And after leaving us with THAT cliffhanger. The next chapter opens with Li'lpip giving a small monologue about loss. Recounting just how much she and her friends had lost. Steelhooves. Their own ideals. Even parts of themselves, parts of their ponyness in Li'lpip's case. And not just them. All the ponies of the Wastelands had lost things since the Enclave descended. Canterlot, Friendship City, the constant voice of DJ-PON-3, their light in the darkness of the Wastes. And yet even that wasn't the end. Even the enemies, the forces against them had suffered losses. The alicorns lost The Goddess. The Enclave were losing far more troops then they thought they would. And even risking losing their hold over the pegasi as more and more question the rightness of what they were doing. So far, the only pony in the wastes that didn't seem to have lost anything was Redeye.
Loss. It doesn’t bring out the best in us, or the worst, although it can do either. It doesn’t show us who we truly are. It just hurts. And it makes us all the same. Even the most sadistic raider, immune to empathy, who draws joy and strength from the suffering of others, will feel grief over a loss they suffer themselves.
In the black pit of loss, we all pray for light.
And going back to the story, and the possible loss of the single greatest ray of light and laughter in the Wastes. And one of few ponies that could activate the Gardens of Equestria.. we find that light... For yes there WAS an explosion, but, not the kind we feared, no Ditzy Do, driven by desperation, using all the radiation stored in her body to accelerate her down. Needing to save her adopted daughter and her town at any cost, has done something nopony below the clouds had done in over two hundred years....
A SONIC RAINBOOM!!! SHE DID IT! SHE DID IT! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
And we reach my second favorite part of the story, and without a doubt my single favorite moment. (the remaining part that edges this out is far more then just a single moment.) After all the darkness, all the pain and loss of the past chapter. After the opening of the chapter leading us to feel that the loses hadn't ended. Bringing the story to the utter bottom of darkness, the deepest pits. The darkness of the Wastes sinking to their deepest level, nearly eradicating the last sparks of light.... We once more have hope. Ditzy's rainboom having destroyed the attacking ships, knocking most of them out from over the town, and the one left being moved to fall safely away fom any ponies by Crane's TK. And even further affecting ponies across Equestria
The explosion tearing open a massive hole in the cloud cover, letting pure, unfiltered sunlight shine down upon the town for the first time in centuries. And it doesn't stop there. The radiation tinged radboom spread out over the entire region. Causing ponies everywhere to look up, to marvel at the amazing sight. Touching certain ones. inspiring them, and signaling the start of the fight against the Enclave. Against the darkness and misery that till now had been an excepted part of the Wastes. Touching them all. We see across the wastelands seeds of hope beginning to flourish in the wake of the Rainboom.
This, is something very odd that I never really noticed till now. This is the first time the narrative broke from being just what Li'lpip was going through at the moment, or her commenting on it, as we see the Rainboom spread over the Wastes. Now given what we see, it's all things that Li'lpip either could learn later, or know enough about to be using a little poetic license. And if anything gets a pass for doing that, it's a Sonic Rainboom. Across the wastes ponies are inspired by the sight, and even at the epicenter, tiny miracles are happening. Silver Bell, driven by the need to save her mommy, rediscovers her magic. Helping Li'lpip and Crane slow her enough for Calamity to catch her. And Li'lpip, looking up at the sky. The clear sunlight. Finally finds herself. Finds what she had been looking for her whole life...
Now, in the light given to us by Ditzy Doo, I began to see. As each piece slid slowly into place, they began to reveal to me what I had spent my life longing for: purpose.
And this scene is even better the second time. Knowing the events that Ditzy's feat will set in motion. Much like the legendary Rainboom that gave the mane 6 their cutie marks. This one too will bring together ponies. The Sonic Rainboom marked the final major turn in the story. After reaching the deepest pits of darkness in the last chapter, this is the moment it turns around, where light and hope are renewed to fight back. And with that one, desperate action, something done out of shear desperation and need. A last ditch effort to save her loved ones no matter what it might cost her... Ditzy Doo, had saved all of Equestria.
I can't say I have no words, because I can gush about this forever. And well, it's just perfect. I cannot emphasize enough how much I LOVE this scene. And just how perfect it is. how emotional, how much liquid pride it brings... Ditzy Doo is definitely best pony.
As Calamity lands with Ditzy, Li'lpip rushes to them, needing to make sure she was okay, not able to face losing her as well. While above them, pegasus ponies, normal ordinary ponies, not Enclave soldiers begin to descend through the massive rip in the cloud cover, mostly out of curiosity. And as the ponies she had just saved gather round in concern, Ditzy wakes up, weak, injured, and not quite out of danger yet, but still alive.
Li'lpip carries the ghoul to her store, Pyrelight flying over to her and bathing her in radiation to help her heal. And while walking to it, Silver Bell draws her attention to just what the little filly has been doing to the town.
This wall has a mural.
Slowly covering all the walls of the shops, stores and buildings in town with colorful drawings. ....So... much... d'awwwwwwwwwwwwww
Though sadly, while the Rainboom marked the turning point in the battle against both The Enclave, and the darkness that had lain on the Wastes for centuries, it wasn't over yet. The Enclave soldiers starting to recover and resume the attack, though without their ships and vastly reduced in number. The attack groups leader blaring over their comms for them to keep up the attack, purge this den of terrorists. Though getting some revolting from his troops, as they discover family's, and foals in the town. And then the civilian pegasi get involved, one of them getting between a mother and her foal as one of the soldiers was about to fire, taking the hit for them. The fight being, just brutal on both sides, till finally the leader is apparently rather forcefully removed from command, and his replacement orders the troops to retreat, with all of them complying quickly.
Ditzy Doo had saved New Appleloosa. Without her, this town would be nothing but a smoking crater. But all around me, the dead and the crying drove home that this victory was not without grievous loss.
Li'lpip surveys the damage, to weak both physically and emotionally to move. As above them, the Enclave ponies begin to seal up the breach in the clouds. Calamity eventually finding her collapsed on the floor and carrying her to the clinic, despite her protests that others needed help more then her. Though all she really needed, and got, was a bed to rest on, and some of Candi's, special, medicine. Calamity laying on the ground next to her, Li'lpip pushing down her own pain at what ha happened to try and comfort her friend, though unable to do much.
And then, she gets something to focus on and shift that pain into anger. Railright. Chewing out the mayor for giving the bomb to Redeye, batting aside his self serving and BS excuses. Calamity even getting into it when the mayor tries to say Li'lpip was also working for Redeye. Then tries to simply deflect their accusations by saying they're both welcome in town again. (Goddesses I hate politicians, bet he spent the whole fight hiding in a basement or something.) And confirming that it was HIS decision to bar them, not the town's as a whole. And, as if it would actually generate some sympathy, mentioning how unpopular that decision was and how it nearly cost him his position.... GOOD! To bad it didn't
But, we miss out on Calamity and Li'lpip verbally tearing the asshole apart due to a combination of a storm starting from the freshly mended clouds, and the arrival of Gawd with a flock of her griffons. The first to follow the beacon Ditzy had sent across the Wastes, but not the last. Calamity forces the mayor and his bodyguard to help move Li'lpip into Ditzy's store, which had become an overflow place for the clinic by dint of being the largest building in town.
Inside, the young ponies that the group had met before taking out the raiders in Fluttershy's Cottage find Li'lpip, one of them asking why she hadn't told her who she was the last time they met. Li'lpip being her normal self effacing self, helped by the canteen of rum Candi had given her. Getting more and more uncomfortable as they praise her for setting off the megaspell under Maripony. Though getting distracted by Railright continuing to be a pompous ass. Confiscating Ditzy's medical supplies, and while Li'lpip knows that Ditzy wouldn't charge ponies for them at a time like this, he still did it in the most dickish way possible
And then the two uninjured civilian pegasi that had come down slip into the store, one looking for the injured one who had taken a shot for the mother and filly. The other trying to convince her friend to just leave, repeating the Enclave's propaganda about how bad and evil it was down here. Not believing it when Calamity explains how they were all lies, and that those three were now trapped under the cloud. That The Enclave had seen them, and if they ever returned above, they would be considered contaminated and killed. The one still not getting it, wanting to get above and tell her representative in the Enclave council about the military attacking innocent civilians.
Though the wounded one saying they still have to go back, holding up a Pipbuck she wore on a strap around her neck, saying she had recordings of all this that had to be shown. Calamity finally making two of them understand by pointing out, as I did way earlier, a pretty massive hole in the Enclave's story about him.
“Ah don’t deny Ah’m a Dashite,” he said. “Though the rest o’ that Ah take issue with. But then, if Ah escaped justice, how d’ya figure they branded me?”
And while one of them admits that it never did make sense, the other.... wow I think we just found the most naive pony in Equestria not named Puppysmiles
“They can’t lie to us,” Tracker stated in voice you use to state basic facts to slow children. “They’re the government.”
And I am picturing every single pony in the building all facehoofing at once at that.....
Li'lpip tones out the conversation, having trouble focusing through the exhaustion, pain, and booze. Nearly starting to cry when one of the young ponies puts a hoof on her shoulder, telling he that if Li'lpip starts crying, then she will to, and soon everypony would be bawling. Making Li'lpip realize she wasn't the only pony hurting and hiding it. Just as some of the ponies start to turn on the pegasi, asking why they were attacking them, why they took away the sun, a growing mob mentality growing. But before it can get bad, or Li'lpip can even think of how to stop it, Ditzy Doo wakes up and solves the problem. Getting eveyponies attention before writing out a message.
Be nice.
Absolutely Everything reserves the right to buck out ponies who aren’t nice.
PS: Healing supplies now for muffins later.
Smiles are free.
Have I mentioned how Ditzy is best post apocalyptic pony?
And the ponies all agree, as they rush to hug her... what, no.. no liquid pride here, nope...
A bit later things had calmed down. As far as anypony could tell given their limited knowledge of ghouls, Ditzy was going to be fine. And though unsure if she'd make a full recovery from the effort of the Rainboom, she would live. (And that she wouldn't wasn't a certainty, just a "Well, we can't say for sure either way." thing.) Railright wanted to talk to the unwounded pegasi in private, Calamity insisting he be there as well, much to Li'lpip's approval, but before he goes, she makes him explain just how the Enclave worked, needing to know the details to plan out her next moves.
And, okay it does kind of make sense to people, but to ponies, yeah, Li'lpip has no freaking clue how the hell that could work. No central leader, simply committees of elected ponies. Yeah the system is just convoluted and of the type designed for maximum governmental and bureaucratic bullshit.
Ugh. The Enclave was quickly ascending to the top of my list of things that made my head hurt. It had already surpassed rock farming and was working on overtaking train engines.
And as Railright started pushing the pegasi out the door Calamity flapped off to join them, Li'lpip calling after him as he went, that they would fix this. They couldn't bring back the dead, but she would find a way to make their deaths mean something, to end this pointless fighting. And till then...
We soldier on. Until we can find a way to make this right, to make things better, we endure. We persevere. We keep helping ponies however we can.
Finally overcome by the memories and the loss, especially of Steelhooves, Li'lpip finally breaks down in tears. Xenith dragging her cot into an unused room and standing guard, keeping out anypony that wanted to help her, giving her some time alone with her thoughts.
And once the pain ebbed, she tried to work on a plan, work out how to save Equestria from those threatening it. Raiders, Redeye, The Enclave. Raiders, there was no real help for those that lost, simply end those that wouldn't stop any other way, and try to fix the Wastes so that ponies don't break like they had.
Redeye, Li'lpip accepted that he held his word, that he would take himself out of the equation now that the Goddess was gone, though how or why, she wasn't sure. And while still a possible threat, he was one that could be dealt with. The Enclave were the real threat. And she slowly put the pieces together to find the answer. The SPP. If she could take control of the SPP, she could use it to control the weather of Equestria, including removing the cloud wall. Laying bare the Enclave's lies to the pegasi. And also removing their agricultural base, forcing the pegasi to join the rest of Equestria. And from what Calamity had said, and from meeting the civilian pegasi, she had no doubt that once the lies were revealed, the majority of pegasi would be more then eager to rejoin the rest of the ponies and help.
But that would still cause problems. There wouldn't be enough food left for all the ponies without the SPP's cloud farming sustaining the larger pegasus population. And while Redeye had plans to convert the Everfree into arable farmland, it would take years to start growing enough food. But, there was still one hope, one more piece that Redeye simply did not know of that would solve the problem... The Gardens of Equestria.
The pieces fall into place. The hints, stories, even Pinkies little prophecy in the Balloon Orb. They all fall into place in Littlepip's head. Showing her how to fix this, how to give Equestria a fighting chance to be reborn.
Sunshine and rainbows.
And even more good news for Li'lpip. DJ-PON-3 breaks back on the air. Homage telling the Wastes about the attack on Friendship City. The utter destruction they had wrought on the innocent ponies. And yet rejoicing that thanks to The Light Bringer hundreds of ponies were saved, and the Enclave lost all the forces they sent to attack. And spreading even more great news. The Wastes were fighting back. Ponies everywhere rising up. Inspired by both Li'pip, and jump started by the sight of Ditzy Doo's Sonic Rainboom (Toxic Rainboom, Sonic Radboom, whatever.) The Twilight Society raising up to throw the Enclave out of Tenpony Tower. Hold outs and communities everywhere welcoming refugees from Friendship City with open hooves. Applejack Rangers defending everypony they can. The Shattered Hoof griffons fending off a strike from The Enclave. Everywhere ponies rising up, seeing that things CAN be better, that they can fight back.
I, I cannot express just how damn much I LOVE this. But I'm going to try, heh. Even without the SPP, The Gardens, any of it. THIS is Equestria being reborn. Ponies acting like ponies, uniting, helping each other. The strong fighting o defend the weak, the seeds of hope and kindness in them beginning to bloom. While the SPP and The Gardens could fix some of the issues. None of it would matter if the ponies of the Wastes weren't willing to make the most of the new chance. And here, we see they ARE ready. That no matter what, they are still ponies. There is still great good in all of them, and and, so freaking beautiful.
DJ goes on to dedicate the broadcast to Steelhooves, extolling his virtues, his dedication. Honoring his memory. And then worrying Li'lpip, mentioning how even now Enclave forces were closing on the tower she was using. But not to worry, even if she wasn't a fighter. That she wouldn't let them take her. And then admitting to having told one little fib earlier.
“And with that, children, I have a confession to make. This broadcast? It’s not exactly live.
“And I have a message for the black-armored soldiers who just burst into the station at the Shattered Hoof Ridge Tower: that thing you’re looking at with the glowing blue light? A little homebrewed surprise rigged to the spark battery from a weapon made by the motherfuckin’ stars!”
“Farewell, you…”
OH! HELL! YES! HOMAGE!
Even more impressive later. Well, at least Li'lpip finds out later, but tells us now. Since while all the losses so far were bad, they never really hurt the Enclave leaders or made them cautious. But Homage had just struck a blow they couldn't ignore, that could cripple them. She had destroyed one of the towers that were the source of their control over the pegasi.
She falls asleep again, waking up at night, the store mostly empty of ponies now, but filled with Gawd's gryphons. Ditzy flying over to Li'lpip as soon as she sees her and giving her back her barding, having fixed and improved it. Waving off any attempts at payment, saying the simple fact that the Stable Dweller wore armor made by her was good advertising, both knowing that was only an excuse.
Calamity finding her and bringing her over to meet a pair of gryphons, Li'lpip of course appreciating the looks of the female one, then finding out they were Gawd's kids.
The little pony in my head started running around in circles, protesting: I was not checking out your daughter! I was not checking out your daughter!
Heh, yay I've missed these little funny bits from her, glad they came back. And it just gets worse as she turns her attention to Gawdyna. Listening to her half a conversation with Ditzy, her mind wondering to why she most certainly was NOT checking out her daughter, to young, and besides, a gryphon.. though not that that stopped her from appreciating Gawd...
“Oh. My. Gawd!” Reggie exclaimed loudly, taking her mother’s name in vain (!) like only a teenager could. “Littlepip’s hawt for mother!”
Okay, seriously, this is one of my favorite little comedy bits in the story. Though the best is still coming.
Li'lpip heads outside, needing to attend to a little, ahem, personal business. Only for Watcher to pop up right next to her. And after all the good news so far, guess it's time for the other hoof to drop. The Enclave had put Li'lpip at the top of their hit list, right under Redeye. And dispatched their best team to do so. The Wonderbolts. Li'lpip honestly having a harder time dealing with the Enclave naming their hit squad that then with them coming after her. And thanks to the squad that had popped into Spike's cave while they were there, they knew Spike knew them, so came to pay a visit. And needing to save the Gardens, Spike gave them some random piece of information sending them off. Telling them that she'd been near Ironshod Firearms.
Okay, this part here, it just, it doesn't work for me. Why out of all the places would Spike just randomly pick that one? Why would they simply leave after that? "Oh yeah so like two months ago she was in this place" was a good answer? I just don't get it.. at all. And the reason it's a big deal, is that they can find the computer she hacked, and get enough information to track her Pipbuck. Okay, that part, perfectly believable. But then her going about how it's because she was sloppy and didn't hide her work enough so left stuff behind that would let them. Okay again, yes perfectly logical. Except that every single little things so far almost has had some sort of foreshadowing, something hinting at it. Not this, and it just feels off. Never a mention of this before. No reason for her to have started hiding her work that we've seen.. it just feels off.
My mind was flashing back to when I learned that the Steel Rangers were after Stable Two, and my fears that it was somehow my fault. That when I had hacked the door for Stable Twenty-Nine, I had left something behind…
Okay and THAT makes no damn sense at ALL. At the time anything involving the Rangers and Stable 2 was going on, they had nothing to do with Stable 29. So why would THAT worry her? Not to mention I really do not recall that ever happening. Why would that even have anything to do with them attacking Stable 2? At the point they attacked it, she knew they had Stable Tec HQ it, yeah it makes no damn sense at all.
The overall issue. The Wonderbolts were after her, and thanks to all her hacking and poking around in any computer she could find, she had left enough information for them to track her Pipbuck. That part works, have no issue with that. But everything else, it honestly feels like a retcon. Especially the quoted part. This part, would have done much better with LESS talking about it. Just leave it at. "Wonderbolts are after you" and "Thanks to all your hacking, they've picked up enough information to track your Pipbuck." The rest, well already said how off it felt.
Well, some good news. Calamity asks if a certain pony is still on the team, his oldest brother. Finding out that at least he wouldn't have to face him, since he'd been promoted and wasn't on the team anymore.
Li'lpip says she'll head off alone, lead them away from her friends. (wait, another issue. Wouldn't simply turning off the Pipbuck work? I know she can't remove it, and it doesn't actually have an "off" switch. But if she just hits it with a matrix disruption attack and crashes it again for now, wouldn't that keep them from tracking it?) Calamity having none of that.
“But nothin’!” Calamity said sternly. Then he smiled. “Besides, Ah got muhself a plan,” Calamity grinned, poking my nose with a hoof. “Trust me, Li’lbait.”
And Li'lpip, perfectly sums up anyone's feelings at that.
This wasn’t going to end well.
Thoughts- LOVED IT!!!!!!
Barring that bit at the end that I already dealt with, this chapter was freaking PERFECT! All the darkness, pain, all the depression of the last chapter, it all becomes worth it. Yes it still sucks to see stuff like that happen, but this, this makes it all worthwhile. And it is, without a doubt one of my two favorite chapters of the entire story.
But this is why I love this story. Even after all that darkness, all that misery, hope not only remains, but grows even stronger. The worse The Enclave gets, the more the Wastes lose, the harder the remainder fight, the harder they push back. the more defiant to despair they become. And all thanks to Li'lpip showing them the way. Simply by being herself, by refusing to sit back and let ponies suffer if she could do anything about it. Showing them that fighting back WAS possible, reminding them of what it used to mean to be ponies.
Yes, this final part is my favorite by far of the five main parts. And while the start is some of the worst, saddest and most depressing stuff in the story, the payoff, not only for that, but for the entire story, is so worth it.
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