I really wasn’t surprised. He seemed a bit too eager the whole time.
Shining Armor roared in pain as the armour-piercing 5.56mm round punched straight through his Knight armour, his left foreleg, and out the other side. He stumbled and tried to regain his footing. Shadow Dancer came and supported him, taking the weight off his injured leg. All the while, Chrysalis watched what was happening in shock.
“You monster,” the heavily-armoured stallion hissed.
“Really?” Thomas asked back, his rifle pointing at the ground. “You call me a monster after what you nearly did? That’s not what we’re here for.”
“No, that’s not what you’re here for,” came the angry reply. “What I’m here for...” he hissed ominously as he rose to his hooves, horn glowing, “is to kill her. And you won’t stop me.”
“Why?”
Shining Armor paused. “Why?” he asked incredulously. “The why isn’t important!”
“Everyone kills for a reason,” Thomas explained. “Orders. Money. Justice.” He paused for a moment. “Revenge.” Shining stayed silent. “That’s it, isn’t it?” the man asked, taking unsteady steps towards the injured stallion. “She did something, and you want to get her back.”
“Why wouldn’t I?” Shining snarled. “She nearly killed my wife. She launched an attack on the capital. She used me.” He began to take quick, shallow breaths. “I was nothing more than food to her, and I never even realised! It took my sister to figure it out. And then she tried to kill her too!”
“I never wanted anyone dead!” Chrysalis interjected.
“Shut up!” Shining bellowed. “You will not speak!”
“So, murder,” the Courier said. “Do you really think it’ll make you feel better?”
“Not murder, revenge,” Shining corrected darkly.
“Revenge isn’t worth it.”
“What would you know about revenge?” the captain asked, his voice dripping with contempt.
“What do I know?” Thomas asked back, laughing. “What don’t I know? I walked across a fucking desert, killing everything that got in my way, just to track down the man who put two holes in my skull and had me buried alive. I know more than any living being should.” Shining seemed to try to take a step back. “The burning desire consumes you, takes everything you are and destroys it. And you don’t get it back. After I killed Benny, I realised I had nothing to do. The only reason I went to Vegas was to track him down. I had no purpose. I had no reason to live.”
“I have Cadance,” Shining Armor retaliated smugly.
“And do you think she’ll want anything to do with you after this? Do you think she can love a murderer?”
“My job,” Shining continued.
“You’ll get court-martialed. If you’re lucky, they’ll give you a blindfold before they execute you.”
“My family!” the stallion yelled, beginning to sound desperate.
“You’ll be lucky if the worst they do is disown you.” Thomas smirked under his helmet. “And there is no way Twilight would want anything to do with you after all this.”
“Don’t you dare talk about my sister,” Shining Armor hissed.
“This isn’t who you are,” Thomas continued calmly.
“You don’t know me.”
“True, but I know your type. Revenge isn’t the kind of thing men like you do.”
Without warning, the stallion sent a magical charge at Thomas. It smacked the man in the chest and knocked him onto the ground. “Is that all you do, talk?”
Instead of answering, he rolled onto all fours and fumbled with the straps of his helmet. He managed to pull off the rebreather just in time for him to begin coughing up blood. “Eight hundred and - ” he coughed up more blood “ - seventy five rads. Huh. I swear I was just over six hundred before,” Thomas said casually. He pushed himself up and stood, swaying as he tried to keep his balance. “One more blast like that and I’m gone.” He held his hands out and dropped his gun. “One more blast, and you’ll be no better than me.”
There was a tense silence. On Thomas’ face was a completely tranquil expression, one of a man who was staring down death and was fully prepared to let it take him. No-one knew just how long he stood there for, waiting for Shining Armor to strike him down.
It never happened. “No. No, I... I can’t. I can’t do it.” He fell to his knees, startling Shadow when he pushed her away. He yanked his helmet off with his magic and flung it across the room, where it clattered against the stone. “I refuse to sink to your level! You’re right, I do this, my family will disown me, my wife will leave me, they’ll strip me of my rank and position! I... I can’t believe I nearly...”
“My level?” Thomas asked, sounding unamused. “Really? That’s your reasoning? Never mind that you’d be committing cold-blooded murder?”
“What am I meant to do, though?” Shining asked, looking at Thomas with eyes full of tears. “How am I meant to live with myself?”
“Let go. Begin again.”
Shining gawked at him. “Let go? Let go? That’s your solution? Act as though it never happened?”
“No. Remember it, so you can learn, but don’t let it dominate you. Forgetting what happened is even worse than letting it control you. Trust me, I know,” the Courier said sadly. He heard shifting behind him, and noticed the green glow. In a swift movement he pulled the Magnum tucked into his pants out and pointed it at the Changeling queen. “Shining might not want to kill you anymore, but I can’t say the same for me. So stay the fuck down, turn off the magic and don’t say a word. Trust me, I will make you beg for me to end it,” he said, his voice twisting into a snarl the longer he spoke.
“So... that’s it? Let go of the hate and move on? That’s your secret?” Shining asked.
“More to it than that, but that’s a start.” Thomas lowered the revolver and put his hands on his knees. “Oh fuck,” he muttered as he took a few deep breaths. “Dunno how much longer I can stand.”
“Are you done?” Chrysalis asked, her voice loaded with contempt.
“I thought I told you to keep your mouth shut,” Thomas retorted as he turned. “And yes, we are. So, why?”
“What?” the Changeling queen asked in confusion.
“Why did you steal it?” he asked. “What possible reason could you have?”
“My child within the castle told me of your weapons, of the frightening power they possess. With one of those, we could hold a city hostage and feed,” she explained happily.
“Do you even know what the thing you stole does?” Thomas asked, trying and failing to hide a smirk.
“It was completely different in design. It had to be the most powerful,” the queen said.
“All right then,” he replied, doing his best to stop himself laughing. “Give it back,” he demanded, aiming the revolver at her.
“Give it back?” Chrysalis spat back. “Ha! Like I would - ” There was a bang and a pained scream.
“Five - well, four, now - of these shots are hollow-points. The sixth shot is a hand-loaded round that should punch right through you. The hollow-points won’t, but I’ll bet they’ll hurt like god knows what.” Thomas calmly pulled the hammer back and readied another round. “The thing is, I have no idea which is which. It could be the next shot, or I might have to go through them all. How lucky do you feel?” he taunted. “Hand it over.”
Chrysalis’ horn glowed as she summoned the device she had stolen from behind her throne. It hovered between them in the green light of her magic. As Thomas went to grab it, it moved and one end pointed at him. “This is for my children!” she screamed as she pulled the trigger.
Two seconds later, the Courier was on the ground. Laughing his guts out. “You...! Oh god, I can’t believe you actually thought... Bwahaha haha hahah ha!” Shining Armor and Shadow Dancer looked at him as though he had lost his mind.
“What!?” Chrysalis looked at the Transportalponder and shook it vigorously. “Why won’t it work!?” she screeched as she pointlessly pulled the trigger.
Eventually, Thomas managed to recover from his laughing fit. He coughed up a mouthful of blood before bringing himself up to his full height. He strode as best he could manage and grabbed the Transportalponder, ignoring the minor radiation spike. In the same instant, he twirled his Magnum so he was holding it by the barrel. He then swung it around, slamming the Changeling in the face with the solid wooden grip. “Thank you,” he said amiably as she lay sprawled on the ground, some of her fangs knocked loose.
After that, everything’s a bit... gone. No, honestly. Probably a side-effect of the radiation poisoning, for all I know. Or more likely that skull fracture. All I know is that I woke up in a warm, soft bed back in Canterlot with just under three hundred rads.
“What the fuck?” were the first words out of Thomas’ mouth when he opened his eyes. It didn’t take long for him to guess what happened. After close to five minutes of checking himself for any serious wounds or missing patches of skin, he exited the room he found himself in. Only to run straight into Celestia, Luna and Twilight.
“Ah, Thomas, you’re... awake...” the sun princess trailed off, her gaze going lower and lower. The other two followed suit. “Oh my.”
“How... How do you stand?” Twilight asked as she gawked, her face turning a brilliant shade of crimson. Her tail instinctively tucked between her legs.
“For fuck’s sake,” Thomas muttered as his hands moved to cover his crotch. He turned around and went back into the room. He emerged a moment later, the blanket taken from the bed and wrapped around him. “Better?”
“Much,” Celestia replied, glancing at her sister who had remained impassive the whole time. No wonder you were screaming, she muttered over the telepathic link.
You’re just jealous, Luna retorted. “How do you feel?” she asked him, looking him up and down.
“Better than I should be,” Thomas said, checking his Pip-Boy. “I was at a near-fatal level of rads, how am I not dead?” he asked.
“You have Twilight to thank for that,” Celestia said, nodding at her student. Whether the unicorn’s face was red from what she had just seen or the praise was unclear. “She remembered that you’ve treated yourself for something similar before, and managed to instruct us on how to help.”
“The doctors didn’t like not being able to use magic,” Twilight added. “They also detected a skull fracture, muscle tears and that horrible cut on your left hand.” Thomas glanced at the bandages wrapped around it. “Luckily, my brother and the other Knights were able to get you here before things became too serious.”
“Speaking of the captain,” Luna interjected, “he had a peculiar injury. A small hole in his leg, something made from a small metallic object travelling at high velocity. What’s worrying is that it went right through his armour.” The indigo alicorn fixed a hard stare on the naked man. “What did you do?”
“It was shoot him, or let him murder the Changeling queen.”
“What!?” Twilight yelled, unable to believe what he had said. “No, there’s no way my brother would do something like that,” she said with a nervous chuckle. “Right?” she asked, sounding unsure of herself.
Author’s Notes:
Some of you wanted to see Shiny hurt, I think this should do it.
Remember, Thomas is... quite well-endowed. He did make Luna scream, after all.
This is what happens when he forgets to turn his awesome off. He wakes up covered in mares.
Of course, the man who trekked across a desert has to has a king kong dong. Obviously, length is directly proportional to badass levels, and Thomas' have never been higher since coming to Equestria.
Awwww yeaahhhh
1246872
It's sort of been brought up before, namely in the comments in the chapter after the Luna/Courier shenanigans. Also, he's black.
Oh my god, so much laughing
Well that's a conclusion of the arc.
Also how many changelings are dead?
1246881 Really? Didn't notice it being mentioned in the story. Maybe it was in the comments or did I somehow miss it?
If only I could get girls like that. foreveralone.jpg
It was spelled out three chapters ago that he shot Shining
inthrough the leg, it's not really a surprise is it?Yeah first?
After Secks Woona puu.sh/13qA5
1246903 is that made in fucking "paint"?
Celestia replied, glancing at her sister who had remained impassive the whole time.
No wonder you were screaming, she muttered over the telepathic link.
Poor Twilight, she saw something she should not see. (Wait! She's an adult..)
I think that went well...nobody important died, and he got what he wanted...
...
...
NOOOOOO!!!! THE FIC'S ABOUT TO END!!!!!
1246954 IT'S EVEN BIGGER THAN MAC SUCH A 50 CAL
"How do you stand??" LMFAO OMG LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL i am currently in pain from that you glorious bastard.
Heh, go Luna!
I guess you could say that he's....
hung like a horse.
*Smacks self*
1246943 Was your avatar made in fucking paint?
Like everyone else, I cracked up at the wang part. The back and forth between the two sisters was great.
I also liked this chapter. It was just good all around.
awesome chapter
1247000 YOU BET! :D
1246903
1246959
So.... Luna calmed herself by 4 cups of tea..
What is that banana? She got that from Tia's very chamber..?
Oh my. Go Big Mac, you are the last hope of Ponykind.
If Thomas has a Browning M2 .50, you may have a Hispano 20 mm....
(Oh I'm kidding, if he really has a Hispano 20mm, no pony dares to be his marefriend, even Luna or Celestia..)
Should we ask Cheerilee?
====
Hey! No one cares about Shining Armor's gun shot?
You readers are too bad for that....
Still think there should be a clop version , But thats just me. Awesome chapter BTW. If this ends soon, I hope there Is a Sequel.
You had Benny killed on your courior huh?
...I planned on letting the poor bastard go. But not just for the good Karma.
484864 You say that being near Celestia and Luna are bad for him? Then how is his wang not falling off from having the sexy times with Luna?
only if he had the irradiated beauty perk I dont need radaway anymore sleep bam ZERO RADS
1247041
It's only a flesh wound. He probably had worse.
Anyway, nice use of the lesson in Dead Money (seemed like all fallout new vegas writers are using that...except me...yet). I have a feeling this fic is about to end, but I could be wrong.
WIN!
>Begin again.
>Dead Money flashbacks.
oi48.tinypic.com/msndsp.jpg
Whooooooooo *runs around screaming like an idiot*
That's all.
You know, I wonder what would've happened if the gun had worked and teleported Chrysalis to New Vegas. How long would she have lasted in a land where the word love is a myth?
lol shining armour is gonna get such an earfull when twilight and cadance get to him.....
1247643
I can't imagine what anyone would think.
Hay tom whats wrong with your third leg........
I was expecting him to come back to canterlot as a ghoul.
a fall from grace in his little sisters eyes?
now that is a injury that will hurt way more then any bullet could
Hurah! Happy resolution!
and, DAMNNN Thomas. You lucky bastard, aparently your hung even better then a horse.
Looking forward to what happens next.
But now i have to wonder what will happen next? He has the Transportalponder
... wait... SHIT!!! Please don't have it end soon!!!!!!
1249058
1246958
1247055
OMG EVERYONE! The Trasportalponder is BROKEN! DOES NOONE REMEMBER THIS?
1245036
You're assuming that the opportunity for rational discussion of the plan came up. You'd be surprised how often a failure to communicate can lead to major issues. Once it reaches the stage where NMM is taking action against Celestia, it can be safely assumed that anything Celestia says will be dismissed as misinformation designed to end the threat to herself.
Looking at the reasons given in the show, we see that NMM simply wanted equal appreciation as her sister. Looking at her actions, we also see a reluctance to use lethal force - hell she even attempts to claim the crown, indicating a desire to _rule_ the people. Hard to do that if they all die.
Then you claim that something should be different this time around, as she has had a thousand years to think things over. Why do you assume this? It could simply be that she has spent a thousand years plotting her revenge - no need at all for her to think of the after effects. So, on that count, she is not evil - she did not desire to cause harm to her subjects, and did not realise that her actions would do so.
We also have absolutely no understanding of the effects magic would have on the situation. How can we be so certain that this apocalypse scenario would come to pass, given we lack understanding of one of the fundamental forces in that world? It is entirely possible that NMM had planned for the effects of eternal night, and had measures to counter them ready to deploy as soon as everyone stopped interfering.
So, you see, we really do have no canonical basis for assuming NMM is evil.
And again, I never claimed Chrysalis was evil.
1247067
You let Benny go? You know that if you talk to the other Chairmen and show them proof that Benny was working a side business behind their back, you gain karma and reputation with the Chairmen if you kill him.
1247393
I just completed Dead Money today. Powerful stuff.
1247187
Personally, I didn't choose that perk, but since Thomas is basically in a radiation-covered world on hardcore mode (real life), it would definitely be the most useful tool in his metaphorical shed.
~Deathclaws are magic
1249309
Dead Money's story was by far the best part of it, and that's including the holorifle.
And I did kill Benny. Crucifixion. In an otherwise positive karma playthrough. No regrets, baby!
Damnit Twilight....
1249169
Wait...what? It is?
...wow. I didn't know that. Thanks!
1249309all things considered his body is most likely to force that perk upon him if it doesnt he will eventaully run out of rad away or become a ghoul
1249378
he didn't loose it instantly, and why wouldn't he have gone back while still in ponyville?
1249387
Wow. Can't believe I didn't remember that.
1249169 Enope.
1249169
You are right, I was thinking the same thing. It was crushed to pieces in the everfree....
I DEMAND AN EXPLANATION OR A MATCH OF FISTICUFFS WILL FOLLOW PROMPTLY
1247393
Technically, that's the lesson learned in all the DLC. Dead Money just has it as arc words.