After a cataclysmic event resulting in Equestria being converted into a vast desert, under the guidance of the pharaoh of the sun, ponies have fled to the sanctuary of the walled cities. Neo Somnambula is one such city.
Follow Tansha as she performs a job for her fixer, Spike to retrieve a stolen VR-program from one of the local street gangs. Little does she know that there is more going on behind the scenes, involving the original client who bought the program and an undercover Horizon Knight.
What has Tansha gotten herself into?
I had a bunch of these images of both Egyptian and cyberpunk architecture flowing through my mind. So, after some pondering, I came up with a setting that hopefully you all will enjoy. 
This story contains: Suggestive themes/elements, an alternate post-apocalyptic distopian future Equestria, cyberpunk elements, Egyptian elements, alternate versions of some of your favorite characters, and themes involving death and immortality.
This story was featured on 11/27/2024.
Credits
Cover Art by: Spectra_Sus.
Proofread by: NiCkY.
Ocs belong to their owners:
- Midnight Blitzer and Lightning Spark - Shadic Midnight Blitzer
- Knick Knack - KnickKnacky
- Whiskey Lullaby - Brainiac
- Quillian Inkheart - Quillian Inkheart
Ooh, Egyptian cyberpunk! That's neat!
So, her curse is...she has no heartbeat. I'm guessing it's a lot worse though
Glad you're continuing this universe!
12049453 Oh, it's a lot worse. Lol.
12049494 Well, I've been working on it for a while. I just felt comfortable enough to start releasing chapters.
Oh! interesting ending!
Happy that you're posting the story!
12049605 Well, it's not over. This is just the first chapter.
More coming in the future.
12049609
yay
Interesting story, I am curious to know what is up with all the Egyptian them to it. I am curious to know what is going to be the main plot to the story?. Keep it up dude.
This is what storytelling is all about, dude! Fics like these are what keep me reading Fanfiction. You can't find a heist story set in a Cyberpunk dystopia with a mixed ancient Egyptian/MLP aesthetic anywhere else on the planet. Liked, tracked, and followed :)
We're already setting up so many threads... here's what I've picked up on so far; Taabka was cursed by Somnambula as punishment for unleashing the then-ancient magics of Nehehal Mawt upon the populace, and was cursed to spend the rest of her days lingering as Tansha. Fast forward a couple thousand years, after the rise of Daybreaker and the formation of a cult of Sunset Shimmer (based), and we're in a modern-day corporate dystopia that seems to take place on the planet Equus, though not in Equestria but the desert city of Neo-Somnambula. Our main characters, the cop and the rebel, are tasked with retrieving stolen equipment from the same sketchy gang. At the same time, Cherry Berry - someone famous, though it's not established how - is found dead when she was supposed to meet with Rich-Corp (they're not subtle, are they?) Thunderlane, our noir detective for the evening, feels his spidey-senses tingling. He's seen this all before...
I love it! So much cool worldbuilding and possibilities for future settings. The fall of Somnambula and rise of Neo-Somnambula already give us so much to work with, especially from the perspective of Tansha, who was cursed by the person the town is named after! The name - guns and lotuses - gives us a hint that we'll be looking at lots of futuristic weapons tech in the upcoming chapters. And we're introduced to the main character's AI assistant - personally, I hope that the deliberate opening showcasing the AI's control of the house and emphasis that it's custom tech courtesy of Spike means that Tansha will get betrayed by Spike via some sort of backdoor into the program. Just a thought, though!
Absolutely in love with the setting, aesthetic, and plot. Long live the pharaoh. Until next time!
12049995 Yeah, I like leaving trails of bread crumbs for my readers to follow so they can theorize what's going on in the story. I don't know if I do a very good job at it, but I try.
Hot damn! Very few stories actually hook me from the very beginning, but I definitely tip my hat to you, Robipony!
So much worldbuilding! So much foreshadowing! So much SweetiSpike!
Hell yeah, I'm excited. Good cybernoir is hard to come by—and with an MLP twist, to boot! A definite Fave, Follow, and Like from me!
As you can probably guess from my Batou PFP, this is the kind of stuff I live for!
Cool chapter!!! Glad to see it become reality!
12050700 Thank you. I hope that you will continue to enjoy the story.
12066342 Yeah, I''m happy about it too. Nervous, but happy.
12067500
Yay
No, seriously--my dad works as a computer tech, and he's been grumbling about precisely that for literal decades now.
12069654 Yep, hence why I brought it up.
How very Long John Silver of you.
12079432 Yeah, I love that guy. Treasure Planet truly is an underrated movie.
I had already intended to give him the claw, I just love the idea that he lost his arm looking for someone, just further showing how damaged this AU/timeline is.
You hit that trauma button, you'll get hit back.
But now I want to see a picture of her on a drone escaping with all that chaos behind her. I think it'd have this energy.
12082521 Oh, it sure does and there is more drone surfing to come.
Dakka.
https://m.Egyptian, cyberpunk, and gothic? You are pushing all of my buttons
I'm glad I finally got around to starting this. Loving the detail in the worldbuilding!
12088098 Thank you. I hope that you will enjoy it.
The plan is to release a chapter every month.