Luna waited at Canterlot castle, feeling Crusader awaken from his dream. She has enjoyed the talk, the walk with a being that so far seemed unreachable through her auspices and office.
He was fervent in his desire to gain help for his sister and she was glad to be able to offer it. Though an unknown, she had faced much in her long life and would do so again for a friend.
Her horn lit with magic, opening a portal to step through, to help one who so needed it.
She walked into the flames of Tartarus itself..
Luna looked around at not a grayness as before, but a night of fire and conflagration. All around her rained down weapons unimaginable in her mind though Crusader had shown her such. This was so much worse.
Nuclear fire ripped through the atmosphere, cleansing it with bright flame and tearing down mountains. Hellbores, the large cannon he had described so vividly came to life; their shots spearing through the night into the skies, followed by explosions so immense they drowned out the stars. Ships died, falling onto the planet never to recover in a holocaust of destruction..
It rained comets of burning flame, pounding into the landscape, stripping it of life. Cities fell into ashes, blown away in the winds of war which brought ruin to all. Strange metal objects flew overhead, exploding in more fireballs. Spears of light struck the ground, making it ripple in reaction to kinetic strikes.
She watched machines like Crusader move around the countryside, their guns dealing nothing but death around them, their enemies dying in droves as they fought back against immovable mountains of force. The smaller machines massacred in place by volleys of cannons bigger than a house, tearing through the meters of metal like paper.
Luna stood upon a hill looking at the horizon below, covered in radiation and sweeping chemicals that melted skin and bone, the screaming skulls all that remained to stare sightlessly up at the glowing heavens. Remains trampled beneath treads of metal as the machines moved forward, bringing with them doom in a thousand ways.
Her ears perked as she stood upon the blasted hillside, hearing the screams and agony of the dying and already dead, the ones who did not know it yet. Their bodies soaked in radiation that burned with invisible fires underneath skin, bringing with it death in a unimaginable hellish pain.
Her eyes watched as a once green land was turned into a wasteland nightmare of proportions never seen by her or any other pony. It shocked her to the core this violence so deep and terrible. The wind brought to her nose the scent of burned flesh and a perfume of mixed horrors that stuck in her nostrils, clinging as if to never let her forget.
But one voice stood out above all this annihilation, it caught her attention like an itch needing to be scratched.
“....worthless!....”
She turned, her every nerve and bit of magic homing in on that word.
“...stupid Bolo!...”
She stepped off the hill overlooking the demise of a planet, looking for the source of that voice.
“...Ought to retire you, send you back!..”
There, in a grove of dead trees. She launched herself into the air, spearing her body towards the sounds of condemnation.
“...nothing! No one would ever want you!...”
A group of tall shadows, faceless and vicious, were standing in a circle around a single figure. A Pegasus that cowered, covering herself as if she were to be hit at any moment. The voices were louder, angrier, hissing and spitting. They were all the same.
“You are nothing...”
“Cannot do anything right!”
“Worthless hunk of metal!”
“Stupid Bolo AI! Ought to be scrapped!”
“You and your sister are abominations!”
“Shut up! I don’t want to hear you!”
“You are so STUPID!”
Anger fueled her magic, her horn lit like a beacon, spearing her will into the group of shades. A warmth drove the cold back, her fury a sword of light.
“Away! Begone from my demesne! Foul things of Tartarus return to your pits to burn forever!”
The shadows were forced back and back, away from the solitary figure as her magic wove it’s net of light, capturing them and demolishing their substance. She glared around the trees for more, seeing them gone and banished from her dreamscape.
The Dark Princess approached the huddling figure, seeing bedraggled wings, the coat stained and dirty. Bruises covered the once beautiful form. Mane and tail torn and shredded, hooves cracked and worn. Fore legs were brought up in front of the face, as if expecting more hits or a pummeling from something.
A tired, crying voice was whispering, “We...we did e...every...everything you asked..we...we tried!”
Luna recognized that voice, Athena. What had happened to her?
“P..pl..please d...do..don’t s...send us... b...back!”
Luna reached out with a gentle hoof, pushing down slowly on the covering legs, seeing a bloodied face with eyes blackened, a beating of immense proportions had that pretty face received.
“See me Athena, feel my presence and be warmed. It is but a dream and I have driven away the shadows.” Luna’s voice was warm and quiet. Talking to the Pegasus as if a frightened foal in the night.
The eyes averted themselves as if looking at her would get Athena hit again. She tried to scrabble away, holding out a hoof to keep back anything that might be menacing her. “We d...did wh..what you t..told us too! We f...fought!”
Dark hooves reached for the outstretched one, halting the scrambling figure and drawing her close with quiet whispers of comfort. “Come to me Athena, it is all right, there is nothing to hurt you now.”
As her hooves touched the broken one, the Pegasus let out a scream, eyes welling with tears as she covered her face again waiting to be hit. Luna’s heart broke in so many pieces at the sound of pure horror. A simple touch turned to an expectation of blows and strikes.
“Don’t! I didn’t do anything! I’m not stupid! I’m not!” The frail body sobbed, tears flowing like diamonds down the face that reflected such pain and anguish. Her wings spread out, feathers torn and bloody as she tried once again to get away.
“I didn’t do anything! I didn’t!”
The Princess of the Night turned her magic to the landscape around them, wiping away the war. She brought to life a warm sun, a field of tall grass, a quiet summer day.
“It is all right. Come to me my pony, it is all right.” She slowly moved closer, holding the single hoof in hers as she drew Athena to her breast, holding the sobbing form tightly against her.
As her fore legs wrapped around the crying mare, Luna’s anger was a cold fire inside her heart. Would that she could reach back through time to find the one that broke a heart like this one, she would send him to the lowest pit of the furthest hell she could find and make him burn for all eternity. Without surcease or succor she would fan the flames with her very wings to make that being pay.
In all her years walking dreams, she had never seen such torture before. Her hoof stroked Athena’s mane, softly whispering to her that it would be all right.
“I...I didn’t d...do... any...anything wr...wrong!” The tears formed puddles on the rich soil, watering it with agony and shame. None of which was deserved.
“Shhhh my pony. See me Athena, hear me. I am your Princess and this is but a dream.”
“Please don’t hurt me any...anymore... I...I’ll be good..”
“No one shall hurt you Athena. Not ever again.”
The heaving chest slowed, the crying softened to whimpering sobs as Athena held tight to Princess Luna. The emaciated body trembled in fright at being let go and so clung to the darker mare with all it’s might. So weak, a pale reflection of what Luna had seen before.
Eyes red from crying looked up at hers, meeting them slightly, still the expectation of cuts being delivered showed deep in the lavender color. “P....Princess Luna?”
“It is I Athena. Do you hear me?”
The sad face nodded, “But...”
“It is but a dream my pony. I have wiped away the fear.” Soft lips kissed the troubled brow, spreading a healing warmth throughout the battered Pegasus.
“I don’t w...want to....to be h...here...”
“Why not?”
“Be...because I...I’m stu...stupid.. Wor...worthless...” The tears were flowing again. Luna looked up to see the shadows forming once more, raising clenched fists to beat and demean.
Her magic swept forward, tearing them apart and sending them away once more.
“No my pony, you are brave and strong. Rest against me, I will protect you.” Luna’s wings spread out, wrapping around the other Pegasus in a cloak of protection, sheltering her from any storm.
“B...but I a...am.. We...we d..did every...everything he ask..asked...”
Luna knew exactly who she was talking about, “He was a coward. A bully who took his own worthlessness out on you. He is nothing but dust.”
“B...but he...he s...said..”
“Would you say your Princess lies Athena?” She looked down into the tearful eyes.
“N..no! I...I’m s..s...s..sorry!” Her eyes shied away once more, the trembling starting anew.
“Do not be sorry precious Athena. You have no reason.” Her hoof stroked the bright mane once more, “You are so much more than that filth will ever be. Your soul is bright and true, it goes with being a warrior my pony.”
“I...I tr...tried to...to be brave... Hera and I...f...fought so..so hard.. It..it was never en...enough.” Sobs broke out once more from the tightly held Pegasus.
“Shhhh, softly my pony. For one such as that waste of flesh, nothing would be enough. You were so much more courageous then he would ever be and he knew that.”
“H..how do you know that?”
“Crusader told me Athena, you are his sister and he loves you dearly.”
A smile breaks out on the bruised face, it is bright and warm, “He would talk with us.. Late at night. He read to us Shakespeare and others. We...we used to tease him so much. But he was kind and never minded. Even when we played pr..pranks on him. He never got...got angry.”
“He wants to see you healed and whole again Athena. To be happy once more.” Luna smiles as she taps Athena’s nose gently, “The first thing, is to realize what lies in the past should not be resurrected.”
“I...I d...don’t kn..know if I can...can be.”
“You are not broken, merely hurt. You can heal if you want it.” Luna’s hoof never stops stroking the cream mane.
“I do, oh I so want to be happy.”
“Then do so, it is your choice. Do not let somepony from the past tell you different. It is a new age for you Athena. Look at yourself, be who you wish to be.”
A shape flies over the pair of ponies, Rainbow Dash comes into a landing on the grass nearby. Luna has brought her into the dream to help.
The cyan mare is smiling at Athena who is looking better by the moment, the hurts fading, the bruises gone. Her wings full and feathered, hooves shiny and new.
“Hey! C’mon Athena, let’s go push some clouds around! Luna told me you’ve been slacking off!”
“But...but I c..can’t fly..”
Rainbow chuckles, “Lame excuse for getting out of work!”
Luna laughs, kissing her brow once more before letting her go from the warm embrace. “It is a dream Athena, you can do what you wish.”
A look of hope crosses the sable mare’s face as she gets to her hooves. She spreads her wings a bit and gives them a few test flaps, finding herself in the air with little effort. “I.. I can FLY!”
Rainbow laughs, “Yeah yeah, big deal. Not as fast as I am though!” She takes off at speed, leaving Athena hovering by Luna.
“Athena, it is your dream.” She gives the pegasus a wink.
“What..I mean.. OH!” She flaps her wings harder, lifting up into the air with a yell, “It’s my dream Rainbow! I’m faster!”
She sees the multi-colored mane stop then turn around, yelling back, “Then pick it up lazy!”
Luna watches Athena’s face go crestfallen at the chiding, wondering if she should say something, but stops herself.
“I...I’m n...not lazy!” Athena’s face gets a cheerful look as she waves to Luna, zipping off into the blue sky after Rainbow Dash with a laugh. “I’m not lazy Rainbow Dash!”
Princess Luna sets back and watches Rainbow Dash teach her about clouds, moving and working the weather. There is a lot of laughter filling the quiet summer air.
She thinks to herself before leaving them be, stepping out from the dream.
The road will not be long precious pony. Friends make it much, much shorter.
5744333 Yeah, villains are pretty much the same anywhere, cowards of course. But, I think Crusader's got a trick up his..er..sleeve :)
As for that nasty stuff they ate, yeah, ugh.
Hera, yes, they were re-hulled and sent back to battle. I believe I mentioned they were both at the port waiting to be loaded on to a Diaspora freighter when the strikes hit. If not, I can correct that!
5744398 Wow, you guys REALLY hate the forest :)
... Aright, I do have some manly tears in the corner of my eyes.
Great chapter!
jerk i almost cried
5743841 of course you did.
5743733 I guess you're right, but I'd love to see their happy little faces removed...
and used as my book covers.
5743829 forest levelers... hmm, let's do it!
5744161 it is my destiny do be a hate fueled being.
Death eating popcorn, because why not? Lol
Is it weird that I want to find and hug Athena, in or out of her war hull? Just hug her until she feels loved and cared for? Then a bit longer?
Noooooooo.....
I teared up... a little...
Now I want to give out enough hugs to make a changeling pop.
Uh, no offence to our 'ling friends out there.
5743369 Just fly by, I'm prepping my ship for launch right now. You'd be surprised at what a little bit of anti-matter beamed into an area that isn't empty space can do...
5744463
I just care enough to send the very best. *chalks '500 pounds pure redemption' on the side of a Mk. 82 before it's winched up into a BUFF's bomb bay.*
I suppose it goes without saying that the warning of feels ahead was understated.
One thing AIs can do that biologicals cannot is self-edit memories. For such a traumatic time in her life, I'm wondering if she ever considered just erasing that section. I'd also think that self-lobotomizing one's self is a slippery slope. At what point do you find yourself erasing anything not happy? Reducing your past to a patchwork of disjointed glimpses, or just wiping it all out in a pseudo-suicide?
Some pretty heavy things to consider... or not. Bolos could simply have a strong sense of self-preservation so they wouldn't even consider wiping their own memory.
In the news today, Queen Chrysalis' entire hive slipped into a food coma from a surplus of feels....
Im wondering if theyre ever going to upgrade the B52 to what they were supposed to be.
4 * 22,000 lb of molten sunshine instant garden makeover.
Grand Slam. We turn Mountains, into Molehills.
She can fly! <3
5744463 I LOVE THE FEELS! HAPPY FEELS!
Also...
I'd laugh if half the people hating on the forest you created were actually environmentalists.
The severity of the scumbag's beating now gains a new meaning. Tighteous Angry Alicorns can influence people through time!
Songs for this chapter:
Enjoy your time in the air, Athena.
While her fear of isolation and possible remnants of PTSD are still waiting in the wings, it will probably do Athena a lot of good to finally have these self-destructive doubts banished.
I think that if they'd ever found out just how badly that first commander had damaged the psyche of Athena (and presumably Hera), a pair of incomparably valuable war AIs, the Concordiat military would have tossed him in prison forever if not executed him outright. What he did could have been argued as an act of sabotage in a time of war, even if it wasn't done to benefit their enemies.
5744926
I don't think most environmentalists would confuse that monstrosity for a forest. Forests don't make hostage plays.
5745168
The Army has commanders, it's just that it is a position and not a rank. (Specifically it refers to the person in command of a unit: company, battalion, brigade, etc.)
Thus if a single tank is a unit (and it is) then the person in command is the tank's commander. And, indeed, the wikipedia entry on tank crews lists this out the crew positions as: Commander, Driver, Gunner, and Loader.
5744463
So will we see a Rainbow Dash and Athena pairing in the future?
5745016 Sure! I could pretend to use one or something. Emotovores don't realy have waste products... Ohhh! I could put some of Crusaders evil Mike and Ike's in one!
5744163 I cant help it if I laugh like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efyufhtO7VU
5745319 I assume you mean the US army. There are many army units across the globe which use Commander as an actual rank. Additionally I assume you mean the Army branch of the US military and not it's military as a whole because if you mean it as a whole, you are wrong:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/US_Navy_O5_insignia.svg/100px-US_Navy_O5_insignia.svg.png
US Navy Commander rank stripes and emblem.
5744463 Well it's only natural... Where's my flamethrower frigate at? Oh crap, stand down, that's an order you lot! I'm Your chieftain, that means that if anyone's going to burn that forest, it's going to be me!
5744398
Let there be another added to your ranks! This has gone on long enough! No "thing" shall be allowed to use innocents in such a way.
*calls up super dreadnoughts and podnoughts from the Honorverse*
They shall be here shortly, with enough firepower to wipe from existence even the memory of this vile "thing"! For this goal I'm willing to do whatever it takes!
Ack! Massive... feels... attack! Causing.... Shatner... speech!
Seriously, that one REALLY tugs at the heartstrings. Ow! Feels galore!
Well written and thank you!
Wow
look at all the comments here; giving their full support on the total annihilation of the forest via all kinds of stuff from mad insults to outright giving meta-reinforcements to help with the massacre.
not without reason of course. I mean, look at this.
Holy shit man "entry wound at the back of the head"? I bet you 20 bits that's a mindworm right there. controlling what amounts to children and robbing them of their free will.
What is worst is that those kids probably know it and, from the sounds of things, hurting from it too. Even when they are saved, you will be left with some traumatized kids here. as far as darkness in stories go, this is pretty far high up in the scales.
though, for all the forest has done, I don't think the forest itself is to be blamed. rather, I am getting this sinking feeling that there is something within the forest that is causing all of this. Its just using the forest as its headquarters and thus, get blamed on by association.
This has nothing to do with me suddenly realizing that destroying the forest would also mean destroying what many of Fluttershy's forest friend consider their home and that it would most likely leave her in a deppresive state if that were to happen. Not to mention, it would be very bad of Crusader to suddenly blow up the home of the Sparrow who sacrificed her life to save him. Nope, absolutely nothing like that at all.
5744463 I think that is a sign that you did it well (the hating the forest bit)
Quite liked the last few chapters. On those red pellets, well it looks like the army continuing its grand tradition of Meals Rejected by the Enemy, Ethiopians, and well... Everyone.
As for the forest. Non persistent agents? Awww where's the fun in it unless you seriously mess stuff up?
NUUUUUU, no feels please!
5744495 Done and fixed, thanks!
5744501 Thank you! Glad you liked it.
5744503 But..I put a warning!...sorry?
5744561 Not at all! No one has ever delved into the bad commanders in a Bolo. This is what happens when you scar an AI, it is deep and remains so. I don't want the story to get too dark, but I think it tells a lot about Athena.
5744712 Absolutely right. But this is what happens when that memory is laid down in personality. It is permanent because you do not want to start messing with what makes you, you. And in the case of Bolos, the hurt runs deep.
5744738
You win the Internets today sir!
5744841 Glad you enjoyed it.
5744926
5745080 Not sure if they can, but I thought a background on why he got beaten would help.
5745142
I agree, but being a political appointee, well we all know how that works.
5745341 To tell the truth, I'm not sure. There are so many ways to go and I only want you guys to get the best..so..
5745431
5745568 You are so very welcome!
5745592 Done and thank you! Well, I'm sure it'll be something to write about, her reaction :)
5745791 It's all YOUR fault...darn Forest Foals idea..dangit :)
5745868
Exactly! Traditions!
As for seriously messing stuff up, well, just wait. Might not be everything you want, but I don't think I've ever failed to please yet!
5746139 You definitely haven't disappointed so far! I can't wait for the next chapter!
5745182 Just saying! It's ironic!
5746139 I know! Ironic!
5745403
Yes, Army; specifically US Army.
The wikipedia page lists the Mark I Bolo as a product of General Motors, so it's not a big jump to see Bolos as originating from the US Army.
5744463
Of course we do, I mean how else are we going to sate our pyromania in an acceptable manner. (Surely you wouldn't suggest Ponyville or Canterlot or Manehatten be burned to the ground, would you?)
5744463
No duh! You don't let people burn your crops and salt the fields! If I let people mess with foals, traumatizing them into depressed wrecks, what am I going to eat for the next 40 years until they push out some kids and raise them? In other words:
https://youtu.be/BZstUJQ2QLg?t=2m27s
I'm sure everypony else's reactions are moral squick though.
A very touching chapter. I look forward to the future installments.
5746378
Oh no, of course not!
5746427
How can that be such a self serving comment and still so funny?
5746436 Thank you so kindly for the compliment. I am working now on the next one!
5746481 Because changeling's operate under blue and orange morality and you recognize this :3. So to you me seeking protect foals, and ignore the rationale why because my actions align with good, even if the motivations don't. Howeaver I can't be faulted for this as my species is so alien to the human condition that well.. blue and orange morality.
I'll have you know that maintaining pony safety and well being is an honorable duty for my people. It's like being a farmer.
5744463 HATE THE FDREST AND THE GUY THAT HURT ATHENA FOREVER!!!!!!!1!!1!!!!1!!!!!!!!
5744463 The Feels--THE FEELS ARE EVERYWHERE!!!
Well done good sir, well done...
5744398 Don't forget me! I'll be headed there with Jehuty, Anubis, and Aumaan! We'll clean up anything that is left behind with space compression, completely negating the need to clean up radiation. So bring those super nukes, I'll concentrate their power even further!
5744926
5746139
I'd laugh if the forest turns out to have been created by environmentalists.
You sure?
♫ Go and get your riot gear ♪
♪ Swing your girlie all around ♫
♫ We'll be dancing on the cinders ♪
♪ As the town is burning down ♫
♫ Swing her around, burn it all down ♪
5746638 Oh good grief
5746661 Okey dokey! It'll get it's comeuppance, I promise
5747068 Let's hope that's not needed
5746688 You are always welcome, and thank you! :)
5747190 I never get tired of comments, oh man Great song too, thanks for sharing!
5747412 So you can understand why I want that Forest to stop grazing it's cattle in my potato field!
5747419
5747412 If you need assistance, I do know Aumaan's contact information.
Space compression at the touch of a button! That forest won't even know what crushed its ashes.
Damn, the feels in this one...
It's good to see Athena finally starting to heal, that kind of damage is deep, and is pretty hard to see, if at all.
I would know personally.
Very nice feels in this one, and is that a possible Athena/Rainbow shipping I smell?
Smells like rainbows and high-explosives, my favorite.
Carry on!
I am just suprised that Princess Luna remained sane after seeing a world after Bolo's had fought over without mercy or care. That sight alone should have put the fear of what Crusader and Athena could do firmly in front of her. They are friends yes, but surely she must relize that if two had survived there may be more. And not just here, but out there in the dark, on other worlds...
"Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you"