“Good morning Sprite.” He merely turned to face me and gave a small beep. After a hasty breakfast of canned corn, I donned my gear and headed out. After a few peaceful hours, I heard a faint growl. Through the sandstorm I could barely make out the unmistakable outline of a hell hound but several times bigger and even more dangerous.
Great, as if this place hasn’t thrown enough at me already. Maybe I could take it out at a distance. I carefully took aim at its head with S.T.A.T.S. and fired. BANG! The shot merely grazed its skull. It let out a fierce roar of pain and charged straight toward me.
I slipped into S.T.A.T.S. again and sent shot after shot into its massive body. Sprite’s lasers found their mark. It stubbornly refused to fall despite its severe injuries. “WHY WON'T YOU JUST DIE?” It responded with a swipe of its massive claws intending to rend me in two. I jumped backward to dodge the blow, but it wasn’t enough. The claws tore through my barding and shoulder propelling me back several feet.
A cry of anguish escaped past my muzzle. It stalked toward me, with murder in its eyes. Come on, get up. My legs refuse to obey. I can’t let end here. Not when I’m so close. It raised its mighty paw and aimed right at my head. At the last possible second, I parried the blow with my sword, but the blade shattered.
I’m going to die alone in place where no pony will find my body. I didn’t expect it to end this way. My eyes closed, and I waited for the blow to descend. ZAP! ZAP! I looked up and was surprised to see the hell hound turn into a smoldering ash pile with Sprite hovering over me.
“You saved my life Sprite. Thank you.” I fished my last healing potion from my bags and drank it. A sigh of relief left me as the pain began to recede. A few minutes later I felt well enough to stand. I examined my barding and saw it was completely shredded. I tossed it aside and hoped that it wouldn't be needed.
“Let’s go Sprite.” We pushed on forward using the tracks as guidance. At the end of them loomed the entrance to a canyon. Further down and barely visible was an entrance to a base. That must be the place. Hurricane is waiting inside. Now I can finally get the answers I’ve craved.
“We meet again Bright.” Hurricane sounded genuinely surprised. “It's impressive that you made it this far.”
“I must be tougher then you're willing to give me credit for.” I gestured to Sprite. “Plus, it didn’t hurt that he helped.” I decided to cut to the case. “Now that I’m here, you’re going to give me the answers you promised.”
“No.”
My eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”
“I said no. That so called 'promise' was just a ploy to convince you to bring that bot here. It carries the military codes that I require for my plan.”
“That’s not going to happen. All I need to do is not bring Sprite to you, and your so-called plan will fail.”
“Oh really?” His voice was thick with contempt. "I've already planned for that. You see, now that it’s so close, I can return him to me by force. Override code: Sigma, Two, Alpha, Five. Sprite bot return to base immediately.” Sprite instantly flew away from me toward the base.
“No wait! Defy him!” He didn’t respond. “Sprite don’t leave! Not after all we’ve been together!” He continued onward oblivious to my passionate pleas. “Please come back.” I collapsed to the ground and wept hysterically. “Don’t leave me alone.”
How could this happen? Why did this happen? Have I been though all this for nothing? What do I do now? I just lied on the ground weeping, oblivious to the world.
After what seemed like an eternity I got back up. My sorrow was burned away by fury. So, he thinks he can just lure me here with false promises just for his own little schemes? Pull my strings like some puppet? Well, he’s dead wrong. I’m going in there and getting both answers and Sprite. Goddess help whatever gets in my way.
I galloped forward fueled by my fury. Creatures stood in my path. They think they can stop me. Cute. They all fell before my shotgun. I tore though the canyon like a thunderstorm. Nothing can stop me now.
A message was scrawled across the base’s entrance. Go home Bright. Yeah, not happening. I bucked the door open and bellowed, “HURRICANE! I’M COMING FOR YOU!”
I charged through the base seeing red. He will pay dearly for what he did. How should he die? Slowly or quickly? Gun or my bare hooves? No. I need to get answers first. He owes me that much. Then he can die.
A soft beeping snaps me out of my trance. I look up to find myself in a room with Sprite hovering in a storage tube. “Sprite! Is that you? Hold on, I’ll get you out of there.”
The adjacent terminal was encrypted, but after a few tries I retrieved the password. Open tube: Yes/No? I selected yes and released Sprite from storage. The welcome sight of him turned my fierce rage to concern. “Are you okay boy? He didn’t hurt you, did he?” I gave him a comprehensive look over. “Everything looks fine. Now, we need to take care of Hurricane.”
The quite journey gave me time to further cool my rage. I may not kill him; I decided, but he still owes me answers after all he put me through.
An enormous room stood in front of me. Inside floated several pulsing green spheres. At the far end of the room, a pegasus with a brown coat and a blue mane stared at me. A brown leather duster covered most of him while a gas mask obstructed most of his face. A pair of Sprite bots hovered next to him.
“So, you came Bright. I had hoped you would. I take it you're here for your answers.”
“You’re damn right I do.” I felt my rage begin to resurface, but I pushed it back down. “After having to drag myself though this goddess forsaken place, fight all those creatures, and to top it all off-" I paused to take a breath. "You used me! So yeah, I want some answers.”
“You don’t recognize me, do you?”
“No, it's difficult to do with that mask.”
“Fair enough.” Hurricane carefully removed his mask, and I beheld his green, dead looking eyes. Why do they look so fami-?
Instantly, all my forgotten memories of the past came flooding back to me. How I found Hurricane wandering the waste after he went dashite. All the times he defended me while I scavenged. And most importantly why I forgotten them in the first place. I had inadvertently sent off a balefire bomb killing him and turned this place into a death trap.
“No. No, it can’t be.” I took a step backwards. “Swift Bolt. I, I thought you were gone. You perished here years ago. I saw it!”
He merely gave a small smile. “So, you finally remembered. No, I didn't die, but the balefire you unleashed scorched me. I should have perished but was saved by the two bots you see before me.”
“Why didn’t you come back? Why did you let me think you were dead Swift?”
“Because in that balefire I discovered something. An answer to all the problems that the wasteland and Enclave face. Here in this balefire chamber I have the power to annihilate them both. So I guess I should thank you for that.”
My eyes went wide with horror. “Why would you do that? I know you left the Enclave because you were disillusioned with them but the wasteland? You actually thought there was something worth fighting for."
“All this time wandering the wastes and you still can’t see it, can you? The wasteland. The Enclave. The NCR. None of them can last. By destroying them all I’ll wipe the slate clean. The remaining survivors will be naturally forced to band together. They will establish a new nation. A nation that will thrive and last for generations to come.”
He’s deranged. This isn’t the same Swift Bolt that supported me in the wastes. The pony who constantly had my back. I must stop him. But how? I don’t have a hope of killing him. I’m unarmored and outnumbered. Not to mention he’s always been the better fighter. There's only one chance. A slim one, but it's all I got.
“That’s not going to work.”
Genuine surprise flashed across his face. “Why would you say that?”
“Even if you manage to eliminate everything, what makes you so sure that ponies will establish this new nation you speak of?”
“Simple. I will direct them. Once the ashes settle, I will emerge triumphantly as their charismatic leader and savior. Under my watchful eye they will rebuild. There will be no more raiders, no more suffering ponies. All will prosper.”
“What makes you so sure they’ll follow you? Even if you convince them, there’s no guarantee that everything will end up the way you want them to. Ponies will come up with ideas of their own. Ideas that will different from yours, perhaps even better.”
A look of uncertainty flashed across his face. “I’ll convince them.”
He doubts himself. Now's my chance. “Precisely how do you plan to do that?
“I’ll show them that this is the only way. That all other paths will invariably lead to ruin.”
“That’s where you’re wrong Swift. There’s another way. Don’t you remember all the times we worked together? Our teamwork helped bring prosperity to New Applelossa. To the wasteland. With enough teamwork ponies can establish this nation you speak of." I walked slowly toward him and gave him a big hug. "Please, for the sake of all we’ve done together, give the wasteland a second chance."
Swift returned the hug and wept. “You’re right Bright. But it doesn’t matter. I’ve already used the launch codes from your sprite bot to activate the mega spells. Plus, I’ve lured those creatures to slay us. It’s too late.”
“No, it’s not.” I broke apart and looked at him. “If we fight together, we’ll make it out of this. Help me one last time.”
Swift nodded and strapped on his mask and old power hooves. “Alright. For old times’ sake.”
We didn’t have to wait for long. Out of the hall spilled nearly a dozen of the skinned ponies. Swift spread his wings leaped onto the nearest one and proceed to cave its skull in two blows. I followed up with an SA.T.S. guided shot into mine. Sprite opened fire on his.
What followed was a blur of action. One by they fell. We fought fiercely until we couldn't fight anymore. Before we knew it all of them lie dead at our hooves.
“Well that was fun,” I quipped. “Just like old times, eh Swift.” No response. “Swift?” I looked around and saw him lying unconscious on the cold ground with numerous wounds across his body. His power hooves lie broken next to him.
“Swift!” I rushed over to him. “Swift wake up!” No not now! Not when we’re so close. I looked through my saddlebags for a healing potion. None. I must have something else that can help. My hoof touched the lone vial of hydra.
Under any other circumstance I wouldn’t have dared use it, but my best friend’s life was in danger. I injected the brown muck into him and waited. After what felt like minutes but was probably only seconds Swift gave a small cough.
“Ow, what hit me?”
“Swift you’re alive!”
“I am. Too bad it won’t mean anything." He gestured to a nearby console. ‘The balefire will hit its targets in matter of minutes, and there’s no way to stop them.”
“Have you forgotten I have some skill with electronics? I’m sure I can find a way to stop them.”
“Normally I’d agree, but there’s military grade encryption on it. I was only able to use it thanks to the codes from Sprite.”
My face fell in response. “Then I guess we’ll have to remain here. At least we have each other.” Sprite floated up to the console. “Sprite, what are you doing?” He gave no response but shot a bolt of lightning at it. “Sprite stop! You could hurt yourself.” He shot bolt after bolt into the console until he fell onto the ground.
“What did he do?” yelled Swift.
I carefully examined it. “Looks like he somehow hacked it. You want the good news or bad news first?”
“Good news.”
“All right. The good news is that the balefire won’t be hitting where you commanded it to.”
“And what’s the bad news?”
“The bad news is it’s going to hit here instead. Run!”
It was a frantic dash toward the exit. I was galloping like mad, while Swift flew fast as he could. Neither of us stopped until we were well away from the base.
From behind us, came the sound of a massive explosion. We turned around in time to see a massive green mushroom cloud eagerly consume the base we escaped from. I collapsed on the ground and started laughing hysterically. Laughing at the absurdity of the situation. Laughing with relief. And laughing so I didn’t have to experience the grief of losing Sprite.
“Uh Bright?” I continued to laugh. “Wasteland to Bright? Hey Bright!”
I stopped laughing. “What?”
“You ok?”
I stood up and replied, “Yeah I’ll be okay. Let’s go home.”