Fallout Equestria : Black And White

by Philweasel

Chapter 5.2 - Glory and Vengence

General Brigindine admired himself in the mirror of his command truck, smoothing out the folds of his uniform and admiring the medals arranged there. Many had asked why he did not wear the far better looking uniform of the talons, which he was after all entitled to. The NCR officer's uniform was after all a rather ugly green jumpsuit with a few patches and some padded sholderpads to add authority, his peaked cap old and battered from a great many campaigns. Many had also noted all the medals he chose to display were for commanding battles, with not a single combat decoration upon his breast.

He had answered the same to both questions. He wore the soldiers he commanded, and he wore them proudly. The uniform might not be a metallic behemoth, or bring the mares flocking, but it was easy to wash and camouflaged well in the dirt that every battle eventually deteriorated into. His troops might not have the training, elite charm and weaponry to be fearsome individual combatants, but they fought with the pride of those who were from the same stock as those they protected. He might be a fat old griffon who specialized in logistics, out of place among the heroics of greats like Swift Ender, Deadshot Calamity and Peach Trees. Those boring old logistics still ensured that when the zebra landed on these shores he had twenty thousand brave souls here to greet them.

"Sir, I have completed a roll call of our available numbers."

He blinked quickly to bring himself back into the now, admitting he had been daydreaming a little. He turned to the young pony standing nervously at the entrance, a... major if his eyes told it true. Brigandine thought he looked somewhat familiar, though the name escaped him at the moment, "Go ahead soldier."

The pony nodded, bringing up the clipboard, "In total we have sixteen hundred and forty eight souls reporting for duty..."

"What?" Brigandine harrumphed, wondering how roughly a fourth of his army had vanished, "I'm supposed to be commanding two full divisions!"

The pony bowed in contrition, "Yes general. Unfortunately the third army has been understrength for years, and the second army has suffered many desertions and discipline problems since the order to march. General Clear Lanes has promised the rest of second army will be able to march within the month..."

"Month?"

"Yes sir. One of her garrison forces went rogue, she has been forced to retain enough of a force to combat them."

General Brigandine remembered something about that, having hoped she would have sorted things out by now. Nothing he could do about it he supposed, though he would be having words with Clear Lanes later on, "Well... seventeen hundred isn't bad."

"Yes sir." The major agreed, "In truth we've been heavily reinforced by outside forces, mostly the Coastal Enforcement Agency, Clear Water Militia and Children of Cathedral."

He wouldn't turn away anyone who wished to help, adjusting his uniform one last time and grasping for the mug of coffee that he was sure was around here somewhere, "What have they sent?"

"The Coastal Enforcement Agency are mostly standard security types and sailors sir, clever and able to fight but hardly front line. They do include fifty seven wardens though, including several pegasi and a sea pony."

Brigandine snorted, "Sound a colorful bunch."

"They're... wardens sir." The major commented with a tone that suggested this was a given before continuing with his report, "The Clear Water Militia are standard militia, though they are well equipped. This is a rich area after all."

"And the Cathedral?"

"A lot of healers, a fleet of thirty combat drones, twenty engineers and seventy two combat worthy troops."

He nodded, noting that she had said nothing about the Followers of Apocalypse or Steel Rangers. He didn't want to say it was typical, still he wondered if this was a sign of things to come, "Come on, I want to inspect my forces."

The major nodded, following him out, "Yes sir."

He stepped down the ramp of the command truck, out onto the hills and mountains that led down to the pretty sea side resorts and port towns below. This was one of the hottest, prettiest and least populated areas in the NCR, with little land for farming or building, and connected to the rest of the NCR only by a high speed rail network to New Canterlot and a few seldom used roads. With the seas so dangerous to cross neither was there much call for the ports here, yet this area wasn't the backwater you would expect. Instead it had become a haven for the homes of the rich and successful, mansions and sea side villas everywhere, along with the infrastructure to support them.

Its topography also made it very easy to defend, something General Brigandine very much appreciated. To one side some of the bumpiest and hard to traverse geography in the NCR. To the front, a scant few narrow valleys leading right into Appleloosa, New Canterlot and Manehatten, along with all the defenses you would expect for the heart of the NCR. To the other side, Splendid Valley, and the worst part of it no less, with hundred mile an hour winds and radiation levels that would ghoul a pony in an hour.

Some had questioned mounting a defense of the beaches, but Brigandine had nixed that idea straight away. Right here, a ways up the coast he was relatively safe from naval bombardment and sitting on near perfect defensive terrain. He was willing to let them get a hoofhold on the coast without a fight, knowing they wouldn't get any further.

He looked about with pride, seeing a long line of self propelled artillery guns driving past, followed by a column of armored pony carriers and construction machines. Engineers were already working on fortifying the command area and setting up equipment, a proud group of griffon and pegasi troopers studying and updating maps. A group of unicorns were busy setting up some magic wards around the outside, among them a tall, winged and horned figure in the purple robes of the cathedral.

He moved over, the alicorn turning to meet him. He was a little smaller than his fellows, but solidly built and of a proud, firm bearing that one didn't often see with his species. He addressed the general in a firm, confident voice, "General Brigandine."

He nodded back, "You command the Cathedral forces?"

"I do. I am Stern Strider, Proctor of the Children of the Cathedral." He responded, placing a hoof against his heart, "I am proud to offer my strength, and the strength of those who follow me, in defense of the NCR."

General Brigandine liked this alicorn. He was proud and strong, reminding him favorably of Gawdyna and Regina, "I thought alicorns were pacifists."

"Not all of them." He responded, "I respect any who work to the betterment of the NCR, and the peaceful ways of my brothers and sisters are to be admired. I however find my talents lie in battle, and I refuse to let them be wasted."

"Then it's good to have you on board Proctor." Brigandine replied, offering a talon for him to shake, "Together we'll drive these sons of bramin back to the seas."

¬

Caesar shielded his eyes from the sun as he stepped down onto the beaches, his hair swept about by the wind to the point that he eventually had to direct a servant to tie it back. It felt like a somewhat undignified entrance, still he guessed that further enhanced the impression he wished to make coming to the front lines himself.

"No resistance so far sir!" One of his commanders called as he strode over, giving a firm salute as he yelled to be heard over the noise of the preparations, "Otaka and the other dragoons are currently scouting out the enemy, it looks like they're holed up a ways down the coast! The lost legion is handling the unpacking of our supplies, and assure me we will have the base camp up and running within the hour!"

Caesar was glad they hadn't had to battle up the beaches, an always grim affair that allowed few tactical options. Still, it presented its own problems, "Out of range of our navel guns?"

"The cliff blocks our line of fire sir!" The commander confirmed, "We might get a lucky shot eventually, but we'd mostly be wasting ammo and making the terrain even harder to navigate than it already is!"

"Very well commander." Caesar stated, moving out through the encampment and observing preparations... along with the view. This was Equestria. Once there had been a port here, from which the forces that had taken his capital Demonivore had sailed. The Battleship he had commanded was built here, and from here had sailed the ponies from which most of the zebra land's population descended. Here the fourth largest battle of the war had taken place, and in his opinion one of the most decisive.

The zebra had both won and lost that engagement, sending Equestria into retreat but ending up too crippled and demoralized to make good on their gains. They had hesitated to push onwards towards Manehatten, and Equestria reinforced their position before they regained their nerve. Because of that failure, the war had been lost.

He knew the same applied now. By all reports, the NCR's army was no match for his. Their population and manufacturing ability on the other hand was phenomenal, if he couldn't take the fight out of them in a couple of months he risked getting bogged down in a doomed war of attrition.

They needed to get off this beach, and they needed to do it fast.

¬

Corporal Zebi of the Golden Coast gave the door one final buck, the wood finally splintering and caving inwards. Shards of wood spilled out onto the plush carpet leading into the mansion hall, rich and royal in a fashion he had never seen. Fine art decorated the walls, the building as fine as any of the old world despite being a recent construction. It made him physically sick.

"Impressive place... might take a souvenir." His squadmate Blue noted as she moved through the now open doorway, staring around at the pictures in appreciation. Her grin grew wide as she stopped in front of one in particular, "Look, it’s Littlepip! She's wearing the suit!"

Zebi shook his head at her, considering it was typical of Star Fall imperialists to fangirl over the enemy, especially seeing as Blue was barely a zebra herself given her blue stripes and the repurposed power armor she was wearing. She might see heroes, he on the other hoof saw nothing but arrogance, decadence and the spoils of unjust conquest. He turned away and walked over the window at the far side of the room. It looked out over the bay, palm trees swaying, golden sands sparkling, fine houses brash and arrogant upon the cliffsides and plateaus.

It gave him immense pleasure to see the sight marred by the hundreds of launches that sat upon the beach, those below preparing the military machine that would soon take back what was stolen from them.

"This 'Garden's of Equestria' spell is certainly a wonder." Stated the squad healer Birchwood, the deer elegantly stepping over to the window and observing the view himself, "I can only wonder what it would do to our own lands."

"We'll soon find out." Zebi called, turning back to the mansion and sizing up the place, "Take all the salvage you can find and bring it down to the loading dock."

¬

Captain Splendid was no stranger to combat, having commanded the most decorated military platoon in the NCR for four years now, and served in it for eight more. The blood drop and anvil patches that adorned his uniform and uniforms of those around him struck terror into every dirty bandit with two functioning brain cells, whispering the name of the 'Blood and Iron' in their nightmares.

But he was forced to admit that they had never fought an engagement like this before. Their service during the enclave incursion had been exemplary, but battle against pegasi was a far different beast than fighting against a well equipped ground force. Neither was he going to insult the zebra by thinking they would fight like raiders.

In the end he was sure their ability would see them through, but he knew it wasn't going to be an easy or bloodless ride.

He called up to the engineers behind him as the artillery cannons rolled up to the earthworks, sentry bots mounting grenade launchers and rotary cannons taking up positions to defend them. On either side the troopers of the blood and iron took position behind the sandbags and natural defenses that lined the hills either side of the road, a pair of big anti air guns rolling up behind.

The zebra would have to bring their heavy forces up this road, at which time they would see exactly what well trained infantry could do to heavy forces. If they tried to swarm them with infantry, they would see what happened to infantry on difficult terrain when artillery cannons had their number.

Still, however much he despised them, he certainly wouldn't have minded a couple of Steel Ranger Paladins here on the front lines.

¬

"You know my lord, I can not lie, more on our side are likely to die."

Caesar sat in his tent, listening to Oteka's report as he scanned the maps before him. Star Fall's Commander Rose Twist was there with him, but her grim nod made it clear she didn't have any magical solutions to the problem.

He admitted, the NCR commander wasn't a fool. His forces were being funneled into a killzone, where the forces they could bring to bear and the possibilities for flanking and encirclement were extremely limited. In a moment his numerical advantage was made near irrelevant, making it a slug fest of who could hit harder.

He was confident it was them. But it wouldn't be easy, "Could we not sail down the coast, find somewhere easier?"

"There is a spot further down, but it would both waste a lot of time and would be considerably easier for the NCR to defend from the shore. It is also a little further from the centre of the NCR, we would be forced to take and hold many strategically unimportant points to maintain our supply chain." Rose explained.

"So it's here or nowhere." He acknowledged, noting that his normal advantage he would draw upon, his aerial units, would not be nearly as much an advantage against the NCR. That one griffon, Arick Grimfeathers, had already proven he could outfly anything he could deploy. He was to all accounts a civilian, heaven knows what the Talons could pull off, "There's absolutely no way through this area here?"

Oteka shook her head, "When they cleansed their land, one place was left. That place is filled with a hundred kinds of death."

Caesar didn't understand, "What... is it?"

"I believe they call it Splendid Valley." Rose explained, "I hear tell that Littlepip..."

"It is a symbol of the wasteland, lurking just out of sight of their finest mansions and most glorious achievements. The final curse, wrought on this world by their greatest heroes."

Caesar wondered where he had gone, "Chigaru."

Chigaru moved out the darkness, his movements sleek, catlike, something about him fiercer and more alive than before. Maybe he too was excited to be finally back in Equestria, though it did worry Caesar a bit. He kept that to himself though, even as Rose and Oteka sank back in disgust.

If Chigaru noticed their disdain for him he didn't leave any indication, fixing his goggles on Caesar and Caesar alone, "That place is their greatest fear, their greatest weakness."

"You can traverse it, can't you?" Caesar noted, "You can move through their valley, flank their forces."

"One pony is unlikely to make much of a difference on his own, even one like Chigaru." Rose noted, "Besides, that place is also swarming with mutated monsters. Even our power armored troops would struggle to march through there and still be capable of fighting on the other side."

"I don't need power armor." Chigaru stated, a quiver of excitement in his voice, "I require nothing more than bravery, pure hearts, and a noble spirit. Provide me with a hundred such souls and assign them to me, I will guarantee your victory today."

"Pure hearts?" Caesar questioned.

Chigaru nodded, "It requires a certain... moral quality to make it through a place like that."

Oteka frowned, looking between Chigaru and Caesar. Eventually she spoke, "You've never demonstrated much insight save a affection for the brutal and tragic. When did you gain an insight into the workings of high magic?"

"For two hundred years I've been dreaming of that place. I joined you because I knew that one day you would stand here, and allow me to walk that path." Chigaru exclaimed in excitement and expectation, "Let me do this and I will give you the greatest victory of your career, crushing all your enemies before you. Deny me, and your crown will be surely sundered."

"The ravings of a mad relic, nothing more." Oteka growled, "Allow me to show him the door."

Rose nodded primly, "Agreed. Military tactics will win this, not prophesy and magic."

"Of course you don't believe. You haven't seen it with your own two eyes like I have." Chigaru spoke, oddly without anger or insult at their doubt.

Caesar admitted he couldn't resist a little fun, "Chigaru, you don't even have eyes."

And then the ghost operative gave a laugh, grabbing at his mask and tugging his goggles upwards. Caesar instantly stepped back, having seen once before the empty black sockets filled with pink gas and death...

...yet in their place was two healthy eyeballs of brilliant blue, full of glorious power and kindness. They demanded trust, they radiated hope and light. Caesar's jaw dropped open, "I don't... I remember those eyes..."

"With every day, I take more of her." Chigaru snarled in wicked delight, "You accepted me into your court despite the disagreements of all your advisors. Why was that?"

"Because... I wanted your power." Caesar breathed, unable to lie in the face of those eyes, "Because I knew I could use it to destroy my enemies."

"A hundred souls, and I will give you victory today." Chigaru offered, his voice smooth and wicked, "And none will ever forget the name Caesar."

"Give it to him." Caesar ordered, blinking to try and get his thoughts back in order as Chigaru slid his visor shut, "A hundred of our best."

Oteka looked between the two for several moments, eyes similarly wide and struggling against some deep inner torment. Eventually she bowed her head however, whatever battle she was fighting lost, "Yes my lord."

¬

Private Hayseed of the NCR lifted her rifle from the long grass, making sure not to make so much as a rustle as she focused her eye on the zebra peaking out from the nearby trees. He had friends with him, Hayseed drifting her weapon across until she saw a zebra in a slightly fancier uniform, his weapon of a clearly higher quality.

She pulled the trigger and he dropped, her fellow troopers rushing out around her. It was pretty quick after that, she got one more shot off into the backside of a retreating zebra before it was clear the enemy had decided to flee.

"Back to the line!" The lieutenant called, ushering the rest of the unit back behind the barricades. He kept an eye on the treeline for a moment more before turning his eyes to Hayseed, "What's your name Private?"

"Hayseed sir."

He smiled, the way most ponies hearing her name smiled, "You grow up on a farm Hayseed?"

"A hunting ranch sir." She corrected, though truth be told there was a farm there as well, one her parents had wished she had stayed on, "Out on the Buffalo Borders."

"I can tell." The lieutenant acknowledged, "You're a good shot Hayseed."

"Thank you sir."

The Lieutenant gave her a nod, turning back to the treeline, "The General's putting together a dedicated sniper unit. Bag a few more officers, and I might throw him your name."

She smiled, admitting to not being adverse to the idea. Being the youngest and smallest of seven children, and having the name hayseed... well, she had a bit to prove, "Yessir!"

"Just keep your eyes peeled everypony." The lieutenant ordered, "They might not be able to get heavy units through those hills, but eventually they might get desperate enough to try rushing us with raw bodies."

¬

Corporal Zebi stared out from the hilltop in fury, able to see the Equestrian's main camp from here, their supplies, their soft underbelly. Just within striking distance... yet to get there, they had to charge through dense foliage, across open fields right into a prepared defensive position. And however much he wanted to kill those bastards, dying pointlessly would not prove anything.

"We've probed all along their line sir." Scoutmaster Traig stated to General Boko, the zebra's head bowed and his tone apologetic, "There are no weaknesses in their line that we can detect. We're just throwing lives away at this point."

"Can we not just bypass their army through these hills?" General Boko stated, looking frustrated, "Attack them from the rear, or carry on to Canterlot?"

"We could sir." Traig stated, sounding slightly patronizing, "But we would have to leave all our artillery behind, and our heavy infantry would find it very heavy going. And at that point we would either be attacking their defensive line with unsupported light infantry, or turning our back on an enemy equipped with mechanized transportation."

"Does anyone else think General Boko is an idiot?" Blue asked under her breath, still managing to sound polite as she did so. She looked around at the rest of the unit, gauging for reactions, "I honestly thought better of Caesar."

Zebi admitted he was a little embarrassed, "He's... the son of one of Warlord Thassan's best generals."

"Ah."

He pouted, "It's not like Star Fall is above nepotism!"

"All the same, I hope the Scoutmaster feels secure enough in his authority to raise objections should the General order us to charge dug in infantry." Birchwood noted with a wry smile, "I am confident of my abilities as a healer, but would prefer a less intense chance to prove my worth."

And at those words something was triggered in Zebi. Some memory of old stories, legends that he assumed were just that... but he had seen plenty of strange things lately. He looked to Birchwood, looking over his tattoos, the potions looped about his trunk, his sharp branching horns, "Birchwood... don't you have control over plants and trees?"

"Trees are plants." Birchwood answered, his tone evasive, "But... yes, to an extent."

"Well the main issue is that there's open ground between us and the Equestrian defenses, and they've fortified the area." Zebi reasoned, "But if we can get close, I'm damn sure they're no match for us in hoof to hoof combat."

Birchwood sighed, clearly having got the idea, "Zebi... theoretically, yes, we could extend the forest all the way up to their lines."

"But?"

"First, it's not something any of us are trained to do. We're healers, not plant singers." He started, "Second... the agreement with King Aspen was just that, we provide you with healing. Nothing else."

Zebi glared at the deer, knowing he wasn't ok with that, "So you're just going to stand back and let us get slaughtered?"

"I didn't come up with this plan!" Birchwood protested, "But I'm loyal to my king, and my fellow deer."

"Then do this for them!" Zebi stated fiercely, waving at the army around them, "Right here? It's the future of this world, a future the deer can be a part of. And out there? The Elements of Harmony, and the power to heal this world. You can grasp both, right here, right now."

Birchwood sighed, giving in after a second longer of consideration, "I'll... ask the others."

¬

Proctor Stern Strider followed the warden as he led them towards the edge of Splendid Valley, a place he had little intention of ever visiting. He heard the pony's rad counter ticking higher, eventually voicing his concerns as they showed little sign of stopping, "Sherriff, we have passed far beyond the safe boundary. We cannot go any further."

The warden looked back at him with what looked suspiciously like patronization, adjusting his wide brimmed hat, "Got a dozen 'undred meters 'for we in the Splendid. Tol' ya, one of my deputies, he saw zebra uniforms passing this way. Over that way, little more."

Stern Strider looked off into the distance, the grass and light dunes of the coast having long since faded into the dirt and dust of the old wasteland... and beyond, just before visability cut off near completely, the whirling dust clouds and flashes of green lightning that all who lived here whispered about in fear.

Splendid Valley. The worst place on the planet.

He shook his head clear of the memories. Of course the earth pony didn't understand. To him it was a bad place, but for Stern Strider the Valley was so much more than just danger. That the place still haunted the dreams of every alicorn living. And that’s beside the point that the warden’s claims were madness in the first place, "That is impossible. For the zebra to get there they would have to have walked through the valley. This radiation level is already far above regulation."

"My deputy, e's got a good eye." The sheriff reasoned, "Maybe they brought forward a troop in some fancy power armor."

Stern Strider reasoned that was possible, "Then we stay here, and wait for them."

"They could git past us here." The sheriff pointed out, "That's why I'm takin' us that way. Good visibility."

"And certain irradiation." Stern Strider pointed out, looking back at the troop of his Cathedral brethren and NCR militia behind him, "We will be putting the troops at risk."

"Plenty of Radaway." The sheriff reasoned, "An' you're a alicorn. You're immune..."

"We are not immune to radiation!" Swift Strider pointed out with irritation, not the first time he had to point this out, "Radiation has been proved to degrade an alicorn's mental functions, rendering them...” He gulped back a breath, trying to control his fear, “...feral."

"Huh." The sheriff replied, sounding like they were talking about the weather, "Ghoul doctor I know, says that's a myth..."

"It is not!" Stern Strider cried out, admitting his voice had got a little high there. He brought it back under control before speaking again, firmer in his convictions, "Those who were closest to the megaspell when it detonated, those who spent more time in the valley... they all evidence disorders of the mind, fragments of..." He took a breath, "...the Goddess. She's out there..."

"She's dead son." The sheriff stated, a little more sympathetic now, "But there's still folk who mean us harm out there."

"There's nothing out there save ghosts and madness." Stern Strider once again reminded himself, stepping back a pace. He wasn't sure which scared him more, but he had no intention of seeking either, "We head back, and..."

And then something emerged from the mists and wind, a dark shape forming into something equine. And then there was another, and another... the sheriff called out, "Git into cover!"

"They... they aren't wearing power armor..." Stern Strider breathed, studying the shapes and their unnatural movements, "They walked through the valley without power armor..."

"I said, git into cover!"

"I stand for Red Eye and the Republic!" Stern Strider screamed in rage, rage that they had unsettled him so. He would not waver in the face of old ghosts, he would not falter in his duty to those around him, "I am a free alicorn, dedicated to harmony! Shall I demonstrate what that means?!"

And then his lowered his horn, charging up his magic as the ground began to tremble beneath him. The others around all ran for cover, making it to safety as he drew all his horn could take and more... and swept it upwards, unleashing a blast that tore an adjacent clifface apart. It toppled with a crash, raining boulders down upon the approaching figures with a ground shaking roar.

Stern Strider stepped backwards, breathing heavily but feeling his memories retreat back into the past where they belong. This was no unholy evil, these were mere equines, equines who he could fight, "Hold firm, soldiers of the Republic! Show them we are not afraid! Show them...!"

The dust and mist burst outwards, flooding across the entire field as ponies yelled out in terror. Stern Strider flung it outwards with a blast of magic, stepping in front of a group of panicking troopers and floating up his revolver to point at a dark figure advancing towards them. Said dark shadow burst into movement but he was ready, firing two shots and nailing whoever it was with two hits to the head that dropped it backwards, "Fight! Fight all of you!"

And then the dark figure rose, crawling at first, but then bursting upwards with furious speed. He fired again but it was ready this time, dodging away with frightening agility. It... moved unusually, unnaturally. Not like a pony at all...

...and as it drew closer he saw it, skin peeled off, muscle lined with thick pink veins, bloodshot eyes bulging from a skull like face. Its uniform lay in tatters, expression maddened.

Half its skull was shattered away from his shot, brains leaking out. It didn't seem to care.

"We can't fight that!" One of the troops called out, already flinging his gun aside and turning to run.

Stern Strider firmed his resolve. He had seen worse, and he was confident there were no true immortals in this world. He stepped forward, the creature lunging at him with the knives mounted upon his hooves. Stern Strider levitated his sword from his scabbard and deflected the blades with a swift swing, levitating his revolver up under its chin and blowing most of the jaw away. One quick twist and drive and he severed the creature's head entirely, sending it to its final rest, "I beg to differ! They are of flesh and blood, and bleed like any other!"

But all that he heard in response were the terrified screams of victims, the screeches of the creatures. He saw no one, just the endless wind and mist.

"To me!" He called. No one answered, "Rally to my voice, we can fight these things!"

"So brave, so dedicated." A voice spoke from ahead, soft and kind, gentle and inviting, "Fighting in a battle that isn't even yours."

"It is mine!" He declared firmly, "In the name of Red Eye and the Republic both, I will repel any invader!"

"Please, you can be honest with me... this is because you are an alicorn isn't it? You feel the need to stand so tall, so honest and dedicated for their sake, so others will think the same of all your brothers and sisters."

Stern Strider felt his mind grow weary, admitting the figure had a point, "...yes..."

"And for your church too. The Cathedral saved you, gave you purpose. And you want to repay them by standing as an icon of everything they are."

"Yes..."

"But aren't you tired? Doesn't it weigh upon you, that expectation?" The figure asked as it emerged from the winds. It was wearing a black body suit but the mask had been rolled back, revealing a face of such deep, benevolent kindness that it made Stern Strider want to weep. Shining blue eyes looked out from an angelic, yellow furred face, every part of it perfect. its voice was like chimes, both male and female, layered with a deeper, primal power, "Don't you want to rest?"

"Yes." He admitted, dropping his sword and revolver to the floor, "I work so hard, but inside... I'm so scared, so lonely... and that makes me ashamed..."

"It's ok." The figure assured, moving up and caressing his muzzle with a gentle hoof, "We are all ugly underneath."

¬

Private Hayseed stepped back in astonishment, the yells of those around her confirming she wasn't seeing things.

The forest... was moving.

It erupted forward in a fierce rolling tide of roots and vines, lurching for their lines and throwing aside sandbags with fierce strikes. Even as their defenses crumbled Hayseed saw the flashes of black and white in the trees, lifting her rife and firing a shot that crippled an approaching zebra and sent him crashing to the ground.

It was one out of a hundred. The others around her fired but with little effect, their shots bouncing off the foliage as the enemy flickered through the shadows like ghosts. Hayseed reacted on highly toned instinct, backing away and sprinting for a hiding spot.

Other NCR troopers simply sprinted, leaving them easy targets as gunshots cut through their lines. Hayseed rolled into long grass and the bullets passed overhead, lining up on a charging zebra officer and putting a hole from ear to ear with a single quick shot before desperately crawling for a new firing position.

Once again it wasn't enough. The zebra reached their lines and fell upon them with chilling efficiency, their hoof blades and larger size making short work of the defenders. She saw the lieutenant meet a zebra in combat and near instantly take a knife to the throat, Hayseed firing a shot that took his killer out far, far too late to save him.

She once again ran for a new location, just as she saw a important looking figure march forward from their lines. He was wearing a cape and old school zebra armor, clearly guarded by two of his underlings as he surveyed the battlefield.

She crouched by a tree, sighted up, and blew his brains out.

He hadn't even hit the ground before she was running, losing herself behind a dip in the landscape and rolling into the follage. An army of zebra rushed past, screaming and holering terrifying warcries as they set off for the central camp.

She crouched there, kept herself still and quiet, and let them go.

She had done what she could, and knew there was no point in dying pointlessly. She looked to her ammo belt, counting twenty four more shots. Right there and then she vowed on the comrades she had just lost, that was twenty four more officers the zebra would lose before they reached Canterlot.

¬

"Reports from the right flank sir, the... the trees are attacking!"

General Brigandine cursed, why was he surrounded by such incompetence? "Of course they are! They have deer among their number, I told..." He paused for a moment, finding his memory fading, "Did I not tell everyone to watch for their magic?"

The... young mare at the radio gave him a look of shame, mixed with... pity. She took a moment to reply, "Of course you did sir. It seems we failed to heed your warning."

"No..." It was him who felt the shame. He looked at the young mare, knowing she wasn't so young. She had worked for him for years, but he couldn't remember her name. And he had thought to himself about the deer magic while reading the reports last night, but it had totally slipped his mind come morning. And at that moment, he felt his heart gripped by fear, "...I..."

"Sir, we need orders." The mare replied with desperate tones, looking expectantly towards him, "We've lost contact with our forces on both flanks, and our vanguard is engaged in heavy fighting. What do we do?"

Her words did the trick. He shook off the shock, knowing he had no time for it, "Order the vanguard to destroy the artillery and retreat to the right! Order the rear guard to support their retreat, avoid this position and take to the hills!"

She looked at him, confused, "But sir, should we not use the road to...?"

"They are coming." He looked to the map, sure of it now, "From both flanks, they're coming for this encampment. If we withdraw through this zone, they'll be caught too."

She went pale, "Sir, the battle..."

"I have lost the battle." He stated with a deep despair, knowing that his final actions were as a failure. He had promised Gawd that he would hold this position, and he had proved inadequate to that task, "I can only try to preserve the army. Only try..."

He paused, feeling the realization dawn. Gawd was dead. He served her daughter now.

Her daughter... he had held her in his claws, back when she had just been a few months old... so very long ago...

"Sir?"

"I'm sorry... major." He stated as he looked to her pips, "I cannot remember your name."

She sniffed, her composure breaking as she looked upon him with such heartbreaking respect and loyalty, "Brave Endeavor sir."

"Thank you Major Endeavor, for your service. Please, try and escape, join up with the others." He stated, moving out of his tent and looking to the left. Pink clouds rumbled towards the encampment, yells of terror already sounding out, "I'm afraid my wings and talons are a little stiff, not really feeling up to a sprint right now."

She saluted sharply, rubbing away tears before galloping away. He watched her go for a moment before advancing towards the rumbling cloud, thinking back on his career.

He had served Gerald Grimfeathers as just a young lieutenant during their flight from the Griffon lands. Never much of a warrior, but he always had a talent for numbers. Had managed the finances of the talons for years, making sure the supply routes operated efficiently, that they all had enough ammo...

He had never been a brave griffon. He had just sat back and tried to look inoffensive when the others had overthrown the Grimfeathers. Had always felt guilty for that, especially after Gerald had showed him such kindness. He had cried when Gawd had asked him to help her take back the talons, never really felt he was quite worthy of it.

He had balanced the books as they took the battle to Red Eye and the Enclave. Run the supply lines as they assaulted the SPP. Assigned troops to guard the streets while heroes battled the Screwball Conspiracy. Co-ordinated their defenses as the Enclave launched their second invasion.

Some considered him an armchair general, and honestly they could think whatever the wished. He had never desired glory, or the respect of those who thought war simply a means to kill ponies and get famous. He had just wanted to do his best to defend what was left of this world, honor the vows he had made on the day he had graduated from the academy.

But he had failed. He was sure a better griffon could have won this battle. And hopefully one would, some great hero rising from the ashes of this defeat. But his time was up. His talons shook, his mind wandered, and he knew he was of no more use to Equestria. Tears filled his eyes as he saw the camp torn apart in front of his eyes, shadowy figures tearing through their defenses like they weren't even there.

And then another figure appeared, this one advancing straight for him. It was larger than the others, tall and long limbed, and even with the flesh stripped the wings and horn were both well apparent. Neither was it the sandblasted look of the other corpse warriors, this one looked like some inept butcher had done it by hoof. The skin had been pulled back across its face, hanging in torn, gory strips. And as he got a better look at the creature General Brigandine felt his resolve falter entirely, his talons slipping across the grip of his pistol, "Stern... Strider?"

"It's ok General." The creature told him, in a voice full of hope and excitement, "I have been shown the truth of this world. Please, allow me to share it with you."

General Brigandine tried to draw his revolver, but his claws trembled too fiercely and it fell to the ground below with a thump. His attempts to retrieve it met the resistance of his arthritic knees, and he knew then there was no stopping it.

And so he made sure to smooth his uniform, straighten his cap and meet the alicorn head on. And as the horn penetrated his heart, his last thoughts were a desperate prayer that he had brought his troops enough time to reach safety.

¬

Captain Splendid continued to fire his rifle from behind the sandbags, counting up to thirty as he lightly pivoted around to target approaching troopers, the wheels of their armored transports, ammo crates... anything he could do to slow their progress. He hit thirty and called, his spotter instantly swapping out the magazine with barely a second's pause in firing.

One of the sentry bots took another powerful impact to the chest and blossomed into flames, still the zebra weapons platform that had fired the shot was quickly devastated by a blistering barrage from his own lines. He admitted his admiration for the zebra, they were brave and clever and skilled, still it was obvious from the start that they stood no chance of breaking through.

They had sent in zebra on bloodwing potions to sneak around the outside, attacking with heavy rifles and wielding their bayonet’s with deadly skill. That had caused them trouble, slaying many good soldiers before being brought down. Their next attempt he was ready for, sending up griffons and pegasi to quickly expose their vulnerability in the skies.

The next threat had been their array of zebra combat robots. They were as scary as the tales from back during the great war had reported. Aerostrikers had taken a heavy toll on his griffons before he could arrange ground to air fire, and their own sentry bots were near immune to artillery fire and possessed of intimidating anti personnel abilities. He had read up on great war tactics though, and had expected their robots to show up eventually. Snipers with anti-armor rifles cut through their sensitive components like butter.

They packed plenty of their own, obviously expecting Steel Rangers. His light troopers danced rings around such unwieldy weapons. The zebra light troopers were a threat themselves, near invisible, effectively skirmishing and pinpoint accurate with their rifles, still his troops had good eyes and made them pay in blood.

The NCR forces had taken casualties, and dead ponies lay among the wreckage of broken machines. Still he was confident they were paying the zebra back three to one.

And then the call came up behind him, "Captain Splendid!"

He turned to look at the radio operative, falling back to crouch fully behind the sandbags, "Go ahead."

The radio operative crept closer, his voice low but insistent, "Reports are that main camp has fallen sir. Orders are to destroy the artillery and retreat to the south."

Captain Splendid paused, trying to process this information. He was sure he must have misheard, but he knew his ears were good. And it confirmed his fears about the zebra throwing good troops after bad at him... a diversion, "How did the main camp fall so quickly?!"

"Reports say... black magic sir."

Captain Splendid simply firmed his resolve, working out how to best fulfill his orders. In his younger years he would have charged in to save his comrades, his older and wiser brain told him that they knew when the battle was lost, "Radio the command to all troops, we retreat to the south. The day is lost."

¬

Tree Father Eldergleam awoke from disturbing dreams, unpleasant images of war and chaos slipping from his mind but still leaving him with a sense of deep unease. He sighed and turned his thoughts to those of harmony and peace, smiling and nodding in appreciation as the branches around the walls stretched out and opened their petals to reveal a steaming cup of tea and some assorted nuts. He took eagerly of them as he performed his morning rituals, giving prayers that harmony would prevail again this day.

He dressed in his robes and stepped out into the greater caves, taking in the scents of the forest as he examined the plants for signs of ill health. It wasn't long before his attention was diverted however, spotting Gardener Blessed Lily moving to meet him, "Blessed Lily, harmony's blessing to you." He bowed his head in respect, "The plants look the healthiest they have ever been, a testament to your love and care."

She smiled back at him, full of youthful optimism, "How did you sleep Father Eldergleam?"

"I was troubled by dreams of conflict." He admitted with a heavy heart, "Do they war on each other again?"

"Yes Father, between the NCR and the Zebra."

"As we foresaw, the young dragon bathed in gold has arrived on these shores." He confirmed, wishing it wasn't so. Yet he knew well that harmony's truth dwelled in both war and peace, even if he personally would prefer one over another, "We must all pray for a swift conclusion."

"Yes Father Eldergleam."

Then they were both interrupted as another young pony rounded the corner, his eyes wide with excitement, "Father Eldergleam, you must come at once!"

Father Eldergleam could already see it on his face, still he could not resist teasing a little, "Good news or bad news?"

"The element of magic has returned!"

Blessed Lily gasped, Eldergleam trying his best to retain his own dignity as he took this news in, "Good news then."

They all hurried to the great chamber, taking a moment to fully appreciate the magnificent sight that dominated the center. A huge, powerful tree sprouted upwards in glorious color and life, spreading it's branches all across the cave to snake through cracks and openings to ultimately feed into the glorious forest that spread all across this mountain. Still attached to it were the broken remains of the crusader mainframe that had once stood in its place, back when this had still been a dragon cave.

A watcher had lived here once. And they carried on his legacy, "Tree Mother Gloam, is it true?"

The old zebra turned her head towards him with grim intensity, proving once more that not even the return of one of this world's greatest treasures could make her smile, "That the Element of Magic has returned? Yes, it is."

"Where?"

Gloam shook her head, her voice regretful, "We do not know. Far from here, guided by a swiftly fading star. Her soul is dark, her heart in pain. She knows loss."

Eldergleam admitted her poor mood might be justified then, "Someone close to her is dead."

"Dying." She corrected, then looked up at the tree once more, "And there is more."

Eldergleam followed her eyes, towards the glowing pink spot that indicated the Element of Kindness. He admitted feeling a cold feeling rush up his spine as he took in its shape, somehow... wrong, and broken, "What has happened to it?"

"Velvet Remedy has lost the ability to summon forth her element, her heart has fallen from harmony’s embrace." Gloam stated, before her voice became even graver, "And it has instead bound its energies to a former bearer."

As far as Eldergleam knew there was only two. Princess Celestia and... "Fluttershy?"

"I can feel her essence take control of the element, use its power. It is her, but... not."

Eldergleam did not like the sound of that, "Not?"

"Fluttershy stands among the invading zebra forces, bound once more to the Element of Kindness... yet I can already feel the element corrupt, distort. Feel the dark energies directed through it, feel it used to evil ends." Gloam shook her head in deep sadness, "I fear Fluttershy has betrayed us all."

Eldergleam felt the weight of this rest on him for a moment, realizing that they could not keep this to themselves, "We must inform Regina."

¬

Caesar strode out onto the hill that looked over what had once been the Equestrian camp, wondering to himself what the appropriate reaction to this all was. In a thousand years when they recounted this day, was it as the glorious conqueror, or the remorseful savior? Death was a terrible thing of course, but was it weakness to admit such?

"This has gone too far Incuta!"

Caesar didn't turn, he already knew who it was. The deer could not disguise his regal accent, nor the pomposity it lent to his words, "Killing the enemy was the point dear Aspen."

King Aspen rounded on him, eyes furious as he gestured at the destruction ahead, "But not like this! Dark magic? Sacrificing your own zebra to some... evil ritual? This mass slaughter?! This is not right!"

"I agree." Caesar stated softly, having decided on his approach, "But I did it anyway."

"For what? Your almighty ego?!"

"For peace." Caesar stated, unable to hide his smile, "A conventional battle would have resulted in higher casualties overall, for less benefit. On the other hoof a decisive victory like this will demoralize the NCR, force them to admit that after this and their defeat over the seas they are totally outmatched."

"No." Aspen replied in fury, "You have made it personal, and they will only fight harder."

"They are not your people Aspen." Caesar countered, and yes he would have expected that of the deer, "Their leader is a griffon, they have a whole cultural fetish revolving around the art of rolling over and begging for mercy when they're beaten. Their entire history consists of losing wars against Equestria, they can grasp the concept of surrendering with dignity."

"And if not?" Aspen accused, "Where will you unleash that monster next?"

"Nowhere. He will remain firmly under my control." Caesar smirked, "However wild he seems he is bound to me. He cannot disobey my order, or harm me in any way."

Aspen glared hotly, "You are always so confident. It will be your undoing."

Coming from glass houses... "I've won two battles now. Can I not be confident in my future success?"

"You did not win this battle." Aspen accused, glaring into the distance for a while as his anger built. Eventually he spat the words that had formed on his tongue, "You said my Deer would only serve as healers!"

"That is nothing to do with me Aspen. I gave them no order." Caesar replied with a smirk, "Your Deer simply realize what you do not."

"And what is that?"

He looked up at Aspen, letting the long legged immortal loom all he wanted and knowing it only served his point, "That I bring them into the future. They want to be part of that Aspen."

Aspen swept his hoof out at the killing fields, "This future?!"

"We will soon have a huge chunk of Equestria, a vast haul of resources and technology, and the elements of harmony. With these, what could we accomplish?" Caesar chuckled, "We will have the power to decide the future of this world, to heal its scars, to create a new empire, to draw all together in peace and prosperity. And it seems the leaders of this new world are to consist of me, Sunshine Ivory, and Queen Ariel."

Aspen made a growling sound in the back of his throat, "Your manipulations are obvious Incuta."

"The decision is obvious." He countered, "The Sea Ponies helped a great deal during the fleet engagement, I must reward that help with increased power."

Aspen reluctantly engaged, "And if I allowed my deer to participate in combat...?"

"You would have an equal, or greater seat at the table. And you and I together, we would have the influence to perhaps... destabilize her position, endorse a more moderate replacement?"

"So this is what the last Divine Monarch of this world is reduced to? Playing petty politics with warmongers and tyrants, just another piece in your grand game?" Aspen growled out, the frustration and shame on his face making it obvious what his answer was, "The last crown, tarnished with the blood on innocents?!"

"You are the last Aspen." Caesar pointed out, barely containing his glee at seeing the arrogant old fool humbled, "Celestia, Leo, the All-Mother, all dead because they could not handle the pace of change. The way I see it you can either accept the future... or end up like them."

"Damn you Incuta." Aspen spat, "You have what you want. But remember this..."

Caesar smirked, this would be good, "What?"

"A great many tyrants and warlords have also met poor ends of late." Aspen countered sharply, "So do not be too quick to insist this is your era. Because you are right in one thing... the pace of change can overtake us all if we are not careful.”

______________________________________________________

Fluttershy
Str - 3 End - 2 Dex - 4 Int – 6 Per - 9 Cha - 9 Lk - 7
Level 25

Perks

Living Anatomy - Shows health and Damage Threshold of any target. +5% bonus to damage against equines and griffons.

Fight the Power! - +2 Damage Threshold and +5% Critical chance against anyone wearing faction armor.

Songstress Level 2 - By substituting any social test with a song you can increase the chances of success by 50%.

Stunt Flyer Level 2 – You can now use intermediate level pegasi magic.

Shaman Level 1 – You can now use basic level zebra magic.

Earth Walker Level 1 – You can now use basic level earth pony magic.

Walker Instinct - +1 Perception and Agility when outside

Chemist - Chems you take now last twice as long.

Local Leader – You gain additional options when leading organisations.

Medic Level 2 - Stimpaks restore 60% of lost Health, and RadAway removes 60% of radiation.

Combat Surgeon – You can now treat crippling injuries without the benefits of a medicine workbench.

Combat Teleportation – For two seconds after teleportation, gain a +25 damage resistance.

Animal Friend Level 2 - Animals will now come to your aid in combat against those who threaten you.

Eye for an Eye - For each crippled limb you have, you do an additional 10% damage.

The Stare, Soul Eyes - This form allows you to identify the motives and emotions of any sentient, providing you can maintain eye contact. A successful charisma check allows you to use this to gain an extra bonus on influence checks.

The Stare, Divine Energies – This form allows you to command magic with your stare, functioning identically to both a unicorn horn and a fetish for zebra magic.

The Stare, Unbreakable Will – This form allows you directly manipulate the thoughts, personality and memories of the target, upon a successful intimidate check.

Silent Gallop - You have mastered silent movement, allowing you to move quickly and still remain quiet. You can Sneak at full speed with no penalties.

The Magic of Friendship - When your HP or the HP of any member of your party drops below 30%, all members of your party (including yourself) gain much greater resistance to damage.

A Little Dash - While wearing light armor or no armor, you run 20% faster.

Just Lucky I’m alive - Whenever you finish a fight with less than 25% health, your Luck increases by +4 for 3 minutes. You are also immune to critical hits, and your own critical hits inflict +50% damage.

Traits

Chem Mare You are 25% less likely to suffer addiction, and the side effects of withdrawal are also reduced by 25%. Failing to take any drugs within a 24 hour period makes you depressed and cranky however, leading to a -1 penalty to all stats.

Element of Generosity - The unique properties of one of the elements of harmony have rubbed off on you. You gain a +1 to Endurance, and a further +1 bonus to all negotiation rolls, and a -25% bonus on aging checks.

Child of no Nation – By genetics or freak mutation, you possess traits from multiple races. You can choose traits and magic from Pegasi, Earth and Zebra lists.

Touched by Taint Level 3 - You are 20% faster and stronger whenever you’re basking in the warm glow of radiation. Your Action Points regenerate faster and faster the higher your level of radiation sickness becomes. Your natural lifespan has increased dramatically.

Ironic Punishment – You did always want to be a tree. You gain a +5 damage resistance against physical attacks, and a -5 against energy weapons. You automatically regenerate health in sunlight.