//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 // Story: The Stranger With a Big Iron on Her Hip // by Omega_code //------------------------------// Thanks to ProtheanBrony for proofreading. _____________________________________________________________________ “First off, are you alright?”Celestia trotted next to Scarlet as they made their way back to Appleloosa. “Pfft minor scratches, they should heal up in no time. My shoulder however, is going to take a day or so.” “What happened?” “Beta dislodged it. I was able to pop it back in, but it’s going to be very sore tomorrow.” “Beta? That’s an odd name for a griffon. Speaking of griffons, Applejack mentioned the last group of them tried to poison you. Exactly how did they try?” “By some sort of dart, it pierced the side of my neck. Don’t know what it was supposed to do, never will.” “Wait, how were you not affected by the poison?” Scarlet smiled as she tapped the upper left part of her chest. “Let’s just say I have a special heart condition that prevents me from getting poisoned.” She then reached to her side and pulled out her Vault 13 canteen, drinking the last of the water that was in it. As she took the last sip she noticed Celestia was strangely staring at her…no…at the canteen. “Yes?” “Where did you get that canteen?” Her voice was inquisitive and her eye carefully followed the canteen as Scarlet putted it back where it belong. Scarlet was a bit creep out of the sudden interest to a piece of tin. “Um…from a merchant in Vault City, he had a half a dozen of these. Why?” “Oh,” Celestia sound a bit disappointed, “it just my friend had one. So Scarlet, can you tell me more about yourself? Scarlet gave a small chuckle, “I don’t think so. The less you know about me the better.” “Is there something you’re trying to hide I should be concerned about?” “Not as much as you should be.” Scarlet could see the questionable look Celestia was giving her. “But I guess a short run through wouldn’t hurt. Sometime twenty-seven years ago I was born somewhere in Wasteland. Never knew my father and my mother was drunken whore who didn’t have much time to take care of me. After I reached the age of thirteen I got tired of my home and ran away, wandering the Wasteland.” “Why in the world did you do that? Didn’t your mother miss you?” “Ha, I bet she thought I was dead a week after I left. Anyway I went to a town far away from home and took a job there as apprentice to a merchant. I stood there for a year or so, learning a lot about making deals work in my favor. When I was around the age of sixteen I took job as a courier. From then on I been mostly be walking to several different towns and places, never really settling in. People always have some little thing they want to send to a friend, family, or business in the town, and I would take it to them, for the right price that is. And for the most part, I was happy to do it. Of course it wasn’t all perfect.” “Why, was something wrong?” “Yeah, you can say that. A few of my packages weren’t exactly… legal, but I didn’t know. I shouldn’t have to worry about what I’m carrying or if it has the possibility to change my life. For example, my last delivery job got me shot in the head.” Celestia looked Scarlet in shock. “I got better. The strange part is that in my revenge to get the bastard who shot at me and get my package back, that I became the leader of a city.” “Really? How did that happen?” “Don’t really know. I was the wild card in a three way battle over an Old World relic. Add to fact that I didn’t like any of their plans for Vegas once they gotten hold of the relic, so I just…took over.” “What were their plans?” “The current leader of Vegas wanted to build a world that died centuries ago, another was a nation that just wanted the land and the Old World relic in their hands and the last group…well, let’s just say I have bad history with them.” “Really vague on names here.” “I doubt you’ll know any of their names…well maybe you have heard about the NCR. They’ve been around for nearly a century.” “Yes I have heard about them, were they the ones you had bad history with?” “Nope, those are the ones who just wanted the land and the relic. The one I had bad history with was a group known as Caesar Legion. They were led by a man who had some good ideals, but was doing it in a matter that just wasn’t right.” “So why do you have a bad history with them?” “Because they….,” Scarlet stopped herself from finishing her sentence. “Because, they’re not to be trusted, that’s why. Now how about I ask some of my questions, like what kind of pony are you?” “I’m an Alicorn, a combination of the three kinds of ponies; earth, pegasus and unicorn. You already met with two earth ponies, pegasus have wings and unicorns have a horn on their head.” “I see. Appleloosa must be an earth pony kind-of town then.” “It mostly is; however, Appleloosa does have a few unicorns and pegasi living there.” “Kay, now what did you mean fighting a griffon with tainted magic?” “I know your world doesn’t have magic so it would be hard to fully explain, but for now it’s a type of magic that’s venomous to the natural flow of magic in our world.” “The natural flow of magic, so you’re telling me magic is real?” “Yes,” there was tingling sound as a rock in front of them glowed with a light yellow glow and was brought up in the air. Scarlet was hesitant to be near it, but she didn’t hear any clicking from her Pip-Boy which eased part of her mind. “Don’t worry. My magic, or any other unicorn's magic, will not harm you like tainted magic does.” “Nice to know, but it's still strange though. So does magic have any other uses other than moving rocks or creating a wall of fire?” “Many, I use my magic mostly to move the sun across the sky.” Scarlet let out a laughter of disbelief. “Now you’re just pulling my leg. I read enough of The Big Book of Science to know that’s physically impossible.” “I am not pulling your leg; my sister and I move the celestial bodies across the sky. I move the sun and my sister, Luna, moves the moon.” Scarlet sarcastically added, “Next you’re going to tell there’s a pony who spreads the love and happiness throughout the land.” “Well Cadance doesn’t do it like that, but…” “Stop…you didn’t have to answer that.” Scarlet rubbed her forehead, “Ugh, this world is getting weirder by the minute.” “Give it time; I’m sure you will adjust.” “True, I have seen weird things before,” talking to one’s own brain for one. “So what do you know about the griffon’s master?” “That's a tale I need to tell once we’re back at Appleloosa with Applejack, Braeburn and Strongheart.” Celestia took another look at the human. “After we get you cleaned up first.” Scarlet looked up and saw they were coming close to Appleloosa. “Oh goodie, it’s been a while since the last time I bathed.” Celestia gave a small chuckle saying, “Yes I can tell.” _____________________________________________________________________ Fallout New Vegas is copyrighted Obsidian Entertainment and Bethesda Softworks. MLP: Friendship is Magic is copyright to Hasbro. All characters that belong to their companies are rightfully theirs. This writing is for fun and nothing else.