//------------------------------//
// Oct. 2014 project - Fallout:Equestria No God Below - Intro 
// Story: RoMS' Extravaganza 
// by RoMS 
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α₹҉₸₫ µ₢₰₣₮ћꜚ ⱴ ћ Ω₸῁ ὦ ћꜚ₮ ћ‽ꜗ₮₫₸῁ ћ β₮₹ꜚ ћ‽₢₫ µ₣₮ ᶋ


“Hatred is universal. Not because it is a necessary evil but because we deserved to suffer its wrath. We opened the door of our home to anger and destruction. In doing so it destroyed everything we had. Even drowning despair, we never kicked it out of our rubbles. We just let it conduct our lives.

The Wasteland has been home to hatred for far too long. We need to build our home again, that very home we have always dreamt of every Luna’s beautiful nights. We thrive for that home once called Equestria. Only the future will unravel if we do deserve a second chance. For us to catch that opportunity, we must do better.

I only have one word. Rebuild. We need ponies to go, wander, and spread the NCR’s and the Followers’ common voice. We need to find new allies, whether they are builders, savants, leaders, ponies or other races that will gladly join us and share our project: A project of hope. If we show kindness, maybe they will be ready to join us.

To bring back the home we all wish for, I just need volunteers. What I’m offering you is a purpose without hatred, without fear, without shackles. And in the end, it will forever be your personal accomplishment.”

It had all started like this: an offer that tasted like redemption, a hope for a better future… an opportunity to fly away at least for a few months from the harsh reality the Equestrian Wasteland still was. Many times I had heard about the mythical Gardens of Equestria. But the hope had grown weary for the elements of harmony were still awaited ten years after the sky had been cleared.

The buttery yellow Pegasus’s pink and grey curly mane swung as she spoke with a silk-like voice. In the pouring light from many spotlights with the promiscuous feeling oozing from a theatre bathing in the heat of its own stacked-in crowd, trickles of sweat rolled down her brow. Standing in that overcrowded theatre, Fluttershy’s mane and fur reflected that light. She was our beacon, piercing through the darkness in our hearts and our minds, obliterating our doubts. She stood forth in front of her microphone.

“We found an old warship, the HMS Canterlot. We patched it up and gave him a mission: a mission that won’t be fulfilled without its future crew. That mission, my friends, is to find survivors abroad. Survivors that desire to join the NCR and make the travel back to Equestria. If they want it of course. I- I wouldn’t mind if they refuse. It’s because of u… me that this mess happened.”

My throat tightened in a knot. I was new in the NCR and, at the time, I was very young. But like everypony, I had heard tales about Fluttershy. We all knew how old she was, and, of course, what she had done. It was hard to believe to be honest but I once talked to her. She had told me the truth. I remember I cried at her hooves. I had cried out of rage, disgust, pity, shame, and maybe compassion.

The Minister of Peace hung her head low and rubbed one forehoof over the other. At that point, Velvet Remedy made an entrance and walked slowly towards her friend. The charcoal Unicorn said words we never heard then hugged the Pegasus. They both smiled and let out a shared and long breath. With a radiant smile that made our fears and stress vanish, Fluttershy swept the sweat off her cheek. I wasn’t the only pony to see her hooves shake. She inhaled and drew a long breath while a tear rolled down her cheek. Her voice broke the silence that had eerily took hold of the audience without us noticing.

“The first mission of the HMS Canterlot will be to reach the Saddle. For those who don’t know, Saddle Arabia is… was a small nation that once sided with Equestria. The Saddle has… had a common border with the Zebra Empire. For that reason among many others, Roam was close to the border, Saddle Arabia preferred joining the Zebras despite our treaties with them. They chose a security that in the end defaulted everybody,” she said without second thoughts.

The crowd became louder. Hooves clattered on the parquet polished by hooves and time and hit-chats grew noisier. Fluttershy softly thumped her hoof on the wooden stage asking ponies to pay heed.

“Past is the past, friends. If they are survivors, we will offer them the trip to Equestria.” Her eyes dropped and she nibbled her lower lip. “But I have not much hope for survivors. The Saddle was already a barren land even before the Balefire struck. Be gentle if you find survivors. You are NCR ambassadors… bringers of hope. Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not lie. Please. This mission has another purpose. One as pressing as helping survivors. We must find technology to bring back to Equestria. To help rebuilding. Otherwise… I don’t know.”

Whispers travelled across the crowd and I heard doubts, questions, and fear express themselves openly.

“Awfully sounds like old time rangers, I’m out of that fucked up shit!” A random pony growled as the dim gained momentum.

“Please,” she intoned softly. “Pretty please.”

Some guard ponies made sure some agitated ponies stay in line. Fluttershy took a step back and looked down in defeat. Miss Remedy urged for silence as she tapped on the microphone. A hoof suddenly raised in the air and went high enough that more than a few heads turned and watched.

“I have a question!” a red mare boomed after she pushed her midnight blue mane from her crimson face.

The crowd fell silent and eyes riveted on her.

“What’s the topic of your worries?” Fluttershy mumbled, too far away from the microphone to reverberate her voice.

“Why are you throwing so many ponies, caps, and resources at this mission? To me it seems a bit overkill.”

Ponies agreed and Fluttershy nodded. The question sounded indeed key to me. Fluttershy walked back to the microphone and cleared her voice with a hint of a warm smile drawn on her face.

“Every day we see more and more ponies coming to NCR territories. Security, food, water, help. We have those in quantity.” She paused and sighed. “But it’s not enough. If we do nothing. It will never be enough. To have security, we need stability. Stability comes from equal access to resources. To have that equality we must have a productive agriculture. Food needs water to grow. And water… pure water I mean… We don’t have enough. The tools we have today are not fast enough. If we do nothing, we will never have enough of what we need… and… it will be war on resources all over again.”

The red unicorn slid a lock of her dark blue hair behind her horn and went to say something. Fluttershy raised her hoof with a smile.

“Please.” The red mare pouted in answer but let Fluttershy continue. “I already said that the Saddle was barren even before the war. To prevent droughts, they invented the water purification process with zebra advisors. It’s there that Stable-Tec stole the technology they used for the Stable Project. It is that technology that we use today to provide water to NCR cities and refugees. But we don’t have enough of those… We lack of ponies able to make replacements. If… If we can find a talisman factory in the Saddle and reengineer it or even bring one back to Equestria, it would be one great landmark for the return of our prosperity. The NCR and the followers hope this would insure peace in Equestria. And if there is peace in Equestria, then we can hope we will be able to bring it back our homeland to life. This is why I need volunteers for a dangerous trip to the other side of the world.”

It had all started like this. A simple six-month trip to the Saddle, five to six thousand kilometres from the remains of Manehattan, South of a nation we annihilated two hundred and ten years ago. The red mare’s hoof rose as she volunteered. New hooves followed in mass. Velvet Remedy stepped up and sent her words spread over the heads.

“May Luna’s beautiful night sky guide you to where Celestia’s sight cannot venture, and further beyond.”

I knew so little.


Fallout Equestria: No God Below