Fallout Equestria: Alphabet soup

by Doomande

Enclave: A is for Away Down There in the Land of Traitors by Vic the Tricky Unicorn

"Yeah well, whoever you are, I just dispatched a verti-assault team to your location. Have a nice day."

---

"This is Angel one seven! We are going down in Stratusburg sector Alpha Tango seven niner! Mayday!"

Gone...

It was just... gone. Everything. Everypony... I've never seen so much fire in my life... Stratusburg's governing headquarters... it was there one minute, and gone the next... just consumed by the inferno, and-... Oh goddesses... I could hardly believe my eyes as I watched the entire structure collapse, right through the torn open cloud layer. The blast was so large, it even took down the vertibuck sent to try and contain the fire. A whole squad of pegasi... gone!

I sniffled, wiping my nose with a hoof as tears began to sting my eyes behind my visor. I couldn't move. I couldn't even breath, as the glow from the plummeting building slowly faded below the new crater in the cloudcover. So many ponies... my friends, my neighbors, my parents... Oh Celestia, mom and dad! They're all gone...

The mare... she seemed innocent enough. It'd only been a week since I stepped off my family's skywagon for my first ever assignment. I was at my post, with orders to check everypony's ID as they entered the HQ. That's when I saw her.

Oh, how am I going to explain this to everypony!? I couldn't help it, I had such a hard week! One embarrassing face plant in front of all the other recruits... and another in front of my superiors... within the first week, I had already earned the nickname 'Private Klutz!' I was just so tired and upset and... humiliated! I probably looked like a pitiful mess, because when she saw me standing guard, she asked if I was okay...

It... it meant a lot after the last few days.

I tried to say it wasn't a bother, but... I guess it was too obvious. I'll never forget what she said to me with that caring smile and silky voice as she tilted her head to let her pretty mane hang adorably over one side, "Well, that's just terrible! I don't think you're a klutz. Those ponies should be ashamed of themselves." And if that wasn't enough to warm my heart, she asked if we could talk more after my shift, maybe share a meal together in the mess hall! I felt like I made my first actual friend in the Enclave. She was so sweet and kind, and I was so excited that I-... I-I... I didn't think I'd need to ask for her identification... I managed to catch a glimpse at her flanks when she trotted by, elegantly swaying back and forth without a care in the world. She must not have realized her uniform had sagged a bit on one side...

Even then, I don't think I realized I'd just made the gravest mistake of my life, but my heart still sank to depths I didn't know possible, when I saw the brownish charred scars of a cloud and lightening bolt where her cutiemark should have been. I may have been fresh out of flight school, but I knew what that mark meant. I was about to chase after her, but... I second guessed myself. She didn't seem suspicious at all! She was sweet and conversational. And I... I didn't want to scare off the only friend I could possibly make here. Besides, it couldn't have been what I thought it was, right? Maybe... the light just made it look that way...

It only took a few minutes for it to happen. The shock wave actually blew me a good ten feet from the building. Celestia, if it wasn't for my power armor, she would have killed me too... She must have set it off in the boiler room, as one explosion set off another in a devastating chain reaction that sounded like a continuous clash of bone rattling thunder. I heard stories about Dashites, but... but THIS!? How could somepony have done that to so many innocent ponies!? Half the city worked in that building, and now... it's just gone!!! It was so loud... the screaming was so loud! And my parents... Oh goddesses, I was just talking to dad before my shift! Mom had told him to fix my armor. They had a meeting with our councilbuck, and before he left, dad... he hugged me and told me how proud he was. It was so embarrassing in front of all the other recruits, but now... I'd give anything to wrap my hooves around him right now... but, I... I'm never going to see him or mom again, am I? And it's all my fault... Celestia, what have I done?

"Sweep the area!"

I gasped sharply out of my daze as I heard the officer's stern voice shout through the thick fog of glowing ash, still floating above the clouds around us.

"I want all survivors brought to me for questioning!" He snarled.

Oh, I am SO dead... What the hay am I going to tell them!? I could just barely make out his handsome looking uniform and cap through the ash, occasionally covering his mouth with a wing as he coughed. He looked distraught, and lost in the smoke and ash, yet the intimidating pitch black fabric and silver trim of his uniform told me he was hellbent on holding whoever let this happen responsible.

"Report!" He coughed again, before scolding a group of power armored pegasi behind him. "I want a goddessdamned report! There was a mare on duty! I want her here like YESTERDAY!!!"

I winced, spreading my wings on sheer pegasus instinct as fright drenched my whole body. With a single flap, I was off my hooves, before several more zipped me behind a cloud big enough to hide behind. My ears perked as I heard their voices close in.

"Sir!" One of the soldier mares yelled. I peeked behind the cloud to see her just a few yards away, staring down the giant hole in the cloud cover. "What if she was killed in the blast!?"

The officer flew above with a look so fiery, he could have turned her to ash. "I said bring her to the barracks! I didn't say whether I want her alive or not! Somepony is going to pay for this!!!"

I watched them continue their search for me, until I swore one of their bug-like visors swiveled toward my hiding spot and looked right at me. I quickly ducked down, slapping a hoof over my mouth to quiet my breathing. But even that couldn't silence a petrified whimper from escaping my throat. I clenched my eyes and bit down on my hoof, praying that they didn't see me. Oh please, PLEASE tell me they didn't see me!

"Private Kluuuutz~" The soldiers began to tease as I heard their voices spread across the cloud layer. My heart beat like an off-tempo drum as I tucked my legs, wings and tail against my body and curled up in a pathetic ball. Okay, think Sky! Once they're spread out enough, I can escape!

Escape? Escape to where!? It's not like they'll just give up searching for me here. They'll start showing my face on the news from here to Thunderhead! I'll be a fugitive. A Dashite! Oh crap! I don't wanna be a Dashite! But what am I going to do!? The only other place to go, is-...

THUD!

The sound made me squeak in undiluted horror. Something just hit my cloud... My eyes snapped open to see two pairs of red hooves standing in front of me. Oh goddesses, this is it! They found me and their gonna brand me! Every fiber from the tips of my hooves to my wing feathers anxiously trembled as my gaze traveled up the pony's dapperly dressed body. He was definitely a stallion... but he didn't seem to be military. He didn't wear any type of armor or uniform, but rather a black suit and tie which sported the silver E and wings of the Enclave government on his lapel. His yellow eyes nearly glowed in the night, while his short and styled dark blue mane flapped against the smoky wind current. And his smirk... He was SMIRKING!!! Time felt as if it had disappeared as he stared down at me, remaining silent and almost... charming... It made me feel sick.

His smirk suddenly turned into a sneer. I was so paralyzed with panic that I hardly acknowledged that he'd actually spoken to me as he grabbed my hoof with his own and pulled me up with an aggressive yank. My lips finally quivered in response. "W-what?"

He rolled his eyes with a demeaning laugh. "You got feathers in your ears, darlin'? I said you better start flyin' or I reckon you'll make this too easy..." He gave my chest a hard push before pressing his forehoof to his ear. "Target spotted in sector 17..." My nerves were so shocked, it took me a moment to realize he was talking into an earpiece, and another to realize that this... was sector 17. I must have still looked like a frozen stuffed pigeon, because he looked back at me with his face nearly aghast. "You still here, feather brain? FLY!!!"

I took a step back, spreading my wings as if to follow his baffling order, but hesitated to commit. Tears began to fill my eyes again. I had so many questions, but my voice felt as if it were stuck in my chest. "W-where?" Was all my flat lungs were able to squeak.

The mysterious pegasus scoffed as he grabbed the back of my mane through my helmet, making me wince, as he pulled me in his suggested direction. "Where do you think?!"

My eyes widened to horrified saucers as I followed his forehoof to the giant crater. "Down... there!?" I was in disbelief. "N-no... I can't just-..."

I was suddenly cut off by the stallion throwing me further towards the daunting exit. A one way ticket to the surface. I tripped over my hooves and face planted, as several more thuds landed on the cloud behind us. I nervously raised my head to see the officer and soldiers from before, galloping passed him to aim their magical energy battlesaddles at me. "Just who do you think you are, recruit?!" The officer jeered. "You're in a whole heap uh'trouble!"

The red pegasus suddenly laughed. "Well what are you waiting for, Captain?" His wing put a cigarette between his smug lips. "Brand that traitor already."

...t-t-traitor?!

My heart stopped as every fiber of my being seemed to snap into place. The turmoil of emotions were suddenly replaced by one focus. One choice... Fly... or die. I twisted back to my hooves and leapt into the air.

"OPEN FIRE!!!" Was the last thing I heard through the vortex of adrenaline pulsing through my head. The wind beat unforgivingly against my visor, my mane and tail flapping in my wake, as I dove through the crater. I thrashed my wings relentlessly as they pushed me at a speed I didn't know possible until now. I couldn't even see where I was going. I had no direction or strategy but to just fly down. I didn't care if I slammed into the ground and broke my neck... I just had to keep flying down! I felt cold and empty... believing I wouldn't even notice if I were hit. That naïve belief shattered around me with the rest of reality as I felt the electric burn of crystalized energy strike the back of my head. And just like that, the whole world turned black as I fell into its dark abyss...

---

"Kiss me goodbye and write me while I'm gooooone..."

"Ow! Owowowowow!!!" I stirred awake to the base of my left wing twitching from a painful crunch. Agh! I hate wing cramps! Must have tweaked it in my sleep during my... My nightmare... I tried to stretch my wing, but all that did was elicit an agonizing holler as its joint was struck with more pain. "M-mom? Ow! My wing is cramping up again!" I cried out, while making an excruciating effort to fold the appendage back to my side. Yeah... I'm NOT flying anywhere anytime soon. I better take today off. Hope Captain Short Fuse doesn't mind too badly...

I gave a defeated groan at that thought. Who am I kidding? With a name like Short Fuse...

I waited for Mom to coming rushing in with her tender voice to ask if I was okay... or Dad to make some embarrassing comment about preening to make me feel awkward... but, when nopony answered my cry, I opened my eyes to see...

"Gyaaaah! AAHH!" I was greeted by a uniform... a captain by the look of the two silver bars on her handsome looking black uniform with its silver trim and matching cap. I instantly tried jumping out of bed, but... wait... Why am I on the floor? I shook that thought away as soon as it came, instead focusing on snapping to attention. But... for some reason, my armor was harder to move... Oh Celestia, did I fall asleep in my armor? Ugh! Doesn't matter Sky Bliss! Just salute the Captain before you get punished even worse! Probably fell asleep on duty again, you klutz! "Private Klu-... Grrr! Sky Bliss reporting... ma-am?" I gave a confused blink when I realized... she wasn't standing.

She... Oh Celestia, she's dead! My heart sank with grief as I stared wide eyed at her cold and lifeless body. O-oh crap! W-what's going on? This... this is morbid! She was laying down against a bunch of rocks with her neck... It... it looked like it had snapped at a rather excruciating angle.

It was so terrible, it-...wait... ROCKS?!

I looked around, only to realize that I was no longer on the fluffy cloud layer of Stratusburg... Just rocks, dirt, and... Oh goddesses... OH GODESSES!!! Everything from the HQ's destruction to me falling from the clouds, came rushing back to my memory. I shuddered as more glowing embers and toxic smoke clouded my senses. I coughed into my forehoof and fanned the smoke away with my right wing, while my left remained useless and crippled against my side.

Where the hay am I?

I decided to trot forward to get my bearings... or at least I tried to. It became harder and harder to move with every step. I chalked it up to my own exhaustion at first, but when a red warning flashed in front of my HUD, I knew it was something... bad.

POWER LEVEL CRITICAL!

That... can't be good. My power core must have taken damage when they shot me. And my wing... I must have landed on it pretty bad when I fell. Oh, why do rocks have to be so... hard?! It doesn't only hurt when you crash into them, but... jeez, the ground feels so uncomfortable under my hooves. Nothing compared to the soft clean cloudcover. And who would have thought that dirt would be so... dirty! I groaned in both disgust and pain as I trotted further through the smoke. I had no idea where I'd landed, but I got a pretty good hint when my forehoof suddenly reached out to a terrifying emptiness.

"W-woah!" I wobbled forward, nearly losing my balance before backtrotting away from the edge of... whatever part of Equestria I apparently landed in. Because that's exactly what it looked like as the smoke cleared enough for me to peer out at the horizon. The sun was completely covered by our cloudcover, so I couldn't tell whether it was dusk or dawn. I last remembered it being night, but... who knows how long I've been out. I was undoubtedly on the surface, but... everything was still up high as I looked down on Equestria below me, complete with charred fields, dead grass and ruined buildings that poked above the horizon like jagged teeth.

Was I... on a mountain?

I looked up to see the hole in the cloudcover still there. I must have drifted for miles before I finally hit the ground. Directly below it was what looked like some kind of run down shack village, set ablaze by... Oh goddesses, that's the Stratusburg HQ! It looks like it's still partly intact! Maybe my parents are still alive! I spread my wings, ecstatic to fly down there and search for them, when...

"Ow! Damnit!" Right... broken wing... really hurts... NOT flying... I'm gonna have to get to that village another way. They could be hurt, or... worse! But, there's no way I'll be able to make it down this... mountain with my power armor locking up. And with no way to repair it, I'm gonna have to leave it behind sooner or later.

I coughed again as I turned towards the source of the smoke, prompting me to gasp as shock hit me like an angry storm cloud. "Angel one seven..." I said with a gloomy whisper as I came across the burning vertibuck wreckage. Several bodies of armored pegasi laid around the debris, and... just like the officer, they were all dead. These pegasi, however, appeared to have met a much more gruesome end then their captain. By the look of how their power armor had all been fried to a crisp, if the impact didn't kill them, then I had no doubt that the fires did. I despairingly slapped a hoof to my mouth as I saw that one of the soldier's helmets had been knocked from her head, allowing her hallow eye-sockets to forever stare at the pony who helped cause her death. Me...

I... I think I'm gonna be sick...

I tried to backtrot away, but my armor had nearly locked from the lack of power, and I ended up falling on my haunches. I wanted to curl up in a ball and cry, but my armor wouldn't even allow me that. "I'm... I'm sorry." I whimpered, "I didn't mean to! I-I was just-... I'm so... so sorry..."

I'm not sure how long I sat there... but, in all the time I was there, I found it impossible to tear my eyes away from the carnage, or stop apologizing to ponies who had long since lost the ability to hear me do so. The thought of even being partly responsible for this... it made my stomach twist and my chest ache. I could have sat there until I starved, but something inside me, a familiar voice, demanded that I suck up my blubbering. I found the little pony inspiring, as she always had been when I was a foal, and with another shuddering sigh, I slowly began taking off my armor before it locked me in completely. I peeled the leg plating away first. After that, I was able to move much easier, moving to my flanks and chest plate. I had to be careful with my back so to not injure my wing anymore that it already was. But, when my hooves began lifting my helmet off...

"OW! What the..? Why did that hurt?" The back of my neck felt as if something molten had welded my hide to my helmet. I quickly trotted over to the front of the vertibuck, seeing that the right windshield was still intact. Thank Celestia for small favors, I guess... After getting as close as I could to the glass... Well... the reflection it showed me was NOT what I was expecting.

I gave a mournful gasp as I saw the awful result of getting shot by a beam rifle. My once longer and styled mane would usually stick out the top of my helmet and droop over the side of my face. Now... the lavender and magenta hairs were singed beyond repair. The blast was direct to the back of my head, and nearly butchered everything exposed from it. I sniffled, tears once again welling in my eyes. The once pretty and cute and... rather unsoldierly style, was a bit embarrassing compared to the cooler and butch manes of the more hardened troopers... but mom had worked so hard on getting it nice... and now it's completely destroyed! With a painful scream, I pulled my helmet off, taking a patch of my neck with it as I cringed from both pain and the natural light stinging my pink irises. I tried to ignore the blood dripping down my ghostly purple coat, no doubt leaving a permanent scar behind, as I got a better look at the damage.

My once long sweeping forelock that hung down passed my shoulders was gone, replaced by short and uneven spikey bangs that couldn't even hang passed my eyes. The back of my mane was even worse, singed and messy. I used my hooves to try and style it as best I could, but the only form I could get it in was a somewhat organized chaos, with... More spikes?! At least I had a little bit of mane left to hang off my neck, but... Celestia, I look like-...

I paused, blinking at my reflection in disbelief.

I look like my sister... I sniffled, trying to ignore the tight feeling of grief in my chest. Sky Vapor... well... Let's just say I felt I had big horseshoes to fill after we got her devastating telegram. She was one of the most talented fliers in all of Stratusburg. Probably could have became a Wonderbolt if she wanted to. Meanwhile, I barely passed the flight exam. I was an... amateur flier at best. Which was a huge disappointment to my drill sergeant. Apparently, Sky Vapor's portrait is hanging up in the hall of fame somewhere with one of Stratusburg's fastest flight course records. Yet, when I finished the course, I was rewarded with, 'You're a fucking embarrassment to the Enclave, cadet!' Even her cutiemark set the bar pretty high after shooting through all the clouds around us so fast, she turned them to vapor! It was awesome! I, meanwhile, got mine after hugging a cloud. One cloud. Nothing special or magic about it. Just a big, soft, fluffy and -in my defense- incredibly-comfy-to-hug cloud.

I instinctively looked back at the heart and cloud on my flanks, conflicted in both embarrassment for it being so girly and relief that it hadn't been branded off... yet. Unsoldierly was one thing, but now that I'm down here... in the wasteland... I'm probably about the weakest looking thing out here... And without my armor, I'd get torn apart by... who knows whatever is watching me.

I was ready to start another round of mournful sobs, when a strange sound suddenly caught my ears. I knitted my brow as I tried to make out what it was. It took my senses to recover a bit before I recognized the tinny ambiance of pianos, guitars, and drums echoing around the mountainside. It was... music. Not the usual patriotic orchestra music of Enclave radio, but... actual songs.

I wasn't exactly in the mood for music, but my ears betrayed me anyway and unconsciously perked, forcing me to listen to the final beats of the song. The melancholy tune just made me want to cry some more... but the little Sky Vapor pony in my head told me to cheer up. It was hard, but... I managed to hold back anymore tears for the remainder of the song. I looked to where it was coming from, but the source only drew my gaze back to the dead captain. Even in death, the officer was still intimidating. She was the only pony spared from the fire...

I guess she'd flown through the left windshield on impact and broken her neck. I solemnly trotted back over to her, only to follow her eternal empty stare, still longing for a radio just feet from her outstretched forehoof. The same radio she was screaming into when the vertibuck went down. The song finally began to fade behind the radio's speakers, only to be replaced by...

"Good morning, wastelanders! This is DJ Pon3! With today's musical wake-up call. Now, if you're a consistent listener, you might be expecting the news BEFORE I move onto the weather. Well, get ready for a slight change of pace my little ponies, because if you live South of the Smoky Mountains, you might have noticed some pretty strange rain drops falling from the sky recently. And when I say 'strange' and 'rain drops' I really mean one entire building just dropped out of the clouds! And that's not all. I've been gettin' reports that the structure not only fell, but was consumed in flames all the way till it landed on the village below. What the HAY are our 'friends' up above doin' up there?! Your guess is as good as mine. Keep it tuned here for updates."

My jaw hit the dirt as I stood there, so staggered by his words that my knees felt weak. A radio station. In the wasteland. Not only exists, but just broadcasted to all of Equestria about our HQ! That... that's gotta be a security breach! There could be all sorts of classified information in that building! I listened, waiting to hear anything else, but apparently it was all the news of the hour, as another song started back up. I was so frustrated that the last remaining strands of my former mane style sprung out to join the rest. "That's it?!" I scoffed, "It wasn't us! It was a Dashite! From the surface! And he didn't even mention the attack! And this is definitely NOT Enclave permitted music. I couldn't even count how many regulations this broadcast broke! We can't let him-..!"

I looked about, only to remind myself that I was the only pony listening... and, all but a Dashite myself.

"I... can't let him..?" I rolled my eyes with a defeated laugh. Yeah right... This 'DJ Pon3' wouldn't be threatened by somepony like me... Even if I did have my armor. There's nothing intimidating about a mare nearly fresh out of flight school. He'd be crazy to think I have any kind of authority to-...

All other thoughts suddenly stopped in their tracks as an innocent -yet uncontrollable- idea formed in my head. Before I knew it, my gaze had pivoted to look at the officer. Or, more specifically, her uniform. I admit... I was curious. But... Oh, come on, Sky! You can't be seriously thinking it can..! I-I mean, it's not like it would actually... make me look...

Hmmm...

---

I gave my reflection a skeptical look as I fit my ears through the slits in officer's cap, giving the silver E and wings in its center a quick polish, before looking over the rest of the uniform in the windshield. I saw myself give an anxious sigh as I did so.

I don't know about this... I look so...

I pivoted in place to get a side view of the sleek black uniform, all buttoned up to hug my chest. Even though the sleeves sagged down to my hooves due to the mare being just a bit taller than me, it still looked... impressive.

I blinked a bit in surprise. It seemed every second I stared at the mare in the reflection... she looked less and less like... me. Sure, my colors were the same, not to mention my cutiemark. But, the way my mane now stuck out behind the cap, and my bangs just barely covered my eyes, it was hard to even recognize myself. I gave a curious tilt of my head as I kicked the dirt in thought. I wonder just how different I can make myself look...

I trotted back over to the now bare-coated officer, and looked through her saddlebags. After rummaging through them, I found some dangerous encouragement for my curiosity. After all was said and done, I'd found a plasma pistol, a tobacco pipe, and a makeup bag, which I proceeded to apply to my face, giving myself a darker eyeshadow and thicker lashes to match how the officer wore it. The mare in the reflection looked even more different. So much so, that... I could hardly believe she was actually me.

Even with my new chaotic mane, the cap actually made it look natural, and -with the help of the makeup- kinda pretty. While the pistol and dashing uniform gave me an impressive shade of seriousness. And the Pipe... well, I put that back where I found it. I looked a bit silly with it, and even my curiosity knew its own limits. But, something was still missing... I still looked... nervous. I needed to look confident and serious. After a few failed attempts, I finally saw the same stern glare of Captain Short Fuse, except now, on my-own reflection. For the first time in my life, I looked... intimidating. "W-wow..."

My ears suddenly perked as I heard DJ Pon3's voice return to the radio. "Ah. That was Sweetie Belle with another one of her timeless classics. And here's me; DJ Pon3, with the news."

"W-who do you think you are?" I winced at my own voice. I still sounded... timid. Okay, c'mon Sky Bliss! Time to show this pony that you're NOT just some air-headed filly! All those years of trying to act tomboyish aren't gonna go to waste now! No more screw-ups! Think tough! This time, my voice came out raspier than ever before as I grated it against the back of my throat. "Just who do you think you are, jackass!?" I couldn't help but giggle after I said it like that, though I had to catch myself and try to regain composure. Captains do NOT giggle! I gave a quick sigh of preparation as I tried to remember all the times my superiors had scolded me, and with a tilt of my head and a crack of my neck, I let all my pent up frustration, from 'Private Klutz' to 'DJ Pon3', connect with vocabulary I would otherwise never dare to use as a recruit. "You treacherous, scum! You're in a whole heap uh'trouble!"

DJ Pon3, however, was unphased, still continuing his broadcast through the radio. No new updates on my HQ, I noted. Just something about bigotry against... ghouls?

"What the hay is a ghoul?" I was genuinely curious as I found myself listening the rest of his PSA, only to shake my head with a scoff. "Focus, damnit!" This time, I approached the radio with an angry glower. "DJ Pon3... You've committed crimes against the Grand Pegasus Enclave." I paused to give him a chance to respond. At this point, I had completely tuned out what he was actually saying, although... I could have sworn I heard him talk back to me.

"What was that?!" I snarled. DJ Pon3 stayed silent. "What did you say to me, huh?! How DARE you deny it?! I should kick your freakin' ass!" DJ Pon3 snickered before satirically claiming he had no idea what I was talking about. I gave him a look. "Oh? A wise guy, huh? We'll see how smart you feel with my hoof up your ass. Dickhead!" He seemed stunned by my response and began to apologize. His sudden change of attitude made me laugh. "You know, what? I want you to run..." He gave me a confused look and asked me to repeat. "You've got feathers in your ears, buck-o?! I said run!" He took a step back as my right wingtip curled down and pulled the plasma pistol from my holster with threatening intent. "I'll give you a chance to run for your life, little pony. Get going, run!" He struggled to comprehend what was happening. He tried begging for mercy, but knew I wouldn't give it. He finally took the opportunity as he spun on his hooves and galloped away as fast he could. I closed one eye as I looked down the sights.

Well DJ Pon3... or whoever you are... The only thing ponies will remember you by is the after-action report we show the recruits...

I pulled my wingtip against the trigger, and... PEW!

I clenched my eyes and winced as I felt the recoil throw my whole body off balance. My lungs betrayed me after years of teaching myself to act tomboyish and hardened... only for an all too sissy squeak to escape my throat. Whatever audience of spectators I imagined suddenly came to life around me, the charred ponies from the crash waking up, only to gasp in shock as the plasma bolt missed its target...

"Nice shot, CAPTAIN Klutz!" A stallion behind me teased... igniting the powder keg of loud crushing laughter that erupted from all the other pegasi. I insecurely tucked my tail between my legs, completely humiliated. I suddenly felt like I was back in flight school. I wanted to burry my head in the clouds and cry... but I had no clouds...

I bit down on my lip to keep it from quivering, and with a determined curse of my breath, I tried again. Another miss, and another, and another, until... "Son of a mule... Hold still you little-..!"

Finally, I hit my target... if just barely. The crystalized acidic plasma tunneled through the corner of the radio, and began to melt the brown metal frame into the tubes and wiring beneath, making whatever news DJ Pon3 was reporting to the wasteland die into utter nonsense, only for another song to sputter and gurgle its way through the mesh speakers... almost as if the stallion were still mocking me with his stupid music.

"R-R-R-R-R-R-R-RRRRRock and roll is-...*static*...-ere to stay. It will never d-d-die-...
*static*was meant to be that way. Though I don't know why.
I don't care what ponies s-s-s-aaaay-..."

PEW!

I shot it again, this time straight through the center. The radio finally peeled apart into molten metal and goo, at last silencing it forever. DJ Pon3 was gone. Worse still, he had never been here to begin with. Nor the other pegasi, save for the same dead ones from the crash. Their laughter had died quicker than a stir in the wind...

---

I cautiously searched for anything else of use... specifically food. I was so hungry, I could eat a-...

I hesitantly glanced at one of the 'well-done' ponies beside me.

Okay, I'm not that hungry. I hardly believed I'd find anything here that wasn't ruined to ashes, but a box of MREs survived the flames... even though their packaging didn't necessarily survive the crash. But, after concluding that squashed MREs are unequivocally better than starving to death -or resorting to cannibalism-, I tore open the package with my teeth, and chowed down on the dehydrated cloud-grown produce. Hopefully it wouldn't wreak too much havoc on my intestines until I find something more suitable. I adorned the captain's saddlebags and pocketed the rest of the MREs inside. I was in the process of keeping the contents from coming back up my throat, when I spotted something unique sticking out of a pile of embers in the dirt. It looked like some kind of metal stick... or maybe a pole, it's colors contrasting with that of the vertibuck. The end looked scorched by the glowing coals, while the handle looked safe enough to touch, so -failing to check my impulse- I reached out and wrapped my forehoof around it. I was about to pull, when something suddenly stirred in the dirt behind me... followed by a soft feminine gasp.

My first thought was that it was a survivor from the crash who must have gone out to scout ahead, before returning to find me wearing their dead officer's uniform.

Damnit, Sky! Why didn't you think this through?!

I was so startled, I could have jumped out of the captain's uniform... I almost wish that's what I had done, as my legs bounced my rump so high that I lost my balance and fell on my face, thankfully finding a nice patch of hard gravel instead of scolding hot embers. That's it, Sky! Keep looking on the bright side... I recovered as quick as it happened, grabbing back hold of the strange pole and yanking it free of its burning pit. I went so far as to take a defensive stance with it in my forehooves, which in retrospect, probably wouldn't have done horseapples to stop whatever projectile weapons she likely had. However, it frightened the mare all the same... in fact, maybe even more so than what any gun could have, as she stared at me, frozen and terrified beyond belief. It took me a moment to realize what I'd done to spook her, as my gaze lowered to the sizzling orange glow of the infamous cloud and lightening bolt that made up the other end of the pole.

She eyed the brand for a while longer, obviously uncertain about my next move as she gave a nervous gulp. However, with a puff of her chest and a salute of her forehoof, she showed a valiant effort to suck in her fear... valiant, but not quite successful. "Misty Breeze, reporting for duty, ma'am!" She announced clear as day, as she strained her otherwise soft-spoken voice to sound more determined.

My eyes blinked in confusion as I watched her salute... me?! I looked around, half expecting another officer to be standing behind me, before finally realizing the only pony here who even looked remotely like an officer was... me. I hesitantly let one hoof go of the Dashite brand before saluting her back.

She returned her hoof to the ground, and everything became quiet. We stared at each other for the longest time... well, at least she was looking straight at attention, while I just stared at her in awkward silence. To be honest, I wasn't sure whether to be scared to death of her reporting me to the Enclave or relieved to see another living pegasus. I was just about to accept the possibility that I might never see one ever again. Though, maybe I should have been so lucky... Yet, she didn't seem to look or even act very... Enclave-y.

She was Enclave, I could at least tell that by her black coveralls and beam pistol strapped to her leg. But, no armor, barely any weapons... no aggressive nature to her rather delicate looking frame. Her coat was a soft pale creamy-grey, while her emerald swirled white mane was left long and rolled over her shoulders in waves. She had to have been no older than a recruit herself, and looked... rather cute for a mare. Déjà vu suddenly struck me like a clash of thunder. I was so caught in my daze, that I hadn't noticed her lips moving.

I flushed before clearing my throat. I tried to speak, but... I was too stunned to form a coherent response.

Her timid look suddenly tilted in concern as she pointed at my side. "Y-your wing, ma'am. It... doesn't look good. Is it broken?"

I didn't need to look down at it to know how 'good' it looked. I'd long since given up on testing my tolerance for my injured wing. As it turns out, tolerance for pain, I severely lacked. I continued to stare awkwardly at the mare in silence. I was honestly at a loss for words. She had no idea who I really was or what I did. And there's no way in Tartarus that I can tell her... I don't care how timid she looks. She's Enclave and I'm... I-I'm a Dashite... Even if she didn't pull her beam pistol on me, it'd be unlikely a single pegasus mare would be down here all alone. There could be a whole platoon waiting for her. Besides, I'm already in enough trouble as it is, I don't need impersonating an officer as a topping on treason.

I gave a hesitant nod, trying my best to appear determined, while my heart frantically thumped in my chest. She gave a soft smile in return and began to trot toward me. However, I’m guessing my nod was either too hesitant or the Dashite brand in my hooves held too much of a paranoid kind of sway to it, as she gave a cautious backtrot. "I uh... I can take a look at it. Your wing, I mean. I-I'm a field medic..." She reassured me with hopeful smile. It would soon evaporate after seeing my doubtful glare.

"Field medic?"

She nervously licked dried lips before nodding. "MmHmm..."

I looked her uniform up and down with a raised eyebrow. "What's your tag?"

She bit her lip as if to think about it for a moment. “Misty L. Breeze, serial number 192-01-2125...” I had to say, I was impressed... I at least stutter once or twice when reciting my serial number, but she got through it without a hitch... of course, the timid pinch in her throat almost made her sound unsure of herself. She must have noticed my skeptical look, as she looked down at her hooves to avoid it. "...We were enroute from Neighvarro, when our wagon-..."

"We?" I asked.

She nodded. "My platoon... we were supposed to make contact with a detachment from Stratusburg. But our skywagons came under heavy fire. We don't know what hit us, but we had to make an emergency landing on the mountainside... the other wagon... they weren't so lucky..." She said in a shaky voice. "We watched them land at the foot of the mountain... They survived the crash, but... there were creatures there. Big creatures! And they-..." She clenched her eyes shut with a shiver. "...there was just ten of us after that..."

By now I had set the Dashite brand down in the dirt as I listened to her story. That had at least helped put her at ease. "Did you... have any friends in the..?"

She gave a solemn nod.

"Sorry..." I replied.

She wiped her nose with a hoof and sniffled. "Thanks..." She looked at the vertibuck crash behind me, giving a quiet gasp as she saw the bodies around it. "O-oh... Oh gosh! I... I didn't know that you-... I didn't mean to be insensitive to your squad, ma'am!"

Huh? What is she-... OH! Right...

"Ahem... It's... It's okay, Misty... It sounds like you've been through a lot... and I appreciate your concern." She gave me back a small smile, but still seemed a bit guilty for unloading her baggage onto me. I didn't mind... to be honest, my heart kind of ached for the poor mare. I gave her my best comforting smile as I draped my one good wing over her shoulder. "I'm Captain Sky Bliss."

---

"Aaaand... there." Misty said, as she finished adjusting the sling. "How's it feel?"

I grimaced, giving it a little test as I tried to move the stem of my wing. I guess it shouldn't have been a surprise that I had dislocated it. And after several excruciating minutes of screaming into my hoof while she snapped it back into place, she decided it best to constrict it in a sling to prevent anymore pain... She might as well have been a medical goddess compared to what I know about medicine, but 'prevent' certainly felt like a strong word. Even an hour later, after following her further down the mountainside, I could still feel my wing throb in a painful chorus with my heartbeat. "You uh... wouldn't happen to have any painkillers..?"

I regretted asking that after seeing her hopeful smile ruthlessly crushed under my words. "No good, huh?" She sighed, "Sorry, ma'am. I'm still getting used to the field... To be honest, I've never had to put my training to use before now."

I winced as I felt a little Sky Vapor pony smack me aside the head, insisting that I cheer her up. I was way ahead of that. I was seconds away from wrapping my forelegs around her and pulling her into a tight hug... However, there were a few problems I noted before doing that. First of all, that might have been too sympathetic for a Captain... and second, I was reminded of how embarrassed I felt when Dad hugged me while in uniform. So, out of concern for blowing my cover in hypocritical fashion, I kept my hooves to myself, and instead gave the cute pegasus a soft smile. "Hey, I'm not saying you didn't do a good job. You'll get the hang of it. Besides, once you get back to the clouds, you'll probably be the most experienced field medic in your class."

She blushed... Holy Flash Magnus, I actually made her blush. I've never made another mare blush before! Not like that anyway... She gave a ghost of a smile before looking a bit perplexed as she thought on what I'd said. "You really think you'll be able to get us back to the clouds?"

I paused. Did I say I could do that? I replayed the words of encouragement I put together in my head. Okay, so I didn't explicitly say that, but I certainly suggested it, didn't I? Damnit, Sky, you featherhead! Even if I could somehow contact Neighvarro, they'd need a video feed to confirm my identity... and the identity that'd pop up would probably doom me, Misty, and the rest of her platoon for associating with a de-facto Dashite. Maybe if I could convince them to fly home...

I glanced to the sky, trying to find the hole that I fell through in the cloudcover, but when I looked to where I swore I'd seen it last, nothing was there... or more like, something was there to plug it up. I may have dismissed it as the mountain fog just being too thick to see the sky through, but the fresh batch of greyish-orange clouds were clear as the blue sky above them... Stratusburg must be working overtime to have filled that so fast. Aaaand... trip. Goddessdamn you, stupid rocks! I stumbled so hard I fell on top of Misty Breeze, nearly knocking both of us over.

Way to go, klutz... The little Sky Vapor quickly corrected me with, 'Captain Klutz'.

"Sorry!" We both stammered in chorus, before awkwardly turning away to hide each other's embarrassment. Luckily nopony else was around to see that. We quickly recovered with a mutual silence and understanding that... we probably should forget that ever happened. I grumbled under my breath as I heard the voice of my older sister again, this time teasing me with, 'Sky Bliss and Misty Breeze, sittin' in a tree...'.

NOT FUNNY, Vape...

Well, the awkward moment helped change the subject of me helping her... for the time being, at least. If she's taking me to meet her platoon, they're going to be expecting at least something from me. It was time to put my brain in overtime as the silhouette of a crashed skywagon transport came into view through a thick fog along the path.

My ears perked as I caught the sound of music in the wind again... this time, however, it was the familiar parade music permitted by all Enclave stations. Well, it's good to know we could still catch the frequency all the way down here. They must not have the right receiver though, or else they would have been able to radio for help.

Before I could bask in the sound of pegasus patriotism, a mare suddenly cried out from the distance. "You see anything out there, Thunder?" Even muffled from under the skywagon, I could still hear her smooth voice practically drip of rural Neighvarro.

I heard a stallion sigh a few paces to her right. "I'm gettin' sick of answering that question, Bell..." He warned, tiredly. I couldn't quite see them through the fog, but the mare sounded as if she were tinkering with something, due to the occasional sparks lighting up her silhouette, while the stallion sounded like he was on the edge of the mountain. "Damnit, Corsair!" He suddenly scolded, "Give the poor buck some space..."

A sniffle came to my ears as another mare quietly sobbed under the tinny assortment of drums and horns from the radio. "I... I ain't leavin' him, Thunder!" She said with a shaky voice. "H-he wouldn't leave, me!"

"C'mon 'Sair, he's dead." Thunder paused, only for her heartbreaking sobs to continue. "HE'S DEAD!" His roar was enough to make Misty and I stiffen in our tracks, abruptly silencing both the crying and the tinkering from the other two mares. "Just... just leave him alone." He finally said, giving a mournful sigh himself as he returned to his former task.

"O-oh no..." Misty's heart sounded as if it had sunk as she quickened her trot towards the three ponies.

"IT'S YOUR FAULT, THUNDER!" Bell raged from under the skywagon, her once smooth voice now loud and direct.

I was finally able to match the voices to the ponies, as the fog grew thinner between us. I presumed the chestnut stallion near the edge of the mountain was Thunder. He laid on his belly as he peered out into the mist of the wasteland through the scope of a long beam rifle, his ashy white and golden streaked mane cut short into a mohawk. The usual shine that I would expect from the sleek black power armor he wore was replaced by scratches, dents and dried-up mud... not all of it, I assume, from the crash. I could picture him roll his eyes behind his bug-like visor at the mare's outburst. "Ain't you fixed it yet?"

Bell scoffed, "Ah'm gettin' sick of answerin' that questio-... Oh, goddessdamn you!" Her silky blonde and pink tail angrily swished between her orange legs. It, as well as her wing feathers, suddenly jolted outwards, as the skywagon gave her an electrical shock, eliciting a feminine squeak to echo around the mountainside, only to be followed by a blitzkrieg of angry sailor phrases. She punched the underside of the wagon with her hoof, before muttering 'it's your fault we're here', over and over again, each time in a different colorful way.

"There's more where he came from..." Thunder replied, making a navy-blue mare with a blasted-back arctic mane to stand up in outrage.

"What did you just say, sergeant?" Corsair hissed, rubbing her teary eyes with her wings before pinning the stallion with a fiery glare. If the two were to fight, they just might have been an even match for each other, as the mare wore the same sleek black and scorpion-tailed power armor as Thunder, only she sported a battlesaddle of mid-ranged beam rifles, while the ladder appeared to be a sniper. She wore her visor up, allowing her lovely face and beautiful deep blue eyes to burn holes of purebred rage through the stallion's head. "He was our FRIEND, Thunder! You take it back!"

"If you would have flown us away from the fire, we wouldn't be in this mess..." Bell continued her begrudged mumblings, prompting Thunder to kick her legs in retaliation. "OW! Goddessdamnit! What you do that for?! I'm tryin' to fix this!!!" She crawled out from under the wagon to stand in front of him, her long blonde and pink mane drooping over a pair of goggles she wore over her eyes. She was smaller than the others, so she had to look up to meet Thunder's gaze. If it wasn't for the grease stains covering her orange coat and ragged coveralls, she'd actually be drop-dead gorgeous. They all began arguing, occasionally pushing each other with their hooves, Thunder going back and forth between Bell and Corsair, before they all descended into a chaotic physical struggle of grappling, punches and headlocks.

"TEN-HUT!!!"

They all froze in mid-fight, locking their tangled limbs in place, as they turned their attention to the young field medic, standing with her chest proudly puffed out. The three seemed to weigh the order a moment, looking from pony to pony in confusion before finally untangling themselves. "Where the hay have you been, Mist?" Bell asked, as she lifted her goggles above her eyes with a wingtip.

Misty looked a bit crushed by that as she sagged her shoulders. "Wha-..? I said, ten-hut!"

Thunder gave a skeptical glance at his comrades before tilting his head at Misty with a condescending smirk. "Aaaand... what're you sayin' 'ten-hut', fooooooooor-..?" His patronizing question trailed off as he caught my approach behind her. It only took a second for all three of them to finally stiffen at Misty's order, snapping to attention, eyes wide and jaws agape, before saluting in a perfect line of stunned statues. I had to keep myself from looking smug. The irony of three ponies, who otherwise would be patronizing me as a recruit, -not to mention as a Dashite- now saluting me as an officer, was pretty hilarious. Before I could relish in the moment however, there was an abrubt stir within the crashed skywagon.

When the vehicle's door opened, I suddenly felt like a timid filly again, as the black and silver uniform stepped into the murky light. He was a yellow stallion, not as burly as Thunder, but where he lacked in that, he made up for in class and style. His gold mane was combed into a pompadour as he brushed it back with a hoof. He tilted his head down and put his cap on, covering his eyes with the shadow of its bill as he left only his muzzle to express his otherwise cold emotions. I could tell he wasn't just staring at me... he was staring right through my uniform. Through my eyes. Even through my very soul with only an icy sneer to pivot his pencil thin mustache on one side. He seemed amused by my presence as he trotted forward. I just stood there in a cold sweat, hoping nopony could hear my heart beat as loud as I could.

The other three ponies didn't dare flinch, but the officer's entrance pulled Misty's attention away from me, and towards a bloody mound of blankets between the two, with a grey hoof sticking out from underneath. It was the same spot that Corsair had been crying over not a moment before. "Is... is that..?" Misty's voice whimpered, "Oh goddesses, Comet's hurt guys!" And just like that, she broke her own call for discipline to gallop over to the mutilated stallion.

The officer suddenly spread his wings and galloped between Misty and her comrade, hooking them around the sobbing mare to stop her. "He's dead, Breeze." He said in a quiet classy voice.

"N-no!" She cried, struggling to get passed him. "I-I can still-..."

"Lock it down!" He growled, pushing her back in front of him before nodding towards me. "It looks like we have an important visitor. You will show restraint."

She sniffled into her wing, before giving a gloomy nod. "Y-yes, sir..."

They both trotted back into line in front of me. The officer gave me another skeptical look. I suddenly felt self-conscious about my uniform as he eyed the extra length of my sleeves. My heart stopped. Oh crap! Does he know?! Has the Enclave REALLY never made a measurement error before? Oh, c'mon! It could happen, couldn't it?! Just when I was about to start thinking of the different ways I could plead for mercy, the officer himself finally straightened his smirk and slowly raised his wing to his bill. "Lieutenant Yonder Wild, reporting ma'am." I gave a mental sigh of relief, before saluting him back. Thank Celestia... "I apologize for my platoon's... under-preparedness. Been a rough pack'uh days." He suddenly puffed out his chest and shouted, "Platoon! SOUND OFF!!!"

Starting with Thunder, each pegasus shouted their name one-by-one down the line. "Sgt. Thunder Bolt!", "Sgt. Corair!", "Cpl. Bell Rotor!", "Private Misty Breeze!"

Alright... Equestria calling tougher Sky Bliss! Your time to shine. "At ease." I said with the gruffest voice I could manage. "I'm Captain Sky Bliss..." I paused to think, before adding, "...17th Stratusburg Verti-assault squadron."

"So... that Vertibuck we saw went down wasn't our rescue?" Corsair asked. "Do they even know we're down here?!"

I shook my head with a sorry sigh... and lied my flanks off. "My mission was to extract any survivors from a terror attack at the Stratusburg HQ. The explosion took us down. My crew didn't make it..." I arched my brow as I took in the five ponies in front of me. "I thought there were 10 of you. Where's the rest of your platoon?"

The five looked at each other with a nod, before all agreeing in unison, "Deserted." Yonder gave a nod to the dead stallion behind him and sighed, "Four... after we sent Breeze to investigate your vertibuck... one came back and killed poor Comet Chaser..." They all hung their heads, ranging from sorrow, to regret, to anger.

"How long have you ponies been down here?" I asked.

"About five days ma'am..." Bell said, before drearily adding, "Haven't eaten in three..."

"We had reports of a town to the south, but we didn't want to move in case a rescue team came to extract us." Yonder explained.

That's when it hit me. That's how I'm gonna get to the HQ! I cleared my throat before I got too giddy and put the mask of authority back on. "My mission is in that town... and seeing as you ponies are also in need of rescue, I'm making you a part of my mission. If I'm right to believe you're radio is broken, then the only way we can get an extraction for all of us, is if we get to that town, deal with the locals and help the survivors." If there's any survivors. I... don't know if I'll be able to go back to Stratusburg, but... it's the best chance I've got if I want to find my parents... or, frankly, survive. I raised my eyebrow as I turned to Bell Rotor. "Can you fix your skywagon?"

"You mean the lost cause I've been workin' on?" She sighed, "Yeah, why not..?"

"Good..." I nodded, before looking back over to Yonder. "Now, about your... deserter problem..." I met his smug gaze, still seeming to drill right through to my soul. I hated looking into his eyes... It was like I could see my own knowing deception reflected right back at me. He doesn't know! He couldn't... just keep on talking, Bliss! My heart settled with relief when he finally took his eyes off of me, and widened in surprise at what I pulled out from under my wing. I swear, I saw every pegasus before me shiver at the sight of it. Them, and every other pegasus, both friends and foes of the Enclave, knew the cloud and lightning bolt brand all too well. An hour or so ago, I would have feared it the most out of all these ponies... so... why did I have the cockiest smirk in the history of pegasi on my face? It was REALLY cocky... it was so cocky, it made Yonder swap expressions with the one I had when he was looking at me... Now it was his, Misty's, and every other Enclave pony's turn to be intimidated my gaze. Even Sky vapor winced...

"It appears... I have the solution to that... right here~" I purred, as I dropped the Dashite brand in front of them. "Welcome to Detachment Bliss... Your new orders are to accompany me to town, and bring every Dashite you see to me... alive. UNDERSTOOD?!" I gave one of my most gravely shouts ever, prompting each and every pony, including a weary looking Yonder and Misty, to snap to attention.

"YES MA'AM!!!"

To be continued...

Author's Note:

Theme Enclave by Vic the Tricky Unicorn

Comments

[SabreTheRedMane]

10401911

track for my other story

I hope that means Sweet Child of Mine will get updates.

[Salted Pingas]

This one was good. Couple grammar errors (a "you're" that should've been "your" and a "ladder" that should've been "latter") but it didn't detract from the story. I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for its continuation.

10403055

[Vic the Tricky Unicorn]

10403598
Yeah, I had a plan for this being two or three times longer that what it was originally, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to put it in an ABC specifically for the Enclave. Sky Bliss is eventually going to be a main character in my Fo:E story, but I'd like to finish up her 1st person story here before I get to her in that. I'll probably make an expansion to this story soon, so you can have a little more backstory for Sky and, of course, find out what happens to Detachment Bliss.

[Vic the Tricky Unicorn]

Thanks Doomande for putting this cool project together. First time I've ever done anything like it before, but this was loads of fun! And of course, can't wait to read the rest of the submissions!