The chapter opens with a brief description of Fillydelphia, and what it was before the war. Equestria's primary, and only major center of manufacturing, the center of Earth Pony technology. The reason other towns and cities were able to have such idyllic rural simplicity, while still having some rather modern manufactured goods. And as they get closer to the city, Li'lpip picks up more and more of Redeye's broadcasts. The first one we hear extolling about how right it was to uproot and enslave a married couple just living on their own in the middle of nowhere, because their little homestead was meaningless, but the factory their slave labor helped build was important to the future of Equestria.
The really really both sad and fucked up part is, Redeye actually believes this. Which, though getting a bit ahead, makes him all the more dangerous and scary. A villain that is just doing evil for his own enjoyment and power, even if trying to coat it in lies to fool others, is one thing. A problem yes, but one that is relatively easy to deal with and has limits. One that is doing this sort of fucked up, pure evil, and yet genuinely believes it is the right thing to do. Who knows it is what is required for the greater good, that such things are necessary. Those are far and away the most dangerous foes.
When Calamity pipes up that the wagon was starting to sag, and they need to find a place to set down and swap out the power cells, it's mentioned they need a place the hellhounds would be least likely to get them, provoking Li'lpip to ask just what they are. Having heard of them, but thinking they were just some sort of large mutated dog, nothing all that big a deal. Though Calamity and even Steelhooves reaction quickly convinces her otherwise.
And we learn just what the hellhounds are. Back before the war, Splendid Valley was one of the biggest mines for magical gemstones, but it was occupied, so the Equestrian government forced the inhabitants to relocated, the inhabitants being diamond dogs.
(Side note, not really happy about the idea of this happening, and really I just can't see the Equestrian government, and especially the Princesses doing this the way Calamity describes. Though, knowing what little we do of Diamond Dogs, it's entirely possible they had no actual claim to the land and were simply squatters, which, okay yeah then they'd have every right to chase them off.)
After the mines dried up, some of them moved back, to where the MAS was storing magical waste, that then got hit by a balefire bomb. Turning the diamond dogs that survived the attack into...
..into FOE's version of Deathclaws.....only smarter, and able to use weapons as well...And the entire land between Manehatten and Fillydelphia is now their territory. Oh, Crap! does not even come close to the shear, pants wetting (yes the fear should be enough to make the ponies spontaneously be wearing pants just to wet them) terror Li'lpip should be feeling.
And they land on the roof of a power station. Something that just seems really out of place and rather, well not right to be in Equestria, especially the way it is described. Li'lpip heading over to the door to go exploring, because, well, she's Li'lpip. Actually being thrilled the door is locked, just so she can pick it. Steelhooves following her down.
Okay as much as I just don't think the way the whole power system as described fits with the show at all. I do love the "Hippocampus Energy" ponification of Fallout's "Poseidon energy"
Li'lpip looks out and sees a black cloud hanging over Fillydelphia, Steelhooves commenting Redeye must have some of the factories going. And that, makes me even more iffy on the whole thing, I REALLY can't see Equestria having that kind of heavy industry, to the point of creating that much pollution. At least not unless it was all a direct result of the war effort. At that point, I could accept they would do something like that, but before it? No can't really buy it. (Pretty much the only part of FOE's past Equestria that really bugs me.)
And while looting, Li'lpip comes across a first, a locked box that somepony other then her tried to open, though badly, jamming the lock. And while she's futilely trying to pry it open, Velvet joins the two, ummm, just because.
And moving down to the main floor, Li'lpip simply has to wonder
“How did catwalks over heavy machinery become the dominant aesthetic?”
And is smart enough to know, having Steelhooves trying to walk over those deathtraps is just asking for issues so heads off on her own. Finding a few newspaper clippings, and okay so apparently there were ponies upset at the new power plants, making me think they were a post-show thing. Es specially since one of them mentions rising tensions with the Zebra's. Realizing a few facts she had heard, she figures out something that shocks her, Equestria had no coal, and yet based it's entire infrastructure on something it didn't have. Though Steelhooves simply stares at her, not seeing the issue, since ponies had magical gemstone the Zebra's needed, so they simply traded. Giving us out first real hints as to what may have started the war.
Yeah doing something like that is stupid, but, also, like countries never do dumb shit like that...... (And no I do not in any way think this was trying to make a dig or a statement about any RL stuff, simply using a fairly common issue that is often the start of wars IRL, independent of any meaning outside the story.)
Suddenly they realize just how much they had split up, leaving Calamity alone on the roof, and rush back, realizing they got scared for nothing, though Velvet brings out a set of schematics she found in the plant, a rather deadly helmet made of hellhound claws, that would be an absolutely devastating melee weapon, though the group doesn't actually have a melee fighter.
And another broadcast from Redeye, talking about how he has no cutie mark, by choice, claiming he would not let a picture on his ass determine what he can and can't do.
And okay here he does, kind of, have a point. In that to many ponies (and people) do seem to consider a cutie mark as being exclusive, rather then inclusive. Thinking it shows only what you are good at and destined for, not simply what you are MOST talented at, but the ONLY thing you are talented at. Which is wrong. And the prime example is Velvet Remedy. Her cutie mark and special talent is singing. No matter what, it is what gives her joy to do, what she is exceptional at. But it isn't ALL she is good at. Simply through desire to do so she became a rather good medic. Not out of any sort of secondary special talent. But simply out of a desire to be something more then JUST what her cutie mark says she is. While not denying (fully at least) that singing is still a very important part of her. And a ponies cutie mark doesn't limit them, it's not something that shows what they can't do, it appearing does not magically alter the pony to make them any less capable of anything. It is merely an outward symbol of the pony they already are, what they can and can't be capable of is not effected by the cutie mark. Rather the cutie mark is a refection of who they already are, and appears once they realize just who that pony is.
So while he is right that, that far to many ponies treat a cutie mark as a limiter, he is wrong that removing it suddenly makes a pony able to do stuff they couldn't before, all it does is remove something that makes them special, unique, that helps them know who they are. Which of course is part of the reason he wants that, since it plays right into his ideal society.
They split up again, this time staying in pairs, Velvet and Li'lpip going back down. And while she was working on a door, the two spy a hellhound on the floor under them, casually ripping a fully armored Steel Ranger to shreds before limping away, the Ranger getting off a few good hits. And as the lock clicks open, it hears them and starts climbing up to the catwalk.
They rush into the room, waiting for it to burst through, Li'lpip ready to unload as many rounds into as she could the instant it open the door. But after awhile, with no whirling monstrosity of death bursting into them, she remembers what Steelhooves had said, these thing were smart, and figures it was laying a trap for them. Or, it had followed their trails back up to Calamity and Steelhooves. Cracking the door briefly she hears the thing nearby, laying in wait. Queue Admiral Ackbar.
Since the creature was waiting for them, Li'lpip decides to loot the room, see if there is anything useful, but the other lockpicker had got there first, jamming one of the locks beyond her ability to fix, though another one she was able to removed the jammed pieces and work on, nearly wishing for a PTM to help before firmly chiding herself, she would NOT go down that road again. And eventually gets it open. Finding a memory orb, a stealthbuck, and some "really scary" bullets.
Finally tired of waiting, she uses her TK to open the door, triggering several mines the creature had placed on it, unable to send them flying, she slams the door, the explosion just barely missing them, but ripping a hole in the floor they fall through, Li'lpip twisting her ankle a bit, but otherwise surviving, though the only way back up to the roof is through the room the hellhound is in, though Velvet says she has a plan.
Once they get to the room, they see that Pyrelight was flying around, distracting the hellhound, and also letting Li'lpip realize, that while they my be the deadliest creatures in the wastes able to take out anything they get their claws on, they aren't exactly Calamity level sharpshooters. So small favors. As they run passed Velvet fires a spell at it, making it collapse to the ground, unable to stand, though still trying to move towards them as they run, leaping into the sky wagon and yelling for Calamity to fly.
Once safely airborne, Li'lpip asks just what that was Velvet did, She replies it was an anesthetic spell, which aside from dulling pain, has the nice side effect of making the target unable to feel or really use heir legs and arms till it wears off. Leading to this
Velvet rolled her eyes. I took that as a no. Personally, I would have killed it if I had realized it was virtually helpless. But in a way I was happy that Velvet had not. I had been worried that the wasteland was robbing her of that compassion which made her so special. It had eroded her spirit, there was no getting away from that. But it was good to see that my Velvet Remedy (in a “my Pinkie Pie” sense) was still there.
And, it shows, that yes Velvet has had to sacrifice some of her ideals to the reality of the Wastes, but at the core she is still her. And while Li'lpip might come off as cold blooded here, keep in mind, it's referencing a Deathclaw. (Granted we learn some stuff later that makes Velvet even more right, and change the way Li'lpip feels but she doesn't know that stuff yet.)
This leads into Li'lpip asking how she could "buy" spells, like she said she did with the anesthetic one. though admitting that you need to have a natural ability to use the spell in order to learn it.
And this ties into what I said above about cutie marks being INCLUSIVE, rather then EXCLUSIVE. Just because a pony has a cutie mark for one thing, doesn't mean they can't be good at something else. If it was that simple, then why would there be entire schools for magical learning, books upon books upon libraries of spells? If not because it IS possible for unicorns to learn spells other then those that they simply "know" because of their special talent, or only a very very narrow field. It's simply that most unicorns simply don't branch out, just stick with what comes easiest and most naturally and don't bother to go out of their way to learn things. Velvets comment about her being "talented" in entertainment and medicine isn't a fact that she has two special talents (Word of Kkat is she doesn't) It's just her trying to work out in her mind how this works, she WANTS to have a special talent in medicine, has convinced herself she does, when it is simply the result of hard work and dedication, and maybe a natural affinity, but not on the level of her skill at singing, which is all natural with almost no effort needed on her part. The line is just her trying to mentally justify something, that really needs no justification.
Though this discussion gets Pip a bit down, as she comments how all she has is the same spell EVERY unicorn has.
“No,” Velvet’s voice chided. “Your gift is to do that spell better than anypony else in at least two hundred years.”
Which brightens her up a bit.
They land for the night, Li'lpip having to help levitate the carriage to a safe spot as Calamity's wings give out from exhaustion. making him make a few remarks about how pretty soon they wont be needing him, mentioning how rare it's been lately that he gets to go with Li'lpip when shes off on her "adventurer" making Li'lpip realize he has a point, though assuring him he's her best, closest friend, and next time she goes off somewhere, he's coming along.
Upon setting up camp they are close enough to see that Fillydelphia has an air force. A small fleet of Pinkie shaped balloons, all filled with ponies on lookout armed with AMR's. Meaning they wouldn't be able to fly any closer, hoping they were far enough out of hellhound territory to walk.
And unable to sleep, she slips into another memory orb.
An unknown pony, surrounded by others watching a scene in what Li'lpip figures to be the main M.W.T. building. As Zecora comes in, arousing a lot of attention, almost all negative, till AJ comes and tells the group to move on, vouching for her friend, as the two exchange a few words, mostly about the way Zecora was being treated, interrupted by a pony that starts talking to AJ, obviously trying to sweet talk and butter her up, trying to get a good impression for their company from the Ministry Mare. Which AJ sees through and ignores. The memory ends with the ponies watching on, talking about how it's time to talk about AJ's "retirement"
Okay at first, this seemed so, so, not like anything I could see happening, and what comes later, even worse. After seeing the Canterlot Elite, I could almost buy it after a few years of war and death making them even more callous to others.
Coming out of it, Li'lpip goes over the Steelhooves, asking what happen, what went wrong with AJ and her ministry, Steelhooves reluctant at first, thinking she only wanted it for some kind of advantage, seeking to gain something from it, while Li'lpip counter, she's just curious, and also, that she's come to kind of care about the Mane 6, wanting to learn about them, learn where they made mistakes, what went wrong, and how those same ones could be avoided.
When she frist became head of the Ministry, and created it, she really had no skill, or even desire to actually run it, simply hiring several of the biggest and most successful business ponies to help, intending for her Ministry to help promote any ponies or corporations that worked to better Equestria though increasing technology. And she just let them work unsupervised, not realizing that corporation =/= pony (and this was LONG before that famous little quip). After Big Mac died she went back actually having a goal for her Ministry, creating the Steel Ranger armor, and once she actually started looking into it, seeing how corrupt and wasteful the ponies under her had becoming, trying to fight back, to fix it, and those ones NOT liking it, at all.
And ending on another Redeye broadcast, in which he pretty much says anypony not willing to be a slave to his vision, is little better then a Raider, wasteful and ruining the only chance Equestria has.
Perk time. Note, lockpicing now maxed, took her long enough, and a greater chance to crit, while less chance to be hit with a crit while wearing light armor.
Thoughts-Nothing major in this chapter I haven't covered, just more progressing the story and setting up for the arrival in Fillydelphia
Comments
