“Behold! He is coming with the clouds. And every eye should be blind with his glory. Every ear should be stricken deaf to hear the thunder of his voice!”

Defeat.

There’s a point where every hero breaks. Where they can no longer go on and they get consumed by the rest of the wasteland, either being eaten alive by the wastes cruelty or twisted into the very monsters that they sought to destroy. It doesn't matter what you do or how hard you try, sooner or later that breaking point will catch up with you. And when it does, when the evil consumes you, you’ll beg for death. Because even that would be better than what the wasteland has in store for you.

Die the hero or live long enough to become the villain.

Those thoughts rang through my mind as I slammed my head against the cold metal wall that served as the door to my prison cell in despair, feeling the cold sense of dread and frustration washing over me. It was over. I had lost. I had tried so fucking hard, but in the end it didn’t matter. Just like how everything else I did didn’t matter.

I had failed to save Stable 25. Failed to save Heartbeat from Viscera. Failed to protect innocent ponies from being slaughtered by Red Eye. And finally, failed to keep the A.A.S.S. out of the hooves of the ponies that would use it for ill.

My chest still burned from the bullet that had pierced my chest. The medical care and healing potions that had been given to me had made the wound practically null, but the pain still lingered. Both the physical pain and emotional pain. I couldn’t tell which was worse.

Over the past few days, ever since Mirra had dragged my sorry ass out of the MAS tower, Xayah had been one of my closest friends. I had loved her, and she had loved me. I thought that we might have shared a bond that was even more powerful than friendship, that nothing, not even the wasteland, could tear us apart and that we could be happy so long as we were together.

I was so tired of being wrong all the fucking time.

I didn’t even know what Xayah and I were anymore. Were we still marefriends? Were we even friends at all anymore after betraying each other like that? Xayah had quite literally shot me in the heart and it was pulling me apart from the inside out.

I groaned, sliding down the metal surface and falling into a disheveled heap on the cold floor. I had been in bad situations before, but this took the fucking cake. The A.A.S.S. was gone, taken by Fluer and on its way to the Director, whomever that was. My friends were being held captive in the nightmare that was Fillydelphia, probably being whipped and forced to work away in the mines and factories. And I was…

What was happening with me? I had been taken to Red Eyes Cathedral and was awaiting whatever this mysterious Director wanted from me, I knew that much. But as to what that entailed or where that was, I couldn’t be sure. From the trees outside, and the vague memory of one of DJ Pon3’s broadcasts I had heard a long time ago, I figured I was somewhere in the Everfree forest. But that was a long way from Manehattan or Fillydelphia.

I glanced across the room, my eyes taking in a box of memory orbs that had been shoved into the far corner. Aside from the box, the room was completely empty. Just a large metal cell of nothing.

Upon arrival, Fleur had had me quickly escorted through Red Eye’s Cathedral. It hadn’t necessarily been a tour, but it had given me a good grasp of what the place was like. It was huge, and surprisingly elegant with tall pillars, high arches and looming stained glass windows that looked like they could have come from Canterlot itself.

I had been led to the bottom floor of the Cathedral, which to my surprise had been the remains of an old Stable. Stable 101. The Stable looked as if much of it had been stripped for parts, being only a skeleton of its former self. Even many of the walls had their metal stripped from them to be repurposed for Red Eyes plans.

After quickly tossing me into my metal cell, Fleur had pointed to the box of memory orbs and demanded. “View these. He wants you to see...” Then, without another word, the Canterlot ghoul spun around and stalked out of the cell, the metal door slamming shut behind her.

I had ignored the box of orbs, having no interest in doing anything that these ponies wanted. So instead I simply lay there on the ground, wallowing in my own failures.

I could feel time passing, but I wasn’t sure how long. Without windows and no view of the cloud covered sky, I was unable to watch the day's progression. I checked my pipbuck watch a few times, but I had made the mistake of not checking it as soon as I was thrown in, making it next to useless. What I could gather was that this mysterious Director was taking their sweet time with meeting with me.

Grumbling, I pulled myself up to my hooves and trotted over to the corner of the room, adjacent to the box of memory orbs. I slumped back down and curled up, trying to find some warmth in the metal box of a prison.

Sleep didn’t come easy. I lay there, my mind replaying the events of the Ponypalooza Hotel. My decision to let innocent foals die for what I believed to be the greater good. Xayah firing a bullet through my chest. Blood spilling from me and washing across the floor. Brisk and Mirra being dragged away in chains, bomb collars tight around their necks...

It had been one of my greatest defeats. And the worst part was… For once, there was no pony for me to thrust the blame upon. No Kamari to focus my rage at. I had no pony to blame but myself...

“Weak…”

I shut my eyes, trying to block out the words that lashed out from the darkness and sliced at me like a knife.

“Helpless…”

I cringed by, trying to pull myself completely behind Crank’s large, metal leg. It was useless, my pursuer just kept moving, forcing me to edge away again.

“Pathetic…”

My whole body shook, tears creeping into my eyes. It wasn’t fair! None of it! I hadn’t asked for any of this. Why did it have to be me!?

“Afraid…”

Inferno slowly circled me, his glowing, glassy red eyes cutting through the surrounding darkness and sinking into my very soul. His jagged maw scowled, black ichor dripping from between his sharp, metal teeth.

“That’s enough, Inferno,” Crank snarled, finally interrupting the stream of insults that seemed to ooze from Inferno’s mouth. The cyber alicorn's voice had a strange tremor to it, as if he was trying to hide an agonizing pain behind his stoic demeanor. “Now back off.”

Inferno didn’t continue circling, his jaw working as he glared daggers at me. After a few seconds he let his vile gaze drift up to Crank and gave the large cyber alicorn a vicious grin. “Do you really think you can protect her… now that he has her?” His grin widened, more and more black ooze drizzling from his mouth and pooled in the darkness around his hooves. “Steel Blade might have been a fool, but he was right about one thing… You don’t cross the Director. We were fools to ignore that. Perhaps we would still be alive if we had stayed in line…”

Crank stomped a hoof and snorted, puffs of steam wafting from his metallic nostrils. He flared his wings out and tried to shield me from Inferno’s eternal glare. “Perhaps…” Crank finally admitted, a soft, rumble-like sigh escaping his lips. “But what has happened has happened. There's no undoing what has been done.”

“W-who…” I gulped and took a small step out from behind Crank, daring myself to stand before the two powerful cyber ponies. Both of their eyes turned to focus on me. “Who is the Director?”

Both Crank and Inferno exchanged a worried look. They both looked afraid. I didn’t even think Crank could look afraid. Finally Crank turned to me, his expression filled with concern. “He is the pony that created us. He sees everything.”

“But who is he?” I pushed. I had been tormented by this Director for so long, even long before I knew of his existence. He had ordered the cyber ponies to invade my stable, he controlled the Institute, and I had no doubt that he had played a large role in orchestrating the attack on the Hollow Shades and Azar and Insecta’s attempt to control the illusive Utopia program.

“We do not speak his name,” Inferno scowled, casting Crank and angry look before turning his attention back to me. “It has long since been lost to the history books. Only the Director himself and a few of his most elite Canterlot Ghouls know it. Steel Blade knew him only as a god. As our creator and a force never to be trifled with. Perhaps he was right…”

I furrowed my eyebrows, my chest filling with a sense of unease. Neither Crank or Inferno had ever been ones to fear or be weary of anything. If they were this afraid of the Director, I could only imagine what he was capable of.

“What does he want?” I asked, dreading what the answers might hold.

Both of the cyber ponies gave each other confused looks. I realized that neither of them actually knew. “To… Undo what has been done,” Crank finally monotone, his voice low and slightly uncertain. “To silence the races of Equestria and begin again. To rebuild. To annihilate the world and let it be born from the ashes like a phoenix...” He took a deep breath. “He wishes to create his Utopia.

His Utopia… That one word created a very clear and distinct schism between this mysterious Director's desires and plans with that of my own and the wasteland at large.

Memories of the wasteland flooded the darkness. I saw glimpses of desolate landscapes, raider’s cackling as they raped and murdered, slavers whipping slaves in the foul pits of Fillydelphia. But I saw more than that as well. I saw Ponies helping each other to survive. I saw settlements rising up from the ashes of Equestria’s corpse. I saw glimmers of hope and happiness breaking through the evils and atrocities.

Then it faded. Then it was gone.

I blinked, looking around as if a few of the images still lingered. But they had all disappeared, returning my world to nothing more than an ever enclosing blackness.

Rebuilding the world sounded good. Trying to fix the evils and stop the bloodshed sounded noble. But to tear it down… It sounded twisted and wrong, though until I knew exactly what that meant, I couldn’t be sure.

“Enough…! I think it’s time we stop stalling and get back to business…” Inferno voice pulled us out of the sullen silence we had fallen into. He took a step towards me, his slug like tongue lolling from his mouth and licking the sides of his mouth where I imagined his lips had once been. His Red eyes looked over my body for a moment, his gaze lingering momentarily on my back end as his flamers flickered to life. He pulled his gaze back to Crank. “Step aside Crank. I think it’s time for me to get what I deserve. My retribution.”

Crank growled, taking an imposing step towards Inferno. For once, the flamer wielding cyber pony didn’t cringe away at the mighty cyber alicorns approach. “Back off Inferno. You will not touch her!” His voice boomed around the darkness, echoing off of unseen walls.

Inferno simply cackled, his metal jaw twisting into an even wider grin. “I don’t fear you anymore lover boy. You’re weak. You aren’t as strong as you once were…”

Now that he mentioned it, Crank did seem to be more unsteady than usual. His legs were shaking slightly and his glass eyes seemed hazy. My eyes dropped down to his chest, spotting a torrent of blood that spilled down his front from a bullet wound to his chest.

I felt my heart rate quicken. That didn’t make any sense. Crank couldn’t bleed out like that! He’d just regenerate from his wounds. That's what had always happened.

I felt my gaze narrow in on the bullet wound. It was familiar. I had seen it before. In fact, It had been on my own chest not all that long ago.

I reached out and placed my hoof against his chest, the thick, black blood washing over my hoof and staining my coat. “Xayah shot me…” I whispered, unable to fully comprehend what was happening. “Why is that hurting you.”

I recalled the conversation I had had with Reverie back at the Fluttershy Medical Centre. Crank and Inferno had managed to survive their own deaths, a version of their mind copied into my own. But it technically still wasn’t them, only a perfect replica of their emotions.

Inferno had been a mix of his anger, hatred and sorrows. The raging Inferno within him. A terrible combination of all the memories I had forced him to revisit back in Stable 25. For weeks his mind had been silently trapped within my own, slumbering and unaware that it had managed to endure after his body had burned away.

But then Viscera had forced Pyre to murder Heartbeat, Xayah’s fore hooves had been ripped from her body and I had been traumatized by the horrors I had been forced to watch and commit. Anger, hatred and sorrow had flowed through me. Inferno had woken up.

Crank was different. While I hadn’t been in his mind for as long, I had gotten much more intimate within it. I had walked through his sins, and I had merged with his memories of Scarlet. He had awoken much sooner. I suspected my love for Xayah had quickly let his consciousness into my mind.

I had seen how certain things like meeting Scarlet in the flesh had strengthened Cranks presence in my mind, allowing him to interact with the world outside of my dreams. My emotions were catalysts for the remnants of their brains. I had never realized that my emotions could also weaken them as well.

Inferno took another advancing step, then another, his eyes fixated on the cyber alicorn standing before me. “Well?” he cooed, once more letting his sludge coated tongue lick at his mechanical maw. “I think it is time.”

I flinched back as Inferno lunged at the cyber alicorn, his flamers spewing jets of fire. I fell into the darkness, the dim light around me surging away as Crank powered into Inferno’s attack and sent the cyber pony sprawling back.

But the flames didn’t subside. They raced across Crank’s body, charring the remains of his orange coat black and searing his metal implants until they burned a brilliant red. Crank staggered, steam and smoke billowing from his scorched form. I smelled seared flesh and burning hair.

He wasn’t regenerating anymore.

Inferno hauled himself back up, the large hole Crank had ripped in his chest sewing itself back together. He gave Crank a vile sneer, eyeing the cyber alicorns new burns. “I told you. I do not fear you any longer.”

Crank snarled and shook off the pain, turning to glare Inferno down head on. He stomped his hoof against the ground in rage before lunging forwards, his wings lashing forwards and slicing into Inferno’s neck.

The bladed appendages sliced through Infernos throat, black sludge like blood spurted from the wound. But Inferno simply laughed, his voice filled with a sickening gargle as blood filled his throat. He spun around, his back hooves shooting out and bucking Crank in the face. Fire shot from the ends of his hooves, blasting out one of Crank’s glass eyes and sending shards of red glass and viscera shooting across the black void.

Crank fell, crashing against the shaded floor and lying prone on his back. Inferno slowly loomed over him, the slashes in his throat slowly mending.

I pushed myself forwards, tossing my own body between the raging cyber ponies. “Wait! Stop! You don’t have to…”

I was cut off as Crank stumbled back to his hooves and pushed me aside with his bladed tail, once more pulling me behind him. “Stay out of this Amber. I can handle Inferno.”

The sound of Inferno’s sickening cackle echoed around us as the flamer wielding cyber pony advanced. Inferno cast me a smug look, his scowl twisting into a grin. “You can’t protect that cunt forever. You can’t always win…”

Inferno lunged again, his tail lashing forwards to skewer Crank through the chest. Crank was ready. He dove to the side, his own tail lashing out and severing Infernos' forehooves from his body. Inferno wailed, scuttling back into the darkness as his veins, wires and muscle tissue began stretching out from the stumps of his severed legs and pulling his broken legs back into his body.

Crank charged forwards, his tesla cannons charging up to blast Inferno into dust while he was down. His curved horn began to glow a brilliant blue as he prepared to fire.

Inferno pushed himself back, his forelegs still slowly reattaching themselves. His flamers burst a jet of fire towards Crank, forcing Crank to pull himself away, his shot going wide and blasting out into the darkness.

Inferno’s legs made a loud clunking noise as they finally pulled back into place. He hauled himself up, his tail lashing out and slicing Crank across the face as the cyber alicorn attempted to get another shot. Black blood began to spill down Cranks front as he reefed his head back.

I tried to push forwards again, only for Crank to knock me back with a slash from his tail. He glowered at me, blood dripping down his chin. “I said stay back!”

Inferno’s tail flashed out, the large blade on the end lancing through Crank’s chest. Blood spilled down his front and he dropped down to his knees, a painful moan escaping his lips. Inferno yanked his tail back, making more blood shoot from Crank’s body.

“I have waited so fucking long to do that,” Inferno chuckled, waltzing forwards and patting Crank lazily on the head as the cyber alicorn fought to maintain consciousness. He lowered his head and stared Crank in the eye. “You were always weak. You're pathetic feelings for Scarlet were always going to lead you to this.”

“Don’t say her name,” Crank scowled, sludge like blood dripping from his mouth. “You aren’t worthy of saying her name…”

Inferno sneered and slammed Crank’s head into the ground, small flames flickering to life at the tip of his flamers. “My biggest regret is that I never got to rape Scarlets pathetic cunt. Oh how I would have made her scream…”

Crank’s tesla cannons fired. The blue energy flashed out from his cannons and horn, blasting through Inferno’s chest and sending the cyber pony flying across the dark expanse. Blood burst from Inferno's chest, coating Crank in his enemies viscera.

I took a deep breath, my mind reeling from what had just happened. Crank’s broken body slumped, still steaming from Inferno’s flamers and blood still spilling across the darkness around us. He was still breathing, but barely. You couldn’t kill a memory. Not fully.

I took a step to help him, but paused as he rolled over to face me, black ooze drizzling from his pulped eye. “Amber. You need to get out of here… I can't… I failed you... Just like Scarlet…”

I shook my head, taking another step closer. “No. You saved me. I’m not strong enough to take on Inferno. Not here. Not again…”

Crank shook his head. “No… H-he… I didn’t stop him…”

I suddenly became increasingly aware of a dark shape pulling itself back to its hooves. I stumbled back, fear gripping me as I watched the silhouette of Inferno slowly begin trotting towards me through the gloom. The dim light around us seemed to slowly grow darker with each step.

I shook my head, wishing away the nightmare that was approaching me. But Inferno didn’t stop. His retribution had come.

Inferno stepped into the fading light, giving me a view of the rapidly closing wound on his chest. Already he was almost back to his full strength. He looked down pitifully at Crank, watching in amusement as the light in Crank’s remaining eye flickered once, then went dead.

“It really is a shame that I can’t actually kill him,” Inferno chuckled, Placing a hoof fimly atop Crank’s chest and pinning down his ravaged body. Slowly, he returned his gaze to me. “Just like how you will never be able to be rid of me. I’m here to stay, Amber Aura.”

I took another step back, my whole body shaking. “No… I… I need to get out of here… you’re just in my head… y-you can’t h-hurt me…”

Inferno’s grin widened. “But why not? You hurt me from within my own mind? It seemed only fitting that I can destroy you from within yours,” his hoof pressed down, crushing Crank’s chest. I heard bones snap under the pressure. “Crank thought he could protect you… from the wasteland... From me... But now I’m going to prove that you’re never safe from either. The wasteland tore me apart. It skinned me alive and fucked me over in ways you could never imagine. Let me share that with you…”

With those words, hope was lost. The darkness closed in fully, the last remnants of light flickering out. I had hoped that would be it. That my nightmare would end and I would awaken. But the nightmare was only just beginning.

Firelight burst through the darkness as Inferno’s flamers spewed with life. The fire consumed me, burning away my coat and flesh. I screamed, falling to the ground and trying to bat out the flames. Nothing worked. I burned.

Inferno stood over me, laughing maniacally as more and more flames washed over me, the firelight dancing across his glass eyes and metal form. He leaned down, his metal muzzle only inches away from my own. “We are going to have a lot of fun, the two of us. Every night, this is what you have to look forward to.”

I screamed, trying to pull myself away. I made it less than an inch before his hooves lashed out and pinned me to the ground. Another wave of fire flashed out, once more smothering me in flame. I thrashed, trying to break free. But there was nowhere to go. I was forever damned to burn.

My eyes flashed open and I jumped to my hooves, the pain of my body being consumed by the Inferno still lingered and the taste of ash still filled my mouth. I hunched over and vomited, foul bile splattering against the floor and walls. I staggered back, scuttling away from the pool of my own filth.

My body was caked in sweat and I was beginning to tremble. I shut my eyes and took long, deep breaths, trying to calm myself. The memory of Inferno’s flames washing over me and burning away my hide over and over again flashed through my mind. My breathing quickened as I began to hyperventilate. I curled up in a ball on the cold floor, trying to push the memories away. They wouldn’t leave. They kept coming back, sending new waves of panic flaring through me.

I looked around me, trying to ground myself in reality. I was greeted by the steel walls of my cell. I wasn’t in my dream anymore. I wasn’t safe, far from it, but at least Inferno couldn’t get to me here. Of course that didn’t mean anything. The next time I fell asleep Inferno would be there waiting for me, ready for round two.

I had been somewhat lucky this time around. Being burned alive was a terrible fate. I had never felt something so painful. It was agonizing and it was long. But at least that’s all Inferno had done. I knew what he did to fillies, and something told me that my next session with him would involve acts much more vile that simple fire. Crank had kept me safe for a few moments, but next time would be nothing but torture.

I took a slow breath, trying to steady myself. I had to stay awake. As long as I was awake he couldn’t reach me. I had to keep telling myself that.

“Oh really?”

I shuddered, my mind once more going into a state of panic as Inferno’s vile words whispered in my ears. I shoved my hooves over my ears and tried to block out the noise. “No… You can’t get me here… You’re just in my head.”

A sickening chuckle rasped in the back of my mind, unaffected by the hooves clamped tightly over my ears. “Exactly…”

I could see something shifting in the foggy reflection of the metal wall across from me. The image was twisted and warped, but I could easily make out the two glassy, red eyes that stared at me. I shuddered, closing my eyes and shoving my head against the wall.

“Go away. Please. I can’t take this…” I whispered, my voice trembling. They weren’t supposed to be able to affect me outside of my dreams. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

But I knew that was a lie. Crank had spoken through me when I met Scarlet, and I remembered Reverie saying that if worst came to worst, they might start affecting my thoughts and memories. Well things had definitely taken a turn for the worst. If only I had known how bad it could get.

I let my eyes crack open, taking in the room. Inferno’s red eyes still glared out at me though the reflection of the wall, his vile sneer only growing as he watched me tremble.

The cyber ponies reflection took a step forward, and to my horror, he walked straight out of the reflection and into the room. I scampered back, pushing my back up against the far wall, my rump bumping the box of memory orbs and making the orbs inside rattle.

“It’s funny how much power memories have,” Inferno cackled, trotting across the room and glaring down at me. I tried to push myself even farther away, but I was already as pushed up against the wall as I could get. The cyber pony leered and reached forward, swiping at me with his hooves, only for his hoof to pass straight through me. He looked at his metal hoof for a second before shrugging. “I don’t need to touch you to hurt you… though I will enjoy touching you once your mind succumbs to sleep and you’re body is mine once again.”

I pushed off from the wall and rushed through him, his ethereal body wavering slightly as I passed through his form. “You’re dead. You can’t hurt me anymore!” I yelled back, trying to remind myself that more than I was trying to tell him off.

I heard Inferno give a mocking scoff. “Oh really? I think I’m doing a very good job of hurting you,” He moved back into my vision, his maw dripping with black ooze. “I made a promise to you once. A promise that I’d fuck you until you’re broken. I have no intention of going back on that promise now,” His overbearing grin was insidious.

I turned away again. He couldn’t touch me here. I had to ignore him. Shut him out somehow.

“You can’t shut me out anymore,” His voice cooed. I once more found myself face to face with the vile cyber pony. “Now that that pathetic excuse for a cyber pony is out of the way, nothing is stopping me from giving you what you deserve after what you did to me,” His leer quickly morphed into a vengeful snarl. “I still remember what you did to me, you know. The memories you forced me to rewatch. I can still hear my mother's screams as those raiders raped her and burned her alive in front of me…”

I gave him a low growl. “I didn’t kill you. You killed yourself!” I spat back, feeling my own rage growing inside of me. Inferno only grinned at my anger. His ethereal body seemed to glow as my hatred brewed inside of me.

He raised his hoof once again, and for a second, I thought I could feel it pressing down on me. The sensation was fleeting. “And now I’m going to make you kill yourself,” Inferno snickered, the edges of his mouth curving upwards every higher. “I’m going to make you hurt. I’m going to make you remember. You’re going to suffer just as you made me suffer. What is it you regret, Amber Aura?”

My eyes widened in terror, my pupils dilating as I saw the broken and bleeding forms of foals seeping into my vision. I could almost feel the blood under my hooves as I began to make out the shattered skulls and twisted corpses of the raider foals I had slaughtered.

I took a step back, my hind hoof bumping up against one of the mangled bodies. I shut my eyes tight, but it didn’t matter. I saw their bodies no matter what I did.

“I-I… I never wanted to hurt t-them…” I muttered, my breath shaky and a painful sob threatening to escape my throat. “I had n-no choice.”

“You sit there, calling me a monster,” Inferno scowled, his glowing eyes narrowing. “And yet all of this blood is on your hooves?” more corpses were added to the mangled pile of foals. I saw raiders and slavers. The charred forms of zebras that had burned in balefire hundreds of miles below the glowing sea. “Your kill count is staggering. You’re just as much a monster as me.”

“I… I don’t rape them!” I retorted. I could feel tears starting to form in my eyes. “I did what I had to do! I’m not a monster!”

“Oh? But what about the foals in the Ponypalooza Hotel?” Inferno questioned, his eyes practically burning holes into my flesh. “You were going to let them burn so that you could hold onto the silly little idea that you were a hero. Not just let them die. Burn. You’ve felt that pain now. You know how much it hurts. How long it lasts. You were going to do it to foals.”

“Th-they were Red Eyes foals… they weren’t even in real danger! They… they weren’t more important than the rest of the wasteland!” I screamed back, but I could feel my already broken resolve crumbling.

“And would that have mattered? Did you even know at the time? Face it Amber, the wasteland has burned you away,” Inferno began to slowly trot around me, looking my body over with hungry and greedy eyes. “I met Amber Aura once. Back at the beginning. A scared, lowly little filly that was afraid of failing her father. Afraid of being the disappointment that she was. Friendless. Hopeless. Worthless at everything but fixing her stupid little machines that she thought could replace companionship. But look at you know. Know you’re drowning in blood. Face it, the wasteland beat you. It won. It always wins given time.”

No! I wouldn't let the wasteland beat me. I had fought too hard for that.

I fell back onto my rump, tears dripping down my face and leaving streaks in the dust that coated my hide. I couldn’t take much more of this. Already the memories of my old shotgun raising and pressing against my head began filling my thoats. I had tried to kill myself once before. I knew I was perfectly capable of following through given the right motivation.

Inferno had all the motivation that he needed. And he wasn’t going anywhere. Even if I wasn’t stuck in this cell, I couldn’t run from him. He was in my own mind, and he was taking over.

My eyes landed on the box of memory orbs that had been shoved into the corner. Perhaps I couldn’t escape him while in my mind, but if I went into another…

Then he would still be there. Waiting for me to return from the memory and ready to inflict new psychological tortures upon me. But at least it would give me a moment of peace. I needed to get away.

I crawled over to the metal box and looked down at the memory orbs inside, staring intently at the swirling colours of the memories. I didn’t know what awaited me inside of them, but anything was better than this.

I had to get away.

I gave Inferno one last glare, before letting my horn’s amber glow envelope the first memory orb. As the world swirled away, I could hear Inferno chuckle. “Enjoy your trip. I’ll be waiting for you when you get back.”

I was sitting at the head of a table. Before me sat twelve other ponies, each one dressed in expensive and exquisite looking garb. Beside my host, I recognized the familiar white coat and golden mane of Prince Blueblood.

My host raised a golden hoof and coughed into it, drawing everyponies attention to me. “Unless there are any other last second guests that I am unaware of, I believe it is time for us to begin,” The voice was aged and nasally. I recognized it at once.

This was Pureblood's Memory.

One of the stallions in the back, a grey buck with a greying, combed back mane and large hat, thrust his muzzle into the air, glaring down at Pureblood from across the room. “Yeeesss, and why did you gather us? It has been such a long time since the council has had much of any affiliation with each other since the Ministries were founded,” The ponies voice oozed with honey and was so posh and uptight it was almost comical.

Blueblood gave a low snort and flicked his mane. “You will be silent and listen to my father,” Blueblood snapped, his own voice just as posh, if not more so than the stallion that had spoken before him.

The grey stallion gave a snort of disdain. “Well I nev-”

Pureblood raised a hoof, silencing everypony. “Please. You all hurt my ears,” Pureblood groaned, once more resting his hoof on the table. “We need to discuss the relocation of our funds.”

The grey buck raised an eyebrow at that. “What is there to discuss? Our funds are split between the ministries and keeping the peasant ponies alive and working. I see no need for us to-”

“Silence,” Pureblood hissed, cutting the stallion off once again. “It has come to my attention that the Ministry of Arcane Science is in need of more bits. I suggest that we refocus a majority of our funding towards their hub out in Manehattan,” he tapped his hoof on the table, making a butler pony dressed in a black suit come trotting expediently over with a stack of papers. Purebloods horn shimmered and he floated the pages out towards each of the ponies around the table. “The paperwork has already been completed. We simply need you to sign.”

Most of the ponies around the table quickly placed their right hoof on an ink pad before placing their hoof on the topmost page, leaving a dark black hoof print. Not a single pony did little more than scan the first line before stamping their approval, most just rolled their eyes in boredom.

“Wonderful,” Pureblood wheezed, his magic sweeping up the pages and returning them to him. “Now that that is out of the way, we can dism-”

“I do say, these refocused funds are rather irregular. Are you certain this is the best course of action?” a bold, posh sounding voice declared from somewhere to the right. Pureblood looked over, making out the white stallion with a blue mane and mustache that was still clutching his copy of the document and was currently reading over its contents. I was surprised to spot a non ghoulified Fleur De Lis posing beside him.

Pureblood groaned. “Ah yes, Fancy Pants. I had forgotten how thorough you can be sometimes,” the elderly Canterlot Elite grumbled with an annoyed sigh. “I can assure you that everything has been thought through thoroughly and is in all of our best interests.”

The stallion I now knew as Fancy Pants adjusted the monocle over his eye and read another line of the document. “Well yes, I’m sure it is in all of our best interests, but I can’t help but wonder about the interests of the ponies down in Ponyville and Appleoosa,” Fancy Pants said, his eyes never looking up from the page. His hoof reached out and tapped a line on the document. “It said here you intend to cut a lot of the funding from the Ministry of Peace and almost all of your funding from municipal issues outside of Canterlot,” He finally looked up from the page, fixing Pureblood with a stern glare. "I'm afraid that this does not sound like it is in their best interest at all."

The rest of the Canterlot nobles around the table all cast each other glances, but none of them seemed overly worried with Fancy Pants’ claims. I doubted any of them actually cared.

“The Ministry of peace of little consequence in the war effort. Soldiers are sent out to die. A ministry dedicated to keeping them alive is a wait of time and resources,” Pureblood explained, his voice dropping to a sinister sounding purr. “My associate Silver Ace seems to have a lot of interest in them, though I believe that his efforts would be much better used elsewhere.”

Fancy Pants raised an eyebrow. “And the ponies in Ponyville and Appleoosa?”

Pureblood scoffed. “Who cares if a few peasants have to work a little harder. Work will do them good. Besides, The Ministry of Wartime Technology will be ample support for local businesses out in those backwater hovels.”

Fancy Pants let his eyebrow drop as he fixed Pureblood with another glare. “That is what I thought,” He released his grip on the document and let Purebloods magic return the piece of paper to the stack before him unsigned. “I am afraid I must refuse to sign. I feel our funds are currently being directed properly and have no need to be reassigned to the Manehattan MAS hub.”

The ponies around the room broke out into outroar. Clearly somepony defying Pureblood was unheard of. Purebloods scowl cut through the room's hubbub like a knife. “You would dare defy the council?”

Fancy Pants put his muzzle in the air with a huf and straightened his purple bowtie with his magic. Fleur struck another seductive pose beside him. “I am not defying anypony. The point of the counsel is to discuss and refine the economic systems and happenings in Equestria. Not a gathering of ponies to work as mob mentality for your dystopian ideals.”

More outrage. A few ponies stared at Fancy Pants in shock, their mouths agape in a mix of horror and astonishment while others began shouting louder and louder. Even Fleur De Lis stopped her posing to give Fancy Pants a shocked stare.

“How dare you!” Blueblood was shrieking, stomping his hooves on the table like a toddler having a tantrum. “We are the heads of Canterlot High Council! And we shall be addressed as such!”

Purebloods horn flared and the unsigned document floated back across the table to lay before Fancy Pants. His mouth twisted into a snarl as he stared down the white and blue stallion. “I highly recommend that you sign. I’d hate for you to lose your position on the counsel.”

Fancy Pants eyed the document for a second more, thinking over Purebloods words before looking back up at the gathering of ponies around him. “Well perhaps we can talk more about this, no? That is the point of the council, is it not?”

Pureblood gave a low growl, before straightening himself out and giving Fancy pants a glassy smile. “Of course… What are your suggestions on the matter?”

“Well, I’d recommend less of a cut from the municipal fundings for one,” Fancy Pants started, once more adjusting his monocle. “Such a drop in bits would be devastating to their communities. Perhaps we can make this a temporary direction shift in funding for, say… a month. That should be plenty of time for the MAS to complete whatever it is they need, no? Then we can return to the proper funding arrangements.”

I felt Purebloods lip twitch, but otherwise his face remained stoic. “Your option is… understandable… Though I find your interest in continuing our support of the lower class ponies to be… rather unsettling,” He coughed into his hoof. “I agree to your terms… until a later date when we can switch to my initial plan, that is… All in agreement?”

Twelve hooves rose.

Fancy Pants clapped his hooves together. “Splendid. Now I believe that you were about to call this meeting to a close?”

Pureblood gave the stallion a death glare. “Yes… you're all dismissed,” He grumbled, his hatred for Fancy Pants evident in his voice. Fancy Pants gave a respectful nod before trotting out the door, Fleur De Lis quickly following behind him. Scowling, Pureblood leaned close to Blueblood so that nopony else but them could hear what he was saying. “I want him off the council. Do you understand me?” his voice came out in a low hiss, reminiscent of a snake.

Bluebloods eyes widened. “But father. Fancy Pants is one of the most respected ponies in all of Canterlot,” His eyes darted around the room, making sure no pony else could hear them. “We can’t just kick him out. Ponies will talk.”

Pureblood scowled. “I don’t care what you need to do. I need him out!”

Blueblood nodded. “I-I’ll see what I can do.”

Then the world was swirling away again, taking me back to the horrors of the wasteland.

“Back so soon?” Inferno whispered in my ear as I returned to my own body. I pushed myself away from him, my mind still in somewhat of a daze from the memory orb. “You can't escape me. You can't hide in orbs forever…”

I scowled at him. “Watch me.”

Inferno put a hoof to his chest in mock offense. “You wouldn’t want to miss what I have planned for you though? Now would you?” His smile twisted wickedly. “Don’t you want to see your friends?”

Nope. No. If there was anything I didn’t want to see, it was what Inferno might do to my friends.

I turned back to the box of orbs, determined to escape him. I felt fear eating away at the back of my mind. I couldn’t keep doing this. Eventually I’d run out of memory orbs to view. How many times could I watch orbs over again before I started to go crazy? And what do I do once I leave the cell? I doubted that Fleur and the Director intended to keep me in here forever. Eventually I’d get out. Be it release or escape. What then?

“Come on. Look at them,” Inferno giggled, waving a metal hoof before my face. Curiosity peaked. Against my better judgement, I turned around to look at the horrors Inferno had created for me.

Brisk was in the centre of the room, his body suspended by rusting, bloody meat hooks. He thrashed about, trying to break free, but each and every thrash only made the rusted hooks dig deeper, causing more blood to drain from his body. His remaining eye had been gouged out, blood and yellow fluid drizzling down his face. He turned to face me, his mouth opening and closing in a silent and desperate plea for help.

Below him lay Mirra, her hooves broken and twisted at awkward angles. Her delicate wings had been snagged in a net of barbwire, the thin membrane being twisted and ripped as she tried to pull herself free. She screamed out, tears streaming down her face as the filly was wracked with agonizing pains.

Across the room, Pyre tried to crawl to her, to help the filly that she had come to care for, her body bruised, burned and broken. Her lower half had been violently torn off, her back half trailing blood and entrails as she agonizingly pulled herself across the metal floor. She would get an inch away from Mirra before an invisible force would drag her away, forcing her to once more fight through her pain as she fought to comfort the dying filly.

“Want to see Xayah? I have something special for her,” Inferno hissed, leered down at me as I forced myself to look away.

It’s not real. That will never happen to them. I told myself, reaching out and picking up another orb.

“Oh, very well,” Inferno sighed, his voice filled with sick amusement. “I can show you Xayah when you're done with that one. We have the rest of your life together after all.”

I wrapped my magic around the orb and let the world swirl into oblivion.

I was in a large, lavish looking room.

Or… wait… not in. I saw floating in a large, lavish looking room, s if my body was nothing more than air. The edges of my vision blurred and swirled in strange pulsing patterns, as if I was looking at an image at the end of a reflective tunnel, or trying to stay connected with a rapidly fading dream.

Fancy Pants sat behind an ornate desk in the centre of the room, sipping what I could only assume was some kind of wine. Having not had wine myself, I had no way to comprehend how it might have tasted, but he seemed to be enjoying it.

He straightened his bowtie and looked up at a large grandstallion clock that rested against the far wall. He let out a deep sigh and slumped in his chair slightly. It was strange to see such a posh looking pony, sitting in such a casual and almost lazy looking manner.

There was a knock at the door, and his casual demeanour instantly disappeared, replaced by his initial uptight appearance.

“I say, do come in,” Fancy Pants called out, taking yet another sip from his wine.

The doors to the room burst open and Fleur De Lis burst in, a worried expression on her face. “Fancy! Are you crazy!” she demanded, thrusting her fore hooves into the air dramatically. “Pureblood is going to kill you!”

Fancy Pants sighed again and pulled himself out of his chair. “Pureblood is not going to kill me. Don't go worrying about me my dear. I know what I am doing,” he straightened up and gave the slightest of cocky expressions. “I’m not the most respected pony in all of Canterlot for no reason after all.”

Fleur gave him a sceptical look. “Of course… but… Pureblood has a lot of bits. He’ll find a way to get you off the council.”

Fancy Pants smile dwindled, but didn’t diminish. “Of that I am certain. However, I simply will not stand by while that brute robs earth ponies of their tax money,” He looked away for a second at what appeared to be a painting of an older looking unicorn with a very similar blue moustache. His father Perhaps? “It is almost inevitable that I will be removed from the council one day my dear, but until then I will do my best to make sure that the Canterlot Council remains as loyal and just as it can to its causes.”

There was a moment of silence between the two of them as Fancy Pants let the words sink in and Fleur mulled them around in her head. Finally, Fleur looked back up at him. “I just don’t want you to get hurt. I’ve seen Pureblood ruin ponies.”

It was strange, seeing Fleur De Lis before the bombs. Before she was ruined and tainted by two hundred years of radiation and wasteland horrors. She almost seemed like she might have been a good pony. I still hated her, but I doubted that when the time came for me to finally put a bullet in her head, that I would have a very easy time pulling the trigger.

Once you know a ponies name, killing them becomes a lot harder. Pyre had told me that once, a long time ago when I was still full of hope. I was only just beginning to realize how right she was.

A small chuckle escaped Fancy Pants’ lips, drawing my attention back to the scene before me. It was not a happy chuckle. “Civilization needs balance. Pureblood doesn’t understand that. There must be aristocracy, and there must be ponies that plow the fields. Without governance there is no structure and ponies break into anarchy, but if governance turns to tyranny, society becomes stagnant, selfish and rampant with a never ending struggle for power. The elite must have power, but that power should never be used for the benefit of ourselves. Pureblood wishes to undo that balance. Beneficial for him and those in his circle of aristocracy, catastrophic for those he considered below him,” his face fell. “Perhaps the war would not be as bad if ponies understood that better.”

Fleur gave a weary nod, though his words seemed to mollify her somewhat. She cast a nervous glance at the door. “But do you need to attend his party? You know he will do something to try and discredit and ruin you.”

Fancy Pants’ smile returned. “I must say that that would be most disagreeable of him. However, I would love to see him try,” He levitated a tophat onto his head with his magic and trotted out the door. “Now come along my dear. We must not leave him waiting…”

As the two moved out the door, the world began to swirl away. For a moment I thought that the memory was ending, but that wasn’t quite right. Something felt off, as if what I was viewing was still a part of the memory.

Suddenly, my vision was flashing across Canterlot, zooming between ponies dancing in an elegant hall and into a window that seemed to be located atop the highest tower in Canterlot. The haze around the edges of my vision faded and I found myself staring at the reflection of Pureblood, a magical glow around his horn slowly fading away into oblivion.

Pureblood sighed and pulled himself away from the window overlooking the city and turned to face a large, elegant mirror that was set into the wall beside him, giving me a clearer look at his person. He looked exhausted. Dark bags had formed under his eyes and his usually styled mane was more bedraggled than usual.

He sighed again and slowly slipped into his normal navy blue, gold buttoned suit. “I bet you would love to see me try, wouldn’t you…” Pureblood scowled, brushing back his mane with his magic to try and straighten it out. “You’ll see what happens when you cross me, Fancy Pants. You’ll see…”

The door on the far side of the room creaked open slightly and a grey pony in a dark suit stepped in, giving Pureblood a little bow. “Sir. Your son and nephew are awaiting you in the ballroom.”

Pureblood gave the butler an annoyed look. “Tell them I’ll be there in a moment,” He grumbled, lifting a glass of wine off the table with his magic and giving it a small swirl before sipping from it. “You’re dismissed.”

The butler gave a small cough. “Well… um… there is one more pony that is here to see you right now sir.”

Pureblood scowled. “I told you earlier that I wanted no pony coming up here until after the gala!”

The pony winced under Purebloods intense glare. His eyes darted around as he looked for an excuse. “I… I know sir, but I’m afraid that they insisted.”

Another scowl like sigh escaped Purebloods mouth. “Very well. Send them in…”

The butler nodded and stepped back out, looking grateful to finally be away from Pureblood angry glare. A few moments later, the door swung open fully as Silver Ace trotted into the room, his strange magical talisman glowing from its spot around his neck as he levitated an old looking book in front of his face. Pureblood straightened immediately at the sight of the old, silver stallion.

“Silver Ace. For what do I owe the honour of this visit,” Pureblood asked, one eyebrow arching as he watched the stallion trot into the room. When he did not get a response, Pureblood cleared his throat and tried again. “Silver Ace! What do you want?”

Silver Ace looked up from his book with a little bit of surprise, as if he had not noticed he had walked into the room yet. “Wah… oh, yes. I needed to talk to you about the Utopia program.”

Pureblood winced and glanced around. “Keep your voice down,” The Canterlot elite hissed. “You don’t know who might be listening in.”

Silver Ace cracked a smile as his magic talisman floated his book back into his saddlebag. “Don’t worry, I’ve already cast a soundproofing spell on the room and scanned for any surveillance systems. We’re alone.”

Purebloods shoulders relaxed slightly and he took a breath. “Fine. What do you wish to converse on?”

Silver Ace’s eyes narrowed. “We're having a little bit of issues with Scootaloo. I think she’s starting to have second thoughts.”

“Those other two fools at Stable-Tec probably convinced her out of it,” Pureblood growled. “They always were opposed to this project.”

Silver Ace shook his head. “Chrysalis’ attempt to take over the Crusader Maneframe and Utopia program has been causing ponies to have quite a few revelations as of late. Scootaloo among them,” he tapped his hoof on his talisman. A second later a beam of light shot out of the talisman, the light forming a map of Manehattan in the air between the two ponies. I noticed a few areas on the map that were marked with what appeared to be the location of Stables. “Knowing Scootaloo, if she backs out, she will likely hide the A.A.S.S. inside one of the Stables. We need to figure out which one that is and prepare for it.”

“We could always take Scootaloo out of the picture,” Pureblood suggested flatly. “We don’t need her anymore.”

Silver Ace looked appalled at the idea. “No no. That won’t be necessary, I assure you. We just need to find the Stable and make sure that it is all connected to our programs in the Institute so that we can teleport in when the time is right to retrieve it.”

Pureblood nodded. “My nephew is downstairs. He has been itching to get a place as one of the Overstallions for one of these Stables. I’m sure he will be interested in the proposition.”

Silver Ace nodded. “I’ll get to work figuring out what the most likely Stable is. We can talk about it after the party. I’m sure you’re busy at the moment.”

“Ah yes, the Gala. You are attending, yes?” Pureblood asked, using his magic to tie up a bowtie around his neck.

Silver Ace shook his head. “The Grand Galloping Gala? No. Never was one for parties. That and Pinkie Pie would probably start going off about how I'm a 'big baddie'. I'll never understand why she hates me so much...” His magic talisman glowed again and his book floated back out into the air. “Besides, I’d love to finish this read. It really is a fascinating one..."

Pureblood rolled his eyes. “I’ll never see what you find so interesting in those musty things,” He turned and trotted towards the door. “If you change your mind, I’ll be downstairs. Though perhaps it would be best if ponies don’t see us talking.”

With that, Pureblood left the room, letting his butler outside lead him down a flight of stairs to what sounded like a very loud and rambunctious party. After a few steps, two royal guards quickly moved in to flank Pureblood on both sides.

As Pureblood reached the bottom step, the room opened up into a gigantic ballroom. The party was already in full swing. He clearly had missed the first two or so minutes. On the far side of the room I could see Pinkie sitting in a large chair while she glared at the partiers, ominously stroking what looked to be an adolescent alligator devilishly. Pureblood grumbled something under his breath as he trotted into the large ballroom that I could hardly hear, even while listening through his ears. Something about how Pinkie was ruining the gala or something like that.

“Father,” A familiar, snobby voice spoke up. Pureblood turned and I saw Blueblood and another, almost identical stallion, only with a red mane instead of gold trotting up. “I am glad you were able to-”

“Quit with the pleasantries,” Pureblood scowled at Blueblood, giving his son a deep frown. “Has what we arranged been put together?”

Blueblood fidgeted for a second under his father's intense glare. “It, um… It has, of course. They are waiting for you on the balcony. But are you sure this is a good idea? It won’t go unnoticed.”

“I’ll decide what is and is not a good idea Blueblood,” Pureblood snapped, turning to face the red maned stallion beside him. “And nephew. Trueblood. I have a proposition for you after I have dealt with some… business. Meet me by the Discord statue in four hours.”

So this was Trueblood. The first overstallion of Stable 25. My Great, great something or rather grandfather. Still wasn’t quite sure how I should feel about that.

Trueblood opened his mouth to say something in response, but Pureblood never gave him time as he pushed past the two and started making his way to a staircase on the other side of the room. He spent a few moments lingering around the room before finally ducking up the stairs and out of sight of the partying ponies.

He quickly trotted up the stairs, head held high and giving the few ponies that past him disdainful glances. After a few moments of walking there wasn’t a single pony in sight. He made his way up a few more flights before trotting through a door that led onto a large balcony that overlooked the vast land of Equestria that lay below the mountain Canterlot rested atop. I was surprised that I could see all the way to Manehattan from this height, though it was little more than a small, glowing dot on the horizon.

“Are you ready?” Pureblood whispered to seemingly no pony in particular. There was a small shimmer in the air in front of him, giving me a quick flash of what appeared to be two ponies hidden under stealth cloaks. A sickening grin spread across Pureblood's features.

A few moments later, the doors to the balcony opened up again and I heard the sounds of hoofsteps as somepony walked out to join Pureblood on the roof. Pureblood didn’t turn to look at them, but the ponies' voice gave away their identity in an instant.

“Blueblood told me you wanted to talk with me?” The very distinct voice of Fancy Pants spoke up. “I suppose this is about our disagreement on the council?”

Pureblood’s grin turned into a grimace. “I am giving you one chance to change your attitude and sign the contract,” he said flatly, turning to face Fancy Pants.

Fancy Pants shook his head. “I’m afraid that is not going to happen. I find the details of your plans to be, frankly speaking, simply appalling. Though I’m sure we can talk over the details like civilized ponies, no?”

I could feel Purebloods face twitch in agitation. “I’m afraid I don’t have the patience for such action.”

The air on either side of Fancy Pants shimmered as the stealth bucks deactivated. Standing on either side of Fancy Pants was not two ponies as I had predicted, but two dark insectoid looking creatures with glassy wings and curved fangs.

Changelings.

Fancy Pants jumped back, surprised by their sudden intuition. “What in the…” He was pulled up short as the two changelings wrapped him in their magic and began dragging him towards the edge of the balcony. “Pureblood! What is the meaning of this!”

Pureblood took a step back, making way for the changelings as they pulled Fancy Pants closer and closer to the edge. Fancy Pants struggled, trying to break free of the magical grip, but to no avail. The changeling's magic was too strong.

Fancy Pant’s back hooves swung out over the edge of the balcony. The changeling's magic released and dropped him, sending him flying off over the edge. Fancy Pants reached out, grabbing onto the balconies rail to keep from falling hundreds of miles to the ground below.

“Pureblood! What are you doing! This is madness!” Fancy yelled out, his voice rising with panic. “You can’t do this! Ponies will notice I’m missing!”

There was a flash of light as one of the changelings morphed into a perfect doppelgänger of Fancy Pants. I could see Fancy Pants’ eyes go wide as he stared in horror at the disguised changeling.

Pureblood leaned in, his wrinkled muzzle only inches from Fancy Pants’ own. “On the contrary. No pony will suspect a thing. I won’t let you interfere with my plans of Utopia any longer.”

The blaring sound and frenzy like energy of the Grand Galloping Gala filled the night, obscuring the lone scream as a pony fell from one of the highest towers in Canterlot. A few moments later, Fancy Pants and Pureblood walked into the dance floor, shaking hooves and laughing as they finally came to an agreement on how the kingdom should be run.

I reached for the next memory orb the moment my eyes opened. So long as I stayed out of my own body, Inferno couldn’t hurt me.

“Do you think that I’ll get control of your body once you die?” Inferno’s voice hissed in my ear, the question drawing me up short. “That my mind will take over and once again I will walk the wastes?”

I glanced over at the far wall. My reflection in the dirty metal wall had become that of Inferno’s. “What do you-”

“Once your body loses its mind. When you become little more than a lifeless corpse. Will my mind take the reins?” Inferno pushed, his eyes boring into me.

“What about Crank,” I said back, a small chill passing through me as I remembered Inferno's fight with the cyber alicorn within my mind. “Why wouldn’t he take over?”

Inferno’s face twisted into a sneer. “Oh, the all mighty cyber alicorn won’t be much of a concern for me anymore. I have him locked up nice and tight in here. Sooner or later I’ll figure out a way to kill him off for good.”

I picked up the final memory orb in the box and looked down at it. Once this one was viewed, I’d have nothing left to hide away from Inferno’s torment in. I glanced back over at the reflection of Inferno in the glass. “Why do you want to torture me so much. I’ve seen into your mind. You aren’t a monster… at least… you didn’t used to be...”

Inferno glared daggers at me. “Not a monster?” Inferno almost looked surprised at my sentiment for a moment. His surprise was quickly washed away by rage. “You killed me! That's why I want this! And I’m going to make you hurt like you hurt me!”

“You killed yourself!” I snapped back at him, my brow furrowing. I stomped my hoof, my whole body shaking with anger and resentment for his denial. “You saw what you had become and killed your own damn self! Because you couldn’t face it! You couldn’t face what you had become. What you had to atone for!” I felt my voice rising higher and higher. “You failed to face your music. You were the pony that failed! The pony that lost to the wasteland! Your death is on you!”

Inferno’s face was suddenly very close to mine, his jagged maw oozing black sludge around my hooves. To my discomfort, I could feel his hot, ragged breath rasping across my face. “Liesss…” He hissed, his voice echoing distantly in the back of my mind. “You will feel the pain I felt before the end, Amber Aura. I’m going to bring you hell like the hell that was brought upon me. And when you die. When you can no longer bear the torment that I will bring down on you and blow your own brains out, I’m going to take your body and bring the very same torment upon those that you care about. I’m going to break each one of your friends over and over again with your body while they beg for forgiveness. I’ve been in your mind. I saw what happened to that zebra bitch in New Appleoosa. How do you think she’ll feel when you do that to her? I’ll make sure she begs for death before the end!”

I had had enough of this. I turned away from him and focused back on the memory orb in my hoof. The last memory orb. I let my magic wrap around it and sent my world swirling away.

This orb was different.

It was dark and cold. I tried to make sense of my surroundings, but all I could see was blackness. I wanted to move, but I was broken and immobile. Even the air seemed to be gone, like I was holding my breath and was refusing to release. Somewhere in the back of my brain was the never ending clicking of machinery.

I didn’t even feel like I was in a body anymore. Just a consciousness in a cold hunk of metal that was forever doomed to endure within infinity.

I waited in that darkness, waiting for something to happen. It never did. I was simply stuck in the blackness, waiting for some sort of release that would never come.

I suddenly wanted to be out of this memory orb. I wanted to be anywhere but here. Even back with Inferno would be better than this endless nothing that surrounded me. How long was I here? A few moments? A day? A year? I couldn’t tell. I couldn’t tell anything anymore.

And all the while, I felt rage. Hatred, anger and pain were flowing through me like my lifeblood. I could feel my host's thoughts. Not in specific sentences or any sort of coherent form, but in strange, mangled feelings. Like the feeling of being cold by looking at pictures of ice, or feeling imaginary pains at others expense.

“How dare they!” The thoughts seemed to scream. “Don’t they know who I am! Don’t they know what I’ve done!”

More thoughts were screamed out at the darkness, but I tried my best to ignore them and shut them out. Those feelings were unbearable. So angry and alien to the thoughts and feelings any normal pony should have.

I wanted something to happen. A sudden flash of light in the darkness. A sound, a smell. Even to have the darkness close in more would have been a relief. At least then something would have happened opposed to this eternal stagnant nothingness.

It continued. The nothingness. I grew restless, tired, bored. Nothing changed. I tried to call out to the nothingness myself, to join in with the choir of rage that emoted from my host. But I was more stuck than they were. Limited only to the actions of one who could not move or breath.

The darkness endured.

And then it ended.

My world was filled with light. The darkness was swept away and I was left nearly blinded as the dim lights of what appeared to be a holding cell in a Stable flooded my vision.

My host looked around, suddenly able to move for the first time in over two hundred years. The movement was not met with the relief that they had hoped. It was stiff and robotic.

My host turned and focused on the pony that stood before them, peering down at them with what appeared to be mechanical eyes.

Well hello there…

The colt that stood before my host was a young earth pony with a red coat and dark black mane. He was dressed in a blue stable suit and had a pipbuck around his hoof. I wasn’t able to make out what his cutie mark was through my hazy and static filled vision.

What caught my attention the most though, was the colt's wide, wonder filled eyes. They were blue, or rather, one of them was. The other was mechanical and glowed an ominous red.

“You used to be a unicorn, right?” The young Red Eye asked, looking up at my host with wonder. There was a strange, calculating intelligence behind those eyes that no normal foal his age should have possessed. It reminded me of Littlepip in a way, when I had talked to her all those days ago. “Can you tell me about them?”

“What do you wish to know?” My host said, their voice nasally and filled with a metallic sound. The voice of the Director, I quickly noted.

The young Red Eye smiled. “Everything…”

I came out of the memory orb and pushed it away from me. The orb rolled across the floor and clanked against the far wall before coming to a stop. I never wanted to experience that again.

“Welcome back,” Inferno rasped, looking down at me. “There is nowhere left for you to run.”

I pushed myself away from him and looked over at the box of memory orbs. I could keep watching the first orb over and over again to stay away from Inferno. But how long could I endure watching the same memory over and over again before I cracked? How long before I needed to sleep? Needed to eat?

I returned my gaze to Inferno and pulled myself to my hooves. He gave me a vile smile in return.

“Done running?” He asked, his jagged maw twisting into an even larger grin.

I took a deep breath. “I guess so…” I took a step towards him. “Do your worst. I won’t let you get to me any longer!”

The door to my cell slid open. Both Inferno and I turned to look at the pony that had walked in. “The Director will see you now,” Fluer said from the doorway, looking past Inferno and at me. Clearly she couldn’t see the cyber pony standing in the room. Without another word, she turned and trotted out of the room again, beckoning for me to follow.

I saw Inferno sneer. “Well well. Go on. I’m fascinated as to what is going to happen to you…” I gave him a worried look that only seemed to make him more excited. “You told me to do my worst. Well nothing I can do can compare to whatever the Director has planned, I assure you. Go on now. I’ll be watching.”

I turned back to the door and gulped before stepping out after Fleur, the image of Inferno slowly fading away in my mind. The Canterlot ghoul awaited me outside, flanked by four griffon talon mercs. “Follow,” Was all she said before she turned and began trotting down the hallway.

I picked up my speed to keep pace with her. I looked over at the old ghoul, remembering what I had seen of her in those memory orbs. After a few moments of awkward staring, I voiced my thoughts. “Why are you doing this?”

Fleur cast me a sideways, yet curious glance. “Doesn’t matter. I do what I think is right for the wasteland. We all do.”

I shook my head. Ponies doing what they think is right for the wasteland don't kill hundreds of ponies and foals. “I think there’s more to it than that. I saw you in some of those memory orbs. I think there's more to you than you're tell me.”

“And what, pray tell, do you think there is to me?” Fleur asked sceptically, though there was a hint of genuine interest in her voice.

I bit my lip as I tried to think of an answer to that. What was I thinking? She had been in the memory orbs, but not all that much, and I don’t think they really taught me much outside of what she looked like before she became a ghoul. After a few seconds of thought, a name came to mind. “Fancy Pants.”

Fleur came to an abrupt stop and looked over at me, her expression distant. “I suppose you learned that name from the orbs?” I gave a small nod in response. Fleur sighed. “It has been a long time since I have heard that name out loud. It is good to hear again,” She once more began walking forwards.

“What were you two? Lovers?” I asked, trying my best to keep pace with her.

The ghoul gave a raspy chuckle. “No, never. Though I always wished we could have been,” She took a deep breath that sounded more akin to a wheeze. “The last thing he told me before he died was that for Equestria to prosper, there must be a balance between the lower classes and aristocracy of Equestria. I’m going to make sure that that balance is maintained.”

I felt my eyebrows knit together. “By what? Re-establishing the upper class?” The idea seemed almost ludicrous in the wasteland, but it fit Fleurs MO.

Fleur nodded. “Since the bombs, savages have taken control of Equestria. Our once great cities have been thrown into anarchy and violence. Just as Fancy always predicted would happen were the higher class ever to be removed from the balance. You cannot imagine how it feels to see the cities that were once gleaming beacons of hope and pony ingenuity in your youth reduced to little more than buckers of rust and homes for perverse raiders and slavers.”

“But what about the ponies of Tenpony tower? They’re kind of like an upper class, right?” I asked, recalling the snooty ponies that had inhabited the tower during my visit.

Fleur simply snorted. “Those ponies pretend to be like the high society of old, but they are simply pretenders. High society in Canterlot was not about fancy clothes and expensive tastes. It was about governance and maintaining order in the land. Many of the aristocracy forgot this fact. Fancy never did. He paid for that dearly…”

It almost sounded like she would fit right in with the True Steels. Though I doubted that was the kind of society she was looking for.

“And you think this Director will help you achieve that?” I asked, looking forwards as we began to near a doorway at the end of the metal hallway.

“Of course,” Fleur said simply, pulling up next to the doorway. “Re-establishing the ways of old is what he is after as well of course. Him and Red Eye.”

So that was where this alliance with the Director and Red Eye came from. They were both after rebuilding the world from the ashes. A new world built upon the backs of slaves and the ingenuity of the Institute.

The door slid open, revealing nothing but darkness beyond. “He is waiting for you inside,” Fleur said, gesturing for me to enter through the door. “Go on. It is best to not leave him waiting.”

I took a deep breath and stepped into the darkness. A few seconds later, Fleur followed me in, the door sliding shut behind us and throwing us into pure darkness.

It was dark, and as such was hard to make out anything beyond the gripping blackness, but I could tell I had seen this place before. Not through my own eyes maybe, but through the gaze of another.

Through Inferno when I had watched him be transformed into a cyber pony. Through Crank when I watched him beg the Director for a few days to find Scarlet.

This was the Directors layer. The place he had always been from the day I stepped out of Stable 25. And now I was here.

I practically already knew my way around the place.

I moved across the dark room to the doorway that I knew would be waiting for me and stepped out onto the shadow shrouded platform in the vast room beyond. The platform felt cold under my hooves as I walked across it. I came to a stop and let my hoof trace the spot below me. Crank had stood here once, many years ago.

I looked up into the vast darkness above me, squinting as I tried to make out anything in the gloom. I could feel Fleur come to a stop a few paces behind me, her gaze too lifting up to the unseen ceiling.

“Amber Aura…” A nasally voice called down from above, strangely booming and powerful. Two lights burst to life from far above me, shining a bright spotlight down upon my form. The blazing lights looked to be the large eyes of a giant beast, glaring down at me through the darkness. “You have no idea how long I have waited to meet you in the flesh.”

“I’m taking it you’re the Director,” I said flatly, refusing to look impressed by his impressive light show. I thought for a second, trying to put a name to the title. I had been trying to figure out who the mysterious Director was for a long while now. Fleur's involvement had given me a sinking suspicion, but it hadn’t been until I viewed those memory orbs that I was made certain. “...Or should I just call you Pureblood?”

The darkness was blasted away as the large rooms lights flickered on. I was in a large metal chamber, the tall, circular walls lined with rows upon rows of terminals and other devices that were beyond even my comprehension. The platform I was standing on had a small staircase that led down to the main section of the room and hundreds of robotic, clawed appendages hung from the ceiling.

Far above me floated some sort of machine that was levitating with some kind of propulsion system. It consisted of three blue tinted screens, two of which displaying the images of a ponies eye, wide and bloodshot, clearly the source of the lights that had been shining down on me. The third screen, which hadn’t flickered on until the rest of the lights, showed a ponies mouth, cracked and wrinkled with age. The three screens branched off of a large metal, gold painted chassis that was topped with a large, hardened glass dome that held what appeared to be a living pony brain. The brain jar was filled with some sort of bubbling, yellow tinted fluid, probably some sort of advanced bio med gel.

The brain bot floated down towards me, eyeing me with its large monitors. “Yesss. It has been a long time since any pony has referred to me by my real name,” Pureblood pulled away again, hovering a few feet in front of me. “You have been quite the pain in my rump, Amber Aura. But you have been interesting to watch, I must confess.”

“So you’re the Director of the Institute and the pony that sent those cyber ponies into Stable 25?” I said flatly. It was more of a statement than a question.

“It took you that long to realize?” Inferno rasped form beside me. I hadn’t seen him materialize. I didn’t care. I ignored him and kept my gaze focused on the large brain bot before me.

Pureblood’s metal form bobbed in the air, signifying a nod. “Indeed. Years were spent planning to procure the contents of Stable 25. I even had Silver Ace create a spell to ensure that my bloodline remained as Overstallions of that Stable through a hereditary cutie mark. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that a small maintenance mare… one of my very own descendants no less, had managed to thwart over two hundred years of planning and my constant attempts to retrieve the A.A.S.S,” Multiple of the hanging clawed appendages dropped from the ceiling at his words and snapped at me with their metal pinchers. I yelped and hopped back in surprise at the sudden assault, only to be pulled into the air as the claws grasped onto me and yanked me upwards. I struggled in the air, suspended by the metal claws. Purebloods brain bot once more drew closer, staring down at me with disdain. “But all of that is in the past now. You are here. With me. I have a great many plans for you.”

“Plans? What are you planning?! What is all of this about?!” I shouted, still struggling to free myself from the metal claws to no avail. “And what do you want with the Utopia Program?”

A terrible sounding laugh escaped Purebloods brain bot that sounded more like a bunch of rocks in a blender than an actual laugh. “What am I planning for the A.A.S.S. and the Utopia Program? What it was always intended to do. For you? Something very special.”

I kicked at one of the clawed appendages, but they just tightened their grip on me more. “The Utopia Program? What is it? It’s a memory orb, right? Memory magic? What do you want with it?”

Pureblood went silent at the question. Clearly I had asked something he was unsure if he should answer. A few seconds later, he floated away, the metal claws pulling me with him so that I could look at a large monitor screen against the far wall.

“You have been in the wasteland,” Pureblood scowled, a few images of the ruins of Manehattan flashed across the screen. “You have seen what pony and zebra kind has done to our once great land. They have turned it into a lawless cesspool. They have destroyed Equestria and now wear its corpse as a mask. But it wasn’t always like this.”

The images on the screen switched to older footage. Clearly pictures taken from before the war. One picture showed a small, quaint looking town. In the distance lay the beautiful city of Canterlot, sitting high atop its mountain.

“My Equestria was great. My Equestria was beautiful… Then the war came,” Pureblood continued, his screen eyes glaring at the pictures on the screen. “Princess Celestia stepped down from the throne and her sister took up the mantle. She created the ministries. She gave power to six ponies peasants that had no place in the world of politics and power!” Pureblood was seething, his voice coming out of the brain bot in angry growls. “I was the head of the Canterlot Elite! I should have been put in charge of Equestria! Not mocked with those ministry mare wannabe bitches!”

I winced as his voice rose to higher volumes. Clearly somepony was pissed off about Luna putting the elements of harmony in charge and not him.

“Okay…” I said slowly, still wishing the metal claws would put me down. “So what does that have to do with U-”

“Everything,” Pureblood scowled, once more turning to face me. I could see the eyes on the screen narrow at me. “My Equestria was taken away when Princess Celestia gave up the throne. I made plans to bring that Equestria back, only for it to be destroyed once more, this time in the form of balefire… Utopia is the Solution…”

I groaned. “Okay… so then tell me. What. Does. Utopia. Do!?”

Pureblood was once again silent for a moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was hushed. “Whatever I want.”

I blinked. Not what I had been expecting him to say.

“You have been following small traces of the Utopia Program all across the wasteland over the last month, no? Surely you have come to at least begin to grasp the extent of what memory magic is capable of?”

I was about to shake my head that I didn’t know, but stopped. I looked to my left where the visage of Inferno still stared up at me with a vile grin.

I did know how powerful memory magic could be when harnessed properly. “You can do anything that affects a ponies mind… on any scale…”

Purebloods brain bot gave a bob like nod in response. “Mass mind control, shared dreams, visions, flashes of the past,” Pureblood listed. “I can make anypony feel things they aren’t feeling. Remember things that never happened.”

“And which one of those things do you want?” I pushed, glaring up at him.

“All of them... and more,” Pureblood cooed smugly. “I wish to rebuild Equestria.... Imagine a world completely under my control, everypony working as a synchronized unit to rebuild the old world from the ashes. Red Eye understands that there is no other way for Equestria to return to the ways of old.”

“You’re going to use the Utopia program to enslave the entire world?” I uttered, my body going limp with disbelief. “That’s… That’s insane!”

Pureblood made an amused humming sound. “Insane? No. necessary.”

I bit back a growl. Then a thought crossed me. “Wait, isn’t this just like Unity? The thing with the freaky alicorns and goddess and shit?”

The image of Purebloods mouth grinned even wider. “In a way. But the Goddess is limited to her alicorns and does not possess the vision to rebuild Equestria that I possess. Besides, Red Eye will be dealing with the Goddess shortly. Soon we won’t need to worry about her. Think of it as taking out two birds with one stone,” He chucked at that, though I didn’t understand the joke. “Of course, it does not simply end with mind control,” Pureblood continued as his chuckle finally came to a stop. “For all of these things are not even Utopia’s main purpose.”

I flinched. There was more? Enslaving the entire population's minds wasn’t enough? “What else?” I asked, almost afraid of what the answer would be. “What is the Utopia Programs primary function?”

The image of Pureblood's mouth on the bottom most monitor twisted into a grin. “Even with everypony working together under my complete and total control, it will still take hundreds of years before Equestria is fully restored to its complete and former glory. I will need to have a place to stay in the meantime. And I will need servants to serve me.”

I felt my heartbeat quicken. “What are you talking about?”

“Utopia,” Pureblood replied simply. “Did you ever question why the program was called that? A true Utopia is impossible to achieve in the real world. A place where everything is completely perfect is impossible. It's an idea. An imagined place. The Utopia Program is the cure.”

My whole body was going cold as I listened to him speak. I didn’t think I liked where this was going.

“The Utopia Program is a collection of memory orbs,” Pureblood continued, the screen in front of us changing to show the massive glowing orb within the Crusader Maneframe in the Institute. “Specifically, a collection of six mares memories. The ministry mares, from before the war. Back when all Equestria had to deal with was dresses and tea parties. Housed within the Utopia Program is a massive world simulation capable of housing thousands of ponies' minds. A simulation of what Equestria should be. I would be a god within it, able to control the very world with Utopia. The weather, matter, time, ponies' very thoughts would be subject to my control. While ponies' bodies are forced to rebuild the world, their minds will exist to serve me within Utopia, as they should have done hundreds of years ago.

“Of course, none of that would be possible without the A.A.S.S. which you have done a wonderful job of keeping safe for me. Without it, the ponies within Utopia would slowly starve and fade away, stuck within an imaginary dream world. Our original test subjects on the project only managed to survive for four days within the program before succumbing to hunger. Eventually we had to rely on Gen 2 synths for testing, though that was…" Pureblood searched for the right words. "...less than effective as well.”

“That's madness!” I blurted as my mind finally caught up with the horrors of what Pureblood was saying.

A clawed appendage snapped out from above me and clamped tightly around my neck. I choked, my throat constricting under the mechanical grasp and preventing air from reaching my lungs. Purebloods eyes bore down on me with a seething anger. “You would best watch your tone around me peasant! Who do you think you are to speak to me in such a manner?! You are nothing compared to me! You should worship me as a god you ungrateful cunt!”

“I’m… Your… descendant…” I gasped out, the words sounding gross and heavy in my mouth.

Pureblood paused as he mauled that fact over in his mind. At last, the claw released my neck and allowed me to gasp for breath. “Fair enough. But even those of my pure and divine bloodline should know their place. I would have beaten Blueblood had he spoken to me in such a way,” He paused again and looked me over a little closer. “Of course, this does conveniently bring us to our next order of business…”

I gave him a crooked look, not knowing what he meant. Before he could elaborate further, Fleur De Lis spoke up. “Director, the Balefire bomb is about to go off,” she had been so quiet so far that I had forgotten Fleur was even in the room.

I felt my eyes go wide at that. Balefire bomb! What the hell was she talking about?!

Pureblood's mouth twisted into a sneer. “Wonderful. Pull up a visual.”

To my surprise, another brain bot floated it, this one not painted gold, but still its original silver in colour. It floated over to one of the many terminals and clicked a few buttons. A second later, the large screen Pureblood and I had been looking at changed to an aerial view of a large ministry building somewhere in the wasteland. It was hard to read, but I was just able to make out the words, ‘Maripony’ on the front of the structure.

“Behold,” Pureblood began, slowly turning to face the screen. “The death of the goddess and the Stable Dweller! The beginning of our great victory!” He turned to finally face the screen fully and froze. “What the fuck is- No! No no no no!”

I spotted what had put Pureblood into hysterics immediately. It wasn’t hard to spot as they weren’t exactly being subtle. The Maripony building was surrounded by hundreds of airships. I could see what appeared to be whole legions of pegasi flying around the building, each one armed with a suit of enclave power armour and plasma weapon. A massive ship was still slowly descending from the thick cloud layer above, so large that at first I had assumed it was a flying mountain surrounded by clouds.

Star Breeze had been right. The Enclave wasn’t just coming. The Enclave had already arrived. And they were a force to be reckoned with.

“What the hell is the Enclave doing out of the fucking sky!” Pureblood screamed, the pitch of his voice forcing me to cover my ears with my hooves. “When did this happen.”

“About half an hour ago,” The other brain bot replied. I locked up as I heard the brain bots voice. I knew that voice, but… no… it couldn’t be…

My thoughts were interrupted as the screen lit up with a near blinding flash of baleful green. I turned my gaze to the screen, staring in awe as the huge Maripony building went up in a massive mushroom cloud of green smoke and fire. The huge shockwave of kicked up ash and billowing green flame washed out across the landscape, tearing Enclave raptors straight down from the sky. The teams of flying pegasi spun around, desperately trying to fly away from the explosion, but they weren’t fast enough. They were consumed in the ever expanding green inferno, their bodies turned to ash and their armour rendered to slag. I could almost hear their screams through the screen.

And despite the terrible gravity of what I was seeing, I felt myself smile. “She took my advice and snuck a balefire bomb in…” I grinned with amazement, realizing exactly what I was watching. “Littlepip actually did it.”

Pureblood gave a low, metallic, gargle sounding growl. “It doesn't matter. We can deal with the Enclave. At least the Goddess and that stupid ‘Light Bringer’ are out of our way and the path is clear for Red Eyes ascension.”

My eyebrows shot up. Red Eyes ascension? The fuck was that supposed to mean? “How does Red Eye fit into all of this?” I asked, drawing Purebloods attention back to me. “All this scheming between you and Red Eye. How did that start? What does he have to do with Utopia?”

I remembered the last memory orb I had seen. Red Eye had been a Stable dweller, and his cathedral was built atop the remains of a long since destroyed Stable. A Stable built beneath a castle. Suddenly all the pieces started fitting together.

“We need to get to the castle, or this will have all been for nothing,” Silver Ace had told Pureblood on the day the bombs had fallen. The memory of that audio recording was still somewhat fresh in my mind, despite having listened to it quite a few days ago now.

Castles, Stables, the Institute. Everything had been connected from the beginning. I cast a glance back up at Pureblood. “You were a Stable Dweller. In Red Eyes Stable. The same Stable we’re in right now.”

The crazed look in Purebloods eyes faded and was replaced with a much colder, more calculating expression. “Silver Ace and I had planned well in advance for the end of the world. Utopia itself was intended to be a cure if the end we feared came to pass…” He paused, his voice hitching with rage. “But the bitch Scootaloo from Stable-Tec had other plans for us after she realized my real intentions for the program. She knew there were only two possible Stables I would flee to in the end. Stable 1 and Stable 101. Stable 1 was intended to never reopen. An eternal prison for me and the rest of the nobility she had grown to hate. Stable 101 was what she believed would be a little more ironic.”

“What happened in Stable 101?” I asked, trying to twist in the air to face Pureblood's brain bot more fully.

“Earth Pony supremacy,” Pureblood scowled. “Scootaloo arranged for the Stable to be filled with Earth pony bigots. I was already a dying pony when the bombs fell. When I realized it would be many years before I got the chance to reclaim Utopia, I decided to put my mind within this machine so that I would live forever and one day get to see the fruit of my labor. The ponies of Stable 101 instead shut me down, trapping my conscious mind within an immobile metal form for an eternity, locked away where I would never see the light of day…”

I guess that explained what he had been doing for the last two hundred years. Nothing, in the purest sense of the word.

“Until Red Eye came along that is,” I guess, recalling the memory of the young Red Eye waking up what I now assumed to be Pureblood from a two hundred year hell. No wonder Pureblood seemed a little unhinged. A fate like that would have driven anypony mad. “So what? You made a deal with Red Eye to get out of the Stable?”

“At first I thought I might be able to manipulate Red Eye into doing my will. I soon learned that that was far from necessary,” Pureblood grinned, bobbing up and down in the air in front of me. “Red Eye was a true visionary. Even as a child. He had plans far larger than even my own long before he found me in the depths of Stable 101. And his plan to wipe out his own Stable was simply inspiring! As you can imagine, he was beyond ecstatic to hear about the Utopia program and my plans for it.”

“So… wait… who works for who? And what the hell is Red Eyes ascension?” I continued to ask, still foggy on some of the details around what was going on.

Pureblood gave me a mirthless laugh. “I do not intend to rebuild Equestria into a shadow of its former self. The wastelands transformation will be total and complete. A new government and high society shall once more reign over the ponies of Equestria, and a great god will once again take their rightful place at the head of the matriarchy.”

I felt my jaw drop. “Wait… Red Eye is planning to become a god? As in like… Celestia and Luna style god?” If so, this rabbit hole of crazy went a whole lot deeper than I had realized.

“Of course,” Pureblood practically purred. “Why did you think it was so important that the Goddess was taken out of the picture? Now that they are gone, the path is clear for Red Eye to ascend into divinity and for me to finally create my Utopia!”

Something niggled at the back of my mind. “But you can’t yet. You would still need access to Crusader Maneframe inside of the Institute, right?” I glanced over at the second brain bot for confirmation but it continued to simply float there silently. I returned my gaze to Pureblood. “Glasswing would never allow that. You’d have to fight your way through the entire Institute to get there. I’ve been to the Institute. There’s no fighting an army of that caliber. Even with Red Eyes forces.”

Purebloods silence was deafening, but something in his expression told me he was well aware of this. “Perhaps you have forgotten who I am,” Pureblood soothed, his voice filled with a smug arrogance. “I am Pureblood, current director of the Institute. I have complete control over all of their systems, including their synths and ventilation systems.”

Ventilation systems? What did that have to do with anything?

“But the Institute can wait another day,” Pureblood continued. “There is something I need to do with you first.”

I blinked. “With… me?”

“Oh yes. You play a very important role in my plans for the great Utopia, Amber Aura,” The snobby brain bot declared, inching closer to me menacingly. “This metal form that I inhabit has served its purpose. But I crave to be flesh and blood once more. I crave for my blood to be pure and divine. You will be providing me with just that.”

I tried to squirm away, but the claws keeping me suspended in the air held me tight. “You… You want my body?!” I gasped, the idea too horrible to fully comprehend.

Pureblood cackled to himself. “Your body? No. Your body is tainted and impure, and while my genes do flow through your veins, you are too far removed from the purity of my bloodline. No, what I need is a surrogate.”

My heart skipped a beat. “You… you want me to carry your child?” The idea made me feel sick. Below me, I could see Inferno grinning gleefully at Pureblood's statement.

“My child? In a sense,” Pureblood scoffed. “What I want is for you to carry my future vessel. The Institute created the technology to clone changelings years ago. I could create a vessel easily with such technology, I might not even need a carrier, but I crave a more…” He made a tsking sound that sounded strange having come from a pony with no tongue. “...Pure form of reproduction. And who better to be my surrogate than a pony already of my bloodline.”

I could feel my body trembling as I took in his words. He wanted to impregnate me? The idea of having a fetus surgically implanted into me was a terrifying one. This couldn’t be happening. I must be trapped in some sort of nightmare. Inferno had been right. Pureblood was preparing to do things to me far worse than anything he could have thrown my way.

“I… Why me… why use my body as the surrogate?” I stuttered through trembling lips. “Why not somepony else? Clearly you waited for me specifically to do this? Why?”

“Why?" Pureblood scoffed at the question. "Because I wanted my future body to be divine of course. And not just any gene pool would do. No. I need to ensure that it all stays in the family… And you are a descendant of Trueblood, my nephew. You are the perfect candidate, you’ve been bred all your life for this exact purpose,” the claws suspending me in the air pulled me away from him and began to lower me onto a metal, medical bed. I struggled against them, but I was not nearly strong enough. Within moments, the claws had secured me to the bed. Pureblood turned his gaze to the second brain bot. “Bring Doc. Slaughter in would you.”

My eyes widened in horror as a new pony whirred into the room. The pony had long since become more machine than pony. His body had been replaced with a cybernetic chassis that moved on a set of treads and he was covered in an array of spider-like robotic appendages, holding numerous tools and dissection implements. Only his head remained flesh and blood, and that was covered in hundreds of criss-crossing scars.

“Ahhh… another pony for me to work on,” Doc Slaughter grinned, rolling over to me and looking down at my immobilized form. His smirk widened as one of his metal appendages carrying what looked to be a jagged buzzsaw swiveled up to hover over my eye. “I could make you so much better than you are…”

I twisted in my bonds, trying to pull myself away from the imposing blade. I could feel my pupils constricting in fear as I stared up at the looming monstrosity of metal and flesh above me. It didn’t matter how much I squirmed, the metal clamps around my hooves held me tight.

Pureblood floated down to look over Doc Slaughter's shoulder at me. “You are only to alter her as instructed,” The brain bot ordered, making Doc Slaughter give a frown of disappointment. “I want her body preserved.”

“W-wait!” I called out, my fear finally breaking just enough to let me make coherent words. “C-can we talk this over. Find another way to do this?” Goddesses, please don’t let them do this to me.

Purebloods mouth twisted into a vile smile. “I have waited too long for this. There is no other option. Not one that I will accept,” He returned his gaze to Doc Slaughter. “Cut her open and implant the fetus.”

Doc Slaughters smile would have been contagious had I not been strapped to a table and about to be cut me open. The cyborg looked down at me with excitement and raised a metal appendage bearing a needle on the end. “Say goodnight. We’ll see you after the surgery.”

Goodnight?

My eyes flicked over to where the hallucination of Inferno still stood. He was staring at me smuggly, his face filled with excitement. My eyes grew even wider as I realized what was about to happen

“NO! Stop! Do the surgery while I’m awake! Don’t put me under! No!” I screamed out, thrashing against my bonds. If I was put to sleep, I would be stuck within my mind with Inferno, and he could touch me in there. I don’t think I could handle that. I stared up at the cyborg pleadingly. “Please. Don’t put me under…”

Doc Slaughter paused and looked back up at Pureblood for confirmation. Pureblood only gave a roll of his eyes. “Do what you think is best,” Was all the brain bot had to say.

Doc Slaughters confusion turned to glee. “Ohhhh… I like this one,” The needle retracted and the saw blade once more swung out over my exposed stomach. “This is going to be very fun.”

The vision of Inferno glared down at me for a moment, his face still filled with smug animosity. “You cannot stay awake forever,” The cyber pony cackled as he slowly faded from my vision. “Sooner or later, you’ll be back with me. I look forward to breaking you…”

I shut my eyes as the saw blade began to whir to life. I could feel the air being ripped apart as it slowly began to lower.

“You must be curious about the fetus I intend to fill you with,” Pureblood said coldly, watching as the saw descended at a slow and steady rate. “It is going to be your burden after all.”

I scowled and forced back the urge to cry. “Fuck you,” I bit back.

Pureblood gave a coy smile. “The fetus will be the product of DNA taken from all across my bloodline, all the way up to Celestia herself,” That caught me off guard a little. I peeked an eye open to see Purebloods beaming expression. “As such, you shall be giving birth to a being that is first of its kind. An alicorn. Specifically engineered with Institute technology to be my perfect vessel. You should be honoured to receive such a treatment.”

Then the blade cut into me and nothing could hold back my screams.

I felt wrong and violated. My stomach bulged somewhat, though the alicorn fetus was not far enough along yet to be too apparent.

The surgery had gone on for hours. Hours of pain the likes of which I had never experienced before. I had watched as my front had been cut open and my womb surgically split by hundreds of prying claws. Dozens of surgical tubes had been pushed into my flesh and by the time Doc Slaughter had implanted the fetus within me, I was in so much pain that I hardly even felt it or cared.

Fleur had quickly carried me back to my cell as soon as Doc Slaughter had finished restitching my front. The ghouls whole body was trembling slightly and I could tell that what she had seen them do to me was even affecting her. How could it not? It was a violation like no other.

I had curled up in the corner of the cell the second the door closed and sobbed, my tears sticking to my sweaty coat as I rubbed my belly over and over again. I vomited too. I felt sick.

It wasn’t fair. None of this.

I had worked so damn fucking hard. I had tried to save ponies. Do the right thing. I didn’t deserve this torture. No pony did. Why did it have to be me?

I looked up and stared around the room. There was no escape. Pureblood had beaten me. I was at my lowest, my friends stripped away from me and thrown into slavery. I couldn’t even sleep. Inferno would just be waiting for me.

And so the waiting began. I simply lay against the cold floor, weeping as my mind filled with images of my own body getting sliced open again and again as tubes probed into my body.

“You look tired, Amber. Maybe you should take a rest,” Inferno’s voice suggested within my head. He had been nagging at me to sleep for hours. I shook my head, trying to push his voice out of my mind. I could already feel my eyelids drooping from the exertion of the surgery and the constant strain of trying to stay awake.

I wasn’t going to be able to keep going like this. Everything was piling against me. Both my mind and body had been violated. I couldn’t sleep without facing Inferno's vengeance and I couldn't stay in the waking world without feeling my stomach and remembering the horror that Pureblood had placed within me.

“Just leave me alone…” I grumbled, rolling back to face the corner of the room. Another sob escaped my lips and a tear raced down my already damp cheeks. “You already beat me. You win. I’m broken…”

“Not enough,” Inferno sneered. I could see his red gaze staring at me through the reflection on the wall in front of me. I shut my eyes tight to get away from his glare, but that only made it harder to stay awake.

How long had I been stuck in this cell? A day? A week?

Probably not a week. My pipbuck told me it had been only a little under twenty four hours. But it didn’t matter. It felt like a lifetime. I don’t think a pony is supposed to be able to cry for this long.

I could slowly feel the fight and drive to escape leaving me. Everything felt so daunting and hopeless. Even if I could escape, what would that change? The wasteland was getting geared up to rip itself apart. Fleets of Enclave ships were descending from the sky and Red Eye was in position to enact his plans. Even Littlepip, the Stable Dweller, the only real hero the wasteland seemed to have, was dead and gone. Blow to ash by a balefire bomb and buried under miles of rubble. There was no pony left to stop the bloodshed that was fast approaching.

After what felt like an eternity, the door to my cell slid open once again, making way for Fleur as she trotted back into the room. She looked down at me, a look of pity across her face. She looked away for a second, stealing herself and forcing on a more stoic look across her face before returning her gaze to me. “They are ready for you again.”

I scowled at her. “Tell them to go fuck themselves,” My words were obscured by another painful sob.

Fleur gave me a sad look before trotting in further and sitting down next to me. I noticed she sat a few inches away so that the pink cloud wafting from her decaying flesh wouldn’t harm me. “You will soon understand that what we are doing is for the good of all Equestria,” Fleur tried to insist, her voice low. “We do what we do because it is the only way.”

“Fuck you,” I growled back. If she thought that any of this was for the betterment of Equestria than she was just as delusional as Pureblood. There was nothing right about this.

The Canterlot ghoul sighed. “Very well. Ignore the truth. But it doesn’t matter. You’re needed. Please. Come with me before the Director does something worse to you.”

I gave her a piercing glare before pulling myself up and wiping a few stray tears from my face with the back of my hoof. “Fine, just… don’t talk to me.”

Fleur gave a small nod before pulling herself up and trotting out of the room, urging me to follow. I cast one final glance at the reflection of Inferno beside me before following after her. Fleur's four griffon guards quickly moved to flank us as we stepped out of the room.

I felt sluggish when I moved. Something about the weight of my body threw me off. Shaking my head, I tried to push past the sensation and kept moving forwards.

I had expected Fleur to lead me back to Pureblood's chamber, but after a few moments of walking through the halls of Stable 101, I began to realize that we were going in the opposite direction all together.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked, trotting a little faster to stay in line with the ghoul.

Fleur cast me a sideways glance as we continued down the dull hallway. “The time has finally come to begin the Utopia Program. We’re going to the Institute.”

I paused as her words slammed into me. We were going to the Institute? Right now? I felt my heart hammer in my chest. I didn’t think I was prepared to run into my mom again. Not while in this state.

Fleur and the griffons came to a sudden and abrupt stop in the middle of the hallway. I glanced around, trying to figure out the reason for their sudden stillness. “What’s happening?” I asked again, looking past Fleur to the end of the hallway which appeared to be some sort of intersection.

One of the griffons shushed me with an angry glare. “It’s him... He comes.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Who? Wait… who comes?”

My question was answered as a group of five ponies, robed in dark red cloaks crossed in front of us through the intersection. I felt my breath catch as I saw the pony that walked between them.

It was him. I had never thought I would ever actually see him in person, but there he was, walking before me with an air of power and control around him. His ripped Stable barding was been worn across his shoulders like a cape and his robotic eye glowed a sinister red.

“Red Eye…” I whispered, my voice catching in my throat. He was here! In the cathedral! The mastermind behind all of my hardships. I could feel my little amounts of remaining courage melting away as I looked upon him. He seemed so normal. Just another pony of the wasteland. And yet, he seemed so powerful and untouchable.

Red Eye paused for a moment, turning to look down the hallway at us. His eyes met mine, and for a terrifying moment, I questioned if his robotic eye could melt me with a single look. His muzzle cracked into a genuinely comforting smile before he turned and continued on his way.

And just like that he was gone. I felt like I was suddenly able to breathe again, as if I had been trapped underwater for far too long.

Fleur gave a quick step forward. “Come. We mustn't leave the Director waiting.”

They continued to lead me through the halls until at last we came to a sliding stable door that looked no different than any of the other doors throughout the stable. Suspended on the wall above the door was a small neon sign that read, ‘Overmare Office’.

The door slid away to reveal the lavish office beyond. It looked a lot like my father's office back in Stable 25, with dark, wood walls and a round window overlooking the remains of Stable 101’s atrium. Though the atrium had long since been repurposed and was now filled with large vats of what I could only imagine was I.M.P.

The Overstallion desk had been pushed aside as well, making room for another of those strange Institute style teleportation platforms. Like the others, the elevated platform was ringed with wire connected pillars that blinked with lights.

Pureblood’s brain bot floated in the centre of the platform, joined by the second brain bot and two Canterlot ghouls clad in dark power armour bearing the symbol of Red Eye. I was pleased to see that one of the ghouls was carrying my saddlebags. At least these ponies weren’t trying to rob me.

“Ahhhh, Fleur. It took you long enough,” Pureblood scolded, turning to glare at us as we trotted into the room. “Are you ready?”

Fleur gave a nod before turning to me and giving me some sort of gas mask. I had seen the ponies outside the Cathedral wearing similar masks as they burned down the surrounding trees. “You will need this.”

I looked down at the mask before giving a grim nod and pulling it over my head. It was stuffy and despite filtering the air around me, didn’t do much for the amount of air intake it prevented. The tinted goggles on the mask coloured my vision with red.

Fleur stepped up onto the platform, moving to stand next to Pureblood. I hesitated for a moment before following her up. There was no point fighting them. They had already beaten me.

A few unicorns clad in the same Red Eye robes as I had seen earlier wrapped the teleportation machine in their magic. I could feel the platform vibrating under me as the magic began to flow through the machine and the lights that ringed that pillars began flashing faster. One of the griffons pulled a lever against the far wall.

My vision burst with blue light, and I was sent hurtling through the nothingness.

It didn’t seem to matter how many times I used this non magical form of teleportation, I never got used to it. At least I was somewhat expecting it somewhat, so I managed to come out of it without throwing up.

Didn’t stop myself from falling flat on my face as soon as we materialized though.

I opened my eyes and looked around. I was met with darkness. Only the light emitting from the monitors on the two brain bots illuminated the room. A few moments later, the two power armoured ghouls flicked the lights on their helmets on, lighting up the rest of the room.

I had been here before. It was the Director's office in the Institute. The same one I had opened to try and divert Azar’s attention the first time I had been in the Institute. Hanging on the wall was the picture of Canterlot atop its mountain.

Pureblood turned to the second brain bot, watching as it floated over to a control panel against the far wall. “Is everything ready?”

The second brain bot bobbed in the air, clicking on a few buttons. “As soon as you give the command,” That voice again... It had to be them… It just had to be.

“Wonderful… turn on the speaker system and give me a visual,” Pureblood cooed. The wall behind me burst to life as a massive monitor I hadn’t seen in the darkness flashed to life. The screen showed a live feed of the Institutes main room. A lot had calmed down since I had last seen it, clearly Glasswing had done a good job of reattaining order.

There was a small crackle of static as the speaker system burst to life.

“Ponies and changelings of the Institute,” Pureblood began, his voice nasally and filled with smug glee. I could see the ponies and changelings on the monitor freeze and looked around, startled by the unexpected voice. There was a commotion by Glasswings office. Clearly he was scrambling to try and figure out what was going on. “For over two hundred years the Institute has worked beneath the surface. Creating marvels of which Equestria has never seen. But today… today we shall return the Institute to its original purpose.”

There was another crackle as a second voice began broadcasting. “This is Glasswing, second in command of the Institute. Who are you and how are you doing this!?” Glasswings stern voice demanded. His normal false sounding pleasant tone blanketed his words, but I could clearly make out the surprise and worry behind his voice.

“Oh Glasswing, surely you recognize my voice?” Pureblood purred, reveling in the interaction. “After all, I am the Director.”

“The… Director…” Glasswings voice lost all of its pleasantness as it faded away to sheer shock. “But… But you’re…”

“It is true that I have been absent in the running of the Institute as of late,” Pureblood continued, his voice returning to its full volume. “But I assure you that I have returned, and this time, I think I’ll be sticking around for a little while… Silver Ace, if you would.”

I knew it. It was him. The second I had heard that voice I had known. So old and weary, but filled with so much intelligence.

Silver Ace’s brain bot swiveled to once more face the terminal in front of him. A metal claw like appendage detached itself from his metal form and pushed a few buttons in quick succession.

On the monitor, I watched in awe as the Institutes clinical lighting began to dim and flash an ominous red. A siren rang out, blaring over the hubbub of the scientist as they all began to panic. I saw Glasswing emerge from his office with my mother scampering out quickly behind him, both of them looking up at the flashing lights in horror.

“Synth’s overridden,” The prerecorded voice of Twilight Sparkle called out across the Institute. I saw waves of fear shooting through the ranks of the Institute scientists at those words.

The ponies and changelings began backing up in terror as the synths all around them turned on them, weapons raising and opening fire. I saw flashes of light as Institute Coursers materialized around the scrambling scientists. The thumping of hooves echoed across the Institute as hundreds of synths rallied and began to storm out of the synth production wing, magical energy weapons aimed and blasting beams of blue into the scientists.

I watched as the synths washed across the span of the Institute, their weapons rending anything that got in their way into a glowing pile of ash.

The scientists took a moment, their reaction time slowed from their surprise. Slowly they too took up arms and fought back, desperate not to be blasted apart by their own machines. I saw Glasswing and Mother pull out their own weapons as squads of Coursers began descending upon them.

“You have served my great cause well,” Pureblood continued over the speaker system, callously watching the massacre continue to unfold with digital, unblinking eyes. “But you all no longer of any use.”

Another alarm began to sound over the already blaring siren. As I continued to watch, I saw green clouds of mist begin getting pumped into the Institute. Even from within the safety of the Directors office and with a gas mask over my head, my pipbuck began to tick dangerously.

So that was what the ventilation systems had to do with everything… well shit...

The scientists began grasping at their necks as the radioactive fog reached them, depriving them of air. The synths continued to push forwards, unaffected by the radiation. their weapons bringing quick death upon those that had once been their masters.

This was a losing battle, and the Institute knew it. There was no winning against this. Their only hope was retreat. One by one, beams of blue light flashed around the remaining Institute scientist as they fled the Institute to parts unknown. I saw Mother trying to fight the synths off more, before beginning to cough as the radiation pumping into the Institute filled her lungs. She fell over, gasping for air, before disappearing in a flash of light.

Glasswing sprang back, a laser blast lashing at his hooves. He reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like an advanced syringe of Rad-X before shoving it into his shoulder. He wasn’t retreating. That idiot was going to keep fighting!

More and more synths began to turn towards Glasswing, their weapons rising to turn him to dust. They moved in on him, surrounding the cornered changeling from all sides. He stared back at them, his gnarled legs shaking as the full force of the Institute put itself against him.

Glasswing growled. He looked up, his eyes staring into one of the Institutes many cameras. For a single moment, I could have sworn he stared right at me. “This isn’t over Director,” He snarled, all of his normal friendly demeanour gone and replaced with rage.

“It will be soon,” Pureblood responded to him over the speaker, chuckling to himself. “It will be very very soon.”

With a flash of blue light, Glasswing teleported away, abandoning the Institute and moving out into the wasteland for what I assumed would be his first time. I doubted the sheltered scientists would be able to survive long out in the radioactive desolation.

It had only taken minutes, but Pureblood had already taken complete control over the Institute.

“The Institute was unstoppable...” Inferno whispered in my ear. I couldn’t see him, but I could tell he was there, watching through my eyes. “And now it has fallen. Just like that. What hope do you think you have now, Amber Aura? Do you really think you can stand up against the might of the Director? Even after this?”

“Shut up!” I snapped back, a little louder than I would have liked. Fleur cast me a confused look, and I covered my embarrassment by giving her a grumpy snarl before staring down at my hooves. “Just… shut up…”

Inferno chuckled softly, his voice slowly fading away once again.

“Open the doors,” Pureblood ordered, floating over to the large doorway that led from the office and into the Institute. There was a loud hiss as the huge, black doors slid open. The radioactive fog slowly trickled into the office, making my pipbuck click faster, but I could tell the radiation was already beginning to get sucked back out of the Institute through the ventilation system.

The two power armoured ghouls raised their weapons and pushed me forwards, forcing me to step out of the office and into the main atrium of the Institute. Pureblood and Silver Ace’s brain bots floated out next to me, already heading towards the Large, white, spire-like maneframe in the centre of the Institute.

“Come, I want you to bear witness,” Pureblood demanded, not bothering to look at me as we reached the entrance to the Maneframe. Silver Ace’s brain bot moved over to the terminal by the door before quickly typing the door password in. ‘Luna Prime’ if my memory served correct on the password.

A second later, the door slid open.

We began to move into the maneframe, my vision brightening even through the red tint of my gas mask as the light of the massive glowing sphere below flooded my vision. I stepped out onto the catwalk, looking up at steep steps that lead to the main control centre at the top of the white spire.

Without a word, Silver Ace began floating up to the top of the maneframe. I noticed for the first time that the A.A.S.S. was tight in his mechanical grasp.

I looked over at the power armoured ghoul carrying my saddlebags. What were my chances of getting a hold of my gun and killing all these fuckers. Probably not very high. I’d have to wrestle with power armour to get my weapons first, and I was many things, but strong wasn’t one of them. Canterlot ghouls didn’t go down easy either and I had no idea how tough killing Pureblood would be. Not to mention there was no way I was fighting my way through an entire army of synths and Coursers.

Maybe I could just get myself killed? It wouldn’t put much of a dent in Pureblood's plan, but getting his precious fetus killed might be all I could really do against him at this point.

Inferno’s laugh in my ear gave me pause. No. That wasn’t going to be an option. I had tried to kill myself before. I wasn’t going to try again. I wouldn't let the wasteland win... not yet... I had to keep fighting... for something...

I felt a wave of guilt as the realization of what I was thinking washed over me. Fuck me, had I really fallen so far that I would kill an unborn colt as a form of petty revenge. Besides, even if it was Purebloods child... or vessel or whatever… in a weird way, it was my own child now too. Something told me I didn’t have it in me to let it get hurt.

Damn me. There really was no way out.

Trying to shake the thoughts from my head, I took a step forward. “So… what does Luna Prime have to do with all of this?” I questioned.

Pureblood turned to face me, his expression confused. “Excuse me?”

I gave him a flat look, trying not to look as broken and defeated as I felt. “You know Luna Prime. The megaspell under the MAS tower in the glowing sea?” He continued to give me a confused look. I gave an exasperated breath. “It’s the password for the maneframe door. I discovered that the first time I visited the Institute. What does it have to do with everything. It must be connected somehow.”

Pureblood continued to give me a blank expression. Not that it was easy to read the expression of a pony whose face consisted of computer screens. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Wait, you don’t kn-”

There was a click from above me as Silver Ace secured the A.A.S.S. into position, drawing Purebloods attention away from me. The lights around me began to blink and I once more heard the prerecorded voice of Twilight Sparkle speak out. “The Utopia Program has been primed and activated. To ensure minimal damage to the mainframe, please stand by while the program boots up...”

A timer flickered to life on a monitor above me.

<T-minus 05:25:00>

<T-minus 05:24:59>

<T-minus 05:24:58>

“And so the countdown commences,” Pureblood chuckled. “At last it begins. I am like the coming of a storm. Unmovable. Unstoppable.”

Fucking hell, this guy was almost as arrogent and full of himself as Iron Hock. But at least I stood a chance against Iron Hock...

Five days. Five days before the end of the world. I could stop this in five days. Right? I just had to escape, get my friends out of Fillydelphia, fight my way back into the Institute and find a way to destroy a massive ball of energy all while not sleeping and having my mind tormented by Inferno. Easy enough...

Goddesses I was so fucked right now. We were all so fucked right now…

Pureblood turned to face me. “There is, of course, one last order of business to attend to,” He moved closer to me so that I was staring directly into his massive monitor eyes. “I can't simply have you running around with my future vessel. I’d hate for you to accidentally damage it after all the pain you must have undergone to have it implanted.”

Oh yeah, fuck you asshole. Thanks for the reminder. “What is that?”

“Follow,” Was all he said. He pushed past me and moved back out of the maneframe and into the Institute. I obediently trotted after him. There really was no point fighting this anymore.

With the power armoured ghouls quickly moving to flank me, I followed Pureblood to the synth creation wing. I had been here before too, back when I had first come to the Institute.

I noticed that while we had been in the Crusader maneframe, more Canterlot ghouls from Red Eyes Cathedral had teleported into the Institute as well. A few of them wore suits of power armour like the two flanking me, but a few simply trotted about in their normal old world clothing. I suppose that as ghouls, they were unaffected by the ambient radiation that still hung in the air over the facility.

I was led towards a set of cryopod-like chambers that rest against the far wall. The same pods that Glasswing had used to place my mother's mind within Queen Insecta’s body, I noted.

“Enter,” Pureblood instructed, gesturing to the closest chamber. “I want to ensure that my vessel is not harmed.”

I hesitated, looking up at the pod. The idea of trying to fight my way out of here again came to mind, but I had long since realized that was impossible. I took a deep breath, and entered the pod.

Silver Ace’s brain bot bobbed into the room, floating over to a control area next to the pod.

Slowly, the glass panel on the front of the pod began to close in around me. There was a loud hissing noise as the glass panel clicked into place, muffling the sound of the outside world. I felt a sharp prick as the machine violently inserted some sort of wiring into the back of my neck.

Inferno reflection stared at me through the glass of the pod, his eyes filled with terrible glee. I tried to swipe my hooves at him, but clamps slapped down around my hooves and immobilized me.

“How far can a hero fall?” Inferno asked, his mouth once more oozing its vile black slime. “How broken does one need to become until they admit defeat. Until the wasteland corrupts you and turns you into the very thing you seek to destroy? It broke me a long time ago. Eroded me away until I was nothing but a monster. I wonder... What will you become?”

I saw Silver Ace's brain bot push a few more buttons on the terminal. Through the slowly fogging glass of the pod, I saw a machine in the centre of the room begin to whir to life. The plug in the back of my neck gave a small jolt, sending a strange electric feeling shooting down my spine.

“There comes a point where there is nothing left worth fighting for. Or you simply have nothing left to fight with. You can hold onto something all you want, fight against the wastelands corruption, but sooner or later it will take everything from you. Your body, your mind, your friends. At what point do you just decide to curl up and die?” Inferno continued, his eyes seeming to glow brighter and darker simultaneously with each word. “The wasteland has broken you Amber Aura. Just as it did to me. It’s time to burn… But there is still one last question to be asked before the end...”

Pureblood stared at me through the glass, his expression unreadable. I saw Fleur look away from me, unable to watch what was about to happen.

The glass began to fog up even more, the air around me going cold as my breath began to come out in painful pants. Mist swirled from my muzzle with each and every breath, only speeding up the rapidly fogging glass.

“Will you die the hero...? Or will you live long enough to become the villain...?” Inferno’s face disappeared as the glass was covered over by tiny ice crystals, his sinister laugh still echoing in the back of my mind.

The plug in the back of my head gave another abrupt jolt, and suddenly I was spiralling away, my mind swirling deeper and deeper into the darkness.

I was broken, both physically and emotionally. I had nothing left. No friends, no hope. I wouldn’t die as either the hero or the villain. I’d die as nothing. Just another casualty of the wasteland. With that thought, I finally and truly accepted the simple truth. The wasteland had finally beaten me. It was over.

My vision blurred away, and I was sent hurtling into nothingness. And with that, I died...

Footnote: Game Over - Do you wish to start a new game?

Author's Notes:

The End...?

I'm joking of course. There's still plenty more to go, so don't go running away just yet. What goes down must come back up, right...? No wait, that's not how the saying goes...

I'm back in school now, which means I won't be getting as much writing time as I've had these past few months. That said, my University has decided to do all the classes online due to covid, so that will give me a little more free time that I would have normally gotten, but I'll still be pretty busy. Silver linings I suppose, I guess we'll see what happens.

This chapter was a big landmark for this story, it honestly feels weird to know I have finally written it. Slowly but surely we are getting too that final stretch of chapters my friends. Hold onto your hats, things are going to start getting real crazy real soon.

Fallout: Equestria belongs to the fabulous Kkat

I hope you all enjoyed and have a great day!