Fallout: Equestria - Sunny Skies Reviews: Chapter 2 · 11:28pm Apr 16th, 2017
Video made by me.
You know with over 3000 Fallout: Equestria fics out there you'd think I wouldn't be re-visiting fics I already reviewed so much.
I kid of course, I'll be reviewing other fics of course, but its just more practical to do it like this. Which is why, once again we're reviewing a fic I reviewed awhile back, though this chapter according to the author himself isn't very good, but lets read this and make a decision for ourselves.
This week, I'll be looking at IMFoalishFace's Fallout: Equestria - Sunny Skies.
---Chapter 2: Starprancer---
We pick up the morning following the death of the Overmare of Stable 13 in chapter 1, and our hero isn't exactly in the best of shape either. Apparently her beam talisman had ruptured and was starting to poison her, and the filly Starprancer is going to have to operate on her, and then we get a scene of where Starprancer is cremating her mother's body.
After comforting the filly, Shadow tells her that they're going to have to leave the Stable because they can't run things in it with just the two of them, especially if it gets attacked again. And then she tells Starprancer that she's going to have to remove the Talisman, which the filly agrees to and they head further into the Stable so that she can get the job done now, but not before one small tribute to Starprancer's mother:
I got up and looked back at the incinerator giving my best salute. I didn’t really know any other way to express myself. Nebula Skater had worked to protect her ponies and as far as I’m concerned there is no goal more honorable; she had died a good mare.
Rest in peace Nebula Skater.
They go to the PipBuck Repair Stall since the medical bay is badly damaged, and the filly starts to get to work on removing the talisman after Shadow assures her that she'll be okay. It also occurs to her at this point that she was having to rely on a filly to perform dangerous surgery, but she doesn't really have a choice at this point.
I'm not going to comment on this next part since its just the surgery itself, I'm not a Doctor and the only Doctor I actually know isn't a Surgeon (or a veterinarian for that matter) so I have no idea if this next part is accurate, but if for some reason someone who does know these things wants to say something on the matter, feel free to read it and get back to me.
However we do get a Littlepip style bit of cursing when she realizes that it was probably not a good idea to do this while she's still awake, and wishing that she had some alcohol right now.
Video Belongs to Fox
Wow I haven't made a Simpsons reference in awhile have I?
Star seems to be doing okay at least, probably Shadow is doing a lot worse than she is because she's really nervous. And then there's the sound of a zap when electricity starts to arc across her chest, and Shadow starts to panic but Star calms her down so that she can finish the work and she finally gets the damaged talisman out and Starprancer fixes her up and gives her a healing potion before going to clean up.
Shadow thanks Starprancer for healing her which gets a smile from the filly for the first time. They head up to the Stable's top level where Star goes to her quarters in order to get her gear together and Shadow goes into the Security Wing in order to get some equipment... and we get, this kind of strange bit of dialogue:
Going nude hadn’t really been socially acceptable when I was put in stasis (the world had gotten so weird), the way Star blushed and averted her eyes when she looked at me indicated that not much had changed. It was also not advisable to wear a birthday suit in snow.
Just for fun, lets compare that to one of my favorite lines from Project Horizons:
“Just no Sanguine,” I repeated. She sighed, then nodded against me, and I smiled. “And bring my PipBuck back. I feel naked without it.”
“Uhhh, Blackjack, I’m not sure how to tell you this, but we don’t normally wear clothes.”
Geez, exactly how jaded did Equestria become in this version of Fallout: Equestria when even the usual lack of clothes in Equestria is now being frowned upon? Or does that only apply to certain ponies?
Anyway, random jokes aside, Shadow finds some Stable Security Barding that is made for survival in the area around the Stable, so that does make sense at least. Starprancer comments on the outfit, but she points out that it beats being shot or having to deal with hypothermia, which is a fair point. Star also points out that a lot of ponies on the surface aren't very fond of Pegasi... I can't possibly imagine why that would be a thing, I mean they're just a bunch of isolationist jerks.
When she questions why Star called her a Manticore, she then realized there is actually a passing resemblance because of all the equipment she has including a stinger tail. After picking up her equipment and a Rainbow Dash statuette, Star is surprised to learn that Shadow had been one of the first Shadowbolts, she finds a pin that she decides to bring along as a memento of her old life. Shadow was definitely decorated in the war, which is a nice bit of characterization for our hero.
They leave the Stable which is constructed under the Shining Armor Memorial Hospital, one of the most advanced hospitals in Equestria, though they don't explain what happened to Shining Armor at this point. But that's not all we get at this point, because it seems that there are also Snyths.
Oh yay, this is going to also have Synths... that doesn't exactly dissuade any comparisons to Fallout 4 you know?
Star asks Shadow the obvious question, what are they going to do now? Shadow says that because its too cold they're going to have to head south into a more temperate area. She also says that she's going to have to leave Star with other ponies once she can find some that will take care of her, and Star of course doesn't like the idea and asks why, to which she says that its all top secret and that the filly should trust her.
They decide to start heading south along the metro and then the rail lines so they can reach the heartland. Shadow actually seems to regret the idea because she had promised Star's mother that she'd take care of her. Then we get a whole group of propaganda posters, and just because I like one of the lines (which will be in bold), I'll post them anyway:
Star nodded and we both moved to different sides of the massive hallways. The walls were covered in countless posters all preaching about the war. “Better wiped then striped.” “Victory! Just a wing beat away.” “Knowledge is power.” “Keeping Equestria safe.” “We must do better.” “Pinkie Pie is watching you FOREVER!” (still makes my skin crawl)“Restore Harmony” “Know your enemy!” “Secure your future-Today!” Join a ministry. Join the Army. Join the Navy. Join the Skyguard. Become a Steel Ranger. Gawk in awe at the Shadowbolts. Watch out for Zebras. Secure your place in a Stable-Tec Stable. Drink Sparkle Cola, damn it!
I'm really glad that Shadow agrees with me about those creepy posters.
Anyway they find the route they need to take along the Metro to get to the train station, and Star asks her about the posters themselves, commenting that pre-war ponies were silly. They reach the large domed station, briefly wondering whether or not the third rail is still electrified, not exactly something that I don't think I'd want to test out, but that's just me, which it isn't so... umm, yeah, they start following it out of the city.
Though since they do say the lights are on, I do kind of have to wonder why there isn't power to the Third Rail, but that's just me.
They start moving along the tracks to head along the tracks like I said and they get a glimpse of a large number of marks on the EFS. Its not really clear exactly what they've found other than about 50 ponies of some sort, Ghouls maybe? Anyway, they attack our heroes and they fight them off, some of the Ghouls jumping on Shadow and starting to bite at her unable to get through her barding.
When the Ghouls are stopped and she's in bad shape with the blood burning her, so yeah, things are going about as well as you can expect in this situation. Shadow also realizes that Ghouls are probably organized. They keep moving through the tunnels fighting as they do, they managed to fight through as Star begs her to stop running because she's hurt, and the chapter ends with her falling in the snow.
---Final Thoughts---
This chapter is... actually not too bad.
Yeah its not perfect because other than leaving the Stable and setting a goal, it doesn't actually do much to progress the plot, but it does do well to do character development for Shadow and Star. Yeah, its not perfect, but as far as chapters go, its pretty good.
I'll of course be reviewing this again at some point, its a good story.
Chapter 2 gets a score of 4/5.
Fallout: Equestria belongs to KKat.
Fallout: Equestria - Sunny Skies belongs to IMFoalishFace.
Next week, we review a fic that, well actually had a name change since last time I review it, just in case you needed to be reminded.
Video made by me.
I see what you did there my clever friend.
4499018 Heh, yeah... really its hard to come up with previews for next week's review every week to the point where we get stuff like Project Horizons and I'm like, "I have no idea what to say here so I'll just say it."
thank you
4499040 You're welcome.