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This is a side green to Manos: Hands of Fate by Human Superiority.
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The first part was found here: http://pastebin.com/QBMRbrPv
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Since Pastebin nuked it I'll also link the earliest thread I could find in five minutes looking in the archive: https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/24621019/
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For the Manos threads. HEIL MANOS!
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>You are Sergeant Ivory Keys of the Vanhoover Port Authority Police Department.
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>You looked out over the city from a clock tower as you strained your horn to maintain the shield over the port.
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>Under the moonlight you could still see the broken windows, the craters, and rubble.
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>You could see the orange glow of fires still burning.
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>Vanhoover was in ruins.
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>It happened much faster than you could have ever fathomed.
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>It started with thunder.
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>First from the distance then in the very city you swore to protect as larges portions of buildings and even streets just exploded.
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>Then they came.
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>Forces of Manos...
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>Forces of this... Reich moved into the city like great waves crashing into a cliff side made of sandstone.
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>They tore great swathes in what meager defense the Guard had set up.
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>Resistance was laughable at best.
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>There were just too many of them.
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>The Chief had ordered all officers to headquarters to coordinate with the Guard to protect the city but by then it was too late.
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>They'd penetrated too far into the city to really form a defensive line which only pushed you back further.
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>So many were lost to the chaos while the ponies in charge scramble to gain a cohesive hold on anything.
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>And by the time the port was secured the Reich owned everywhere else in Vanhoover.
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>From a tactical standpoint it was genius.
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>Using a train to sneak an army and pushing as hard and fast as possible to gain as much ground as you could?
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>Brilliant.
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>To witness it and be on the receiving end of it?
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>Terrifying.
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>You've not known terror like this at any point in your life.
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>And now that the assault is over and you are safely behind the shield, all you feel is an overwhelming sense of dread.
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>You can see there forces outside of the shield from your vantage point.
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>Simply waiting.
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>Much further away, you could see flashes of a distant battle.
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>Those were ponies cut off from your group during the attack.
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>They were desperately trying to fight their way to your position.
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>But it was no use and you knew this truth in your heart.
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>With the flashes you witnessed came that same sound of thunder.
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>Fighting against might of that kind was hopeless.
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>"Sarge?" a feminine voice asked behind you.
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>You turned to face Sea Shower bathed in the pale white light of your horn.
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>The police recruit's uniform was torn in a few places and was stained with soot and dust.
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>You didn't even hear the little mare come up and that made you mentally slap yourself.
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>If she were the enemy, you'd be dead.
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"Yes?' you grunted in response.
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>"I'm here to relieve you," she said with fatigue evident in her voice.
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>You looked her over and frowned.
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"Are you sure you can handle it?"
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>There was a brief silence before she answered.
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>"Not really, but I can't let the others do it by themselves and I can't let you sit here and suffer magical burnout because I didn't try. You've been up here for twice as long as you should have anyways and I'd hate to see you hurt, sarge."
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>You heaved another troubled sigh.
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>This mare didn't belong here.
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>You stood up and stretched out.
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>Sea was right however.
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>If you kept this up you'd end up with burnout and be completely useless.
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"Alright then," you say slowly. "If you feel like you can't hold it yell for somepony."
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>"I know the drill. G'night, Sarge."
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"Good night, Sea Shower."
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>With that you released your magic as she activated hers and started on your way.
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>You descended the stairs, the clock tower bathed in sea blue ow instead your pale white.
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>Even with six other unicorns maintaining the shield you weren't too sure if she'd be able to manage.
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>You had trouble with it yourself despite you magical prowess.
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>Reaching the bottom of the stairs, you step out with broken glass crinkling beneath your hooves.
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>There various ponies are inside this building around a fire keeping warm from the cool sea air.
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>You step out through not a door but a hole in the wall to the port area under the dome of the shield.
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>It's much more packed than it was when it was first erected since the Reich turned over civilians by the hundreds.
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>You begin walking to the warehouse that was being used as sleeping quarters by making your way past the makeshift barricades of shelves, desks, debris and other assorted junk.
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>You kept at it but stopped and backed up.
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>You would have missed it if you hadn't have been looking around but you needed to get closer to be sure.
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>The building was much closer to the edge of the shield than you would have liked but it didn't matter because in an abandoned building through a hole blasted in the brick you spotted an upright piano just sitting there.
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>You climb in and take a seat in front of the lovely instrument and tap a few keys with you weakened magic.
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>It still works.
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>You breath out contentedly as you begin to play with practiced ease.
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>As you go on, a Guard in gold plated armor pokes his head in.
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>Your eyes meet for a moment before he enters and sets his helmet on a table and just listens, losing himself to the distraction.
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>This is followed by a few more ponies.
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>Guards regular ponies alike come to listen to you.
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>And for once since the beginning of this mess, you crack a smile.
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>You are a Black hand outside of the shield set up by the royalists at the port standing on a barricade.
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>You look through binoculars at crowd gathering near the edge but the music you hear says all you need to know.
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>You wave a hoof telling everypony to stand down.
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>It's not a threat.
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>Just music.
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>Wonderful, innocent music.
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>You look to your left and spot a piano propped against a tree next to the shield.
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>That was oddly convenient.
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>You hopped down from the barricade and made your way to the instrument.
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>You tapped the keys with your magic.
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>A bit stickier than you would have liked but it works.
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>You wonder what to play for a bit but one look at the moon tells you all you need to know.
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>You begin to play.
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>The music on the other side of the shield stops and a police officer walks out of the crowd, looking to you with surprise.
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>Your eyes meet and you know he was the one playing.
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>You don't stop but you give him an nod to which he returns after a moment.
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>He goes back through the crowd and you hear his piano again but this time he joins you in playing the Sonata.
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>Its not exactly made for a duet but you appreciate the gesture.
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>And so you play the night away on those dusty, ivory keys with the sound of thunder in the distance.
by Slowanon
by Slowanon
by Slowanon
by Slowanon
by Slowanon