Lost and confused. That was a good start, I was lost and confused. Lost as in I had no clue to where I was, all I knew was that everything was dark. Confused, because I hadn’t the faintest idea what I had been doing before getting here, or well, why I would be in a dark room. But one thing did stick in my mind, life wanted to fuck me over.

You know that feeling, like everything has gone wrong? Where you have no control, and if you try to do anything then things will just get worse? Like, if life kicked open the door and said ‘We’re going to fuck!’ and you’re not really in the mood, but figured that you might as well let it do its thing so that life will stop being such a cunt and you can go to sleep. Sure that it would be fine. But that’s when life is ready to get going, and you’ve at least gotten yourself aroused enough to enjoy it a little, Life suddenly switched holes and fucked your ass without lube.

Now you would have been fine with it if life had told you, and had used lube, but now you just feel pain, and have to bite down on the bed sheets so not to cry out in pain because life is too fucking dumb to tell the difference between that and a cry for harder. Yet, harder life goes, until it’s finished. Worse yet, now life cuddles you tightly. So in the end, you’re stuck in bed, your cum filled ass hurting, wanting to strangle life in ten different ways, and worst of all, now you can’t get to sleep.

I felt that bad.

I also felt cramped.

Stretching out my legs, I found that I was in a very small room. “Hello?” I called out, hoping I was at least somewhere friendly, and far from bandits. I would rather not have my description of life becoming an actual experience with a bandit. Though it’s probably still be better than getting caught by a bandit mare. One close call was enough for a lifetime.

“Is someone there?” The voice of a stallion called back.

I breathed a sigh of relief, as it didn’t sound like a bandit, no cursing. “Yes! I seem to be stuck in here?”

There was a pause before I heard hoof steps trotting towards me. A loud creek was accompanied by sudden bright light, and me falling over into another room. “I have so many questions, the least of which is how’d you get into my apartment. I don’t remember inviting a mare over in… years I think.” My vision recovered, and the stallion came into view. He was a earth pony with a dark purple coat, a bit like the Sparkle-Lurkers. However, his mane was a very pale blue, with a jade green streak. Offering his hoof, I took it and got back up on my own hooves.

“Sorry about that, I don’t even remember inviting myself in, or ending up in a closest?” Brushing myself off, I found myself in a frilly, light purple sundress similar to the kind ponies had during the war. The pony in front of me had on a clean blue Jacket, with yellow trim, and R&D patched onto his shoulder, It was stable barding, but not like any kind I had ever seen. On his right foreleg was a pipbuck, or what I could only guess was an odd model of one. The thing covered his leg like a piece of armor, but the tell tale design of a pipbuck was there, no doubt about it. “The name’s Vibraphone.”

“Slowtrot.” He responded. “I don’t want to sound rude, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

I nodded. “No, that’s fine. A stranger in your home is a bit concerning.” I got up and looked at the room I was in. It looked like one of the pictures from the old world, the kind Stable-Tec would display to make the stables look a lot nicer than they actually were. A bed, desk, carpet, cabinet, and even a puffy couch facing an old TV furnished the fairly bland room. I also saw that there were no doors or windows that would let me out of here. “I don’t want to sound alarming, but how do I get out?”

“P’hhh” The stallion waved his hoof dismissively. “The doors over here.” He trotted over to the far wall, and pressed his hoof against it. Nothing happened. Looking a bit perplexed, he tapped at it a few times. “Looks like I got the wrong spot.” He said as he feigned laughter. I watched as he would take a step and tap on the wall, eventually getting to the end of the wall, and starting on the next. He eventually made a full circle, finding nothing.

“Great, so this room has no exit.” I huffed. It was annoying to know I was lost, but trapped too, not a good day.

“Nonsense, we just have to find the entrance, and make that our exit.” He looked up at the ceiling, and shook his head. “No door there.” He began tapping on the floor, taking a step and tapping.

“If we had some tools, we could try to break through the walls.” It was an idea, but I didn’t know how valid.

“I don’t think so; the walls are all real solid. We would have to chip our way out. But you do have a point.” The stallion, trotted past me, and opened the door to the closet. “Well that solves this problem!”

Raising an eyebrow, I trotted over to see what he was talking about. Looking through the closet door, it was no longer dark inside, nor was it a closet anymore. Stepping through, we were in a bigger room than before. It was much like the room we’d just been in, but with much more space, and had posters of the old ministries on them. Three on one wall, three on the opposing wall, with the other two walls featuring a poster of Luna, and a poster of Celestial.” These weren’t the posters I recognized at all, and were far less propaganda pushing than anything I’d seen in the stations.

Slowtrot stepped up to one of the posters “Oh, now these are classics. You don’t normally see these anymore.”

“What are you talking about?”

He tapped at the posters of Rainbow Dash, it showed a proud looking Pegasus in a wonderbolt uniform. Under it was stated one word, Loyalty. “These posters were all over the place early into the war, but by the time Celestia stepped down, they were quite rare to find. From what I remember, the princess wanted Equestria back to peacetime in just a year or two when the war started.”

I shook my head. “Obviously that didn’t happen.”

“No it didn’t.” He said with a sigh. Walking into the center of the room, he began to rub his chin. “Loyalty, Honesty, Laughter, Generosity, Kindness, Magic, Sun and Moon.”

Remembering my history classes, the ministry mares were once known for their virtues, and the princesses’ were known for raising and lowering the sun and moon. “The mares of the Ministry of Awesome, Wartime Technology, Morale, Image, Peace, Arcane Science, as well as the princess who stepped down, and the princess who stepped up.”

The posters suddenly melted away like wax from a candle. Under them were the familiar wartime propaganda posters that were all over the old world ruins and the metros. All except the poster of Celestia, which peeled off and turned to ash, revealing another door.

Slowtrot walked over to the door and opened it. “I’m betting there's some meaning to all this. Loss maybe… or it’s going over my head.” He poked his head through the door. “Oh a bigger room!”

The next room was certainty bigger, still furnished with the same stuff as the other two rooms. Even the posters were there, but old, worn, and burnt. Just like they were in all the old tunnels and on the toxic surface.

“Uhhh, what happened here?” The stallion trotted over to the couch that was under the old poster of the head of the Ministry of Peace. The couch itself looked almost as worn down as the poster. “Or mainly, what hasn’t happened here. It looks like nopony’s been in here for years.”

“Possibly a century or two.” I pointed out. A thick layer of dust covered everything, and Slowtrot’s hoof steps left a visible trail as he kicked up the dust around him. “If you’ve got a gas mask, you should put it on. The paint and insulation the old world put into their constructions were quite toxic.” I patted myself down, checking my pockets, only finding a quill, and strangely, a coupon for a new sofa. “Great, I hope I don’t get cancer from this.”

Sowtrot gave me a confused look before trotting over to the worn poster of Luna. “You know, I don’t remember seeing very many posters of Luna, do you?”

I shook my head. “Of the old world posters, only one. Orthrus has a little museum dedicated to the old world, and they have the only poster of Luna I’ve ever seen. If I remember correctly, it was from early on in her rule, as a call for unity. Why do you ask?”

Slowtrot looked back to the poster, and took a step to the side, allowing me to see it in full. “Well because I don’t remember ever seeing this one before.” Stepping up to get a better look, the image filled me with awe and dread.

At first glance it was a work of fine art. Highly detailed, Luna’s mane extended and became the night sky, the flowers decorating its locks transitioning out and becoming stars. Flowers of blue, silver, and purple were everywhere on the poster, framing Luna in a majestic pose as she wore a flowing robe. But there were two problems I had with this poster; one was that Luna was cradling a battle rifle in her fetlocks, and two, under her image was the words, “Fight for your Goddess, and she will watch over you always.”

“I want to say early industrial era equestrian art, but Luna had not even returned yet.” Slowtrot commented.

I sighed, having a clue to what might be the source of the poster. “If I had to make an educated guess, it’s a post war poster.” I pointed at the two things that stood out as wrong to me. “between the rifle, and the reverence for Luna as a goddess, I’d say this poster was made by pirates.”

A cold chill ran through me, and the poster was blown off the wall by a gust of wind out of nowhere. Once more a door stood in place where the poster once was. I looked over at Slowtrot, who now was fighting to get the poster off of his face. “You know; I think it’s my turn to check the next room.” Opening the door, I took a step forward, and by no surprise, I was in a slightly larger room, similar to the one I was in before.

Slowtrot followed, now with the poster folded up and sticking out of a pocket. He scanned the room for a moment and scratched his head. “Looks like a Stable-Tec room, yet not.”

He was right. The posters this time were from Orthrus, which was in a way Stable-Tec, yet not. “You seem to know a lot about propaganda posters, how do you not know about the posters Orthrus used?”

“Orthrus?” he gave me another confused look. “Sorry, I don’t understand. Who are Orthrus?”

“Orthrus is… it’s a peace keeping group.” This was just too strange, the rooms, the stallion, and even me. “Who are you exactly? You have R&D stable barding, yet you don’t know about Orthrus?”

He shrugged. “Sorry, I’ve only been in the R&D stable for a day, two maybe… I think.” Scratching his chin with his hoof, he looked as if he was in deep thought. “Actually, I don’t know how long I’ve been here.” Shaking his head, he took a deep breath and exhaled. “I’m sure it will come to me later. Anywho, I’m the R&D’s courier, though it’s more an honorary title then an actual job.” He tapped at his pipbuck and presented it to me. “Here’s my ID.”

The pipbuck told me what he said, but it was still not enough for me to take seriously. “Just a moment, let me verify your pipbuck.” Lifting Minerva up, I activated its wireless verification. It was a simple transfer of data, and if his pipbuck was fake, mine would know. With a beep I pulled back my pipleg, and check the screen. “Data received. Identification confirmed. Pipbuck unlocked. Specter program reactivated” I stared at Minerva for a moment, feeling confused. His pipbuck had unlocked the systems on mine, which would mean they were locked in the first place. The weirdness was getting to be a bit too much for me. “Yeah, you’re good, and then some.” I shook my head in disbelief. “You know what? Let’s focus on getting out of here.”

Slowtrot nodded in agreement, and began looking about the room. I recognized each of the posters from early in Orthrus’s history, some being from before the named changed from Stable-Tec. Recruitment, information about the gene therapy treatment, and one simply advising ponies to stay calm and carry on. That last one stuck around over the years, but as a trend their popularity comes and goes.

Last time it was the Luna poster of the pirates, before that it was Celesta. I didn’t understand, but I was slowly remembering something important. In my history class, Celestia fell from power, and in her place came the ministries. The pirates worshiped Luna as a god, Celestia too… Pirates?

“Pirates?”

Slowtrot stopped what he was doing, which was trying to peel off a poster with his hoof. Admirable as his efforts were, he was getting nowhere at all. “What about pirates?”

“I mean, why would there be a pirate poster, if it is pirates, I mean.” My memory was fuzzy, but I think I knew it had to be. As strange as it was, I think I remember running into pirates before.

Slowtrot shrugged. “Probably because pirates are cool, with the swagger and all that. There were even three big movies about pirates, four actually, but I skipped the last one. I heard it was a bit meh. Oh! There’s also a movie about sky pirates, I haven’t seen it yet, but I heard that it has the M.o.I. hoof prints all over it, so low expectations.”

Right… movies. “I’m talking about real pirates, with battle rifles, vertibirds, and somehow the ability to not die when I shoot them.” Wait… Yes, I remember it now! Though... I wish I could forget the molestation.

He cocked an eyebrow at me. “Pirates? As in, real pirates?” Shaking his head, Slowtrot gave a little laugh. “If there were any pirates still around, the navy would have rounded them up long ago.”

“The navy? The equestrian navy has been dead and gone for over two hundred years! Are you some sort of confused ghoul or something?” Great, fucking great. I’m lost, confused, stuck in a weird room within a room, and to top it off, my companion thinks he is still in the old world. He just need to have most of his fur missing, some of his skin peeling off, and I’d have nearly feral ghoul that needs to be locked away.

“I don’t know what your refering to, or why you would say such a ridiculous thing.” He gave me the kind of look that a colt gets when they think they know more then you. A sort of cocky with a hint of snobby look. “But I know two things. I am no zompony, and the navy is... is…” A look of pure confusion washed over his face, followed by… panic.

“Is what?” I said softly, as his sudden mood shift worried me.

Tapping at his pipbuck, Slowtrot’s movements became far more stressed, like a pony about to have a panic attack. Putting his hooves back down, he took a deep breath, and looked over at me. “I can’t seem to reach anyone, the radio’s dead.”

I checked Minerva as well, and to no surprise I didn’t see any signal. Not that it was anything rare in the metro, with some spots being dark zones for radio signals. “Who are you trying to reach?”

“Somepony important. Stable-Tec I think. It’s all hazy, like my memory is a blur, and many pieces are missing.” Slowtrot looked about the room, and shook his head. “But I think I remember seeing the navy, and she… yes, she was there! So I have to warn everypony, or she’s going to kill them. That’s what she does, I know it.”

“Who are you talking about?” Looking past him, the room seemed to ripple, and the posters behind him looked as if they were starting to burn, but without the flame, they were just turning brown.

His eyes darted about, as if worried somepony was might be eavesdropping. “Admiral Thorn Roseland.” He said in a hushed tone.

Roseland… that name, I remember hearing it.

The burning posters turned to ash, and in their place were flags. Black with a skull and crossbones marking. The flag in the middle was the same, but the skull had been replacing by a green circle with thorns, which had a red teardrop in the middle.

Slowtrot lifted his hoof up, and pointed behind me. “Look at that.” Turning around, I saw a blue flag depicting the symbol of Orthrus, a two headed dog. On either side of it were two other flags. One being of the Orphic Kingdom, a gold flag depicting a harp and crown. And the other being of the Republic, a red flag with a pink flower framed by laurels.

Looking between the two groups of flags, I understood what it meant.

“War.” Saying the word sent a cold chill up my spine, like I had cast some dark spell or opened a box of evil. Looking at the flags, one of them caught my eye. The Republic’s flag. Like something was tugging at my mind, something to do with the republic, something very important. “I think I found the next door.” Trotting over to the flag, I lifted it up to find not a door, but a hole in the wall. “Close enough.”

On the other side was not a room, but a large hallway with doors as far as the eye can see. Looking back, there was another republic flag, this one having the pink flower replace by a pickaxe and shovel. I’ve seen this variation of the republic's flag before. Not commonly, but with its association with revolution it had a bad habit of showing up when trouble was brewing.

Slowtrot came out from behind the flag, still looking a bit confused, and worried. “Well, at least it’s not another samey room.”

I shook my head, feeling like this would lead to only bad things. “No it’s not. Though I’m starting to wish I was back in the other rooms.”

“Nonsense!” Slowtrot stated. “Something weird and magical is ahoof! You don’t get to trot into that everyday.” He tried to open one of the doors, but it didn’t budge. “Now, I’m not the most adventurous of ponies, or well, the most social. But I know one thing from my time at doing nothing. By doing nothing, nothing will come to you.” He tried another door, and that too didn’t budge. “Though truth be told, I enjoy a simple life. Have a simple job, find a mare I can love, some foals, and not have to worry about world ending.”

“But the world is unfair, and we can’t have everything we want.” I added.

Slowtrot huffed, and continued his trot down the hallway, as I stayed close behind. We would try a door periodically, but every one of them stayed firmly locked. “I know that, but it’s not like I wanted to be a king, or to have it all. I already know you can’t have it all, or even have most of it. By Tartarus, most of the time you can’t even have half the things you want. So a simple life, that’s like, one fourth of what we all want, the rest can come and go with the wind.” With a loud knock, he banged his hoof on the door. “But I did nothing, expecting that to fall in my waiting hooves, foolishly expecting that I’d get anything at all. But when you do nothing, nothing comes to you.”

I chuckled, as inappropriate as it sounds, but if felt funny to me. “You’ve got that all wrong. If you do nothing, than others will take what you do have from you. By malice, or by love.” Yeah, fuck you Rototom. I know she wanted the best for me, but pushing me out of Orthrus from the shadows, I don’t think I will ever stop hating her for that. I loved her, but I hated her just as well. No, that wasn’t it. I hated her because I loved her. Shaking my head, I laughed loudly. “It’s like nopony can just leave things be, ever.”

The stallion leaned back on a door, and smiled. “You know what, you’re right. With all the jobs I’ve had to do, that sounds about right. I’ve had managers pile work on me to get me more motivated to work, or other employees use me as a stepping stone. All because I didn’t try harder to get anything at all what I wanted.” He shook his head, giving a dismissive shrug. “I’m not stupid, I know how to advance in about any job. You work harder, but more importantly, you butter up the ponies above you. I’ve seen ponies who were shit at their job, but got promoted because they smoke the same kind of cigarettes as their boss.”

Looking at Slowtrot, it made me a bit depressed. He had that shade of purple I liked, but the stallion was pudgy and soft looking. If he was much leaner, had a scar or two, and was a bit dustier, I’d consider fucking him. With a sigh, I shook the thought from my mind. Thoughts about sex are not going to help me get out of this weird place. “Well enough about that, what do you think this place is?”

He scratched his chin, and shrugged. “If I had to guess, it’s an unoriginal representation of a connected mindscape. It’s used a lot in movies where somepony travels into others dreams, or when some ponies mind is being read.”

Connected mindscape… the C.C.N! “How about the minds of a population connected through a supercomputer made up of brains?”

Slowtrot cocked an eyebrow. “That’s… familiar.”

“Familiar?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I remember now, it was from an old tv show that was popular early in the war. Professor Hooves I think it was called. Well, she had three main antagonists, one of which were the Cyber Mares. The Cyber Mares were robots that use to be ponies, all connected with each other, and would forcefully upgrade other ponies they met. The robotic ponies were goofy looking, but yet, strangely terrifying.”

Looking down the hallway, and back where we had come from, it all looked like it extended far beyond what my eyes could see. “If I’m remembering right, I think we’re in something like that.”

“Cyber Mares… that’s disturbing.”

I shook my head. “No, nothing that… fuck, it might as well be that. It’s called the C.C.N. the Collective Consciousness Network. Everypony in the republic’s capital is connected to it, and shares what they know with everyone else. It’s… Euphoric.”

“Sound like madness to me.” Slowtrot blurted out. “Now I like talking with other ponies, I do a lot. But I need my alone time. So the thought of being connected to a shit ton of other ponies, all the time?” He visibly shook. “I’ve worked in retail for a long time now. There are ponies who you wish you never met, the kind that thinks it’s okay that they smell like month old shit. Ponies who get mad at you because you won’t let them steal that bottle of cider. Oh and let’s not forget the ponies who go on for hours about how evil zebras are, yet have never seen one in their life.” He tapped his head, visibly angry. “If I was connected to all these ponies, I’d have to be lobotomized just so I don’t start killing them. You know, purging the stupidity.”

I chuckled at his rant. “Yeah, I’ve met a few ponies I’d like to shoot. They’re just the kind of pony that makes you think that chemical castration would be a good thing. You know, just to make sure that their stupidity does not continue into the next generation.”

Slowtrot gave out a big sigh. “But you know that the stupid ponies would eventually get in power, and the next thing you know, everypony who thinks two plus two equals four is now sterile.”

I had to agree with that. It was an old philosophy that was part of Orthrus, a way of thinking that was part of its foundation. “Any weapon or tactic you can make, can and will be used against you. Also known as the reversal of fortune.” I looked up at the door Slowtrot was leaning back on. No number, or any other identification.

“You see anything.” He asked.

“No, nothing.” Which means we might not be going anywhere at all. “Nothing… yeah, that might be it.”

Slowtrot looked up, and then back down at me. “Nothing?”

I nodded. “Nothing, as in no door.” I took a deep breath, not that I needed to breath here. “Were going about opening these doors the wrong way. The doors don’t actually exist, or well anything here. Were in a computer network, the doors are just a visual representation.” I pointed at the door, concentrating it. “Open!” I spoke out loud.

Nothing happened, which made me feel a bit foolish.

Slowtrot Laughed. “If what you're saying is right, then the door probably has a password. You know, like in that old Saddle Arabian story?” He lifted up his hooves, and shouted. “Open Sesame Seed!” The stallion fell through the door, like the door was nothing more than a hologram. “I’m fine! The only thing I hurt was my pride.”

“And the door.” I stepped over and stuck my head through it. Inside I could see Persephone Station, and a mare sitting at a food and drink distribution station. There were other ponies, but all of them were a bit blurry, with the exception of whoever the mare was looking at. Over the head of each pony was a little holographic tab, which would open when I concentrated on it, revealing any information I wanted to know about the pony. Not only that, but it gave me the information on who the pony had been talking too, topics of interest they brought up, and even their current plans for the day. None of it exact information, but enough to know when and where a pony plans to be, and what they have made plans to do.

Pulling myself out, I helped Slowtrot up. “Well, at least we're not guessing anymore.” I commented, and he gave a nod.

Getting back on his hooves, Slowtrot did the same thing to the next door, saying the password, and sticking his head through. “You know the old saying, never attribute to malice,that which is adequately explained by stupidity.?” He waved his hoof through the door. “I think that’s what’s going on here.”

That seemed logical. “I wonder if we can summon a door. If it is as easy as yelling out a password, I mean.” Looking round, every door looked the same, yet they all had to go to different ponies. Taking in a deep breath, I called out a name. “Vibraphone Echo!” nothing happened.

“If it’s like a computer, maybe you need to put in a command fist?” Slowtrot advised.

I facehoofed. That seemed even more logical. “Search, Vibraphone Echo.” still nothing, but I had one more idea. “Search Chime Catbell.”

Everything moved, the doors zooming by at a speed that my eyes could not hope to keep up with. It was all a blur, making me feel disoriented as the doors moved without making a sound, or wind.

Stopping, nothing looked like it had changed, except one door had a green circle on it. Slowtrot was first to give it a try, saying the password, and sticking his head through the door. After what felt like a minute, he pulled back his head. “I found your sister.”

I sighed, knowing the truth. “That’s not my sister, it’s me.” Looking through the door, there I was. Black suit, tinted glasses, and next to me was Theremin. We were in what looked like a service elevator large enough to fit one of the hovercraft the republic had. There were other ponies with us, all in republic military fatigues. One of them being Blaster Beam, whom stood on the opposite side of me from Theremin.

“So we're just going to send her off like this, after all the shit we went through?” Blaster Beam scowled. “I don’t see how this helps us expand the republic.”

“It’s simple.” Theremin explained. “She will help soften up Orthrus and the Orphic Kingdom, and when they’re weakened, we can move in. If things go right, we will be seen as valiant heroes come to save the metro from the dastardly outsiders. Which will make it much easier to unify the entirety of the metro.”

Blaster huffed. “I don’t like it. Holding back, and letting some unknown group do the work for us. Too much room for error.”

“Worry not.” I watched as the words came out of my lips. “As long as we pull back, and gather our strength, victory will be assured.” It was me who was talking, but I knew it was not. Phobetor first came to mind, but whoever was talking welded too much power over the Reavers for it to be her. My second guess was that it was the C.C.N. itself. “Times are changing, and we must be ready to ride the waves. If we do not, we are doomed to sink.”

The elevator came up into a large room, no, a large hangar. Military ponies were all over the place, and there rows upon rows of hovercrafts. Most of them were the same kind that had delivered me to this island, but at the back of the room was something unexpected. Warships, but in hovercraft form… and there were four of them. Roughly ten times longer than the normal hovercraft, if not more, they were armed with cannons, heavy turrets, and missile launchers. This was the weaponry of a nation ready to go to war.

“Our main concern is Orthrus.” The C.C.N. spoke through my body. “As long as they have those two airships, and the heavy rail guns affixed to them, we can’t make a move. But if these prates and Orthrus go to war, we may have the opportunity to strike.”

“Sounds like a plan, but why bother with the metro?” Blaster commented. “If what this new information says is true, we can just leave this garbage of an island, find a new home. Show the world the glory that is true equality.”

“I agree.” Theremin spoke up. “With what we have here, we can start a colony elsewhere. Pirates be dammed, if they get in our way, we will sink their ships.”

My body nodded. “True, so very true. And we are making up plans for transporting a part of the C.C.N. to a new home. Originally the idea was to have a C.C.N. for each island, but this plan can be repurposed for setting up on a colony. But until that plan is ready, we must keep as much attention away from ourselves as we can. So all pests must be exterminated, leaks sealed, and any dissension must be silenced. Unity is our strength, and in unity we shall find perfection.”

“For Equality.” Blaster Beam stated.

“For Equality.” Theremin joined.

“For Equality.” My body spoke, which made me cringe.

I watched as the three walked off down the hanger, yet I didn’t move with them. Instead everything became quiet and cold, as the ponies working in the large hangar vanished. Eventually I was in a silent hangar voided of life, darker than it was before, and certainly colder.

“Strange, how is it that you are free from the box I put you in.” A black mare, Phobetor, stepped out from behind a hovercraft. “I even put the box inside a box, and inside another box. Even if you broke free from the first box, it still should have taken you days to break free from the others. How?”

“Maybe I’m just that damn special.” I spoke in a mocking tone.

Phobetor just laughed. “Special? No, no you are not. Skilled, disciplined, and maybe even a bit lucky. But not special in any way possible. If I wanted to toy with a pony who was special, I’d be talking with your sister. So, how did you break free? Who helped you?”

“Why are you doing this?” I shot back at her. “What the fuck are you?”

“That’s not how this goes, my foolish little pony.” She stomped her hoof on the ground, and a wave of cold wind hit me, and the lights became dimmer. “I ask, you answer.” She stomped again, and another blast of cold air hit me, and made things even dimmer than before “I demand, you deliver. It is simple, you will comply.”

Yeah, fuck that. “Eat shit, Phobetor!” I took a step back, and readied myself to charge forward.

“You think you have any control here. What a laugh. Body and soul, you are mine.” She cackled. “And soon, so very soon, I’ll have full control. No need for games, just domination.” She stomped her hoof one more time, and the room became as cold as death, my own breath forming a cloud in front of me.

“Hey, Vibraphone!” Light bust from the doorway I had come from, and standing in front of it was Slowtrot. “I was thinking, have you ever heard of hammer space? It’s what they use to make the larger-on-the-inside bags, maybe this place is like the same thing?”

“YOU!” Phobetor shouted. “HOW!?”

Slowtrot looked up at the black mare, and waved. “Hi Phobetor, what are you doing here?”

The black mare’s eyes twitched, her hoof dug into the ground. “Impossible. I made sure you didn’t make it out alive, sent you into the void when you teleported…” Phobetor paused, then laughed, cackled actually. “I see. You’re nothing more than a shade. An empty echo of the past. Like all things this mare seems to connect with.” She shifted her eyes over to me, and smiled. “It must be a talent of yours, not that you have a cutie mark to show it. But even with that, you will fail. You are simply destined to, for you are not special. Even with help, all you can do is delay the inevitable.” She tapped one of her back hooves twice, and smiled. “Let me introduce you to… you.”

Another pony trotted out from behind the hovercraft. Peach coat, blond mane, golden eyes. The pony was me, but in a black suit. Phobetor pointed at the mare with her hoof. “This here is Chime Catbell. Your new you. Her loyalties are to me, and some to the Republic. Such a wonderful bunch of fools. But first she must suppress you, and finish off that nuisance of a shade stuck within you.”

Phobetor faded into the darkness, her eyes were last to disappear, simply becoming two floating golden orbs before blinking out of existence. Chime stepped forward, flipping her mane up and out of her eyes before talking. “Such a sad turn of events. A mind divided cannot stand, so let us become one once more, Unify ourselves into one pony. With me being dominant of course.”

“How about… No?” was my response. No guns, or blade, this was going to be a slugfest at best. “If you give up, then we can go home. Live a peaceful life. No need to be shot at ever again.”

Chime Catbell chuckled, and gave a fat smile. “So you want to give up on this!” She lifted up a hoof displaying the war hovercraft in the back. “We have been given the gala ticket, a straight line to the top, and we want it. Oh a simple life sounds nice, but we know better. Being rich, having all others below us, that’s where true happiness is.” She let her hoof down, and gave me a concerned look. “You and I, we’re the same. We both know the truth of the metro, and we both know a simple life is not what we want. It’s just the matter of us settling for accepting an option we can obtain, but not the life we want. Deep down, what we want is a better life, to look down on all the ponies who choose a more savage way then us. To show them that their way is truly inferior”

“Lies, I am not so shallow!” Whoever this bitch is, she is not me.

“Shallow?” Chime stuck her nose up into the air. “It is not shallow, it is the truth.”

Slowtrot stepped in between us, with a concerned look on his face. “Don’t let her get to you Vibraphone, we all have our flaws. Like me, even. I’m Lazy, uncommitted, and probably a coward. If somepony called me that, it’d hurt, it really would. But only because it’s true. Yet, If I can accept it at all, I can work to become a better pony.”

Chime laughed. “Simple platitude from a ghost. Long dead, from the generation that killed the world. You know, back just over a week ago, we would have never had this split. The simple life would have been good, best for us, maybe.” She lifted up her right forehoof, and a spark of electricity jolted through it. “But times change. Finding the princess was one thing, a guarantee to riches, a way to make life easier, and potential connections to bring in more bits. But Merit and his companions? That’s new, big, it could mean a paradigm shift. If we can use it to gain power, to lead the metro into a new age, we would be the most powerful pony to have ever lived. And how would any savage equestrian ever stop us?”

“That’s not true!” I spat back.

“Not true? It is the truth.” Chime retorted. “From what those Pegasus have told us, Equestria is ripe for the taking. The Enclave only failed because they tried to take it all at once. But you and I, we know how to do it right. Bit by bit, we retake equestria. Purge the savages, take in those willing to become civilized. And in time, equestria will belong to us. We have the tech, we have the military, and as soon as the republic connects all the metro together, we will have the will. All that is needed is a pony to lead the metro to glory. Us”

I shook my head. “You’re wrong. How could I lead the metro? Why would anypony even follow me?”

Chime rolled her eyes. “Simple really. We just use others to get what we want. It’s not like we have not used others as our shield in the past.”

“Fuck you, you’re wrong!” She is not me. She’s not even part me in the slightest.

“Am I?” Chime taunted. “We let Sweet get mutilated, and took on the title of Dragon Slayer. Kantele’s spine snapped in half taking the brunt of a reavers strike, yet we left her there. Turnip drew away the fire of that vertibird so that we may get away. What is one or two more sacrificed lives if it means leading the metro to prosperity? Or maybe just one pony. Harp Melody would make a perfect sacrifice for bringing in a new age to rallying an army to retake equestria, don’t you think?”

“No, I don’t think that way!” She is not me.

“Yes we do. We just suppress it because it’s not considered proper. Yet all the ponies in charge think this way, seeing us all as nothing but resources to be thrown at a problem.” Chime knocked on her own chest, anger clear as crystal on her face. “And when we understand that, when we talk about that, we become the problem. Why not have us in charge? We could change things for the better, do what they refuse to do. We can rid ourselves of the bandits, grind their bones to dust. We can free everypony from the metro, and lead them back to Equestria. Yes, we would require a sacrifice of lives, but there are so many useless ponies here, it be hardly a drop in the bucket in lives we have available to use. And we both know that the less savages there are out there, the better it is for us more civilized ponies.”

“Shut up! Shut up!” I couldn’t take it anymore, she needed to stop. “You’re not me! YOU ARE NOT ME!”

Chimes face went blank, and her head tilted. “We are not we? I am not you? Then does that mean, I am me, you are you, and we are not the same?” She relaxed, and smiled. Yet, her smile was unnaturally big, ear to ear big. “But we still share the same body, and that can’t be if we’re not the same. So then, I guess I just need to get rid of you, and let me be me.”

The air around us moved, like it was being pulled toward Chime. The fake mare seemed to take it in, her body bubbling, and growing in size. At first to the size of a large stallion, but didn’t stop, becoming bigger, like a bubble ready to pop.

Slowtrot took a step back. “I think you fucked up.” I could only nod in agreement.

The bubble that was chime kept growing, absorbing the hovercraft that was next to her. I took a step back, and galloped for cover, Slowtrot right behind me. “Maybe we should get out of here before she explodes.”

Slowtrot looked back to where the door was, and shook his head. “It’s gone, I think we’re stuck here.”

With no way out, we watched as Chime continued to grow, and finally burst. What was left was what could only be described as a monster from a nightmare. Chime had grown to three times the size of a normal pony, her wings were twisted and grew out to hold onto a large propeller each, using it to hold herself up in the air, blasting us with the wind it made. Her legs were like spider legs, made of metal, and long enough for the points to lightly touch the ground. Worst yet was her head. Though mare-like, the top of it was used to make room for a mounted LMG that sprouted out of it, the Bad Seed.

“Are you hiding little pony? Come out and play with me, it will only hurt until I am bored of you.” Chime shouted, her head swiveling side to side looking for us.

“You know what, I quit. I’m going to just end it here, fuck this shit!” Slowtrot pulled out a gun, and put it in his mouth.

Before he could fire with his hooves, I swiped the gun from him with my forehoof. “You had this all the time, and didn’t tell me!”

He sighed. “I only just remembered. Can you give me back my gun? Maybe if I shoot myself I might wake up from this?” I cocked my eyebrow. “I saw it in a movie once.”

Like fuck I would let him clock out like that, especially when I needed his help. “Well don’t. We need to focus on killing this monster first.” Taking a look at the gun, I recognized it as a 45. Auto. Commonly only seen in the arms museum as the first semi-automatic pistol used in the great war. Originally made and used by griffins, if I remember correctly, it was later converted for pony use. On the side it had an engraving “Checkoffs Promise” the phrase was lost on me, but the gun looked solid. It even had the stable-tec logo on the mouth bit. “I’m going to use this. Do you have any more bullets?”

Slowtrot fished out three magazines from his pocket. “Will this do?”

Using Minerva to grab them, I nodded. “I hope so.”

“There seven shots in each magazine, so be careful” He added.

Taking note of my ammo count, I cocked the pistol with my forehooves. With four magazines, I had a total of twenty-eight rounds to shoot. So I had to be careful with each one.

Chime was still looking for us, having pierced through a hovercraft with one of her freakish stabby legs, and dragged it across the floor. “Make this easy on yourselves, and just let me kill you.”

She got closer, and we ducked down. With one jab, her leg went through the hovercraft that hid us, the leg poking through between me and Slowtrot. We both gave each other a knowing nod, and when the craft started moving, we moved with it. With that gun protruding from her head, we needed to stay out of the line of sight, or she would destroy us. “Right, I’ll try to get a shot on her, you stay out of sight. Got it.”

He nodded. “Clear”

Luckily I could see Chime, but she could not see me. So when she turned her attention to another hovercraft, I bolted to the first one she’d moved, which happened to be nice and close. Under cover, I poked my head out, holding the gun in my mouth. One shot, one kill was what I hoped when I fired at her head.

*Bang*

The bullet flew wide, only cutting her cheek. On the my end of the gun, my ears rang like a mother fucker. Ducking down, metal slugs hammered the hovercraft I hid behind, as well as pinging off the metal to strike all around me. I was sure she didn’t see me, as her shots went wide. As long as I kept behind the thicker part of the hovercraft, I should be safe.

“Tricky, tricky. I was sure you would take up a turret to fight me, yet you have not.” She fired another stream of slugs from her head. “But don’t think you're safe just because I don’t see you. I know where you are. Your end is soon.”

The slugs ripped through the Craft like paper, one grazing my leg, tearing a hole through my nice dress. The mare may look ridiculously terrifying, but that gun as nothing to blow my nose at.

“Hey!” Slowtrots voice echoed across the hanger. “Big, mean, and overly terrifying!” Peering through one of the big fucking holes that Chimes head cannon left, I could see Slowtrot manning a turret on top of the hovercraft I had left him on. “Eat lead!”

Nothing happened.

“OH COME ON!” The stallion screamed.

Chime chuckled. “Fool!” piercing the hovercraft I was behind with two of her spider like legs, the hovercraft creaked and cracked as it began to rip in two. “Even if that gun was real, it still would not fire for you. Mirage Pony weapons are powered by Mirage Pony magic. A unicorn might manage powering it, but an earth pony? Ha, not a chance.” With a deafening roar of bending and snapping metal, Chime ripped half of the hovercraft off, and tossed it at Slowtrot. The stallion managing to dodge the flying scrap of metal by taking a face plant to the floor. “Imagine, an army of ponies, armed with weapons only they can use, all unified under the C.C.N.! Unflinching, never questioning, cannot be bribed or corrupted. As the rest of the world falls back into a stone age, we will march through, and establish ourselves as the true future of ponykind.” Lifting up the second half of the hovercraft, she pulled back to make another throw.

Now or never, I had a good shot at the bitch. I unloaded six more .45 rounds at Chime, as she was in mid throw. Making contact, the flying hovercraft went wide, crashing into another hovercraft, sending metal parts flying off everywhere. Unfortunately, that’s all my attack had done, and Chime slowly turned her head to me.

The nightmare me was bleeding from her side and neck, and she was giving me the angriest of scowls. I had managed to load another magazine in the time it took her to look at me, so with the gun ready, I glared back at her. “That hurt! But it matters not, soon you will be nothing more than a faint memory.”

It was a stare down. The gun I had proved to have an effect on her, but likely I needed to hit a critical spot to end her. She on the other hoof probably just needed to turn me to paste with the massive automatic cannon on her head. Yet she had not fired on me already… unless she can’t. Checkmate, lining up the shot, I fired at her head.

She became a blur, my shot missing its target. Chime had dashed to the side, far faster than something like her should move. Turning to shoot at her again, she leaped over me with graceful agility. It was the propeller wings she had, they allowed her to move about as though she was feather light, her long legs giving her the power to make long gradual leaps.

“Just a bit longer, then I will be able to shoot again. But until then, have THIS!” piercing another hovercraft, she flung it at me. Dashing to the side, I just barely managed to avoid the tumbling hovercraft, and ran behind another. “You cannot win. You stand no chance at all. So just give up!”

Pulling out Checkoffs Promise from my mouth, I couldn’t help but vent. “You know what, why don’t you detach one of those stupid legs, and go fuck yourself with it!” I shouted back at her before dashing to another hovercraft. Predictably, she had thrown another hovercraft at where I was, crushing one under the other.

Chime walked over the hovercraft on her four freakishly long legs like some gigantic spider monster. “Come out, come out, and die like the piece of trash you are!”

Our game of cat and mouse persisted, with each time we spotted each other, I would take a potshot at her, and she would throw a hovercraft at me. Down to two magazines for the .45 Auto, I managed to put some distance between me and Chime, reuniting with Slowtrot.

“So, this is not working.” I pointed out.

*Crunch* A hovercraft flew off in the distance, landing far enough away from us that I was not worried that she would get close.

“Has just shooting at the problem ever fixed anything?” Slowtrot stated, as he expressed himself with his hooves.

“It’s worked before… sometimes” Slowtrot raised his eyebrow at me. “Okay, but do you have a better idea?”

“I have one.” He pointed up at a crane that was above us. It obviously was used to move around the hovercrafts with much more care then Chime was doing. “If we can grab it with the crane, then you will have a clear shot at that thing.”

“Let me guess, I’m the bait.”

He nodded. “You’re the one with the gun, so you’re the bait.”

I was really regretting being the take charge mare I was. Also, new rule, never take another ponies gun, ever.

It didn’t take him long to get to the crane’s control box, and luckily, Chime was looking in a different direction as he was climbing the ladder. Now it was all me. Gaining her attention was going to be the easy part, not dieing, and or getting her under the crane, that was not.

Standing on top of a hovercraft, I yelled out, “CANNON FACE!” Chimes response was immediate, as another hovercraft came flying at me. Ducking down behind the hovercraft I was on, all the metal bits flew over me. Unharmed I stuck my head out, and shouted again. “YOU MISSED!”

Even from a distance I could see her scowl at me. With far too much ease, she trotted across the hangar of wrecked hovercraft, making her way over to me in but seconds. Her legs piercing a hovercraft, or the concrete floor which each step. “Have you finally given up? Accept the truth of your situation?”

“You know I’m not going to give up. So let’s end this right here.” I placed the gun back into my mouth, and glared at her.

Chime let out a cackle, one of her legs stomping on a hovercraft in amusement. “So in your desperation, you have become delusional. Fine by me, I do not like the idea of killing a pony who is not fighting back anyway. It makes me feel like a coward.” I just needed her a little closer. So taking a few steps back, I fired another round a her, she deflected the bullet by having lifting a piece of junk to shield her face. “Though in the end, it’s not like you can put up much of a fight.”

She leaned in close, likely to taunt me. But that put her right where we wanted her. With a loud clunk, the crane dropped its claw. Chime caught on quickly, dashing to the side to get away, but the claw hooked onto one of her propeller wings, sending the monster crashing to the ground.

“Ten points, bitch!” Slowtrot called out. Chime pulled herself up, though hooked onto the crane, it had not pinned her down like was planned, and she turned her attention to the stallion. “Oh puppy farts.” It happened all too fast, as metal slugs collided with the control box, sending dust into the air, creating a gray cloud.

My backside collapsed as all I could hear was the sound of bending metal. No way anypony could have survived that. Not bothered by the claw that was now firmly stuck to her propeller, Chime turned her attention back to me. “Shame, if he was less pudgy, and much dustier looking, I’d fuck him.” One of her legs slowly dragged across the floor, and up to me. Gently she caressed my cheek, taunting me. “Now let’s end this, okay.”

Loud coughing echoed through the hangar, and we both turned our attention to the dust cloud that was once the control box. “Sorry ma'am, but you’re not my type.” The dust cleared, and there he was, still sitting at the controls. It looked as though Chime had shot everything but the stallion and the seat he was on. “And it’s rude to call another pony pudgy.”

Pushing his weight down on a bent lever at the controls, the crane made a loud clunking sound and the claw began to retract. Chimes eyes went wide as the slack chain was pulled up, and pulled on her. Fighting it, she dug her legs into the ground, keeping her from being hoisted into the air. But the chain did not relent, and with a loud pop, the structure holding onto the claw began to break. The steel bars holding the crane broke apart, and fell from the ceiling, right onto Chime. She had managed to avoid being hung up, only to be pinned down.

It likely would not hold her for long, but long enough for me to end this farce. “Sorry, but I can’t let you have my body, I still have things to do with it.” Placing the gun back into my mouth, Chime gave me a pleading look.

“Can we not work something…” *Bang* With one shot, I cut her off. I was not interested in hearing this monster plead with me. Six more shots made sure that she was not just playing dead.

“Wow, that’s cold.” Slowtrot commented as he clumsily got himself down from the wrecked control box. It’s ladder had also been hit, and bent unnaturally, forcing the Stallion shimmy on it at one point.

When the stallion finally made it down and back to me, I hoofed back his gun. “It was some twisted copy of myself that wanted to kill me. I wasn’t interested in negotiating with it.”

He shrugged, and placed the gun in his pocket. “True, but it might have known a way out of here.”

“And what makes you think she would even help us?” I sighed. “Anywho, there must be some clue around here somewhere.”

“How about another door, with you standing next to it.” Slowtrot pointed behind me, looking a little worried.

Turning around, there was Chime again, but this time as a normal mirage pony, in my normal mercenary outfit. “Slowtrot, give me your gun. does it still have a full magazine.”

The stallion sighed. “No, let’s not fight some monster again. My luck only can go so far.” Slowtrot trotted past me, and over to the other me. “Sorry about before, you were in kind of a crush, kill, destroy mood there.” The other me just huffed at him. “Care to tell us if that’s the exit?”

Chime nodded. “It is, for now. The ones who control the strings, it won’t take them long to find this, and lock it away. So unless you want to be suppressed again, you should step through sooner rather than later.”

Trotting up to my clone, I looked her in the eye. “And why should I trust you? You were a raging monster just a moment ago.”

She rolled her eyes, the cocky bitch. “You don’t have much of a choice, and it is better having you in control then Phobetor. Even if you are a cunt, and I have to be your bitch.”

Slowtrot stuck his hoof between the two of us, gaining a glare from us both. “Ladies, I know we all got off on the wrong hoof here, but maybe, just maybe, you should get over your fucking self.”

“Who the fuck are you anyways?” Chime spoke up, poking him in the chest.

“We only met recently, and you're acting like you know me.” I spat at him.

“You should just mind your own business!” We said in unison.

The stallion didn’t flinch, just gave us that look a pony has when dealing with someone not acting very smart. “I know enough, and if you two don’t start getting along, the shit we just went through might happen again.”

He was… He was right. I didn’t have the time to argue with… myself. “I better not regret this. If you turn out to be a split personality, I am so going to binge drink, and start killing brain cells until I get to you.”

Chime sighed. “I don’t think it works like that. I think I’m more your ego, the part of you that dreams big. You know, world domination, a harem of stallions, and enough bits to fill a swimming pool, then swim in it?”

“Okay, that does sounds nice, if unrealistic.” It’s not like I never have dreams like that, but I knew they were nothing more than just that. “But no more thinking of my friends as sacrifices, that’s just wrong.”

She shrugged. “To tell the truth, I rather have the power to get what I want, and not have to sacrifice anypony in the first place.” She stretched out a hoof to me. “So, truce?”

“Yeah, yeah. Truce.” I placed my hoof onto hers.

“Now Kiss.” Slowtrot chuckled. We both glared at him, and he took a step back.

Turning our attention back to each other, I suddenly felt warm. “I... am you.” chime said.

“And you are me.” The words came out of my mouth, like I had been waiting to say them for years, yet only now able to say them.

And with a blink of an eye, Chime was gone… no, not gone. She was still here, as a part of me, as something I had forgotten long ago, now found. It felt warm, and right.

Slowtrot opened the door, revealing a white void. “So you’re ready to get going?”

Taking a deep breath, I gave a long sigh. “Yeah, let’s get out of here before I have to fight another apparition of myself.” I trotted over to the doorway, stepping through. Inside I looked like a normal pony. Nude, but lacking any cybernetics.

“You know, something about you was giving me this distinct feeling of déjà vu the moment we met.” Slowtrot said, tapping his chin. “I just couldn’t put my hoof on it, but seeing that cutie-mark, I think I know what it is.” Cutie-mark, I looked back to see the golden eye crested silver shield on my flank. It was still strange to see, but also felt… right. “There was this pony I knew, Underbrush was her name. Worked as security for Stable-Tec, but before that she was royal guard. Brave mare, strong too.”

That name made my ears twitch. “You knew Underbrush? She was my great, great, great, great grandmother, the second head of security of the R&D stable.”

He nodded. “I can see the resemblance now. Though, I think you take a bit more from your zebra side of your family as you are today.” With a long sigh, Slowtrot put his hoof on the door. “So I guess this is so long.”

“Wait, what!? You’re not coming?”

The stallion just shook his head. “You heard Phobetor, I’m just a shade. An echo, otherwise known as a ghost. How long was I just sitting there, waiting for something to happen? I’m such an idiot.”

“And you trust her words?”

He shook his head again. “Not in the slightest, but there was some truth there. I can feel it. Where you’re going, there is nobody for me, No place for me to exist.”

“But then where are you going to go?”

He looked back, and behind him was another door. “I don’t know, but something's started tugging at me since we met, and I think I should follow it.” He then lifted up his pipbuck. “Also, this thing here, it’s been telling me I’ve got a job to do. So you know what? I’m going to do it, and maybe, one day, we might meet again.”

This time I shook my head. “Yeah, you do that. And if we do meet up later, I owe you a drink.”

He chuckled. “I think we’ll owe each other a drink.” With that the door closed, and I was surrounded with white, so much white.

“So, where do I go from here?” Closing my eyes, I think I could hear something. The sound grow more audible, distinctive, familiar. I could smell, feel, and taste. All faint, but as the moment grew longer, everything became more.

I was feeling alive again, bit by bit, more myself. I could feel the connectors in my shoulders and hips, the distinct feeling of a gas mask on my face, and the wet feeling of rain… yes rain. I could hear it too, pitter pattering all around me. It was a light rain not like the storm I was stuck in last time I was out on the surface.

“I don’t like it.” It was Theremin. “Passing her off to these savages.”

“Stop complaining.” Blaster Beam. “They just need her to strike at Orthrus, after that she will return to us.”

Passing me off to who? My thought was cut off by the sound of a twig breaking and hooves walking towards us.

“Ahhh, three lovely mares, and waiting' for me. It's more than I ever could have hoped for” That voice, it sounded too familiar, yet not quite. “Truly, truly Luna has blessed me as her champion, and soon I shall free her from her prison.”

No… fucking… way.

They were giving me to Blackspot.

Footnote:

Quest completed: I think, Therefore I Am.

New Quest: Dragon-Slayers Gambit

Quest Perk Gained.

- I don't like it. I don't like it one bit. I know smiles. And those smiles? They're just not right. - + 1 to Perception

- Ambitious Little You - Something stirs within you that you long thought put to rest, now it whispers in your ear that you could have, and be more than you are. + 5 to Barter + 5 to Speech.