50 - Epilogue
Chapter Fifty: Epilogue
“And so ends the story…”
And so it was that the Scavenger from New Appleoosa, a pony who once would have watched the world burn for a moment of safety, gave his life so that the remnants of Equestria might yet live.
I, Watcher, saw a pony who chose to rise above the person he was. He chose to better himself in every way he could, not for his own sake, but for the sake of those around him. Friends. Love. Virtues he discovered within himself, and virtues he followed to the grave. His was a soul perhaps even worthy of the task I had long sought to fulfil, but it was not destined to be.
No, that fate would belong to others.
Three weeks after Scrap Heap’s death, the Stable Dweller would go on to defeat the Goddess as the Security Mare looked on. Her death freed the spirit of Twilight Sparkle, who used her final moments to both bring comfort to her jailor, and to save the life of the Stable Dweller herself. Twilight would, in turn, be granted the gift of a friend’s final moment, bringing about a long-desired reconciliation that allowed the Ministry Mare, and former Bearer of Magic, to slip away into the abyss in perfect peace.
I wish I had been there for her…
A week after, the Single Pegasus Project would be activated, the world saved from both the Grand Pegasus Enclave and, in time, the wasteland itself. After the formation of the NCR and the detonation of the Elements of Harmony, the changelings became a close ally to the New Canterlot Republic for all the centuries following Scrap Heap's death. They, at long last, had a place among the other species of Equus.
Cobalt would return to Tenpony Tower, rising to prominence among the members of the Twilight Society. He would continue to work towards unlocking the secrets left behind by his idol, Twilight Sparkle. He would pursue such secrets for the rest of his life, never able to fully unlock them all.
Xena would settle down in the hive, determined to follow in her love’s memory and ensure the hive’s survival in the difficult days ahead. She would become their guardian against any who would threaten the safety of the hive, fighting later in the Battle of the Hoof upon the Security Mare’s call. The changelings would survive these events as they had all others, flourishing under the Zencori mare’s watchful eyes.
The survivors of Our Town would be split into two groups. A few would attempt to acclimate into various settlements, eventually seeking help in removing their false cutie marks and mental shackles Starlight Glimmer had placed upon them. They all eventually found their way to the Followers of the Apocalypse, who would go on to find a way to remove the marks and help them discover their own unique talents. The rest wandered out into the wastes, lost without their prophet. They would form a raider band together, attempting to restart Our Town by foalnapping a large group of ponies from a nearby settlement. This action was met with force, and the Equality Raiders were quickly wiped out to the last…
Crossroads was attacked again during Operation: Cauterize, but the small Enclave force was not prepared for Spring Haze's fierce protection and fiery second form. Before they could send a larger group to take Crossroads, they were brought down by the Lightbringer. Crossroads then fell under NCR protection as they worked to begin rebuilding Vanhoover and clearing it of all threats. During this time, Spring Haze departed to parts unknown to find more of his kind, starting with the remnants of Stable 76.
Ruby worked as a barkeep at Crossroads, and eventually Vanhoover in general, for the rest of her days.
Stone Mane and his wife were sadly killed when the Enclave destroyed Friendship City, but Charm was taken to safety by a security officer and left an orphan. She later joined the Followers of the Apocalypse, working under the tutelage of Velvet Remedy and learning the ideology of kindness. One day, she hopes to do for somepony else what ponies like the Scavenger and the security officer did for her.
Star Paladin McRoar and Scribe Roll In would go on be among those in the Vanhoover Steel Rangers to join up with the Applejack's Rangers and Elder Steelhooves during the days following his meeting with the Scavenger. Most would be decimated in the civil war when the Enclave arrived, with the survivors splintering and becoming the 'Wolves' for-hire security for Stable 9 or, like McRoar and Roll In, join other chapters. They would serve the Applejack's Rangers diligently for many years to come.
Ditzy Doo would have a fated meeting with the Stable Dweller but a day after her meeting with Scrap Heap. They would become fast friends, the two sharing many adventures that included the bubbly ghoul adopting a child of her own. Upon learning the fate of the Scavenger, Ditzy was left feeling guilty of having sent him unknowingly to his doom, and yet a sense of pride as to what he accomplished before the end came.
Calamity’s story after the chance meeting with the Scavenger was one of heroics, heartbreak and love. His deeds with the Stable Dweller would be studied by historians in the eras to follow, a hero in his own right.
And so ends the story of the Scavenger. A pony who went from a mere lonely wanderer of the wastes to one who gave his life for the good of all, following the example of friends upon his doing so. His story would become overshadowed by that of other, more far-reaching heroes. But the hive would never forget, and his name would always be in the books of history if one were to look.
But even his contributions, and that of many others, could never change one inescapable truth. One I have observed again and again, through century after century. It is as constant as the Magic of Friendship itself, always at odds with it, always in an eternal struggle that could either bring the salvation of ponykind… Or its doom.
And that is War.
Because War Never Changes.
Footnote: Thank You for Playing!
Start new character?
Y/N
So this fic comes to an end! Thank you to those who stuck through my foray into the world of Fallout: Equestria. It's been a blast, I've enjoyed writing for these characters immensely. Hopefully, one day, we will return to the survivors again...
Until then! 
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Well that was interesting ending for sure, didn't expect so many casaulties
9558852
It's finally finished? Ooh lordy can't wait. Downside might be that there will be a lot of casualties
I wish I could say you nailed the ending, because this is one of the best FOE stories I've seen in a while. It encapsulated the universe perfectly; brutal, unforgiving, but maintaining that there is good still among the survivors.
Unfortunately, having the main character die, and stay dead, just follows the same predictable sad path of other stories of this genre. It seems to exist just because there needs to be sadness/an additional depressing twist, rather than a natural occurrence. It goes against the overarching theme of hope this story has consistently portrayed amidst the brutality of the wasteland, only offering a candle of positivity in the end of what was once a bonfire.
A fantastic and well-written story that, in this reader's regretful opinion, finished with whimper rather than a triumphant and hopeful chord in the end.
I wonder, what happens with Xena's colt? There is where hope truly lies for those who followed this story, imo,
9565842
I disagree. Scrap Heap died so others may live, so that the changelings could live to see their own reformation and the renewed world to come. Of course the sacrifice is meant to be tragic, but he went out making sure no one could repeat Kronos' efforts. More than that, as Xena discovered at the end, he has also helped bring new life before he did so.
The sequel, should it happen, will follow up on that in a post Gardens of Equestria world. Of course it's not the perfect outcome, but they always knew it might not be. It was a suicide mission from the start, and they were willing to take that risk. And take it they did,
Of course you may have your own interpretation, but that was the intent behind it. Whether it hit or not is in the eyes of the individual reader. I am glad, nevertheless, you enjoyed the story so much besides the ending.
9566181
Puppysmiles.
9566230
I can certainly see that side of it, to be sure. I suppose it just didn't come off that way to me that way. But it was fantastically written, so well done!
You're quite welcome; thank you for writing. :)
9566344
Fair enough. At least I created an interesting point of discussion.
See you around, and thanks for sticking with it!
Great story Tom I do hope you do a squeal it gives me FoE to read it would probably be GREAT as well
This story was wonderful! Thank you so much for writing it.
So what now? New story ideas?
It took me half a day to read this... there needs to be a sequel!!! It's that good!
9635812
Eh, I just have enough friends who know what they are talking about.
9641610
Meh, Different people have different preferences.
Of maybe I have a short attention span.
I don't know.
Thank you for writing this.
This was a great story, my only complaint would be how fast it wrapped up but perhaps I’m just a bit spoiled by the length of the original story. The ending is bittersweet and the opening for a sequel is interesting, although I’m not sure how it could be done. Hmm... thanks again for the story!
9749970
600k is a 'bit' larger than the average book. Or Project Horizons, longer than the Harry Potter series combined.
I'm happy with the length, it's my longest story as it is and is just shy of the longest of the Harry Potters. And a whole year writing this monster was enough for me.
9750611
9815839
I... think you forgot to type anything.
ok i gotta say, this story sums up next to horizons for me and thats my favorite FOE story ever! (not that Kkat's isnt as good cuz lets face it, i doubt any FOE stories would ever happened without her!) so congrats champ! id say this was a adventure to be seen by all that read, i wanted to ball my eyes at the end so badly but i held ferm! *cries internally*
looking forward to your work in the future champ ill see you around!
9908039
Do they come on GameCube?
Just kidding, although I do still play GameCube games, I am hopeing to get a game quality computer soon. . .ish.
9934642
No slaves were present and Cobalt would've taken Xena into account during the reprogramming.
Fantastic tale and I loved it. I read it last year and forgot to comment, but you're an artist of FoE storytelling.
Y! Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
10316878
A defence mechanism really, she was slow to trust others because of her own family issues and the fact that 'stripe' was the go-to slur most ponies tended to throw at her.
Just started rereading this and still hold up. Though alteix was most hera to breaking experience in hte story, I felt like someone I care don't about passed away. Real tear jerking moment. Still this a very good fic and enjoyed it. Does like that you had a Kirin in their, shame we don't have and foe without one as one main characters. Unless their is one and I haven't seen it yet. Anyways good job again, I can tell wait see what other FoE fics you do...in addition changeling stories lol
I liked the story overall, but that ending though. Their descent into Haven was a suicide mission, so there was little doubt that they wouldn't all make it back, but still, that's the highest proportion of the main cast I've seen die in any FOE story.
In my headcanon, Xena got a front-row view of the Remnant abandoning the Legate, and got to see him finally die. She could use that catharsis.
The main cast made a strong impression (except for Cobalt) in a short time. Scrap Heap's increasing sympathy and willingness to be a hero alongside Xena encouraging him along that path worked well. I doubt he would've become The Scavenger and set out to save Insidiis' hive if Xena hadn't been there to push in the direction of being a hero. The mission Insidiis offered him was a very tall order. The prospect of going into the wastes to fight Red Eye and Unity to save this stable he didn't even know existed until a couple weeks ago would have been a bit much for him to accept if he wasn't having serious doubts about what kind of person he wanted to be. Moon Blossom was fun and her dynamic with Altrix was cute, and Altrix herself was adorably innocent and probably my favorite. After going through her own mother's death, her sacrifice hits harder. There was also Sheriff Spring Haze, who is wonderful and my favorite minor character by far.
It's ironic, when led by Chrysalis, the changelings were in a constant state of conflict with ponies even during a time of peace and friendship. And now in the wasteland, and led by Insidiis, they're downright benign compared to how far most of pony civilization has fallen. In this harsh world, only now can they finally get a second chance at getting along with ponies. I wish we had gotten more time with Insidiis and the hive, I would have loved to hear more of how she came to be this way, so committed to making peace among ponies despite what her mother believed.
Another thing I should mention, is that often things just seem to happen really quickly. It's not typically a huge issue, but it's there. By the time I finished the ending and epilogue, I was asking myself "wait, it's actually over?". Another commenter pointed that it wrapped up quickly, like the story wanted to move on. I notice this more during action scenes. One moment a few slavers pop their heads up and in the next sentence or two they've all dropped dead. It's jarring sometimes.This was especially noticeable when Moon Blossom was killed. It took a little bit to register what had just happened.
I almost want to compare it to FOE: The Chrysalis, the other changeling FOE story I've read. Huge spoilers if you haven't read it. The difference between changelings in this story and The Chrysalis is like night and day. In this story, Chrysalis reluctantly sided with Equestria, and now her descendants can finally live among ponies in peace. When the changelings in Stable 84 finally left their stable, they were innocent and kind compared to the world around them and poorly equipped to handle the Wasteland. In The Chrysalis, no such alliance was formed, and a stable full of changelings grew vengeful over the decades, and with their abilities they proved to be an enormous threat to the safety and stability of the Wasteland at large, almost on par with Red Eye. Led by Insidiis, the changelings here are a bright spot of hope in post-apocalyptic Equestria, and in The Chrysalis, well, things go differently...
Anyway, good job with the story.
9680567
Murky Number Seven is the next best thing if an emotional gut punch is what you're looking for. It's one hell of a ride.
As I said when I started reading this, I've had my eye on this story for a long while now. I'm glad I finally got around to reading it and that it definitely did not disappoint. Though I do love the length of other FOE fics, I did enjoy how self contained this was. The story has clear direction from start to finish, something many FOE fics lose a little in the middle of the story.
This story had a very different ending than I was expecting, and I definitely hadn't predicted so many casualties, but I enjoyed the twists and turns of the final few chapters. I always enjoy when a story throws me for a loop I wasn't expecting.
This story was really good, and definitely stood out amongst the sea of other FOE stories. Wonderful work. I look forward to reading you other stories.
You had me loving this story until these last few chapters where you killed off characters has made me hate this , it’s incredibly cliche especially with so many dying and ruined what could have been a great ending.
11019611
Arguably, it would have been more cliche to have the hero save the day and live happily ever after. But this world is typically grimdark, so no such luck here.
It kinda hurt to kill some of these characters off, but it made sense narratively to what I wanted to achieve. That being that the final mission was a final suicide run for the sake of a group of innocents over their own lives, and the ultimate showcase of Scrap's change from a cowardly scavenger to a wasteland hero. Tragedy was a certainty.
Since most people have said what I would say about this story, I'll just say a few things.
1. My main praise of this story is that you wove later season events near seamlessly into the narrative - the changelings, that Kirin - one of my favourite minor/supporting characters - and especially Starlight Glimmer. Honestly, bar the Deus Ex Radscorpion, she and her cult are the highlight of the entire story, in my opinion.
You also weaved it throughout Littlepip's tale quite well as well. Just like her journey, it is hard to believe that it was so short.
It is both good and bad that "Fallout: Equestria" was written so very, very early into the series...there are so many missed opportunities, some of which I cannot see happening unless the side story author rewrote major parts of the pre-wasteland story. Hell, some have even done that.
On the subject of Spring Haze, Crossroads is my favourite location of the story.
Finally, I like that you had the guts to kill off most of your main cast, even the main protagonist (which is so rare in POV stories).
2. While I still find the idea of Chrysalis siding with Equestria, no matter how reluctant, to be absurd (especially the idea of her getting a PipBuck), I still like the portrayal of the changelings. Altrix's development from early-seasons Fluttershy to a brave little bug-horse (rather like Fluttershy herself) was wonderful to see. Normally, I dislike female characters like her (as I did early Fluttershy) but, again, there was the development. Her sacrifice was both sad and badass, as so few female characters get.
3. I like Scrap Heap's development from coward to hero as well. Both journeys are rather typical, but still enjoyable, especially as the latter ends in his death. Certainly, I prefer it when main characters die as swiftly and fruitlessly as minor ones, but poor Scarp was dead either way.
I will also add that unicorn stallions are rare as a protagonist of FoE, and having two in the one party (instead of making sure the party had one of every pony race/creature) was just nice to see.
I do think, as fitting as they would be for his thoughts at the time, the use of exclamation marks was rather overused, especially in combat scenes.
I'm also glad that he was not responsible for the death of a child, but rather witnessed it. It seems every FoE protagonist must go through that (though I do like stories where children are not magically safe from death).
Finally, I'm also glad that the final fight did not end up as the cliche "everyone else but the main hero(es) is incapasitated, captured or cheering, leaving everything to him/her/the two of them. It seemed like it was heading that way, with both Moon Blossom and Xena being down.
4. On the subject of Cobalt. I feel he was sadly underdeveloped. We don't learn very much about him or his past. I did enjoy his admiration for Twilight Sparkle (I wonder if he heard of her fate from DJ Pon3's broadcast?), and his skill with computers makes sense considering the situation. I'm glad that he remained a typical, haughty member of Tenpony Tower, but it still would have been nice to see him go from haughty up-his-own-arse elite to humbled friend.
5. As for Xena...I say she is my favourite character, honestly. I quite enjoyed her story with her brother. I hoped, just a little, that Xena could use the power of friendship and, like the Mane Six before her, convince him to come to her side...well, up until he revealed that he killed his own parents. I think Scrap's wee sneak attack sealed both his beliefs and his fate. I'm glad that Xena's last words to him were an expression of love.
I just wish we learned two things - why she did not believe the same as her family and why she changed her name. Though, I do think you implied it well, rather than outright stating it - to hide from the Remnants.
Her and Scrap's first meeting was fittingly realistic for the setting too (as in, Xena being cautious, incapacitating and questioning him). At least it did not end the same way as Littlepip and Monterey Jack.
The reasoning behind their first kiss was one I expected, but I still enjoy that situation happening (an argument leading to a kiss between two characters).
I'm glad you kept the sex to just before and after instead of needlessly inserting them all over the place like "Project Horizons" did.
I wonder how she deals with being a single mother, no doubt telling tales of her coltfriend and their friends. Well, at least she will have a good support system.
6. Now, for Moon Blossom. Oh, I really like her, her backstory, her personality, and her bravery and skills to face down multiple heavily armoured and gun-wielding foes with just a knife.
She is an interesting contrast to Calamity's gun-only, raider-hunter policy and combat style. Them both being defectors makes them more comparable. As much as I liked the little interaction between him and Scrap, I wish it had been these two who had interacted, but I think that might cut negatively into the continuity of FoE.
I like that she broke the pattern of joining the party in her introductory chapter too.
I just wish she had struggled with her raider desires more, rather than having most gotten over them by the time she meets up with the gang.
Her attachment to Artrix was lovely to see as well, and I had expected her reaction to her death would be big. I think she avenged her well.
As for the fight with Kronos...I like how...realistic it was, especially during Moon Blossom's attacks on the griffon. Her death was the saddest, I must say, but like Artrix before her, she did not die in vain.
Finally, her colouring combination/design is my favourite of the main group.
7. Speaking of Kronos, I like that the main villain was not a pony or zebra, and, despite his high-standing in Red Eye's army, he is a more down-to-earth main antagonist compared to the 'big five' side stories. Plus, a cybernetic griffon just sounds so cool.
8. I suppose the only characters I could say anything about are the three other featured changelings. It is a shame that Matercula's sacrifice was in vain, but I did have a feeling that it would be in vain due to the griffons and lamellicorns. I'm glad she received such proper burial, being such a good mother (both protective and treating her like an adult). If she had lived and Insidiis had no children, I'm sure she would have made a fine queen.
As for Insidiis herself, I cannot say much as others, especially Electric Grace, have covered that topic well enough. All I can say is I loved her lack of fear in the face of being experimented on. However, I really disliked that the hive was neutralized by sleeping gas - knocking out or sedating a character is such a lazy way of kidnapping/capturing a character. At least Xena's attack on Scrap and the gas to protect against Stable invaders made sense - especially as it lets the story skip the inbetween parts.
I suppose the final thing I could say is that, despite her actions, I pitied Chrysalis, even if I felt like her being controlled was karma for what she did to Shining Armour.
9. (Why could I not just end it at ten to make it an even, uniform number?) Finally, I have personal gripe - while I do not like that "Project Horizons" is taken as canon to this story, as implied above, you did well incorporating it, even in subtle ways like referencing the raider disease and Goddess pushing off negative emotions.
...Well, that turned out to be a lot longer than I thought it would be.
11143725
...
I looked for 2 secs and much of the story is already spoiled.... frick
11195870
You really should not look at reviews before reading a story, my friend.