Day 6 part 1
“Hey Ethan I’ve been wondering something.” Twilight said as they walked along the now fairly familiar stretch of destroyed highway that led from the Citadel to Megaton which was their first destination.
Ethan needed to put his powerarmor away so it could charge along go through some minor repairs. He also wanted to drop off some of his heavier weapons, and resupply their water supplies.
“What’s that Sparky?” Ethan asked absently as he scanned the nearby buildings for threats.
“Well there’s a name that I’ve heard thrown around a few times, and it almost sounds like someone referring to Celestia.” Twilight replied.
“You mean god?” Ethan asked but Twilight shook her head.
“No, that’s self-explanatory, I’m wondering who this Jesus guy was.” Twilight said with a frown. “I mean the way that people say his name makes him sound godlike but you already have a god who you’re people creatively call God.” Twilight added with a smirk.
“Or Allah depending on where you live.” Ethan replied with a shrug.
“I hadn’t heard that but my question remains, who was Jesus?” She asked.
“Well he was the son of god sent down from Heaven to help humanity overcome its problems.” Ethan replied.
“What happened to him?” Twilight asked
“We crucified him.” Ethan replied.
“You crucified the son of your god!” Twilight shouted in surprise.
“Yeah we’re kind of like that…” Ethan said trailing off with a slight sigh.
“How did your species even evolve?” Twilight asked staring at Ethan in shock.
“By making tools and killing everything in our way.” Ethan replied with a shrug.
“Ethan if I ever get back to Equestria I’m finding a way to bring you with me, and then I’m going to teach you about loving and tolerating.” Twilight said with a sigh.
“Twilight need I remind you about the substantial head count that you’ve accumulated in under a week?” Ethan asked her making Twilight frown.
“That’s not the same; if I hadn’t killed them they would’ve eaten me!” Twilight told him angrily.
“Sparky I only kill when I absolutely have to, you don’t need to lecture me on tolerating and I definitely don’t need any help loving, just ask my wife.” Ethan replied with a smirk.
“Fine, I’m just saying that if somepony crucified one of Celestia or Luna’s children… well I’m not sure what they’d do but it would be worse than crucifying.” Twilight replied with a dark frown.
“I thought you said that they couldn’t have children.” Ethan said.
“No, it’s not that they can’t have children it’s that they usually avoid it. Immortality doesn’t transfer down the bloodlines unless the child is conceived between two immortals, and considering that the only male immortal is a god of chaos and disharmony… Well anyways there are a few royal bloodlines left out there but they try and avoid having children, not only would it upset the balance of power among the nobles but watching your children grow old and die is worse than watching your husband or lover die. Or at least that’s what Celestia told me when I asked her about it; it would also explain why Celestia is attracted to mares.” Twilight said with a shrug.
“Hmm, yeah that would make sense Sparky, you’re still going to take her up on her offer right?” Ethan asked and Twilight nodded emphatically.
“Ethan if I get out of this place alive I’m marching straight up to the palace and demanding that she-”
“I get the point Sparky, although if you want my advice I’d suggest something a tad bit more romantic.” Ethan told her with a chuckle, Twilight blushed when he brain thought about what she’d been about to say.
“You may be right about that, any suggestions?” Twilight asked.
“Yeah, do something simple.” Ethan told her with a smile.
“That’s it?” Twilight asked.
“Sparky from what you’ve told me she’s a god who has lived for centuries if not longer, I’m sure that she’s seen every fancy magic trick in existence. Honestly I’d try a simple ‘I love you’ but that’s just my opinion.” He replied with a shrug before a ray of light shot out of his middle finger and cut a raider’s head in half. “God I love doing that.” Ethan told her with a chuckle.
***
“So master what delightful place are you going now?” Wadsworth asked dryly as Ethan and Twilight entered the house.
“First we’re going to Arefu because it’s been a while since I last saw Vance and I have a ton of blood packs for him. Then we’re going to Fort Bannister to interrogate Commander Jabsco about who put the hit on Twilight.” Ethan replied with a shrug.
“Ah Arefu, would you like you’re cape sir?” Wadsworth asked as he floated over to Help Ethan remove his powerarmor.
“What a vonderful idea Wadsworth, I’m sure Vance will appreciate it if I approach vim as a vellow creature of ze night!” Ethan replied with a giant smile.
“Oh lord what have I done?” Wadsworth asked.
“Wadsworth why is he talking like that?” Twilight asked in confusion.
“Because he thinks he’s clever.”
“Oh hush you two I was joking.” Ethan said with a smirk as he put on his duster with a sigh. “My armor is amazing, but I always feel the best in my duster, it’s just so much easier to breathe in it.” He added with a contented smile.
“You sound like AJ after she finishes modeling for Rarity.” Twilight said with a chuckle at the thought of her two friends.
“Hmm?” Ethan asked as he went over to the gun locker.
“Applejack, she’s one of my friends.” Twilight explained as she joined him by the weapon’s locker. “By the way do you have something else I can use, no offense but I don’t like the feel of the disintegrator, it just feels to… plastic?” Twilight asked nervusly not wanting to offend Ethan.
“Sure Sparky let’s see what I’ve got.” Ethan said before pulling open the weapon’s locker door. “Alright I think it’s time you had a little upgrade.” Ethan said taking her disintegrator and her plasma rifle.
“You mean there are better things then a gun that shoots star matter and a weapon from an alien spaceship?” Twilight asked raising an eyebrow doubtfully.
“Well this baby can melt a hole through solid steel in under a minuet and this little bastard can dissolve a raider in .2 seconds.” Ethan said handing her a short boxy tri-beam laser rifle and a plasma defender.
He quickly walked her through the use and modifications of both weapons before selecting a new weapon for himself; it was a 12.7mm submachine gun with an extended magazine and a laser sight attachment.
“Okay Wadsworth we’ll be back later.” Ethan said giving the robot a wave.
“Oh I look forward to it.” Wadsworth replied.
***
“So you want me to kill a unicorn?” The woman asked with a frown.
“She’s proven to an unexpected and effective thorn in our side.” The man with a broken nose said with a dark look.
“I came to kill the Wanderer.” She said with a frown.
“Yes and now I’m paying you to kill both.” The man with the broken nose said.
“Those were the words that I was waiting for you to say!” The woman said before throwing back her head and
letting out an insane laugh.
Her black hair fell about her face in a wild display. She had the kind of dimples that melted the heart of every man who saw her, but her eyes revealed the almost insane soul of someone who had long ago given up on their humanity and cast it to the side. At around seven foot five she was much taller than the average waster but she added even more height to the equation with a pair of black high heels. A set of black leather armor that managed to reveal just enough skin to attract eyes but not enough to provide you with anything other than a glance that left you wanting covered her body.
On her head was a red hat with a wide rim that reminded the man with the broken nose of the one his old partner Eulogy Jones used to ware. Strapped to her back was a large missile launcher and at her side was a grenade launcher. She smiled and sharp predatory teeth poked out their perfectly white heads and seemed to laugh at the man with the broken nose who was beginning to get turned on despite himself.
“See something you like?” She asked leaning closer to him showing off her cleavage.
“Maybe once you’ve killed the Wanderer and the unicorn, if you can of course.” The man with the broken nose replied.
“I’m Alexandra Supertramp, he’ll be dead in three days.” The Supertramp replied with a smirk that would chill the blood in the veins of almost anyone alive, instead the man with the broken nose only found himself more attracted.
“When are you leaving?” The man with the broken nose asked.
“Right now, the last reports had him leaving Megaton; you can count on me Mister Burke.” The Supertramp said giving Burke an insane smile and a lazy salute.
“We’ll see…”
***
“Ethan, I wasn’t expecting you.” Vance said giving Ethan a half bow.
“Don’t worry about it Vance, I’m on my way to utterly destroy half of the Talons and I just wanted to make sure that everything was okay in Arefu.” Ethan replied with a shrug before tossing Vance a box of blood packs, the stoic man caught the big crate easily in one arm; maybe he was onto something with the whole blood drinking thing after all.
“I see. You travel in interesting company Ethan, very interesting.” Vance said coming closer to Twilight and getting down on one knee to inspect her closer.
“This is Sparky, Sparky this is Vance leader of the Family and protector of the settlement of Arefu.” Ethan said giving introductions.
“Call me Twilight please.” Twilight said offering him her hoof which he shook with the abnormally strong callused grip of someone who had spent years wielding a sword.
“It is an honor Miss Twilight.” Vance replied rising back to his feet and giving her a small bow.
“Thank you Vance, do I smell something on your breath?” Twilight asked as her nostrils suddenly detected the fact that the scent of blood seemed to permeate the air around the man. Vance nodded slowly.
“That you do, it is my affliction to bear and to help others deal with.” Vance replied coolly.
“It was good seeing you again Vance, we’ll check back in on our way back.” Ethan said cutting off whatever Twilight was going to say.
“I look forward to it my friend.” Vance said before he began to stride back towards the town. They walked down the ramp in silence and began to walk in the direction of Fort Bannister before she asked.
“Ethan why did he smell like blood?”
“Because Vance is a vampire.” Ethan replied with a tiny sigh, Twilight gasped.
“AND YOU’RE FRIENDS WITH HIM?!” She shouted. “Ethan vampires are pure evil, begins formed from darkness and nightmares to plague the living and destroy the champions of light!” She added almost as loudly while giving Ethan an astonished stare.
“Let me explain Sparky he’s not a vampire in the sense that you’re thinking of. You see Vance was once an actual cannibal, in other words he ate human flesh for sustenance, that’s a big no no here. But he hated himself for doing it to the point where he was driven to commit suicide, luckily he failed. After that he wandered around confused looking for a way to save himself from what he’d become, eventually he decided that instead of eating human flesh he would drink human blood.” Ethan said before pausing for breath.
“That doesn’t make it any better really.” Twilight pointed out.
“Let me finish Sparky. Anyways he eventually founded his own little settlement for reformed cannibals (or vampires as they started calling themselves) inside an old subway tunnel system. Now they subsist off the blood from blood packs instead of normal blood and help protect the people of Arefu.” Ethan finished.
“So just to be clear he isn’t going to disappear into a cloud of bats, or sparkle in the sunlight is he?” Twilight asked.
“Nope he’s human, and what’s this about vampires sparkling?” Ethan asked.
“You don’t want to know.” Twilight said with a blush.