---

I was finishing describing the events inside Vanhoover, while Bon Bon was beginning to look more and more serious. She sat down in the chair beyond the desk I was sitting behind, her posture stiff and tall. Her face remained a blank expression the entire time, only periodically showing signs of pity and disgust when I glossed over the more Gruesome details. She remained silent as I kept talking, breaking the silence from time to time to inquire me about something

She didn’t seem to mind that I went over every detail. In fact, she interrupted me for a moment to bring in a Unicorn Scribe to record everything that I was saying. They started to record the events of Vanhoover since I had the encounter with Gears. It seemed like they wanted me to go into every tiny detail. It set off red flags to me. It showed me that Bon Bon took her job seriously.

Their reactions varied as I continued to recite the events. The Unicorn remained mostly stoic, occasionally glancing toward me as he tallied the events. Bon Bon continued to listen quietly, as the Unicorn quickly took notes.

It wasn’t until I mentioned the bombs we found in the vault that made them both look up and stare at me. The Unicorn even stopped scribbling for a moment. Bon Bon’s expression remained mostly monotone and even, but upon hearing about the bombs she froze.

“… You said you found ‘Nuclear Bombs’?” she asked me incredulously, to which I nodded.

“We only saw two of them. There was room for one more. And it was missing.”

Bon Bon's cheeks were flushed in color and she looked pale. She traded a look at the Unicorn next to her. He was just as dumbfounded as she. She faced me again.

“You’re telling me that you found two WMDs, inside an underground bunker filled with all kinds of information, while you were in a metropolitan area?!”

“Yes, but as I said - one was missing. None of us had any idea where that one was. We were the only ones guarding that vault until the invasion was complete. By the time we had our reinforcements showing, senior ranking officers were strictly advising us to not to tell anyone about what we had discovered and were to wait for more orders.”

Bon Bon turned away, contemplation smitten on her features. Her brow furrowed while she deliberated to herself.

“Did you eventually find it? this missing weapon?” she questioned.

“... No.” I answered. Bon Bon kept silent. She tapped a hoof under her chin multiple times.

Her head suddenly snaps to the Unicorn beside her. "Get this information to the chief and tell him this is worth pursuing. He needs to know."

“Yes Ma’am.” he replied obediently, as he got up to walk out of the room with his papers levitating beside him. As the door clicked shut, Bon Bon turned to face me.

“I want to make it abundantly clear to you that as of this right now, what you say in the next few hours is going to be strictly confidential. If I find out you’re lying to me, or if you’re holding back information that is related to this investigation, then you and your lover will be detained.”

Her demeanor made this comment seem like a threat. To me, it meant more time away from Night Light. To her, it meant more questioning and writing. I knew it was futile to resist her demands, but I also didn’t want to be anyone’s puppet. I’ve already done that for years now since the Great War, and I’m not planning on doing it again.

In truth, I didn’t like her. And yet, I was stuck with her for at least a few more hours.

“What investigation?” I inquired.

“The investigation between you and Night Light.”

“What is there to investigate?”

“Finding out what happened.”

“That doesn’t answer my question well.”

“Well in my defense, I didn’t have to answer your questions at all. And yet I did. You have to answer for me.”

I gave her a hard stare. No words were spoken. She sighs.

“Look, I’m not trying to be a leech on your side or anything, I’m just trying to do my job. But you are talking about a missing nuclear weapon. I don’t know about you, but something like that would definitely be important enough to warrant an investigation into National Security.” she gazed back at me.

I didn't have any defense to that. My only reply was another cold, hard stare.

“Alright look, I'll tell you what. I’ll go easy on you. If you can tell me everything I need to know - and I’ll inform you on what that is soon enough - then you can get out of here before the day's end. You and your lover. You have my word.”

I imagined myself far away from this place, in my home. Night Light sat beside me on the sofa, snuggled by my side. The mental projection was very vivid, so much so that I almost believed I was actually there.

That only made it more disappointing when I came back to reality. Bon Bon still waited for a response.

“Your word isn’t exactly worth much to me. How can I know you’re telling the truth?” I questioned with suspicion. Bon Bon shrugged with her withers.

“You don’t. That’s on you. Make my word mean something for a change.” Her logic was contradictory to how such an agreement should be made. I didn’t like it, but it was my only option. It was only through this that I can have her listen to me. It was only through this that I can get me and Night Light out of here.

I just have to play along. I leaned back into the chair I sat in. “What do you wanna know next?”

Bon Bon took the time to think of her answer. She contemplated for a long while, before finally turning her attention at the door opening behind her.

"Chief's definitely interested." he greets tersely. "Wants a thorough recording of her testimony."

“Then let's get to it.” She ordered, with a fresh pen and notebook in her assistant's possession.

Bon Bon snaps back to me. “So, in your military history, it was recorded in vague terms that you encountered something ‘big’ during your campaign. Were those WMDs the ‘Big Thing’ that your history was referring to?” Bon Bon finally asked.

“No.” I replied, not missing a beat. “Well, to be more accurate; not entirely.”

That got her to raise an eyebrow. “... There’s more?” Bon Bon inquired, looking apprehensive.

“There was one bomb missing, as I said. We searched the entire building from top to bottom when we found out but it was not anywhere in the City Hall, or in Vanhoover for that matter. We didn’t know where it was at that point, and that was the most terrifying aspect of it all. The idea that we had a missing nuclear bomb looming over our heads as a constant threat was more than enough to get Brass Screws to take this situation with the level of caution and urgency that it was due.

"When we officially occupied the city, we reported our findings to the highest military-ranking official in the area. But when we informed him, we found out quickly that the Bombs themselves were not the only pressing issues.”

Bon Bon looked Scrutinized. “You’re talking about the weaponry that could wipe out entire cities in one explosion. What else could possibly be more pressing than that?”

“The bombs were taken away from where they were supposed to be - the ones found in Vanhoover. And if I’m willing to wager correctly, I’d say that the only reason Equestria even has Nuclear Technology in the first place was because of the Changelings making such a blunder like that! Am I wrong? Well, as it turns out, they were planning on selling it!

"The Changelings inside that vault were supposed to safeguard it, but why are they guarding something that shouldn't be there in the first place? Why aren't the bombs safeguarded away in some kind of hidden location away from the frontlines? Why keep something so dangerous and important away from the Queen's watching eyes?

"The answer was obvious to us after we interrogated the survivors; they were going to sell it to Equestria's highest bidder instead - someone most likely in the military. As to who it was, they didn't know... Maybe they already sold the bomb?" I suggested.

Bon Bon fixed her gaze away from my eyes as if she couldn’t bear to look at me. “No, that's not possible... we would requisition it by now..." a mutter escapes her throat. She snaps her head back to me "... You seem to know an awful lot about this.”

“I knew it was dangerous. That was more than enough for me to take it seriously.”

“... Explain then. What else happened that could place itself as a higher priority than Nuclear Weaponry?”

Upon hearing her question, I gave out a long sigh.

“You don’t realize just... how big this question you just asked is... And the answer to that said question is even bigger.”

“Enlighten me, then. I got all day.” she bitterly riposted. Her mouth was sealed shut, waiting for my response. Sighing, I leaned back into my chair once more. My mind began to wander, recollecting bits and pieces of memories from Vanhoover.

---

Stretching out endlessly, the Lunar Ocean beated its waves against the pier of the Harbor. I stood near the edge of it, just a few steps away from falling toward the water. The paved concrete beneath my hooves had definitely seen better days. It was worn, stained, cracked, and cluttered with a variety of small objects - mostly trash. There were also spent ammo cases littering the area.

Sploosh!

Another Charcoal colored corpse was seen flopping toward the water from my peripheral vision. Another Changeling corpse, sinking to the bottom. Ponies were lining up all over the pier dock in broad daylight, helping one another to dump each dead Changeling into the water. This was only one method of disposing the dead. Somewhere else in the city, they lit giant bonfires to burn the corpses. In truth, I was glad I wasn’t near any of those bonfires. The smell that decayed corpses gave off when they were burning was absolutely revolting.

Splish!

I watched as another corpse was carelessly tossed aside in the churning plane of water. There was a line of ponies stretching from the pier to the large pile of Changeling corpses. Each pony worked tirelessly to pass one corpse after another to their acquaintances. Even after 27 bodies, the pile still looked just as large as it did the first time I laid my eyes on it.

Splosh!

I sat on my haunches, my back hooves dangling over the edge of the pier. I stared into the water, and saw my reflection. My face was smothered grime, dirt, and blood. I made no effort as of late to wash myself. And I certainly didn’t wish to do it in a body of water with more bodies in it. My uniform was practically ruined, showing large tattered holes where I was nearly blown apart from. Beneath the tatters were the white bandages that kept me alive for most of the night, and early morning.

My mane - while not worthy to gaze upon in the first place - was frizzy and mangled. The Brodie Helmet kept some of it intact, but it too was also tinted crimson with blood. Bits of green were also seen dotting my body, as droplets of Changeling Blood still clung to my body.

Overall, I looked haggard.

Splash!

Sighing, I tilted my head upward to gaze at the edge of the ocean. The horizon separated sky from water. The sun shined brightly with all its radiance, casting warmth and light upon all of Vanhoover. It felt nice; being able to bask in its warmth without the ever-apparent fear of getting shot.

This war brought a lot of things into a new light for me. It made me realize just how much of a difference a single press of a trigger can make. It made me realize just how much I took for granted in life. How I was so willing to waste time for such trivial things, like visits to the spa. I missed those days.

Oh goddesses, how much I miss those days.

Splosh!

More often than not, I wished and yearned for some kind of guardian angel to sweep me and Night Light away. To carry us to somewhere else that is Isolated from the troubles of the world, where Peace is everlasting and Harmony is maintained. To a place where there would be people - Griffon, Pony, Deer, Buffalo, Yak, or otherwise - that would wake up in the mornings and wave to one another as happy neighbors. To a place where Politics are centered around trivial problems. To deal with inner conflict instead of total, destructive conflict.

I imagined a Hedonistic Utopian Paradise with sprawling urban landscapes. Where competing pleasures run amok, and where our way of life is focused on the pursuit of happiness. Where People could focus on how to improve their way of life, instead of focusing on how to improve someone else’s. Where the civilization that governs this Paradise is founded on love and justice, becoming more hospitable as it grows and refines itself.

Then it hit me, like a punch to the gut. That used to be our life. The wishes that I mentally listed were similar - if not exactly the same - to the values and policies of the Equestrian Bureaucracy before the Great War. Everything in our past life was seemingly perfect, and yet everything still went wrong.

Did it truly not matter then, what would’ve happened beforehoof? If Chrysalis hadn’t held a grudge since the Royal Wedding, would things have gone differently? Or would war inevitably find us in its wake over time? Would we fall under the crosshairs of war from a different invader? A different enemy that wishes to destroy us for different reasons? Would it not matter in the end then, what we did beforehoof?

What of our lessons in Harmony, and Friendship? Our foundation of peace and hospitality? Would they be the downfall of our existence? The cause of our extermination? Was the Magic of Friendship truly our weakness? Our bane of existence?

If we had that same Utopia now, and if no war was occurring at this moment, would things still be the same? Would there be another war that caught us off-guard, from a foreign enemy we know? Or perhaps from an enemy we don’t know? Would it matter then? Would it help us any, besides aiding us in recognizing our own morality and ethics? How much use would that be during war? I didn’t know the answer, and I have been at war for the past few years! I felt like I should know the answer.

For a moment, the sights and sounds around me became blurred and nonexistent as I continued to ponder. I struggled to sift through all of the questions and thoughts funneling through my head freely. I couldn’t even remember what it was I was thinking about. My mind was suddenly drawing a blank, as units of information was flowing freely through my brain like an open faucet.

I felt something tap on my shoulder. “Sunshine?”

Splash!

I was shocked back into reality, the sounds of bodies hitting the water now apparent to me. I quickly twisted my body in reaction, to reel on who was disturbing me. I found Syringe recoiling her hoof away at my spasm. “Whoa whoa hey, it’s just me! It’s me!” she quickly announced, raising her hoof toward her face.

I then noticed my right hoof above my head, ready to pummel her. I swiftly placed it back on the ground, shaking my head. “Sorry sorry. But a warning before touching me like that would be nice.” I warned, semi-annoyed to be interrupted by my thoughts.

“Right, my bad. Sorry.” Syringe amended. “Anyway, Scribe is calling for us. He wants us back in City Hall.”

“Does he?”

“Yeah,” she continued as she turned to walk away from the harbor. I followed pursuit. “She’s calling for all of Brass’s Ponies, the ones who found the-” she stopped herself before concluding, taking the time to gaze around her. When nopony was looking or taking interest, she continued, “The ‘you know what’.”

“Oh. Those things.”

“Yeah. I dunno for sure, but I heard from others that Scribe’s reaction to when he found out was” She sharply inhaled a breath, “not pretty.”

“What do you mean? Is he mad?” I asked. Syringe shrugged.

“Mad? Oh, I dunno. Maybe? Hell if I know. It’s just small talk from the rest of the ponies here, saying that he's mad at us. Anywho, he wants to talk to us about what to do next with them.”

As we both trotted on, I looked around me and Syringe at the scene around us. Ponies in uniform were checking each apartment, every storefront, and any other kind of unlocked building they could enter to see if there were still ponies inside. As I gazed around, I noticed the tall black spire in the sky again. We found out quickly that the spire was a breeding hive, used to procreate and conceive more Changelings in massive numbers… however that was supposed to happen.

When we captured the Hall, the battle didn’t exactly end then and there. It only progressed into another stage, as the remaining Changeling Garrison continued to fight for every inch of ground they gave up. The fighting resumed for another few hours, before the remaining bugs finally came to their senses and surrendered. The fighting had officially ceased by 5:24 A.M. - that was about 6 hours ago or so.

But the strange thing is: Vanhoover was seemingly vacant. There were a few groups of stragglers, surviving by hiding away from their captors. They lived under occupation the entire time by fleeing to the underground metros and sewers. But those were the only ones. Everything else was empty and lifeless. There were only a few thousand ponies left in the city, which originally had a population of at least a few hundred thousand. They couldn’t all have just vanished into thin air. Where did they went? Were they executed by the Changelings? The thought seemed more likely than them just disappearing like that.

There were numerous teams and squads that were sent inside the Hive Spire on multiple occasions shortly after capturing City Hall, but not before rounding up the POWs from the remaining resistance. The Hive yielded nothing but unhatched Larvae and Hatchlings. It raised another dilemma, on what to do with the newly born Changelings. From what I heard, They were sent away toward the inner heart of Equestria for - what was it Syringe called it again? “Rehabilitation?” something like that.

It had been about 18 hours since I had last slept, and I wanted nothing more but to find a pile of hay and call it a day. But as duty calls, it bids me to go forward once more. It would seem that sleep will have to wait for me a little more longer.

---

Syringe didn’t immediately lead me to City Hall. She took several detours to other specific locations in an effort to find other ponies, who were with us at the time we found the bombs. Upon asking her, I learned that Pumpkin Patch, Storm Cloud, Brass Screw, and Morning Dew were already there. All we had to do was find Rain Drop, and Dominoes.

Syringe explained to me that Scribe announced to others via radio that he wanted to see a group of specific ponies, and that everypony else should help lead the way if we were to ask. We spent the next hour finding the two ponies, before heading toward City Hall. Almost all of them told us the exact same thing: they didn’t know.

Rain Drop wasn’t too hard to find, at least. It was only Dominoes that eluded us. When we asked to find Rain, a random Stallion asked for his name. When given, he snorted a laugh and answered for us. “Rain Drop? Oh, that’s easy! You can find him in any one of these taverns or bars that is all over this city. He can drink just about anything he can lay his hooves on, as long as it’s alcoholic.”

He didn’t help us point out which tavern specifically he was in, which was no help at all. But it was something to start with, at least. He also didn’t know where Dominoes was.

As we kept searching the different bars we came across, we also inquired other ponies about Dominoes. We heard a rumor that she was in the residential district, near City Hall to the South. We made our way over.

While trotting our way toward Dominoes’ assumed location, we heard a commotion from a small two-story establishment that blended in with the seamless wall of buildings that hugged the side of the street. Bottles were smashed, yelling and cheering could be heard (with a hint of drunken singing), and there were ponies who were unconscious outside the store with bottles lying next to them. Among them, I saw a Teal coat among the group of ponies inside the bar through the broken storefront window.

Me and Syringe made our way over. Sure enough, Rain Drop was here. He was currently singing - with a very slurred dialect - while holding onto his balance with other Stallions that were also singing. It sounded like a gathering of happy drunken bears (if bears could become inebriated)

“Oh hey, shunsine! And - hic - Shurinch too! Aww, you two mares must love me!” Rain Drop slurred.

“Only in your wet dreams, you slob alcoholic.” Syringe wittily replied. “And I hope you’re not planning on getting wasted just yet.”

“Why? Ish Scribe pishing on my - hic - back about the gun safety again? I told him that I didn’t know it was off!”

“Uh… no. He just needs to see all of us, at once. Something important to talk about.”

Rain gave an over-exaggerated groan, as he literally dropped to the floor to drag his body toward us. “I doe’ wanna go!”

“You have to! Scribe’s gonna flay you alive if you don’t.”

“Ah, fuck him! He’s always leaning on my back about - hic - protocols and shit!”

… What was happening? Just less than 12 hours since I saw Rain Drop, he was acting like this calm and collected professional. Now I look at him, and I see a completely different pony. He sprawled out onto the ground, flailing his body in resistance as Syringe attempted to drag him away. The other Stallions were also continuing to drink and sing to their heart’s content, blatantly ignoring everything else that’s happening. Slurred singing could be heard all throughout the bar, and I was at a lost on what to do.

“Hey Sunshine, are you gonna actually help me or are you gonna just keep standing there?” Syringe then asked, while still struggling with Rain Drop.

“What do you expect me to do? These other Stallions aren’t gonna help.”

“Just - find something cold and pour it on him. Make him snap out of it!”

I rushed behind the tavern counter, looking for any non-alcoholic solution or beverage to pour. I’ve managed to find a large plastic container beneath the counter, filled to the brim with water. It was lukewarm. I doubt it would do much, but I figured I may as well try. I bit down on the lid and twisted it open (regretting it immediately, as my mind imagined that lid being in somepony else’s mouth for the last few years) as I made my way towards Syringe. Rain Drop was still sprawled out on the floor, slurring incomprehensibly. I stood on my hind legs, struggling to keep balance with the weight of the jug.

“Alright, bottoms up!” I announced as I gave the jug a tilt. Water poured out onto Rain Drop’s Mane and face. He flailed his limbs around us, as he yelled unintelligibly. After about 4 seconds, I stopped tilting and dropped the jug, water leaking out freely onto the floor. Rain Drop was panting as his mane and coat were drenched.

“What the fuck? What are you doing here?” Rain Drop inquired Syringe, much more clear and understanding without the slur in his voice.

“We’ve been trying to get you to get up and out for the past few minutes. Scribe wants to see all of us, at once. Including you.” Syringe answered.

“Ah dammit, I was hoping to enjoy myself.” He muttered, as he got back onto his hooves. He struggled to stand for a bit, wobbling on his hooves. Taking a few practice steps, he then turned to face me and Syringe. “Where is he?”

“City Hall. He’s waiting for us.”

“Okay, lead the way then.”

“Do you also know where Dominoes is?”

“No, haven’t seen her.”

A sigh was heard from Syringe, as she covered her face with a hoof. “Dammit, why does this have to be so hard?”

“Doesn’t have to be.” another voice was heard, earning a ‘yelp’ from Syringe. She turned behind her and found Dominoes standing there, blank expression smitten across her features. I was taken aback as well. I didn’t hear or see her come in. “What? You wanted to see me. Why so scared now?”

“How- How long were you standing there?” Rain Drop asked for all of us.

“Long enough. I know Scribe wants to see me if that’s correct.”

“Uh, well- I- he-... yes, he does. We’re supposed to all meet at the City Hall sublevels.” Syringe stuttered.

“Lead on, then. I’ll follow.” Dominoes answered, her tone eerie and somewhat optimistic. It had earned a shudder up my spine, as Syringe was starting to trot out of the Bar.

“Alright then, that’s all of us. The others are already waiting for us to get there. Let’s not keep them waiting any longer.”

---

The dull colors of blue could be seen on the Equestrian flag, as I was about hundred feet out from the building. It was poised atop of the City Hall, as a memoir to remind those who the city originally belonged to. Both Luna’s and Celestia’s silhouettes could be seen near the center, their figures dancing around a crescent moon and a shining sun. Both of them were surrounded by white stars. I don’t know what the stars symbolize.

Ponies were flying and running about and around the City Hall, doing… whatever it was they were doing; they were talking to one another, though I have no idea of what; some were busy moving debris and trash away, in a futile effort to ‘clean’ the space; some of them just sat around and did nothing, casually lounging atop of whatever they could find.

"So... Syringe." Rain asked aloud.

"Uhuh?"

"You really do speak New Changeling?"

"I do indeed! I do indeed..." She proudly answered. "It is my second language."

"... I am impressed. I really am impressed."

"Thank you. I thought it was impressive too."

"... So was that your mother's tongue then?"

Syringe twisted her head with a petulant expression, to which Rain returned with an amused expression.

"... Hmh." she replied.

"Awww, come on Syringe, you're not gonna bless us with that maternal blessing you've got?

"Hah. Hah. Hah." Syringe huffed.

"I bet she isn't actually fluent in it." Dominoes smugly joins in.

"I hate you guys." Syringe mumbles.

I couldn't help it. It was too amusing to stifle it any longer, and the chuckles came out. Soon they were joined by Rain Drop as she started to watch Syringe with anticipation.

"Well, come on then Syringe, now's your chance to prove us wrong! Whatchu got?"

"I am not going to humor you assholes."

"See? Told you Syringe couldn't do it." Rain boasts

The former in question was busy giving each of us the death glare.

She clears her throat.

"Sie alle sollten lernen, den Doktor nicht zu verärgern. Und Sie alle sollten lernen, Ihr Geld dort einzusetzen, wo Ihr Mund ist."

The laughter was stopped dead in its tracks. Rain Drop looked flabbergasted for a split second, before shifting to reverence.

"Alright, you win."

---

My group traveled across the open courtyard in front of the colonnade that dominated the Main Entrance. As we got closer, ponies began to trade glances towards us. It felt like most of them were staring at me, however. I had not bothered to change my attire for the entire duration of the night. I was busy garrisoning City hall while the battle for Vanhoover concluded elsewhere. I never had a chance to clean myself, as my uniform remained tattered and my bandages caked with dried blood - both Ponish and Changeling. We proceeded toward the building when I heard a rumbling sound. It resonated from behind the Hall and was shaking the ground beneath me. Immediately, my mind flashed back to the encounter I had with the Tiger tank. Panic began to cloud my perception, as my body was wracked with shivers and quivers.

“There’s another Tank?” I asked, tempted to move along faster to avoid that thing. "weren't they all destroyed?"

“Yeah, there were quite a few of them in the City by the time we got here. We already took care of them, though.” Rain Drop answered.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re referring to the Tiger, from last night, right?” Syringe then piped up, to which I nodded. “They captured that thing. It’s ours now. I dunno how they did it.”

“They captured a Tiger Tank?”

“It’s the only Armored Vehicle they’ve requisitioned from the city. Everything else either got out of dodge, or were totalled. Saw the whole thing with my own eyes, even.” Rain Drop commented, as we picked up our pace toward City Hall.

“Bullshit you saw it!” Dominoes spoke up.

“No, it’s true. I did see it, happened right behind City Hall in the middle of the street. I was on the roof when I saw it. Had a whole group of Ponies charge the thing when it was busy fighting somepony else. They originally wanted to blow it up, but the Changelings inside surrendered. Hadn’t left that spot since then. I think it was also out of fuel.”

“They had a Tiger, and they surrendered?” Syringe doubtfully asked, as we all trotted underneath the stone columns of the colonnade.

“Ran out of ammunition, from what I could tell. Used all of their HE shells and their MG bullets. Only shells that are left were the APCR - Armor Piercing. Not much good against Infantry, unless you can land a direct hit.”

“And you saw all of this?” Dominoes asked, as the lobby came into view. The overturned desks and piles of papers were rearranged and tidied, to the point where it didn’t look like a tank had fired into the room. It was far from neat, but it was better than it was last night. And most of the Changeling bodies were gone too, so it didn’t stink up the place.

“Yeah, all of it. I was fixing to yell out about the damn thing, until I saw the ponies go in and take it out. They shot through the Driver’s slit and then through the commander’s hatch. Didn’t last long afterward.”

We made our way through the center walkway leading back to the sublevel staircase. More Ponies traded looks at us, especially toward me. I felt more and more embarrassed with each encounter. I didn’t look that bad, did I?

“Hey, whatever happened to that one Changeling that survived this mess? The one who convinced the others to stand down?” I asked, trying to distract myself from the averted gazes.

“Dunno. I heard he’s being taken… somewhere.” Syringe answered unsurely.

“No doubt for interrogation.” followed by Dominoes.

“Or maybe Rehab.” Rain Drop concluded.

Making our way downstairs, we trotted through the single door that led to the hallway intersection in the basement. After walking through, We continued to trot forward toward the Treasury Vault (as I have taken the liberty into naming it that.) The Vault was already opened, and there were ponies inside of it. At a closer glance, I recognized some of the ponies in their. Scribe was there along with Morning Dew and the others, surrounded by a few other ponies that had officer uniforms. Brass Screws was among those ponies.

“Ah, there they are.” Scribe announced our presence as we trotted inside the vault. “Now we can begin.”

I noticed Brass Screws nose twitch as she sniffed, only to cover her snout with a hoof. “Ugh, who smells like they just died and came back to life?” she disgruntledly asked.

“Rain had one drink too many. Should be sober by now, though.”

“Shut the door.” Scribe ordered.

“Why? Is something wrong?” I asked. No answer. They simply continued to gaze at each of us, waiting for one of us to comply. Rain Drop trotted over and pushed the door in, with the help of Dominoes. When the Vault was sealed and the handle was twisted shut, they both turned and waited for an answer, just I had been.

All of us were here: Storm Cloud, Morning Dew, Syringe, Rain Drop, Dominoes, Brass Screws, Pumpkin Patch, and me. We all waited for a response from either Scribe or one of the other Senior Officers that were near him.

Scribe finally stepped forward and cleared his throat.

“First of all: this conversation that we are having right now is strictly off the record. It never happened, it’s not happening, and it will never happen again. Understood?” We all nodded quietly. “Don’t nod, I need a verbal answer.”

“Yes sir.” we all replied at once.

“Second of all: What I am about to tell you is highly confidential and classified. Such information would usually be discussed among the High Command Cabinet, but we are in the dark as far as radio communication goes. There’s an antenna in the city that boosts the signal for long range transmission. We’ve recently learned that in the final minutes of the first battle for Vanhoover, the Ponies had deliberately sabotaged the antenna to cut off communication. It has been that way ever since.

“Right now, we have no viable way to communicate to High Command, except for the invasion commander that is out at sea. The plan is to radio the commander of our success and have them reinforce the city with the garrison army that is waiting for the go-ahead. We’ve already talked to them, and they are on their way towards us as we speak. But the fact remains: we’re in the dark. And we can’t trust anypony else with this information.

“Anypony except for you lot, that is.”

Neither of us responded to his remark. When nothing was said, Scribe turned back to pull something up front. It was a large case - that looked very familiar. Upon closer inspection, I realized that it was the same case where I had unboxed the two Bombs.

“You 8 ponies aided each other in the endeavor of opening this box right here.” Scribe started, as he tapped the top of the case with a hoof. “Inside this box lies two cylinder-shaped objects, capable of unleashing destruction at catastrophic levels. To put it into perspective,” Scribe delayed his next response by taking the time to open up the case. The same two cylinder-shaped bombs were in there. The middle space for the third bomb was still empty.

I didn’t give the description of these bombs the proper justice it deserved when I first saw them. They were cylinder shaped pods, with a glass capsule in the center of each object. Inside that glass capsule was - for lack of a better term - an energy source. An energy that pulsated, as if it had a life of its own. It was a sickly lime green, and it had no particular shape to categorize it under. The glass capsule was wedged between two smaller cylinders, of which I assumed contained the mechanisms and chemicals needed to detonate the bomb.

Scribe, carefully, held one of the bombs in his hooves. He used his wings to hover momentarily, as he held it in his hooves. “What do you imagine when you see this? What do you think this thing is capable of?” he asked all of us at once. Murmurs and muttering were heard around me, as nopony couldn’t give a definitive answer.

“I’ll tell you. Pzzt.” A sound escaped Scribe’s mouth, as he moved the bomb up and down slightly. I felt a premonition of fear tug my heart when he gave the bomb a small but noticeable shake. “Dead.” Scribe concluded.

“Uh, sir-” Brass started, but was interrupted when Scribe spoke again.

“Everypony in this room, dead. Everypony in this building, dead. Everypony in this city, dead. Every living being and plant within a 5 mile radius of this thing as this thing goes off, dead.”

The room suddenly felt more Apprehensive, as a cold shiver traveled up my spine. Nopony responded to scribe’s explanation, and Brass didn’t bother to repeat her previous statement. The true destructive capabilities were now obviously apparent.

In truth, I was a bit unnerved of the potential devastation that would follow suit after the detonation. The results could be apocalyptic in nature. Such a future would be terrifying.

“And to make matters worse, there’s more than one of them.” Scribe began again, putting the bomb back inside the case. It made me feel much safer that he wasn’t holding on to such a volatile weapon. “One of them is missing, and we have no clue where it could possibly be. In times like this, it helps to assume that the worst will happen. Doing so will allow us to prepare in advance so that such a calamity would never come to pass. And that is exactly what we are doing right now.”

"How do you know about this? How did you learn of its potentials?" Dominoes seemingly repeated what she said in my head.

"We already are scratching the Surface of Nuclear Energy, so we recognize a source of that said energy when we see it. That is all I can tell you." Scribe replied back, the other officers in the back nodding their heads in agreement.

Again, more silence. The ponies in my squad were busy shuffling their hooves, rather then attempt to reply to Scribe.

“Now then. Anypony who is a Private - regardless of what class you are - step forward.” Scribe finished with an order, prompting me, Rain Drop, Syringe, and Storm Cloud to step forward. When we did, Scribe took a long time pacing in front of us. Back and forth. Back and forth.“You four, as of this moment, are being promoted to Corporal First Class. Congratulations.” Scribe finally appraised, with a tone that suggested wry humor.

I was very confused. And judging by their expressions, so were the others that stepped forward as well.

“You’re squad is now being assigned to the Commandos Battalion that is in your division, Brass Screws. As of this moment, you are all now considered to be special forces. And as of this moment, you have a new assignment.”

Brass stepped forward. “So we found what is considered to be the deadliest and most powerful bomb in history, and you are rewarding us for that?” she questioned Scribe’s decision.

“Don’t perceive it as a reward, because it’s nothing of the sort. Think of it as a breakthrough - an advancement toward the next stage of progress in the Grand Scheme of things. But in any case, you will be compensated for your efforts when this is all said and done. Your family and loved ones will be compensated as well.

“We’ve already radioed the fleet commander to infil the Garrison Army, and they are en route. It’’s approximately a week or less before they arrive. When they do arrive, you will all embark upon the first ship that leaves the harbor after unloading. It will take you to an undisclosed location, where you will receive special training for 6 weeks - teaching you special combat tactics to give you an edge over the enemy.

“Afterwards, you’re battalion will follow orders from the division commander. They will give you special objectives based on the discovery you made here.”

“Wait wait, hold on.” Rain began, as he took a step forward. “Are you saying you’re gonna make us find the third bomb that’s missing, when you don’t even know where it is?” he rebutted, sounding peeved.

“I’m not saying anything of the sort. You’re commander will. And we’ve already informed your division commander of your transfer, so you have no say in the matter.”

“That doesn’t answer my question! You still have no idea where it is!”

“That’s your job to find out, Corporal.” Scribe replied with a Grimace. “Of course I don’t know where it is, and neither do you. It’s your responsibility to find it, and my responsibility to help you get on the right track.”

Rain looked as if he wanted to say more, but stuttered as he failed to find the right words. Eventually, he stepped back in line and remained silent. Scribe continued speaking afterward.

“You will learn more about what happens to you lot when the transfer is official. And I want to reiterate the importance of this meeting, and why it should be off the record. There is a Nuclear Bomb running amok somewhere in the Equus Continent, which is believed to be targeting us - if not the Crystal Empire.

“If news of such a terrifying weapon were to be made public, then Defeatism will spread like a plague. Ponies will want to call an end to the war to avoid destruction. And not only will it start a panic in the civilian populace, it could also be a warning flag for the enemy as well. If the Changelings are the ones harboring Nuclear Weaponry - which I do not doubt that they might - then they will certainly use it against us once they realize the jig is up. For that reason, you are to keep your mouths shut at all times. And if you fail to do so, then I and many others will have the authority to execute you to prolong our anonymity.”

I swallowed hard at those words.

“But for now, you are ordered to stay within city limits until reinforcements arrive.Periodically, your squad will be tasked to complete some sort of objective within the City Limits - be it helping to clear the Hive that’s in our city, or just helping dispose the bodies. Other than that, you are free to do whatever as long as you don’t go AWOL. All I ask is for you to fall in line.

“And, again: this meeting never happened, it’s not happening, and it will never happen again. Understood?”

Brass then trotted forward, as she answered for all of us. “What meeting?”

Scribe smirked. “Exactly. You’re dismissed.” Scribe concluded, before inhaling again through his nose. He reeled, covering his face with a hoof. He pointed at Rain Drop. “Oh and, for Luna’s sake, someone give that pony a shower!”

---

Of all of the places that could’ve been flattened or outright destroyed during the battle 2 days ago, I was elated to find out that the Grand Library was still mostly intact. It was located near the City Hall further to the Northeast. It had several halls and rooms connected outside of the Main Chamber. The Main Chamber was a large Athenaeum that had a circular Architectural layout It had a large balcony that encompassed the area around the chamber, with small windows beneath the dome-shaped ceiling. The main floor had rows upon rows of bookshelves, with countless numbers of books in each of those shelves. There had to be thousands, at least. It looked more expensive than the Canterlot Royal Library.

My squad was tasked to occupy the building and to ‘ensure there is no more hidden damage’, which was a their way of saying ‘stay here and don’t move’.

I found that I spent most of my free time in there when I’m not busy clearing buildings or the Hive. We’ve only breached the lower levels of the Hive as of now, still working our way to the top. We found out quickly that some of the Citizens of Vanhoover were inside the Hive, still locked away in a Cocoon as their energy (or ‘love’, as the Changelings portrayed it) was being sapped from heir being. We found hundreds of them so far, and we still had a long way to go. But now that the City was liberated and we had established a secure and sound Salient in the Perimeter of the City, we were able to focus our time and effort on clearing the Hive step-by-step.

Other ponies were also in here as well, casually lounging around as they have nothing better to do. It wasn’t as stereotypically quiet in the Library as it was portrayed to be. That was Mainly due to most of the Stallions, and some Mares, huddling around a specific spot while talking about more… vulgar topics. I’ll admit, my language hasn’t exactly been innocent and sweet during the war, but some ponies seem to take it too far.

Case in point; one of the Stallions was talking about how he saw such horrific sights done by the Changelings, to the many towns he's been ordered to clear. He talked on about how every single Changeling that was there did not survive... even the ones that surrendered. I tried not to linger on such thoughts. But at least they weren’t staring at me. I found myself borrowing a dead Pony’s Uniform, after it was thoroughly washed. I’ve appeared closer to normal since the bandages for my wounds still clinging to me beneath the clothing.

My time in the Athenaeum wasn't spent with me being idle. I was spending my time reading, picking up just about anything that catches my eye. There was a lot to choose from. From Scientific Logs regarding the fundamentals of magic-infused trains, to Romantic Poems dating back from before the Industrial Revolution. From collections of Haikus and Novellas, to Volumes of Sub-Species history. There was so much I wanted to view, with so little time to spare.

One section in particular caught my attention. On the main floor, I located a particular section that had a large textbook perched on its shelf. Its title read:

The History Of Equus

Recorded, Written, and Catalogued by an Anonymous Author

The book was filled with about a hundred pages or so. As the title suggests, it looked brief and short. Almost oversimplified, even. There were more books just like it across the shelf that had the same title, except it was mentioning Griffonia instead of Equus. I pulled out Equus, and I read aloud.

“... defended the Kingdom through its early days from monsters, demigods and disaster, and in doing so, they discovered the Tree of Harmony, wielding the magic of its six Elements (Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Magic, Loyalty and Generosity).”

I knew right away that the book was talking about ancient history, dating as far back as at least a few hundred years before Luna’s Banishment. I closed the book, and pulled out the other copies involving Griffonia with me. I then proceeded to trot of to a disclosed location, away from the Dirty and Crude Stallions in the Athenaeum. Flying upward toward the balcony, I sat on my haunches against a wall and opened the on the Textbook about Equus.

Chapter 1: Pony Anatomy

“For Archiving purposes, this is mostly written in the year 1007. Most of the Chronological information that is provided will be set around that year. So for simplicity, reader, pretend you are reading this in the year 1007 if you happen to be further ahead.

“In this chapter, we will go over various excerpts of physical data regarding Ponies, natives to the fertile and bizarre lands of Equus. The name Equus refers to the whole continental landmass, but not to the nation of Ponies as so many often misunderstand. We will go over a general summary of each subspecies of Pony, and discuss the Anatomy of Ponies.

“Ponies are small, colourful equines found across the world, but are mainly settled in Equus. They are generally friendly, peaceful and capable. Herbivores, they naturally fear predators and defend themselves through cooperation. They wield various magic, but all possess minor magic that allows them to manipulate objects and perform fine work with hooves. There are 3 major types of ponies, and several minor ones.”

I stopped reading for a moment to draw in this moment of lull I found myself in. No flying bullets, no shrapnel, no screaming, no blood, no combat, no life-threatening dangers: Everything was still and quiet. Not silent, but quiet enough for me to notice. I sighed contently, able to appreciate this peaceful moment. I resumed reading.

“Earth Ponies have neither wings nor horn, but are innately connected to the earth and land - as their name suggests. They have a magical affinity for growth and agriculture, and tend to be stronger than their counterparts. This practical inclination can also manifest as an aptitude for mechanics and technology, which was especially true during the initial years of the Industrial Revolution.

“Unicorns are powerful spellcasters, who channel spells and telekinesis through their horn. However, most are not especially powerful, and only know basic telekinesis and specialist magic relating to their talent and hobbies. With telekinetic magic unicorns can multitask whilst performing highly dexterous tasks such as needlework. For this reason unicorns tend to be more highly employed as scholars, artisans and writers. Especially skilled unicorns are rare, but can wield incredible power such as shields, healing, flying, teleportation, invisibility, energy blasts and even time travel.

“Pegasi are winged, flying ponies, and have natural magical powers over weather and the skies. They can travel quickly and are responsible for managing weather around Equestria, including preventing natural disasters, allocating rain and managing the change of seasons. Because of their maneuverability they are often employed to patrol and range distances, with the best fliers are employed in elite groups such as the Wonderbolts.”

I’ve heard about them - the Wonderbolts. Equestria’s supposedly greatest fliers. I heard they were sent to special training camps for piloting aircraft. Hell, they even named those camps after them. The Wonderbolt Academy, promoting the best fliers in all of equestria to fight for their home. Once again, I glued my eyes to the pages.

“These aren’t the only variants for the Phenotypes of Ponies, however. There is one more hidden Subspecies that many still refuse to acknowledge, at the time and date of writing this. There are the Thestrals - or Batponies..

“Thestrals can fly like pegasi and feature leathery wings, fluffy ears, good night vision and batlike fangs. They like to work and play at night, and tend to be more introverted, avoiding mainstream society and preferring the wilderness of mountains and caves. Favored by the night alicorn Luna, they are discriminated against in pony society, due to their ancient association with Nightmare Moon, the corrupted form of Luna, who led them in rebellion 1007 years ago.”

1007 years. That was just less than a decade ago. This was written fairly quick after Luna had returned, relatively speaking. About 7 years, approximately. This also was not that far behind when the Great War started.

I then began to imagine what the History Books might say about this war, and all of the trials and battles that it harbored. How much of it would be told? When would it be told? How would it be told? As far as I remember, History determines the winner. And at the moment, it was unprecedented who could win this war. The odds were still even, and could go in either direction.

The Thestral lifestyle had changed since this volume, of course. Maybe this book might’ve been the reason that Thestral Reforms were implemented in the first place. They now had a better education, with more suitable living wages and better social benefits. They still prefer to remain isolated, which was normally why you wouldn’t be able to see them at booming Metropolises like Manehatten, Canterlot, Baltimare, Fillydelphia, Bales, Whinnyapolis, Los Pegasus, and - of course - Vanhoover.

But Compromise was the Equestrian way. And Celestia emphasized that by granting the Batponies better rights. In truth, I was glad they went through with it. It never really bothered the day-to-day life afterward (before the war, I mean) and everything still seemed normal. I guess it was one of the small victories that Harmony got to cherish before everything went to hell.

“Then there are the Alicorns. Alicorns are legendary ponies who wield the attributes of all 3 races (excluding the Magical Nocturnal Affinity from Thestrals). They age extremely slowly compared to other Ponies, or lifeforms in general. Alicorns can be born naturally from other alicorns, but can also emerge as the result of ascension, a process by which particularly heroic ponies become avatars of virtue and power. The alicorns Celestia and Luna wield power over the Sun and Moon respectively, leading Equestria. An example of ascension is Twilight Sparkle, who became an alicorn after she finished one of Star Swirl's spells.

“At present, only 5 Alicorns are known to exist at the time of writing this. Princess Celestia - as mentioned before - controls the Sun, while Princess Luna controls the Moon. This brings a harmonious balance of Day and Night to the world. There is also Princess Mi Amore Cadenza - also known as Cadence - who leads and governs the Crystal Empire alongside her husband Shining Armor. Shining Armor also happens to be the Father of the newly-born Alicorn Flurry Heart, the fifth and final Alicorn of the world. While he is the father of one Alicorn, he also happens to be related to the newly ascended Alicorn Twilight Sparkle - who cleverly deciphered one of Starswirl’s spells to reverse a magical conundrum that had smitten the bearers of the Elements of Harmony.

Peculiar. Twilight must’ve been one of those ‘Especially Talented Unicorns’ that was mentioned earlier. The rest of the Chapter seemed to go on about various body parts that distinctively differed from subspecies to subspecies. Pretty boring and standard stuff. The part about how Unicorns’ horns were connected to the psionic waves connected to their brain - or something like that - seemed pretty interesting.

I kept flipping from page to page, trying to find something else interesting until eventually skipping all the way to the second chapter. I figured that whatever lay beyond this would be more interesting than bone structures...

---

“Do we have the go-ahead yet?” Rain Drop asked impatiently, as he refused to remain still while hovering behind me.

“Shut it!” Brass hushed him, her gaze fixed on the shapeshifting mass of the Hive Tower. We all hovered at least a thousand feet in the air, as we work our higher toward the top of the Tower. We still had a long way to go, but we were making steady progress. We also keep finding more and more ponies as we continue to climb higher. They both came alive and dead. More dead than alive, which answered our questions as to where most of the Civilian Populace went.

Mass Execution was also apparent. My heart truly ached for these ponies, to suffer under such torment without any justifiable reason other than out of spite for our race. A part of me hated the Changelings for doing this. I could tell others were feeling it as well, given their previous reactions upon discovering each of these ponies.

It was easy clearing the Hive; it’s entirely Changeling-Free, with only Ponies left inside to their fate. Getting in was the hard part. I had never seen a Changeling Hive before, but they were not what I expected… yet I should’ve expected it.

It Constantly changes, like how a Changeling can change its own appearance, as it exists with a solid matter that makes up the structure while also moving and changing as if it were a liquid. As I watched alongside the others, the shapeshifting mass of the Hive Spire still did not present us an opportunity for entry.

We waited for about 3 minutes in the air now, and still no luck. Looking down below me at times, I could also see masses of other pegasi swarming the structure, making it impossible for me to interpret each individual pony at once given how fast they are. Looking above, I saw yet another layer of Overcast clouds, hiding the sunlight.

“This is taking too long. I’m finding another entry point!” Rain Drop exclaimed, as he dove downward towards the swarm of ponies.

“RAIN! Get your ass over here!” Brass yelled toward him, to no avail. She groaned loudly. “Fucking hell - Sunshine, find that stupid son of a bitch and come back if you can.”

“What if you’re already gone and inside?” I asked.

“Then find a way in.” she rebutted. “Just go!”

I struggled not to roll my eyes as I proceeded to glide down toward the direction where Rain traveled to. I figured he would be hugging the wall. I knew who I was looking for; Teal Coat, blonde Mane and Tail. A Stallion like that should stand out, right?

I spent about a minute or so scanning up and down, and all around the spire to find him. It took me a bit, but I finally found him. He was hovering alongside the wall of the spire. I dove down towards him and evened out before I could collide into him.

“What are you doing here? Come to berate me about not sticking with the squad, are ya?” Rain asked mockingly.

“No, I came to talk some sense into you.”

“Talk sense into me?” With his Vickers Machine Gun slung to his side, he punched both hooves to his chest to emphasize. “I’m the one thinking logically here! I’m just trying to find a way in to help these people that are helplessly trapped inside! Is that really so bad of me?”

“I didn’t say it was ‘bad’, I’m just following orders!” I argued, which earned a scoff from him.

“‘Follow Orders,'" he scoffed, "I lost a good friend from doing that. And he is never coming back because of that. Because of my blind obedience, I got him killed.” He seemed angry but paused for a moment to collect his vexation. In that brief moment, he sounded... quiet.

He took a breath and glared at me. “So forgive me if I seem a little reluctant,” he replied dryly. Just at that moment, the mass of the wall he was hovering near shifted to form a hole, large enough for one pony. “Finally!” Rain cheered as he flew inside the Hive.

Contemplating for a moment, I debated whether or not to follow him or to go back head back to Brass. By now, the squad could’ve been inside and working, which would’ve made this trip obsolete, to begin with. On the other hoof, Following him inside would allow me to complete our objective more quickly.

And Rain Drop was right about one thing. Ponies inside needed help and Rain seemed to have the right idea about how to approach it.

I quickly entered through the hole that formed, which immediately closed behind me as I stepped inside. I landed my hooves atop a flat and sturdy surface, made from… whatever material these hives were made out of. The interior was hollow, with layers upon layers of balcony platforms that extend shortly outward towards the center. In said center was a large hole, at least 20 ponies in length.

Underneath each of these platforms, the Harvest Pods hang from the ceiling dormant and occupied. Each pod had one pony inside of them, with only a select few that were empty, to begin with.

I peered over the edge and stared straight down into the large hole, instantly earning a nauseating feeling of vertigo despite being a Pegasus. More Pegasi were flying up and down inside the hole, working from platform to platform to help more and more non-Pegasi ponies get down to the ground.

“Hey Sunshine, gimme a hoof with this.” I heard Rain Drop ask me to my left, working to detach the Harvest Pod from the underside of another platform. I gazed all around me trying to find Brass and the others.

To no avail. Eventually, I shrugged, and made my way over to Rain to assist him. I bit on the hilt of my Combat Knife that I still have and tried to slice the stem connecting to the pod, but it was sturdier than expected. After a couple of tries, the stem finally snapped off.

Carefully, we set the pod down on the floor of the platform. We both sat across each other, the pod dividing us. Inside, we could see the shape of a pony floating around inside. They seemed unconscious. The surface of the Pod was transparent but also foggy. The liquid inside the pod obstructed the view slightly, along with the lack of proper lighting in this place. I couldn’t tell if it was a Stallion or a Mare. They weren’t a Unicorn, but I couldn’t tell otherwise what they were.

“Gimme the knife, I’ll cut it open.” Rain asked as he extended a wingtip over the pod to me. I did, as he began to create a long vertical incision across the Cocoon-like Object. Surprisingly, the knife merely grazed along the surface as it bent but did not puncture under the force of the blade.

Rain swore more than once as he attempted several more times but failed. His eyes drifted down to the bottom of the pod, seeing the slightly thicker but less malleable surface.

He began to cut an 'X' slash at the bottom. It took a few tries, but finally the blade punctured the sturdy surface.

It cut through easily afterward, but Rain cut it slowly to avoid accidentally cutting the pony inside. As he finished working his way down, green goo began to seep uncontrollably from the incision.

I will never get used to the smell of Green ooze surrounding a pony. It was utterly revolting, unlike any stench I’ve smelled before. Tears clung the corner of my eyes as my nostrils burned. It smelled something like ammonia and sulfur mixing with one another, which did not mix well. It actually felt dizzying to smell that stench again for such a prolonged period of time.

When Rain lifted open the flaps to the Pod, we now had a much better view of who the pony was. A Pale coated middle-aged Mare, with an Azure Mane and Tail.

She was an Earth Pony, who was in a fetal position as she curled up her limbs like a ball. Her cutie Mark was in view, which was a needle with a piece of thread inserted into the loop. The needle was penetrating some kind of cloth or fabric. Some sort of Tailor pony, perhaps?

Rain placed his head cheek first alongside her chest, listening carefully.

“She’s breathing, she’s got a pulse, so she’s alive at least. Do you see Syringe anywhere? I bet she would know what to do.” He asked.

I scanned the area around the platform, as well as up and down inside the giant hole in the center. No sight of anypony I immediately recognize. “No.” I simply answered.

“Well, shit. I don’t know where they send these ponies to when they find them.”

“I think its City Hall. I think.” I reluctantly answered, unsure of myself.

Just then, I heard the Mare make a noise. It sounded like a soft moan. She moved slightly, and her eyes opened - which were Azure just like her Mane. She saw me and Rain Drop surrounding her, in a foreign environment that I assumed she had never seen. She was understandably startled at the sight of both of us surrounding her. She flailed around a little, which cause the Pod to tip over and dump her out of it. She collapsed onto the floor.

“Easy easy, you’re safe. We’re not gonna hurt you.” Rain Drop assured the Mare as she stared at both of us with fearful hesitation. She scanned the area around her and noticed more pods just like hers still hanging from the Platforms.

“Ma’am, can you remember your name?” I then asked, kneeling down beside her with my gun at rest. She didn’t speak. She seemed downright terrified about something.

“Are… a-are there only t-two of you?” she stuttered slightly.

“No, we’re not the only ones. There’s more of us getting the rest of these people out.” Rain spoke with a hint of pride. The Mare’s eyes went wide at those words as if she couldn’t believe what she just heard.

“A-are you s-serious? W-we’re… free?”

“You are now.” I answered, placing a hoof on her shoulder. She recoiled away at the slightest contact. She seemed too scared out of her mind to comprehend what was happening. Double-taking between me and Rain, she frowned.

“You think I don’t see what you sick monsters are doing?!” She yells whilst pointing a hoof at us. “It was bad enough that you killed my family and took… EVERYTHING from us, but now you want to gloat and insult me about it by doing… THIS?!”

“Ma’am, if you could just-” Rain attempted to calm her down, but was stopped when she gasped. She gazed up and saw all of the other pods that still contained ponies.

“Oh Celestia… You, you keep us all locked in… in those?” She muttered, her tone sounding something like Fear. “Oh… Oh goddesses…”

“Listen, it’s not-” I then tried to speak, but was once again cut off by her again.

“Ju- just stay away! Get away from me! Leave me alone already!” She screamed, her voice choking slightly. Then she looked down at the ground, her shoulders heaving. “Oh, just kill me already. Please.”

“Ma’am, please calm down! We’re not Changelings, we’re really Ponies. We’ve just recently liberated Vanhoover about 3 days ago or so. We’re not here to hurt or trick you, we only want to help.”

She seemed somewhat more reserved, but still seemed apprehensive. She wiped a few tears away, as she slowly began to crawl towards the hole. She peered down through it, noticing more ponies flying all below us as they fervorously work from one platform to the next, liberating more and more Ponies by the minute.

She backed away from the edge, looking lost. She was heavily breathing as well, as if she was about to hyperventilate. She kept staring at the floor in front of me and Rain, as we both continued to stare at her.

“Ma’am, we have food, clothing, and shelter at the City Hall. We can take you there.” I offered a hoof toward her, making her flinch away. She stared at me, but not with hopeful or accepting eyes as I had initially expected.

It was anger.

“Why? Why now? Why did you decide to come back now of all times, after they’ve killed almost everybody!?”

“Ma’am, we-”

“They killed my Husband, my Father, my Mother, my Fillies, and they didn’t even finish me after that! They just let me watch, only because I spoke out against them!”

No words were spoken. Both me and Rain could only listen. She was sobbing violently, as she continued to blubber incessantly.

“Th-They wanted me t-to understand th-their pain, they said. Wanted me to- to- to suffer. I don’t…” she couldn’t continue. She collapsed into another Fetal position… a part of me thought that she might’ve been crying like this the moment she was placed inside that Pod.

“I don’t understand. What did we do to deserve this?” She continued to sob afterward, and showed no sign of stopping. We didn’t interrupt her. We waited for her to finish. About 5 minutes had passed since she began to soften up, and Rain finally summed up the guts to approach her.

“I… I’m sorry. I don’t know what I can do or say to help shed light on your world right now, but I can do this: I can personally escort you to a safe location, free from any Changeling harm. There will be warm food, warm beds, and warm hospitality among all ponies. We can help you, but you have to let us help you first.”

Rain offered a hoof toward the Mare, who gazed back at him with a cold look. She swatted the hoof away. “I don’t want your help… I-I did, but not anymore. I just want my family back. But they’re gone. All of them. I’ll never see them again.” she stared down as she sat back up on her haunches. She then looked straight ahead.

“... Well, maybe I might.”

“Ma’am?” Rain asked cautiously. The mare suddenly stood up, and gazed back at me.

“I told you… I don’t want your help.” she muttered, before taking a running start towards the Hole!

“MA’AM, NO!” Rain yelled out toward her, but the Mare simply ignored us. She then leaped from the Balcony, and spread her limbs out. Me and Rain galloped toward the ledge and gazed down!

“DO SOMETHING!” I screamed at him, furious that he hadn’t moved yet! He was closer to her, why didn’t he do anything?!

“I-I I don’t- ”

“Oh for FUCK SAKE!” I cursed loudly as I dove downward toward the bottom of the hole. Unfurling my wings, I accelerated at a very fast speed. My helmet was lost from my head as I dove straight downward. I had to maneuver and dodge my way around several ponies that were loitering the area. I finally spotted the mare that was falling below me.

Reaching my hooves out toward her, I got closer and closer. She was flailing around wildly as we rapidly descended to the ground. I didn’t know how I was gonna be able to catch her without her accidentally punching or kicking me hard. I accelerated my dive, unsure how much altitude I had left.

I reached a hoof toward her when, just as I had feared, a random hoof struck me in my right cheek that left it sore. It knocked my momentum off course, which cause me to decelerate rapidly and fly off in a random direction.

I crash landed atop another platform about a few hundred feet below where I was at originally. Landing belly first along the platform, the wind was knocked out of my lungs which caused me to gasp uncontrollably. I tried to get back up to go after her again, but was stopped by my Physical Injuries. I felt something painful in my left Hind Leg as the Adrenaline finally wore off.

I laid there for about a few minutes, knowing well enough by now that the Mare was dead by now. I was trying to collect my thoughts, processing what just happened in my head as I slowly regained my breath. It hadn’t occurred to me just before I jumped that the Mare killed herself intentionally.

But when the thought crossed my mind, as I laid there out of breath, unable to move, and in pain; I lost control. I began sobbing quietly, hoping nopony would see or hear me. I stayed in that position for… I lost count. Half-an-hour? Full Hour? Somewhere between the two.

All I remember from that night was me crying until someone found me and dragged me out to the Infirmary. Then I remember falling asleep shortly after.

---

Chapter 2: Equine History

“Equestria has lived in harmony for a millenium under the guidance of Princess Celestia, and now Princess Luna. The nation has faced many recent threats, and prevailed with the Power of Friendship and Harmony. However, in these trying times, the fate of nations no longer rests upon shoulders of heroes, but instead on politics and military might. The peace-loving nation of ponies now finds itself in a new world with foes, not only at their borders but among their numbers as well. How Equestria will approach the troubling times ahead is uncertain, but it wasn’t always like this.

“There was a time once when Equestria had been simple and pastoral, where small villages would congregate together in fertile areas of the land and greet each other by sending messengers to each other. Where they may communicate to one another and establish agreements with one another through old-fashioned Diplomacy. Now though, thanks to discovery of the Steam Engine back in 810 ALB by Jam Wutt, Equestria was launched into a Golden Age of Bold Innovation.

“But some may still inquire and delve back into the past. What was life like back in the pastoral age? What dangers were there, if any? What sort of civilization was Equestria like back then? Were there others just like it, and if so what did they do? For all extensive purposes, we will discuss the Ancient History of Pony Civilization.”

I licked my lips, as I kept reading.

“Equestria is known to be the oldest nation of ponykind, where three equine races united with each other to face a hostile world - Earth Ponies, with strength and affinity for growth and life; Pegasi, able to fly and manipulate the weather around them; and Unicorns, spellcasters with horns capable of impressive feats of magic. Thestrals (also referred to as batponies), who are night-dwelling cousins to the pegasi, were considered by some to be the fourth race. However, they never formally joined Equestria, and their legal status is currently in question as this is being written.

“The new alliance proved fruitful, and great pony heroes arose, protecting the fledgling nation. The wisest and most powerful among them, Starswirl the Bearded, recognized the potential of two young Alicorns, rare and legendary ponies possessing the traits of all 3 races. He crowned the alicorn sisters Luna and Celestia as Princesses of Equestria, tasking them with ruling and protecting the land from harm. Celestia and Luna soon realized their destinies to wield control over the Sun and Moon respectively.

“The Princesses defended the Kingdom through its early days from monsters, demigods, and disaster. And in doing so, they discovered the Tree of Harmony, wielding the magic of its six Elements (Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Magic, Loyalty and Generosity). They established friendly relations with the neighboring Crystal Empire, a kingdom of crystal ponies, who embraced Alicorn rule under the Amore dynasty and wielded the magic of the powerful crystals that grew in their domain, prospering under the magical strength of its powerful core, the Crystal Heart.”

I couldn’t help but lick my lips again. The Bookworm part of me was elated to find a good way to pass the time. I’ve always wanted to know what the History of the Crystal Empire was like, and now I was finally going to get a chance to see it.

“The Crystal Empire also has its own history. Their origins unknown, the prosperous Crystal Ponies lived in the lands of their lands for centuries. Primarily Earth Ponies, these unique ponies sparkle and refract the magical lights of the crystals that abound in the Crystal Empire. Some studies show that a euphoric- almost a ‘high’ feeling - of love could be felt when standing near a Crystal Pony.

“Everything changed when the shadowy Umbrum attacked, about 400 years before Luna was banished but that is not certain. They burned their crystal homes, preyed on them and crushed their hopes. However, Amore, a pony of love and optimism, discovered the Crystal Heart - a crystal gem of immense magical power. She projected her positive energy into it and with the power of the heart, the Umbrum were banished deep beneath the Empire.

“Amore was crowned as the first Princess of the Crystal Empire and became a wise and benevolent ruler. The power of the Crystal Heart kept the ponies safe and even warmed the local climate, making it more temperate and hospitable. When a dragon stole the Crystal Heart, Celestia and Luna recovered it, thus establishing friendly relations between Equestria and the Crystal Empire. The first Crystal Fair was held to celebrate the event and became an annual festivity afterwards.

“The trapped Umbrum plotted their escape and came up with a devious plan. They put a shadow pony inside the shell of a young earth pony, which allowed him to resist the Crystal Heart’s love, and sent him to the surface. The weak colt was found by patrolling guards lying unconscious in the snow, with no knowledge of how he got there. The only thing he said was ‘Sombra’, so that became his name.”

“He was sent to an orphanage. While there, Sombra met an eccentric and optimistic unicorn named Radiant Hope. They grew up together and became close friends, while other ponies avoided and mocked them. When Hope and Sombra visited the famed Crystal Heart, they saw visions in its reflections. Hope saw she would become a princess; Sombra saw he would become a monster. He hid this revelation from her and feared it would become true.

“The two looked forward to the Crystal Fair, but when it arrived, Sombra became bedridden and ill. This pattern repeated year after year, but always Radiant would remain by his side. One year Sombra's pony shell was nearly destroyed, his shadowy insides leaking out of it, but Hope cast a healing spell in desperation and saved his life. She gained her cutie mark and was soon invited to the Canterlot School for Gifted Unicorns.

“Sombra feared the visions were becoming a reality; Hope would become a Princess and he would become a monster. He fled in terror to the frozen wastes, where he soon found a red Umbrum crystal. The crystal spoke to him and revealed his origin and purpose: It was his duty to save his people from imprisonment. Sombra embraced his true self and his destiny. He returned to Crystal City, went to the Crystal Heart and attempted to steal it so his people would be free, but Princess Amore intervened. She tried to reason with him, but revealed that she had known of Sombra's vision and his pains whenever a Fair was held yet had done nothing, which enraged Sombra. He turned her into stone and shattered her into a thousand pieces. Hope, witnessing this, fled to Equestria.

“Sombra became King and Tyrant of the Crystal Empire. He ruled over the crystal ponies with an iron hoof and enslaved the populace who had mocked and alienated him in his youth. He planned to release his people from their prisons, but before that plan could come to fruition, Radiant Hope had warned Celestia and Luna of his rise to power. The two Princesses arrived and banished him into the Frozen North.

“Vengeful, Sombra cursed the Crystal Empire, and it vanished with him. Hope was the only crystal pony left and she became a student of Celestia. She regretted betraying her only friend, left Equestria and travelled to the Frozen North where Sombra had gone. There, she found the same Umbrum crystal that Sombra had found, and moved to live among the Umbrum, who kept her from aging.”

To banish an entire empire… I continued reading.

“After the Banishment, The Princesses returned to their stewardship of Equestria. But Princess Luna, given responsibility for the night, grew lonely and resentful as ponies shunned the night, preferring to play and work in the light of her sister's day. She became twisted and possessed by dark magic, transforming into the "wicked mare of darkness", Nightmare Moon. Attempting to impose perpetual night and rule alone, Nightmare Moon confronted Celestia. With a heavy heart, Celestia wielded the Elements of Harmony, defeating her sister and locking her away on the Moon. Terrified of Nightmare Moon and ill omens of night, ponies lynched and attacked batponies, creating a rift between the two societies that would never heal.

“Mournful but resolute, Celestia ruled Equestria under the mantle of Harmony and its guiding philosophy of cooperation, friendship, and trust, supported by careful management of ecological and climatic balance. Peace and calm reigned, and the years grew into centuries. Empires rose and fell, but Equestria remained. Unchanging. Idyllic. Stagnant.

“The Crystal Empire remained missing for at least a millennium. How long exactly is unknown. But by 1002 ALB, Luna and Celestia's banishment spell faded, and the Crystal Empire and King Sombra returned. Celestia sent her faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, and the other wielders of the Elements of Harmony, to aid Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armour in defending the Empire. Sombra, in shadowy, body-less form, attempted to assault the Crystal City. Twilight Sparkle and her dragon Spike managed to recover the Crystal Heart and used it destroy Sombra and banish him to Limbo. This deed made Spike into a hero of the Empire.”

The whole story seemed ridiculously outlandish to be possible… Then again, a war with the Changelings also seemed ridiculously outlandish at the time, and yet it happened.

I guess History had a warped sense of humor.

“Soon after Princess Mi Amore Candenza (Cadance) - possibly related to the Princess Amore of old - became the ruler of the Crystal Empire with her husband Shining Armour. Most crystal ponies welcomed the Equestrian rulers, but not all.

“Then there was the Commonwealth. In 649 ALB, the first Equestrian traders, led by Coltlumbus, settled on the coast of Southern Griffonia and founded the colony of Celestia. Since then, years of immigration, colonisation and one-sided trade deals have resulted in the Commonwealth of New Mareland, a beacon of Equestria on Griffonian shores.

“While nominally still part of Equestria, New Mareland has its own government in the Commonwealth Congress and is subject to its own laws and regulations. The lax regulations in industry and employment laws, along with the valuable griffon market, lead to many Equestrian businesses setting up in New Mareland. This age of prosperity lasted for centuries, but it wouldn’t last forever.

“The New Mareland economy boomed, filled with ponies of adventure and drive, shaking off the Harmonic stagnation that plagued their sedate motherland. Even the collapse of the Griffonian Empire in 979, which plunged New Mareland into a recession, was unable to stop their determination. Inspired by the battles of their troops against the exotic wildlife and challenges faced in a strange land, the ponies of New Mareland began to take pride in the New Mareland spirit, a unique blend of humour, optimism and stubbornness in face of adversity.

“Traders turned away from Griffons towards Equestrian business, and speculative investors bought big in the hope of big payoffs in expanding exploitation of the unique potential of Griffonia on Equestria's behalf. However, it soon became obvious that Equestrian trade policy was turning inwards instead. On the 29th October 999, the New Manehattan stock market crashed. In what has become known as Black Wednesday, thousands of New Marelanders suddenly found themselves without a job and the nation's economy fell into turmoil. Many citizens turned to Equestria for help, but the homeland did little to help alleviate their problems, instead chiding them for their lack of regulations and carelessness.”

It somewhat peeved me to see this level of abandonment amongst us all. How were we supposed to be a nation of friendship, if we refused to help other pony nations in need? It didn’t make any sense. I had no definitive answer, but maybe this book might.

“Many New Marelanders, now feeling abandoned by Princess Celestia, have begun campaigning for the Commonwealth to seek full independence. This is championed by several charismatic ponies such as Gladmane, Kingfisher and Duke Haygle. However, the newly appointed Governor-General Jet Set still maintains a solid powerbase in the Commonwelth Congress with popular support among the ponies of New Mareland. With diplomatic support from Equestria, he has his own plans to fix the nation and maintain the status quo. The imminent issue New Mareland has to tackle is the economic depression. While many have their own ideas on how New Mareland should recover, some are more extreme than the others.

“Excluding the Nations of Ponies in the Riverlands (See ‘The History of Griffonia’ Page 231 for more information), there is one more nation of ponies we have intentionally left out, as this nation is not part of the United Ponies Alliance, or UPA. That Nation’s name is Stalliongrad.

“Stalliongrad was a new, but rapidly growing nation. By the year 995 ALB, plagued by famine and neglect from the Equestrian Government, it rose up and declared independence, creating an entirely new system of government in the process - Communism.

“Despite robust industrial, military and scientific development, the famine issues have not been resolved and it's leadership committee has become deadlocked. Some even speak of turning to former overlord Equestria for help. How did it come to this?

“The Equestrian region of Severnaya had long been one of the poorest regions in the country. The already dismal situation turned worse when, in year 991 ALB, a dry summer and harsh winter led to food shortages and economic turmoil. Civil unrest grew, leading some ponies to question the basis of the Harmonic system.

“‘Steel Stallion’ was one such pony. He drew on the ideas of an old pony scholar, ‘Caramel Marks’, who argued the need and theory for a new kind of worker's state where everypony would be given equal opportunities and everypony would receive everything according to their needs. Steel Stallion quickly rose to become leader of this revolutionary movement.

“In 994 ALB, the Equestrian Guard responded with unprecedented violence to the growing revolutionary movement. Enraged ponies took to the streets in a bloody battle, routing the guard, an event that became known as the December Revolution, proclaiming their independence as a state. The surrounding countryside flocked to the cause, until the state was in full rebellion. The Equestrian Guard moved in at full strength to crush the uprising, and a brutal grinding week of combat ensued.

“Princess Celestia, appalled by the violence and spiraling disaster, withdrew all Equestrian forces and fired the Captain of the Guard, effectively conceding to the revolutionaries. Shortly afterward Steel Stallion died of illness and the capital of the region - Princessyn, was renamed to Stalliongrad in his honor.”

Another Pony Nation falling victim to Equestrian neglect. I'm starting to see a pattern here.

Back when I was a filly, we were all taught in schools that Equestria was the nation of Harmony and Friendship, how it had managed to reign absolutely with virtually no problems.

But Stalliongrad was completely nonexistent to me back then. Not even a mutter of its name was spoken.

Such an act of ignorance and neglect - New Mareland’s abandonment paling in comparison - of course people would revolt under that kind of rule. But to kill another pony for a simple Ideology?

No wonder Celestia seemed appalled. And no wonder Stalliongrad chose to stay silent in response to the Great War.

I imagine that they hate us right now.

“With Steel Stallion dead, the revolution elected ponies to a Supreme Soviet (Supreme Council) - a committee of representatives of the workers. Two ponies and their ideas came to dominate the Soviet - Altidiya Revoltsova and Vasiliy Pentsushenko. But the hardest work - turning a poverty, famine-stricken state into a new nation with an untested political ideology - remained.

“To the surprise of many, Stalliongrad saw success after success - industrial output began to surge, the military grew, equipping tanks, planes and a respectable navy, and scientists kept Stalliongrad abreast of modern progress.

“All of this was bitterly ironic, for repeated agricultural collectivization efforts failed to resolve Stalliongrad's food shortage - the very reason for the revolution.

“Soon, cooperation on the Supreme Soviet began to fail. Hard work turned to competition, debate turned to deadlock, and shared ideologies turned to polarised factions. Altidiya's and Vasiliy's factions found themselves in an unproductive stalemate, and by 1004 ALB the stunning progress of Stalliongrad had slowed to a halt.

“To conclude this Chapter, one thing is certain: if Stalliongrad is to survive and prosper as a nation, the deadlock must be solved.”

It was fascinating to see how different history can view the future in contrast to the present. It already had been solved years ago. Vasiliy won the power struggle, and Stalliongrad continuously grow under the method of Collectivism. Or so I’ve been told. I didn’t know for sure and at this point, I was starting to be annoyed by the lack of truth that exists in this world.

Luckily for me, I at least have some resemblance truth in front of me right now.

---

I was back in the same Tavern that we had to drag Rain Drop out of, sitting atop one of the stools that cluttered the counter. I was trying to forget the events of what happened yesterday, but the Bandage on my head where the Mare punched me served as a constant reminder. Nopony was actually servicing us. And instead, we took the liberty of serving ourselves. And because of that, there wasn’t much left. There was one liter of Alcoholic Apple Cider left that nobody seemed to like, however.

Growing up in Ponyville and moving to Cloudsdale soon after, I knew what Apple Cider was like. And the Apples’ Family Cider was probably the best Cider I’ve ever tasted. This bottle was no exception either. And after about 6 drinks, I was already feeling the buzz in the back of my neck and my scalp. It felt Euphoric, as I was basking with the warm feeling in my stomach.

Mares and Stallions alike would usually come and go here to get a drink and return to their duties. I was technically considered injured, so they gave me no shift or job to work with and instead told me: “No Strenuous Activity.” I didn’t argue and accepted it graciously. It still didn’t make me feel better about what happened yesterday, but the Cider was helping with that.

I heard noises of roughhousing somewhere behind me. Sounds of Stallions arguing about… something. I wasn’t paying attention. Those sounds of petty bickering soon morphed into sounds of brawling, as two Stallions tackled each other and wrestled along the floor. I turned to watch as each Stallion was throwing punches and kicking one another, while the others around him were cheering or coaching the two fighters. I shook my head. Stallions, I thought to myself wryly.

I took another swig of Cider from my bottle and sighed half-contently. “Didn’t know you were a drinker.” I heard a familiar voice speaking to me from my left. I turned to look and saw Syringe sitting in another stool beside me.

“I’m not. But there is a first time for everything, right?” I rebutted, as I took another sip. Syringe gave a dry laugh.

“I guess so, yeah. Is there anything left?” She asked.

“Vintage Wine from Canterlot Cellar if you’re a Snob; Whiskey from Appleoosa if you’re an old timer; and I think there might be some Apple Family Cider left in one of those shelves.” I answered as she took the liberty of hopping on the other side of the counter and ducking underneath it. After a few seconds of scrounging, Syringe emerged with a bottle of Apple Whiskey clenched in her teeth - another Apple Family special.

She took out two shot glasses and set them next to each other. “First of all,” she began, while snatching the bottle of Cider from my wings’ grasp as I was about to take another swig. “You’re supposed to drink from glasses, not from straight out of the bottle.”

“I didn’t see anypony else wanting it, so I figured why not.”

“Well, I don’t like Cider. But it’s still a lesson of common courtesy.” She poured my Cider in one glass, then poured the Whiskey in another. She took the Whiskey shot glass in her wings and extended it out toward me. “Cheers.”

We clinked glasses, as I greedily gulped the contents in one swallow. She did the same, as a satisfied sigh escapes her lips afterward. “That hit the spot,” she mutters.

“You seem to be an expert with all things alcohol-related,” I noted aloud. She turned to look at me with a cold glare, giving me the impression that I might’ve struck a nerve. But instead, she laughed.

“My family has alcoholism running in their family. Alcohol is in my blood… Maybe literally.”

I gave her a prompting look, urging her to go on. she relented. “My father ran a distillery in manehatten, and my Mother usually stayed at home to take care of me. We lived on the outskirts of Manehatten. They both enjoyed drinking… so much so that sometimes, they forget about me. Which was stupid, considering I was an only child.”

“Did they… hit you, or neglect you, or anything?”

“Not all the time… at first, I mean.” I gave her a dubious look. “Don’t get me wrong, they were good ponies. They just liked Alcohol more than me sometimes. And I can’t say I blame them... much. Back then, life was pretty mundane and boring. They would find some way - any way - to make the most of their time and to enjoy themselves. They would usually feed me dinner and interact with me for some time before getting themselves piss drunk and either pass out, or… get frisky.” The grey Mare looked down at the countertop for a long while before sighing. She poured one more shot, then gulped it down.

“They were a good family. It didn’t last long, though. They kept drinking more and more as I grew older. Eventually, it turned into nights where I would be blatantly ignored. It’d turn into father coming home at midnight reeking of Whiskey and passing out on the bed. It’d turn into mother drinking a whole bottle a day. Eventually, they became angry at… something. I don’t remember, it was a while ago. All I remember was them lashing that anger onto me.”

I listened intently, not interrupting her as she went on. She looked more and more depressed as she continued.

“After I turned 13, I decided enough was enough. I had a good education and was fairly competent, but I just couldn’t live with them. So I left. I packed everything I could, left them a note explaining the reason I left, and I just trotted out. Never came back since.”

She poured another shot into her glass and gulped it down again. She then repeated that same action again afterward, until she was satisfied. I was about to say something to help comfort her, but she continued shortly after.

“After I left home, I traveled up and down all over Equestria and didn’t do anything else for a while. I was homeless, jobless, and markless. I traveled by rail with other ponies in train cars, as we all traveled across Equestria together. It wasn’t easy, but it was by far the best time of my life back then. We would tell stories, sing ditties with one another, and talk to each other about a lot of things. Things like philosophy, politics, funny stories, past experiences with lovers - things like that. Good times.”

She took another shot. I did the same, listening quietly.

“After a couple of years doing that, I’ve seen pretty much all of Equestria by then. I didn’t know what my purpose was, as I was still a Blank Flank by then.”

“Wait, what? You had no Cutie Mark even after you’ve turned into a Mare?” I asked, shocked at the revelation.

“Well, I’ve known ponies that lived without Marks their entire lives. They live on life just fine. They might not know their talents, but they were content about that. That’s when I realized that you didn’t need a Cutie Mark to shape your destiny. You just needed Grit and Fondness, and you’ll do alright.”

I pondered on that for a little while. To live without a Cutie Mark for your whole life… It seemed ghastly to me. What would you even do at all without a Mark? Just live in isolation, alone for the rest of your days? Do you create your own talent, and move on from there?

“So how did you get your mark then?” I asked, pointing a hoof at her flank. The Syringes were still there, crossing with one another. The liquid was dripping out of the needle of each of them.

“I did medical training while I was in Acornage, before the war broke out. One day, we had a friendly fire accident, and nopony was around to help the pony who was shot in the chest. So I intervened. Nopony else knew anything besides CPR. I knew more than that. I cleaned his wound, gave him morphine, and bandaged him up nice and good. Nothing difficult, really. But I was the only one who was able to do it. I hadn’t realized until after the ordeal was over that I had my mark. When I found out who I was, I didn’t reject it. It felt right to me… I was helping others. It was something I wanted to do. I’ve been called Syringe since then.”

My ears perked up. “Wait, so you’re original name isn’t Syringe?”

She grinned. “Nope. My name - my real name - is Gray Mane.”

---

Chapter 3: Non-Equine History

“While Equus is the natural home to Ponykind, there are other races that exist within the Equus continent. There are nations that are governed and populated by Buffalos, Changelings, Diamond Dogs, Dragons, Griffons, Penguins, Polar Bears, Yaks, and Zebras - who live in tandem with the Ponies to the south in Equestria. Not much is known as to how they originated, and how they came to forming their own sovereign nation. But one thing is clear; their history is almost just as ancient as the history of Ponies.

“We discussed in the last chapter about the 4 Pony nations, each of them with their own beliefs, ideals, and history. In this chapter, we will discuss the History of the other races that were mentioned in the last paragraph and what their ideals are. It is important to note that not all races are recorded into this chapter, for some of them do not have any sort of Sovereign nation that they originated from in Equus. Griffons will be an exception, however.

“For all intensive purposes, we will go over only a few of these races, and their history with whatever nation they happen to affiliate with. We will do it in alphabetical order, starting with the Changelings. This will be a lengthy chapter, but an informative one nonetheless.”

I paused. In all my life, the education I had received seemed somewhat biased. I wasn’t aware of it at the time, but it started to come to light to me ever since the war started.

The Wartime Press Act, enacted just one year after the Great War began, gave way to the acts of censorship of various information. It didn’t have to be redacted in order for it to be censored, either. It could be telling lies, exaggerations, or bold claims that have no factual evidence of being supported. I was skeptical if this book would turn out to be the same, as soon as it started talking about Changelings. But I kept reading, eager to find out for myself.

But what do I realize? What was the truth that dawned on me?

It was that Equestria was already harboring secrets of their own from the moment I was born. From before the war. It had been the peaceful utopia that everypony thought it was, but inside it was rotting to the core. Despite all their talk for peace and prosperity, they failed to save Severyana from war and famine. Despite all their talk of mutual benefit and cooperation, New Mareland suffers from economic depression and diplomatic neglect.

Despite everything, the world we know it is falling apart largely due to Equestria's Apathy.

And me sitting here, reading this book while fighting a war to decide the future of my way of life alongside millions of others against millions of others?

Those are the consequences of their failure. I continued reading.

“Aggressive, deceptive, and loyal to their hive, Changelings are insectoid pony-like creatures. All changelings possess unique shapeshifting magic. It enables them to shift form, voice, and even size with stunning rapidity and accuracy. They use this ability to fool their victims and drain their love, which is essential for their survival.

“Recent pony scholars have discovered that changelings are more insectoid than mammalian - hatching from eggs as larvae in collective hives. But beyond that - how their Hives work, the role of Queens in their society and breeding, how they acquire love, and how they think - are up to the imagination as any who travel to their territory will meet an almost certain demise.

“Fortunately for their neighbors, their militarism and aggression caused them to spend far more time fighting each other than outsiders, allowing Olenia and Equestria to outmatch isolated incursions. But all of that changed in 1002 ALB when the ambitious Queen Chrysalis led her hive on a bold mission into the heart of Equestria.”

The Canterlot Wedding. The only thing I remember about that day was Ponyville being on lockdown by the Royal Guard for weeks and me being stuck indoors obeying curfew as they searched for surviving Changelings. I was a young filly back then and didn’t know any better what was really happening, as I remember distinctly that my family kept me indoors during that time.

But what I did remember was that I never saw a few ponies I thought I knew from that town ever again. Some neighbors simply vanished after that day And for the longest time, a sense of paranoia permeated the town. But it only lasted for a couple of years before everything had a resemblance to normalcy again.

“In 1002 ALB, Queen Chrysalis kidnapped and took the form of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza (Cadance), gaining access to the highest levels of government, using her status as a Princess and fiance of Equestria's Guard Captain, Shining Armor. Only the last-minute discovery by Twilight Sparkle (also Shining Armor's brother) compromised the plan.

“Despite being discovered, Chrysalis had been able to feast on so much love that she used her overflowing magic to defeat Princess Celestia and prevent the Elements of Harmony from wielding their power, summoning her hive to occupy Canterlot and feast.

“What followed was one of the most chaotic battles the ponies of Equestria had ever experienced as the changeling swarm descended upon the ancient city. The vastly outgunned and outnumbered Equestrian Royal Guard units mounted a desperate resistance on the streets. It seemed that all hope was lost.

“It was only when the real Cadance, freed by Twilight, turned the love collected on her behalf against Chrysalis, and freed Captain Shining Armor. He was able to quickly repower Canterlot's powerful magical shielding. In one fell swoop, the Changelings were repulsed from the pony capital.

“This battle was the first true wake-up call for Equestria, and would begin to spark tentative interest in military preparedness and practice. Even the Elements of Harmony were forced to engage in combat to succeed."

The first recorded battle between the Changelings and Equestria. I wondered what it was like, back then.

How many ponies have died, and how violent and chaotic was it? I imagined it wasn’t too different from what had just occurred in Vanhoover days ago.

“This defeat brought Chrysalis to the brink of a breakdown. But she was not defeated, and she nursed her grudge into a relentless drive. She gathered remnants of her hive and spent the next few years in an attempt to diplomatically or forcefully unify The Changeling Lands and its different hives.

“Just about a couple of years ago, at the time of writing this, Olenian scouts and seers begin to report strange sightings - changeling hives that had ceased their internal squabbles, instead building and working together. More organised, more numerous border raids led by increasingly professional forces. The changelings had always been an industrial, technological race, but recent weaponry showed unprecedented advances over their southern neighbours. The modern Changeling Military now features the most developed Army and Air Force in the world.

“It is uncertain what the Changeling’s next objective is, but one thing is for certain: The Changeling Hegemony has just begun an age of aggression and expansion, unwarranted by other nations.

I only had to look at some of the ruined buildings outside of the Library to see what the Changelings decided to do. I sighed dishearteningly. What the book said about Changelings seemed to be true enough, but there was so much about them I still didn’t know.

I wanted answers, but it was impossible for me to find any more about the Changelings. I decided to continue reading about the others.

“Sunshine!” I suddenly heard somepony yell from below the Balcony I was sitting on.

I got up and peered down, noticing Dominoes waving a hoof at me atop a massive pile of books that had bunched up in the middle of the lobby. “We have new orders! Meet outside!”

“Alright, on my way!” I yelled back, turning behind me at the two books I had with me. They were small enough to be portable, and I wanted to learn more about what was written in them.

I had a feeling I was going to learn a lot about them. I stuffed them in my uniform for now, until I could figure out some way to transport them better.

“Sunshine, let's go!” I heard somepony impatiently yell below again. Probably Dominoes.

“I’m coming!” I replied hurriedly as I unfurled my wings and glided down.

---

The entire squad, including Lieutenant Scribe, were standing by the docks when we saw the first group of Transport hips arrive from the sea, with Cruisers and Destroyers guarding the Acadia Straight, and aircraft soaring overhead providing air cover. Pegasi were among them as well, moving clouds out of the way to create clear visibility for the fighters in the sky. There were Ponies all around us, waving flags, pieces of cloth, and even empty liquor bottles at the arriving ships.

“There they are.” Scribe began, his tone soft where only us could hear among the large crowd of ponies. “Our saving grace. The first ship that finishes disembarking will be your ticket home. I’ll communicate to the captain and find out what his final destination, inform the fleet commander, then have them talk to high command to arrange a meeting at the designated location to get you to Commando Training. Do you all got that, because I’m not repeating myself.” Scribe then asked us.

“I’ll make sure they get the word if they didn’t catch that, sir.” Brass replied.

“Ensure of it. And make sure this conversation never happened.”

“What conversation.” Brass immediately responded, not missing a beat.

“Good. I have to stay and manage this Battalion of Ponies in Vanhoover. And make sure you take note of my seriousness here.” Scribe turned to face each of us, cold and menacingly. “You make sure you get on board that ship, but if you’re not and I find out - I will personally execute you myself.”

I swallowed hard. Thankfully, nopony noticed.

Scribe turned away from us and trotted off in a direction. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

“That was something.” Rain broke the silence first.

“He wouldn’t really execute us, would he?” Morning Dew asked Brass.

“He’s done it before, and he’ll probably do it again before this war is over.” Brass nationally answered.

“I never really liked him. I’m glad to be rid of him.” Rain said.

“I’m just glad I can get out of this city.” Syringe muttered beside me, barely audible. I glanced at her through the corner of my eye. The foghorn sounded in the distance from one of the ships, earning sounds of cheering from the ponies around us. I smelled salt and felt warm sun beating down upon me. My bandages were clean and not stained, as the bleeding had finally stopped.

All I remember from that day was clear skies and hopeful departures.

I also felt fearful for what the future could have in store for me.

I thought fighting in snowy mountains with barely any action was bad. This was somehow worse. This chase we were about to embark didn't bode well with me. Not one bit.

But I could only ride along for the journey.

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