Dawn's Candor

by Clarke Otterton

Chapter 1

The air was oppressive on the Ponyville train platform, saturated with moisture from the previous night’s storm and the overwhelming smell of burning coal. Darkness blanketed the platform as thickly as the rising mist, broken only by the sole lamp whose yellow light cast strange shadows between the station’s awning posts. Sunrise was still three hours distant. Not even the birds were awake at this hour. Rather, the only thing that stirred was a scattering of ponies waiting for the call to board the hissing shadow that loomed before them. Unlike the daily trains that serviced the Canterlot or Manehattan lines, this greasy locomotive was painted a drab grey with a white “No. 03” stenciled on the sides. The only color to be found was the flag of Equestria along with the Royal Seal under the numbering, indicating that the train was the property of Their Majesty’s Armed Forces.

All of the passengers were in uniform. Most wore the traditional pastel red tunics of the Equestrian Army, although a few pegasi from the Royal Air Service sported smart tunics of horizon blue. All except three had removed their shakos to keep the condensation forming on the leather lining from soaking their forelocks. The three ponies who clung to their hats were officers, an earth pony lieutenant and two unicorn cornets. Several ponies muttered silent curses at the time, the humidity, or anything else they could think of, while the cornets chatted about the latest memorandum detailing upcoming changes to the army’s uniform.

At least, that is what the lieutenant thought they were talking about. She stood on the corner of the platform, keeping an eye on the mingling soldiers and her watch. All of the soldiers wore the blue trim on their collars and cuffs along with a brass “2.” collar device that signified membership in the 2^nd battalion of the North Equus Regiment of Hoof, one of the few regular army regiments aside from the Royal Guard. The second battalion was a new addition to the regiment, part of a series of reforms and modernization programs that had swept through the army after events of the past few years had exposed serious issues in national security. The battalion had been redeployed a week ago to the Northwest frontier to provide border security and handle recent disputes between settlers in the region. All of the ponies on the platform had been on leave in Ponyville and the surrounding villages when the redeployment was executed. For most the orders to report to the battalion had come within the last twelve hours.

The lieutenant looked at her watch again. Damnit! The train was thirty minutes late arriving and was further delayed as the engineers tried to find enough coal for the journey north. At this rate the train might not leave the station for another two hours. She tried to reassure herself that the delay in the schedule would not be a problem, but as the senior officer present on the trip she knew anything that went wrong in the plan would be her responsibility, which meant her superior officers would not hesitate to criticize her shortcomings when the train arrived in battalion camp. The thought made her dizzy, so she shifted her weight onto her back hooves, clanking the shiny new infantry-pattern saber that hung at her side. The weapon was still an unfamiliar nuisance to her, despite having been an officer for twenty moons, and a lieutenant for only two of those. Her rapid promotion was as much due to luck as it was to her actually deserving it, according to her as well as some other ponies she had met.

No, you need to think positive, she reprimanded herself. She opened the watch again and caught her reflection in the soft moonlight. She was a tall mare, with an atmospheric blue coat that mimicked the color of the distant mountains. This was complimented by a blonde mane with streaks of orange and lavender, braided according to army regulations. By everyday standards she was pretty, although most ponies found military service to be an unattractive quality. Aside from the Canterlot unicorns that filled a majority of the officer corps and the pegasi that served in the Royal Air Service wings, most of the military’s ranks were made up of troublemakers, friendless ponies , or those that were simply bored with the destinies their cutie marks gave them. The recruiting sergeants would wander between villages with red uniforms pressed, buttons shined, and cross-belts freshly pipeclayed, enticing young mares and stallions with fresh cups of cider while sharing stories of all the adventure and friends to be found in the army. Such methods were necessary, though, since most ponies were blissfully ignorant of the fact that Equestria had an army at all.

Just like these engineer ponies, the lieutenant thought. She fueled her annoyance with another glance at her watch, then trotted up to the locomotive to see for herself just what was taking so long. The two engineer ponies, black dust obscuring their coats and cutie marks, were standing next to a small pile of coal, gesticulating between the pile and the engine. “What seems to be the problem here, gentlecolts?” the lieutenant interrupted.

“Well, ma’am, me and mah partner here is a tryin’ to figure out how we is goin’ to get y’all the coal y’all need to make it up north. Stuff has been gettin’ pretty scarce ‘round here,” one of the engineers replied.

“Yeah, we only carry enough here to make a trip as far as Manehattan. Ever since the price doubled last moon, we’ve been having to cut back on how much we stockpile. Ponies are losing their damn minds over it, so they are,” the other dust-coated pony explained.

The coal in question was not a resource natural to Equestria. Rather, it had to be imported from neighboring lands, the newly united Zebra Empire being one of the biggest suppliers. The majority of coal was shipped into the bustling ports of Manehattan and Baltimare, but the large ships with their valuable commodity made ripe pickings for anyone looking for a quick prize on the oceans. The increase in piracy in the last two moons had the Equestrian Navy stretched too thin to protect all of the shipping routes, forcing many companies to hire private protection, hence the increase in price.

Studying her watch for a moment, the lieutenant passed a glance at her ponies loitering on the platform, flattened her ears then brought them forward again to address the engineers. “How far can we get with the coal you have loaded right now?”

“I can get you as far as the Crystal Empire capital, but they are reservin’ all their coal up there for trains headin’ south. Not to mention this engine needs to be back in Canterlot tomorrow morning. Not sure what for though.”

“Dragon shit,” a voice muttered.

“What was that, ma’am?”

“Nothing,” the lieutenant answered, “finish your preparations. I will get the ponies loaded on board. We should be ready to depart in fifteen minutes.” She walked off before the engineers had a chance to respond.

The battalion’s camp was another fifty miles beyond the Crystal Empire. Stopping there meant her little detachment would have to march the rest of the way on hoof. She would also have to procure wagons to transport the crates of newly issued rifles, cartridges, and rations for one thousand ponies, hire ponies to pull them, and select a suitable camp along their line of march. All of which would add time to their already tardy arrival. The lieutenant grimaced at the thought of confronting her disappointed commander. It would make a poor first impression.

“Cornet Star!” The cream colored officer jumped, pausing mid-sentence to face the lieutenant addressing her. The other cornet, obviously annoyed at being interrupted, offered a slight turn of her head. Her silver coat was complimented by a fashionable, albeit out of regulations, blue mane styled after the current Canterlot trend.

“Please instruct the ponies to load up. We are departing shortly. And Cornet Belle, please double check that the cargo is secured before you assist Cornet Star. We have a schedule to keep.”

The two officers snapped to attention and then trotted off to carry out their orders. The lieutenant sighed. They meant well, but these young officers still had much to learn that they did not teach in Canterlot. Much like you, she told herself.

She made her way to the station’s office. If the detachment and all of the supplies were going to be late, the battalion staff would need to know and send any additional orders further down the line. The clerk was half asleep when the lieutenant stepped into the small office. A lamp in the far corner barely lit up the collection of ledgers and ticket books that cluttered the room’s only desk.

“Excuse me, I need to send a message to Outpost Charlie-6, Crystal Empire.”

“Sure thing, ma’am. Just write what you need, and I’ll send it off,” the clerk grumbled, while fumbling with a paper and quill, still half asleep. The lieutenant took the quill in her mouth and scribbled.

To: BTN Staff, 2/North Equus

Train has insufficient fuel to arrive at battalion. Will detrain in CRYSTAL EMPIRE and march on hoof. Expect arrival end of day tomorrow. Will await further instructions upon arrival in CRYSTAL EMPIRE.

She stamped her credentials and then handed the paper to the clerk, who took it to a black metal machine that lived on the only part of the desk not covered in books. He opened a small door and placed the paper inside. A green glow peeked out of the chamber as the message was consumed by the magical fire and sent on its way. Tele-fire machines had always fascinated the lieutenant, as did most technology that exploited the arcane sciences. Using the same magical principles that allowed baby dragons to send letters between students and teachers of the magical schools in Canterlot, the tele-fire machine allowed for rapid communication across all of Equestria. But the limitations of the machine, mainly that connections could only be established between single pairs of machines, meant their usage was restricted to Her Majesty’s government since all messages were first sent to the main hub in Canterlot, sorted, and then forwarded to the intended destination.

The lieutenant thanked the clerk and then stepped back outside. The last of the soldiers were filing into the passenger cars, removing their saddle packs and shakos as they entered the compartment. The two cornets sighted the lieutenant and trotted up to her.

“Everything is in order, ma’am. Is it true that we are stopping at the Crystal Empire? I thought our itinerary placed our detraining point closer to the border,” Cornet Star questioned.

Taking the young officer’s comment as an opportunity to teach, the lieutenant answered. “You are correct, cornet, but it would appear the fuel situation is worse than anticipated. We will have to march the last leg of the journey on hoof. But you must remember…”

“What about getting additional coal in the Crystal Empire? Haven’t you considered using train ponies to pull the train the rest of the way?” Cornet Belle interrupted, and then added as an afterthought, “ma’am.”

The lieutenant shot a quick scowl at the cornet, who made a good point despite her lack of tact. She considered the possibility, did a few mental calculations, and, satisfied with her result, continued, “Cornet Belle, if what you suggest had been an option then I would have taken it. Nevertheless, you will soon realize that few plans survive first contact with the realities of our profession.”

“But it would be so much easier if we just stayed on the train,” Cornet Belle protested, “we wouldn’t even have to get off if you pre-arranged for the ponies to be waiting for us when we arrived.”

Cornet Star looked down at her hooves, licking her lips. She fought back her discomfort then tried to defend the lieutenant, “I am sure the lieutenant has a good reason for her decision. Right, ma’am?”

Smiling at the little victory, the lieutenant pulled out a weathered map from her saddlebag. She pointed her hoof at a cluster of contour lines with a thick black line winding amid them. “This is the rail line from the hub in the Crystal Empire to the railhead closest to our camp. It’s forty-seven miles as the pegasus flies, but because of the grade on these mountains the rail line adds another fifteen miles to the trip in navigating around them.” The lieutenant could see the cornets trying to figure the math.

“There is an old road that goes between the mountains here” she said, pointing to a gap in the cluster of lines, “that will only take us fifty miles. Not to mention our train needs to be back in Canterlot tomorrow morning, therefore if we used puller ponies, we risk delaying its timetable.”

“Excellent,” Cornet Belle exclaimed, confident in her calculations, “that means we can still make camp by tomorrow morning if we march at an extended trot.”

“Not quite cornet, there is one factor you have forgotten,” the lieutenant corrected. The young officers looked confused by her logic.

“Look at the ponies you just loaded on the train. Most of them haven’t marched in two moons and some are new recruits who have never marched at all. Do you think they can maintain a collected, let alone extended, trot for five hours?”

“No, ma’am,” the cornets answered, ears flattened in embarrassment.

“Then let this be your second lesson for today: always put the ponies under your command first.”

A sharp whistle from the train cut through the humid air. “Now then, let’s get onboard and get out of here.”

The dull rattle of the passenger car had lulled most of the inhabitants to sleep. A few clung to their consciousness, attempting to carry on quiet conversations with their neighbors. Sitting alone in the front of the car, the lieutenant silently watched these ponies as eventually they too succumbed to the temptation of slumber. She turned her gaze outward, considering the landscape rolling past.

The land of Equestria was nothing remarkable, and yet it was everything she knew. The valley in which the train steamed through was peaceful, with small villages and homesteads flanked on either side by the dark forms of distant mountains. Indeed, the Equestrian Heartland was cut by the impedance of several such mountain ranges, soft and ragged, and ever present. Equestria was a land that thrived in the protective embrace of her valleys. The rains that fell down from the mountain peaks gave the valley its river, and the river gave it life, allowing the ponies to settle, to farm, and to prosper here.

Except very little of this could be seen, for the darkness of the night dominated the valley, threatening to consume it entirely but for the solitary light of the moon. It was an eerie light, seeming to possess neither the purity nor sureness of its daytime sister. Nevertheless, this light shone across the landscape, breathing life and form to an otherwise empty abyss. The river captured the light most of all, painting an interpretation of the lunar orb that mixed its soft yellow luminance with the deep blue of the night in a ripple of horizontal brushstrokes. The reflection had a delicacy which seemed threatened by the steady flow of the river on its journey to the sea. Yet it remained, transfixed even as the motion of the train transformed the frame in which it was set.

As the land accepted light, so too did it reject it in favor of darkness. The trees that populated the rolling hills and valleys stood as black beacons against the sky, their forms made grotesque as the light skirted, bended, and penetrated the mass of leaf and branch in its flight to the ground. The trees themselves, although the strongest, were not the greatest of the darkness, for each cast a shadow larger than itself that obscured the patch of earth on which the tree took residence. Each shadow melded and deformed into the subtle dips and rises of the land, expanding to deny the fresh dew on the blades of grass the opportunity to sparkle in the moonlight.

Along the horizon, floating above the shapeless mass of the mountains, the remnants of dying summer thunderstorms added their light to the valley in brief flashes. Erupting from within, the bursts of lightning colored boiling cloud in hues of yellow and blue. Occasionally the light would escape the dark columns in thin fingers of brilliance, color filling the canvas of white that stretched across the sky as the upper winds dismantled the thunderheads. There was a majesty to them, beckoning a sense of liveliness that animated the otherwise static landscape. Yet the same power which lit up the night sky harbored a violence which threatened to split it asunder.

As the miles went by, the lieutenant watched as the landscape slowly transformed. What was once light was fleeting, yielding to the approach of something far greater. Already the dark blue of the sky was giving way to a gradient of gray that stretched over the once dark dome. And at its edge, a color not yet seen – the palest of pinks. The mountains, too, faded into layers of overlapping blues and lavenders in acceptance of the new light. The violence of the storms was gone, giving way to clusters of dark phthalo whose curvy fragments were outlined by streaks of a warming orange.

Then, as if waiting for this very moment to enter the stage, the first rays of light escaped the guarding clutch of the horizon, immediately illuminating the valley in a spray of color. The river found its blue, the trees their green, while the beams of light found their way into the passenger car, shining on its inhabitants, including the lieutenant. She took her eyes off the unfolding dawn to glance at her flank. Appearing there, as it first had many years ago, was a single ray of sunlight emerging between orange clouds and a purple mountain – the same miracle of dawn as outside the train, forever tied to the lieutenant’s destiny. Lieutenant Dawn Glean was proud of her cutie mark, but as to what it meant, or why it chose her, she did not know. Only the passage of time would tell.

Comments

[Mix-up]

interesting cover art

[Starlight Nova]

Why the Fallout: Equestria universe and not the canon one?

[Clarke Otterton]

10464026
Historical fiction requires, by convention, a history to set the story in. I had originally considered using the canon history, but fell in love with the detailed worldbuilding and history that Kkat made for Fallout: Equestria. It better suited the kind of story I want to tell.

Another reason is that to me writing is like a conversation we can all contribute to. The themes and ideas I want to explore make the most sense, to me, in the context of the conversation Kkat started with Littlepip's story.

[spiders123]

Mlp comic season 10 finally introduced Zecoras zebra home