Ravens Breath has been gone for 200 years, the world is in chaos. Time for the Necromancer, Lord Ravens Breath, Lord of Magic, Lord of Life and Death to return.
Corruption. Death. Chaos and division. Such is the state of Equestria, such is the state of the world. A Wasteland where only the tough can survive.
Two hundred years have passed, and two prospecting ponies argue about where to go.
What they do will be but the first step in a long line of dominos.
For this is not the end, no matter what any god may say.
The sun hides away behind a cover of clouds. Yet it’s heat still gets through, and beats itself into any unfortunate enough to be traveling across the Lost Pegasus Way. The sand below absorbs what’s left of the heat, keeping the Ver inside lest they burn themselves trying to get a snack.
Rocks and dead trees litter the hilly desert, providing cover for any raider planning on robbing any travelers.
Ponies wait behind rock and bush, wearing red armor and carrying machetes which are slightly reflected by the shaded sun. They all look out, and watch a peculiar group of ponies.
They wander along, unaware of the eyes upon them. In the lead is a grey stallion, who’s green eyes glare ahead, and who’s dark suit absorbs the sun. Punching weaponry is on all his hooves, mostly knuckles of different quality.
Behind him are two twins. A mare carrying a sniper rifle, who’s white coat and mane glow in the little light, even if covered in dust and dirt. The stallion wears leather armor, and has a shotgun ready to go. He looks the exact same, yet his demeanor is a lot less energetic.
A huge skeleton stays near the middle, carrying a sledgehammer, and having the power to use it. His bones are bleached by the sun, and his eyes are nothing but blue dots.
A pegasus flies above them, wearing a form fitting suit, and with blue eyes scanning the ground below them. On his sides, he has firing mechanisms for a Crystal laser and a Smith plasma rifle.
Another stallion moves along with the group. His fur bleached to a miserable yellow color, and his eyes constantly look in every direction. Explosives are strapped all around his body, and he twitches every so often. He wears nothing but a simple shirt.
Heavy, metal hooves hit the sand, and sink in before they are pulled out. A stallion in Ranger Armor trudges along, the heavy suit and miniguns on his side dragging him down.
A final pony takes up the end of the caravan. A revolver is strapped to his side, and his hat is riddled with bullet holes. He walks confidently, a leather coat covering his fur. A strange mechanism is attached to his hoof, supposedly to fire the gun.
They get to the top of a hill, and look down upon their goal.
The ruins of an age old building lay toppled. Bricks flung everywhere, and different piles promise untouched loot. Bones also lay scattered everywhere, forming an almost complete floor under all the rubble.
The leading stallion sighs, and reaches into his bag. He pulls out a poster. It shows a combined army of skeletons, ponies, and changelings, all dressed in black Ranger armor, and with different weapons strapped to their side. They all come marching out of a tower, where an imposing yet small figure stands on the top.
He looks past the poster, to the current state of the tower.
The pegasus lands behind him, “An idea made too late, Sentinel. Because this is what happened first.”
He simply sighs, “Whatever. It’s just another relic of the past now.” He motions to the twins, “Shield, Shot, go ahead and scavenge everything you can. We’ll watch for Legion or Enclave.”
The two nod, and move down to the tower.
———
Magic flickers back to life, answering the call of it’s master.
It floats through the pile of rubble, until it finds the mostly intact skeleton laying there.
A black cloak keeps the bones together, still working after two centuries of waiting.
The green flame dives into the skeleton, working itself through until its end.
The kindling is set, the spark has been given, all they need is some oxygen.
———
Sure Shot picks through a pile of rubble, finding nothing but useless clipboards, papers, and pens. Here and there lay a weapon broken beyond repair, or a few stray bullets. Even an undamaged Crystal sits there, yet only one.
A small flash of light catches her eye, and she leans out of the rubble.
She looks to another pile of rubble, as a deathly green light seems to come through the cracks in the rubble.
She quickly draws her rifle, “Shield, need some help!”
Her brother rushes over, and quickly sees the green light. He nods, and puts away his shotgun, “Watch my back.”
He quickly picks up a stone, throwing it aside. He digs through, throwing at least three more pieces off.
A huge piece blocks him. He summons all his strength, and barely manages to shove it off.
The magic begins, sucking in the ambient Mana from around it.
A skeleton within lights up in a green inferno. It rages and grows, forcing Shield to take a step back.
Then, the skeleton takes a breath, sucking in the magic. The skeleton sits up, and takes a final breath in.
It looks over at Shield, and opens it’s mouth.
No noise comes out, and it looks down at it’s body. It takes a deep breath, and summons it’s Mana.
Flesh begins to grow out of him. Fur sprouts out of that flesh, grey in color. On his flank is a Mark showing a playing card with the Grim Reaper as it’s centerpiece.
His body fully forms, with the cloak changing to fit. He blinks his eyes, still empty of any ball. He looks back towards Shield, “As I tried to say; thank you.”
He draws his shotgun, “Who the hell are you?”
He raises a hoof, “I am-“ He then notices the lack of an actual hoof on that leg, “Ah, shit.” He motions with his other one, “Hey, could you please get that leg for me?”
Shield slowly moves to the leg, and kicks it over to him.
He takes the leg, and places it on the stump. With a tiny bit more Mana, the hoof has reattached itself. He nods, “Alright, now, let’s see if I’ve got everything.” He stands up, ignoring the shotgun being pointed in his direction. He spins around, “Uh, tail, there.” He stops the circling, and pats his head, “Horn is there, and I am currently bald.” More green fire sprouts near his head, and a black mane of hair sprouts out, unkempt but still good looking.
Shield cocks his shotgun, “Last time I’m going to ask.”
He looks in Shield’s direction, “Ah, yes.” He smiles, “I am Lord Ravens Breath, Minister of Death.”
Raven summons a bit of magic, and a skeletal hand emerges from a pile of rubble. It tosses over Talons, which he catches and flips into a holster.
The mare takes a surprised step back when the hand appears, “What in Luna’s name?”
Raven takes a breath of the air, and shudders a bit, “Ech, that’s disgusting. Knew it’d be bad, but not that bad.” He looks over to her, “What, did something scare you?”
Shield pumps his shotgun, and levels it at Raven’s head, “What are you doing here?”
Raven looks over at him, right down the barrel of a shotgun, and he grins, “I could ask you the same thing. You are trespassing on government property, pointing a shotgun at one of the Ministers, and making unreasonable demands. If I wasn’t in such a good mood, and if I wasn’t two hundred years in the future, I might just have ordered your imprisonment for already mentioned reasons, or executed for a Loyalist conspiracy.”
Shield doesn’t waver, “One pull of this trigger, and I’ll wipe that grin off your face.”
Raven laughs, “Geez, you ponies are so rude, aren’t you?” He instantly loses the laugh, “Please, don’t act like you hold any power over me. This isn’t the first time I’ve found a shotgun pointed at my face, and it definitely is not the biggest shotgun. I recommend you put down the gun before I begin to take you seriously.”
Shield slightly lowers the gun, but shoves it back up, “You think you’re a tough bastard, don’t you?”
Raven sighs, summoning a skeletal hand from the ground that rips the gun out of his hooves. Raven smiles, “Perhaps you didn’t hear me. I am Lord Ravens Breath, I have been in this situation many times before.” He flips the shotgun through the air, and catches it in his own hooves. He levels it at Shield, even though he has to point it far upwards, “Now, if you want this back, I recommend you sit the fuck down, because I am tired of your shit already.”
Shield very quickly moves back, not wanting to mess with the child now pointing a gun at him.
Raven shakes his head, “No, no. When I say sit down, I mean sit down!” He smiles as the stallion sits down, “Good, now, how about we talk like adults?” He glades to his side, noticing the mare with a rifle pointed at his head, “Okay, look, I’m going to trust that you aren’t going to use that.”
The mare waits for a second, and lowers it, “Whatever you want to ask, ask it to me. I’m Sure Shot, he’s Sure Shield.”
Raven nods, and drops the shotgun, “Alright, good, I’m glad we can just talk. I have one question, and that is it. What is the status of the other Ministers?”
She shakes her head, “I’m sorry, but I have no idea what you mean. There’ve been no Ministers for long as I’ve been alive.”
Raven sighs, and throws the shotgun back to Shield, “Fine, I’ll believe you. Go ahead and leave, we have no more business with each other.”
Shot stares after Raven as he begins to walk away, “Wait, where are you going?”
Raven looks back, “Hoofington, it’s clear this world needs a healer more than anything else.”
Shot yells after him, “Why don’t you come with us? We have a town we’re founding!”
Raven stops for a second, “Are you tempting me to abandon my friends?” He twirls around, and begins to quickly approach Shot, “Did you just imply I should give up my will and allow my friends to suffer in the afterlife?”
Shot scrambles back a bit, “No, no, not at all! I was just saying-“
Raven creates a wall of bone behind her, which she runs into and stops her backing up. His eyes glow a slight red as he growls, “You were just saying I should abandon my friends! You were just saying that I should come with you and forget about my wife!” He shoves her against the wall the closer he gets, frightening her, “What do you think I am, a child?! Did you really think I would just follow you because you said to!? Are you so idiotic that you did not listen to what I said?!”
A loud bang comes from behind him, and Raven finds a new hole through his chest. It regrows instantly.
He wheels around, and sees Shield leveling a shotgun at him. He yells, creating a long arm of bone, and holding Shield by his throat. He gets closer, and the red glow in his eyes grows brighter, “You dare to shoot me? To attempt to kill me? You shall pay for that you cur!” He whips Talon’s out of his holster, and points it at Shield, “Your skeleton shall make a nice servant!”
Shot yells out, “Stop, please!”
Raven hears the desperation in her voice, and the red glow in his eyes dies. He deconstructs the bone wall and arm, “Damned Beast still isn’t giving up.” He turns to Shot, and nods, “I apologize, I shall leave you now.”
Raven walks into the distance, away from the tower, now noticing how little mana he has inside of him.
Raven trots along a ruined road, leading to the west. Ruined carts lay on the side of the road, their cargo never delivered. Bones still decorate the front of them, the only thing left of ponies from long ago.
There is no green ahead, behind, or to the side. All there is are dead trees, tumbleweeds, and mutated fruits every so often. No, the little green left doesn’t come from plants. It only is seen on a few crates and carts, the symbols for the Ministry of Death.
There is little color at all. The faded colors of carts long left abandoned are the only reprise from the dead brown of everything else. Not even the blue sky can be seen, as it is hidden away behind a blanket of dark grey clouds.
Raven coughs a bit as wind picks up some dust and throws it into him. Yet, even as he breathes in air to replace the dust, he almost regrets it. The dust is only a tiny bit worse compared to the ash tinging the air.
Raven looks up to the sky, and sees ash beginning to fall. Almost like snow, yet not carrying the comforting cold nor crunch one would get from snow.
Raven shudders as the ash falls on him. He puts up his cloak’s hood, and continues on, trying to ignore the ash.
He walks along the road, until he hears a screaming coming from above him.
Before he can even look up, a body impacts the ground before him. A pegasus lays there, slightly twitching. His form is completely obscured by a grey suit of Ranger Armor, yet a different design than Raven’s used to.
The pegasus mutters with pain clear in his voice, “I’m sorry General... I’m so sorry... shouldn’t go over Lost Pegasus...” He looks up, and sees Raven looking down at him, “Lord Raven... take mercy on me...”
Raven tilts his head as the pegasus stops, “Soldier?”
The pegasus doesn’t respond. After a few seconds, the glow from his armor’s eyes fades, indicating his death.
Raven looks around, and sees a nearby wagon. He summons all his strength, and drags the soldier over to the wagon. He struggles, and throws him onto the wagon.
Raven takes a step back, smiling as the ash stops falling on the soldier. He salutes, “No soldier should stay unburied... but it has to be done.”
Hoofsteps come from the other side of the wagon, clinking with metal. Raven looks around, and sees five red armored ponies there, with at least ten unarmored behind them.
The lead smiles, “Brave words, almost draws a tear to the eye. I must say, I am quite impressed you managed to drag that corpse all the way on top of there. You are obviously quite strong.” He draws a machete from a sheathe, “You’ll make a good slave for Legion.”
Raven smiles slightly at the pony, “Slave? You’re quite brave.”
The stallion nods, “Oh yes, every soldier of Celestia’s Legion is quite brave.” He walks closer to Raven, “Now, just come along easily. I’m already late to reinforce Emundans Victor Terra, so don’t make this complicated.”
Raven looks to the back of the line, seeing they are all foals linked together by chains, “Those ponies behind you, are they following willingly?”
The stallion sighs, “You Crusader types never come easily, do you?”
Raven whips Talons out of it’s holster. The hand cannon is leveled at him. With a single pull of the trigger, the stallion’s head disappears into a fine red mist, and his body begins to burn away with green fire.
The other Legion ponies all jump back, but instantly draw their own knives. They all charge towards Raven.
Raven reloads Talons as quick as he can, yet the fire rate is still leaves much to be desired. He can only get one shot off, which barely manages to kill one of them.
The other three get too close for comfort, and he has to jump back to the other side of the wagon.
He climbs into the wagon, and searches the body for any weapons.
The three round the corner, and look right at Raven inside the wagon. One yells, “Retribution!”
Raven scrambles in his search with haste as the three start to chop at him, “My Mana is already low, and I’m not wasting a resurrection on you!”
He eventually rips a weapon out of the holster, and he takes a crystal out of another pouch.
He shoves the crystal into the Crystal Laser Pistol, and it charges immediately. He points the CLP at the Legion ponies, and let’s loose a barrage of lasers.
With precision shots, he manages to take down two of them. Yet as he fires at the last, he finds the crystal out of charge.
The Legion pony begins to climb into the cart. Raven rips the crystal out of the CLP, and throws the pistol at the pony.
It hits dead on, knocking the pony back, where they land hard on the ground.
Raven pokes the crystal, finding it sufficiently sharp. He then jumps out of the wagon, landing on top of the pony.
He raises the crystal up, and stabs it down with all his strength.
It barely manages to pierce, and finds itself at the pony’s heart. Raven stabs down again, and the heart is pierced.
The pony sputters up blood, and dies.
Raven climbs off the body, leaving the body to be buried underneath the falling ash.
He turns to see the foals still standing there. He smiles, and holds up a key to their chains.
Raven throws the key aside as he lets the final foal free. He nods towards them, “Try not to get caught again.”
The leader of the foals throws equipment from a bag to all the other foals. This filly is particularly noticble from a scar right next to her eye.
The filly nods, and tosses Raven a potion, “Here, painkiller.”
Raven catches the potion, and throws it right back, “Don’t feel pain, don’t need it. You need it more.”
The filly catches it, and shakes her head, “Whatever you say, edgelord. Only was willing to part with it because of your being a Crusader and all.”
Raven shakes his head, “You show such little gratitude for someone who I just freed. Run along, and I’ll continue on my own way.”
The filly looks at him, “Why did you rescue us, anyway? We don’t know you, you don’t know us. You got some second agenda?”
He sighs, “You are Equestrian citizens brought into slavery by a hostile, enemy nation. In case you slept in history, it’s your right to not be enslaved. Equestrian Lunar Constitution, Second Tenant, third line. ‘It is hereby declared that no pony shall ever be forced into unwilling servitude, within or without the jurisdiction of the Equestrian Nation’. I’m sure you know the line after, right?”
The filly raises an eyebrow, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Raven shrugs, “Hmm, I’d recommend you learn your rights, then. If you pick up reading as a hobby, then I would highly recommend that. If you read, you would have found out that slavery is punishable by death. Remember that in the future, because I expect you to shoot any slavers on sight.”
The filly turns around, “Whatever. Let’s get going, everypony! Lost Pegasus is a dangerous path, so keep an eye on each other!”
Raven spins around, and continues down the road. He can only barely hear the sound of another pair of hooves with him.
He turns around, only to see a grey pegasus filly following him. She carries an assault rifle on her back, and suddenly stops as she sees him looking at her.
Raven sighs, “Why are you following me?”
The filly smiles, “Oh, well, I just thought you could use some help, that’s all.”
Raven shakes his head, “Nope, now go back to the other foals. I am perfectly fine on my own, without worrying about the health of a mortal foal.”
She walks closer, “Cool story, still coming. You need a gun that fires faster.”
Raven looks at her assault rifle, “What, you mean that pile of rust? I doubt that thing can even fire, let alone pierce the skull or heart of a pony. Honestly, the state of that rifle is absolutely astonishing in how dismal it is.” Raven looks back up at her, “Look, if you are really worried about me not having a fast enough gun, then just give me that one. I’ll just throw it away, and we’ll never see each other again.”
She shakes her head, “Nope, you probably don’t know how to fire. When’s the last time you shot an assault rifle, anyway?”
Raven raises an eyebrow, “I don’t know how to fire? Listen here, I shot the first one of those ever in existence. How can you say I don’t know how to fire?”
She takes the information in stride, and nods, “Well, doesn’t matter. You need somepony to watch your back.”
Raven glares a tiny bit, “I am currently traveling in order to get that pony. All you have done and continue doing is delay my attempts to get him.”
She smiles, “Well, maybe I can fill in until you find him? Look, I’m being absolutely honest when I say I mainly want to go because I’m bored of them back there.”
Raven turns around, “Then just follow me. But if I get into a fight, I don’t want to have to cover your ass.”
She trots up alongside him, “Don’t worry, I have a tail for that!”
Raven shakes his head, “Ugh, you don’t deliver that nearly as well as Sombra. Don’t try the same humor as Sombra. Believe me, you will not be better than him.”
She shakes her head, “Geez, okay, no need to be harsh. I’m Bedlam, by the way.”
He looks over to her, “Raven, although you won’t need to ever refer to me by name.”
Bedlam smiles, “So, Raven, what’s your story?”
Raven sighs, “Open a history book, flip to the section labeled ‘modern’ and you’ll be able to learn.”
Bedlam loses her smile, “Oh... okay. I was hoping to hear from the source.”
Raven looks forward again, “Well, I’m not known for fulfilling hope. Perhaps you’d be better off with Sombra for that.”
Bedlam sighs, “Well... where are we going, then?”
Raven looks up, and a slight smile appears, “Hoofington.”
Bedlam regains her smile, “Really? That’s only a day away!”
Raven nods, “Yes, I know, such is why I chose it.”
Raven stands on top of a hill, and looks down towards the Ministry. The building looks just like an aid kit, blue with a green cross going through it. He begins to walk towards it, only to be stopped by Bedlam.
She drags him to the floor, and hisses, “What are you doing? There are Bluebloods swarming that entire building.”
Raven focuses a bit more, and can make out pegasi in the same Ranger Armor as the dead one he saw before. He shakes his head, and stands back up, “They’re soldiers, Bedlam. They are just doing their duty to the Equestrian Nation by defending that Ministry. I’m sure they’ll step aside upon seeing me.”
Bedlam hesitantly follows after Raven as he walks up to the building.
A Private stands by the door, CLR on his back. Raven marches right up to him, and salutes, “Private!”
The Private instantly salutes back, “Sir!”
Raven keeps his salute up, even as Bedlam approaches. She looks between the two, “Uh, what are you doing?”
Raven smiles, “Messing with the Private. So trained to automatically salute that he doesn’t even look at who called him Private.”
The door to the building opens, and another pegasus walks outside. He sees the Private, and begins shouting, “Private Beam, what in Tartarus’s name are you doing?!”
The Private doesn’t dare to move, “Standing at attention, Officer Loo!”
The Officer gets closer, “And why are you doing that?!”
The Private begins to lean away a tad, “I was addressed!”
The Officer looks as he leans away, “Well, you aren’t standing at attention anymore, are you, Private?! Put your damned hoof down and scan the horizon before I break your hoof off!”
The Private puts his hoof down, and begins scanning the horizon, “Yes, Officer Loo!”
Raven puts down his hoof, and snickers to himself. The sound draws the Officer’s eyes to him, “Were you the one who caused that?!”
Raven nods, “Oh yeah, it works every time.”
The Officer lets out a laugh, “Yeah, it does, doesn’t it? I have to do that more in the future, it always scares the shit out of the rookies.” He recovers, “Anyway, back to business. What the hell are you doing here, and who are you?!”
Raven looks up at him, “Ravens Breath, Officer, looking for something.”
The Private jumps back, “Raven!?” He draws his CLR and points it at Raven, “Officer Loo, permission to fire?!”
Officer Loo knocks the Private’s CLR to the ground, “Denied, Private!” He shakes his head, “You pull that shit again and I will personally make you into a cloak for Autismo!”
The Private begins scrounging at the ground to pick up his CLR, “Yes, Officer Loo, sorry, Officer Loo!”
Raven looks over at Officer Loo, “Loo?”
He nods, “Correct. I am Officer Scootaloo the Fourteenth!”
He nods again, “I am a clone, a merging of her DNA with that of a volunteer. I am the best soldier in Blueblood’s Enclave, made from the DNA of the best soldier of your Equestria.”
Raven smiles, “Well, shit, no wonder you sounded just like her! Well then-“
Raven is cut off by the sound of a CLM firing. Four lasers impact the Private right next to them.
Raven wheels around, only to see a figure on top of a hill. He is decked out in Ranger Armor, and a Crystal Laser Mini-gun sits on his side.
Raven narrows his eyes, and a flash of memory fills his mind.
But Officer Loo doesn’t allow him any time to react. He instantly grabs Raven and Bedlam, bursting into the building with them, “Shit, we’ve got Steel to the hill, south! Private Beam is dead!”
Ten other pegasi soldiers instantly react. They all rush to nearby windows, and begin firing their CLR’s. Such begins the process of them ducking back into the building, and then firing back outside.
Officer Loo throws open a locker, once used for medical supplies, and takes out three different weapons. One of which he straps to himself, and appears to be a heavily modified Smith Gauss Rifle. He throws the SGR on, and rushes over to Raven.
He shoves another weapon into his hooves. A Smith and Crystal Plasma Rifle. He then gives Raven five crystals for it.
Then he gives the final weapon to Bedlam. A Smith Assault Rifle, in perfect condition. Then he gives her ten magazines of ammo.
He takes out his SGR and nods to Raven and Bedlam, “Raven, that SCPR will be able to pierce their RA’s, make each shot count. Filly, those are AP rounds, aim wisely and you should be able to pierce. Come on, let’s go!”
Raven rushes to a nearby window, and looks out of it. He can see the pony from before a lot closer now, and he can see more detail on his RA.
Raven wracks his mind for why he looks so familiar, until it hits him. He looks over to Officer Loo, “Cease fire, cease fire!”
Officer Loo looks towards the soldiers, “Hold fire!”
Raven looks outside the window, seeing the armored soldiers stop in confusion from the lack of fire. He smiles, “I recognize their leader! We can work out a deal.”
Officer Loo nods, “Whatever you want us to do, then ask.”
One of the soldiers speak up, “Sir, why are you listening to this Wastelander? The King wanted any Steel dead on sight.”
Officer Loo turns to face the soldier, “Because I couldn’t give a shit about what the King says, and you don’t either. We all know that the only one who should lead the Pegasi is Scootaloo. We all know that she was the strongest and the wisest of us all! Raven was a friend of Scootaloo. If she trusted him, then we can trust him. If she listened to him, then we will listen to him!” He looks back at Raven, “What do you recommend?”
Raven looks toward him, “He isn’t really the speaking type, and probably would try to continue fighting. If I were to truly recommend a course of action, then I would suggest you gather all your resources and return to your nearest FOB. I can have a word with him myself, and perhaps I can hash out a deal for a joint occupation by both groups.”
Officer Loo nods, “And who is this pony, exactly?”
Officer Loo speaks into a microphone, “This is Officer Loo, Lost Pegasus FOB, calling for evac. Steel assault, we have completely packed up and waiting for evac.”
A voice comes from the radio, “This is BEA Lifeline, we read you Officer. Right on top of you, will come down for evac. What’s the status of the LZ?”
Loo speaks back, “Cold, Lifeline. Steel have stopped firing, and slowly approach the building. Expect little to no fire.”
The radio picks up, “What’s the status of your squad?”
Officer Loo shakes his head, “One dead, two injured. They can fly, but they need help.”
The radio speaks once more, “Decent begun, we can see you, Officer. Opening port-side, ready to receive.”
The nine pegasi all look up as a giant flying machine comes down from the clouds. It’s rectangular shape broken by two giant propellers, and an open door.
The pegasi all spread their wings, and fly up to the machine. Once all are secured, the machine closes up, and flies back into the cloud cover.
———
The doors to the building burst open, and three soldiers all rush in. They scan the entry room, and shout back, “Clear!”
He then steps through, “Keep your eyes peeled, there could be an ambush or trap anywhere. If you see anything suspicious, do not touch it. Now come on, fan out and search the building!”
One of the scribes rush over to a terminal, and quickly get into it, “Elder Offense, it looks like the leader of the Bluebloods kept a journal under here.”
He trots over, “Let me see. Go with Initiate Crystal, make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.”
The scribe does as asked, leaving Offense with the terminal entires.
”—(01, Discord’s Feast, 200 ND)
This is the Ministry of Healing... what’s left of it anyway. I’ve been put in charge now that Autismo has been assigned to hunting Beam. Good thing, too, that idiot wouldn’t be able to find magic if it was shoved up his ass. Now we can actually do what’s really important.
—(02, Discord’s Feast, 200 ND)
The Ministries are all well known for their secret projects. Sweetie Belle and her Dragon Born, Raven and all his weapon prototypes, Sombra’s Spies, Apple Bloom’s background dealings, even Scootaloo with the construction of the Black Peral. Yet, nopony has ever found anything for Louis. There never was a secret project for the Ministry of Healing. The fact that changelings fed off ponies whist working was out in the open, the medical potions, the experimental modifications, all were in the public eye. It is suspicious, and must be untrue.
—(03, Discord’s Feast, 200 ND)
Most of this building hasn’t even been explored yet. General Autismo kept everything to this main room, and the top floors haven’t been touched for two hundred years. Ponies wonder why we never found anything, it’s because we assign idiots like Autismo to this job. He might be good at leading an army, or setting an ambush, but he is an absolute idiot and lacks any motivation. If he was smart, then I wouldn’t have to be here doing his job for him. It should be clearly evident that this mission is far more important than Autismo. He is short lived, and will only affect this world for fifty more years. But what we find here... it could change the course of history.
—(26, Ordirus’s Wrath, 19 AR)
I heard rumors from ponies that Minister Louis himself will be coming here. The truth in these claims is yet to be seen, but I can see that they might be true. I mean, Hoofington University is close by, and Minister Louis used to study there, so the rumors have backing. There’s also another rumor going about, talking about a possible experiment we might be running. From what Doctor Tempus said, the experiment will include trying to capture the Necromatic Mana within Lord Raven into a talisman, so that anypony could be brought back to life in the case of an emergency. The specifics escape me, I’m a medical doctor, not a Thaumutoligist, so all the jargon about ‘Matrixes’ and ‘Subnural pathways’ is beyond me. Apparently Minister Louis, being so close to Lord Raven, has absorbed some of his energy. Doctor Tempus declares that they will use Louis in order to gain enough Mana. I don’t know if this is true or not, but it’s something to put into the logs.
—(04, Discord’s Feast, 200 ND)
I found an old entry on this terminal yesterday. Back until a month before the bombs. It talks about two rumors. One of Louis being here, which was true, and another about a Resurrection Talisman. There was a name mentioned in the second rumor that caught my attention, that being Doctor Tempus. From my memories, I was able to sort out his identity. More well known by his pony name, Time Turner, Doctor Tempus was a pony from Ponyville, Scootaloo’s home town. She knew him in passing as the clock store owner, but he was in reality a Blue Hive changeling, and served as Advisor to Nullam and Louis after him. Studied at Hoofington University in Thaumology, and is said to be one of the best in his field. If he turkey said this experiment was going to happen, it happened. We will double our search efforts.
—(05, Discord’s Feast, 200 ND)
Private Beam stumbled upon a secret door today. He says it’s because of his amazing perception... yeah, he was fucking around with his CLR. I went with a search party down the hall, only to find it was too dark for us to see. Private Beam suggested shooting our CLR’s to light up the hallway, and actually attempted to do it. After he picked up his gun, he was promptly assigned to guard duty first thing in the morning. We decided to wait until we had more light.
—(Today, 1200)
We’re about to head back in... wait... I hear talking outside.
—End of entires.”
A soldier steps out from a room, “Elder Offense, we found a secret door!”
He gets up from the terminal, “Activate your lights, we’re going in.”
They walk into a separate room, “But, Elder, the hallway is fully lit.”
He walks up to the secret door, only to see what the soldier says is true. He takes point, “File behind me, watch for traps, I’ll take point.”
He slowly begins to walk down a staircase, which is lit up by lamps and lanterns.
He arrives at the bottom of the staircase, and looks forward in shock.
He snaps to a salute, “Lord Louis, Lord Raven, Head Paladin Mass Offense reporting!”
Raven salutes, “Head Paladin Mass Offense, status?”
The imposing stallion keeps his salute up, “Mission failed, Lord Raven, the bombs fell before we could act!”
Raven shakes his head, “Not your mission. Your squad?”
He thinks for a bit, “Unknown. Alduin hasn’t been seen since the mission, but neither have Ghorbash or Dovahkin. No investigation has been given.”
Louis steps forward, “Then let’s search for them. Raven, you remember where they fought?”
Raven nods, “To the north, the quarry near Crystal Way. Head Paladin, would you be willing to accompany us on our investigation?”
Mass Offense looks back to his soldiers, “Report back to Filly, Paladin Dove is in charge until I return.”
The soldiers nod, “Of course, Elder. But what about the talisman?”
Louis smiles, “Oh, the Resurrection Talisman?” He looks over to a nearby counter, and grabs a necklace. It seems to glow golden in the little light. Louis tosses it over to Mass Offense, “Were you looking for it?”
He catches it in his armored hoof, and looks at it, “Yes... we were. I was going to find Raven and bring him back with it. Turns out I didn’t need to. I’ll keep it with me, just in case.”
His soldiers smile, “Very well, Elder. We’ll continue our duties as usual.”
Raven waits for the soldiers to disappear, then he faces Mass Offense, “How the Tartarus are you still alive?”
Bedlam speaks up, “Sorry, but I seem to be out of the loop. Do you know this Steel?”
Offense looks down at the filly, “Watch your tongue, Mark.”
Bedlam scoffs, “Like Tartarus I will! I see a Steel, and I’ll call him a Steel!”
Raven moves between them, “Woah, woah, calm down.”
Bedlam spits, “Calm down? These Steel bastards have done nothing to ever help me, all they’ve done is steal! Do you know how many fillies have died because these Steels decided to take all the good weapons? Too many to count, Raven, too many!”
Offense looks towards Raven, “We have offered them protection for decades, but they never agreed! It’s not our fault that their leader is selfish and stubborn! I bet she doesn’t even know many Rangers have been lost in an effort to protect ponies. They could’ve been protected too!”
Bedlam steps towards him, “Your demands were outrageous! You asked us to give up our entire identity! The very thing that makes us us!”
Offense looks back down to her, “We only ask that you change your name! The Cutie Mark Crusaders are gone, and they don’t need a group of selfish fillies to take their title! Just call yourself the Crusaders, or the Marks, we wouldn’t have cared!”
Bedlam looks to Raven, “I’d like to know how you two know each other.”
Offense does the same, “I’d like to know why you are traveling with her.”
Raven looks towards Bedlam, “This is Head Paladin Mass Offense, who has been my most loyal soldier. Ever since he turned against Celestia as a Corporal and fought alongside Dovahkin and Ghorbash until he was Head Paladin. I trust this stallion with my life, and I’ve trusted him with the lives of others many times before. Although you must now be, what, 236?”
Offense shakes his head, “247, Raven. I fought against Celestia at 27.”
Raven nods, “Anyway, he’s a tough soldier, a good strategist, and a loyal friend. Now, before I tell you about Bedlam, how about you answer my original question?”
Offense nods, “Well, the magical energy from the bombs messed me up bad. Apparently, since I was at the core of the blast, I was exposed to enough Chaotic Mana to become a ghoul. That means I am immortal, like you. Though it comes at the downside of being fused to my armor. The armor is literally the only thing keeping me together.”
Raven nods, “Louis, is that possible?”
Louis nods back, “Oh yeah, a strong enough blast of Chaotic Mana could have thousands of effects on a pony. Usually death, but sometimes other things can happen. I suppose with a thick amount of armor between the Mana and victim, it could lead to immortality through the destruction of the cell’s Telomere and the replacement of it with Mana.. The chances are small, but it’s the only explanation. I mean, that is what you do as well, Raven. No other ways of immortality have been found other than the destruction of the Telomere. From what I remember of my experiments on Luna, the only thing that keeps alicorns alive so long is that their Mana automatically destroys the Telomere as soon as a cell is formed and forms a protective barrier of it’s own.”
Raven smiles, “Alright, sounds right. So, basically, I freed this filly and her friends from some Slavers, and she decided to tag along. Now, how about we all just get along?”
Offense and Bedlam look at each other. Offense extends a hoof, “Let’s just forget about the past.”
Bedlam takes his hoof, and shakes, “Gladly.”
Raven nods, “Good, now then, onwards to the quarry!”
The five step out from the building. Louis draws back from the brightness. But, because of the cloud cover, his eyes adapt quickly. He blinks, and looks out over the landscape.
His eyes take in the entirety of the destroyed horizon. Once great buildings in the distance have turned into crumbling ruins, and the road has devolved into a bunch of cobbles scattered everywhere.
Louis shakes his head, “Oh... Nullam... what happened? How could it get this bad?”
Raven puts a hoof on his shoulder, supporting him, “It’s bad, Louis, it’s really bad. This is what happens when we don’t go far enough, and when we allow our enemy to go farther. It can be repaired, Louis, don’t forget that.”
Louis takes a second more, then nods, “Alright... let’s go.”
———
The five walk down the road to the north, until they stumble across a river. Bedlam smiles, “Could we take a water break?”
Raven nods, “Alright, sure. Louis, you need a drink?”
Louis shakes his head, “I’m good with just emotions. But I could use a little sit down.”
They walk down to the river bank, where Bedlam leans over for a drink. Raven shudders as he sees the filthy water, “That cannot be good for you.”
Mass Offense nods, “Believe me, it is not. Any pre-war pony drink that, they’d be vomiting their guts up. Nowadays, ponies have grown used to it. I’ll always prefer purified water, either way. Tastes less radioactive.”
Bedlam looks up from her drinking, “Yeah, we can’t afford purified, so I’d prefer if you stopped talking about it. Water is water, everything needs it, even if dirty.”
Bedlam goes back for a drink, only to jump back with a yelp.
The others all instantly sit up, and hear her shout, “Body!”
Louis acts first, rushing into the water. He sees the body in the river, face down, and drags it out with his own teeth.
He flips the body onto the bank, and quickly begins checking over him. Louis puts his ear to the stallion’s heart, and listens closely. After a few seconds, he shakes his head, “He’s dead.”
Raven moves closer, and looks at the stallion. A brown earth pony, dreadlocks for both hair and beard, red cloth over his head, and a white shirt with puffed up sleeves. A sword, and an old fashioned pistol sit on his side.
Raven shakes his head, “Let’s search him, see if we can find any information about what happened.”
Raven reaches down to his body, and searches it. In the end, all he finds is a note attached to a flare gun. It simply says ‘Pirates no longer’.
Raven looks up to Louis, “Not much information. At most, I can assume he was a pirate. There’s also this flare gun, which I’ll keep just in case.”
As Raven slips the flare gun away, he hears a rumbling from above.
Everyone looks up, and can barely see the shapes of airships above the cloud cover. Mass Offense looks at them, “Bluebloods, headed in the same direction as us. We have to move carefully.”
Louis watches them closely, “How close is the quarry?”
Offense looks towards him, “Ten minutes north.”
Louis starts to walk at a fast pace, “Then let’s go, we don’t want to be spotted.”
———
The five all rush into the quarry, leaving the road as another airship passes overhead. They all take a minute to catch their breath.
Offense looks forward, and steps onward, “This is it.”
The rest follow after, their hooves sifting through piles of bones. Some of the stone is covered in burn marks, and scratches.
Louis observes it all, “These are pony skeletons, are they not?”
Offense nods, “They are. Alduin slaughtered this entire quarry’s workers, all before they could even arrive. He was powerful, more powerful than Raven, possibly. That’s why it took two people to take him down.”
Raven nods, “Two people wielding archaic weapons that refused to so much as pick up a gun.”
Offense smiles inside his armor, “I was the gun person, Raven. They were better with those weapons anyway. I don’t think there’s any gun more powerful than their weapons. I think their armor was even more powerful than your own RA, Raven. Besides, they were Orcs, they’re stubborn.”
Mass Offense walks up a slope, everyone else following behind him. He arrives at the crest of the hill, and looks down into the quarry.
He stops for a second, “Holy shit... they did it.”
Raven steps up beside him, and looks down into the quarry.
A giant dragon skeleton fills it, wings completely detached from the main body. The main crown on it, though, is an axe implanted into it’s skull.
Offense slides down the slope to the skeleton, and the others all follow him.
He looks at the axe, and shakes his head, “Dovahkin...” He puts his hoof onto the skull, “Thank you.” He looks up at the axe, “Your memory shall not fade!”
Offense hops onto the skull, the bone cracking under his heavy metal hooves.
He grabs the axe, and pulls it free. The skull clatters to the ground, so does the rest of the body.
Offense lands on his back, and places the axe next to him.
Yet, as he does that, everyone else hears a weird chittering. Bedlam shakes her head, and pulls out her SAR, “Shit, hatchlings!”
Creatures begin to pour out of every crevice. Little bipedal dragons, much like Spike, with their claws grown out much more.
Offense looks at the hatchlings, and throws himself in front of everyone else, “Get behind me!”
Bedlam shakes her head as he holds up the axe, “What the fuck are you going to do with that?!”
Offense glares forward, “Dovahkin, you shall not be forgotten! Wuuthrad, grant me his skill and knowledge!” He holds the axe up as the hatchlings near, “Come on you hatchlings! Fus! Ro! Dah!”
One hatching charges towards Offense, mouth opening to let out a harsh screech. Yet, that screech is cut short as Wuuthrad separates it’s body and head. The hatching tumbles to the ground, blood evaporating from the power of Wuuthrad’s enchantments.
Another approaches, ready to slash with it’s elongated claws. Yet, before it can swing, the arm is cut off. Magical fire fills the hatchling’s body, burning it to death from inside.
Two of them charge together, planning on outnumbering the pony. Yet, one of them quickly turn to ash as the shots from his CLM impacts it. The other charges forward without hesitation, claws leaving scratch marks on the armor. Offense shoves the hatchling back with his shoulder, and decapitates it once more as it stumbles back.
Three of them come, and are quickly killed. One is gunned down by laser fire, one is hit by Wuuthrad, and one is knocked over by the body of his comrade. Using the moment of unbalance, Offense lands a deep cut, melting the organs of the hatchling.
The fifty hatchlings all stand on top of the hill of bones, looking down at Offense. Then, the hill of bones begins to rumble, and bones begin cascading down.
Offense takes a step back as a gigantic creature reveals itself. It stands tall, the little absorbing into it’s dark grey scales. It’s eyes glare down with anger and rage, the red glow reflecting off Offense’s armor. The dragon takes notice of Offense, and smiles, “You.”
Offense takes a step back, and raises his CLM, “Alduin!”
Raven rushes up next to Offense, drawing his own gun, “How is he still alive?! Didn’t Dovahkin kill him!?”
Alduin shakes his head, “How foolish of you to assume those Ogiim would get the chance. They hit me, they almost killed me, but they were too late. They both died in that explosion, right aside me! The Dovahkin never got the chance to absorb my soul!”
Offense growls, and holds Wuuthrad up with both hooves, “Then I’ll put you down for good, Alduin! For Dovahkin, for Ghorbash!”
Alduin laughs, and leans back, “Yol Toor Shu-”
But right before he can say the final syllable, he is hit. His Thu’um is replaced with a yell of pain, and one of his eyes close as a gunshot rings out.
Offense takes advantage of the opportunity, charging towards Alduin. He fires as much as he can into the yelling mouth of Alduin, filling it with the energy of lasers. Offense then uses his enhanced strength to jump high into the air, holding Wuuthrad up.
He brings it down onto Alduin’s snout, hanging right in front of the dragon’s mouth. Alduin looks at the pony in front of him, “Yol!”
A burst of fire hits Offense, heating him beyond the point of survivability for any normal pony.
Yet when the fire stops, Offense still hangs there. His armor glows a fiery red, like it was right out of the forge.
Alduin growls, “Your friends are dead, give up!”
Offense yells, and frees Wuuthrad. He jumps into Alduin’s open mouth, which Alduin promptly closes.
Bedlam flies up as far as her little wings can carry her, “No!”
She loads her SAR with AP rounds, and begins to fire wildly at Alduin. The rounds barely pierce through his scales, causing him to continue yelling.
Raven rushes forward with his SCPR, and fires the hot plasma into Alduin’s chin.
Yet, as they fire, Alduin suddenly collapses over. Everyone stops firing as his head hits the ground, and they can all see one thing.
An axe piercing through his skull.
Mass Offense cuts the rest of the way through, emerging through the top of Alduin’s head covered in blood and brains. He holds the axe up high, and yells with the rest of his strength, “Dovahkin!”
Offense then collapses over, laying back down into Alduin’s brain. Yet, the softness doesn’t last for long, as the entirety of Alduin’s body burns away.
It all collects itself into a mass of ash, and flies towards Offense. When it touches him, he lights up the same red as it, and it disappears into him.
Offense rolls over onto his back, coughing up a storm. The bed of bones below him clatter and clack, and everyone rushes over to him.
They begin checking over him, until they hear an unfamiliar voice speak, “Quite an impressive takedown, I must admit. Round of applause from me.”
Raven looks over, and sees a stallion standing there. He wears a brown duster, one that blends into his coat. The only thing not brown or black about him is a pair of green eyes that look down over Offense.
The stallion smiles, and takes a flask out of his pocket. He tosses it over to Raven, “Here you go, as long as you allow me to loot the corpse.”
Raven catches the healing potion, and nods to the stranger. He quickly pours the healing potion into the RA’s medical systems, and it begins to administer it to Offense.
The stallion trots over, and squats down in front of Offense, “That was a real ballsy move there, partner. Got yourself real hurt with that one. Turned out for the best, though, didn’t it?”
Mass Offense regains some consciousness, and looks up at the stallion, “Yeah... that’s why I did it.”
The stallion laughs a bit, “Good on you, then. Course, you wouldn’t been able to do that if I didn’t put out that things eye.”
Offense smiles beneath his armor, “What... is your name?”
The stallion smiles, “Well, I’m Brown Smith, though most know me by my work name as Courier.”
Raven looks over at the stallion, “Brown Smith. Like, Black Smith?”
Brown Smith shrugs, “Can’t say I’m rightly sure, all I remember is waking up in some odd freezer pod type thing about two years back.”
Mass Offense interrupts the two, “Brown Smith... you are still aware we are surrounded by hatchlings?”
Brown Smith takes a second to process the question, then his eyes widen, “Aw shit.”
The hatchlings all begins to growl and approach closer.
But then three ships break through the cloud cover above, and do a strafing run on the hatchlings. When they finish their firing, they turn around and fire into the crowd indiscriminately.
The six ponies dive for cover, and wait for a minute until the airship guns finally die down.
Raven peeks from cover, and sees the airship hovering there. A speaker comes out the bottom of it, and a pony speaks into it, “We come to you with a simple request.”
Raven reaches into his bag, and shoots randomly at the airship.
A flare flies out of the gun, and goes far above the airship. It burns red in the air, and falls back down.
The airship opens it’s doors, and pegasi fly out, “Surrender Mass Offense and the Resurrection Talisman, and we will let you go freely!”
Bedlam looks at the others, and smiles, “Don’t worry, Raven, I have a plan. Just give me some time, two days at most, okay?”
Raven looks at her, “What is this plan?”
Bedlam doesn’t respond, and instead picks up Mass Offense from the ground. She drags him out into the middle of the quarry, where pegasi land to meet her. She smiles, “Here is the Steel, as you requested. Talisman right on his neck there. I only have one question, can I come with?”
The head of the squad looks at her. Officer Loo recognizes her, “You want to come with us?”
She nods, “Oh yeah, it’s so boring here on the ground, and I’ve heard good things of the sky.”
Officer Loo exchanges glances with his fellows, and nods, “Okay, if you wish.”
Raven jumps up as Bedlam flies away with the others. His eyes glow a slight red, and he growls, “She’s betrayed us!”
Louis jumps up as well, and places a hoof on Raven’s shoulder, “Calm down, Raven! She said she had a plan, trust her.”
Raven looks at him, and the red slowly fades from his eyes, “Right... you’re probably right.”
Raven drops to the ground, “Well... shit. We’ve got to come up with a plan.”
Brown Smith smiles at the two of them, “Hey, don’t worry, I’m still with you if you want me. No offense, but you don’t look like ponies who have been around for long.”
Raven looks up, “Around?”
Brown Smith nods, “The Wasteland, you know. You both don’t seem like you’re real experienced in it. Figure you could use my own experience.”
Louis looks into the distance, “Shush.”
Brown looks over at him, “Well that’s kinda rude.”
Louis holds up a hoof, “Listen closely, and look where I am looking.”
They both shut up, and look out the opening to the quarry. As they focus, they can hear a slight rumbling.
Louis narrows his eyes at the oncoming dust cloud. The bones around them begin to clatter, and he looks towards Raven and Brown, “Either there’s something giant coming our direction, or we’re about to be hit by an earthquake and dust storm. In either situation, we need to take cover. Now.”
All three of them rush to a nearby pile of bones, and take cover behind it. The rumbling sound only grows louder, and bones begin to fall off the pile from the tremors put into the ground.
The sound eventually grows to be near deafening, until a voice breaks over it. A stallion shouts, “Brakes! Reel up the mast!”
The sound of bones being sent flying is heard all around, and a loud screeching noise cuts over it. All three ponies can hear the sound of wood scraping against stone, and feel bones fly over them and behind them.
A good five seconds pass, until Raven peeks his head over the pile of bones. He is so shocked by what he sees that he leaves cover entirely in order to truly take it in. Brown does the exact same, with only Louis standing and looking slightly normal.
What sits on the bones on the quarry is truly a sight to behold. One that seems almost impossible. Yet, here it is, right before them.
A pirate ship, like one taken straight from the ocean, with wheels. It towers over the three ponies, and they all see a large crew scrambling around to get things done. Cannons point out of the side. Old cannons, not laser or miniature, but very strong in brute force. The wood on the ship is painted very nicely, not even scratched, just slightly dented or having a slight amount of ash on the side.
A platform on some ropes is thrown over the side of the ship, an earth pony standing on top of it. He seems identical to the pony found dead in the river, only with a dark overcoat and tricorn hat instead. He smiles, and steps aside on the plank, “Welcome aboard!”
Brown Smith takes a tentative step on the plank, and Louis walks on as well. Raven looks at his friend with confusion, and then back to the stallion, “Who are you? Why the hell are you here?”
The stallion nods, “Captain Sparrow, mate, Captain of the Black Peral. As for the why, well, that should be obvious, mate. You shot that flare gun, and now we are your personal taxi service, so to speak.”
Raven slowly steps on the plank, and they are pulled up by a rope wrapped around it. Louis looks over at Sparrow, “So, uh, Sparrow, how’d you get this ship?”
Sparrow smiles as they are pulled further up, “Was approached by a Captain, name of Barbossa. He recruited me, then died, then everyone else died, then I took over after finding a cloning machine. Then I killed myself and took control of the boat from his evil ass.”
Louis looks at the boat, especially at the name on the front of it, “How’d he get it?”
Sparrow shrugs, “I personally have no idea. He said it just fell from the sky, though I say he’s a bad liar.”
Louis looks away from Sparrow, and towards the ship again.
The plank finally reaches the deck, allowing the three to exit onto the deck swarming with Sparrow clones.
Sparrow turns towards them, “So, where are you off too?”
Raven looks at the other two, and thinks deeply, “Ponyville, I think. Ponyville would be best.”
The ship sets off from the quarry, going surprisingly fast for something of it’s size. What was once to be a two day trot is now a two hour drive. The ship turns onto the destroyed road, and Captain Sparrow shouts out to the others, “Sails at full mast!”
The clones rush up to the side of the ship, and untie the ropes keeping the sails up. One of them climbs into the crow’s nest, and lights up a match. He throws it at the masts, causing fire to come from behind them.
The ship picks up in speed from the magical rockets attached to the sails, going nearly two times as fast. Almost a hundred kilometers an hour.
Louis rushes to the side of the ship, looking off in wonder. Raven trots beside him, “I am really impressed by these people. They must be smarter than I once thought to make this.”
Louis looks over at him, “They didn’t make it, at least, I hope not. I believe these ponies are smart, yes, but not smart enough to make this. That, and the fact it’s named the Black Pearl? Yeah, forgive me if I don’t believe they made it.”
Raven raises an eyebrow, “What’s wrong with the Black Pearl name? I mean, others might be savages, but this Captain seems to be good. Either way, doesn’t his name remind you of something?”
Louis smirks, “Doesn’t the name Black Pearl remind you of something?”
Raven shakes his head, “No, it doesn’t. But, seriously, I find this to be too big a coincidence to be pure happenstance. Captain Sparrow, the third best Wonderbolt.”
Louis raises an eyebrow back, “Really? This group shares the name of one of the Wonderbolts?”
Raven nods, “Think about what we’ve seen these three days, Louis. Mass Offense turning up at the same place, at the same time as me? When I’ve been dead two hundred years? Brown Smith? Captain Sparrow? Three ponies from before the war, this is no coincidence.”
Louis holds up a hoof, “Wait, Brown Smith is from before the war?”
Raven looks over, seeing Smith chatting animatedly with Captain Sparrow, “Yes, he is. He was born two years before the bombs.”
Louis smiles slightly, “Wait, hold up a second. Is this why you and Sweetie Belle were unable to go to our annual meetup?”
Raven laughs a bit, “Oh, I completely forgot to apologize for that! Uh, sorry, but we managed to do it anyway.”
Louis nods, “Yeah, yeah, I know. Believe me, nobody held it against you. We assumed you and Sweetie were on a date. And you already know that we’ve accidentally stopped them before because of stuff like that.”
Raven smiles, “Like all those times you and Scootaloo decided to go racing. You know, never found out if something was going on there.”
Louis loses his smile, and looks down, “The war was more important, Raven. We didn’t have the privilege of peace like you and Sweetie.”
Raven places a hoof on Louis’s shoulder, “Hey, hey, don’t worry. There is no war here. We can reforge Equestria, Louis, because our Stables did their job.”
Louis smiles, “Okay, okay, let’s return to what we were saying before. So, Brown Smith is from before the war? And it required both you and Sweetie?”
Raven nods, “Well, Brown Smith was the child of Black Smith, and so I needed to be there for my friend. Sweetie needed to be there for her sister.”
Louis snaps his head towards Raven, “Wait, hold up. Brown Smith is Rarity’s child?”
Raven shushes him, “Not so loud, please. Brown obviously doesn’t remember, and I don’t really want him to find out. He would be devastated. He seems very, very useful to us. He was fatally ill, and had to be magically cured. It turned him into a teenager instantly, and then the bombs fell two years later. He must have gotten into Stable 13, where ponies were frozen.”
Louis looks over at Brown Smith again, “So, he’s technically four years old?”
Raven nods, “Yes, well, technically two hundred and four. But, outside of being frozen, he is four. But he has the mind and body of a twenty year old.”
Louis shakes his head, “And he seems to only have memory of his time in this forsaken place. Well, you know about the Black Pearl? It was a creation by Scootaloo, and I’m going to find the plans for it in Ponyville. Captain Sparrow, if he was a Wonderbolt, must have had some special thing to be able to use this ship.”
Raven looks ahead, seeing Ponyville up ahead, “I will find Twilight. She must have had something to help us break out Mass Offense.”
Up above them, Captain Sparrow looks at Brown Smith, “So, mate, you going to do anything in this town?”
Brown looks at the town, “Hmm... I don’t know. Something seems to be calling me, something seems... familiar.”
Brown Smith climbs off the ship, taking down the elevator after Raven and Louis have left. Sparrow tosses a sword to him, smiling, “Here, mate. I’ll teach you how to use it later.”
Smith catches it, “Thanks, Sparrow. Don’t worry, though, I know how to use a sword a bit.”
Sparrow activates the elevator, sending Smith to the ground below.
Smith draws his rifle, moving into Ponyville proper.
The town sits in ruins, buildings collapsed, skeletons everywhere on the streets, factories no longer letting out their endless smoke. Carriages blown to the sides of the streets, Ponyville has become a nightmare.
Smith raises a hoof to his head as a sudden headache overtakes it. He growls as it subsides, and looks back up. The streets are oddly familiar, and Smith feels oddly compelled to walk down some of them.
Smith follows his instinct, going down a street that is oddly well preserved. He hears scampering down nearby alleyways, and raises his rifle up.
There is a single building at the end of the street, preserved perfectly compared to everything else. He walks quicker, odd flashes filling his vision as he gets closer.
He walks up to the front door, pulling on the handle. The thing doesn’t budge, proving itself locked. A keypad sits next to the door, calling Smith’s eye.
He moves up to it, tilting his head. Once again, visions assault his mind, and he looks at it again. This isn’t a numerical keypad, but a voice activated one.
He places his hoof on it, and words come to his mouth, “Black plus White.”
The door unlocks, and a robotic voice speaks, “Welcome home, Master Brown.”
Smith hears scampering from behind him, and spins around.
A creature scrambles out into the middle of the street. Something akin to a Griffon in it’s basic form. But it has claws far overgrown, a body bare of feathers, and with scales made of stone all over it. It’s eagle eyes snap onto Smith, and it lets out a piercing screech.
Other Griffon creatures appear from the alleys, letting out similar screeches.
Smith quickly raises his rifle, letting loose a shot at the nearest one. The bullet bounces off it’s stone scales, but the creature lets out a screech of pain anyway.
Smith rams his back against the door as more begin to approach towards him. He slides the bolt back, and raises his rifle again.
Time slows to a standstill, Smith aiming perfectly. He fires, and one Griffon creature falls as a bullet burrows through it’s eye.
Smith opens the door behind him, moving inside, and slamming it closed.
Griffon creatures slam into it, letting out screeches of pain. Smith holds the door closed, using all of his strength.
A robotic voice comes from behind him, “Shall I activate the defenses, Master Brown?”
Smith nods, “Yes, yes, please!”
The robotic voice laughs, “Oh, I never got to use this before!”
Smith can hear mechanical whirring outside. Then, he hears two separate noises. The sound of gas, like a blowtorch, and the sound of a gun spinning up.
Within two seconds, he can hear a minigun start going off, and can feel heat.
The screeches pick up in volume, but the door has all pressure taken away from it. He can then hear slamming from outside, and he backs up from the door.
The robotic voice speaks up, “Flame defenses, minigun defenses, and steel encasement. Those nasty savages won’t be breaking through anytime soon.”
Smith turns around, surprised to see a robot flying there. He slightly smiles, “Uh, hello, I am Brown Smith.”
The robot leans closer, “I already know, Master Brown. Do you not remember me?”
Smith shakes his head, “Uh, no, you must have me confused with somepony else. I’m sorry, but I don’t think I belong here. Truly, truly sorry, but may I be able to stay here for a bit?”
The robot leans further away, “Oh, I’m not mistaken, my software nor hardware has not been damaged that much. If you don’t recognize me, dare I say it, your software might be damaged. Then again, it has been two hundred years, you might just be a descendant of Master Brown.”
Smith smiles, “Courier, please, call me Courier. I don’t like that title.”
The robot floats up a bit, “Very well, Courier Brown. You may explore as much as you want.”
Smith nods as the robot flies away, his head motion causing his eye to catch something. A metal door in the staircase.
He walks up to it, finding a lock on it as well. Another voice keypad sits next to it. Memories assault Smith, and he shakes his head.
He presses down the button, and speaks clearly, “The juice is burnt.”
The door opens up, another robotic voice speaking, “Welcome home, Mistress Smith.”
Smith looks inside, seeing a staircase heading down. Lights flicker on, casting the room in a clean white light.
He walks down, surprised by how clean the area is. He takes a final step, and lights flicker on.
He looks ahead, and his eyes instantly lock onto something. Two skeletons, locked in embrace. He slowly walks closer, his head hurting with a new migraine.
He looks down near the skeletons, and instantly spots something. A picture, laying next to them.
He picks it up, and takes a look. He instantly drops it down, overwhelmed with memory.
His birth, his condition, the magical cure.
Uncle Raven, looking over him, casting his magic. Aunt Sweetie, singing a calming song, keeping him quiet even as pain overwhelms him.
Suddenly older, his childhood gone, but determined to live it out. Listening to his father when he entered the place Brown was never supposed to. The place he is now in.
That picture, Brown standing proud with Rarity and Black, holding up his first gun.
He recovers, and notices something shiny next to the picture. He leans down, and looks closer.
It is a ring, golden, with a shining opal inside of it. And below it, a tape. Brown touches the tape, causing it to play.
“Oh Luna, Black... what are we going to do?”
“I... I didn’t want to do it this way. But, Rarity, will you marry me?”
“Black, I... I have always wanted this. Oh, oh no, we won’t be able to love. You were my Prince Charming, but there is no happily ever after. Yes, yes, I will. For these last few minutes.”
“Rairty, or, White Smith, I don’t think you realize what this ring is. It is a Ring of Strength. Put it on, please, you’ll be able to survive.”
“Without you? What type of life would it be to marry the one I love right before he dies? No, no, I can’t. I love you too much to leave you behind in the afterlife.”
“Oh, Rarity...”
“Don’t worry, Brown will survive. Come on, if these are our last moments, we will spend them in embrace.”
Tears fall from Brown’s eyes, splashing against the tape. He looks up to the skeletons, and picks up the ring. He puts it on his hoof, and smiles, “Don’t worry, mom, dad, I’m still here.”
He jumps in surprise as the robotic voice speaks up from behind him, “And I am still here, Courier Brown.”
He turns around, and suddenly recognizes the robot, “Oh, Luna, I didn’t even know it was you, Gunny.”
Gunny floats a bit higher, “Indeed you didn’t, Courier Brown. Now, come on, we have a legacy to carry on.” The robot opens a compartment on it’s side. It reaches in, and draws a rifle, good as new, “Your father left something in his will, for you.”
Brown Smith takes the rifle, looking it over, “This looks unique.”
Gunny closes the compartment, drawing a pistol from another, “It is, Browny. It uses a powerful type of bullet that is completely silent, and will shock anything it hits. He called it Thundersmith.”
Brown cocks it, and smiles, “Semi to full auto, bolt just in case, scope, nice wooden stock, designed to last.” He looks at the skeletons on the floor, “How would I get the special bullets?”
Gunny tosses him a magazine, “I produce them automatically. Your father had everything planned out.”
Brown slams the magazine in, setting it to semi auto, “Come on, we have some monstrosities to kill.”
Raven pushes open the door of the treehouse. It creaks open, and breaks completely off it’s hinges. It crashes down, throwing dust into the air. Raven takes a step back from it, letting the dust clear out. After a few seconds, he walks into the library.
He instantly spots something, the disturbed skeleton of a unicorn. A few of it’s bones are scattered, but it maintains a normal form still.
Raven can instantly spot it as Twilight, from the six pointed stars inscribed on her bones. A successful experiment about the use of runes inside of a pony.
A sheet of paper sits at her hooves. Raven moves closer, and levitates it up to his eyes.
The writing is fanciful cursive, with very few mistakes. The writing of Twilight.
’It’s dark. I can barely see anything, I think there’s debris covering the window. Or maybe it’s just that bad outside... is there even an outside anymore? Is this even Equestria, or some nightmare dimension I’ve been sent to?
No, this is Equestria... this is it’s fate. I knew something like this was coming, but I didn’t know quick enough. I really should’ve made my magical enchantments stronger, maybe reinforcing the entire library. Not enough time, not enough help, not enough magic, not enough friendship.
They were all busy with this war, all of them. Inspiring troops, fighting, building, healing, producing. I seem to have lost my friends before I lost the world. I’ve become too much like myself, my nose buried in a book in order to impress someone. No longer Celestia, no longer a student, but a true scientist for Raven. Is this what all those adventures were supposed to lead to? A return to my old self with less than I had before?
I’m all alone. Truly alone. Before, I could at least spare a word to Spike or Rarity. Not anymore. I doubt that they survive, they never had the runes. Spike... I hope he is okay. He left a few hours before the bombs, eyes glowing red, taken by the dragon, Alduin. He’s a dragon, if any could survive, it would be him.
Me as well, I suppose. Though I hardly call this living. All four of my legs are broken, I think, I can’t feel anything below my neck anymore. My horn is cracked, and I’m using the very last of my magic to write this.’
The ink suddenly changes from black to red.
’Ran out of ink, and I can’t get anymore. My legs are broken. It’s surprisingly easy to tell, even without a medical license, when your shin bone is touching the wooden floor. It’s bleeding a lot, as well, though the runes will stop me dying from that.
I don’t know if anyone will even ever read this. If anypony is even alive out there.
No, that’s a lie. There are ponies. There are other creatures, but there are ponies. I can feel it, through my old connections to the Element of Magic. Friendship between ponies is still out there, and more friendships are being made at a surprising rate.
I suppose when they say friendship is forged by fire, they meant it literally.
I still don’t know if anypony will read this, or if they will even know who I am. I was just one of the old Bearers. Not a Lord or a Lady or anything more than a scientist.
I could live. I have enough mana and knowledge of Necromancy to bring myself back from death. There is that chance for me, where I could lead the new race of ponies into a period of friendship and harmony.
As if.
This is not my world, they are not my ponies, not anymore. My golden age has passed, I have no reason left to live, let alone lead Equestria. I’m no Princess in this world, haven’t been for twenty years. I’m simply that scientist who happens to be an alicorn.
It’s getting painful to write. I will switch it over to voice.’
The red ink still appears, but a lot more blocky and computer like.
’My life has reached it’s conclusion, I feel. I would rather enjoy my afterlife with my friends than lead this world.
Is that so selfish?
Maybe. But I’ve been so Harmonic in my life, I can get a little chaos at the end. It doesn’t sound very logical, does it? Choosing death when life is so readily available. I’m not choosing death, I’m choosing my friends. Maybe the world will suffer because of it. But the world needs to take care of itself. Celestia, Luna, Raven, even I have always kept this world from any potential harm. That made it weak, and it has to learn the hard truth.
Wait.
There’s knocking at the door.
It must just be debris, nopony would bother...
Hello, who’s there?
The door is unlocked, you just have to push real hard!
What the Tartarus?
What are you?!
Wait, Blueblood!?
What happened? How are you alive?
You’re an alicorn?!
No, what are you talking about? You’re already an alicorn, you already hold great power!
Really, you think you are just going to kill me?
You may be the Prince, you may be the King, but I don’t give a shit! I am Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia’s protege, smartest pony, and best magician in all of Equestria! Go ahead, shoot me, I’ll catch the bullet!
Three alicorns? Cadence and Luna died as well?
You traitorous bastard! How could you just kill them like that?!
This is what you wanted the entire time? You... you shall not leave this building alive!
Decay!’
The letter suddenly ends with that last word. The casting of magic.
Raven looks up, his mind instantly put into thought. Blueblood was alive, he killed Twilight.
Blueblood’s Enclave.
Raven throws the letter down, a red glow starting to build in his eyes. His mind is overtaken by rage, an angry voice no longer whispering, but yelling in his ear.
He begins to breathe harder, sending red dust flying.
He charges out of the treehouse, and towards the ship, with his hooves stomping down hard enough to leave a print in the stone path.
