//------------------------------// // Gratitude // Story: It Must be Tuesday // by Explodium //------------------------------// A hint of a frown tugged at the Wanderer’s lips as he peered down the scope of his rifle. He was settled in a crouch atop a pile of rubble, his loyal companions not far behind. The Elder had given him the coordinates, which he downloaded to his Pipboy to investigate, and it looked like the scouts’ information wasn’t faulty. Super mutants, over a dozen strong were present. Most of them merely milled about, some of them hauled around large pieces of metallic debris to reinforce their hastily constructed battlements, while the remainder stood at the ready, their weapons primed. But what stood out the most were the humans that stood unmolested amongst the mutants. They were wearing the unmistakable black armor of Talon Company. The Wanderer was puzzled. Talon Company’s activity dropped dramatically after he had personally eliminated their commander after one too many assassination attempts, and he hadn’t been hassled by them since. Not to mention they were standing side by side with mutants. With the exception of the Gatling-laser toting bruiser standing within arm’s reach, and a wandering pacifist, the rest of the Capital Wasteland’s mutants were stupid brutes, unable to understand anything but violence. Plus he could remember how TC and the mutants had fought relentlessly over the old capitol building. As he could see the mutants drag a flailing captive into an enclosure out of sight, he signaled his companions forward with a gesture of his hand. Why were two of his old enemies playing nice? He intended to find out. ~~~ “She’s sure been in there fer awhile…” Applejack thought out loud. After Fluttershy had gone into the alien’s room, the remaining mares had been escorted into a room that was relatively empty, save for a dozen large cushions with a couple of windows on the far end. All of their saddlebags had been moved to the same chamber; they hung from hooks on the same wall as the door. “You are sure that our dear friend will be safe should our…guest becomes brutish, Princess?” asked Rarity, “I’ve known Fluttershy for years, and I’d just feel dreadful if-“ “Worry not Lady Rarity, all is well,” reassured Luna. Even if Wanderer did become unruly, all it would take was a little magic to knock him out cold. According to the clock high on the wall, just over twenty minutes had passed, and everypony was finding their own way to pass the time. Twilight was going over her checklist for the fourth time, much to Spike’s chagrin. Quills, parchment, extra ink… It’s not like any supplies tried to escape as they hung on the wall… the baby dragon though with a snort. The purple mare could barely contain her excitement as her things were neatly slid back into her saddlebag. The Princesses had given her the honor of attempting to officially bridge the communication gap. Who knows what she would learn? An entire new species! And I’m one of the first ponies to try to speak to him! Well, other than Fluttershy… Pinkie Pie was too eager to sit down, and merely elected to bounce on her cushion instead. She was finally going to say hi to her new best friend, and finally shake off her ‘somepony needs a hug’ sense. An errant swish-a-swish from her tail served to remind her of her current situation. Her mind was going a mile a minute as she mentally prepared her ‘Welcome checklist’. A mirror was magically suspended in front of Rarity as she redid her makeup, putting on her favorite mascara and eye shadow; essentials she brought from home. A lady must look her best when introducing herself, after all. If anything good came from Rainbow’s recently newfound hobby of reading, it was that it made her exponentially more patient. She was reclining on her cushion, her rear legs crossed as she held the latest Daring-Do novel mere inches from her snout. Naturally she tried to hide the fact that she was thoroughly enjoying it to her friends, but still an occasionally high-pitched ‘awesome’ slipped out. Applejack nervously crossed her forelegs as she waited, occasionally throwing glances at the clock. She didn’t know what she was going to do . She just hoped that the alien wasn’t sore about her bucking him; that would leave quite a dent in their relationship. She needed to set things right. “If you have any questions, now is the time to ask them,” announced Celestia. “I got one,” said Rainbow, raising a single hoof without looking away from her book. All eyes were on her, “And that is…?” the Princess trailed off. The cyan pony’s hoof pointed at one of the curtained windows, “What’s up with these windows? Something about them feels…off” she paused for a moment, “I mean…aren’t we underground? How the heck are there windows down here? It’s…weird!” Twilight shot Rainbow a slight glare for being so casual, but it was absorbed into the cover of Rainbow’s book. A smile tugged at Luna’s lips as she cantered over to one of the windows. “It is quite a simple enchantment,” she explained. Luna’s horn lit up briefly and the curtains were magically parted. With the exception of Twilight and the Princesses, a look of surprise came to everypony’s face. Rather than looking outside at the Equestrian landscape and sky, they were staring at an earthen wall. Suspended between the wall and the glass was a glowing, pale grey orb, the same color as a stormy sky. “Ponies aren’t meant to stay underground for extended periods of time,” said Luna. “This spell mimics whatever the weather is like outside, giving the place a more…natural feel.” Rainbow worked her jaw briefly as she pondered what Luna had just told her. It made sense, she supposed. The fake spell-sky wasn’t as good as the real thing, but it still gave her that feeling that her precious sky was merely a hoof’s length away, and it helped ward off that lingering sense of claustrophobia. Before they could continue on this tangent, they could hear the sound of approaching hoofsteps. Everypony’s ears perked up, and their gazes all shot towards the door. Tension hung on the air as the owner of those hooves drew gradually closer and closer. It seemed like an eternity. Now distracted from her book, Rainbow gave into her impatience and sped off down the hallway. The remaining mares cringed when they heard a very faint ‘eep!’ resound from the corridor, and soon after, Rainbow returned, bodily dragging Fluttershy behind her. The startled mare fell onto her haunches with a look of surprise on her face at the sudden increase in speed. Before she could utter a peep, the yellow pegasus was barraged with questions. “You’re back! How’d it go?” “Did he zap anything?” “What’s his favorite color?” “Was it awesome?” “Does he like cupcakes?” “Woah, nelly! Give the poor filly some space!” exclaimed Applejack as she tried to do just that. Everypony backed off, and predictably Fluttershy was covering her head with her hooves. Applejack helped her back up, “Alright sugarcube, how’d it go?” This was it, the moment of truth. Everypony (and dragon held their breath) as Fluttershy stood their quietly, not making eye contact with anypony. Everypony’s face fell as Fluttershy hung her head and sighed…only to be taken aback as a warm smile came to her face. “It went…well,” she said. “Well?” inquired Rainbow Dash, “What’s that supposed to mean?” “He’s not feeling very well but…we talked for a bit, and-” Immediately, Rainbow was in her face again, “What’d you talk about?” she demanded. Fluttershy seemed to shrink under Rainbow’s gaze, “C’mon spill the- ow!” Rainbow was cut off as Applejack lightly bopped the pegasus on the back of the head, “Let her talk, Rainbow!” Applejack said disapprovingly with a slight glare on her face. “Hey! What’cha do that for!?” Rainbow said, rubbing the back of her head. “Girls!” Fluttershy said at a volume that exceeded her usual loudness. Every mare (and dragon) reacted to her outburst with a look of surprise on their faces, “Oh, um…sorry,” muttered Fluttershy, “We talked about…things. He asked where he was, what was wrong with him…” she shrugged slightly, “He was very polite, curious, he’s a little scary…” she thought back to how…strange his eyes were. Fluttershy shook her head, “Though he seemed…nice,” she said as one of her hooves strayed to the place on her muzzle where the alien stroked her with those strange dexterous paws of his. Luna seemed to notice and her eyes narrowed in curiosity. She too knew what it felt like. A sigh passed through Fluttershy’s muzzle, “But he seemed so…so…sad…” Pinkie’s ears immediately perked up at the mention of this. She loved making everypony happy, even if they weren’t ponies. There was a sad alien nearby, and she knew what she had to do, well, at least what she thought she had to do. “And?” asked Twilight, as she bounced on her hooves slightly. “He said he’d be willing to meet everypony.” Rainbow had to restrain herself from squeeing. Her hooves found their way to the corners of her mouth, “Awesome,” she squeaked. Her eyes darted between all of her friends and the princesses, “We’re still doing this one pony at a time, right?” she tapped her hooves on the tile floor impatiently, “Right?” “That is correct, Rainbow,” said Celestia. The princess gestured at Fluttershy, “Though you will likely have to bring her along to if you want to get any points across,” she looked to the butter-yellow pegasus for approval. She squeaked quietly at hastily nodded. “Oh, uh, great!” Rainbow stammered. Before anypony else could get a word in, she spoke back up, “Can I go first?” she nearly yelled. The rest of the mares exchanged a glance. “I don’t see…why not?” said Twilight. “Are you okay, Rainbow?” “Well, you know I’m not the most patient pony…” Rainbow bit her lip and her eyes darted from side to side, “I mean…I get to meet an alien! I’m excited! Oh uh…” her gaze shot over to Fluttershy, “There isn’t any blood, is there?” Suddenly every mare present was looking at Rainbow suspiciously. Rainbow seemed to shrink under their scrutinizing gazes. Twilight’s eyes narrowed in suspicion at Rainbow. None of the mares forgot Rainbow’s little episode by the river. “Um…no,” said Fluttershy, blinking once. She cocked her head, “Why?” “Well…uh…no reason. Just wondering,” Rainbow wiped away a bead of sweat from her forehead. “Rainbow…are you afraid of blood?” asked Twilight. The pegasus spluttered, “What!? No!” “I’m not going to judge you if you have a phobia, some ponies just-” “Don’t want to hear it Twilight!” Rainbow said more loudly than she intended before huffing and crossing her forelegs. It’s not like I’m afraid of blood, right? It’s just…messy, yeah that’s it! Messy! Oh, and it smells funny! “I’m not afraid of anything!” she exclaimed. Applejack gave her a suspicious look, clearly unconvinced. Twilight’s eyes narrowed disapprovingly as she prepared to deliver a lecture. She quickly pulled aside a conveniently place crate at stood atop it. Celestia’s eyes narrowed in amusement while Spike groaned out of annoyance. Twilight put a hoof to her chest and prepared to speak. But before she could, she was interrupted, “As much as I hate to interrupt this discussion,” said Rarity, “Where has Pinkie Pie gone?” The room went silent. Twilight blinked in surprise. From atop her perch, she looked about the room. She couldn’t see Pinkie’s pink anywhere. How didn’t anypony notice her…oh right, she’s Pinkie Pie. Her gaze drifted from the floor, to the wall, to the pegs protruding from the wall from which their saddlebags hung. Pinkie’s was conspicuously absent. “Where the heck did that filly go?” Applejack thought aloud, though she really didn’t need to guess. Luna bit her lip. Everypony had a very good guess as to where the kooky pink mare had gone. Luna was instantly nervous. She, her sister, and the medical staff had inadvertently set him off, triggering a traumatic flashback. Although she was around Twilight and her friends far less than her older sister, Luna was well acquainted with the pink party pony’s unique brand of quirkiness. She could be a tad overwhelming at times, and there was an unstable, unknown, and generally enigmatic being residing nearby. The same being that Pinkie was undoubtedly seeking out. A startled cry echoing down the hall only confirmed their suspicions. The voice was deep, and male. Twilight’s hoof found its way to her face, “Ugh…Pinkie…” she glanced at Rainbow; that lecture can wait until later. “Darn it, Pinkie! I was supposed to go next!” Rainbow muttered angrily. Luna leaned over and whispered something into Celestia’s ear. The two of them nodded and quickly started down the hall. Hopefully they would get there before Pinkie caused an accident. “Come, everypony!” said Celestia. The rest of the mares didn’t think twice as they fell in step behind their rulers. ~~ The Lone Wanderer lay in bed as he waited for the pegasus to return with her companions. He remained in a sitting position, his hands rested on the bed as he nervously drummed his fingers against the mattress. He couldn’t help but feel excited, meanwhile the ‘phoenix’ perched on the foot of the bed continued to stare at him. It was rare for the people (or in this case, ponies) that he had helped to personally come visit him in the event that he was injured. It was common for him to simply part after receiving whatever reward that was offered, if any, and then he would be unlikely to see them ever again. Truthfully, Isaac was typically more than willing to accept a job without caring what the reward was in the end, he’d even do it for free if he was in a good mood. In fact, the materials he scavenged from the places he visited and the targets he dropped tended to be worth much, much more than the end reward. Besides, carrying around a whole lot of caps was incredibly cumbersome. As the minutes crept by, he wondered what was taking the pegasus so long. They couldn’t be that far away could they? He was wondering just what he should say; though the pegasus could act as a translator, it wasn’t perfect. Other than reassuring them that he meant no harm, he was starved for ideas. Suddenly, a shiver went down his spine. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end, and a lump was forming in the pit of his stomach . It was a feeling he had felt countless times before. It felt like he was being watched, and it wasn’t the phoenix; the bird was facing the door. So what was…? Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a shadow creeping across the bed, the owner of that shadow rising from below, standing just out of sight, opposite the door. His breath hitched in his throat and his heart skipped a beat. With the exception of the heartbeat monitor, the room was silent. “(Hi!)” With much trepidation, he turned to the owner of that shadow. His heart stopped and he cried out in surprise. There, standing mere inches away from his bedside was a creature from his nightmares. Its eyes were widened and frenzied, its maw was open, pulled back into a feral smile, its mane a snarl of pink fluff and… …Actually, it was just one of the ponies he encountered in the forest; the chatty pink one, and her face was split into a wide, incredibly creepy grin. It took a moment for Isaac’s mind to catch up with him. His eyes darted between the pony, and the door. Oh, I remember you and…Wait, how the hell did she get over there…? The door is…did she…how…window maybe? The curtains were still so she certainly didn’t come in though there. So how did-? His thoughts were interrupted as the pink pony’s tail abruptly swished from side to side violently, knocking a few items off the table behind her. Isaac raised an eye brow as the pony quickly looked between him and her frizzy pink tail. Her smile had faded, replaced by a small ‘o,’ but the grin soon returned as the pony’s large blue eyes settled on him once more. Settling down into a sitting position, the pink pony opened her forelegs. “(It’s hugging time!)” the pony chirped. As the pony continued to stare at him, for some reason, the Wanderer got the same feeling he would get when being charged at by a deathclaw. “What are you…mmph!” he didn’t even get a chance to scream as the pony pounced. His vision was obscured by pink fluff as he felt the mare’s forelegs wrap around him. In the awkward position he was in, the pony managed to hug his head, burying his face into the hair of the her chest. She started chatting, the words muffled by both the language barrier and the fact that her arms were wrapped around his ears. It took him a moment to realize that the pony wasn’t trying to suck out his brains, or something equally horrible; she was hugging him. He nearly tried to shake her off out of sheer reflex. Bewildered, he sunk back onto the pillows as the pink pony let go, and started hopping around the bed with a surprising amount of energy. Around the bed…over the bed…his eyes followed her as she continued to move. Her high energy was contagious, and he couldn’t help but feel reinvigorated at the pony’s display as kookiness. Abruptly she stopped, and her gaze shot over to him again. “(Feeling better yet?)” said the pony. Without waiting for further input, the pony began rapidly chatting away in…pony again. Wait… The way her voice kept changing in pitch, the rhythm, the volume… She wasn’t just talking, she was singing. Why would she…she does know that I can’t…what is…and where the hell is that music coming from!? Sure enough Isaac could hear some musical number accompanying the pony’s voice. He didn’t see any speakers, or phonographs or anything that could be playing sound, but it was there. The phoenix thing remained at the foot of the bed throughout the whole exchange, completely unfazed by the hyperactive pony. Without further ado, the pony hopped over to the foot of the bed and reached for something hidden just out of sight behind it. She pulled out a long, metallic, light blue object on wheels, longer than the actual width of the bed, and pointed it at-. It was a cannon. Wait a minute, where did- oh SHIT! BANG! ~~ The Princesses trotted briskly down the narrow hallways with an air of purpose about them. Their subjects weren’t far behind. They realized that as much as they tolerated Pinkie’s antics, they weren’t so sure that their guest would. They knew it was only a matter of time before she set him off. Those fears were quickly reinforced when a loud bang echoed throughout the corridor. Luna cursed under her breath at the noise and she and Celestia sped down the hall. “Oh Pinkie, what have you done this time?” Twilight thought out loud as their hooves rapidly clacked off the tile floor. They retraced their steps back to the alien’s room, anxious of what they were going to find. The Princesses were afraid that their guest could get violent, should somepony send him into a fit. Although he was too weak to do any real damage following his initial awakening, perhaps he had gotten stronger since then. Rainbow was already half way prepared for a fight, should it come to it. Even though she was excited to meet an alien, her friends came first; even if they were the cause of the problem in the first place. Fluttershy was worried that Pinkie had accidently hurt the poor thing; he looked so tired and sad… The Princesses, the Elements, and Spike burst through the sterilization barrier in the door to the alien’s room and abruptly slid to a halt when they saw the huge mess that awaited them. To say that it was a mess would be an understatement. Confetti of all colors rained from above. The things that had once rested on the table in the corner of the room were now strewn all across the chamber. In their place there lay a checkered tablecloth along with a glass bowl of punch, a couple of colorful balloons with their strings weighed down, several paper plates, a phonograph, and a cake . Philomena seemed undisturbed by the whole mess and was perched on the table, sipping at the punch. The party cannon sat nearby, its barrel still smoking, and the source of this havoc was perched on the foot of the bed. Pinkie’s forelegs were outstretched, her chin up, her expression joyous and completely oblivious to the fact that the alien was lying on his side, his legs tucked into his chest, and covering his head with his hands. The heartbeat monitor was beeping frantically and the being was visibly quivering. Luna couldn’t help but feel a flare of anger at the party pony’s sheer carelessness. “Pinkie Pie! Cease this foalishness immediately!” she shouted loudly, but not Royal Canterlot tier yelling. Pinkie Pie only now seemed to realize that she wasn’t the only pony in the room anymore. She leapt into the air out of surprise and hung in midair as her head snapped around to face the newcomers. “Ooh! Hiya Princess!” she said as the laws of physics caught up with her and she crashed to the group with a faint girlish yelp and a thud. She bounced back to her hooves almost instantly and grinned at the other ponies. “What’s up? Ooh! I met the alien!” chirped Pinkie, her voice thick with the usual unabashed happiness. “We know,” everypony said in unison. They didn’t return the party pony’s bubbling enthusiasm. Pinkie furrowed her brow in confusion; why didn’t they seem happy to see her? Everypony seemed to be annoyed? The Princesses looked mad! Did she do something wrong? Pinkie felt like she was withering under their glares. One of the few things Pinkie Pie hated was upsetting others. “Did I do something bad?” she nearly whispered. Luna jerked her head sideways slightly. Pinkie turned her head and that direction and noticed just now what state the alien was in. Her heart was rapidly beating in her chest as a lump seemed to form in the pit of her stomach. That wasn’t what she intended to do at all. Her mane seemed to be slowly deflating as she watched the alien; he seemed even sadder than before. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Luna whisper something to her big sister as Fluttershy calmly trotted up to the alien’s bedside. Celestia nodded in response. Before she could react, Pinkie felt herself being bodily lifted in the air by Celestia’s telekinesis. She felt tiny as she was held before the Sun Princess. “I’m sorry Pinkie, but I think you’ll have to wait outside,” Celestia said gently. “Are you mad at me?” Pinkie asked pitifully, her lip quivering. Celestia shook her head and slowly released the party pony from her magic. Pinkie ambled out of the room, her head hung in shame. Everypony watched her as she disappeared behind the barrier and plopped down on her rump just outside. “Mr. Alien, it’s alright…” everypony turned to Fluttershy as she attempted to calm their visitor down, “Don’t be afraid, everything will be okay…” She nuzzled him. ~ The sight of what looked like a weapon followed by a bang sent his mind to unpleasant places. His whole body was numb with shock, his hearing a dull ringing as his mind withdrew to the memories of his time on countless battlefields, firing at the enemy, be it Enclave, Legion, or super mutants as his cover was gradually chipped away by the relentless gunfire. In the present, he lay there quivering. His mind was shrouded with darkness as… Something soft prodded his shoulder, and he felt something land on his cheek. His slightly bloodshot eyes snapped open to find not the dark grimy battlefield, but the comfortable, white light of a hospital room. His hearing returned to hear that the heartbeat monitor was beeping rapidly, drowning out the sound of the rain hammering against the window. He took several deep breaths to calm himself down. What just…? He reached up and brushed at the foreign object on his cheek. He felt it, and held it in front of his eyes. It was a brightly colored shred of paper. He stared at it quizzically as another shred of paper landed on him, and another, and another, and- Wait…not paper...confetti? He rolled onto his back and, through a half-lidded gaze, once again found himself face to face with the butter yellow pegasus. Soon after, she started softly talking to him. Those large, gentle eyes coupled with her soothing voice quickly calmed his racing heart and mind. Be calm…it’s okay… What just happened? I remember…there was the pink pony…she started singing and then…a cannon? His eyes shot open in realization and he sat up, the abruptness of the action taking the pegasus by surprise, though the act made him feel dizzy and he slumped back to the bed, clutching his forehead. Didn’t I just get shot at by a cannon? What the hell just happened? Gritting his teeth and reopening his eyes, he noticed that he had company. Over the yellow pegasus’ shoulder, he could see a much larger group of ponies, all eyeing him excitedly. Although the last time they had met under the night sky, he recognized them all. But what he didn’t recognize was what seemed to be a small, chubby lizard mounted on the back of the lavender unicorn. Its scales were a shade of violet. A green crest and a pair of fin-like protrusions adorned its head. It seemed to realize that Isaac was staring at it, then it raised a single stubby claw and waved at him. Surprisingly, it said something in the same language the ponies spoke. It was obviously sapient; did any more forms of sapient life exist on this world? Much like the ponies, its eyes were wide, intelligent, and full of life. Slowly, the Lone Wanderer raised his hand and waved back. The little reptile put its - his, he sounded like a prepubescent male, - claws to his mouth and giggled excitedly, his fanged mouth in a wide grin. He noticed that the pink pony was not present, though the small, light blue cannon resting at the foot of the bed caught his attention. The longer he stared at it, the sillier it looked. So, a pony did pull a cannon out of seemingly nowhere, and fire it…but where did all that confetti come from…and balloons…and cake!? The room was a mess, yet brightly decorated. All of his things were messily scattered throughout the room, and some of them landed on his bed, namely a scratched gauntlet and, much to his delight, his Pip-Boy. Slowly, he reached out for it. It was time to put the device back where it belonged. ~ All the ponies present watched as the alien picked up the strange grey shackle-like device from his bed. Their expressions varied from curiosity to excitement. Spike was still giddy from the fact that the alien acknowledged him while Luna was eager to see exactly how the alien managed to wear that device. They couldn’t find a way to manually remove it so they had to resort to magic. The alien seemed to shift uncomfortably under the gaze of all the ponies present. He eyed them suspiciously as he fiddled with some unseen mechanism with his dexterous fingers. He slipped a digit into a previously hidden slot, there was a faint mechanical sound, and the device opened. He promptly slipped it back on, still watching the ponies. Everypony present ‘oohed’ and ‘ahhed’ as lines of green alien script flashed across the dark glass screen. If the ponies noticed the alien’s snort of amusement, they didn’t show it. The spectacle ended quickly, as the screen faded to black once more, and the being settled against his pillows, still staring at them intently. “That’s it?” blurted out Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow!” hissed Applejack. “Um…girls?” said Fluttershy, “Would you like to introduce yourselves to Wanderer now?” Applejack tapped her chin, “We still doin’ this one at a time then?” Rainbow huffed, “We’re all here, aren’t we? What’s the point?” she turned to the Princesses. Luna paused for a moment, still pondering how the alien managed to get that device back on, “I don’t see why not…” “Great!” exclaimed Rainbow as she pushed past everypony and rushed over to Fluttershy, “Me first!” Her face split into a wide grin at the alien, who looked back at her with an odd look on his face. She winced slightly as she eyed the numerous scars marring the alien’s visage, those must have hurt. “Oh, um…hi Mr. Alien. I’m Rainbow Dash! The fastest flyer in Equestria!” She turned to Fluttershy, “You got all that?” Fluttershy squeaked quietly and hid her face partially behind her mane, “Oh…um…just a minute…” She turned to the alien. She cleared her throat with a delicate, ‘ahem!’ “Um…Mr. Alien, this is Rainbow Dash. She…um…says ‘hello’.” Rainbow snorted, “That’s not what I said!” she exclaimed. Before she could retort the alien said something to Fluttershy in his deep voice. “What is it? What did he say?” “Um…he says ‘hello to you too’,” replied Fluttershy, her voice a gradual diminuendo , “Um, is there anything else you’d like to say?” Rainbow blew a stray strand of hair out of her eyes, “Hm…nah, I’m good.” Twilight eyebrows raised in surprise, “Really? That’s it? You seemed pretty anxious to see him earlier…” “Well, I got to say ‘hi’ to an alien, didn’t I?” She glanced around, “Besides, it’s not like I can show off any of my sweet stunts in this place,” A dreamy look came onto her face, “Hm…that will be awesome…” She could see it now, Rainbow Dash, the most awesome pony around wows the alien. He is so enamored with her awesome that he calls his friends down and the entire galaxy will bear witness to the sheer magnitude of her awesome… “Can ah go next?” Applejack’s accented voice snapped Dash out of her fantasy. The orange mare nervously pawed at the tiled floor as Fluttershy nodded and beckoned her forward. Applejack’s pulse quickened as she slowly approached her friend. What was she going to say? How do you thank someone whom you owed the lives of both yourself and your sister? She swallowed as she joined Fluttershy by the creature’s bedside. Everypony looked at her expectantly as she stood there. Applejack bit her lip, her eyes drifted onto the bandages that were hidden by the sheets, then back to the aliens face. His expression was one of curiosity. “Um…hi…” she started, “Mah name’s Applejack and…ah just wanted to say…um…thank you…” She paused, “Thank you fer both savin’ me and mah sister that night. Ah owe ya…” she waited as Fluttershy relayed her message to the outsider. She waited for his response. It seemed to take longer than it should; Applejack was feeling nervous. Did that offend him somehow? She honestly failed to see how it would. Much to her surprise, the alien reached out for her. She hesitated, what was he doing? She didn’t have time to back out as the alien gently traced along her cheek with one of those fancy digits. Applejack’s breath hitched in her throat as she realized what he was touching: the scar she had obtained a week ago. Applejack sighed and closed her eyes as the alien gently stroked the sensitive tissue, leaning into his hand. All her worries seemed to wash away. She heard Rainbow snicker but she ignored her. It felt good, she didn’t care. She almost didn’t realize that the alien had said something. “Um…what did he say?” mumbled Applejack. Fluttershy smiled gently, “He says ‘you’re welcome.’” Reluctantly, she pulled away from the relaxing massage she was receiving and looked the alien directly in the eyes. His hand fell away and he gently lowered it to the bed. He nodded at her once. Applejack gently tapped the floor and turned to Fluttershy, “Um…could ya tell him ah’m sorry for buckin’ him?” “Oh um…okay,” Fluttershy replied and did just that. It didn’t take long for him to respond, “He says it’s okay,” he said something else. An odd looked came onto Fluttershy’s face, “Oh ah um…he says that it was a very good kick, you should be proud of yourself.” The orange farmpony fidgeted and adjusted her hat. She felt heat creep into her cheeks at the complement, “Oh…um…thank ya kindly,” her lips curled upward, “Get better soon, ya hear? You and Apple Bloom both…” she turned around to find all of her friends with amused smirks on their faces. Applejack stared back, “What are ya’ll lookin’ at?” ~ One at a time, each of the ponies approached him and the pegasus continued to attempt to translate between the two parties. Although the translations were limited at best, he caught the gist of what the ponies were trying to convey to him. Gratitude. After the Stetson wearing mare returned to her friends, the white unicorn was next. Like the orange pony, she also thanked him for helping her and her sister, and for some reason he could have sworn he heard something pertaining to clothing. He reflected back to his time in the crashed alien vessel. Now that he thought about it, he could remember there being three fillies, and one of them was a unicorn. He felt relieved now that he realized that all three of those little ponies were alright. That must have meant that the filly with the red bow was the orange pony’s sister, given the fact that the mare in question had kicked him. Her reaction when he complimented her kick brought a wry smirk to his face. As trivial as it seemed, simply being thanked made the Wanderer feel better. It was always reassuring that someone out there, even though they weren’t human, appreciated him for what he did. When the lavender unicorn approached, the little purple reptile surprised everyone when he hopped off the pony’s back and onto the bed. The Wanderer couldn’t help but think highly of the little guy’s boldness, even more so when he held out one of his violet claws. Isaac’s lips curled upward as he recognized the obvious handshake offered to him. The lizard’s claw disappeared as the Wanderer’s significantly larger fingers closed around it and he gave it a firm shake. The lizard was surprisingly warm to the touch. Who knows, maybe he’s warm because he’s a dragon? The creature said a few words to him, but he noticed that he put some extra emphasis on some very specific words. “(Hiya! Mr. Alien! I’m Spike! Spiiiike!” Spi-ke!)” The yellow pegasus stated the obvious, that it was a greeting, but it dawned on the Wanderer that the lizard was telling him his name. He did his best to imitate it, much to the amusement of everyone present. Even if he mangled it, the lizard boy didn’t seem to mind. The reptile’s display of childlike awe couldn’t help but give the Wanderer a strange warm feeling in his gut. A feeling of weariness hit him as the lizard boy was enshrouded in a violet aura and was lifted off the bed with a surprised yelp. Isaac watched as the reptile was plopped down on the lavender mare’s back, whose horn was aglow. He felt even more exhausted the longer he stared at her horn. A lump formed in his throat as he pondered what he was feeling at the moment. Was that…energy the source of his weakness? He felt strength return to his limbs as the violet light faded and he saw the unicorn and the…dragon, he felt like calling it a dragon, it sounds cooler, exchanged a look. The dragon’s arms were crossed and he was pouting as they shared a few words. A short time later, the lavender mare turned so she was facing the human, she cleared her throat and spoke to him. “(Good afternoon! My name is Twilight Sparkle. I apologize if my assistant bothered you…)” said the pony. The pegasus translated what she could. The Wanderer blinked, “It is no trouble, he wasn’t bothering me,” he replied, glancing at the lizard who was nervously playing with his claws, “I’m perfectly fine with it,” he explained. The pegasus exchanged a few words with the unicorn, and the dragon on her back smiled. The unicorn turned back to him, “(I would like to thank you for helping us and saving my friends! I look forward to working with you!)” “Work…with…me?” the Wanderer thought out loud when the pegasus dictated the pony’s message to him. What does she mean like that? He immediately set aside the thoughts that she meant ‘work with your insides,’ because that would be weird. The rest of the introductions went along swimmingly. It was inefficient though, as it was, all he really knew was the ponies were thankful for what he did, and that the violet unicorn planned to ‘work with him’. At some point one of the nurses stepped in which, according to the pegasus, meant she was merely checking up on him. Both of the Princesses outright welcomed him. From what he was able to understand from the pegasus, the two of them were sisters. The dark blue one shook his hand…again. She seemed to be enjoying the feeling of his fingers a bit too much. Though he couldn’t help but wonder: where had the pink one gone? Determined to get an answer, he tapped the pegasus gently on the shoulder. Isaac rolled his eyes in amusement when the she jumped and squeaked quietly; that pony would probably jump at her own shadow. “I hate to pry, but what happened to that other pony?” Isaac asked, “You know, the pink one that pulled the cannon out of…seemingly nowhere?” The pegasus shifted uncomfortably on her hooves and muttered something. Isaac raised an eyebrow out of concern. “Sent her away? Why would you do that?” asked the Wanderer. Another response made him roll his eyes. “She didn’t hurt me, she just startled me, is all,” he snorted. “You don’t pull a cannon out of nowhere and aim it at someone…” he muttered. The pegasus cocked her head and stared at him with those cyan eyes. “Look,” Isaac started, “You didn’t have to do that, I’d be happy to talk to her,” he explained, “Just make sure she doesn’t point anything at me that resembles a weapon okay?” The butter yellow pony blinked and said something to the two princess ponies. The sisters exchanged a few words. The taller white one nodded and trotted out the door. Now he only had to wait again, he supposed. ~ Pinkie Pie was feeling down as she slumped over on one of the cushions in the room that had been set aside for them. Her hair straight and limp, she sighed into her hooves as tears threatened to build up in her eyes while the fake rain continued to pound on the fake window. This wasn’t what she had intended at all. She came along to Canterlot with every intention of brightening up that poor alien’s day, and she blew it. Fluttershy was right, the creature did look so sad when she went to visit it, and Pinkie only succeeded in scaring him. …and worst of all, her tail was still swishin’! The quiet sound of approaching hoofbeats broke her out of her moody stupor. Her bright blue eyes looked towards the door just in time to see Princess Celestia enter the room. Pinkie averted her gaze as the Princess trotted over to her. The Princesses were mad at her too right? “Pinkie Pie?” said Celestia; the tall white alicorn brought her head down to Pinkie’s level. “I’m sorry, Princess!” Pinkie blurted out, “I didn’t mean to scare the alien! All I wanted to do was make him smile because he looked like he was having a bad day and he was so sad! I know I should have listened because you said that he was ultra-sad but I didn’t listen because I’m an Irresponsibly Reckless Recklessnesspants!” The Princess raised a single shoed hoof, “Pinkie, I’m not upset with you, there is no need to apologize,” she said gently. Pinkie blinked, “But…but I…” “Besides, I’m not the one you should be apologizing to,” Celestia said firmly. Pinkie cocked her head. “Our guest assured us that you merely took him by surprise, and he said that he would be willing to meet you.” Pinkie’s mouth formed a small o, “You mean he…” she trailed off as a feeling of warmth spread through her belly. She could salvage this mess yet! Sure she got off to a bad start, but at least she got a chance to apologize. “But you have to remember Pinkie,” Celestia shook her from her thoughts, “Our guest isn’t simply somepony who has had a rough day. From what we can gather, he has both physical and emotional scars we cannot even begin to fathom, so please, take it easy.” Pinkie smiled and gave the Princess a playful salute, “Don’t worry Princess, I can slow down!” she cleared her throat, “Hooooowwww isssss thiiiisssss?” An amused smirk came onto the Princess’s face, “I don’t think that will be necessary, Pinkie.” The rejuvenated party pony hopped in place as her hair rapidly inflated. A wide grin came onto her face, “Okie Dokie Lokie!” ~ Isaac spent the time waiting attempting to answer questions that a few of the ponies threw his way, as well as idly checking some of the settings on his Pip-Boy. Whilst the blue pegasus was scrutinizing him uncomfortably closely, the white one said something about clothing…the Princess and the violet unicorn had asked him a lot more, although the pegasus was unsuccessful in translating much of their questions. Curiously, the dragon boy seemed to be checking off boxes on a comically long sheet of parchment with a feather pen, and writing down what he could on a separate sheet. The pegasus had mentioned that the little violet lizard was an ‘assistant’. Meanwhile, the wrist-mounted computer had helpfully diagnosed him with an ‘unknown ailment’. It disturbed him, knowing that the Pip-Boy held information regarding every disease and condition known to mankind. It even picked up on when he started regenerating damaged tissue in sunlight. It was then that he heard the sound of hoofsteps returning, and soon the other Princess returned with a pink pony in tow, who was hopping, seriously. It didn’t escape his notice that there were a few salty streaks beneath the pony’s bright blue eyes. Was she crying? As the pink pony pushed her way through her friends, her tail seemed to swish around involuntarily, much to the chagrin of the other ponies. She stopped by the pegasus with a pensive look on her face as the white Princess said something to her. “(Remember, be gentle…)” The pony hopped in place briefly before she started speaking in a much more controlled voice than before, with her head hung, “(Um…hi Mr. Alien. I just wanted to apologize for scaring you earlier…please don’t be mad at me,)” said the pony. Isaac couldn’t help but feel slightly down at how pitiful the pony looked with her head hung like that as the pegasus - Butterfly, he decided to start calling her that on account of the marks on her flanks – relayed the message. The pony frowned when she seemed to interpret his silence as anger, “(I know that I can be a bit of a screw up sometimes…)” “Hey,” said Isaac as he gently placed his hand on the side of her face, “I forgive you. I’m not angry, you just caught me off guard is all.” The pony’s words abruptly cut off with a squeak as he gently stroked one of her ears. Her eyes closed and she sighed and leaned into his hand. The fact that she didn’t recoil when he did so gave him the impression that the ponies were much less touch-shy than humans were. She decided to surprise him as she aggressively forced her head into the Wanderer’s fingers. The rest of the ponies stared on in a slight degree of shock at the sight. “(Ohhh…mmm….what did he say?)” the pony mumbled. Butterfly looked away in embarrassment with a hint of a blush on her face, “(Um…he says that he’s not mad and that he forgives you, you just startled him…)” The Wanderer shot a look at the rest of the ponies as the pink one continued to mash her head into his hand as distracting pleasured sounds passed through the pony’s mouth. “Can someone tell me what she’s…GAH!” No one was exactly sure what just happened, but everyone looked on in bewilderment as the pony was somehow sprawled across the human’s chest, belly up. Isaac winced at the sudden pressure to the sensitive scars hidden under the bandages. She was heavier than she looked. “(Pinkie…!)” all the ponies said in unison. The Wanderer wasn’t sure if he should be disturbed by the pony’s behavior out or not. Isaac couldn’t help but notice how ridiculously cute the pony looked as she lay there with her forehooves crossing her chest, her eyes closed with a hint of a smile crossing her lips. She was close enough for him to notice the slight pudginess she had developing on her furry pink belly as he continued to scratch her behind the ears. He wasn’t sure what compelled him to do it, but his free hand slowly drifted onto the pony’s gut, and he gently rubbed it. The sudden peal of giggles that passed through the pony’s lips gave him the impression that she was enjoying this a bit too much. It was high pitched, mixed with snorting, and all around silly sounding. And it was contagious, very contagious. The rest of the ponies started cracking up as well as the Wanderer continued to massage the pink pony’s belly. Even he couldn’t resist it and his baritone chuckle soon joined the chorus of laughter. What happened next took him completely by surprise. He grunted as the pony abruptly shot to her hooves and landed next to the bed, her face close to his own, her large blue eyes focused on the upward curve of the smile that had formed on his face. The pink pony’s face split into a wide grin, and she began quivering with excitement. He was even more surprised when Butterfly crammed a hoof into the pink pony’s – he decided to refer to her as ‘Candy’ – mouth, not entirely able to muffle the enthusiastic cheer. What the point of that was, he wasn’t sure. Shortly after, Candy took a step forward and wrapped her forelegs around his bandaged torso. He was prepared for it this time however, and both human and pony shared a proper hug. “(So, are we friends then?)” the pony chirped and Butterfly translated, the wide grin lingering on her features. Isaac stared back as he considered the pony’s question. Normally, he was the type of person that was extremely slow to trust. He found that blindly trusting and attempting to befriend others was a surefire way to get himself into trouble. Not to mention that he had lost so many friends he sometimes wondered if it was worth trying to make more… However, deciding to humor Candy, he nodded slowly. The loud, high-pitched cheer afterwards made him wince. “(I just made friends with an alien!)” she said happily, “(Do you know what this calls for? A PA-!)” “(Pinkie…)” every pony present groaned. The white Princess shook her head and the pink pony seemed to deflate slightly. “(Um…a small, private get together?)” she said in a quieter voice, her grin still remaining. The remainder of the ponies exchanged a glance before shrugging and each replied with something that the Wanderer assumed equated to ‘Why not?’ What were they up to? He didn’t have much time to think as the pink pony came back over to him with a foam paper plate…Where the hell did she get paper plates?...that had a slice of cake on it, perched precariously on her back? How she managed it without sending said pastry flying was a mystery, considering she was skipping. He eyed it as she offered it to him. They had offered him food in the past, but he had refrained from eating it. Though they seemed to drink water as well, he had no idea if their food would be poisonous to him. The cake smelled pleasant at least. He hadn’t actually seen a real cake since his tenth birthday, which was mutilated by Andy the robot. The ponies all watched in awe as he deployed a small metallic probe from the front of his Pip-Boy, and he stabbed it into the cake. It beeped a moment later, and he checked the screen. No toxins detected. A hint of a smile creeping on his lips, he nonchalantly stabbed the cake with the fork, and shoveled a bit of it into his mouth. His eyes widened as the flavor hit him. It was one of the most delicious things he had ever tasted. He smiled at Candy and gave her an approving nod. The fact that the pony cheered gave him the impression that his message got across. Without waiting for any further input, the pony sped over to the phonograph that still rested on the table, and soon the small makeshift infirmary was filled with the sounds of cheerful music. What else was the kooky pink pony planning? ~ Several hours later, the small get together was finally winding down. The Princesses, which he had dubbed Luna and Sol for now, had stepped out some time ago along with the phoenix due to the fact that it was too crowded for all of them in that small room. Apparently they also had other duties to attend to, but not before the elder Princess ravenously devoured some cake in a very unladylike fashion. The Wanderer enjoyed the experience. Although he couldn’t actually join the ponies in doing…whatever it was they were doing, he at least got to eat something, now knowing that the food wasn’t poisonous. Candy had a brought a surprisingly wide variety of pastries, many of them were familiar through old advertisements and books back home. Cupcakes, donuts, punch, more cake…he got an opportunity to try it all. Well, almost all of it. The ponies, much like the ones formerly back on Earth could digest cellulose, apparently, rendering any of the goodies with hay in them inedible. The apple pony, whom he had dubbed ‘Apples’ , had offered him…apples, unsurprisingly. They were delicious, juicy, fresh, and far better than what limited options were available in the wastes, or whatever imitation food the Biological Research Station would create. The white pony, Diamond as he called her, spent much her time either examining his armor, the pieces of which had been stacked in the corner of the room with a sour look on her face. She also threw an occasional glance his way, and sometimes chatted with the other ponies. The other unicorn and pegasus, who he had dubbed Starburst and Rainbow respectively, took a lot of time examining him specifically. The rainbow-maned mare had hovered too close for comfort several times to the point where he had to gently nudge her away, while the unicorn had her assistant scribble down whatever observations she had made. Isaac sat there in a sitting position, feeling full and satisfied, and the dragon child asleep in his arms while the human idly stroked the dragon’s head. It was amusing that the dragon was familiar with rock-paper-scissors. The chances of that being a coincidence were…high. The window was dark but he could still hear rain pitter-pattering on it. He felt a slight numbness when the violet unicorn lifted the sleeping child onto her back with her telekinesis. Everything was cleaned up and one at a time, his company whittled away, member by member, until only Butterfly was left. Much to his amusement, the last thing she did was…tuck him in. He had to stop himself from laughing. It would have been rich if she had tried to read him a story too. As she was leaving, she threw one last look over her shoulder, a smile on her lips and her eyes glimmering. “(Good night.)” Now that he was alone, he reflected on the events of the day. That wasn’t so bad, he thought to himself. The visit from those ponies had put much of his fears to rest. Though they couldn’t truly understand each other, he could tell that they were being sincere, and for the first time in years he was comfortable. Oh, and the free food was nice too. He glanced at his Pip-Boy and fiddled with several of the knobs. At some point, he had gotten the idea to record all of Three-Dog’s broadcasts, along with the music. Although having the DJ shower praise on him was a nice ego booster, he had an odd habit of repeating himself. A smile came onto Isaac’s face as he found the number he wanted. He settled down and sighed with contentment as the soft music filled the room. Maaaaaaaybeeeee… You’ll think of me… When you are all alone… ~~ “Didja see the part when I made friends with an alien?” Pinkie said excitedly as the girls settled into the guest suite they had been offered. There were three mares to a room: Pinkie was sharing with Twilight, Rarity, and Spike, whilst the other girls were in the other. The party pony was in an even better mood ever since she had managed to fix her relationship with their otherworldly guest. “Yes,” both mares grumbled in unison. Spike was still asleep, and Twilight was sitting at a desk, hastily preparing a plan of action for when she made an attempt to officially break the language barrier the following morning. “Oh, and did you see the part when I made him laugh?” Pinkie reared up on her rear hooves and gently touched her belly with a dreamy look on her face as she thought about tummy rubs. “You gals should get your tummies rubbed sometime! It feels sooooo good!” Pinkie chirped before either mare could retort. With an odd look on her face, Twilight turned towards the mare when there was a knock on the door. The response forming on her tongue slipped away as all the mares looked towards the entrance to their suite. “Who could that be?” Twilight thought out loud as she moved to answer the door. Immediately she assumed that it was one of her other friends, but that thought died when she opened the door to come face to face with a familiar white stallion. “Shiny?” Twilight asked as she looked up into her brother’s face. The stallion smiled as he looked down on her, “Hello Twily, I heard you were in the castle…” “Oh, I haven’t seen you in months!” Twilight exclaimed happily as she started hopping around her big brother. An amused look was plastered on the stallion’s face. Meanwhile the other girls looked on with expressions of surprise. Rarity was the first to recover, “Um…Twilight, not to be rude, but who is your handsome friend?” A sheepish look came onto Twilight’s face as her eyes darted between her brother and her friends, “Oh…oops…sorry,” she cleared her throat, “Girls, I’d like to introduce you to my older brother, Shining Armor.” The both stared at her incredulously, “Twilight has a brother?” said Pinkie. Shining laughed and glanced at his little sister with a look of fake-hurt on his face, “All these months and you never mentioned me? Oh little sister, you wound me!” Twilight rubbed the back of her head, “Um…sorry. I was busy with my studies and…” she shook her head, “Anyway Shining, I’d like to introduce you to my friends Pinkie and Rarity!” the former grinned while the latter curtsied. “A pleasure!” Shining said happily and he turned back to his sister. “What do I owe this visit, big brother?” asked Twilight. Shining smiled, “I heard you were in the castle, so I thought I’d step in and say hello! Especially after a certain incident in the forest last week,” his expression became serious, “Also, I heard that we have a…unique guest staying in the castle, and I heard you were involved in some way?” Twilight glanced towards her friends and back to her brother. She decided that everypony present could hear this information, “Yes, the Princess has asked me to teach him our language, if I can,” she bounced on her hooves, “This is so exciting! I can’t wait to find out what I’ll learn and…” She was silence as Shining raised a hoof, “I just want you to be careful, okay?” Twilight nodded, “Don’t worry Shining, I won’t be alone. Besides, my friends and I recently introduced ourselves!” Shining’s ears perked up, “Really? What was he like?” Twilight tapped her chin with her hoof, “Quiet…intelligent…friendly…I don’t think you have anything to worry about big brother.” Shining’s lips curled into a smile, “Okay, I’ll take you word for it. Though as your big brother, I’m commanding you to stay safe, okay?” he chuckled quietly and he playfully ruffled his sister’s mane, much to her chagrin, “I hear all the time about the scrapes you and your friends get in.” Twilight wrapped her forelegs around her brother, who hugged back, “I’ll be careful, big brother.” “I know you will, Twily,” he pulled away, “Anyway, there’s someplace I have to be,” he turned his head toward the other mares, “It was nice to meet you two. Good night.” Soon after, he stepped outside and the door closed behind him. The sound of his hoofbeats faded away. Rarity was still staring at the door with a dreamy look on her face as Twilight trotted back over to the desk. “Twilight, is your brother seeing anypony?” Rarity suddenly asked. The violet mare turned towards her friend, a response already forming on her lips before Pinkie cut her off, “Hee hee! He’s probably rushing off to see his special somepony right now!” she glanced at Twilight. “Pinkie, Shining would tell me if he was seeing anypony,” said Twilight in a mildly irritated voice as she turned back towards the stack of parchment on her desk. “But where else would he be going?” Pinkie chirped. “I don’t know. My brother has an important job,” replied Twilight. “I’d betcha one day, it’s going to turn out that he’s getting married and it’s going to be a big surprise!” Pinkie tapped her chin, “Like a super-surprise party!” “Sure Pinkie…sure…” Twilight muttered as she got to work. She had a big day tomorrow. ~~~ Two more research vessels were destroyed by a human, all personnel research lost. No matter, the experiments will continue… ~~ “Ungrateful bastards…” Isaac heard his ghoul companion mutter as he eyed the retreating backs of the prisoners they had just rescued. They had made a break for it the moment they saw that two of their rescuers were a ghoul and a super mutant. The attack had gone off without a hitch. All the hostile super mutants and the Talon mercs lay strewn about the clearing, some of them whole, some of them in pieces. But what was important was that they were dead. Isaac had hoped that he would have been able to take one of the mercs alive for interrogation, but there were other ways to get information, be it a terminal or something else. After following the usual post-battle routine of collecting the ammo and weapons, and burning the chems, Fawkes, Charon, and Dogmeat stood on watch as he crouched over the corpse of the merc he had identified as this particular Talon Company squad’s leader. He searched the man’s body before coming across two separate sheets of paper. Unfolding one, he snorted with amusement as he recognized it to be another contract on his head. The Wanderer could distinctly recall when the contracts used to identify him as ‘Isaac Shepard’, rather than ‘Lone Wanderer’; the price on his head had risen to a staggering 500,000 caps. But the other contract got his attention. Strangely, they were offered a large sum to protect super mutants. Why they would do that, and how they were able to get the mutants to not attack on sight was a mystery. Fortunately, the organization that contracted them was kind enough to state their name. Unity. ~~ And that's that. A big thanks to this guy, this guy, aaaaand joining the pre-reading bros for this chapter, this guy, for pre-reading this chapter. They are neat-o. Questions! 1) Lasers or plasma? 2) You come across a sad pony in a dark alleyway on a rain day, you give her a hug. Now...do you scratch her ears or rub her tummy? 3) Something I noticed...In the plot of Fallout 1, The Master forcibly converts humans into mutants with FEV, because teh humans are bad and stuff and the mutants are oh so much better. Replace the underlined words with...a certain something else, and what does it end up looking like? Till next time.