FO:E Let's Read: Chapter 4: Perspective

So now Littlepip is out on her own and her adventure begins. We've had the massive shock of seeing just how far Equestria has fallen, the state things are in, seen Ponyville desecrated, set up some ongoing mysteries, both about the past what happened, why, what's going on with Big Mac sacrificing himself? As well as the present, who is this 'Watcher' why is he helping Littlepip? Are there places out there with good ponies still? But now she is out there, roaming the Wastes and ready for anything that can be thrown at her. Time to see just what that is.

It turns out to be nearly getting her flank vaporized by robots. We start In Medias Res, Lil'pip was taking the advice of her new book, and checking out an abandoned building, only to end up getting trapped by the robots guarding the place. But not just robots, brain-bots. A nod to a standard Fallout robot, and yet, I'm with Lil'pip, I really REALLY can't see ponies doing that even to animals, it just, it makes no sense at all. Add in that this is the only time this particular type of robot shows up easier to just, kind of write this off as an early mistake. While most of the things ponies make fits well into how things are shown, in the world. This idea is just, a bit to morbid and bizarre even for them. Doubly so given how little we see Equestrian's using robots at all. Some yes, but what little we find out paints it more as Zebra thing. If the story really wanted to add in Brain-Bots, might have made more sense to have them come from there, some Zebra weapon, rather then something ponies built because... yeah just does not feel right at all. But like I said, early chapter one off that never shows up again, so letting it slide. Still disturbing though.

Though during her escape Lil'pip does end up learning how to self levitate, which the ability for a unicorn to do so is now canon, so, nice job there. Though she can only do it for a few seconds right now, and it takes a lot of effort. More just reducing her weight to negligible while walking then anything else. We also get the first of Lil'pip's soon to be infamous through out the Wasteland, borderline blasphemous, let oh so amusing vulgarities. They are a YMMV issue, but yeah I love them. A few might not work well, but so many really do.

Once she's safe and ha time to search we get some more hints at the mystery of the war, a propaganda poster that seems to declare the Zebras as the enemy. As well as a message from AJ to Breaburn, who seemed to be the pony in charge of this factory, asking to try and patch things up after some falling out they had had. As well as Lil'pip's jaunt into the factory paying off for our kleptomaniacal heroine, money, ammo, a new book, a stealth buck, and what will pretty much become her go to and most preferred, and signature weapon, Lil'Macintosh

Following her getting out of the factory without dealing with more robots we get a bit of introspection in a playground blasted by the balefire, and an introduction to another ponified Fallout stable, Sparkle Cola, which seems to be carrot flavored.......

Her musing is interrupted by another visit from Watcher, getting some more backstory hints regarding the first info about the Ministries, as well as a funny, and yet creepy and reoccurring bit about Pinkie Pie watching you. FOREVER! Followed by some exposition about the Mane 6, without ever naming them, the virtues associated with the Elements of Harmony, and about virtues as a whole, which is something that is a constant, steady and important theme through out the fic, though it's played low key enough that this little speech doesn't immediately nail you with that, simply putting info out there that only latter do you see how important it will be.

This is then followed immediately by our first introduction to the major antagonist for most of the story, Red Eye, though we don't learn his name till later or how big a deal he'll be. His little speech, is hard for me to get a read on given what I know of him from later in the story, and dissecting it would take to long and have way to many spoilers for his early in the story. Though Lil'pip, still a bit naive about life outside the Stable, takes the weird voice on the flying radio at his word and thinks that he is the leader of the ponies in the Wastelands, heh, heheh, hehehehehehehehehe.

More random looting, and it's becoming apparent already, and will get more so as the story goes on, that every locked box in the Wasteland is simply waiting for Lil'pip to come and unlock. Given how much focus it took her to learn, and the fact she spent years doing it before this, her being that damn good isn't an issue, but does raise a bit of fridge logic about why more of those hadn't been opened, some of them had valuable enough stuff inside, and had to be flimsy enough that the lock could have been forced. Massive gun locker or safe, sure. But you can't tell me medical boxes wouldn't be easy enough to pry open without unlocking. But minor quibble now. It also shows us the magical cure-all of healing potions, the FOE version of Stimpacks, though the FOE version is actually much much more feasible that it can heal your wounds instantly, given magic you know. As a side note, while the limits placed on them is never given, just a "Drink this and live" type deal, most side-fics do place limits on them which is good. Even in FOE we never really get told they are some kind of ultimate panacea and see several times where it takes more then just one of them to recover. From what we've seen, they only appear to be good for soft tissue injuries. Quickly healing and repairing physical damage to those, but more massive stuff, like say fully destroyed organs, shattered bones etc.... no luck. Something like this really needs limits. Sure in the game they just heal you no matter what, but story wise, that just does not work so well. Some more concrete limits to what they could do would have been nice, but they are used in a way that doesn't break things narrative wise at least, and giving enough hints there are limits, we just don't see them or get them explained. Also one more tiny little find, a tin of Mint-als. Those will certainly NEVER be important to this story at all...

Enter the aptly named Calamity, putting a few holes in our heroine, because of some mistaken identity, but even with a pegasus she knows she can't take, who could easily finish her off, she forces herself to walk on wounded, bleeding legs to try and at least give the caravan of ponies a warning, try and buy them some time. Once again showing the type of mare she is, one who will do ANYTHING to protect innocent ponies, no matter what it costs her.

The fact that Lil'pip is almost killed simply because some pony thought she looked like trouble will be a theme that weaves through her development and her story, but we'll talk about them when they occur, spoilers.

Perk Time, and even MORE skill points for our heroine, though still not the best move, since you should take that one as your first talent if your going to use it, get the most benefit out of it.

Alright this chapter, the first half really isn't anything special, just her doing a little exploring and a very Fallout-feeling few scenes, that beyond her finding Lil'Macintosh, don't seem to have any bearing on the story and are promptly forgotten. At least for now. The second half, has some good stuff, and it's only on the re-read that I notice something amazing. (get to that in a second) More deepening of the mystery of pre-war Equestria, what are the Ministries? Why is Pinkie on a poster for one? what did Watcher mean "Another well-meaning idea that was so much better on scroll"? And then some present mystery, who was that other voice on the Spritebot? what did he mean? (I never thought he was the leader Lil'pip thought he was, i figured he was just some nut job talking big with maybe a small group of followers) and finally introducing Calamity, through nearly killing Lil'pip.

This chapter is the first that doesn't seem to be quite so straight forward. "Perspective"? The word is simple enough, but doesn't immediately tie into thing. But on looking back, it does work. Littlepip getting ehr first persepcitve on the larger world, getting some background about things like Virtues that understanding will be a core part of her journey. But also the ending is where it really plays in. Since from Calamity's (Oh that name is going to be so damn weird to keep using after playing so much Breath of the Wild) perspective, Littlepip looked like a raider, like a threat. Another rather vital aspect of the story brought up rather early and sneakily. The idea of how things look from others perspective. How nopony is the villain in their own story, they all see themselves as the hero, one ponies hero is another's villain etc... so, nice bit of build up for that.

Now the big thing I only noticed now, debated whether to put it hear but it fits best WARNING: ending spoilers if for some odd reason you are reading along at the same time rather then after having already finished the story.

The fact that the introduction of the idea of Virtues, which is treated as just an off hoof comment by Watcher more or less, with Lil'pip just shrugging it off, and then the chapter ends, pretty much showing us exactly what her virtue is, even if she doesn't realize it. Without being blatant about it. She was already ready to die, excepted it, but the instant she saw other ponies in trouble, she ignored her only hope of surviving, walking on bullet filled legs, agony all the way, to try and possibly aid them, to throw herself in front of the bullets for them to warn them, give them a chance, knowing she couldn't win the fight, she would rather die doing her best to save others then just hide and try to survive. Wiling to Sacrifice herself for total strangers, just to give them a chance. THAT is the kind of pony Littlepip is.

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