heart, "I gave the problem to Dr Glue at first, he refused to even consider it. Gave me a... colorful answer, which basically translated to 'you might as well try to breed ponies with manticores'."

Gentle Heart smiled softly, "He always did have a way with words."

"He might be an ass, but it looks like he was right again." Red Eye admitted, "So I've decided to approach the problem from a different angle... how much do either of you know about the formation of the Goddess?"~

"What does that have to do with anything?" Dream Star asked.

Red Eye just smiled, "Everything."

¬

It was almost time.

She had been around for plenty of major events, and maybe it was easy to get jaded. But this felt like something more, something bigger. The Goddess was dead, and those alicorns with sense had joined Red Eye's forces. The Enclave had taken to the Wasteland in force, and were being fought to a standstill.

Red Eye's ascension was nigh, and so far everything was as he had predicted.

As for her... still was still right where she was meant to be. She had considered going out there, helping, but her days as a warrior, as a killer... they were far behind her. Better she was here, helping ponies... with her.

"Dream, I have another mission for you." Gentle Heart stated as she wiped sweat from her brow, the strain in her normally unflappable features evidence of how much stress had been weighing on her. She moved across the courtyard, her head indicating to the west, "We've heard reports that an Enclave Raptor has been shot down about fifteen miles east, I need you to head out there and scout for survivors and medical supplies."

"In that order?" Dream Star asked, this being the issue that did not sit well with her, "Those Enclave butchers you brought in are taking up supplies and beds that could be used for our troops."

Gentle Heart's expression remained firm, "We are intending to end the Enclave threat once and for all Dream. Either we kill each and every one of them, or we work for a path to peace. You heard their stories, most of them have been lied to all their lives. If we can convince them to help, then we have a real chance."

Dream Star doubted it. She had heard those words many times before, but it never amounted to anything. More likely the Enclave would fight until their supply lines gave out, when they would retreat above the clouds to lick their wounds in preparation for the next big confrontation. Still... "I've trusted you so far."

"Thank you." Gentle Heart responded, "Be careful out there."

Dream Star just grinned, moving to the weapons rack and shouldering her plasma caster. Despite having abandoned her killing ways, the occasional monster attack or poorly behaved patient had proven that she was still more than capable despite her advanced age. To be honest there was even something that appealed about the feeling in her heart as she strode out into the wasteland, clad in armored leathers and feeling the metal of her weapon on her side. Her hooves were firm, confident, stepping across the dirt and rubble like she had never been away.

The smoke drew her to the wreck, soon looking out over what remained of the cloudship. Dream Star noted that it sported battle damage that matched up with Enclave weapons, plenty of them, suggesting it had been fired upon by another ship. That kind of thing had been increasingly common in this war, Dream Star wondering if Gentle Heart was right about the Enclave being willing to question its own doctrine.

She continued onwards, not detecting any signs of life in the wreckage, and less than the full complement of crew among the bodies. That didn't bode well for salvage, and indeed the medical bay had been picked clean. Dream Star figured they must have evacuated the wreck with all survivors, and taken what supplies they could gather.

Her radio crackled into life, Dream Star lifting her headset and placing it to her ear. A bit of tuning and the signal came through clear, despite what sounded like a bit of jamming.

"This is a priority message, broadcast to all followers of Red Eye. Battle is joined over the Cathedral, a large force of Enclave have taken up position. All forces in the area, please assist.”

So it was happening. Dream Star looked towards where she knew Everfree Forest lay, sure she saw a glow on the horizon. Still, it was far too far away to ever reach in time. She was just about to turn off her radio when another message came through, "All Fillydephia garrison units, several small skirmishing forces have been spotted on our outskirts. Please investigate and report."

A succession of map readings swiftly followed, one of them far too close for comfort. Dream Star saddled up and set off at a fast trot, feeling a deep unease in her heart.

An hour or so in, she got a burst of static from her radio that she only got the first few words from. It almost sounded like the cathedral had fallen, but then there was just dead air. She fiddled for a short while before she saw the smoke on the horizon and rushed onwards, unable to get a signal from any of Red Eye's command posts.

She reached the ridge, looking down upon the hospital below. It had clearly suffered damage, gunshots still sounding out. A large group of ponies and griffon surrounded the building, wearing no clear uniform but clearly on the offensive. She galloped down, unbuckling her plasma caster and taking the shortest route. She didn't know who these bastards were...

"Halt, who goes there!"

The griffon and two ponies pointed weaponry at her, Dream Star spitting her response, "Red Eye!"

They fired, Dream Star erecting her shield and igniting her caster. The pony and griffon both turned to goo with desperate screams, Dream Star transferring the power of her shield into a fierce spear of energy and carving a hole through the throat of the third. He dropped with a gurgle and Dream Star quickly decided not to waste him, taking hold of his mind with her magic and raising him back up with nothing more but a fierce rage and hunger towards his allies. She let him go and rushed forward, hearing the screams as he set upon his former comrades.

Two more griffons and four ponies died in seconds as she broke through their lines, snapping another clip into her caster as she charged through the hospital's front gates. The courtyard was a mess, fires burning, bodies lying in bloody heaps and the doors shattered inwards. All of it burned itself into her mind, Dream unable to tear herself away as she looked across each desecration of her home.

The dozens of heavily armed militia that were currently training weapons on her slowly gained her attention. One of them finally spoke up, full of righteous fury, "Identify yourself!"

"Identify yourself!" She spat back , fixing eyes full of hate on the pony, "This is a hospital!"

"A hospital for those who are a blight on this wasteland!" He called back, "But we are taking it back! Red Eye is dead at the hooves of the Lightbringer, and we intend to finish her work!"

Dream Star's voice hesitated in her throat, "No..."

"We, her servants, will now do the same to the rest of his organisation!" The pony waved a hoof across the burning building, "This building will serve as our base as we assault Fillydepia itself! We will spread light across that blighted city, like Littlepip did across the wasteland!"

Dream Star fought to keep her composure, "Where is she... where is Gentle Heart?!"

"She is dead!" The pony shouted, "Even as we called out his crimes she refused to renounce her loyalty to Red Eye, tried to excuse his actions! She paid the price, the price all the slaver's servants will pay!"

Dream Star didn't feel angry as such. Maybe she had passed beyond. She only felt grim certainty, as if there was only one decision to be made now, one path before her. If Gentle Heart was dead, Red Eye was dead, their plan was a failure... what was left to lose? She ignited her horn, feeling power well up through her entire body, "You want to see light?"

"Stand down!" The pony shouted, more of his militia pouring into the courtyard, "There's dozens of us and only one of you! You cannot hope to...!"

She ignited her horn, turning the pony to ash where he stood. Her words hissed out as her plasma caster ignited, "Try me."

¬

Dream Star's hooves padded across the dirt, a trail of blood marking her path as she made her way through the dark confines of everfree. The remains of enclave ships and troops lay scattered among the trees, an odd tranquillity about the place. Dream Star shed her tattered armor, dropped her caster to the dirt, both were broken beyond repair.

She advanced towards a field of poison joke, the glowing blue petals withdrawing away at her steps. Some grasping plant lurched towards her, only for Dream Star to spark a fire in its heart that soon turned the entire thing to ash. She saw the other dangers of the everfree shrink from her path, perhaps sensing the death on her hooves.

She spotted a crowd of refugees staggering through the darkness, their bodies dirty and torn. She saw one fall dead, succumbing to his injuries. She took his cloak and followed the sorry looking bunch, hoping beyond hope that she would soon share his fate.

She questioned them, soon learning the truth. Red Eye was dead. The cathedral was rubble. They had failed.

They had just emerged from the trees when the clouds cleared, sunshine and rainbows spreading across the sky. A call sounded out, soon followed by others.

The lightbringer had succeeded. The world was saved. The SPP was active, and the Enclave was defeated.

All was right with the world.

She staggered into the refugee camp, barely even aware of where she was. Her thoughts swirled, her mind collapsing on itself. After a short few moments she felt her knees go weak, wetness on her cheeks. She lifted a hoof, unable to comprehend the truth.

The Lightbringer had saved the world. She had defeated the Enclave, claimed the SPP, united the world. And if that was true... what had been the point?

Her whole life, every moment she had spent trying to save this world, every plan she had made with Gentle Heart or Singer... every death she had been unable to prevent, every sacrifice she had made... every single second since her birth, every moment clawing for purpose, for her destiny...

Was all utterly pointless.

She gasped, a pathetic sob exiting her throat before she slumped down and collapsed into the dirt. Her tears rolled down her cheeks and painted the ground, her broken body bearing the pains and aches of thousands of wounds. Was it enough? Could she die now, under the sun she had spent her whole life seeking.

She curled up and awaited the end.

"Um, hello miss.”

Dream Star opened her eyes, a beautiful face peering down at her through a faceful of bandages. A bottle of water hung from her hoof.

That hoof moved forward, the mare giving an impossibly sweet smile as she offered the bottle, "I was wondering if you wanted some water."

¬

"Dream Star."

She opened her eyes, that same pretty face above. Lined with age now maybe, thinner, her eyes a little duller. But despite everything, still beautiful. It was the face of family, of the warmth of someone who cared, "Jammer..."

"I just need to do some quick tests on you Dream." Jammer stated, laying out her medical equipment before her and fixing a blood pressure cuff around Dream Star's hoof, "Please, remain still."

"I feel fine Jammer." Dream Star protested, not lying. She felt better than she had in decades in fact, "How are the others?"

Jammer moved aside slightly, revealing Bitter Fennel maintaining his servos and Sunshine sharpening his knives, both looking free of injury, "They're both fine Dream, just a few minor injuries."

Dream Star felt her face. It was different, smoother. Her whole body felt... smaller, softer, "That crystal rod detonated in my face."

"It did." Jammer confirmed, "Fennel pulled you out."

"Mirror." Dream Star demanded, standing up despite Jammer's protests and levitating one from her bag. It hovered before her face, Dream taking in the full extent of the transformation.

"Dream Star." Jammer spoke from beside, voice hesitant, "You will no longer be quite as powerful as you were..."

"What did it do to me?"

"It..." Jammer searched for the right words, "...cleansed you of any corruption."

Dream Star stared into clear pink eyes, pleasantly aged features bringing to mind someponies' grandmother. Her fur was clear and uniform across her face, the tips of her ears crumpled but free of blemishes. And her flanks were as clear as her face, with no sign of the deformed wings or any of the other results of her exposure to IMP. That led to the one significant question, "Am I going to die of old age?"

"I would be able to tell you if you would stay still!" Jammer protested.

She grunted and did as she was told, letting Jammer work. To be perfectly honest she had never directly identified the source of her longevity, considering it a combination of a lot of different things really. She knew well she had been a mass of mutation even before the IMP, and had never quite understood why she never became a ghoul. She had stopped bothering with Radaway a long time ago.

"Dream Star..."

"What?"

Jammer rubbed a hoof against her forehead, "We should head back to Equestria. Maybe I could do something with access to my lab, if not we could go to Doc Slaughter's...."

Dream Star asked again, a little more forceful this time, "Be clear Jammer."

"Ok..." She breathed, "Your liver and kidneys have almost failed. I guess they had a long time ago, and it was simply your mutations that allowed you to continue. Without them... we would need to put you on dialysis in the short term, and long term... we're talking considerable cybernetics."

Dream Star smiled broadly. So she was terminally ill huh? She didn't believe that for a moment, long having come to terms with her immortality.

"Dream, stop smiling like that." Jammer protested, "It's creepy."

Dream Star shook her head, not understanding what the big deal was, "I feel fine."

"Well that's because you were also purged of poisons. They'll start building back up in your system before long, and then you'll start feeling much worse believe me."

"The SPP has a lab." Dream Star answered, fire building in her chest, "You can work on a solution there."

Jammer remained silent for a moment before anger flashed across her eyes, "Dream, you can't be serious! We lost!"

Dream shook her head, feeling the sense of certainty, of purpose still burning, "No, it's exactly as it should be."

Jammer looked up at her in doubt, "Dream..."

"Saddle up." She demanded, striding for the bags, "We've got a long way to go."

¬

She looked over Garm from the mountains above, the most holy place in the zebra lands. If she knew anything about holy places that meant it would be poorly protected, inhabited mostly by scholars and puffed up guardians in over-fancy outfits. Still that didn't mean it was a soft target, she could expect every single one of those scholars to be packing high level magic.

"Dream Star, please reconsider." Jammer spoke up, for the fourth time today, "You are nowhere near as powerful as you once were. Your magic is weaker, and you can't sustain it for anywhere near as long. And your flesh is as yielding as any other, if you get shot you will die."

"I fought for years as an ordinary unicorn Jammer." Dream Star countered, sure in her determination and strength. To be honest she was more sure of herself than ever, feeling her old viciousness and determination return along with her mortal failings, "IMP or no, I'm still the most powerful unicorn mage on the planet."

"Maybe so." Jammer observed with a sharply raised eyebrow, "But down there is likely the most powerful zebra shaman on the planet."

Jammer just didn't get it. She was still thinking of this in rational terms, failing to understand that she was Dream Star. She was immortal, bound to this life until her destiny was fulfilled. She could see it, her hooves about the gemstone she knew contained her quarry. Her hooves upon the tiles of the SPP, her magic at its controls...

Fluttershy had looked into her eyes and she had seen all these things, had seen her destiny now clear before her. And it had broken her.

But now she understood, "Go home, all of you."

Fennel grinned, "Not going to happen. We're with you till the end."

Dream Star shook her head, "You go in there, you'll die."

"So what?" Sunshine responded, a broad and unconcerned smile across his face, "We live to our fullest, until we don't. I would have no regrets dying among my friends."

"Likewise." Fennel agreed.

Dream Star looked to Jammer, the mare's expressive eyes uncertain. Eventually resolve grew upon Jamzmer's face, the mare speaking, "Back when you took that IMP potion at Splendid Valley, you told me to abandon you. That you would be my death."

Dream Star remembered. Staying had been the worst decision Jammer had ever made, "You could be accomplishing something meaningful, helping ponies. Instead, you're here, with me."

Jammer smiled then, nodding softly, "I've never regretted my decision."

Dream Star chuckled, knowing she would say something like that. The poor mare had no idea, "Then let's do this."

¬

The approach was easy, too easy. The valley had plenty of natural defences, a small entrance and plenty of raised firing positions watching it, choke points everywhere.

Which were clearly not designed to deal with anypony who could fly.

The dropped down the side of the mountain on a slow fall spell coupled with some minor illusions, touching down on the other side of a defensive wall at the back of the temple. The stone was protected against magic but the wards were in disrepair, not taking long for Dream to find a section decayed enough to phase through. They emerged into a garden, a gentle river flowing across carefully arranged rock formations.

A gardener emerged from a nearby shed, brief confusion passing through his eyes before Sunshine hurled a knife outwards and sent him slumping down into the water. The blood spread across its surface as Dream Star stepped across the bridge, already scanning for her quarry.

There... she could feel her. Feel Puppysmiles, "This way."

And then she heard it, the crack of a rifle. She turned, engaging her shields just in time to send the bullet carving through the decorative stonework, dodging away as more marked the space where she had stood. Her eyes focused upwards to the cliff they had just left, grinning as she saw the mare clad in power armor standing there, "So she followed us..."

"Cherry Sunset?" Jammer exclaimed in shock as she looked herself, then turned to the others, "We have to get into cover..."

Dream Star heard the alarms sound behind, knowing it wouldn't be that easy, "Her companions have warned the shaman... heh, clever girl."

"What do we do?!"

Dream Star turned, galloping into the temple interior as more bullets burst around her, "We kill anyone in our way!"

Jammer and the others followed, Fennel firing off a few shots of his own as he backed away from the garden. Dream Star could already feel running hoofsteps from elsewhere in the building, knowing it wouldn't be long before they encountered resistance.

They burst into what looked like a sparring ring, four zebra standing waiting with blades of multiple different lengths clasped in her hooves. Dream Star fired a blast of magic and it was deflected away, the zebra leaping up and driving his spear down with a scream. Dream dodged the attack and Sunshine swiftly leapt in and drove his knife through the zebra's chest. Dream saw another move to avenge his comrade, taking the fallen spear in her telekinesis and impaling him with a sharp thrust.

Fennel and Jammer were soon on the last two. The zebra didn't really stand a chance.

"That was easy." Fennel commented with a chuckle, plucking a sword from his chest and flinging it aside, "Where next?"

And then the far door burst open, two more figures rushing in. The one in front fixed her eyes on them, burning with resolve, "You will not come any further!"

Dream Star smirked, turned lazy eyes to the pair. It tickled her, that they had grown so overconfident, "Fluttershy, Ace Gold."

Ace Gold frowned, "You look... different."

"I'm still the same mare who destroyed you previously." Dream Star commented, "You really sure you want to take me on?"

He didn't answer, simply tapping Fluttershy on her flank before moving off. Fluttershy's eyes burst with magic and the air thickened, then burst outwards in a fierce rush. It bounced off Dream's shields but the others were staggered, Ace Gold placing two crossbow bolts into Fennel's body before leaping up to kick Jammer to the ground.

Fluttershy meanwhile moved to block Dream Star's path, her eyes full of terrible judgement.

Dream Star grinned right back at Fluttershy, met those eyes head on. She was ready for them this time, had absolutely nothing to lose. She took those emotions, that judgement head on, knowing that Fluttershy couldn't throw anything at her that she didn't already know.

And that while Fluttershy had the stare deployed she was totally ignorant of anything else around her.

She cackled as Sunshine came out of the shadows, blade flashing out. Fluttershy screamed as both her eyes were cut across, Sunshine spinning back around and striking at them with quick stabs to make sure they were disabled. Blinded and bleeding fiercely Fluttershy staggered back, screaming in pain as Sunshine went in for the kill...

"Fluttershy!"

Ace Gold slammed into Sunshine's side, throwing the stallion off balance. He went to stab at Ace but the attack was dodged, Ace Gold weaving through his guard and striking with a double hoof strike of pure rage that crackled with kinetic energy from his horn. It sent Sunshine flying backwards...

...slamming straight into one of the weapon racks, a fallen spear impaling him straight through the heart. Sunshine gasped, eyes travelling to the blood pumping from his torn open chest... before he gave a choking laugh, "The boy... knows how to kill..."

And then he slumped forward, a death rattle escaping his throat. Ace Gold paused in shock before the sight, his eyes dilating in horror. Dream Star could only wonder at his foolishness, hesitating in a battle. She marvelled at his sheer innocence. Had the buck never killed before?

Bitter Fennel took the shot, placing a bullet into the back of the buck's head that knocked him to the ground with a pained cry. Fluttershy called out at this, her desperate pleas cut short as Jammer struck her across the skull with a levitated spear pole and sent her sprawling across the ground. She then turned her eyes up to Sunshine in horror, "Oh please no...!"

"He's dead." Fennel observed simply.

"Make sure those two are as well." Dream Star ordered as she looked to Fluttershy and Ace, motionless in a pool of blood. Still she wasn't about to underestimate the durability of heroes at this point.

"What is wrong with you!" Jammer screamed, her whole body shaking now, "Sunshine was our friend!"

"I will miss him." Fennel agreed, "But we can't do anything for him now."

Jammer just stood there, frozen in shock and indecision. Dream Star was sympathetic, but she need to learn the truth of the matter. If she had to force the matter, so be it, "Do your job Jammer, finish them."

She looked at Dream like she had been stabbed. After a moment her mouth moved, her voice soft but decisive, "No."

"We don't have time." Fennel observed as he turned his head to the approaching hooffalls, "We need to go."

"Right." Dream Star agreed, "Come on Jammer."

They ran, Jammer following along behind. Dream Star spotted her taking a quick glance behind as they departed, back at the two ponies lying in pools of their own blood.

She always had been too soft for her own good.

They broke out into a further chamber, this one she couldn't see any real purpose for. It was totally empty, just a big hall lined with dozens of solid looking pillars. But it soon became apparent that it wasn't totally empty...

Between them and the exit, was a familiar face.

"You told me to go out there, make friends, become a hero." Cherry Sunrise stated as she approached, her rifle and shotgun deploying with mechanical clanks and her modified power armor glowing faintly as the magical runes painted upon it activated, "Is this enough?"

Dream Star had seen better. She looked between the lean, glowering zebra stallion and the towering, casually threatening looking minotaur that emerged to stand beside her, "I expected more than two."

"We're missing a member." The zebra spat hotly.

"You already lost one battle Dream Star." Cherry stated with firm tones, dropping one shoulder for the charge, "Walk away before you lose another."

"It took an army and a magical artefact going off in my face to beat me." Dream Star challenged back, grin extending, "What have you got?"

She was unsure who moved first. Dream was only aware just how much slower she had gotten as a shotgun blast ploughed into her shields, hurling her back to strike her shoulder hard against the cobbles. Cherry was prevented from following up as Fennel opened fire, his heavy bullets scoring chunks off the pillars as her team ran for cover.

"It's not too late!" Cherry called, trading shots, "There's an amnesty on Starhammer's soldiers, surrender and I will see your crimes struck clean!"

"I killed Fluttershy!" Dream Star shouted gleefully, pushing herself back onto her hooves and teleporting forward. She appeared beside Cherry's team, scoring them with lightning and knocking the zebra to the ground, "I am far beyond your 'justice' paladin!"

The minotaur came out from the side, Dream Star amazed how he could move so silently. The beast's carving blade sent her shields ringing, breaking through just as she forced out a blast of energy that sent it spinning from his hands. He just reached forward, grabbing her neck and slamming her into a pillar with terrific force.

Jammer came in with a look of silent determination, driving a needle into the big monster's thigh. The minotaur near instantly slowed, Jammer bringing up her pistol and delivering two shots to the head that sent him howling back with a hand full of blood. Dream Star took the opening, spitting a broken tooth to the floor and hitting him with an energy blast that hurled him into a pillar with enough force to drop him.

Fennel meanwhile was struggling, swivelling desperately as the zebra danced round, submachine gun whittling at Fennel's armor, "Quick little bastard..." Fennel growled, boosting backwards with his rockets but simply taking more punishment as his target leapt away, "Stay still!"

"That's my line." Cherry Sunset breathed as her sniper rifle discharged with a crack, driving a bullet deep through one of the newly opened gaps in Fennel's armor.

The big pegasus paused, falling silent for a moment. Then he laughed, thick yellow suspension fluid starting to leak from the bullet hole.

"No!" Jammer shouted, charging forward. She was instantly met by the zebra, taking a couple of hits from his sub-machine gun before Dream Star sealed him in an energy cage and shocked him into unconsciousness. Jammer barely gave him a moment's consideration as she continued past, "Please, stop...!"

Cherry fired again, hitting the very same location. Fluid splashed outwards, a dull whine sounding out as Fennel's cybernetics failed and he crumpled under the weight of metal. His mouth opened in a silent laugh, his eyes rolling back and his body toppled sideways...

He hit the ground with a final thud.

Jammer paused for the briefest second before he horn pulsed with energy, an incoherent scream exiting her throat. It blasted against an invisible shield surrounding Cherry, the paladin turning and sighting up her shotgun with calm, efficient eyes. Dream Star already knew Jammer's spell wasn't going to work, that the paladin had shielded herself against magic.

She instead picked up the minotaur’s discarded cleaver with her telekinesis, hurling it with all her strength straight at Cherry's neck.

Cherry saw it coming and drew up her shoulder, the blade bouncing upwards to shatter one of the magic wards and take off her ear. It also caused her shotgun blast to go wide, Jammer charging through the evaporating motes of magic and slamming her small body into Cherry at full force. It did more damage to Jammer than it did to Cherry, still it distracted the paladin long enough for Dream to rush in and slug the paladin across the jaw.

Cherry darted back in shock and confusion, taken off guard by Dream's physical attack. Dream Star liked that, bringing her hoof up again to deliver an uppercut that clearly bloodied her lip. Cherry spat blood and tried to punch back but Dream Star easily dodged the paladin's clumsy strike, "All that armor just slows you down! Just like all your kind, slow, stupid and clumsy!"

Cherry darted back, firing her shotgun. Dream Star teleported away, appearing a short distance away and keeping the paladin's attention firmly on her. It gave Jammer her chance, firing a pistol shot that hit Cherry dead centre across the temple. The paladin hit the ground with a groan, rolling back onto her hooves and attempting to recover her wits...

Dream Star hit her with a disruption spell, easily penetrating her spell resistance and shattering every joint on the paladin's armor. It screeched in protest and locked up with a thunk, sending her thudding to her knees as the full weight fell upon her shoulders.

"Fennel!"

Dream Star gave Jammer a brief look, then turned her eyes to the struggling Cherry. Then she turned to the exit, stepping forward with resolute purpose, "Come on, we've wasted enough time."

"Dream!" Jammer screamed after her, "Fennel is...!"

"Dead." Dream Star answered, feeling her heart chill further with every word, "I already scanned him. It was a good shot, he never stood a chance."

Jammer didn't answer, save for her increasingly rapid breathing.

"I told you Jammer. That I would be the death of you." Dream Star turned, looking down at Fennel's silent body and the tear filled eyes of Jammer beside him, "You said you didn't care. That you were my friend."

Jammer shook her head, disbelieving, "I am..."

"Then come with me, and help me fulfil my dream."

Cherry spat away blood, her face covered in it from her torn open jaw and missing ear. She still remained surprisingly calm sounding, "And what dream is that?"

"Equestria, reclaimed. The world as it should be." Dream Star smiled, bitter, mocking, "Isn't that worth a few deaths?"

Jammer's voice shook, looking between Dream and Fennel, "Yes..."

"Then come with me."

Jammer paused, her expression a painting of horror.

"I'm sorry Jammer." Cherry stated after a moment of silence, her voice soft but resolute, "But listen to her words. Dream Star doesn't even believe in this mission of hers, that should be obvious now. She throws her friends aside for nothing."

"You killed Fennel, not her!" Jammer shouted furiously at the paladin.

"He was a killer. I'm a killer. Cherry is a killer." Dream Star reminded her, a cruel smile stretching across her face, "You are a killer."

Jammer shook her head, throwing her pistol to the ground, "No! No... I can't do this anymore!"

"Are you quitting?" Dream Star asked, her voice quivering just for a moment as she fought against the traitorous emotions that raced through her.

"I..." Jammer shook, tears running down her face as she backed against Fennel's fallen form, "...I can't do this anymore Dream..."

"If you had figured that out earlier, maybe they wouldn't have had to die." Dream Star spat, turning away and striding for the exit, "But then you've always been a coward."

Jammer let out a sob as she sank to the floor, looking so utterly broken that Dream doubted she ever recover. Cherry had spoken the truth in the end. The bodies of good ponies lay about, the floor, their brutal, unneeded deaths without meaning or purpose. She walked into the corridors beyond, alone. Despised. Dammed.

And all was as it should be.

¬

She followed her nose, feeling the subtle vibrations that drew her towards her goal. Puppysmile's energies could not be disguised, even sealed as they were. She walked alone through the corridors, no defenders left to slow her progress. Eventually she found it, a sealed vault door leading into a mostly empty room that she knew contained her ultimate prize.

She extended her magic, breaking the seals on the door with ease before giving it a slam with her telekinesis. It swung inwards, revealing a podium supporting a single gemstone... and a single zebra mare, standing waiting for her.

Dream Star nearly added to the body count right there and then, still something stopped her. This mare's magic signature, was... unusual, "Stand aside, if you wish to continue living."

"I think we both know that I cannot comply." The zebra responded with calm dignity, her face utterly inscrutable, "I must stand in defence of Puppysmiles, and you must claim her."

Dream Star smirked, though inside she was already tired of this, "You should know that I've already killed Fluttershy, and her little stallion friend."

The zebra's face fell, giving a gentle sigh, "You do not need to continue your pretence with me Dream Star." Her eyes lifted, staring deep into Dream Star's with utter knowing, "I understand."

"You... you're the zebra who defeated me when I went against Fluttershy..." Dream Star stepped back a pace, suddenly afraid. She had been expecting this, still she wasn't ready... "I don't..."

"There is no need to be afraid." She stood calmly, an encouraging smile upon her face, "I have been waiting for you a long time."

Dream Star nodded, stepping forward and levering her horn downwards. Power rippled down her horn, concentrating at the point and bursting outwards to carve cleanly through the zebra's heart. The zebra smiled as she fell, her small body lifeless before she had even hit the stone.

"Tandia! NO!"

Dream span, faced with a familiar face. Her scared visage was unmistakable, the zebra who had stolen Puppy from her at Clendel. Dream Star brought up her shields, reinforcing them as she stepped back a pace and watched the zebra bring her hoof forward in a fierce strike. It was clumsy, slow, Dream could already see the frame that supported her right hoof and the crippling scars that marked her body.

And as the zebra's mouth opened in a furious scream she realised something else. She knew this zebra.

This was... Xenith, companion of the lightbringer.

Xenith's hoof impacted hard, driving Dream Star across the floor with a harsh scraping of hooves. Her back hooves met Tandia's blood and she slipped, Xenith spotting the opening and swinging her back hooves round in a fierce buck. Dream Star panicked then, blasting her energy forward...

They met, stone shattering around them and bright light streaming forth. A moment later and Xenith came through that light, smashing the cage supporting her leg into Dream Star's muzzle hard enough to drive her against the ground.

Dream Star tasted blood, felt pain. Her bones yielded easily, her flesh splitting. She suffered a blow to the kidneys that ruptured something important, rolling away and attempting to defend herself. Xenith paused in caution for a moment, clearly unsure if this was a trap, "You're... weak."

Dream Star took the opportunity, bringing her horn down for a full power blast.

Xenith struck her hard at the base of the horn, stunning Dream Star and causing her magic to fail. A second blow fractured her orbital bone, more blood filling her mouth as she fought to stand.

Xenith's spoke again, more forceful... and decisive, "The crystal rod... it made you mortal..." The zebra reached her conclusion, eyes filling with hate, "...I can kill you."

Dream Star simply laughed as she staggered back, spitting blood to the floor, "No one can kill me."

Xenith drove forward with a scream, Dream Star ducking under her strike and driving her horn fiercely into Xenith's shoulder. The zebra gasped and backed away, Dream Star levitating a broken chunk of stone and slamming it across Xenith's skull. With the zebra sufficiently stunned Dream Star drove herself forward and tackled her brutally to the floor.

They twisted and fought, Xenith repeatedly slamming her hooves into Dream's damaged face and kidneys. Dream on the other hand finished the job she had started on Xenith's right hoof, slamming it into the floor and rendering it a bloody mess. Xenith yelled in pain and fury and put her entire body into it, twisting Dream's hooves about and seizing her in a firm lock, slamming her whole weight into Dream's throat. Dream gasped, struggling for breath, struggling to escape the zebra's hold...

Xenith paused suddenly, her grip slackening. Her face paled, her eyes wide. She gasped for air, body trembling as some hidden pain seized her.

Dream Star ignited her horn and flung the zebra away, tackling her out of the air and slamming her into the ground. It left her stunned and unable to defend herself, Dream Star slamming her hooves into the mare's face with all the fury she had left. Again, and again and again...

Then Dream Star's eyes turned to the entrance, another zebra standing there. She had a look of utter confusion on her face, slowly morphing to horror, then anger. Her body tensed, clearly built like a fighter and ready to spring into action.

Dream Star rolled away from Xenith, landing in a crouch and sending forth a blast of destructive magic at the new arrival. The zebra didn't even attempt to dodge, bringing her hoof up to guard and revealing the shining pipbuck that adorned it. The energy just deflected uselessly away, the zebra opening forth a pair of black and white wings and launching herself through Dream's magic with barely the pretence of effort, "GET AWAY FROM MY MOTHER!"

Dream Star snatched Puppy's stone from the pedestal, concentrated her magic and launched an emergency teleport.

She disappeared into the magic a moment before the zebra's hoof came down, feeling the ground and pedestal behind shatter as she was hurled across space...

...she slammed into dirt, her body shattered, her magic gone. Pain surged through her, Dream Star barely able to move her limbs. One eye was already swollen shut, and as she lifted her head she realised she had teleported herself into the mountains above Garm, the cold already biting into her flesh.

She had sold the lives of her dearest companions, desecrated a holy site, killed good ponies, crossed every line that deserved to be crossed. She was alone, and despised.

And then she looked down at the object still cradled in her hooves, the smooth crystal and the small beating heart of the Star Demon within.

And she laughed, long and hard.

Because at long last... she had finally won.

_________________________________________________________

Dream Star
Str - 6 End - 10 Dex - 7 Int – 10 Per - 5 Cha - 1 Lk - 1
Level 31

Perks
Mind for magic Level 4 - List of signature spells is increased by 50%, list of memorized subjects is increased by 60%.
High Sorcerer – Difficulty of all spells is reduced by an extra 30%. Lifespan is dramatically increased.
Shielding Specialist – Shield durability is increased by 30%, and the time needed to generate one is reduced by half.
Horn Blaster – Damage and chances to inflict status effects from all horn attacks is increased by 30%.
Bone-Strengthening Brew - With this perk, your limbs only receive 50% of the damage they normally would.
Megamage – You are able to craft and cast megaspells, given the right materials and enough power.
Bookworm - You gain 50% more skill points when reading books.
Awareness – Perceive all enemy resistances.
Tough hide Level 4 – You have an extra 12 damage threshold.
Life Giver Level 3 – You have an extra 60 health points, and regenerate lost health.
Ghoulish Level 2 – Radiation regenerates lost health.
Science! Level 3 – You gain access to Level 3 high tech mods.
Nerd Rage – When your health goes below 20% gain a 10% damage increase, and an extra 15 to damage threshold.
Plasma Spaz – All AP costs for plasma weapons (including spells and grenades) are reduced by 20%.
Burning Bright – Double the amount of magic your horn can channel before burn out.
Egghead – Add an extra 2 skill points each level.
Mighty Telekenesis – Triple the amount of mass you can lift with your telekenesis.
Geneticist Level 1 - You unlocked more options at the genetic modification station, and can craft mutagens at a chemistry workbench.
Rooted - While standing still, you gain +10 Damage threshold and your melee and unarmed attacks deal 25% more damage.
Reaper Pony’s Hatred – Every time you kill, you regenerate an extra 5% of your health total.
Made of Stubbornium - When reduced to 25% or fewer hit points, you gain +6 DT and regenerate 2hp/sec till above 25% hit points.

Traits
Daughter of Cadance : Love Starved – You gain -3 to Luck, and +3 to Endurance.
Hot Blooded - When your health drops below 50% you deal +15% more damage, but you also suffer -2 to Perception and Agility.
Tech Wizard - You spent your formative years hunched over a bench learning tech stuff. Trouble is you've ruined your eyes! You get a bonus to Science, Repair and Lockpick skills (+20%), but a penalty of -1 to Perception.
Purified – The Crystal Sceptre has removed your IMP bonuses, but in return you gain +1 End, an extra 10% to your health points, and are immune to addiction.
Corrupted Harmony – You might have been capable of being a hero once, but that was a long time ago. You are resistant to harmonic energies, and gain a 10% damage bonus against ‘heroes’, and a 20% against Princesses and other masters of harmony.
Proficient Racist – In addition to being a tremendous jerk, you gain a 10% damage bonus against anyone who’s not a unicorn or griffon.

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