//------------------------------// // A bite to eat that's bittersweet // Story: Fallout: Harmony // by Foreverking0 //------------------------------// "And that's how Equestria was made!" Exclaimed Pinkie Pie from her chair, hooves out in a show of grandeur. Both Nate and Rarity had not gotten a word in as Pinkie had told her condensed history of Equestria, as well as getting sidetracked into multiple unrelated stories. After an uncomfortable pause, Rarity was the one to move things along. "yes, thank you pinkie, that was abbreviated somewhat. I'm assuming Nate might have some questions, about more specific moments". Nate, to his credit, was composed the entire time. He had been prepared for a lot of things, but some more than others needed to be elaborated on, if only to make sure he understood correctly. "Wait, These elements, which are powerful enough to defeat not only someone who can control the moon, but the manifestation of chaos, is powered by friendship?". Pinkie piped up to answer "Yep, we have these necklace thingies that have our cutie marks on them, except for twilight who has a crown, and they glow and lift us up and shoot rainbows that go pew!". "And these Elements of Harmony, redeem people?" Nate asked. "Not quite, with discord, they turned him to stone, it was Fluttershy who redeemed Discord. To be honest, I don't think even Celestia knows how the elements work, and it was Celestia and luna who found them" Rarity replied. Nate continued into the next question "And the Princesses, These 'Alicorns', What's the story behind them?". Pinkie jumped at that question "All the princesses are super-powerful ponies that have wings and horns and are really tall, except for twilight because she's a new Princess!". Nate pressed the question, "but where did they come from?". Rarity took over from pinkie "The Princesses have ruled since as long as anyone knows, some say as far back as when Equestria was founded". Nate moved on to his next thought "What about the three tribes, where are they now, the homelands?". Rarity answered, " No one knows, the location of the original home of pony kind has been lost for ages. Twilight might be a better pony to talk to about that, I only know that most of Canterlot's elite claim lineage from princess platinum". Rarity took a bite of her rose petal jam sandwich. She looked at Nate who seemed to be looking around the room they were in. "Is something the matter Nate?". Nate looked back at Rarity and responded, "I'm fine, I just can't remember the last time I saw a place this clean". Rarity chose her words cautiously " Yes, it does seem like your clothes could use some, refreshing. I don't have my supplies with me on account of this trip being of short notice, but once I'm back at my boutique, I would happily fix your attire". Nate raised an eyebrow, "you mend clothes?". Rarity Explained her job "I'm a seamstress darling, I Make clothes, I also dabble in my own designs". Pinkie jumped in, "Rarities dresses are famous, she even made us all dresses for the Grand Galloping Gala and they were so good!". Rarity blushed a little as she continued, " While the highlight is the occasional high society clientele, most of my work is just maintenance and local sales. My boutique is in Ponyville, where I live". Pinkie once again jumped in for her piece "I work at sugar cube corner as a baker, What I really do is plan parties". Nate deadpanned at the statement, "Parties, really?". Pinkie Pie beamed " Yep, birthdays, Weddings, Anniversaries, reunions, Welcomes, farewells. You name it, I've thrown a party for it!". Nate smirked at the idea of the pink pony being in charge of a wedding, he had to ask. "You've hosted weddings?". Rarity frowned as she went to pinkie's defence. "Nate, don't be like that, Pinkie's skills are highly sought after, why, she helped co-ordinate Princess Cadence's Wedding". "The one with the Changers?" Nate clarified. "Changelings" Pinkie Corrected. "Right, what happened to them?" Nate Asked. Rarity Put her hoof to her chin, thinking deeply " I remember Twilight telling us about an investigation after the wedding". She then shrugged "As far as I've heard, there haven't been any sightings since". Pinkie had finished her pecan pie, something that was announced by verbal disappointment. "Be thankful I convinced him to still allow us to order food, he's still upset about the incident last time". Rarity stated, then faced Nate. "Pinkie is banned from the palace kitchen, Applejack had to handle the wedding cake at the wedding". Pinkie raised her hooves above her head, "They said it couldn't be done, but I created explosive custard!". "They said it shouldn't be done, the entire wing had to be closed off for cleaning". Rarity countered Nate moved the conversation back to his current thought pattern, "I still don't see why the princesses brought you all into this, you don't seem like much help against mutant animals and raiders." "Well, the elements were used to bring you here, maybe we're connected?" Rarity offered as an Answer. "Celestia asked us to tell you about equestrian, maybe we were meant to ask you about your home?" Pinkie added her own guess. "Pinkie has a point, perhaps the princess was hoping for a quid pro quo of stories. What better way to understand these creatures than to learn where they came from." Pinkie's eyes went wide as an awestruck look crossed her face "Oh My Gosh, We never asked anything about you". Out of nowhere, Pinkie donned a deerstalker hat and held a clipboard in her hoof. Pinkie broke into a barrage of questions towards Nate. "When is your birthday, when were you born, what's your favourite flavour of pie, why is it cherry?". Rarity pulled the lamp away that was now hanging over Nate and pulled down the umbrella that had appeared above them all. " We should let Nate tell us at his pace, After all, he was patient with us so we should return the favour". Nate, who had elected to ignore the prior events chalking up Pinkies antics to the nature of this place, was overwhelmed with what to divulge. "I wouldn't even know where to begin". Rarity had an idea "Well, the Elements brought you here because you can help us, maybe start with your particular set of skills, so What do you do as a profession, Nate?". "I'm a soldier, The General of the 'Commonwealth Defence Guard', although these days I mostly just handle the paperwork and politics" Nate had said the last part with what rarity and pinkie could tell was disdain. Pinkie was sceptic, "You don't seem that Dangerous, I mean if your kind had to survive in a world full of scary monsters." Nate countered Pinkie, "We didn't, Two centuries ago, they didn't exist". This took the two ponies off guard. "They didn't before?" Rarity asked. Nate responded after a long unbroken pause. "No, they didn't, two centuries ago, the world was a different place". Rarity was about to inquire what Nate meant, only for Pinkie to stop her with a hoof, she knew when a monologue was due. "Humanity was discovering things thought impossible decades before, machines that could wait on your every whim, take you across the world in hours, devices that could think and remember libraries worth of knowledge that could fit on your arm. Medicine that could heal or cure what once untreatable became buyable at any corner store, life wasn't perfect, but for most, it was close enough." "what changed?" Rarity asked. This time Pinkie didn't interfere. Nate's head began to drop with the weight of the topic. While he didn't say it, in his head, Nate was thinking it. It's what didn't change. "Years of consumption lead to shortages of every major resource, Oil, Uranium, Cobalt, the list was endless. In fear, we turned to greed, and from greed, we turned to war. As time went on, things only seemed to get worse, until finally, we ended the world". "How?" Pinkie asked. Nate looked up at the ponies, who while ever colourful, had faces that betrayed the depressing mood forming. "We created weapons that could destroy entire cities, thousands of them, each capable of turning entire areas uninhabitable for centuries. It was thought that every major power having them would stop them from being used, we were wrong". "Well, I guess that explains your martial lifestyle If you were raised in a world where society had ended" Rarity Reasoned "Actually, I was trained in the United States Army, I served during the war" Nate explained Pinkie put two and two together "Wait, you mean before the big kaboom?" Nate nodded. "Oh Nate, I'm so sorry," Rarity said to Nate, A mix of pity and respect at Nate's experience. Nate tried to reassure them "It's fine, I've come to terms with it. As best as one can come to terms with the end of the world." "I assume having two hundred years to think over it helps," Rarity said "Actually, for most of it, I was... Frozen, I only woke up a few years ago." Nate interjected. Nate could see that the two ponies were confused. "Maybe I should start from the beginning". Pinkie looked at Rarity and back to Nate "The beginning of what?" "The day the world ended" Nate Replied