FimFiction Link - Short ID: 505788/this-message-is-a-warning
Published: Oct '21
Just read The Writing on the Wall instead. It's better in every way.
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/42409/the-writing-on-the-wall
This Message is a Warning is a 8,7k word Horror Mystery. It may be less of a mystery if you recognise what the cover art is.
Even if you do, I think the symptoms of the reconnaisance team are quite obvious. And even if you don't recognise those, I think it becomes quite apparent as the story unfolds. The mystery tag is only a formality.
The story is good. Really good, I'd say. It is set after the show ends, though. So there will be mentions of stuff from the latter seasons. Just mentions, though. Anyhoot, I'm going to talk freely about spoilers now. Go read the story.
I'm going to say something controversial. I think this story is better than HorseVoice's Writing on the Wall. Sure, the Horror aspects are more subdued here, but I just feel this is a more well rounded story.
After the recon team falls victim to radiation poisoning, Twilight is called for help. As they explore these mysterious ruins alongside a pony with a very Russian name, they decypher the warnings and realise what they're dealing with.
Ultimately, they leave the nuclear waste storage facility behind and erect even more warnings to keep future civilizations out. In the end, this story focuses on how Ponies deal with the discovery of nuclear poisoning. And that's it, really. I feel it executes this idea with a great deal of skill, but it's up to you to see if that interests you, or if you think it's just a generic idea with a pony coat of lead.