//------------------------------// // Chapter One: Exodus // Story: Horseshoes and Hand Grenades // by The Tainted One //------------------------------// Green. The color of life. Well, plant life at least. A color I was all too familiar with. I’m a gardener, you see. Which is ironic, because I’m also a Pegasus. But, I’m getting ahead of myself. My name’s Firefly. Why Firefly? Well, from what my parents told me, I was born with a red, yellow, and orange mane. The fly part came from my wings. Being that both my parents are earth ponies, living in an earth pony village I might add, them giving birth to a Pegasus was… unexpected. Life wasn’t too bad. I had a pretty normal foalhood. I went to school, I made friends, I got bullied by the other colts. Typical stuff. Until one day, my mom asked for some help in the flower shop. That was the day I got my cutie mark, a potted daisy. As you might imagine, that got some pretty rough beatings at school the next day. I mean, come on! What kind of colt has a daisy for a cutie mark? But, life goes on. At least it did, until the humans arrived in Equestria. That’s a different story, though. Our story begins five years after that, on the day that I leave my home. "Today we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Discord’s defeat at the hooves of the Elements of Harmony. The celebration will be held in the Canterlot Gardens at four o’clock this after-” My radio switched off as I unplugged it and tucked it away in my desk. I took one last look around the room that I called home for the last eighteen years. It was nearly empty, save for my bed, dresser, and desk. I had all my worldly belongings packed away in one suitcase. I grabbed it with a wing and trotted out my door and down the stairs. My parents were sitting at the kitchen table. My mother had been in tears ever since I told her I was leaving. My dad remained as stoic as ever, except now, his eyes were watering and he was just holding my mom in his hooves. I gently knocked on the wall to get their attention. Both my parents looked up. My mother smiled at me with reddened eyes. My father just gave me a somber look. “Well, I guess this is it.” I said to the both of them. They both got up and trotted over to me. My mom grabbed me in the bear hug of the millennium. “I’m going to miss you so much, pumpkin.” Mom sobbed whilst refusing to release me from her vice-grip. “Mom, come on. I’m not a little kid. You don’t have to call me pumpkin anymore.” I groaned. My mom laughed and, after giving me one last extra hard squeeze, released me. I trotted over to my dad and gave him a hug. “I’m gonna miss you guys.” My mom began sobbing again. “I’m going to miss you too, son.” My dad said while hugging me. I moved away from the two of them. “I love you, mom. Love you, dad.” I said to the both of them. My mom buried her face in my dad’s mane and sobbed loudly. My dad just nodded. With that, I turned towards the front door and began walking. I had to shield my eyes from Celestia’s sun, which was especially bright that day. Once my vision adjusted to the outside, I headed towards the shuttle that would take me to the starport. The walk was a pleasant, yet uneventful one. The booming of starships leaving and entering the atmosphere, the sounds of colts and fillies playing, and the roaring of vehicle engines coming and going from the nearby Eridium mine were commonplace in our village. Today was no different. After a brisk walk, I arrived at the shuttle stop only to discover that the shuttle was just about to leave. Flaring my wings, I surged forward and closed the distance between the shuttle and myself in seconds. Landing inside the shuttle with a thump, I breathed a sigh of relief. I pulled out a couple bits and tossed them in the payment bin. “Thank you for using the Equestrian Shuttle Service. Please, have a nice day!” A sprightly female voice practically sang from a speaker on the side of the payment bin. I turned towards the rear of the shuttle, only to discover that it was practically empty, save for one elderly human male. I trotted down the aisle and took a seat opposite the human. I set my suitcase on the seat next to me and cleared my throat loudly. The old man looked up and directly into my golden eyes. He perked up somewhat once he saw me and pulled out a small silver flask. The old man took a drink of whatever was in it, (from the smell, it was antifreeze), and slipped it back into his jacket. “Don’t see too many of your kind heading to the starport from this part of the planet. What’s your story?” The old man asked me. He had a hint of a Stalliongrad accent. “I’m going to Pandora to join the VHU.” I replied happily, grinning at the mere mention of the VHU, A.K.A. the Vault Hunters Union. I heard about them on the radio. The announcer spoke of treasure, danger, and fame beyond imaging. This old man, however, just scoffed. “If I had a dollar for every time I heard about some young whipper snapper as naïve as you.” The old man practically spat. “You don’t even have a gun, do ya?” “Uh, I suppose not.” I grinned sheepishly. The old man reached into his trench coat and pulled out a small box. He handed me the box and I grabbed it with my hooves. “There’s $20,000 dollars in there. That should get you a decent gun when you get on the ship.” My eyes widened at the amount of money he just gave me. “You’re just giving me this money?” I asked, still holding the box. The old man took another gulp from his flask and sighed. “I‘ve done a lot of nasty things over the years. Many of which a man would be executed for on civilized worlds. I‘m not proud of most of it. A few years back, I decided I would start making up for everything. That‘s why I left my gun shop with my old friend, Brick, and retired. That small sum of money is just part of the atonement for my sins. Enjoy it, little pony.” Marcus said with finality. “Thank you.” I replied, tucking the box into my backpack. “So, why do I need a gun?” The old man guffawed loudly. His raucous laughter slowly turned into a coughing fit and the old man was gasping for breath. He finally caught his breath and let out a small chuckle. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. You’re going to Pandora, and you don’t even know why you need a gun?!?” the old man said between laughs and mumbled something that sounded like ‘friggin’ Vault Hunters’. “Pandora is a dangerous place, kiddo. Full of nasty critters that would eat you soon as they look at you. Not to mention bandits, what’s left of Hyperion…” He trailed off and reached into his coat to take another drink of his flask. “Just trust me, little pony. You’ll need a gun.” “Destination reached. We hope you have a good time at [Equestrian Intergalactic Starport]. Please, watch your step when disembarking from the shuttle.” The voice from the front of the bus announced. The old man shakily got to his feet with the aid of a cane. “Good luck on Pandora, little one.” He called back as he limped off towards one of the starport’s seemingly endless landing pads. I grabbed my suitcase, stepped off the shuttle, and walked towards the ticket line. The starport was bustling with humans and ponies alike. Little colts, fillies, and human kids were bouncing around with their parents. Couples were going to and fro. Robots were making short work of any trash on the floor. I turned back towards the ticket counter and trotted up to it. A human female was resting her head on her elbow with an almost painfully bored expression on her face. “Uh, hello? I’d like to buy a ticket to Pandora.” I said to the woman on the other side of the glass. Her eyes moved to me, widening in surprise once she saw what I was. “Hello there, young pony!” The woman said gleefully. “One ticket to Pandora?” She asked. I nodded and pulled out a bag of bits from my suitcase. “That’ll be one hundred bits.” I counted out one hundred of the golden bits and put the rest back in my suitcase. I slid the payment through the small gap underneath the glass. The woman took the bits and dropped them in a bin beneath her desk. A short time later, one ticket slid through the gap in the glass. “We hope you enjoy your flight!” the woman said with more enthusiasm than necessary. I grabbed the ticket and put it in a pocket on my backpack. Suitcase in tow, I made my way through the crowds and towards Gate P-22, the gate listed on my ticket. “Finally, I’m here.” I breathed a sigh of relief as I finally reached my destination. There were surprisingly few people and ponies headed toward the gate. I practically bounced through the gate and towards the starship. A large looking man stepped in front of me. “Ticket please.” He said in a deep voice. I pulled the ticket from my backpack and handed it to him. He looked at the ticket and then gave me a once-over. With a huff, he tore the stub from the ticket and handed it to me. “Good luck, kid. You’ll need it.” He walked back to his post with a subtle snicker. Shrugging, I trotted into the ship’s loading bay. A robot rolled over to me. “Please follow me to your seat. Leave your luggage with the loaders please.” The small, boxy robot said in a monotone voice. I set my suitcase on the ground and followed the tiny robot. I looked back to see a bipedal loader grabbing my suitcase and walking off with it. I returned my gaze to the robot and saw that he was speeding down a hallway. I flapped my wings and flew after it. Only to crash into a wall as it turned a corner. “Oww,” I said through gritted teeth as I slowly retreated from the wall. I heard a feminine giggling from behind me. “What’s so funny about a Pegasus flying into a wall?” I said while turning around. “Oh, nothing.” The woman said, still giggling. I was about to tell her off, when I noticed something strange about her. Her skin was much more pale than all the other human women I’d seen. She had strange blue tattoo’s on her left arm. Strangest of all, her eyes seemed to be glowing from within. She must have caught me staring, because she waved her hand in front of my face. “Yeah, a lot of people do that when they first meet a Siren.” The mysterious woman said with a grin. “The name’s Maya.” She extended her arm. I shook her hand and landed on the ground. “Pleasure to meet you Maya. My name’s Firefly.” She motioned for me to follow her. Given that I had long since lost track of that robot, I tailed after her. “So, what’s a pony going to Pandora for?” Maya asked, pulling a small candy bar out of her pocket. “I’m gonna join the VHU.” I said happily. Maya chuckled and wolfed down her candy bar in one bite. “Well, this is your lucky day, little pony. I just happen to be a recruitment officer for the VHU.” Maya said with her mouth full. She tossed the wrapper into a nearby waste basket and turned a corner. “Seriously?” I asked, taking to the air and flying in front of her. “Yep. I was also one of its founding members. Though, I don‘t see them much anymore ever since I got stuck with this lame job. Which is part of the reason why I‘m here.” Maya said with a frown. I was practically beaming with happiness. What are the odds of meeting someone from the VHU on Equis, let alone a recruitment officer? I could hardly believe it. Celestia was watching over me or something. I was so absorbed in my thoughts, however, I didn’t hear Maya’s warning about the wall I was moments away from flying into. “Huh? What are you-” was all I could say before I crashed into a solid wall of steel. “I’m okay,” I waved my hooves and shakily landed. “Totally meant to do that.” I rubbed my sore head. “So, flying indoors. Bad idea.” I took a moment to clear my head. A finger tapping on my shoulder drew my attention to Maya. She turned and kept walking, with me in tow. We eventually came to a moderately large room that was filled with computers. Nearly each one had a human sitting in front of it. Maya and I continued towards the front of the room where a large screen showing a display of … Equestria? A very detailed map of Equestria was the focus of the large screen, with a green dot where the starport was. Maya gave a man standing by the front of the screen a hug, and walked back over to me. A dull vibration shook the room. The intercom buzzed to life. “Attention, this is the Captain speaking. We are departing Omega-7 and will be on route to Pandora in about a minute. Please make your way to your designated zones. Thank you.” The intercom clicked off and Maya motioned for me to follow her. “Come on, the ship is taking off.” Maya led me out of the bridge back onto the elevator. “So, Firefly, ever used a gun before?” “I can’t say that I have” I admitted as the elevator began to descend. My stomach lurched under the sudden change in momentum and I began to feel a tad sick. “Umm, you got a bag or something?” I asked holding a hoof to my mouth. “First time flying on a starship, huh?” Maya asked while reaching into her pocket. I nodded queasily. “Here, this should take the edge off.” She said, handing me a small red and white striped pill. “It’s essentially an antacid, but it’s mint flavored.” I took the pill in one of my hooves and gobbled it down. Almost instantly, I felt the bile in my throat recede back down into my stomach. The pill left a minty aftertaste. “Thanks,” “No problem,” Maya replied with a mock salute. “We’re here anyway.” The elevator (thankfully) came to a stop and the doors slid open to reveal a large grey room. “What is it with humans and the color grey?” I asked, looking around the room to notice a bunch of brightly colored metal tubes and balls in containers. “What are those things?” “Those are guns, Firefly, and I’m going to show you how to use them.” Maya stated with a small shake of her head. She walked over to the counter. “Hey, Bolt Action, I got a newbie here for ya.” Maya called out while tapping on the metal wall. “Hold your horses, I’m coming’.” A male voice yelled from the back of the room. The door behind the counter swung open and, much to my surprise, an old, grey unicorn stallion trotted out. “So, this is the newbie, eh?” He levitated a pair of glasses that were hanging around his neck onto his snout and squinted his emerald eyes at me. “Doesn’t look like much.” I huffed in annoyance. “Relax, I’m just jerkin your chain. So, you came here to learn how to shoot… uh…” “Firefly.” I finished for him and extended a hoof. He reached up to shake, but I recoiled when I saw a set of fingers where his hoof should be. “What is that!?” I asked in horror. “Oh, relax, youngin. It’s just a cybernetic glove. All the ponies in the VHU use ‘em.” Bolt Action replied. He then levitated a pair up and set them on the counter. “Ya gotta have fingers if ya wanna use guns. Put these on. Don’t worry, they only hurt a little bit.” I carefully grabbed one of the gloves with my hoof and slid my leg into it. The thing fit pretty well. “Hey this is pretty coo- OW!” The glove stabbed a needle into my leg, “That’s just the glove tapping into your central nervous system. That way, you’ll have full control over the glove and it won’t just be dead weight.” Maya said reassuringly. The pain subsided and four metal digits unfolded from the end of the metal glove. I gave them a test flex and, much to my surprise, they moved. “That’s pretty cool,” I said in awe, still staring at my glove. Grabbing the other one with my fingers (it feels weird just saying that), I slid the glove onto my other hoof. After a short painful prick later, the other glove was working just as the first one did. I spent about a minute flexing and unflexing my fingers until Bolt Action cleared his throat noisily. “If you’re done marveling at the wonder of fingers, we have some firearms to test out.” Bolt Action said while levitating a small, purple box onto the counter. He unlatched the box and pulled out a small ‘L’ shaped gun. “This is a pistol. Useful for short range or if you run out of ammo for your rifle or machine gun.” He handed it to me and I clumsily grabbed the barrel in my right hoof. “You hold it from the other part, dummy.” “Right, sorry.” I moved the pistol around until I was sure I had it the right way. “Alright, now slide this into the bottom of the gun.” Bolt said while levitating a small, rectangular box over to me. I grabbed it and slid it into the pistol with a click. “Now, line up the front and rear sights, the little notches on the top of the gun, with that bull’s-eye over there.” Bolt said, gesturing with a hoof to a red and white poster on the wall. I did so, albeit unsteadily, and squeezed the trigger. The pistol jerked in my hand with a loud bang. Simultaneously, a hole appeared on the targeting sheet. However, the hole was nowhere near the bull’s-eye. Instead, it was on the very bottom of the page. “Well, he isn’t the worst I’ve seen.” Maya noted. “At least he didn’t shoot me.” Bolt mused. I sighed and set the pistol back on the table. “Here, why don’t you try this.” Bolt levitated a much larger box onto the table and opened it with a click. A much larger gun with green, glowing tubes on the sides floated out and onto the counter next to where I set the pistol. “This here, is a scattergun. It shoots lots of little pellets instead of just one big bullet.” I picked the scattergun up and aimed it at the target. The scattergun, surprisingly, made less noise than the pistol, but the target was literally vaporized by my gun. “I like it.” I said, admiring this gun. “Well, lets keep at it then.” Bolt said, pulling out a much larger box. After a couple hours of testing, and one misfire that led to me getting a tooth knocked loose, I had finally settled on a Sniper Rifle from Jakobs, a pistol from Vladof, and a shotgun from Maliwan. Maya also helped me pick out some body armor that can stop bullets. To prove this point she shot me in the flank. The two of us made our way to one of the many hangars. “How much longer until we get there?” I asked, my cyber gloves clanging on the metal floor with each step. “We should be getting there in just-” The ship started rumbling and a female voice came on over the intercom. “We have arrived at Pandora, please begin making your way to Hangar 3-C for immediate disembarking.” Maya shrugged and we continued on towards the moderately large dropship. It was painted in a similar style to my shotgun, orange and purple being the most prominent colors. Maya reached up to a small, glowing keypad next to the dropship door. Several people were already strapped into the seats. I was the only pony on this dropship. A few of the humans gave me strange looks, but most just kept to themselves. “Buckle up, everyone!” The pilot yelled from the cockpit. “We’re taking off in 30.” I tried to mimic the sitting style of the humans so I could buckle up properly. It was slightly uncomfortable, but at least I got strapped in. The ship rumbled and the rear door sealed with a hiss. “The air around the landing zone is filled with Rakk, so we have to do a hard entry. Hold onto your lunches.” The pilot called from the front of the ship. I looked out of the window next to me into the murky blackness of space. My eyes widened as I saw it for the first time. Pandora. I was finally here.