Fallout Equestria: The Stranger’s Gift
By Rikun
It was her last day at Tenpony Tower. For Homage, there was no telling when the journey would end, much less how long she would have to be away. Her bags were packed, her gear was primed, and the next several weeks worth of programming were ready to go. All that was left was to get a good night’s rest before she set off in the morning.
It would’ve been simple, but unfortunately for the blue-haired unicorn, getting any sleep was the last thing she was thinking about. Although she’d never let Velvet Remedy catch on, it was that comment near the end of her last broadcast that lingered with her:
“And, if I may ask, how are you doing in the wake of it all? I know that, since your return, you’ve seemed a little… melancholy.”
Of course, Homage shrugged it off while they were still on the air. Even after they signed off Velvet kept asking if she was alright, and like always Homage smiled and pushed the subject aside with a few wisecracks. Once Velvet was gone, Homage kept herself busy until late into the night, distracting herself with anything and everything she needed to prepare for tomorrow.
But now that sleep was upon her, the melancholy Velvet had asked about started to well up all over again. She remembered the conversation she had with LittlePip, knowing that it would likely be their last moments together. Her chiding and teasing were reassuring to her marefriend, but they hid a heart that was slowly crumbling to pieces. Now while she wasn’t the kind of mare to break down and cry, Homage couldn’t ignore how much it still hurt to know that she’ll probably never see that foalish filly again.
“It’s not so bad…” she kept thinking as she pulled the old sheets over her head, “She’ll still get to see me whenever she wants. She’ll be fine. I’ll be fine.” Homage’s muzzle twitched as she curled up on the mattress, finally drifting into sleep. “Just… fine…”
It was then that her ears perked up, picking up what sounded like a low, rumbling sound. At first she ignored it, but as the seconds went on the sound grew from a barely audible rumble to a very distinct wheezing sound.
Vworp…Vworp…Vworp…Vworp…
Now stirred awake after mere moments of sleep, Homage sat up and turned to the source of the noise. Her bleary eyes widened in disbelief, slowly making out a materializing blue box.
Vworp…Vworp…VWORP…VWORP…
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Homage whispered as she rubbed her eyes.
VWORP…VWORP…VWORP…VWORP….THOOM.
Homage’s mouth was agape, staring at the old blue phone booth she never thought she’d see again. She only remembered seeing it before in passing, and even then she never thought much of it, nor that weird pony that popped out of it the last time. “Wait,” she thought, “If that’s here, then that… he…”
The door of the box creaked open, revealing a curious brown stallion surrounded by an unearthly light. He stepped out and closed the door neatly before turning to face the stunned mare. “Hello Homage,” he said with a calm voice, “It’s good to see you again.”
It took a moment for Homage to gather her thoughts. When she regained the ability to speak, she did her best to keep her composure. “So… you weren’t joking about the aliens and the spaceships, were you?”
“Well…” the stallion said as he cocked his head, “I thought you’d believe me, what with your possession of a Nebulanic ionizer. I’m glad to see you’re taking my presence well.”
“What are you doing here?” Homage groaned as she stood up from the mattress, “This is weird, even for you.”
The stallion shot a piercing gaze towards Homage. It was the look of a man on a mission, yet there was warmth in his old, blue eyes. “Homage,” he replied “A very dear friend of mine wanted to give her loyal subject one last moment of happiness before she rests. From what I gather, you’re the pony she wants to share it with.”
If there was one thing that frustrated Homage about this stranger, it was how he liked to talk in riddles. Though the more she thought of it, the more it dawned on her. “One last moment?”
The brown stallion nodded, “There’s still time you know. After she tells her life’s story, there’s a chance for both of you to share one last moment together. No regrets, no lingering doubt.” The stallion smiled toward the speechless mare. “It’s the least I can do for the both of you.”
An endless wave of wild thoughts pounded through Homage’s mind. Is this a dream? Could he really do this? Is this some twisted idea of a joke? “You can’t be serious,” she replied, “We’ve been having clear skies for two months now. She’s never gonna wake up, she’ll...” She sighed, hiding her eyes from the stranger, “She’ll never even know I was there.”
“Really now?” The brown colt simply leaned against his box and rapped against its doors almost mirthfully. “Did I mention this is a time machine?”
Homage bawked at the stranger’s comment. “Okay, now I know you’re screwing with me.”
“Oi! Not one for faith, are we? My ship just appeared out of midair right in front of you and now you’re questioning its capabilities?”
The crazy horse had a point.
“I can take you back before she plugs in. It’s a one-time offer, and I guarantee that it’ll never happen again. The choice is yours.” The brown pony extended his hoof, waiting for a response.
The sheer absurdity of the situation sent Homage’s mind drowning in a sea of thoughts. Yet chief among those thoughts was that lingering desire that kept her awake. She had said her goodbyes before, but the chance to actually hold her in her hooves one last time was too good to pass up.
“How long?”
“Just enough for a last farewell.” He pushed the door of the box open and gestured his hoof toward the interior. “After you.”
Homage couldn’t hold it in any longer. She wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded, practically leaping inside that wonderful machine. The stranger nodded with approval as he followed her in, shutting the door behind him. A flip of the switch, a pull of the lever, and a press of a button, and the mysterious blue box faded from the room. One last chance. No regrets.
~*~
Littlepip’s eyes slid open as she felt the last of her memories slipping into the system. Her chest rose and fell slowly but steadily, taking in what might as well been her last breath on earth. She sighed as she levitated the helmet off of her head and back onto the console, doing her best to hold back her tears. This did not go unnoticed by the regal alicorn that had been watching her through the monitors. Without a word, Princess Celestia nodded, signaling the young mare towards the hallway.
Littlepip turned around and approached the door to her final resting place. The barrier slid open, revealing the tree-like mainframe of wires that connected to the central control pod. As she reopened the pod, she took in the precious keepsakes that she had placed along the interior edge. The hum of the mainframe filled the room as more tears clouded her eyes. The Stable Dweller was fully resolved to activating the Single Pegasus Project and clearing the skies, turning down the earlier offers Celestia gave to send her back to her friends. Despite that, she couldn’t help but give a few more quiet sobs. With a final sigh, Littlepip cleared her tears and approached the capsule, ready to rest at last.
She nearly missed the telekinetic tug on her tail that pulled her out of her trance.
“Littlepip?”
She turned to the voice, her breath sucked straight from her lungs. In front of her was the blue-haired, dark coated, mare of her dreams. The Stable Dweller’s entire body froze up, unsure whether or not she was hallucinating. Her answer came in the form of a forceful kiss.
“Y-you-” she stammered as Homage pulled away from her lips. “You’re here. How did…”
Homage pulled her marefriend into a tight hug, the both of them sobbing in each other’s forehooves. “You idiot,” she cooed affectionately, “You think I was going to let you get away with just a spritebot goodbye?” She kissed Littlepip again, this time letting the moment linger.
Completely oblivious to their surroundings, the couple reveled in each others’ caress until they found themselves landing in the soft interior of the control pod decorated with the Stable Dweller’s treasures.
After a series of kisses it was Littlepip who broke away first, allowing reality to overtake her for a brief moment. “Homage,” she quavered as her marefriend nuzzled her gently, “I’m sorry. I can’t...” A dark grey hoof pressed against her lips as Homage shushed her gently.
“I know.” Homage replied. The couple stared into each others eyes, savoring every second they could. They kissed each other again, and when they pulled apart Homage smirked with that fiery look that Littlepip knew all to well. “But I’ll make sure you’ll remember this for as long as you’re in there. Got it?”
~*~
As the two lovers allowed themselves to become lost in each other’s embrace, the mysterious stranger waited outside with his blue box in tow. He turned and winked towards the alicorn in the screens, who exchanged a look of pleasant surprise.
“Your timing is impeccable old friend.”
“Well Princess, you know me. Timing is everything.”
The door closed, allowing some privacy for the reunited lovers, if only for a short while. “What do you think?” the brown stallion asked, “Half an hour? Enough to last a lifetime I’d say.”
Celestia smiled as she concentrated her magic, which coalesced into a glowing orb. As she recorded the moment the princess asked, “Why would one like you be so invested in my little ponies, after all that has happened?”
The stranger stared back with his ancient eyes. “In all my travels, I can recall only a few planets that were true beacons of light. Given the darkness I’ve seen in the universe, it’s nice to see the stars every once in awhile.”
“Even when we have fallen so far?”
The stranger nodded. “Oh yes. And I’ll make sure that light remains, no matter how dark the universe becomes.”
The two ancient beings stood as the orb continued to glow, filling the room with an awkward silence. “Something troubles you, doesn’t it?” Celestia asked.
The Doctor stared back at the alicorn with his ancient, world-weary eyes. It was a piercing gaze that only a being who has seen nearly everything could give. “Mark my words Celestia: I will save you. You, and everypony who has ever existed within the past two hundred and twenty years. No matter what I have to do or what price I have to pay...I WILL save all of you.”
With that, the memory orb stopped glowing, its recording complete.
~*~
Homage yawned as she rose from her bed. Though still half asleep, a smile graced her face as she levitated her saddlebags onto her back. She peeked out the window and noticed that the newly cleared skies actually looked much brighter than she remembered them to be. Was Littlepip actually happier today? She thought back to the night before wondering if it had been real, but she couldn’t deny that it was the best dream she ever had.
As she proceeded toward her front door, a pink flash caught her eye. She instinctively levitated the object to get a closer look, her face flushing with warmth. It was a newly created memory orb, and she had a good guess as to what memories it contained. Laughing to herself for her good fortune, she levitated the precious orb into her saddlebags and headed outside.
With a renewed sense of strength, Homage looked towards the clear sky that had enveloped the Equestrian Wasteland. Smiling coyly, she blew a kiss skyward and spanked her rump towards the one mare she knew was watching. “Call me!” she mouthed as she headed towards her companions.
There was a spring in Homage’s step that Calamity and Velvet couldn’t quite place, but the two welcomed her inexplicable joy all the same. It was going to be a long journey to the Everfree Forest, and nopony knew what lay ahead for them. However, despite the hellish landscape it was, the Wasteland had seemed much more pleasant on that day.
As for the mysterious stranger with the impossible blue box, his time will come.