Day 6 part 3
Celestia had been alive for millennia and by now she really should’ve known that it was polite to knock before you entered your sister’s room. As it turns out she’d forgotten…
Celestia stared wide eyed at the scene before her. Luna and a stallion were currently very busy… Luna looked up at the sound of the door opening and shot her sister a peeved look.
“Didn’t mother teach you to knock before you entered a room?” Luna asked as a crimson blush washed over Celestia’s face. Luna’s face was for the most part set in slight annoyance while the stallion looked extremely embarrassed, especially because Luna had never ceased her movements.
“I should go…” Celestia said before slamming the door shut and teleporting away.
“My sister is so funny, what do you think Bluestreak?” Luna asked turning back to look at the stallion underneath her.
“No comment Ma’am.” He replied and Luna chuckled, at least shewas having a good evening.
Celestia appeared in her room and quickly began to shove what she’d just seen to the far corner of her mind and onto the mental shelf that she used to hold all of the different times she’d walked in on her sister. At least this wasn’t as bad as the time with the dragon and the griffin; damn she hadn’t wanted to think about that either!
You okay, Tia I know that you overreact to things like this? Luna asked mentally with a slight sigh of pleasure that carried across their mental link.
Luna stop it! Celestia mentally shouted back.
What’s the matter sister, are you getting a little uncomfortable?Luna asked her mental voice crying out in ecstasy halfway through the last word.
I hate you so much right now sister! Celestia replied before shutting down her mental link. Then she chuckled, their sense of humor was one of the things that they shared, Celestia would just have to find something to top this. Suddenly there was a knock on her door and Celestia looked up to find Cadence standing in the doorway.
“Hello Auntie, may I talk with you?” The pink alicorn asked politely.
“Of course Cadence, I always have time for you.” Celestia said patting the bed next to where she lay with a hoof. Cadence got onto the bed and leaned against the other princess for comfort.
“I’m worried about Twilight and Shining.” Cadence said softly.
“I know Cadence, but they’ll both be fine. Shining Armor is best stallion that we have and Twilight Sparkle is probably the most powerful and determined mage since old Starswirl passed away.” Celestia told her niece with a sigh as her mind thought back to that brilliant stallion.
“Were you two close?” Cadence asked catching the tone that Celestia used.
“Not in the way that you’re thinking, no that was Luna.” Celestia replied with a chuckle. “She cared more about
him then she did any other stallion for a long time. Although not like some historians would have you believe, they were a bunch of asses.” Celestia added with another chuckle at the look of pure incredulity that passed over her niece’s face at the sound of the curse.
“I didn’t know that you cursed Auntie.” Cadence said once she’d recovered.
“Only when necessary, and trust me dear those stallions were asses.” Celestia told Cadence with a smirk.
“I’ll have to take your word for it Auntie.” Cadence said with a matching smile.
***
Later that evening Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and much to his embarrassment Captain Bluestreak of the Lunar Guard were sitting around the high table enjoying their diner.
“These chocolate covered carrots are simply divine.” Luna said as she took a bite out of one.
“Oh I’m glad you like them I had our chef prepare them specifically for your enjoyment, I know how much you like them.” Celestia replied giving her sister a sweet smile.
“Well that was very nice of you Tia, although I don’t remember mentioning it before now.” Luna said with a slightly puzzled look on her face.
“Oh I just guessed because of your affinity for having things in your mouth.” Celestia replied with a smirk, Luna’s eyes widened in surprise for a second before she began to smile.
“I suppose you’re right, I do appreciate a nice lollypop every once and a while.” Luna replied with a grin and a look at Bluestreak who blushed slightly as he took another bite of his own carrot. “Although Tia you should’ve ordered some chocolate covered apples, I know how much you enjoy those.” Luna added with a smirk.
“I would, but they’re currently out of stock.” Celestia said with a wistful sigh.
“Oh Tia you just need to diversify your palate, I’m sure not all the apples are out of your reach.” Luna said teasingly. Cadence suddenly grasped exactly what here two aunts were talking about and began to blush a deep scarlet.
“I could do that, but I like my apple, and I’ll just have to wait for its return.” Celestia said with a sigh.
“Can we stop talking in sexual innuendoes please; it’s driving my hormones crazy?” Cadence asked politely.
“Would you prefer me to talk about how I walked in on those two in the normal way?” Celestia asked pointing to Luna and Bluestreak, the latter of whom blushed as did Cadence.
“You only walked in on us because you didn’t knock Tia, someone as old as you should know better.” Luna
replied sticking he tongue out at her sister who snorted indignantly.
“You should know to lock your door sister, and don’t call me old we’re the exact same age.” Celestia added.
“Actually I’m a thousand years younger.” Luna replied with a smirk.
“I’m speaking in terms of being alive Luna, not time spent controlling your body.” Celestia shot back.
“Well at least I didn’t turn the nobles into idiots, present company excluded Cadence.” Luna replied.
“I hardly caused that; you can’t blame me for their ridiculous notions of unicorn superiority. I always encouraged them to accept everyone.” Celestia said with an air of annoyance.
“You could’ve at least done something about the inbreeding Tia. The only good nobles we actually have any more are the ones who were promoted through the army, the entrepreneurs, or come from other countries.” Luna replied. “I’m especially concerned with our kingdom’s Pr-” Before Luna could finish that sentence Prince Blueblood stormed into the chambers his face tightened in fury.
“Aunties the most terrible thing has happened, one of the maids moved all of my clothes into completely random drawers! I demand that you fire them all just to be sure that you get the offender!” Blueblood shouted shaking his right hoof in anger. Celestia’s eye twitched and Luna gave her a smirk.
Let me handle thisLuna told Celestia mentally.
No he’s my responsibility Celestia replied.
Fuck that, let me do it. Luna said. You’re far too gentle with him Luna added.
Luna! Celestia thought warningly.
Fine. Luna replied sourly.
“You want me to fire all the maids in the castle because one of them miss-sorted your clothes.” Celestia said flatly.
“Of course, they’re pitiful creatures anyways. Not fit to wait on the beck and call of royalty anyways.” Blueblood said with a shrug.
“I’m afraid that you’ll just have to accept it, I’m far too busy to oversee the hiring of a new maid staff.” Celestia replied cordially.
“But Auntie they made me search for my clothing!” Blueblood cried in annoyance. Luna looked like she was about ready to start smashing her head against the table…
“Like I said you should learn to be more adaptable, you are a prince after all.” Celestia told him but Blueblood just
scowled at her.
“I’m a prince, and that means that people adapt to me not the other way around!” Blueblood replied.
Sweet merciful Faust Tia What did you do to him? Luna asked in annoyance.
“The answer is no Blueblood; now please leave us to eat in peace.” Celestia told the blonde stallion who huffed and stormed out of the room.
“I think I’ve proven my point.” Luna said simply with a smirk.
***
Twilight was walking around the courtyard of the Citadel in the setting sun getting more familiar with her new leg while Ethan and Scribe Rothchild walked beside her. It surprised Twilight how easy it was to get used to using the eye and the foreleg but Rothchild had told her that both were installed with hardware that made them extremely easy to use along with filling her brain with the proper commands so that she could use them to thier full potential.
“You know Twilight I’ve come up with a new name for you.” Ethan told her with a smile.
“Oh goddesses…” Twilight replied as she randomly used her new eye to zoom in on a bird flying high above them.
“I’ll call you Sparky the Twiborg!” Ethan continued with a grin, which lasted until Twilight slammed her new metal limb into his shin causing him to gasp in pain. “Or maybe I’ll just stick to Sparky then.” Ethan said after a few seconds of rubbing his leg to alleviate the pain coursing through it.
“I think that would be best.” Rothchild observed with a smirk.
“Oh by the way that reminds me, Rothchild I need you to take this gun apart for me.” Ethan said pulling the gun that Supertramp had shot him with out of his coat pocket and handed it to the scribe.
“Where did you get this from Ethan? This tech is incredible?” Rothchild asked excitedly as he held the high tech laser pistol.
“I got it from the same person who hurt Sparky.” Ethan said. “She said she was from the Institute and after what she did I believe it.” Ethan added as Rothchild looked over the pistol.
“And why do you want me to look over it, that’s not usually your way?” Rothchild asked.
“Because I don’t feel safe carrying around a weapon that came from a psychopathic self-healing android who seems to have been stolen from an old sci-fi vid. Honestly there’s probably a tracker and a few bugs in it. You hear that bitch I’m on to you?” Ethan shouted at the gun (A few miles away on top of a building Supertramp cursed loudly and shot a random raider in the face with her missile launcher).
“Well then I’ll place it under our heaviest security measures to ensure that it causes you no harm, and once we’ve properly analyzed the tech we’ll send a better version your way.” Rothchild replied with a slight smile.
***
“Why does this always happen to me?” Cassandra asked as she ducked underneath a rusty lead pipe and shot the raider in the face with her pistol. They’d been fighting raiders in the basement for twenty minutes with no signs of the flow stopping.
“Because you dive face first into any conflict without thinking about the repercussions.” Veronica replied cheerily as she liquefied a raider’s chest with her ballistic fist. “Not that that’s a bad thing.” Veronica added with a grin.
“Thanks for the explanation Veronica.” Cassandra replied dryly.
“Anytime!” Veronica replied happily with a smile.
“How’re you holding up Shining?” Cassandra asked turning to their newest member whose armor was currently caked in raider blood.
“I’ve had worse, this enchanted armor that Princess Luna gave me is a lot better than my old stuff.” Shining replied as a hunting rifle round bounced off his armor with a magical ping.
“It’s interesting armor all right; I bet some of the scribes would kill you for it.” Veronica said with a chuckle
“Really?” Shining asked slightly shocked.
“Oh yeah definitely, better pretend that it’s just normal steel when we get to these Brotherhood boys.” Veronica answered with another chuckle.
“Won’t the fact that I’m a unicorn make them suspicious?” Shining asked as he slashed his way through another raider after parrying a slow sweep of a Chinese officer’s sword.
“You’re traveling with me, they won’t ask.” Cassandra replied with a shrug as she blasted another circular hole through a raider’s skull and kicked the body out of the way.
Shining was impressed by the level of cool his companions displayed despite the fact that at this point they must have killed a hundred of the raiders. Shining was only managing it by now thanks to years of training under hostile conditions along with the adrenaline that was rushing through his veins. Still he felt more than a little sick as their three person squad cut through the raiders, he couldn’t imagine Twilight being capable of stomaching this place…
“It sounds like the Brotherhood are dug in up ahead, we’re almost done here.” Cassandra shouted over the sound of gunfire. Shining strained his ears and heard a distinctive buzzing sound above the screams and gunfire of the raiders. They rounded a corner and were confronted by a dozen Brotherhood troops firing dozens of rounds and lasers into a hoard of raiders large then the one that they’d just fought their way through.
“It’s about time you got here Courier; I thought you’d gotten lost!” Captain Tucker (a tall brown haired man wearing his T51B armor without a helmet on and carrying a gatling laser) called over the sound of his laser burning its way
through raider flesh.
“Sorry I ran into a few roaches that I needed to squish.” Cassandra replied with a smirk as she pulled out her riot shotgun and began to blast a bloody hole through the raiders.
Veronica charged into the midst of the raiders and began to send their bodies flying as she lashed out left and right with her ballistic fist. Shining Armor meanwhile decided to try something that he’d never done during before during combat. With a slight grin on his face he formed several small magic shields and sent them flying through the mid sections of the unfortunate raiders that stood in his way. All the while his sword dodged and weaved its way through the raiders killing most in one to two slashes. When they finally reached the Brotherhood line Captain Tucker took one look at the unicorn and burst into laughter that could be heard over the steady tswee tswee tswee of his gatling laser.
“You travel with strange company Courier but I can respect anything that can create that much death.” Captain Tucker said with another laugh before he turned back to the encroaching raiders. Cassandra rolled her eyes and went back to firing at the hoard. With the added firepower of the three new warriors the raiders were easily dealt with. When the last raider fell Shining slumped to the ground panting, they’d been fighting through the building for three hours and his body and magic reserves had bottomed out.
“So what were you doing in this building in the first place?” Cassandra asked Captain Tucker as they both drank deeply from their bottles of pure water.
“We came looking for a Mark IX Auto-Doc that’s supposed to be kept down in the sub-basement but apparently this place was a raider compound, we didn’t find that out till Paladin Leroy got hit by a rocket.” Tucker replied with a visible scowl.
“And then you got stuck here between the raiders and the sub-basement right?” Cassandra asked and the Captain nodded.
“We didn’t have time to get to the door so the best we could do was bunker down here and hope for the best.” Tucker replied with a shrug.
“That still leaves me asking how you got the signal to my vertibird.” Cassandra said with a slight frown.
“Look over there.” Tucker said as he pointed backwards with his thumb at a broadcasting radio. The back was plugged into the wall with a few rubber bands a magnet, and some ducttape, the sound of Cassandra’s palm hitting her face resounded nosily around the room.
***
Pinkie was bouncing down the street next to Dash and Gilda who kept giving her odd looks. Suddenly Pinkie’s normally bubbly smile was replaced with a surprisingly thoughtful look.
“What’s up Pinkie?” Dash asked as she noticed the change in expression.
“Twilight’s going to have a much less painful time doing the Pinkie Promise.” Pinkie replied with a giggle.
“Do I want to know?” Dash asked but Pinkie shook her head.
“Nope, you’ll know eventually.”
“Can you two talk about this later? I’m nervous enough about this without her talking like she can see the future or something.” Gilda said in slight irritation.
“You’ll do fine G, my friends will accept you once you explain things a little, I just wish that my mane would go back to the way it should be.” Dash said with a scowl as she tried to get her mane back into its normally messy style.
“I think you look cuter this way Dash.” Gilda said with a smirk.
“Did you just call me cute?” Dash shouted.
“Yep, especially that thing you do with your wings…” Gilda replied with another smirk as she looked Dash’s wings which were spread in agitation.
“Oh shut up.” Dash grumbled.
***
“Ethan there’s something I’ve been wondering.” Twilight said as the two sat together in the Citadel’s kitchen.
“What’s that Sparky?” Ethan asked as he took a quick sip of his Nuka Cola.
“Are you religious?” Twilight asked.
“Nope.” Ethan replied with a shrug.
“But you swear by your god.” Twilight said in confusion.
“Who else would I swear by Sparky?” Ethan asked before taking another sip.
“But Ethan-” Twilight began but Ethan cut her off with a quick wave of his hand.
“Sparky I’ve seen mankind do horrible things, things that would freeze your blood faster than liquid nitrogen." Ethan said with a grimace. "I refuse to believe that a God would sit up on some magical cloud pedestal and just watch without interfering. If there’s a god I want fucking angels to swoop down and smite the wicked, but more then that I want to punch him in the face for taking my father from me.” Ethan replied with a slight growl.
“Ethan there are still dangers in Equestria, there are still poor ponies with no hope of ever getting up on their feet. Hell Ethan there are rampaging monster who routinely march through towns destroying and killing as they go, and even with their immense alicorn powers neither Celestia or Luna can stop every monster or disaster from accruing! You can’t blame the gods for everything that happens in your life.” Twilight countered.
“Dammit Twilight this place is the Wasteland, I don’t see any evidence of God’s work anywhere!” Ethan said angrily.
“I’m alive.” Twilight said looking into his eyes.
“Yes you are thanks to the miracles of medical science and a lot of luck.” Ethan replied looking straight back into her eyes, her new mechanical one narrowed to focus the blue light which shot straight into Ethan’s pupil until he was forced to look away. “Cheater.” Ethan muttered.
“You know what I think Ethan?” Twilight asked.
“No, but I’m sure you’ll tell me Sparky.” Ethan replied with a small smile.
“I think that your god is out there watching on his magical cloud pedestal, and I think that he already sent the Wasteland an angel.”