War, war never changes. When the megaspells tore apart the world and left a husk in its destructive wake there was little left to anypony to hold on to. Equestria the crowning glory of the world was reduced to a skeleton of its former self amidst the crumbling cities and the severely irradiated surroundings, causing ponies to eke out a miserable existence in the remains of a once great civilization. The survivors of the great war, having lost their heroes, only spiralled further in to chaos. These ponies had become scavengers, slavers and raiders in order to cope with the brutal and unforgiving wasteland that once was Equestria.

Despite the harsh living conditions someponies had tried to forge and reforge their broken race through questionable means: Red Eye, The Goddess, and Sanguine to name a few. These wanted to recreate Equestria in their own image with the blood of innocents leading the broken Equestria to an even bleaker future.

However the actions of a few ponies like the Stable Dweller and Security had prevented their plans from coming to fruition. Little Pip and Black Jack along with their friends was able to find other more reasonable and humane means and was finally able to restore the harmony in Equestria. But while the land of Equestria had already healed.

Even when the journey of LittlePip and Black Jack has already ended, the story of the Equestrian Wasteland had just begun. There were still questions that demanded answers and new questions formed in the process, thus allowing new stories to unfold.

…Static…
A pony was coughing in the background. “Relax, Stitch, walls are sound proofed and for the last time stop calling it an act of treason!” somepony sounded irate.

“Then tell me, Helix, why all the need for the hush-hush.” A pale gray pony answered back. He was in a scrub dirtied with grime and grease. “This should be worth as you made me cancel my other appointments this afternoon. “ Stitch brows had arced sharply, trying his best to not sound or act angry.

“I know, and I appreciate that you’d given up some of your time just to hear me out.” Helix said sweeping away the objects on the table. The vials broke against the floor and the books and research notes gave a thud.
“Have you gone mad!” Stitch screamed as he tried to gather the paraphernalia that had scattered on the floor. He had noticed there was a fire in Helix’s eyes.

Using his telekinesis Helix brought out a piece of blueprint from the pockets of his scrub. At first Stitch had thought it was something of little significance and that his good friend had just lost his mind due to the stress of his work. Then his eyes caught something in the well-used parchment that was now clearly spread on the table.

“Oh dear Celestia, is this what I think it is?” Stitch said, as he neared the paper his eyes had widened in shock. “This survived the great war?” the pale grey pony slowly placed and traced his hoof along the schematics, reading detail after detail.

“Initially I was worried about a lot of things. With the New Canterlot Republic just recently formed, I was sceptical about how we could defend it. Even up to now NCR still remains a fledgling sovereignty and there are reports of increasing remnant activities outside and within Equestria….The point is that history will repeat itself. If we cannot establish superiority over the remnants then it will be another Great War again. It doesn’t really help that we can barely muster up the forces to invade and crush all of Equestria’s enemies as we are still recovering from the after effects of megaspells. I understand that while the land has indeed healed there are still much emotional and psychological scars that persist in us ponies, we are not simply ready for another open large-scale warfare. I was desperate… thinking of anything, short of another megaspell to use on Roam or what’s left of it. Then one of the retrieval teams uncovered ‘this’ at the former Ministry of Peace building.” Helix said, then realized that Stitch was looking at him anxiously. “There I go again rambling. I hope you understand what I am saying and what ‘this’ can do.”

“I know what ‘this’ does. However I don’t think the top brass or anypony with a sane mind is going to approve of ‘this’.” Stitch said rolling the blue print and giving it back to Helix. He pressed his hoof over Helix’s with the parchment in between. “Promise me you will never speak of this again and promise me you will incinerate ‘this’ when I leave this room. I shall go get General Grey Mane and have you released from your duties. Clearly it is making you delusional.”
Helix expression remained the same the dark red pony merely smiled and looked in the eyes of his friend calmly, hoping that his friend would somehow be persuaded.

Stitch stomped his hoof on the table. The pale pony knew what that expression meant on his face. “Tell me you didn’t Helix. Tell me you didn’t.” He shouted at the dark red colt.

“I wish you told me sooner. There’s no way you can stop me. ‘This’ is already in motion.”

Stitch exhaled, his frustration was beginning to get to him, then he approached dark red unicorn and bucked him hard in the face.

The body of a pony flew hard out the door of the bar and landed with a sickening crack on the center of the craggy concrete road. No sooner a calm looking skeletal unicorn had also exited and stood smoking a cigar in front of the broken pony.
“Had enough Ah hope, unless yah think otherwise, but that mighty sounded like yer ribs crackin on the road,” the skeletal pony said and raised his hoof. The raiders that loitered around the town understood that signal and inched closer to the helpless pony.

“The thing isn’t with me anymore. I can’t tell you where it is, because I don’t know where it is!” Brownie said. The battered buck became more scared as raiders started surrounding him.

“Well, I do believe yah. However I don’t think Cash will be pleased ta’ hear that yah lost it. Yah gotta give me some assurance that yah, can find it again.” No Pulse said drawing the revolver from his holster.

“Please, I don’t know! No-Pulse I have a family ta’ feed,” tears were beginning to well up Brownie’s eyes as he realized he was going to meet his end soon.

No-Pulse merely sighed and pressed the muzzle of his revolver at Brownies forehead. “Yah, tellin’ me, that yah have no use for that noggin of yers. I reckon yah know what old folks say about useless parts: yah better of cuttin’ them off. Am Ah right?”

“No-Pulse, please don’t do this…” the pony squeaked as he saw the revolver’s trigger slowly start to curve back. Brownie closed his eyes and prayed it would not hurt as much.

BANG!

Brownie felt he was alive he waited for a few seconds for a sharp pain, but it never came. He saw there was a small smoking crater where the bullet had lodged itself inches from his head.

No Pulse used his telekinesis to draw his weapon back and turned away to return to the bar. “Yah heard me, Brown. Use yer noggin and get that 'thing' back. Cash hates waiting.”

“Rough him up a bit more and throw him in to the the nearest clinic, Casing. Don’t get too carried away and tell him he has three days before we start looking for ‘it’ and him if he fails ta’ find ‘it’.” No-Pulse ordered a raider standing beside him as he walked away and back to the bar.

“Oh thank you No-Pulse…” the earth ponies voice trailed off. Brownie’s new found joy turned to terror as the raiders slowly descended upon him.