//------------------------------// // Taking stock. // Story: The Sole Survivor Needs Friendship. // by CommonDash //------------------------------// The town seemed empty empty empty… “Where the buck am I?” Nora asks looking at the moon. “Why is there a unicorn shadow on the moon? Why does it remind me of a comic book I read as a kid? Well it’s just more parameters for the search.” Nora says as the moon suddenly flashes and it disappears. “Okay, checking my weapons.” Nora says pulling up the Pip-Boy as time seems to freeze. Being a hoarder with a maxed out Strong back perk meant being over encumbered did nothing to her. The amount of units in weight she is carrying is nearing the 5th digit mark. To say she was carrying a small armory’s worth of ammo would be a lie, small was the wrong word for it, especially since she converted the mechaninists lair into an ammo factory. She could do so again here once she got her base up and working. “I am literally missing nothing. Wait is my power armor stored in here!” Nora says in wonder before noticing something off. Flipping back to the stats page she notices her name is no longer Nora but Steel Gem. “Well, that’s off. But it will probably fit in better than Nora.” Steel gem says Looking at her equipped armor would show you how she survived the fall. With her free fall legs equipped. Steel Gem looks up from the Pip-Boy to see a bright light flash from what according to her map is town hall. “Let’s go see what that is.” Steel says making her way over Steel opens the door in time to hear a lavender pony shout something about a nightmare. “Well well well, somepony remembers me. Then you also know what I’m here to do.” A clearly evil villain says “Oh no, this is the my little pony comic book world isn’t it. I’ll remember what I can the search is still going to take a bit.” Steel says before smiling. She always loved those comics as a kid. And she is a comic book hero. ================ Twilight was panicking. “You’re here too, too.” “Seize her! She knows where the Princess is!” Mayor Mare shouts A few Pegasus of the royal guards decide to take their chances against the evil alicorn. “Stay back you Foals!” Nightmare moon shouts before hitting them with lightning. The mare laughs evilly before a fog starts to roll in behind her. Suddenly all throughout the town hall coming from every direction music can be heard. “The silver shroud is confused as to why the wrong introduction has played! But it matters not!” Out of the smoke wonders a mare wearing tench coat and Fedora. With a scarf covering her face. “Who are you?” Nightmare moon asks a little surprised. “Beware Evil Doer for I am the silver shroud!” The mysterious mare shouts pointing a weird contraption at Nightmare moon. Suddenly there are several loud bangs followed by bright flashes as nightmare moon barely escapes being riddled with holes by turning into her Smokey form and escaping. “You can run evildoer however you can not hide! For the shroud shall bring you to justice!” Twilight turns back around to see that the mare who chased off nightmare moon was gone. “What they hay was that and why was it so loud?” AppleJack asks Twilight suddenly realizes there is still hope and runs back to the library to find out what the elements of harmony are. At full sprint she runs through the town hall doors directly into a mare wearing a blue suit and some sort of green armor. “Owww.” Twilight says “Sorry? Are you okay? I was just coming over to see what the excitement was it sounded loud.” Steel says “Yes sorry got to run bye!” Twilight shouts getting up and continuing her run. ================== ‘ So, that’s Twilight… I am totally going to call her lavender every now and then to mess with her. If I remember correctly shes probably going to deal with that nightmare character. I mean she’s the main character if this is following the same style as the pre war cartoons and comics.’ Steel Gem thinks. Suddenly her Pip-Boy dings alerting her to a quest completed and a new one being available. “Hmm, investigate the ruins in the Everfree forest? I guess the omnipotent steel box has spoken.” Steel says aloud heading off in the direction of her marker. ========+=+==== Meanwhile the Mane 6 have met at Twilights house. “Elements elements! How can I stop nightmare moon without the elements of harmony!” Twilight says frantically looking through her collection. “Just what are the elements of harmony!? And how did you know about night mare moon huh!? ARE YOU A SPY!” Rainbow shouts, now staring Twilight down. “Simmer down sally!” Applejack says pulling on Rainbows tail “She ain’t no spy but she does know what’s going on.” Applejack says "I read all about the prediction of Nightmare Moon. Some mysterious objects called the elements of harmony are the only things that can stop her. But I don't know where they are, where to find them, I don't even know what they do!" Twilight explains. "The elements of harmony, a reference guide." Pinkie says while reading the title of the shelved book in question. Twilight rushes over, shoving Pinkie out of the way. "How did you find that!?" Twilight exclaims. "It was under Eeee~." Pinkie says as she hops back to the rest of the group. ==================== Steel gem cracks her neck getting up from the ground. Her once pristine vault suit is covered in blood and dirt. A song plays from her Pip-Boy as she continues walking through the forest leaving behind a tail of carnage. “To think manticores could only scratch my armor. Though taking the hit hurt.” Steel says Manticores were met with cold hard lead, the Timberwolfs met with the flamenwerfer, that weird chicken thing took a super sledge. In truth the Cockatrice had a rude awakening trying to turn a partially organic being to stone.