It began in Canterlot. A dark night, the new moon, and a bright sunrise. Except this time, the sun was rising of its own accord…

Nobody knew what had happened. One morning, Equestria awoke to the realisation they had been deceived. Despite the disappearance, the sun kept rising, day after day after day…

There were mixed feelings… Some believed that they had been telling lies the whole time, and fled into the Everfree forest…

Some believed that they were best gone, and that it was time to start again. These travelled into the south…

And others yet believed that they were still alive, and they would one day return, staying in Canterlot.

Ten years later, equestria is at war. Everfree troops spread its dark influence, corrupting and killing those who dare attack. Royal guards clash with them, their magic being met with foul machinations, automatons and all manner of destructive beasts. All the while, the influence of money and fame twists the fabrics of any who oppose Cloak troops. Equestria is at war, but this war goes deeper.

The time has come for new elements to be chosen, the old powers to be forgotten in the mists of time. Too much death has been sowed, too much corruption grown and too much evil reaped. The alliances of Everfree, Royal and Cloak must be stopped, lest the world falls into Chaos.

The Wrong kind of chaos.

"Focus, nuclear… Focus…" The grey unicorn whispered to himself, carefully aiming his horn at the can. His horn began to glow with clear yellow light, as he focussed his eyes at the can. "That's it… carefully… Fuck!" He shouted, as the magic shot out, smashing into the can. The huge influx of magic devoured it, leaving it ash on the stone. The magic carried on, carving its way into a nearby tree.

As the scent of burning wood rose to his face, Nuclear sighed angrily. He flicked his head slightly, brushing his thick black mane out of his face. "This is bullshit. Why can't I control it?" He shouted at the sky. With no reply, he gave a growl, walking away from the clearing. Pausing at a stream, he looked in at his reflection.

Looking back at him was a young unicorn. His eyes were a bright, unnerving yellow, with diamond pupils, like a cat's. His mane was thick and black, with a bright yellow strip that fell over his ear. His fur was dark-grey, contrasting against his cutiemark, a radiation symbol. He gave a snort when his eyes fell on it, and he gave a silent curse.

"Of all the things for me to be good at…" He muttered, as he carried on walking. His mind ticked on and off at different thoughts, making sarcastic comments in his head. The area around him was, with no other word, broken. Trees lay in splinters, flowers wilted and the grass burnt from his constant practice. It was as if his life was all one huge joke, with his cutie mark as a punch line. After all, destruction wasn't a good talent.

"Outta the way, citizen!" Came a voice. He turned, finding himself face to face with an armoured unicorn, part of Princess Sparkle's guard. His golden armour was bright and polished, and it almost hurt to look at.

"I said, Out of the way!" The guard shouted again. Nuclear blinked, stepping aside.

"Of course… Sir." He said, spitting the final addition out like it was poisonous.

The guard looked at him with a look of distaste, and carried on walking. Nuclear followed him until he was out of sight, before continuing to walk.

"Self-obsessed twat…" He commented, shaking his head and beginning to walk again. The last thing he needed was more trouble with the law.

As he made his way into his village, the first thing he noticed was a note attached to the noticeboard. "Not another bloody rule. We already have so many, it's like living on a monopony board." He said, reading it over before turning away. Continuing towards his home, he glanced up, spotting the castle upon the mountain.

Ever since the Princesses disappearance, the entire world had turned to shit. A three-way civil war raged all around, with no sight of a compromise. The Royalists, Princess Sparkle and Commander Dash, ran a tight campaign. Armed with powerful magic and a strong army, they were Dangerous foes. They ran their campaign from Canterlot, never venturing out unless necessary.

Nuclear's eyes fell once again on one of the many posters that decorate the village. It featured commander Dash, pointing out at you with the caption "You need the army, enlist today." Already, many of the people in his village had enlisted, and Nuclear was almost totally alone. Not that he minded, of course. He'd never really fitted in anyway.

Soon, he arrived at his home. Well, home was one word for it. Due to his more violent spells going amiss, he had been situated at the very edge of the village, far from anybody else. It was here that he could relax and talk to the voices in his head.

"What a day…" He sighed, as he stepped upstairs and into his room. It wasn't small, but it was heavily cluttered and left little space for much else. Turning to his telescope he peaked into the eyepiece, towards the castle. He could just see the shadows of people moving around behind closed curtains, and the occasional flash of light from one spell or another. Giving another sigh, he turned his Telescope again, now facing towards the east.

Towards the Everfree forest.

Hello everybody, JollyJape here. My first chapter seemed to get a lot of positive feedback, so I'm going to continue writing! None of the characters in this story, except for my OCs, are owned by me. The franchise of My Little Pony: Friendship is magic is property of Hasbro. Anyways, onwards!

I can't remember the last time I slept. It was definitely before the accident, I know that. Before my eyes went, and my name was sullied. Of course, when you show magic in the forest, they hate you for it.

"Stand up straight, Scum!" The guard shouts in my ear, and I flinch at his voice. I force myself to stiffen, trying to ignore the pain in my joints, the shackles rubbing on my legs. I'm not the only one in this cage. Because despite my eyes, I can still see.

I can feel, I can sense, the people around me. The bright, pale blue sparkles of my fellow prisoner, and the dirty yellow of the guard. It's an odd feeling, to be able to see like this. As I look up, I can see the orange mark of the judge. Commander Applejack, the unwholesome bitch.

And of course I'm sentenced to death, I wouldn't expect any less for my 'crimes'. The years I spent in service to the Everfree troops, what does that matter when a simple accident makes me a criminal. Bastards, the whole lot of them. At least they had the decency to cover my eyes in cloth. Makes it easier to bare. But only slightly.

Now Lady Fluttershy is pleading with the commander. I shouldn't be able to hear them but who cares? She's wishing for my second chance, reminding her how the forest is magical as well. The pale yellow smudge is sitting behind the orange, the two colours mingling together. She's pleading for me to stay alive, yet in servitude to her. Celestia bless her, she's trying hard.

They've agreed on the terms of my sentence. I shall remain a prisoner, tending to the forest and the animals. It's better than most, I guess. The other prisoner, he's been sentenced to forced labour. Lucky bastard. I only got spared because I'm crippled, because of my eyes. Because the magical blast that destroyed my home and killed three others, took my eyes.

But I can still see. I can still see the area around me, the pale grey blockage of the stone at my feet, the darker grey of the metal bars, the yellow shape of Lady Fluttershy walking towards me. She's speaking to me, demanding I follow her. I don't respond, I won't give them that privilege. I still follow, though. No point in staying. Nothing left to see.

Hello everybody, or everypony if you're reading this in equestria. I'm JollyJape, and this is a new chapter. I'm sorry if I updated too slowly last time, but there were a lot of problems and stuff, but I'm alright now! Anyway, let's go!

The pale-green Pegasus skipped as she walked towards the storage deck. Her lime mane fell across her eyes, and for the briefest moment, the voices returned. She shrugged them aside. Now was not the time for them. Commander Pinkie was having a pre-battle party, and someone had decided to entrust Bullet Dancer with the fireworks. Three minutes later, Bullet dancer was sat, fire all around her, smiling as the voices in her head whispered to her.

"Who the fuck decided to let her near fireworks?" An earth pony asked his friend, as they sprayed foam on the fire. A shrug replied, followed by "Commander Pinkie." The earth pony sighed, and continued spraying.

"Hey, Bullets. Look at all this fun!" Said the voice. Bullet did as it said, glancing around at the bright lights and noises and people all around her excited. It made her warm thinking she helped them. It had been the voice's idea to start the party in the storage, and it always had good ideas.

"Well done, Bullets. " It said, as it faded away. She whispered a goodbye, stood up and walked out. After all, commander Pinkie had told her to report back when she was done in the storage.

"Bullets… What are we going to do with you?" Pinkie asked, shaking her head. Years of fighting had numbed down the usually energetic pony, and it seemed her accident had finished the job. Her face was ripped and torn, half the skin on one side burnt and charred, her cheek revealing her teeth. Her eye was gone, too, and she worn an eye patch to cover the hole. She still tried to smile, but to most, the effect was more terrifying than friendly.

The commander looked down at her file on bullet. It contained a psychoanalysis as well as her merits. "Over 16 separate counts of heroism in battle, but you still cannot act correctly." She said. She ignored the psychoanalysis for the moment. The picture in the file matched the soldier before her.

A pale-green Pegasus, with long green hair. One pupil was larger than the other, and already gave off a distinct feeling of insanity. Her ears were strangely pointed, even for a pony, and her teeth ended in slight points. The overall effect reminded the commander of a goblin's face. Turning to the psycho analysis, she read it over. Warning, subject suffers from auditory schizophrenia paired with sociopathic tendencies and a need for attention. 'Funny.' Thought the commander. 'Most would've said the same about me.'

She looked up at the Pegasus, who was currently fiddling with her hooves. "Bullet. Tell me, what were you thinking when you set off those fireworks?" The Pegasus thought for a moment, as if searching for the words, then replied.

"I wanted to make a party, like you told me to."

"Bullet, I haven't told anybody to have a party." Pinkie explained, her head hurting from the pure irony of the situation. "Bullet, I'm sorry to say this, but you're too dangerous to have on the battlefield right now. I'd suggest you go down to the medical bay to get something for those burns.

It was only then that Bullet realised her tail was on fire.

Hello friends! This is yet another chapter of this story. This time, we're back to Nuclear Necrosis, and the royalists. Onwards, mine mighty steed, thine wit is sharp as thine sword! Huzzah!

Nuclear was growing annoyed by the knocking. Someone, or perhaps something, was at his door, kicking it loudly. Once again, he cast his mind back, searching for a reason he should open the door. He hadn't ordered a package, his food delivery wasn't until Friday, he hated social contact with a vengeance, and he was hungry.

"Keep knocking all you want, I'm not opening the door." He shouted, as he returned to his canvas. Oddly enough, for someone so destructive and violent, Nuclear loved to paint. He found it so easy and enjoyable, his guilty pleasure, to paint, his brush flowing with emotions as he would paint image after image after image. Or perhaps his destructive and violent nature was the reason he was so at ease when painting, the raw, unbridled emotion being thrown onto the pure white of the canvas in the form of blues and red, yellows and greens.

That bloody knocking. Disturbing his peace again. Whoever it was, they were persistent, he'd give them that. All his life, Nuclear had lived by a simple code. If something is annoying you, deal with it.

"What the fuck do you want that is so important, you won't leave me alone?" He shouted as he yanked open the door. Stood, slightly shocked at the sudden appearance, was a single royal courier. Dressed in simple grey garments, his messenger bag hanging loosely, he soon recovered his stature. Taking a small scroll out of his bag, he held it up and read aloud.

"To the attention of Nuclear Necrosis." He read, beginning to shake slightly as the unicorn he'd named glared at him, intense yellows eyes that seemed to stare into his soul. He swallowed nervously, and continued. "You are hereby invited to a royal meeting, to be held at Canterlot…" He glanced up slightly, flinching at the staring unicorn. "From, Princess Twilight…" He finished in a whisper as Nuclear leaned in closely.

Nuclear whispered "If you ever, ever, think about knocking on my door again, I'll cut your hooves off and leave you hanging, covered in honey, over a fire ant nest until each and every morsel of you is gone and devoured, your clean white skeleton left to serve a warning to any others who dare disturb me." He said, with a small smile. The courier was shaking violently, and he seemed to be sweating heavily. "Now, leave."

Without needing another word, the Courier ran off faster than he'd ever run before, eager and relieved to have escaped the unicorn and his unending, deathlike stare. Nuclear himself, though, picked up the scroll he had dropped, and walked back inside.

"So, the Princess twilight wants to speak to me?" He snorted, and began to throw the scroll aside, when he saw more to the letter. He unrolled it again, and began to read it aloud, in mock politeness and a very bad impression of the princess.

"We wish to speak to you about urgent matters, regarding your previous 'message' to us, as well as a proposal of business. Please, attend the meeting as soon as possible, and preferably without another 'gift'." He said, with a slight chuckle as he remembered the last time he'd been to Canterlot.

"Alright. Fine, I needed to go and pick up some new paints anyway." He said to himself with a slight sneer. Throwing the scroll to the side, he pinned it to the mantelpiece with a knife, then went up to his room to pack.

Hello everybody. Welcome to another chapter. I must say that this is quite fun, writing this story. Hopefully it's as fun to read. Now, there are a few things I must address about the story, before I continue. Firstly, every chapter is going to be about one of the three characters, following their different stories. The chapters will also follow a different viewpoint, Nuclear's is third person, the seconds are in first person and Bullet's are from the view of other people.

Movement. I can feel the metal seat beneath me move as we trundle further into the forest. The trees are thicker here, it's harder to see anypony else through them. Lady Fluttershy is sat opposite me, telling me my new roles. I don't bother listening. Her stare is powerless against me, when I have no eyes.

I haven't said a word since the accident. Not that I can't of course. My tongue remains untouched, my eyes were the only damage to me. The accident.

It had happened a few days ago. I had been testing out some new crystals the miners had found. They resonated some kind of energy, a powerful energy. I had been determined to uncover their secrets.

My mistake. I applied electricity to the gems, and they charged up. I gave them some more, then gave the too much. They had exploded, ripping through the house and knocking me backwards. When I woke up, I couldn't see the sky. I couldn't see the trees, or the flowers, or the guards. I could only see smudges of color, confusing and disorientating me.

Then had come the beating. Years of hatred towards magic had indoctrinated the guards, and they unleashed their fury upon my body. Relentlessly kicking and hitting my body until I passed out again.

When I next woke up, I was in a stone room, with iron bars across the windows. A few fellow prisoners were there, all of them unicorns. They managed to heal me, using what was left of their magic to heal my wounds. One of them produced the silk scarf that now covers my head, covering what is left.

Odd, isn't it, that I can never see for myself what my wounds are. Are my eyes gone, is there simply a hole, or are the intact and simply broken? It doesn't matter. Those unicorns, the ones who helped me, they're dead now. That's the sentence for magic users. I got off lucky. Oddly enough, Lady Fluttershy isn't known to help prisoners.

We've stopped now. I can sense people moving around us, getting things out of the carriage and such. Lady Fluttershy is moving, and I follow her. I can't tell where we are, only that we are in clearing. There are about six of us. All earth ponies, but I'm the only one in shackles. She's talking again, and I decide to listen.

"You shall be staying with me, understand?" She says. I nod. She seems pleased by my response, and motions for me to follow. "So why do you cover your eyes?" She asked while we walk. I don't respond. "It's fine to talk to me, I'm not as bad as people think."

"I cover my eyes." I croak. My voice sounds wrong from a long period without use. "Because I cannot see." I continue, hoping my answer is enough. It isn't, as she continues to ask.

"Why can't you see?"

"I chose not to, or I am disabled. It does not matter much."

"It matters to me." She replys. I can hear the kindness in her voice, the slight smile on her lips. "After all, I require to know my suitors."

Hello once again. It's time for another chapter, this time with Bullet Dancer, everybody's favourite mentally deranged chief gunner. Here we go!

Officer Deats couldn't believe his luck. "Of all the people to get stuck with, it has to be the insane one, doesn't it?" He complained to his comrades, out of earshot of the Pegasus in question. The group nodded in agreement, looking over slightly at her. She was stood on the edge of the airship, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

The A.S. Albatross was an amazing feat of engineering on the part of the cloak troops. Over 150 tons of metal, cloth and cargo, held up by huge balloons. It was designed to carry Lady Rarity around in comfort and style, high above the battlefields that were fought below. The entire ship was heavily decorated, with elegant chandeliers and statues of marble decorating the hallways and rooms. Of course, such a notable airship required protecting, and it was a great honour to be chosen to protect the ship. The future rulers of Equestria were aboard, and any attack would have to be diverted.

For now, though, it simply floated gently through the sky, carried on by the swift, rhythmic beat of its huge propellers. The sun was bright, and left the crew feeling sleepy and content. All but one. One Pegasus who knew, that if she let her guard down, the entire ship would be defenceless. Bullet dancer was many things, a good singer, an amazing wing-gunner, a crazy psychopath, but she was not a slacker.

"Come on Dancer. Nopony is going to attack us at this height. Come on, and join our game." A passing crewmember said. The game he was referring to was a classic Equestrian card game. Each player had 5 cards, and he would have to either trade or keep one card per turn, until he got 5 cards in order in the same suit. Players would gamble when they played, and it was not uncommon for talented players to end up far richer than they'd started. Another strange side to the game was that your opponents could decide what you bet.

Another thing Bullet Dancer was not. She was not an idiot. She knew practically everybody on the ship, knew their strengths and talents, and she knew that at least two of the players were talented at the game.

She also knew that all three of them were after her, simply because she was a female. The only female to ever reach her rank naturally.

It was very rare that a female would enlist in the cloak troops. Cutie marks regarding speed, endurance and strength were much more common in stallions that in mares, and as such, she was the only female trooper on the ship. Law dictated that none of the troops could have an intimate relationship with a passenger, so she was constantly hounded for her 'gift'.

"Join us, lass. We'll go easy on you." One of the other players said with a wink. She ignored him, and tried her hardest to resist the urge to fire her Gatling-guns at them, turning their smug faces into little more than mangled corpses, which she'd then…

'No' she scolded herself. She'd almost forgotten her pinkie promise, and although the pink pony would no longer pop out of everywhere to stop someone doing so, she was determined not to break it.

She'd pinkie promised to take her medication.

She didn't like her medication. It felt strange going down her throat, but the effects were incredible. She didn't feel different, obviously, but the changes were immensely noticeable. She was able to think clearly, make rational decisions, able to focus. That'd always been the trouble. Focussing was hard, when everything around you was interesting.

Like that balloon 'no!' she scolded herself again. She needed to stay focussed, needed to keep an eye out for any signs of attackers. She didn't know what she'd do if she saw any, but she knew she'd do something. Until then, it was a waiting game.

The day passed on, the sun slowly making its way through the sky, reminding everybody of the false truths of the alicorn princesses. Still, Bullet watched, and waited, unwilling to give up her task for any pleasantries. Her bladder was full to bursting, and her head pounded from the blazing heat of the sun, but still she watched. People moved around her, thanes, aristocrats, the rich and the famous.

Almost everybody, except Rarity herself, would be out on deck at some point. Her Sister, Sweetie Belle, now a popular songstress, loved to sing from the front of the ship, although there were rumours afloat that singing wasn't the only reason she stood on deck. Many believed she was infatuated with one of the workers, or a soldier, and it was why she shunned all potential suitors.

But it was still a surprise to everyone around, when she decided to speak to Bullet Dancer.

Hello readers. Sorry for the delay, but I can only really write when certain parameters are met. Anyways, onto the story!

Nuclear had a secret. It was a dark secret, the kind he wouldn't even tell his friends, if he had any. It was a secret that ate away at him, although he was careful to not show his discomfort. It was the reason he hadn't signed up for the army, the reason he had been invited.

Nuclear was related to the Princess.

It wasn't common knowledge, and he was happy to keep it that way, but it was known by some all the same. Twilight's father's brother had wed an alchemist, and one day, Nuclear had been born. They said he wasn't a regular birth, that he didn't cry or scream, that he had been born with his cutie mark already.

And it was because of this relation that he was invited to 'meetings'. It was because of this relation that he wasn't allowed to sign for the army. And it was because of this relation that he despised his cousin.

"Hello again, Nuclear." Princess twilight said with a hopeful smile. As usual, Nuclear had made every attempt to show his dislike for her. Already he had shouted, argued and reduced a gardener to tears.

"Hello, Cousin." Nuclear replied, his voice thick with mock enthusiasm.

"Did you have a nice journey?" Twilight probed, hopefully.

"I wasn't allowed to shoot at birds, your flyers were rude, the seats were bumpy and the carriage was cramped. "He answered. "So I set it on fire."

They began walking. "What's the matter, Nuclear?" Twilight asked. Her cousin glared at her, those bright yellow eyes staring into hers.

"This war. It is stupid, it's unnecessary and you filled my village with useless soldiers who think they have the authority to be assholes to everybody around them."

Twilight sighed. "They DO have the authority, Nuclear. And my reports say that you're being incredibly uncooperative towards them."

"So what?"

Usually, Nuclear would purposefully arrive late to the meetings, after everybody who wasn't family had left. This time, however, Twilight had a plan. She had sent the message a day early, so her cousin would have to spend at least a day at the castle. She glanced at him now, sadly.

He was different to her, sure, but also incredibly similar. He too, was intelligent, incredibly so. They both had talents around magic, although his was based more around destruction. He also lacked the focus she had, before her lessons in friendship, and he was very antisocial, except he chose to be antisocial.

"I don't know if you got the message, but the meeting has been delayed until tomorrow." Twilight said to him. He frowned.

"Okay. Well, if you need me, I'll be leading children into the maze outside and leaving them." Nuclear announced, walking away.

"Nuclear, please don't do tha…" He interrupted her with a 'whatever' and he moved out of sight.

A few hours later, Nuclear was walking out of the maze. He had solved it years ago, running from guards after he 'accidentally' set fire to the throne room. He knew it better than anybody in the kingdom, and he always found solace in the twists and turns of the maze. He remembered the stories his cousin liked to tell, about the defeat of Discord and her adventures with her friends.

Friends.

He'd met them only one or two before, he couldn't remember their names. He knew she had had a few, but he'd found the first to be too much. Pink and annoying and constantly appearing in places she shouldn't even be able to. He shook his head as he began walking into the castle again.

He almost collided with another soldier, a Pegasus in golden armor. He didn't say anything as he narrowly missed the unicorn, instead kept walking away

Nuclear chuckled at the irony. "What an asshole." He whispered, in a high voice, savouring the irony of the situation. He made a mental note of the Pegasus, and began walking again.

Twilight looked up from her scrolls as he walked in. "Have fun?" She asked. She was surprised to see he nodded, a gesture that was so underused for him, it made his neck click. The fact he had enjoyed himself, however, made her suspicious. "What have you been doing?"

"Nothing, dear cousin, that you need to worry about now. I was just taking a small stroll through the maze." He explained, with plastic politeness. "Now, could you possibly direct me to the books about chaotic magic?"

"No." She replied instantly. "I've hidden them."

"Where?"

"That defeats the objective of hiding them." She explained. They would have continued arguing, if they were not interrupted.

"Princess Twilight. Commander Rainbow Dash has arrived." Her steward announced.

"Thank you Trixie. Send her in."

Nuclear moved away, having no wishes to meet another of his cousin's friends. He stood a little away, watching the scene unfold. The door opened, and in stepped the Pegasus from before. She stood beside Twilight, and removed her helmet.

Nuclear had to bite his tongue. She was beautiful.

Hello once again readers. It's time for another chapter, but before we begin, I have something to ask. A few people have compared this story to another one, namely equestria divided. I've never read it, but I assure you that any relation to that fanfic and my own are purely coincidental.

Also, in regards to the my slow updates. is really glitching out for me right now, and the only way to upload is through Internet explorer as opposed to firefox. Anyways, onwards!

In the following days, I learnt to control my new… power. I had been left slightly alarmed by lady Fluttershy's revelation, but she quickly explained that "I don't mean to wed you or anything, but Commander Applejack is very adamant I make some attempt at having a family of my own, to strengthen the Everfree troops."

I couldn't care less. I was too busy exploring my new sense. I could create maps in my head, almost as if I could still see. I could track people, not just physically, but mentally too. I could note small changes in colouring to mark emotions, and I could play on them.

My time at my new home was… eventful. I had never been treated as anything above my station, so it was a big surprise to find myself being treated as a lord. I had servants, although I made it clear I could care less about comfort. I was given clean clothes that smelt of forest flowers, and I was fed until strong.

"So, Rowan. How have you settled in?" Lady Fluttershy asked me, one day. I grunted, still unwilling to speak unnecessarily. She smiled, and but I could feel her disappointment. I didn't care. It didn't matter how well I was treated, or how nice people were, I was still a prisoner here, kept simply to keep an important person happy.

"Well, if you're not going to talk, I won't take you out today." She said, slightly harshly. That stung, given my enslavement. Make no mistake, she may be kind at times, but she could still be demanding.

"I'm settled in well." I respond, the politeness not coming easily. I quickly add "Mistress." To keep her happy. She liked to be reminded of her position, and it cheered her up.

"Good, you're learning. Now, follow me."

I followed her closely, using her color as a guide. She had taken me out only a few times so far, usually small trips to nearby areas, but she was leading down a path I hadn't travelled before. The path twisted and turned around, leading us further into the forest than I'd travelled before.

"Are you happy with the war?"

The question threw me, especially as I hadn't expected it. It took a few moments for me to answer.

"No. It's unnecessary." I responded, keeping the polite tone up. I could sense her sadness now, and she looked down.

"I hate it. Every day people die, and I can't do anything about it. I'm stuck here, a prisoner like you, except my jailor is my friend." Lady Fluttershy explained, close to tears. I didn't need my color-sense to feel her sincerity.

"Permission to speak outside of protocol?"

"Granted."

I sighed, finally I could speak freely. "Why don't you just run away? Leave this place?"

"Oh, I couldn't do that. Applejack needs me, without me she'd be killed!" Lady Fluttershy exclaimed, shocked.

"Then why are you out here? You don't do anything to aid her, you're only here to keep the prisoners. Why not run away, start your own village or something?"

"Because that wouldn't solve anything!" It was the closest she'd come to shouting. "I need you to do something… I need you to take a message."

This caught my attention. A delivery meant I could possibly escape. "What kind of message?"

"I message of peace. To be taken to Lady Rarity."

Hello fans of the story. Here's another chapter for you to hopefully enjoy. I hope to be writing more regularly from now on, so stay tuned for more updates on that. Anywho, onwards!

"You're different to the others, aren't you?" Sweetie Belle commented, standing beside Bullet Dancer. The Pegasus didn't respond, afraid to make a mess of things, as usually happened with social encounters.

"It's okay. I see the way you struggle to control yourself." Sweetie Belle added, smiling a little.

"Thank you Miss Belle." Bullet said, eventually.

"Call me Sweetie, please." For a lower citizen to be allowed to call a higher ranking pony by first name was a rare and great honour.

"Thank you… Sweetie?" Bullet tried again, to be rewarded by a small giggle from the unicorn.

They stood in silence after that, until Sweetie Belle broke the silence. "What are you looking at?"

"I'm not looking at anything. I'm looking for potential attackers." Bullet responded quickly. She could feel the voices coming back, like an itch in the back of her skull, and it made her worry about her promise.

"Are attacks often?"

"None have happened to this ship so far." Sweetie Belle smiled a little, laughing.

"So why do you look for attackers?"

"Just because it's never happened, doesn't mean it won't." Bullet answered, searching for an example. "Like the Princesses disappearing."

Sweetie Belle sighed. "I was 8 or 9 when the Princesses vanished, and at the time I didn't know what was happening. One day I woke up to my sister shouting at her friends. Now she shouts at everyone, and I can't stop her. I haven't even spoken to my friends for 9 years." She looked away a bit. "What was your life like? Before this war, I mean."

Bullet Stood, silent, thinking how best to speak. "I worked with my daddy in his forge. He was a blacksmith for the royal guard, and he taught me." She looked at the unicorn beside her, who nodded for her to continue. "I was 7 when the princesses disappeared, but I didn't know it yet. But my daddy got a lot more orders for armor and weapons. He became too engrossed in his work, so I ran away."

"That's sad to hear." Sweetie Belle said, after a while. The two stood there in silence, the wind blowing gently around them. The air was crisp and clear, perfect for lookout. If only Bullet had been looking out. For now, though, the voices were back.

"Tell her. Tell her your story Bullet. Tell her how you hear that voice in your head that gives you advice. Tell her that you broke your promise, and that you need help. Tell her how much you need someone to listen to you, to care for you, to keep you safe."

"I envy you, you know?" Sweetie said, suddenly. Bullet shook her head a little, and tried to focus on her. "You don't have the problems I do. People always asking to marry me, expecting me to sing for them. I have no real friends, the ones I have now are fake, only with me in fear of being killed otherwise."

Bullet couldn't hold herself back. It had always been her nature to help as much as possible, even if it wasn't for the right causes. "I could help you!" She blurted out, excitedly, immediately regretting it. Sweetie belle raised an eyebrow at her. "How?" She asked, putting Bullet in a tight spot.

"Tell her how you could be her friend, how you could stay close to her and keep her safe." The voices whispered. She nodded. "I could…. I could… I could be a hand-maiden?"

Sweetie Belle mulled it over in her mind, leaving Bullet hoping in silence that her outburst hadn't spoilt her chances at friendship. "That's a really good idea, actually. We'll have to sort it out with your commander, but we should be able to make it work." Sweetie Belle said, walking towards the barracks.

Bullet Dancer followed her, wondering what exactly would happen next.

Hello dear readers, let's get this story train moving. Toot toot!

Remember to leave a review and rate the story to show you like it. I know my style of writing is a bit erratic, but it's to suit the storyline.

Nuclear Necrosis was the kind of unicorn who prided himself on being above those around him, and being able to avoid emotion and social conflicts, mainly through shouting or burning. So whenever he felt love, such as when he saw Commander Dash, he tried his hardest to appear civil, and started a fire in the fireplace.

"Hello Rainbow." Twilight began, smiling at her friend. She was returned with a small grin, to show that the many battles and scars hadn't yet destroyed her friend. "How does the war go?"

"To be honest, it's a stalemate right now. The Everfree forces have rooted themselves in Zebra and buffalo territories, and it appears they are uniting as one. The Cloak troops have remained stationed above Equestria, and are defending themselves quite well."

Nuclear couldn't focus on the report. Too long, to tedious and he had started a fire, which he was now glaring into. Fire was a lot like himself, he mused. It was bright and vivid, capable of warming a home or burning it to the ground after time. After all, there had been that time.

A time where Nuclear hadn't been so cold-hearted. When he had been polite and gentle, playing with his cousin and studying hard. He had been a good colt, who would spread good feelings like a child with a handful of glitter. Then… Something changed. Nobody knew for certain, besides himself, but he wandered out one day, and came back much different.

"Do you see any way we could break the stalemate?"

"Sadly, no. The Everfree forest is too strong right now, and with the threat of the zebra and buffalo tribes, we will soon be overpowered."

Nuclear snorted.

Twilight looked at him. "Oh, be quiet Nuclear. This conversation does not concern you, and you have no idea of its importance." She cried, annoyed. Nuclear looked back at her, fixing his unblinking stare on her.

"Oh, I have a good idea, Cousin. I have a very good inclination on how important this report is. And as it happens, I do have an idea how to break this stalemate." He responded, his voice smooth and ironic, like a cat.

He stood up, walking over. "Fire." He hissed, he eyes focussing on the map on the table.

"Fire? What do you mean, fire?" Commander Rainbow Dash asked, curious. Nuclear continued to look at the map.

"You want to get rid of a few trees. You start a fire."

"That'll be seen as an act of violence, people would lose faith in my rule!" Twilight exclaimed, trying to return his glare.

"Not." Nuclear turned to her, bright yellow eyes staring straight into hers, burning away all confidence that sprung up. "If you do it. Secretly."

Twilight Swallowed, her body otherwise paralysed. There were times when even she was afraid of her cousin. He was powerful, like her, but whereas her magic was refined and tamed, his was raw and uncontrolled, and it scared her to think how he might next damage the world. Worse still, her own magic seemed ineffective towards him. She had tried countless times to wipe his memory or change his emotions, but it never worked.

Rainbow Dash coughed, breaking the spell. "I suppose a fire might work, if it were started in the right location."

Nuclear looked at her, his tail flicking a little. "Like their armoury, perhaps?" He could see her agreement before she spoke.

"Yes, that would work." She held out a hoof. "Commander Rainbow Dash."

"Nuclear Necrosis." Nuclear replied, ignoring her hoof. She put it down.

"So, do you have a plan for this fire?"

Hello readers, I'm a role! I've got a lot of ideas now, which is very useful. Now, I think it is best I explain something. The more eagle-eyed of you will notice that my chapters are quite short. The reason for this is that each character's story is meant to be read at once, so you can focus on a specific character. Chapters 1, 4, 7 and 10 are Nuclear's chapters, so those of you wishing to follow him would read in this pattern. Anyway, on with the story.

For the first time since the accident, I felt free. Lady Fluttershy had given me new clothes, I expected they were designed to look like a messenger's uniform. I couldn't see, obviously, but it didn't matter. I was free.

It took me a few days of travel to get to an airship station. They are few and far between, and primarily owned by the cloak soldiers. Very few people bothered finding them anyway, as only the rich and famous were truly allowed onto airships. The rich, and those with news.

My uniform got me through the security quickly enough, I suppose. I hadn't done this before, so I didn't know how fast is usually goes. The whole process took about an hour or so, but I was quickly on an airship headed to the kingdom of Lady Rarity. I could tell this ride was going to be comfortable, the seats were soft and squashy, a welcome change to the hard ground. The whole ship hummed slightly from the engines.

My fellow passengers were high-class, obviously from Lady Rarity's kingdom. I could tell without even sensing, as their voices were penetrating high-pitched and they spoke down to me. They changed their tune when I put on my best impression and told them messenger clothes were 'in' this season. After that, I was receiving compliments on my statuesque appearance, and more than one mare tried to flirt with me.

I found it hard to sit still, however, so I had a small walk-about. The airship wasn't small, allowing breathing space for passengers. It was nice to feel the wind in my mane, the air on my skin. It was there I realized how uncomfortable I had been inside, surrounded by cheap perfumes and false ponies. I had become very good at telling when people lied, and the inside of that airship was thick with deceit.

I remained on the outside of the ship for the rest of the journey, as now I had felt the trouble I was unwilling to enter again. I could think clearly outside now, and I cast my mind back to Lady Fluttershy and her message. She had been careful that I memorized the message, not daring to put it onto paper in case I was killed.

When we docked, I wasted no time getting off. I couldn't spend much longer on that ship, although most of the mares were sad to see me go. Again, my uniform made me the target of prejudice at first, but helpfully my fellow passengers explained my fashion choices. I wouldn't be surprised if my 'fashion choice' became true.

It didn't matter. I was on the airship.

Hello fans. Sorry for the HUGE delay in chapters. My computer is having issues with connectivity and it's annoying. If anybody could help me, I'll explain my predicament at the bottom of the page and in return, I'll do something nice for you. Anyways, on with the chapter.

"Oh, please stand still Miss. It's a lot harder otherwise." The mare said to Bullet. She pulled out another safety pin and fixed it to the dress that was around Bullet Dancer.

Bullet looked at herself in the many mirrors surrounding her. Her usual uniform and weaponry had been stripped away, replaced with silks and frills and elegant bows. The dress was soft and light, as if it weighed nothing. Her entire body had been scrubbed and cleaned hard, to remove the sweat and dirt from her body. They had been shocked at how black the water had become.

With her dark green coat now a bright, glossy emerald, she had been led to this studio. People bustled around, tutting and shaking their heads as they made her look beautiful. A silver amulet was tied around her neck, a stone of Jade hanging at its lowest point. Her entire dress followed the same colouring.

Yet despite the elegance, the soft material and the smiles of the people around her, she felt alone. Even the voice had gone quiet, which worried her. He had been her friend, the reason she had joined Miss Belle.

Now it was gone, the one friendly voice replaced by a thousand harsher. Bullet was no stranger to being ordered around, it came with being a soldier, but this was much different. She was barked at, forced to act prim and proper. It didn't come naturally to her, not truly. She had brought it up with Sweetie Belle as they had travelled from one area to the next, and she was promised help.

This 'help' now stood opposite her. An old, ancient-looking unicorn was staring at her from beneath the hood of a dark cloak. His eyes were grey and cold, and he looked over her as if she were an insect he couldn't wait to dissect. "So, Miss Dancer. I have been instructed to help you with your new job." He whispered, his voice like dust.

Bullet nodded. "How are you going to do that?" She asked him. He coughed, or maybe he laughed, as he stepped closer.

"Just focus on my eyes."

She did so, and slowly, they began to glow, shifting and swirling in a thousand different colours, each twist drawing her deeper into the deep colours. She was talking, she could hear it but no words made sense. Everything was gone, nothing left, except the soft, swirling pools of light.

Everything was gone.

Bullet Dancer brushed her mane gently in the mirror, making sure to remove knots from it. Today was incredibly special, she had been told, and she had prepared her finest dress for the occasion. It was silvery, beautiful with a small tiara for decoration. She sang quietly as she brushed, remembering her life growing up. She'd always been Miss Belle's friend, utterly obedient and nothing else…

Bullet shook her head slightly, giggling. "Oh don't be silly, Miss Dancer. They're just dreams, nothing to worry about." She told herself gently. It was comforting, for some reason, to talk to herself. "Today is a big day, and you have to be prepared for anything. Miss Belle is counting on you to play your part, so there is no reason to think about dreams."

She giggled again, as she began to put on her dress, making sure her tiara was set in place.

"I hope there will be fireworks…"

There we go. Hope you all enjoyed that, remember to rate and review. Now, as I said, I need some help. I am using a laptop to write, and the problem is that whenever I turn it back on, it won't connect to the internet. System diagnose says there's no problem with the connection to the router, but that the router is disconnected from the network. However, everything else connects. The problem is momentarily fixed if I use system restore, but it's become a pain. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Jollyjape.

Hello readers. I'm back and better than ever. I've received a few PMs from fans and I was surprised to see that a few people want a sex scene with Nuclear and Rainbow Dash or another official character. Now, I've never written a sex scene/lemon before, so I'm not sure how well I'd do. But my question is, if I were to write a 'lemon' would you read it?

Commander Rainbow Dash turned to the unicorn opposite her. It was late, the moon was climbing high into the sky. Plans had been set in motion, and now she was transporting Nuclear Necrosis to cloudsdale, the base of her operations. She looked at him now, his yellow eyes watching her every move carefully.

He was a lot different to the usual unicorns she met. They were polite, not good at fighting as they tended to rely on their magic to help them out of situations. He was different though, his body was built for brute force, and when they had collided before he had hurt her, even under her armor.

"So… you're Twilight's cousin?" She said, attempting conversation. He blinked at her, before responding.

"Yes, although she doesn't like it. We're not direct cousins. My aunt married her brother."

"It's odd. She had spoken about you before, but you're nothing like she said you were."

He raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

Rainbow stepped closer to him. "She said you were extremely untrustworthy, evil, maniacal, egotistical and extremely dangerous."

He looked at her carefully. "Of course she says I'm like that. She doesn't like me."

"Why?"

"Because she's the same."

He moved away from her, walking around the cabin of the airship. They were flying at night in hope that they wouldn't be attacked, and the moons was shining brightly through the windows of the airship. Outside, they could hear the pegasi talking about their families back home. Against the light from the moon, his body was silhouetted, bright yellow eyes staring around.

He spoke suddenly, breaking the silence that had somehow fallen. "Why do you fight this war?" She was surprised at the question, it wasn't one she'd been asked before. He continued. "You could just take the pegasi and stay out of it, up in the clouds."

"I could never abandon Twilight. She's my friend." Rainbow answered, slightly irritated that someone might question it. Nuclear looked away slightly.

"Like how she never abandoned her other friends? Twilight only cares about unicorns, and sooner or later she'll leave you as well."

"That's insane!" Rainbow exclaimed, angrily. "Twilight is fighting for the good of Equestria!" Nuclear stared at her, and the entire room went deathly silent. There were no sounds, even the guards outside had stopped talking. The unicorn's eyes seemed to glow, dwarfing the light around as he looked at her directly.

"You don't truly believe that, do you? You can't possibly believe that Twilight is doing this for equestria, given how she's killed everybody who has opposed her. She is a twisted, conniving witch who is only out to save herself. If you want to live…" He moved closer to her, standing nose to nose with her. The silence was deafening, and nothing moved. She could feel the quickening beat of her heart in her chest, and each breath was quick and shallow.

"If you want to live, you'll run before she begins the chase."

There we go. Another chapter done. Remember to leave a comment or a PM about a possible lemon, and I'll see you all next time.