Sarge dropped the crates he was carrying in the main cart and went back to get more. Soon they had all eight of the supply crates.
Facade and Etereo encountered no more trouble on the way to the Canterlot Palace. The two walked into the open entrance, knowing some group was probably held up inside. "Alright...You know why we're here. The magical PSA anouncement system. If we can get some ponies onto our side, we can start clearing up Canterlot." Facade muttered to Etereo who nodded. "My lord, It may also be acceptable to find the group that probably lives here and hypnotize them into believing your claims. The large amount the better." "Quite right. Come, They've probably stored up in the throne room." Facade muttered and walked deeper into the palace. Though he hadn't been here in quite some time, the place almost felt like home if it weren't so run down. With a sigh he turned away from his old memories as he approached the Throne Room in which voice flowed through. "-Food. We gotta go scavenge or we'll never be able to live through the next few weeks." "Fine, Pack up. I don't like this place anyways. To open to intruders." A gruff voice said. With a grin Facade walked into the throne room and cleared his throat. The surprised ponies scrambled to find there weapons or just stare dumbfounded at the pony who had trotted in before Facade spoke. "No need for any of that my boys! I had food, and would love to trade for some of your ammunition and medicine." The group eyed him warily, but settled down, espically after Etereo revealed herself. "Fa-Father?" She muttered weakly. "Do they have any of the medicine I need?" Facade took onto the familiar ploy quickly and knelled down before her stroking her mane. Her slightly smaller size helped sell it off. "We'll see dear. Hopefully they do." The other group seemed to relax at the presence of the child and seemed more willing to negotiate as they sat around the table. "Names Tuff." The obvious leader said. "I see you need medicine...I believe we can spare some for several cans or a few loafs of bread." Facade pretended to ponder, before smiling. "That seems fair, however...before we trade I'd like to ask you a favor." His voice became softer and his eyes impossible to look away from. The small group gathered around him, there malnourished minds and relaxed state leaving them as easy prey. "You will protect me with your lives, and will back up anything I claim. Understand?" "Yes..." They all muttered in a monotone voice. "Excellent! We'll get to work then. Etereo, please find the PSA and announce that all healthy ponies must come to the Palace Square as decreed by the surviving government of Equestria. A good enough number should appear that we can start reconstruction. I want a few of you to go down there and act like civilians. The rest of you. Come with me." Everpony nodded and rushed off to their task, while Facade smiled. "Soon, Equestria shall be re-built. For our Princess and the law. "
Midnight and his small group of Commandos stood on the train platform of Ponyville, it seemed that only a short time earlier that he was opening the new renovated automated line. The bodies of those that had tried to extort them lay behind them as they waited for the next train to come by.
The journey through the night felt long and eerie to Sarge. He always had his guns at the ready during the night. It was morning when they arrived in Ponyville, "About time..." He said, "Wait... I see some ponies on the platform, folks."
Red looked at the ponies on the platform, "That ain't just any ponies, that there's my brother!" he exclaimed. Midnight looked to see the train pulling up, "Alright, you know we are looking for in Canterlot." he told the squad before preparing to board. The door opened, and there stood a certain red pony in combat fatigues, "Red!" he exclaimed.
Sarge smiled at the little reunion. It legitimately made him happy to see two brothers find each other through hell.
Red looked at the squad behind Midnight, "I'm glad that you got them through this hell as well." he said with a smile, stepping off the train. Midnight laughed, "More the other way around Red." Red nodded, "Of course, so, what's the verdict on Ponyville?" "Completely worthless to rebuild now." Midnight replied "Damn, where to next?" Midnight pulled out a sheet, "It says we should go to the F.R.B., and see if our parents escaped there, and see if it is possible for reconstruction." "Well then, to Freedom Rock it is." Red said, before turning to Sargent and Eluuna, "I hope you guys don't mind walking, because that's the only way to Freedom Rock."
In a few short hours Etereo had made her announcement to the city, and a good amount of Ponies showed up, many of them looking malnourished, while other looked nervously at the other ponies as they weren't used to being in such a large crowd in quite some time. The hypnotized ponies were in place and his guards and Etereo were flanking him as he walked out onto a platform to speak to the ponies. "Gracious survivors of Canterlot! I am so glad you've been able to make it here unharmed." Facade said, his false smile and fake sympathy fooling the exhausted ponies, who clung to the hope the government would save them. "I know you've had it rough these past few months, and I applaud your will to survive. However, time has changed the objective. I am one of the last few surviving high government officials left alive, and as such, feel the need to bring Equestria back to order! I fear that a certain group of Military Ponies do not feel the same way and are using the chaos to create a dictatorship." Murmurs of discontent ripple through the crowd as Facade gave them time to absorb the information. Though he could see a few eyes linger suspiciously on him. "How do we know you are telling the truth?" One of them called out. The murmurs stopped and all eyes were on Facade again. He smiled patiently at the pony. "My name is Facade Quillmane, Sub-Advisor of the Court." "It's true!" One of the hypnotized ponies called out. "I've seen him when Princess Luna and Celestia call court! He is always there!" A few others make a few similar claims, some not hypnotized, and the crowd settles down again, pacified. "As such. I feel the need to counter those oath breakers! We must rebuild Equestria back to the way it was!" The ponies began to nod there head. "So we may all have food!" A small cheer. "Shelter!" The cheering became louder. "Friendship!" Even louder. "ORDER!" The crowd surged as they became elated with the return of the government and peace. Facade smiled as Etereo then began to order out work and guard forces. Soon, all of Canterlot, and likely Equestria, would be restored. And those traitors executed.
"Not too far!"Red said brightly. (Many, many miles later) The large group approached a huge boulder that was essentially a hill that was entirely made of rock, "Here we are, Freedom Rock, home of the Freedom Rock Bunker!" Red said. "Home to miles and miles of underground tunnels aimed at allowing Equestria to survive, even if the surface became uninhabitable. It is completely self-sufficent and anypony inside can survive indefinitely." Midnight continued
"Hidden, and very well sealed, only a very select group of ponies can open and close the hatch inside. It should be at the top of the hill, but it could have moved since then." Red said, "Don't worry, I'm in that select group."
The group climbed the massive rock to the top, where a solitary dead tree stood. Red walked up next to the tree and pawed at the ground until he felt a clink against his hooves, he threw open the hatch and jumped down, followed by Midnight and the Commandos, "Come on!" Red's voice called, "We can't head down without you two!"
Iron was in the large group of ponies he had gotten here first because going to the Canterlot palace was his destination but the pony on the mountain of ruble had told him and everypony else that he could provide Food, Shelter, and Order. Iron loved this idea to bring back Equestria back to its normal state and he bet that his skills of building would come in handy into re-building the city. Soon there had been a line all heading towards one mare who was most likely telling what them to do. When he was getting closer for his deciding he was very nervous about it because he was thinking what if all the creating and building jobs are taken then he would have no other skills and probably be kicked out. Iron had made it to the pony and asked very quickly "What should my job be?".
Sarge jumped down into the hatch and looked around, "Can somepony hit the lights? I can hardly see squat!"
Red flicked on the lights to reveal that they were standing in a large elevator, "This was one of the many bunkers the Night's Mark Co constructed before and during the war." Red said. "Being cautious never hurt anypony.", Midnight said. When they looked down, they could see a tile picture of the Mark Co symbol, which was simply a C placed over an M.
