Fallout Equestria: Surviving Light Review: Prologue · 3:03am Nov 7th, 2016
Made by Connor Bensley
When I started making these reviews, I wanted to approach it in a different direction than just focusing on KKat and Somber, I wanted to ensure that I gave everyone in the fandom equal attention. That's why for my second review I decided to focus my attention on the fanfiction Fallout Equestria: Surviving Light by FaultyScrewdriver, I'm friends with the writer, but I wanted to try and make sure that I was fair and make sure that everyone gets equal attention.
This is a well done fanfic in its own regard and it really doesn't get enough attention than it deserves. My fanfics also exist in the same continuity, so here and there in the story and mine there are references to each other. So, without further ado, lets get it all started with the prologue.
---Prologue: Life in Stable 81; The Solution to a Problem---
"Come on, Vanilla Cream. Just think. Think!" I said to myself.
First line of the fanfic (excluding the obligatory "War, war never changes" line) and the main character is already tackling problems, that's gotta be a record, usually takes main characters most of the chapter to think about solutions.
This introduces us to the protagonist of the fanfic Vanilla Cream, she's a Unicorn living in Stable 81 that works on repairs, and she's been tasked with fixing the water purification system for the Stable. And of course since we can't just leave the Stable and get a new one, Vanilla has to think of an actual solution.
Possible point to the Vault 13 Overseer depending on how you look at it.
Vanilla isn't exactly thrilled at her own inability to figure out a solution, throwing metal against the walls of the Stable. She's been going through metal materials to try and figure out which would be to solve their water purification solution. The idea of using lead occurs to her finally, but she realizes that she can't use the Stable walls because they're too important.
Yes, lead, use a toxic element to fix a water purifier, why where you put in charge of this again?
Anyway after this Vanilla receives a message from her younger sister Butterscotch Candy saying that she was asked to bring spare metal up to her, its, very enthusiastic. This also leads to a bit of a self deprecating moment on Vanilla's part when she regards her sister as more beautiful than herself, and going into description of both herself and her sister.
This brings an interesting trait to Vanilla that I haven't yet played with, she's a Cyberpony. She was badly injured as a filly in an accident that killed her father and because her Stable was built for technological advancement, her spine was reconstructed by Fix Ser, and she later has a pair of wings attached. This is an interesting idea for a Stable, as Vanilla herself puts it:
And the only reason they work, is because of the goal of Stable 81. We combined earth pony engineering with unicorn magic, to create machines that shouldn't theoretically be possible.
Of course the problem there is that Stable-Tec didn't give them enough spare metal to last the 200 years that its been since the megaspells went off, whoops.
So Butterscotch comes and gives her the supplies, this also establishes a part of Butterscotch's character, that she's weaker in magic than most Unicorns and is a lot more physically strong than most mares, this is a characterization you don't normally see in MLP, which reminds me a bit of the idea of Scootaloo being unable to fly because of magic.
So the two sisters take a break and we get your usual small talk, learning a little more about their every day lives in the Stable. And after an off handed (or off hoofed) comment about the Stable Door, we get this bit of genius from Vanilla:
"The Stable has never been breached. Which means the door is incredibly strong. And durable. We can use the door to fix the purifier. Oh, it's genius!"
Yes, the Stable Door, the thing that not only keeps ponies from leaving, it also keeps your Stable from being overrun by the horrors of the wasteland outside, its genius! For a smart pony, you can sure do some dumb things Vanilla.
Of course the Overmare is about as thrilled with this idea as you'd expect the Overmare to be when a pony suggests something like this. But she acknowledges that this will be probably the best way to do this, so she agrees to it reluctantly, telling Vanilla that she better be sure about this.
So we get a bit more character for Vanilla and her sister, mentioning that their mother had died of cancer the year before.
So after getting it all set up, and one of Vanilla's co-workers hit on her unsuccessfully, we get this line:
Finally. The Stable wouldn't have any problems for a long time.
Yeah, way to not test fate Vanilla, but we'll see how that goes next time.
--Final Thoughts---
Okay, I snarked a lot on this prologue, but in all seriousness I loved it. It set up Vanilla's Character and her backstory with Stable 81, the idea of the Water Purification system failing is similar to Vault 13 of course, but providing a solution is more unique than just going out and trying to find a new one like in the original Fallout game. The thing of course is that her plan was to use the Stable door, but I will give the author credit for creativity.
I highly recommend this fanfic, and give the prologue a score of 4 out of 5.
Fallout: Equestria belongs to KKat, all credit goes to them.
Fallout Equestria: Surviving Light belongs to FaultyScrewdriver, all credit goes to him.
What will I be doing next? I have no idea.
Made by Miracle of Sound.
1. Whose your favorite Fallout Equestria Character?
2.I've only gotten 10 chapters in XD. And to think i've already taken a liking to 2 characters.
Ok to be fair that's not a bad idea in theory at least.
The lead would trap the radiation in the tank of water but you'd have to make a lead coffee filter (putting it in basic) so water could still flow through and have magic that could allow said filter to separate any toxic feedback from the lead off from the water that's already (hypothetically) cleared of radiation. However while the stable door would be the most concentrated and refined source of lead it wouldn't warrant ripping it out and allowing outside radiation/outside threats in.
4288657 Fair enough, they definitely would have a way around the toxicity, but I had to snark it a bit.
4288629 I'd say LittlePip definitely.