Fallout Equestria: Old Adversaries

by Silver Eyes

Prologue: Changing times

Silence and darkness covered the nursery. Meneria sat motionless surrounding her were the countless children she was tasked to care for and protect. Her nursery usually swarming with activity throughout the day had fallen quiet; its caretakers busy barricading the doors or slowly picking the locks that barred the eastern emergency exit. A near inaudible "Mother" caused her to flinch "yes child" she replied gently checking if her heart was still beating. "Mister Radioling wants to know if the storm is still going". Looking down Meneria saw the pair of blue eyes she had been occasionally whispering to for the last half hour "tell mister Radioling that the sky is still cloudy and...". She suddenly moved her face close to the small blue orbs then withdrew. Satisfied the child could not have seen her reaction when he suddenly surprised her by speaking. She continued "ask him when damsels flee". The child nodded and silently crept around his siblings slowly and cautiously navigating around the massed sleeping bodies that lined the floor of the nursery.
Exhausted from the small conversation Meneria closed her eyes and tried to sleep when something nudged her cheek. Her once green eyes, now bloodshot from a steady mix of caffeine and adrenaline sprung open "what" she whispered her tone harsh and intimidating. The intruder, another infant whimpered and froze her invisible face probably contorted in fear. "Can I help you with child" Meneria continued in a very forced positive demeanor mentally cursing herself for almost starting a chorus of wails, she shuddered at the mere thought. "m-m-mommy" the juvenile began "yes" Meneria replied suddenly feeling wrought with guilt "n-never mind".

"Wait, wait" Meneria whispered just managing to catch the child in her foreleg "mommy was just stressed but I'm better now". The small being in her arms looked away, her lime green eyes were stained with tears and darted away to avoid direct contact with hers. "See mommy was just worried".
"Mother" came a third voice, an adolescent. "Go back to sleep Tammy we're fine".

"I thought I heard something" .

"It’s just another child Tammy" Meneria replied softly, the sounds outside becoming more worrisome to her sensitive ears "go back to sleep” The tired assistant lay down and resumed snoring. Turning back towards her own small problem who had recuperated enough to look into her eyes "now child what is the matter?" wiping away a tear the lime green orbs looked away "momma Meneria I can't sleep, Jamal keep rolling onto me" she whined. Unable to stifle her dry laughter from the sheer irony of being the one to solve this particular predicament for one her assistant's head shot back up "what, who". Acting on impulse Meneria gabbed Tam's jaw holding it shut in an adamant grip "quiet" she hissed, listening to a subtle but terrifying creak in the building's wall. For a while neither moved nor breathed, eventually she released her grip "not a sound" she whispered softly, tammy nodded perhaps understanding or perhaps following her instinct to trust her. The child had recoiled, her small body was rigid undoubtedly from seeing such an outburst from her otherwise calm caretaker. "Momma, Tammy?" she whispered simultaneously they looked at her the power and presence that Meneria commanded dissipated "I..." she began unable to form words. "I'm okay" Tam countered freeing herself from Meneria's grip "Really Meneria, you know how lightly I sleep since the whole April fiasco" the adolescent mock scolded. "Sorry if we startled you sweet heart, I have a bad habit of over-reacting whenever I hear laughter and can't see anything" Tam continued chiding now eyeing Meneria. "Because it’s okay to bring coffee beans here as long as we remember to lock the container isn’t it?" the question bringing a small nervous laugh from the child and bad memories involving a mass cleaning job. Tam slowly crawled up to the pair brought bowing down to the child's level "you’re going to be fine sweetie, now what can caretaker Tammy do for you?" Despite her initial doubts about using humor to placate a crying child her assistant’s method somewhat miraculously worked. "It's alright Tammy, Momma Meneria just laughed at me" Meneria opened her mouth to dismiss the claim but was to slow "calm down" Tam whispered "what exactly happened?

"I asked Momma if she could help me sleep, Jamal keeps on rolling on top of me". Her fear of fighting ‘parents’ vanished leaving the caretakers with a small pouting demi-princess instead, Meneria stayed silent but cuddled the child, with any luck Tam would solve the problem giving her a few precious minutes of peace. "She didn't mean to laugh at you child, she just misses her husband" Mystified the child tilted her head as Tam continued "she's just jealous of you that's all". Deciding against resorting to force Meneria used what self control she still had "Tammy" she whispered gently slowly snaking her arm around her assistant's neck and grinning maliciously "why don't you help move Jamal off our little friend here, and leave your "grown up" talks until she's older". Thanks to months of working in darkness with Meneria Tam's eyes could see the outlines of her face, and the predatory grin she had "sure, thing momma M" Tam replied slowly rising and leading the little girl away.

Left to her thoughts once again Meneira simply closed her eyes and listened. The creaking had stopped, and the sounds outside had subsided for now "finally" she sighed closing her eyes trying to ignore the sound of her sporadic heartbeat. A single metallic snap woke her, her eyes still shut Meneria listened her mind instinctively trying to analyze what was making the sound. Whatever moved was metallic and rusted from either use or age, a rifle bolt? No that would mean it's one of ours, a bobby pin? Possibly, the locks are intricate and it is dark. "Mother" She felt something nudging her side "yes" she countered her voice softer than usual "its mister Radioling he told me there's green lights in the sky and new forecast". Her eyes and mouth refused to open despite her wish. Slowly she sat up straight "what did he say?" she mumbled "he said that the red curtain has fallen and all actors must run off set". For a moment nothing happened, Meneria's mind simply stopped "child" she asked in a broken voice "I know you have been up a little late but are you sure"

"Mother?"

"Are you sure that is what he said?"

"Yes mother, he's still saying it, I had to turn the switch because..."

"You haven't done anything wrong dear" she reassured, her voice returning as a familiar wave of emotions flowed through her. "Child, what's your name?" she asked trying to keep calm "Cheeselegs mother Meneria" he said with a high degree of pride. "I’m sorry, Cheeselegs?" She asked, slowly getting up "The others said it sounded right"

"Interesting, now Cheeselegs" she asked walking carefully towards where the doors should be "I want you to go about twenty paces to your left, and down the flight of stairs. I want you to find a friend of mine named Claude and tell him what you told me, and then go wait near my desk, okay". As Cheeselegs stumbled past his sleeping siblings, Meneria, cautiously tried to but weight on her legs again, her joints ached and cracked in protest after being still for so long. Fighting the pain from walking she could still hear Tam walking over the occasional crack of her shoulder moving "Tam" she spoke casually "What are you doing" Tam whispered in concern "why aren't you whispering" Meneria simply shrugged letting the audible crack silence her assistant "Tam I need you wake everyone up then meet me in the emergency exit tunnel" still processing her order Tam remained motionless "Hurry" Meneria scolded. "And sorry" she muttered as Tam began to wake the nearby children. Her next few minutes became a series of profuse apologies and hushed orders to weary workers. Awake and somewhat alert her brood was finally assembled near her desk, standing over the mass of tired eyed caretakers and worried children Meneria spoke for the first time in, according to her clock was several hours in artificial darkness "Attention everyone, in five minutes we will be leaving the building, I want four equal groups with one caretaker acting as a temporary leader, children take nothing with you unless I specifically order it"

Looking around the room lights were being turned on and bed frames overturned to retrieve what little resources her subordinates had gathered. "Claude" she called as the noises outside grew louder, the thin walls doing little to subvert the screams of anger "Ma'am" came a reply from somewhere in the crowd. "Is the door open?", "Almost ma'am" he replied looking at the floor. Meneria closed her eyes and turned to face her resident technician "Do you seriously..." she started before noticing the red and green stains covering his chest. Her threats died in her throat as Claude spoke "The door is unlocked I just need something to leaver it open, I thought it might be quieter that way". He grinned causing another drop of blood to fall "don't want to wake the neighbors after all". While Meneria took pride in her ability to handle almost any situation the world could throw at her, bleeding never bode well with her "Claude" she began turning away "Yes ma'am" he replied limping over towards her "why are you..." she managed before her paling "oh, don't worry about me miss" the technician replied moving closer to her "most of it isn't mine anyway" he whispered. Relief and disgust mixed insider her adding another knot to her stomach "can you please clean yourself up, you’re...leaking in front of infants". Her overt disgust and inability to look at him brought pained laughter from the wounded technician "don't mind me miss, most of these kiddies probably don't know what blood even looks like" he pointed towards the unopened medical cabinet on the wall "besides I’m getting plenty of stares already after Anita told everyone that I’m covered in paint". Seeing her unable to respond Claude bowed and made his way back towards the east emergency exit tunnel leaving Meneria to her chaos, he had reached the first step when a screech from outside the walls echoed into the building. Seizing the opportunity in the precious few seconds before someone spoke "To the exit now" she shouted before the nursery doors were rammed. By miracle or fear her helpers did not freeze when the blow came, the thin metal creaked with impact but did not break. Her veteran assistant, still trying to move the diminutive body of Jamal was the first to act "Tam grab the medical box, Claude get the door open, Jamal wake up!" she screamed. Her words were followed without hesitation as her peaceful demeanor broke, finding herself standing on her desk she promptly jumped down and made her way to the escape passage. Her small group of children, picked from whatever group could, or would not take with them kept pace behind her.

Her nursery door was struck again this time shattering one of the windows and tearing the curtains behind it. One more blow and the walls would break, she felt sure of it, no building could hold against desperate invaders, she had seen it before and this day would be no different. Holding the door open for her frantic aides and frightened children Meneria saw one child in particular walking towards the failing door "Cheeselegs!" she shouted. Ignoring her Cheeselegs ran towards the door turning the small radio he had brought with him on and rolling it towards the breaking door. "One minute until stage light repeat, Red curtain is down" the radio managed to cry before being seized. Content with his work Cheeselegs ran back toward her eyes wide in terror and fighting off tears. Reaching the safety of the twin steel doors that guarded the tunnel out of the building Meneria grabbed him and shut the exit behind her. "Keep moving" she shouted staring at the small child who's young face now bore a broad smile "I delayed the monsters and now they won't catch us" he shouted puffing his small chest up. The few children with her gazed for a moment before Meneria's stern gaze drove them after their siblings. Looking back down at Cheeselegs whose exultant smile had disappeared. "Mommy" he whispered staring at the floor "you’re not in trouble dear" she replied, his legs were shaking and tears would doubtlessly follow. Meneria took one last look at the hallway, making sure there were no others present to see this "we're safe here Cheeselegs" keeping her voice low "and by the way, I haven't seen acting like that since the wedding day blitz".

His tears had subsided to some extent, compliments had become rarer than meals around the nursery, and Meneria knew how each of her children loved to hear about the legendary ruse that almost won them a city. She smiled, sadly at the memory "Cheeselegs there's an technique I’d like to show you if you feel afraid, sad or even scared" he looked at her, still shaking but further from a breakdown "close your eyes and walk with me" she started at a slow pace keeping watch for anything that might trip him. "Count aloud starting zero, when you reach ten, open your eyes and repeat after me" She looked at the door behind them and locked it for good measure "one, two, three…" he started. Outside the nursery doors came loose "four, five, six…" a low rumble came from outside followed by shouts "seven, eight, nine" the tears on his face had stopped flowing. "Ten" he concluded opening his eyes to the dimly lit bunker they had arrived at "Changelings always change" Meneria started stepping inside, ducking to avoid damage to her horn "Changelings always change" he repeated following her. "But ponies never will" Meneria finished closing the bunker door "But ponies never…" The dampened sound of the explosion killed the lights and shook the underground establishment "will" Cheeselegs concluded.