Chapter 14: The Beginning of the End
Chapter 14: The Beginning of the End
“Ultimately, Fluttershy killed us all.”
Megaspells.
When somepony thinks of the megaspells, their thoughts first turn to the blinding flash and putrid green flames tinged with a sinister rainbow sheen. I know mine still do. Balefire bombs were the instrument that destroyed most of Equestria, and turned what was left into a toxic wasteland. Manehattan, Hoofington, Stalliongrad, Cloudsdale, and so many other major pony cities were destroyed by these devices of mass annihilation. However, there are so many ponies who forget the megaspells' original intent. They were meant to bring about the ultimate stalemate, not total destruction.
***
“May...” I began, trying to get a proper grasp on what she was talking about.
She didn't seem to want to let me get a word in edgewise. “I can't believe I didn't think of it before,” she exclaimed, “it's been right there the whole time!”
“May!” I barked, more firmly this time. That seemed to get her attention. “Please, slow down.” I waved a hoof in an attempt at a calming gesture. “Can you start over please?”
May took a deep breath, apparently trying to calm herself as well. “Like I told you Ditzy, I'm sick of it. Sick of being unable to help ponies, sick of being too little or too late, and sick of being denied the chance to help when I could be doing so much more.”
“May, don't-” but she cut me off again.
“Most of all Ditzy,” she said with a resigned sigh, “I'm sick of being a ghoul. All I ever wanted to do was help ponies. Buttercup and I both joined the Ministry of Peace to do just that. We idolized Fluttershy and her compassion. Now look at us! She's dead and I'm a shambling corpse.”
I raised an eyebrow; “Just because you're a ghoul doesn't mean you can't help ponies,” I objected.
May snorted and stamped a hoof; “Have you been paying attention Ditzy? That's exactly what it means. More than half the ponies we come across won't even let me near them, even when they're bleeding to death. I thought that maybe with the time I had as an undying ghoul, I could do some good, but it's all been for nothing so far.”
“Don't say that!” I exclaimed. “What about all the ghouls whose minds were saved thanks to you? What about all the good ponies you were able to save? Do they mean nothing?”
“No, they don't,” huffed May, tears forming in her eyes. “Most of the ghouls I helped keep their minds just went on to get killed by somepony else. Or did you forget the Trottingham massacre already? Face it Ditzy, so long as ghouls remain the way they are, nothing is going to get better for them. Ever! Not to mention psychopaths like Apex and Snips making shit even worse for us.”
That stung, enough to make me flinch away from May. I really didn't like the way she was treating herself. There was more to it than that though. It was like she was blaming herself not just for her own failings, but for everything bad that had ever happened to a ghoul, or even because of a ghoul. It was painfully discomforting. I couldn't help but wonder if this was just a shock response to what Apex had done, or if it had been building for some time and only just now breaking the surface.
“May,” I tried, hoping to at least comfort her a little, “how long have you felt like this?”
May took a deep breath, then sighed drearily. “Since the incident with Snips. His dementia showed me that no matter what I do, insane ghouls are going to happen, and they're going to keep hurting ponies. Worse still, even lucid ghouls like Apex are now causing problems to regular ponies.”
“So your solution is going back to trying to cure the condition,” I noted.
May smiled a little, looking determined. “Yes, it's the only real way to be sure things like this don't keep happening.”
I was relieved to hear her sounding a little more like the old May, although I was still a bit concerned. “You mentioned megaspells. How exactly... I know I don't really know anything about magic, but how would a megaspell be able to help?”
May gave a smirk. It was a little off, but I chose to be hopeful that it meant well, rather than being a hint of desperation. “I know a lot of ponies forget this, especially considering how the war came to an end, but megaspells are more than just balefire bombs and other weapons of mass destruction.”
I nodded; I wasn't privy to the inner workings of the Ministries, but I knew that May had been once. “Okay, so what's the plan?”
May smiled. I think my willingness to go along with her idea, outlandish though it was, helped her regain some of her usual composure. “The first time a megaspell was ever cast was at Shattered Hoof Ridge, in the middle of the battle there. I know because... I was there. I was one of the ones who cast it.”
I blinked silently for a moment, and then my jaw hit the ground (thankfully not literally). “You were there?” I asked incredulously.
May nods, looking somewhat forlorn; “Admittedly, the test could have gone better, considering that we had no way to discriminate the effect between our own soldiers and those damn zebras. Even so, the power of the healing was astounding. I saw a number of soldiers on the verge of death brought back to life in a single magical flare. Not to mention dozens of others I didn't see.”
I nodded my understanding. “So you think that healing magic could fix the... cellular necrosis?” I allowed myself an internal squee for remembering that term.
May shook her head; “No,” she replied, which I found somewhat confusing, given her enthusiasm a moment earlier. “That megaspell was meant to heal wounds, not mutations. However,” she continued with a smile; “I doubt there's anypony who understands the ghoul mutation as much as I do.”
I nodded slowly, beginning to understand. “So, you think you can make a spell that can fix it?”
May smirked at that; “I was in the spell research division for a reason Ditzy. All I really need is a proper facility, and some time. I'm really not sure why this idea never occurred to me before all this happened.”
I shrugged, although I suspected it had something to do with the fact that Equestria was rather... chaotic since the holocaust. “So, you need a facility right? What about your old office at Manehattan General? It was still intact when we were here before.”
May smiled with what looked like a touch of nostalgia; “Good thinking Ditzy. That'll make things much easier.”
I blinked, then raised an eyebrow; “What were you planning on doing if I hadn't suggested that?”
May waved the question off with a hoof wiggle; “No need to worry about that. Your idea is better, not to mention a lot closer.”
***
Closer yes, but sadly, it would become apparent rather quickly that better was not the correct descriptor. Time had been much kinder to the ponies of Manehattan that came back to live there than to the old city itself. While new, small towns and settlements popped up, the old ruins of the past came crumbling down. Manehattan General was no exception. It was even worse than most, considering the place had been in dire straits when we went there well over a hundred years before.
May had been painfully quiet during our walk through the city. I hoped it was because she was working on ideas for the curative spell in her head, but my fears kept telling me it was a warning sign. I ignored them, choosing hope over fear. I would again, even knowing what I know now. When we reached the ruins of Manehattan General, or what was left of them, that silence was abruptly shattered by a scream of frustration from May.
Manehattan General was gone. When we had been here before, a skyscraper across the street had fallen and crushed half the former Ministry of Peace hub. Now, the half that had previous been standing had collapsed in on itself. The only recognizable trace of it was a part of the sign depicting the cross and butterflies that were the MoP's symbol. Even the skyscraper that had crushed the hospital had been reduced to a skeleton of what it had been before.
I was disappointed by this unfortunate turn, but May was completely distraught. She scrambled over to the ruins and began shifting through them. “What are you doing?” I asked worriedly as I galloped over to her.
May turned to look at me; “I'm getting her out!” There were tears in her eyes.
It took me a moment to realize what she was talking about. Even after a hundred and twenty years... she was still thinking about Buttercup. “May...” I began, feeling a little unsure of what to say. After this long, there would only be bones left, if that. The chances of actually finding her remains in that mess were painfully low.
May went back to what she was doing when I couldn't form a response. She used both her hooves and magic to try and shift the debris. She continued doing so for about fifteen minutes before she came to a complete stop. She just stared at the ruins vacantly. I looked over her shoulder to see what it was that had captivated her, hoping she may have actually found Buttercup. What she had found was a medical box. The thing was dented and the cover was bent open, the contents spilled out on the ground. Most of them were destroyed, but one item remained intact. An inhaler, one that May and I both knew all too well.
May floated the inhaler up and just stared at it. I could see the conflict on her face, clear as day. “May...” I began again, “please don't...”
May began to cry. It was a pained cry, raw despair etched onto her face. She telekinetically hurled the inhaler to the ground and began to stomp on it. She screamed, channelling what had to be over a century of anguish into her cries and the pounding of her hooves. She pulverized the inhaler until there was nothing but crumpled plastic and pasted Dash mixed into the ash on the street. At that point she turned away and threw her forelegs around me and just sobbed into what was left of my mane. I sighed thankfully and stroked her, hoping to provide some comfort as she continued her wretched sobbing.
It took almost half an hour before May stopped crying, and even then I could tell she was still terribly upset. I couldn't blame her; the ruined hospital had opened a number of old wounds in a matter of minutes. Her dead marefriend, her addiction, her perceived shortcomings of being unable to help ponies, and her self imposed sense of failure at having been unable to prevent past catastrophes. As much as I wanted to tell her it would all be okay, I knew she'd never listen. There was really only one thing that might convince her to forgive herself.
I lifted May's head off my shoulder with a hoof and looked into her eyes. “So, what's the plan?”
May blinked in confusion for a moment; “Plan? What do you-”
That time I cut her off; “Before I proposed coming here to find you a work area, you said you had another idea, just that mine was more practical. What was it?”
May seemed to have trouble grasping what I was talking about, but after a moment her eyes widened in realization. “Oh. Well, it wasn't necessarily the best idea-”
“But it's all we have right now,” I interrupted. I wasn't going to let her start spiralling downward again.
May nodded slowly. “Right, well... the first time a Megaspell was ever performed was at the battle of Shattered Hoof Ridge.”
I nodded, remembering she had mentioned that earlier. “You think there might be a facility there?”
May looked doubtful, but answered regardless. “A joint MoP-Military facility in the area was where the spell was put through the final stages of its development. If we're lucky, and I mean really lucky, the facility might be intact. The only problem is that Shattered Hoof Ridge is dangerously close to the old zebra homeland.”
I raised an eyebrow at that; “You don't think zebras would still be encroaching on Equestria after all this time do you? I mean, even if they survived Equestria's megaspell counter-attack, they'd have too many things to worry about in their own nation to bother with ours.”
May considered that; “No, I suppose not. However, who knows how many times the facility could have been raided for supplies, or used as shelter. It's been a hundred and twenty years after all.”
I shook my head, not willing to let May keep doing that to herself; “Well, it's the best idea we've got. I say we go for it. There's always hope.”
May sighed, then nodded. “Right. I still envy you Ditzy, you know that right?”
I smiled; “I'd rather you envy me than pity yourself. Now let's go.”
***
Before we could head out to Shattered Hoof Ridge, May and I decided to head back to Craterside first and inform Rottingtail of the change of plans. As well, I would need to find a new wagon or cart to carry them in. When we arrived, we found the town gathered together outside, near the communal housing where the three of us had spent our first night here. It brought back unfortunate memories of Dusty, but I let them lay.
Rottingtail was in the middle of telling the rest of the village what Apex had done, and what we had done in turn. The reactions were surprisingly varied. Most of the ghouls seemed horrified at the prospect. A few were nervous, as Apex and his thugs had been their primary source of protection from external threats. Some already knew, and had been forced into silence. As well, a very small number, whose whispers I only heard while slipping through the crowd to reach Rottingtail, seemed to support what Apex had done, either out of spite or a sharing of his belief in ghoul superiority. I didn't draw attention to them; the last thing we needed was to be fighting and killing more of our own.
We reached the head of the crowd and waited for Rottingtail to finish the story, then approached as the crowd began to disperse. “Yer back awful soon,” he remarked, limping up to us.
I shook my head with a sigh; “Hospital collapsed; nothing left.”
Rottingtail looked sympathetic; “Dang. Gonna try someplace else?”
May nodded firmly, pushing aside her regrets with what determination she could muster. “Shattered Hoof Ridge.”
Rottingtail whistled; “That's on th'other side of Equestria. Gonna take ya'll a while ta get there.”
I nodded; “I'm gonna take one of Apex's carts and fly you guys there. The cage should keep you from falling out, and it's only fair that something used to ruin so many lives be used to try and save them.”
Rottingtail looked between the two of us for a moment, then shook his head; “Sorry t'have to say this, but Ah ain't comin' with ya.”
I blinked in surprise; “You're not? Why?”
Rottingtail looked at the various ghouls as they were dispersing. Most of them were already returning to their homes, although a few were standing around discussing what had happened. “Apex was in charge o'this place, but it turns out he'n his cronies were the only means of protection they had. A few of the ones left know how t'use a gun, but none of 'em can do it well. Most are former civilians or scavengers or the like.”
May looked to Rottingtail in surprise; “And you're going to teach them?”
Rottingtail nodded, actually donning a smirk; “Ayup. Gonna take a few out to salvage some guns and bullets, plus what Apex and his gang left behind. Then Ah'm gonna train 'em like Ah did the Trottingham Militia.” I saw the pang of hurt on his face as he mentioned that, but he pressed on. “Ah figure, since it's kinda our fault they ain't got protection, we should take responsibility to get 'em a fresh one.”
I nodded; “Alright then. We can bring up the guns and ammo when I grab the cart.” I smiled at Rottingtail; it looked like he too was finally seeing a chance for redeeming himself, at least in his own eyes.
The ghoul sheriff seemed to notice my smile and returned it with a peck on the cheek; “Now, don't ya'll get lost or shot or nothin'. Ah'll be expectin' ya'll to come back with good news.”
***
True to my word, I delved into the sewers to procure one of Apex's caged carts. It was easy enough to bring back out as well, once I opened the giant shutters that Apex had used to allow radiation in. I loaded the wagon up with all of the weapons I stripped from Apex and his gang. Oddly enough, I found that Apex's internal radiation stores had been bleeding out since his death, and his glow was dimming gradually. Out of sheer spite, I spat on his corpse. Normally I wasn't the type for such petty things, but he really deserved it.
I brought the cart back up to the communal housing area, out front of which Rottingtail was setting up a shooting range of old bottles and tin cans. Most of the guns only had the clips currently in them for ammunition, so they would have to go out and find more unless Apex had a hidden stockpile somewhere in the town.
I was a bit torn; part of me wanted to stay with Rottingtail for a while and help the Craterside ghouls, particularly given my mercantile and scavenging experience. However, Rottingtail was in his element here, and he could handle it on his own. May could not. Even though the Shattered Hoof Facility wasn't likely to get any worse than it already had over the past hundred and twenty years, I feared that May might begin to wallow in self doubt again if I waited too long. I prayed that the facility would still be there and this wouldn't end up being for nothing. I didn't think May's increasingly fragile psyche could take another blow like that.
I left Stronghoof's Legacy and the rest of my gear in May's care on the back of the wagon. It was difficult to strap into a harness properly when wearing holsters, slings or saddlebags. Rottingtail also let May hold onto his revolver, claiming that it was 'lucky'. I was thankful for this, as May had shown herself to be better with small arms than with rifles like mine. Plus he had the weapons left behind by Apex and his cronies to use anyways.
Once I was properly strapped into the wagon, I took off immediately, not wanting to allow May any more time to wallow. As mean as it might sound, I also hoped her fear of flying would keep her mind off of other, darker thoughts.
***
I've mentioned a few times before that flying for long periods of time can get boring. Typically, May and I would pass the time on long flights like the one from Manehattan to Shattered Hoof Ridge by chatting or listening to the radio. Which made it somewhat unnerving for May to be so quiet during the flight. She hadn't even tried to start up a conversation to take her mind off of her fear of flying. In itself, that should have been another warning sign, but I was still holding out hope that May would get back on her hooves when we reached our destination.
After almost a full day of silence, I decided to try and get the conversation started myself. “You doing okay back there May?” I asked. “You've been awfully quiet.”
May was quiet a few moments more before responding; “I'm fine.”
I wasn't convinced, but I went along with it for the sake of avoiding a conflict; “Alright. Can you tell me more about this facility then? It'd be nice to know what I'm looking for when we reach the area.”
I chances a glance back to see May lying fairly still, barely raising her head to respond. “The facility was underground, behind the front lines of the battlefield. Look for the trenches.”
I nodded, noting that landmark for reference. However, I still wanted to get more out of May for the sake of keeping her mind off of the various melancholies she was burying herself under. “What do you think we'll find there?”
“Nothing,” May replied curtly.
I groaned; May was not making this easy. “Okay, but what was there before the holocaust?”
May raised her head, giving a sigh; “A spell research laboratory.”
I couldn't help but feel frustrated at that blatantly unhelpful descriptor. “May, please, I'm just trying to help keep your mind-”
“You wouldn't understand half of what was there even if I told you,” May snapped, cutting me off. She then gave a dejected sigh; “I'm sorry Ditzy, that wasn't... I mean... I'm sorry.”
I brought the cart to a stop in midair, hovering in place. I turned my head back and looked to my oldest friend. “Look May, I know you're upset, and that things haven't been going well lately, but beating yourself up and snapping at me isn't going to make anything better.”
May glared at me; “No, you're right. The only thing that will make things better is banking on a chance that a century and a half old, prewar facility is intact. I know you're trying to be hopeful about it Ditzy, but let's be realistic. This journey will, in all likelihood, end with us going back to Craterside empty hoofed. After that, we'll live out the remainder of our lives in an irradiated shanty-town until we either get shot or go feral.”
I wanted to be mad at May for her cynicism, but the fact that she was crying over her own outline of our prospects was telling. She desperately wanted to find something she could truly be hopeful for, but she just couldn't. Her compassion and hope had been stretched far beyond their limits, and she was nearing the breaking point. The wasteland was just too cruel for a pony as kind as her, and she couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't help but wonder though, how far away from that stage was I?
“Look May, I know it's hard,” I said firmly but calmly, “but you said it yourself. If there's a chance to finally help all the other ghouls, then we have to take it. Even if it is just a chance. Think about it: wouldn't it be worth it in the end? No matter how bad the odds are, if it works, then it was worth the risk.”
May sighed and nodded, but didn't look convinced. She laid her head back down and remained silent but for one last sentence; “Do you have anything to eat in your bags? I'm hungry.”
***
After another day of silence, I got tired of it again, and asked May to turn on the radio. She grudgingly obliged, and we were once again met with the voice of DJ P0N-3. It was still the same DJ that had replaced Bonus Track, that we had heard upon our return to Manehattan. He, unfortunately, didn't sound too happy.
“Good afternoon children, this is DJ P0N-3 and I'm afraid I have some bad news for today. The small settlement of Hovelhoof in the southern area of downtown Manehattan has gone dark. There were a hoofful of survivors, one of whom was spoken with by one of my informants.”
I gulped, dreading to hear news of what Apex had done reach the airwaves, particularly when the line of DJs had been so often supportive of our kind. I noticed that, despite her previous solemnity, May had perked up to attend to this broadcast as well. In spite of the cause, that brought a small smile to my face. Even while she was slipping, her concern for others remained.
The next voice that came through the radio was one I recognized. One of the Hovelhoof survivors that May had treated for radiation poisoning. One of the few not to succumb to the worst effects it could bring. The one who had spurned any offer of further help for her and the other survivors, even after May, Rottingtail and I rescued them.
“It was awful,” came the mare's voice. “There was this band of ghouls. The one leading them was glowing with radiation, and he was insane. Making all these claims about how ghouls were this superior race. He, along with a few armed thugs and a pack of feral ghouls that almost seemed like they were trained, rounded up everypony in town, and killed those who resisted.”
I sighed. This was going to cause outrage at ghouls, and was certainly going to result in persecution of those who weren't involved. I was glad at least that Apex had built his ghoul town in a place that normal ponies wouldn't be able to reach safely.
“They loaded us into cages and took us to the Manehattan blast crater, trying to soak us in radiation and, in his words 'bestow the gift of the undying'. Most didn't survive, some ended up as ghouls, but a few of use were saved.”
I blinked; “What?” I hadn't been expecting her to mention that. I waited on baited breath for her to continue.
“The insane ghoul and his followers were killed, and the ones who saved us tried to treat those that were irradiated. I was one of the lucky ones. I just hope nopony else has to suffer that kind of horror. Those that were unfortunately ghoulified... hopefully they can find some of their own kind that aren't crazy to settle down with. My husband included.”
As the radio switched back over to the DJ, I winced at the words of the mare. I hadn't realized her husband was among the victims. Then again, she hadn't said anything to us after the fact. I didn't even know her name. I sighed and listened as P0N-3 finished up the report.
“So there you have it. A roving posse of ghouls as bad or worse than any raider. Sounds like they got exactly what they deserved. Just like I've said before, what goes around, comes around. Just be careful not to give it to those that don't deserve it. Now, here's some Sweetie Belle.”
As the song began to play, May and I exchanged looks. The DJ's words weren't likely to convince as many people as the mare's story, leaving my concerns unabated. May seemed to be thinking the same thing, and I saw that wonderful glint of determination in her eyes. “We have to make this right.”
***
The rest of our journey was spent with the radio on, listening to make sure that Craterside remained safe. We knew that we couldn't do anything but push forward now, since going back would completely invalidate our reason for leaving in the first place. DJ P0N-3 threw in a few reminders about differentiating between those directly at fault, but considering the way our kind was usually treated, I didn't think it would do any good. It was a relief that we never heard anything about Craterside itself between songs.
On the fourth day since departing from Manehattan, we finally reached Shattered Hoof Ridge. The ridge itself overlooked a flatland that served as the largest direct border to the Zebra homeland. I had read about the battle here in the newspapers a century and a half prior. It was apparently one of the most brutal conflicts in the course of the war. Zebras trying desperately to scale the ridge, entrenched ponies fighting and dying to hold them back. I couldn't imagine what it would have been like being there. May could; she was there.
May was eerily quiet, and in a much different manner than her depressed silence, as we flew over the ridge. I began to wonder what might be going through her head; what sights and sounds she might be reliving here. Fighting the occasional mutated animals or raiders is a far cry from a battlefield full of bullets flying, cries of pain and death echoing all over the place. The true carnage of war that I had never been witness to was most certainly being replayed in May's head right now.
After a couple of flybys, I finally spotter the trenches at the base of the ridge where most of the fighting had taken place. They were largely collapsed or flooded from the time and weather that had occurred since the end of the war. In the process of searching for them, I had seen quite a bit. The now ruined structure at the top of the ridge where Big Macintosh took a bullet for Celestia, blast craters from shells and grenades thrown about during long forgotten battles. Somewhat surprisingly, there was a massive, glowing blast crater. I hadn't know Shattered Hoof to have been hit by a megaspell, but what else could leave a wound upon the land like that? Perhaps it had been intended for a different target. I doubted anyone would ever know.
I finally set the caged wagon down behind the Equestrian line of trenches. I shucked myself free of the harness and flew around to the back to unlock the cage for May. She beat me to it, having let herself out. She had already reequipped her saddlebags and Rottingtail's revolver, and was floating my bags and rifle out for me. I took my saddlebags first and donned them before slinging my rifle over my back. After a moment of consideration, I slipped Stronghoof's Legacy out and flew up to do a low altitude sweep of the area. May stayed put, not saying anything. She merely nodded to me before I took off.
A quick fly over the area didn't really tell me anything I hadn't seen from higher up. Then again, my lazy eye made focusing in on details somewhat difficult. I eventually landed back in front of May to find her still quiet. “May?” I asked tentatively.
May responded by shaking her head, then looking around the ruins of the battlefield. “I wasn't actually in the first battle. The soldiers here were fighting and dying to protect our research facility as much as to hold the line at the zebra border. They didn't even know what we were doing. They only knew that Fluttershy herself was overseeing our final stages. Rainbow Dash herself was fighting alongside them, reinforcing the importance without a hint of detail. I wonder... if they knew what we were doing, would the injured have tried to hang on longer in hopes we could help them? Or would they have been all the more willing to lay down their lives to protect such an important project.”
I nodded slowly as May spoke, listening intently. It wasn't very often she spoke of her past, so I wanted to know what was going through her head. However, one thing did strike me as odd; “First battle?”
May blinked; “Didn't you know? We bungled the first megaspell. There was no way to differentiate between ponies and zebras the first time we cast it. Every single injured zebra was healed alongside our own soldiers. Even after successfully protecting us, it was our fault that the soldiers had to go through that hell all over again.”
I winced. The newspapers only described a single battle for Shattered Hoof Ridge. There had never been any mention of the megaspell test or the do over the battle received as a result. It had only stated that Equestria had been successful in defending its borders. Had that been the result of the Ministry of Image's influence? It was hard to say, it was all so long ago.
May began to cry; “It was our fault. Fluttershy tried so hard to save everyone, pony and zebra alike. All she ever wanted was for the war and violence and suffering to end. Then the zebras poisoned her wonderful gift and turned it into a weapon, leaving us no choice but to respond in kind. Fluttershy wanted to save everyone. We ended up killing everyone.” May hung her head and wept.
It finally came together. May's desire to save ponies, her self-incrimination, her desire to relive the past, her goals and motivations. Every single bit of it stemmed from what began here at this ridge. Somehow, her involvement in the project had turned itself into a personal sense of responsibility for everything that grew out of what they accomplished here. Was it maybe because she was the only one left who could be held responsible? After this long, it was hard to imagine any of the other ponies who worked on this project had survived. Perhaps that was another reason why she was feeling guilty.
“May, I... I...” I could think of nothing to say, so I just pulled her into a hug. She wept into my shoulder once more.
***
After a while, May ran out of tears. She had been shedding far too many lately. I realized that this was make or break time for her. I prayed quietly to myself that she would find something to reinvigorate her hope. I'm not sure who I was praying to at that point. The Princesses maybe? Lots of other ponies had turned to worshipping them as deities. I had still held out hope for the longest time that they had managed to get into the Canterlot Stable and were just waiting for a chance to return. However, after this long that may have been a bit more naive than my usual optimism.
May began to walk the lines of the battlefield, trying to find something. She was far too focused on finding it to inform me of what exactly what she was looking for. I didn't object; even if I could help her find it faster, I felt this was something she needed to do on her own. The trenches all looked the same to me anyways; half collapsed, filled with mud, the odd bit of shrapnel or bullet casing lying around. My lazy eye rolled towards some hoof prints in the mud that weren't our own. I wondered how old they were. When had it rained last? The distraction ended when I bumped by head into May's rear, immediately snapping me back to focus.
May had come to a stop about halfway up the ridge. We had just passed out of the fallback trenches and crossed over a machine gun bunker. At first I thought the bunker itself was what May had been looking for, but she went on past it and started hoofing at the ground in the area behind it. My assumption quickly changed to the facility she spoke of being underground. It made sense really; having a secret research facility working on a top-secret project would not have appreciated an obvious location.
May's hoof tapping was eventually met with a more hollow, metallic sound. I managed to focus both of my eyes on what May was doing, stepping aside a bit for a better view. Her horn lit up and she pulled back a patch of deadened turf, revealing a thick steel door set into the hillside. Aside from being dirty, it looked to be largely intact, although there was a fair deal of rust around the edges as well. The door was also dented and warped, undoubtedly as a result of the megaspell that hit the upper part of the ridge.
May drew my attention to a small number panel at the edge of the bunker door. “I don't even know if my old code will still work. If it doesn't-”
“If it doesn't,” I cut in, “Then we'll force it open. It's damaged already, a few good bucks might cave it in completely.”
“What if the security turrets are still working?” asked May dubiously.
I simply smirked and pulled Stronghoof's Legacy off my back. “Target practice.”
May sighed; apparently my attempt to lighten the mood hadn't played out to well. I quieted myself and let her punch in her pass code. There was a bleeping sound, followed by a screeching grinding of metal and a heavy pneumatic hiss as the door was raised on a series of pistons. May seemed genuinely shocked that it had opened at all. Admittedly, I was too; nothing ever seems to be that easy for us. Of course, the door had gotten stuck about two thirds of the way open, which forced May and I to crouch to get in, so maybe I was right after all.
Inside the door there was no light except for what was bleeding in from outside. In that light, I could only see stairs that seemed to go down quite a ways. I couldn't see where they bottomed out, so I allowed myself a little more hope for May's sake. If the facility was buried deep enough, then it was that much more likely to have survived for this long. We began to descend the stairs, May's horn provided more light as we descended, compensating for the thinning light from outside.
***
It took us a good ten minutes to reach the bottom of the stairs. Granted, about half that time was May going slowly to make sure the stairs were actually still able to support us as we went. Still, the deeper we went, the more likely it seemed that the facility might still be intact. It had probably been buried this deep to avoid taking damage from stray shells and grenades. A megaspell impact was a whole other level from that, but it was still looking a bit more plausible. Even May seemed to be regaining some sense of enthusiasm at the prospect.
When we finally reached the bottom, there was another heavy door flanked by a terminal. The terminal, astonishingly, still had power. I had gotten used to old magic generators being jury-rigged, and had even done a couple myself. The fact that this place was still running on its own though, that was a testament to the work of the MAS in the face of the power crisis. Not many ponies remember that said crisis was the original cause of the conflict that eventually destroyed Equestria.
May booted the terminal and entered what I had to assume was the old password, as the door shifted only moments later with a groan of rusted gears and a heavy thunk of deadbolts moving. We were finally met with a screeching of metal grinding on metal as the door pulled back and away, leading into a darkened chamber that the pale light from outside couldn't reach. I squinted into the darkness trying to see if there was anything there, only for May to turn on the lights from the terminal, blinding me for a moment.
When my eyes managed to refocus, my heart sank. The room was in as much a state of decay as the doors had been. My lazy eye rolled freely, taking in as much of the room as it could as quickly as I could, hoping to find something to make this worthwhile. From what I could see, all of the instruments and strange arcano-tech devices looked rusty or broken. There was a wall of dead terminals and several tables worth of shattered beakers, flasks and other chemistry equipment.
One whole corner of the massive room we now stood in was caved in. By my reckoning, it was the one facing the direction of the megaspell detonation. I could see the dented and warped form of a door on that side, presumably leading to a chamber that was now buried. There were a couple other doors leading off to other parts of the bunker, although I couldn't imagine their facilities fared any better than this main room.
I turned towards May, hoping to offer her some kind of consolation, but it was me who ended up being surprised. May was smiling. My first instinct was, sadly, to think that she had gone mad. However, there was no maniacal twitch or other sights of frustration. She did look genuinely pleased at the sight before her.
“This is amazing!” she exclaimed. “I never thought this much of it would still be intact.”
I looked around in confusion. Could May see something I couldn't? Granted, I have a wonky eye, but all I could see was a mess. “Um... May?” I began, trying to get her attention.
She turned towards me, still smiling; “Oh this is great Ditzy! Finally, it might all be worth something.”
I had to hold up a hoof to stop May; she was getting over my head again; “I'm sorry, but what's got you so excited?”
May blinked; “Right, you don't know anything about magic.” She shook her head and gestured around at the room. “There was a lot of different magical research methods employed here in the development of the megaspell structure. All of the information was stored on those terminals.” She pointed to the fried terminal bank on the far wall. “However, that's not the part I need. I already know how to form the structure of a Megaspell.”
I blinked again; I had the feeling May's mind was moving too fast for her mouth to keep up. “Okay, so what did you need?”
May continued smiling; “A megaspell... is like a framework,” she explained. “A superstructure that builds on the effect of an existing spell and amplifies its power and scope by several orders of magnitude. Essentially, it recursively multiplies the power of the magic being fed into it, resulting in something even greater than the sum of the spells the unicorns could cast individually.”
Okay, now I was starting to get it; “So, if you already know how to set up a megaspell structure, then what you need first is...”
May grinned broadly; “Correct; I need the spell upon which the framework will build. After that, it will be a simple matter of teaching the spell to some other unicorns, as well as the method for creating the casting matrix. That part shouldn't be too hard if I can salvage the information from some of these terminals to distribute.”
I smiled now. My understanding was hardly better off than it had been, but the fact that May seemed genuinely pleased at the prospect was enough for me. “So, what do you need to get started then?”
May looked around, taking in what the room had to offer. “A few specific things, and some time.”
***
Creating a new spell, I would learn, was not quite so simple as concentrating really hard and thinking about the effect you wanted to accomplish. I can't really say I understand it fully even now, so I won't bother making an effort to explain the intricacies of May's method. However, what I did gain out of it was an appreciation for why magic had been dubbed 'arcane science'. The few times May did try to explain it to me in detail was like trying to teach calculus to a six year-old. Not that I ever understood what calculus was either.
Thankfully, even though I understood absolutely none of the process involved, I was still able to lend a marginal amount of aid. By 'marginal' of course I mean fetching stuff. While this gave May time and space to focus on what she was doing, it was slow going due to the fact that rather than just naming something for me to fetch, May had to describe what it looked like and where it was in detail. However, even with that frustrating kink in the proverbial hose, there seemed to be progress.
Navigating the MoP/MAS joint bunker kind of reminded me of the couple times we had ventured into Stables in the past, albeit on a smaller scale. In the rooms that were still intact, things were typically rusty and dilapidated. Several times May's progress was halted as I brought her the device she asked for, only for her to have to instruct me on jury-rigging it due to age or wear. Time had not passed this slow since the two of us became ghouls in the first place.
Days passed, and we only really knew that thanks to May's Pipbuck, but finally she announced: “Alright, it's done.”
I dropped the bits of scrap material I had been fiddling with to look over at May. “Are you sure this time? Last time you thought it was ready...”
“Hey, you should be thanking me for that moustache,” scoffed May. “I proved I can grow your mane back. Once the spell is properly tested anyways, it shouldn't fall out.”
I nodded, then looked to her; “So, am I going to be the first test subject?” I was admittedly a bit nervous. Although the moustache incident had been amusing, you never really knew what you could expect when magic goes wrong.
May saw the hint of worry on my face and nodded; “Only if you want to be. I can't really cast it on myself though.”
I nodded and steeled myself; “Okay. Do it.”
May smiled appreciatively and lit up her horn. I immediately felt a strange tingling sensation all over my body. The best description I can offer you is that May was trying to reverse the necrosis in every single cell at the exact same time. She panted and strained, a layer of magical overglow appearing around her horn. I had to close my eyes from the brightness of the glow surrounding me. Then, all of a sudden, it faded with a pop.
I dared to open my eyes, and found May smiling at me in stunned silence. She immediately levitated over a tarnished mirror for me. She was panting and looked exhausted, but I had never seen her so satisfied. Upon looking at my reflection, I could see why. I was still devoid of feathers and hair, but my skin was no longer a blotch work of red and grey. It was a solid, albeit slightly dim, flesh colour. As well, the bits of mane and tail I had managed to keep bore a slight lustre. I couldn't help but start laughing at myself. I looked like a shaved rat.
May started laughing too. It was a wonderful sound. Joyous and echoing throughout this old, decrepit bunker. “You look ridiculous,” she noted between guffaws.
We shared a good five minutes laughing together at my appearance, but then she finally managed to quell her giggling long enough to pronounce; “Alright, I need to take a sample and see if this actually worked.
I nodded, stifling my own snickering and held out a foreleg. She plucked a small bit of skin off with a pair of tweezers and slid them onto a plate. My skin was dry, but it didn't crack or bleed, although it did sting a bit. May looked down at a the plate through a microscope. The time it took for her to respond worried me. Then, her shoulders slumped, and she turned to look at me, her eyes watering.
“It didn't work,” she said, her face contorting with emotional pain.
I blinked, then looked at the mirror again; “What do you mean it didn't work? Look at me!”
May shook her head; “It's only cosmetic. I reversed the damage caused by the cellular necrosis, but the mutation is still there. By my estimate, it will take less than a week for you to look like a ghoul again.” She hung her head and wept.
I wished I knew what to say then, but I just didn't know what went wrong.
***
Many of you in the here and now reading this probably already know that I am still a ghoul. With that knowledge, you might be wondering why I bothered to include this in the story at all? Why all this woe over something that you already knew was doomed to failure? For May's sake, and that reason alone. I wanted you all to know her last great deed. What she tried to accomplish, how close she came, and the fact that, even entering into her last hours, she only ever wanted to help poor, suffering, unfortunate ponies. Even though she failed, she did everything Fluttershy would be proud of.
I tell you this, because you may not like what comes next. I know I didn't, and I want this to be the part you remember.
Footnote: Status Update!
Current Status: Flesh coloured, but still a ghoul.
Lucidity: Moderate
Ghoul Tip: ...
Stats
Page generated in 0.032 seconds
Total duration
888 users online
503,507 hits today, 2,314,256 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
It..updated..
IT UPDATED
YES
YES
Good to see this story isn't in the bin.. after several months silent I thought it might have been abandoned, but you brought it back.
Ahhhhhhhh, done. As promised.
This chapter didn't have too much going on event-wise, but it was still an incredibly emotional chapter for Ditzy and May. I felt you did an amazing job putting this together, Ten. You can feel the anguish and the hurt behind her words when they need to be felt. Really, my only nitpick about that was when Ditzy was going over how Shattered Hoof Ridge was supposed to be where it all began for May's inspiration and motivations. It didn't feel properly conveyed. I just didn't feel the great weight, the great magnitude of those words. Maybe it's just me. This is just my opinion anyways. That is, however, how I felt about it. The thought finished so quickly for me.
Another thing I have to give you credit for is giving us a real cliffhanger. You seem to be able to do that from chapter to chapter, and this one is no exception- even if it's going to be something we all know is coming, something we've all been dreading as readers. Perhaps it's been something you've been dreading as well, as the author. Whatever the case is, as always...
I await the next one.
Adder1
1891157 1891387
It did indeed Update. All the time I was inactive I was slowly chipping away at it, despite having to work through all kinds of unfortunate lifeish garbage. Hopefully it won't take this long to do the next one.
Odd; for some reason, the update didn't, and still hasn't, sent me the normal notification. I'm glad that I happened to look through my favorites.
1921068
Same thing happened with me, the only time I found out about the update was when I decided to peek at FoE sidestories update on EQD. Something I rarely do in fact. So I guess I was lucky this time.
Still either the author should repost the chapter so people can see the update or we should report the bug.
EDIT: sent a report about the bug myself
1925778 1921068
Okay, I unpublished and republished the chapter. If the bug has been fixed, which it hopefully has been, you should have been pinged. I suspect some of the changes that FimFic has undergone during my periods of inactivity are part of the cause.
1927235
Well, I've not been pinged, but that may just be because it saved that I'd read it. I've been pinged by other story updates, though, so it seems to have just been this one.
^ Same as Reese ^
Hopefully it was just that, a one time glitch.
139580 YOU SHOULD READ OR LISTEN TO THE FALLOUT EQUESTRIA BY KKAT (LISTEN TO IT ON YOUTUBE BY CRAZEDRAMBLING)
"No no no, please don't go feral, May! Please, Celestia, make her not go feral!" My silent prayer during the last two chapters... sadly unheard in the end. Oh well, we all knew it was going to happen eventually.
I liked this chapter (yay, first story I read on my e-reader and I didn't get anything else done until I finished this chapter)
One thing I noticed: you seem to occasionally slip into present tense (or those are just typos)
2032343
Probably typos. I'll give it a look over to be sure.
However, in the parts where Ditzy directly addresses the readers, any present tense there -is- intentional, since it's part of the framing device.
2071903 I would ask that you respect different continuities that use different versions/interpretations of events
2077297 Pony physics do not equal real life physics, not that Ditzy ever studied either. However, Ditzy -was- shown to be rather lightning resistant in S2E14
2078071 The Ghouls weren't being paranoid; The Steel Rangers came there with every intention of taking the city with or without letting the ghouls live. They just happened to be technologically advantaged over the ghouls to the point of not giving a shit if they met resistance.
As for Gilda, yes, that was the implication.
It's still going! Awesome, just awesome
May's apparently inevitable fate is even more sad now, knowing how close she came to getting it to work
2078423 What? 'Star' metal is just a meteoric alloy that happens to have the intrinsic property of being a good magical energy conductor. The 'Fallen Stars' were just meteors with trace amounts of metal ore in them (and in one case, a bit of mutated bacteria), and the mad zebra was just that; mad. There are no star entities. Although the pony solar system does in fact appear to be geocentric lol
2111475 This next chapter is gonna take a while for just that reason. Writing this stuff is hard.
Hey mister Ten Mihara, I can gladly announce that your story here is featured in Fallout: Equestria , pat yourself on the shoulder dude, and I hope that it will help boost the reader and comment count.
2167651
Cool beans, but I never really cared about the numbers. It was enough to know a few people out there enjoyed somethign I created.
The unlife and times of Best Pony. How could I not enjoy this? Though I can tell the next chapter's going to be a tear-jerker...
Also, whatever happened to That Gun? Seems like it fell through the cracks of Interlude 3.
2190112
May Lost it during the Trottingham Massacre actually. She left it behind in the hurry to help get the civilians to safety (she only managed a couple before having to put all her effort into dragging Rottingtail off). Which is why in Chapter 13 she borrowed Rottingtail's revolver.
2199963
If I recall correctly, which I probably don't, it was one of the names Homage mentioned in passing when listing off heroes that had fallen to the wasteland while trying to warn Littlepip away from continuing her heroics because she didn't want her to get killed. If this was actually a thing and I'm not crazy, it was in Chapter 20.5 I think.
2203146
I stopped reading Project Horizons when it stopped being good/I stopped enjoying it (After Chapter 33 IMO), so I have no idea and don't really care to find out. if there are discrepancies, then I call the Alternate Coninuities/Realities Rule =P
As for the lightning cart thing, Ditzy was shown to be mildly shock proof in The Last Roundup. The cart and her companions were not.
Really nice story. Enjoying it so far.
Keep it up!
Came across cover art on DeviantArt.
No sleep tonight.
2531379 Its an Easter egg to how Spike/Watcher has all 6 figurines when Lil' Pip visits him. Also the theory with Snips make sense
2531510 I think Spike was given one of each by the Mane 6, but I'm not a 100% on that. There were Seven sets, each ministry mare was to get her own set and one set was made for Princess Luna. About all I know I'm afraid, regarding the statuettes. Still I can see Spike hiring mercenaries to track down an exceedingly rare item, kinda like Mr. House tracking down the Platinum Chip =).
Anyways, on to commenting on Chapter 13/14.
Chapter 13
But I'm rambling here. I did enjoy the chapter, more schisms appearing in the group as May sees ghoul ponies be victimized or become monsters or ferals. Over a hundred years in the wasteland taking its toll on her kind heart. Apex pretty much representing the worst in equine kind, a racist deeming ghoul-kind as the inheritors of the blighted world. Was Apex mad or was he like so many others, the horrors of the wasteland finally breaking him? We'll never fully know, but the horror he inflicted with ghoulification, is done well, another story that also did it well was Murky Number Seven, the victim being a young filly.
You could tell things were going to go wrong with Ditzy's uncomfortable feeling. I think we've all had that tingle when we felt something wasn't right, some stories play it up like Pinkie Sense, and I know Blackjack used to get an itchy mane
Chapter 14
Nice to see Rotting Tail is still ready to train and arm ghouls to defend themselves, even after what happened at Trottingham/Necropolis. I feel so bad for May, but her reaction makes sense, I can imagine the flood of guilt she must have felt when she realised she'd never given Buttercup a proper funeral and never could with all the rubble burying her. As Ditzy pointed out earlier in the story, May was the one who used to lead the way, with Ditzy accompanying her. This has generally remained unchanged, since she and Ditzy normally share the same goals.
May's cynicism and lack of faith is heart-wrenching to read, especially when she's been such an optimist before and survived so many horrors and lost so much already. All the good she seems to do, wiped away by the wasteland seemingly at a whim, at least that is how she seems to be perceiving it. I was originally worried when she reached the megaspell facility, thinking she was hallucinating as some ghouls are described as doing in some other fics I've read. I felt really bad for May, how utterly devastated she must have felt when she failed to create a cure for ghoulism.
Since I'm up to date, I also want to compliment the inclusion of the Lucidity status, it's a refreshing little way of making the ghoul condition all the more realistic, that following below acceptable lucidity could lead to Feralism.
Okay, four chapters in and I'm hooked so I better leave a comment.
Thank you for writing a fic that has been (so far) failry innocent in it's telling. I'm comming off another FoE story that has been... a bit too much (swears, violence, explicet, etc.). It's made me start rereading the Redwall series...
But I digress. This is a great story so far and I really hope to keep up with it.
I can't seem to find the original story that has spawned all of these amazing stories. Could somepony please give me a link to it? It would be greatly appreciated. I am sorry for just randomly interrupting the story comments for this request.
2578476
Unless you've already gotten your reply,
Here:
http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/04/story-fallout-equestria.html
2589722
Thank you very much. I'm going to have to read this soon.
2591569
No problem. I was actually surprised you didn't know the original
2449962
No, they didn't. There were seven sets, each given to the Mane Six and Princess Luna. Of those, only a few were actually mentioned in the main story, and anything else, including my interpretation, is non-canon. Twilight could have possibly given Spike one or more of her statues, but I just wanted to have the Rarity one be a quest item to show that it was particularly valuable to him. Enough to let Gnarl retire once he got paid for retrieving it. Plus, at least in my head, it made sense for Snip to be in possession of a Rarity statuette in particular, because of the part he played in their original creation.
2531379
Afraid I'm gonna have to shoot that one down. My story is in no way connected to or in the same continuity as anything in Project Horizons. This version of Snips died, and stayed dead. For the record though, my Snips did come first, not that really has any bearing on... well, anything.
Very, very good stuff, definitely on par with the original (which was very bad for productivity since I took just about every excuse to read just a little bit more and more than once suddenly realized it's 3am and I have to get up and to work in a few hours...).
So thanks and keep up the good work.
2790566
Neither, but it is fanon:
Fans noticed that Dinky Doo looks like Ditzy Doo and has a similar name. In S # 02 E # 05 “Sisterhooves Social” —— Cindy Morrow 2011-11-05, Amethist Star competes with Dinky Doo.
¡Have a nice TauDay!
2071903 Amythyst Star? Who's that?
Oh man. I just read this whole thing in my free time over the last day or two. I seriously can't wait for the next update. The cliffhanger is going to kill me until then.
I do not get it. Even as a cosmetic, that spell would have been a godsend to some of the ghouls in equestria. They could have taught the spell to others and worked their way on top of that.
So... I was wondering when you will be updating. It has been 2/3 of the summer. A lot of people like your story and would love if you put a new chapter out. It isn't good to make people think this is a dead fic.
3000900
Unfortunately, it's not like I can simply snap my fingers and make the next chapter appear. Writing, like any creative talent, can be subject to blocks and shortcomings. I am presently in the midst of rereading both my story and FoE proper in order to try and rekindle my ability to write, but I'm not going to try and set deadlines or make promises until I'm sure I can keep them.
3049724 Well i Like The Idea. Im Going To Read It. Do You Have A Release Date yet?
This is going to end in the most depressing way possible, isn't it.
3437709 Which part? The love of Derpy, or CALLING her Derpy? (brother)
Ah. Derpy Hooves (Or Ditzy Doo). Even as a ghoul-pony you are still loved.
Was Rad-Away a thing before she got Heavily Radiated?
207190 There was a 200 year war. Do you think they could survive or live that long?
3470752 Project Horizons is not Canon to Ditzy Doo Chronicles, nor the reverse. Any use of names of characters that overlap is purely coincidental
Good news everyone! I know it's been a while since DDC updated, but that's mainly because real life sucks. However, once this week is over, I'll have crossed some major hurdles, and finally have time to resume regular work on the story. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to finish up Chapter 15 before Christmas, and then resume regular updates while I'm back in school and not working all the time.
3535623 Stronghoof's old rifle is a Bolt action rifle chambered in .308 Caliber and fitted with a scope. Stronghoof's Legacy, which she got from Gnarl, is a .308 Semi-automatic sniper rifle fitted with a suppressor. Also, as far as inertia, recoil, and what have you goes, I admit I don't really know much about how guns work IRL
I'm not sure I like the bottom of this chapter . . .
Shiiiiit shitshitshitshit.
...Pardon my language.
3536749 So long as the calibers are the same, a heavier gun has less recoil.
5272240 that is not 100% true a Bolt action rifle tend to have more recoil then a semi automatic of the same caliber