> Fallout Equestria: Warriors of The Fallen > by The One FreePony > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > For Equestria. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- PonyVille Twilight slowly opened her eyes, and she could faintly see her breath in the freezing Cryo-Pod. The small window was glazed over with Ice, but just clear enough that Twilight could see into the pod across from her. She spotted the distinct rainbow colored mane of her pegasi friend, Rainbow Dash. She looked around the tiny space, balling her fists and giving the pod a good whack. She heard over the loudspeaker outside, “Cryo-Pod malfunction, releasing resident.” With that, her pod door opened and out she fell, struggling to get up after 200 years of forced sleep. She propped up on her knee and hoisted her form into the air, glancing around the subterranean room. Six pods filled the space. She jumped to the adjacent pod window, peering inside at her friend’s comatose form. She pulled a red lever on the control panel next to the capsule. “Manual Override Initiated. Waking Resident.” The announcer spoke again, and the familiar color of Rainbow Dash’s Cerise eyes slowly opened. Her pod released the door, swinging upward. Twilight hugged her half-awake companion. “Dashie!” Twilight said, glad to have her friend awake. “H-Huh…?” Dash looked around before returning Twilight’s hug. “W-...What happened...How long was I out…?” “We.” She corrected. “I think...It’s been 200 years…” “Wait wait! Hold the phone, You’re telling me, We’re all 200 years older?!” She looked to Twi like she’d grown a second head. “I believe so, yes.” She released Rainbow. Dash got out of her pod, and looked around at the room they were confined in. “Where’s AJ? Fluttershy?” “I think they’re in the other pods. Lets go check.” The 2 released their friends from the capsules they were enclosed in, exchanging hugs and ‘happy to see you’ greetings. The Mane 6 congregated to the center of the room, and Twilight explained what she thought had happened. “Okay. Vault-Tec put us under for 200 years in these pods. Last I remember, while skimming the contract, it said these pods were never meant to malfunction. Mine opened on it’s own, that’s how I got Rainbow out. And then you guys.” She breathed, still recovering from her coma. “Ah, Twi, y’all sayin’ we’re 200 years older than we were? Y’all sure?” Applejack straightened her cowboy hat and look at Twilight sideways. “Yeah...That would be odd if we were...How would we be alive…?” Fluttershy added weekly. “This Vault suit is so un-trendy. It itches too!” Rarity complained tugging on the tight fitting blue and yellow bodysuit. “Guys, We have to work together. We have to get out of this Vault. We have homes and friends to return to. Spread out, see if you can find a door or something.” Twi instructed. With that, the group broke off into pairs. After a minute or so of looking, Rainbow Dash called from one end of the room, “I found a door!” The group formed around the door, and Twilight led the band through the hallway behind it. Their standard boots thumped on the Vault’s tile floor. Trash and debris were strewn about the seemingly deserted underground safehouse. Twilight laid eyes on a mutant-ishly large roach, holding the others back with a protective arm. “Hold on, this thing looks-” She was cut off by a blood-curdling scream from Rarity. “EEEUUUUGH! THAT’S FUCKING DISGUSTING!” She screamed, alerting 5 more of the bugs to drop from the ceiling. They skittered towards the band of 6, triggering AJ, Rainbow, and Twilight to batter the bugs with clenched fists. Making short work of the overgrown pests, they wiped bug innards from their hands. “Rarity, next time, keep your mouth shut.” Rainbow felt the need to scold the unicorn. “I absolutely despise bugs!” She opened her mouth like she was throwing up. “Euuugh…” She shivered. “C’mon. Let’s keep moving.” Twilight redirected the quarreling 2. Moving quickly through the Vault, and dealing with the occasional group of roaches, they had made it to the entrance. 6 bleached skeletons lie on the floor, with an odd device around their arms. Twilight took on and strapped it around her arm. The device powered up. “Guys, grab one. It says this is the way to open the door.” Following suit, each one grabbed a Pip-Boy. While Twilight worked the Vault Door control console, Rainbow had walked and came back with 6 identical 10 millimeter pistols, with ammunition to spare. “Guys, here, I found these in a supply closet. There’s also one of these needle things for each of us. Said they were called Stimpaks.” Rainbow handed each of her friends a pistol, ammo, and a Stimpak. Twilight finally hit the right button, which popped the glass cover over the Vault Door Override. She looked at her friends, receiving a nod from each. With a press of the button and a blare of an alarm, the huge, lead lined door heaved open. They walked across the bridge to the elevator, boarding and heading up to their homes. Or so they thought. Light blinded the band of 6, as they were shown a landscape they never thought to see. All traces of green were gone. Everything was a sickly and withered color brown. Trees were barren, grass was all but extinct. Then they laid eyes on their homes. Ponyville was completely destroyed. Twilight’s library had been split in half, leaving it irreparable. Twilight, for the first time in 200 years, fell to her knees, and bawled. She sobbed, and waved off her friends as they tried to comfort her. “...Go...see what’s left of your homes...Meet back here…” She sputtered through sobs and sharp breaths. So started the tragic road of recovery, and the long journey to cope with the depressing reality that lay before them. In her Library, was the draconic skeleton of her beloved assistant Spike. Rainbow Dash took off with a swoop of her wings, trying to spot her cloud house. A patch of off white in the distance caught here eye. As he got closer, her eyes shrunk and widened, her mouth dropping open. Her cloud house, on the outskirts, lay toppled on its side and destroyed. She landed inside the broken ruins, her eyes welling up with tears. She squeezed them shut, and yelled in pain, anger, hatred, and sadness. She slammed her fist against the wall of her house. She sat against the wall and, much like Twilight, cried until her tear ducts ran dry. Scootaloo wasn't there. Rarity’s eyes were stained with ruined Mascara as her boutique had gotten it’s top blown off. Her dresses were strewn about, dirty and ripped, with all her shelves of fabric knocked over. She broke, sobbing hysterically on the floor of the former “Carousel Boutique”. SweetieBell wasn't there. AppleJack ran as fast as her farm-pony hooves could carry her. The entirety of Sweet Apple Acres, laid to waste. The barn, broken. The house, sheared in 2 by the shockwave. The Orchard, barren and with most trees felled or decayed. Slowly trotting into the ruined abode, the skeleton of her older brother, Big Mac, lay reaching for the door. Her grandmother shared Big Mac’s doom. AppleBloom wasn't there. Fluttershy shared a similar sentiment at her forest cottage, seeing that the greenery on top had been vaporized. Her house was filled with rubble. A felled tree trunk lay lodged in the wall of her once quiet and humble cottage. Her breaking point was reached when she rested her gaze on a tiny skeleton. Angel. Pinkie Pie was trying to remain jubilant in the face of tragedy. If she broke too, things were really done for. Her bakery was decapitated like most of Ponyville’s houses. The inside was trashed, her sweet creations rotten, and a sickly green. All her baking supplies had been looted. Pinkie’s radiant smile was all but murdered. Her face died away to a depressed and sorrowful. Gummy was none but a pile of bones. 3 hours had passed since the 6 disbanded and went to face the harsh truth. Twilight sat in the center of Ponyville, on the remains of the city hall. “...We lost everything…” She couldn’t help but think about what her friends were finding. Rainbow, Rarity, AJ, Fluttershy, Pinkie, all probably were destroyed inside. Their lifelong companions had most likely been murdered by a force unable to be stopped. Their lives ripped from their grasp. The Elements of Harmony were supposed to protect them against anything. By holding this power, Twilight thought they could protect Ponyville. They were so very wrong. The tight grip on the reality they held so dear was snatched from them like a baby’s toy. One by one, her friends returned, all with shattered hearts, dull eyes, and depressed forms. “...Girls…?” Twilight said, in reference to what they lost. “My home. Fallen from the sky.” Rainbow Dash sniffed. “Scootaloo...wasn't there…” “Sweet Apple Acres...Fuckin’ ruined. Everehthin’ was gone. AppleBloom...She weren't there.” AppleJack kicked the ground. “...M-My...Boutique...All my dresses...ruined…” Rarity could barely speak. Black lines of Mascara were plastered down her face. “S-SweetieBell...she...wasn't there…” “...My cottage...It was...so dead...All my animals...And…” She started to sob again. “...A-Angel...Was...D-D-Dead…” Rainbow Dash scooted closer to her and hugged her close. Pinkie Pie’s face was that of pure and unadulterated sorrow. “My whole bakery. All my treats, my baking supplies. Gummy. Gone. Rotten. Just like me.” She sniffed. Twilight looked at her friends and stood up. “...Girls, I know we’ve lost a lot. But we haven’t lost everything.” Her face was firm. “We haven’t lost each other. We’re still here. We’re still friends.” Cue an epic soundtrack, maybe the Avengers Theme. No, seriously, put that on. “As long as we can still say we have each other, we are still strong. We are still the Elements of Harmony, we are the Warriors of the Fallen, and We...Will not give up.” One by one her friends looked to her with faces of determination, pride, vengeance, justice, and strength. “We will stand. Not for what was. Not for what is. We will stand for what is to be.” Her friends stood. “Who’s with me.” Twilight outstretched her arm. Rainbow Dash joined. “I am. For Scootaloo” AppleJack next. “Ah am, Sugarcube. For AppleBloom” Rarity. “Me three, darling. For SweetieBell.” Fluttershy. “For Angel.” Pinkie stood. “For Gummy.” Twilight nodded firmly. “For Equestria.” > The Warriors of The Fallen. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight and her friends woke from the rest they all needed. Rainbow Dash yawned, and the others followed suit soon after. A rag-tag fire pit provided little light in the early morning hours on day 2 in the Equestrian Wasteland. Wrapping her fingers around her 10 Millimeter pistol, Rainbow checked the chamber for the bullet she loaded last night. Still there. She rubbed her eyes with the free hand, peering around the remains of Ponyville after. Standing up, she looked at her Pip-Boy. 5:33 AM. The rest gathered, and Twilight handed out the divided food ration she’d found yesterday. “Eat up. We have a long day ahead of us.” The group downed the food ration. Ignoring their pleading stomachs, they readied to set off. They needed to find the Princesses. Surely they would be the ones to survive such an event. All wielding their respective guns, they pressed on, crunching the dead leaves on the ground as they walked on. As they neared the edge of town, they spotted the old train station as an idea occurred to Twilight. “Maybe there’s an electric train cart or something. The ride to Canterlot is downhill. We could ride on it. Save us the energy of walking.” Twilight was indeed right. A small, battery powered personnel cart lay on a side track. As she attempted to power it on, nothing happened. The batteries were dead. “...well. That cancels that option.” She unlocked the brakes and ushered her friends onto the cart. “I’ll push.” And that she did. She pushed the heavy bogie for 3 miles, before they reached the shallow decline. She got onto the cart, and let it roll downhill. They still had awhile to go before they reached Canterlot. “Ah, Twi, How do we know the Princesses are gonna be there at awll?” AppleJack questioned, doubt prevalent in her voice. “We don’t. It’s a hunch. To be frank, AJ, everything is based off guesses now. Canterlot may not even stand. Our world is a huge If right now. The Princesses may be dead. Who knows.” She was beginning to doubt herself. What if she was wrong? “Either way, we’re gonna press on.” “Allraight. If y’all say so.” AppleJack couldn’t help but long for the taste of an apple right now. The cart picked up a bit of speed on the decline, making it seem as if they were back on the train. That was Old World thinking. No time for that anymore. Twilight pumped the brakes on the cart, trying to keep it from going too fast. Sparks flew from the brake shoes scraping on the rusted wheels. Twilight yanked the brakes hard when she saw part of the track busted. The cart wasn’t going to stop. She and her compatriots leaped from the cart, and watch it careen into a tree. Minor scrapes afflicted. Walking the rest of the way, Most of Canterlot resembled the condition that PonyVille was in. Though, The place was a lot livelier. The townsfolk had rebuilt. Somewhat. There were tents hanging outside, people walking, and a huge, rusted, off-white door dominated the city. As they approached A guard squinted, and then ran to the Elements of Harmony. “Sweet Celestia! You’re all alive! We thought for sure you were dead! Please, come inside.” The guard then ushered the 6 toward the door, for it to swing upwards and open. Downtown Canterlot. They walked through the door, and the sparkling area of the White Jewel wasn’t quite what they expected. Sure, most of the Iconic buildings that trademarked the city weren’t as they used to be, but life, after having a massive stick thrown at it, thrived with flying colors. Market places, houses, all built upon the ashes of their city prior. “Wow.” Rainbow added. “Life gave the Hooviet Union the big old ‘fuck you’ finger.” AppleJack chuckled. “Damn right Sugarcube.” The guard escorted the Mane 6 into the remains of Canterlot Castle, taking them below the public levels into a storage room. “Your Highness, Princess Celestia has left each of you a stash of weapons, ammunition, and your personal suits of P-60 Power Armor.” The guard pointed to 6 rooms, each with the Mane 6 members’ respective Cutie Mark. “Oh. Hell. Yeah.” Rainbow said, walking towards her room. Her chosen weapon was a Shredding Auto Reload Mini-gun sporting a direct ammo feed from a large belt stored in the suit. Her gear consisted of bullet proof under armor, twin pistol holders, and an electric bandoleer. Her suit of power armor was painted dull cyan, with added bullet reflection panels in suit. A surplus of fusion cores sat in the Automatic Power Armor Recharge system. She opened the suit, slowly stepping in. The suit closed around her form, the armor plates locking in place with clunks, thuds, and clicks. The inside display lit, showing cerise colored gauges, dials, and numbers. “Fuck. Yes. Scootaloo, wherever you are, I’m gonna put a belt of 9 mil rounds into someone for you.” Fluttershy lumbered into her room. Her weapon was a V.A.T.S. Enhanced Gauss Rifle sporting a variable zoom scope. Her gear was a set of enhanced vision goggles and a full body stealth suit. Her Power Armor was painted the light yellow of her coat, with noise suppressing panels on the exterior. Her displays were the light blue of her eyes. “...No more Ms. Shy. You took my Angel Bunny from me. So now I take your head off.” AppleJack opened the door to her store room, seeing a pair of 12 gauge shotguns on the wall behind the light orange suit of P-60. Putting them on her back, she donned the impact recycler body armor. The power armor opened before her eyes, with emerald green displays on the inside. Hydraulics on her legs bolstered her kicking force by 20. “AppleBloom, Ah know ya can hear me. Ahm gonna avenge you. Don’t ya forget that.” Pinkie opened the door to her room. A smile spread across her face as she saw a modified Broadsider on the rack. It was painted to resemble her party cannon. Custom, explosive cannonballs sat in the loader. Sugary food came in a large bag on the side. Her armor was the same light pink as her fur, with her blue eye color as the display. The armor rocked some spring loaded foot pads, allowing her to jump much higher than she could. “Pinkie Pie is happy again.” She looked at her Party Cannon. “You and I are gonna have so much fun.” Rarity’s room included a Syringe Rifle, an access of stimpaks, and a peculiar dress. Woven with ballistic weave, it was tougher than most body armor. Her suit was her color white, with dazzling blue displays inside. Her armor was equipped with a prototype self healer, enhancing the ability of her chems too. “And here I thought this dress would be heavy and uncomfortable. It’s quite stylish! This armor could use some touches though.” Twilight’s room included a 4 shot Missile launcher, a 2 shot Fat-Man, and an energy assisted machine gun. Her armor was dark purple, displays purple, with explosive vents on the feet. Hers, along with the other’s suits, all contained JetPacks on the back. A note from Celestia sat on the desk adjacent to her. Grabbing it and opening it, she read, “To my faithful student, Twilight Sparkle. You are sure to have a lot of questions right now. Where am I? What happened to the CMC? What happened to Equestria? I cannot answer these questions. Not yet. I am somewhere safe. Luna, Cadence, and myself are waiting for you. -Princess Celestia” Twilight nodded, and got into her armor. Entering the room at once, they looked at each other, checking out one another’s gear and suits. Twilight spoke, seemingly to everyone. “We are no longer the Elements of Harmony. The elements didn’t protect us like we thought. So, today, we will no longer bear the names of the very thing that let us down. Today, we start anew. Today, We are Warriors. Warriors of The Fallen.”