War, war never changes…
~
October 23, 2077…a day that would forever be burned into the collective memory of the human race. The day in which nuclear fire scorched the Earth, and the world as we knew it was forever changed.
It was not, however, the end of the world as some predicted. Many of those who survived did so in great underground vaults, their massive doors shielding the inhabitants within from the hellish landscape the American countryside had become: a land dominated by radiation, savages, deranged lunatics, and grotesque mutated beasts.
On August 17, 2277, it was from one of these vaults, Vault 101, that a young man walked through the great steel doors of the only home he had ever known in pursuit of a wayward father, and into the annals of legend. He was known to some as the Wasteland Messiah, to others as a Steel Paladin, but above all, he was known as the Lone Wanderer.
The wasteland was a cruel, inhospitable place, but the Lone Wanderer refused to surrender to the vices that had claimed so many others. Ultimately, he had achieved his father’s dream of providing the waters of life to the entire wasteland, and pushed a menacing shadow of the old world back into the darkness.
He accomplished much in the years to follow, but eventually his travels brought him from sea to shining sea. In the Mojave, he squared off against the Bull and fought alongside the Bear. Together, the Wanderer and the NCR took the dam that fateful day.
One would expect that the Wanderer’s travels would have eventually ended, but the wasteland is never fair. In the years to come, he endured many hardships, experienced betrayal, camaraderie, and friendship. The Wasteland is a vicious creature, and in the end the Wanderer found himself fighting it alone.
But it would only get worse.
What was supposed to be a simple excursion into the wastes took an unexpected turn. Now, once again held captive by an enemy he had thought he wouldn’t encounter again, he finds himself on a new adventure, completely unaware of where it would take him.
It is said that war never changes. People do, however, through the roads they walk…and this road will take the Lone Wanderer to a place he never thought possible…
~~
White and more white. That was the easiest way to describe the brightly lit hallway that the Lone Wanderer stood in. Aside from his breathing, the only noise was the sound of a distant generator humming. He was never one for aesthetics, though all of this sterile white was a nice change of pace from the constant dusty brown of the wasteland.
But that was beside the point.
He did not expect to encounter the aliens again. Why they chose to reappear now was beyond him, but that didn’t change the fact that they were once again experimenting on his fellow humans. He had passed several of their labs on his trek through the alien starship; how the unfortunate souls within had their bodies mutilated on operating tables, bloodied tools surrounding their corpses along with several more logs from the aliens’ victims.
How they were begging and pleading with their captors shortly before being dissected.
Just the thought made him quiver with rage. Unacceptable.
They had experimented on him too; the lingering ache in his midsection was a testament to that. He couldn’t remember their procedure, though he had a feeling it was a good thing he couldn’t if the corpses were any indication.
The sheer disregard these aliens had for other sapient life lit an angry flame within him as he continued to stride down the hall, catching a glimpse at the wounded planet down below through a porthole. Unlike most of the sapient life he fought, he had very little remorse for killing these monsters. He had squared off against these creatures before yes, but that was nearly eight years ago.
They haven't changed a bit.
He would’ve thought they would have been more prepared for him this time around. This made it obvious that they regarded him as little more than a test subject to be experimented on and not a cunning, dangerous animal.
Their arrogance had cost them dearly.
Using brute force to disable the generator that sealed him within his cell had been simple enough, and the resulting injuries had healed quickly allowing him to speedily attack his captors. Extensive cybernetic and genetic modification had rendered the Lone Wanderer far stronger than a standard human. It only became easier for him when he retrieved his modified power armor, and his weapons, which the aliens were kind enough to store in the same storage closet. Those green-skinned freaks didn’t expect a lowly, primitive human to tear through their numbers and defenses as if they were tissue paper.
As he reached the closed door at the end of the hallway, he stopped and crouched next to it, pulled his modified laser rifle from its spot on his back, and held it at the ready. He ran a gauntleted fist across the activation hologram hovering a short distance away from him, and the door slid open with a quiet hiss.
The burst of blue blaster fire that rushed through the door as he opened it confirmed his suspicions that there was an ambush lying just beyond it. As he took a quick peek, another burst of blaster fire followed soon after he caught a glimpse of a multi-storied chamber and at least a half dozen of the humanoid green aliens taking cover behind a series of overturned tables.
Hugging his rifle to his chest as he took several deep breaths of filtered air through his helmet, the Wanderer flipped the power switch on his weapon, and it hummed to life.
“Assess!” he said to seemingly no one.
“Twelve contacts. Eight shooters, first six stories, two second story, three drones, one turret,” a lively female voice chirped into his ear. The chipper AI had been his only constant companion even since he had traveled to the Mojave years ago.
“Drones?” the Wanderer muttered into his helmet as he felt a rising sense of alarm. He glanced down at his left forearm at his grey wrist-bound computer, his trusty Pip-Boy 3000. That device had served him well over the years, and a few modifications made it even more versatile. Tucking his weapon into the crook of his arm, he deftly tapped a few buttons on the device.
Moments later, the power armor clad human shimmered and disappeared from view. He had to be quick, adapting the technology of the stealth suit to work with power armor resulted in a very short-term cloak. He had at most fifteen seconds before he had to let the device recharge.
His decision was not a moment too soon as a trio of glowing, green, basketball-sized projectiles bounced through the threshold of the door. They exploded mere moments later; their blasts scorching the walls’ pristine white a charred black.
But by then the Wanderer was already gone.
The cloaked figure could practically feel the automations targeting him as he quickly crossed the length of the chamber, passing the aliens who were cautiously peeking over their makeshift cover. He couldn’t help but sneer at their ugly alien features through his helmet as he passed by. While he was invisible to the aliens’ eyes (the green creatures having foolishly forgone any advanced equipment to make up for that shortcoming) the drones and the ceiling turret could still pick up the EM signature of his cloak. Fortunately, the drones were still recharging their large cannons. Unfortunately, the turret wasn’t in the same state. The Wanderer bit his lip as the silvery turret fired a blue blast of light at him, missing him by inches.
He heard startled exclamations from the aliens as he started making his way up the stairs at the far end of the room. He gasped in pain as the next shot found its mark. The air around him shimmered as his barriers absorbed the brunt of the impact, but unfortunately, the disturbance was bright enough to draw the attention of the eight aliens in the room. The chamber was lit with blue light as they all blindly fired at the location he was moments ago, but he had already reached the top of the stairs. He bashed the alien nearest him alongside the head with the butt of his rifle, and fired at the neck of the other one. While the second one fell, its head severed by the powerful energy weapon, the Wanderer crouched behind the barrier erected at the top of the stairs. He pulled a knife from a holster at his midsection, and finished off the other alien with a quick stab to the chest just as his cloaking device expended its power supply with a faint buzz.
Without hesitating, the Lone Wanderer pulled a grey, cylindrical item from a satchel at his waist. He took only a moment to admire the faintly glowing blue circuitry before arming and tossing the pulse grenade into the lower level. He allowed a grim smile to come onto his face when the EMP weapon detonated mere moments later. Whether they were made by humans or aliens, any robot blasted by pulse grenades will quickly and effortlessly be reduced to scrap metal.
Holstering his rifle on his back, he withdrew a much larger weapon as he surveyed the damage done. The turret hung limply from its socket while the combat drones smoldered below, sparks shooting out of gaps of their ruined frames. The aliens below wobbled, disoriented and confused, their barriers down. While the effects a pulse grenade had on organics were minimal, it was by no means a pleasant experience.
It took them a moment to regain their bearings, but by then the Lone Wanderer had already brought his weapon to bear. The six aliens below swiveled around and pointed their weapons at him as his weapon hummed to life. They gazed at him, or more specifically, at the massive, six-barreled behemoth he was hefting in his power-armored arms, with hate. Several of them took a shot at him, their blasts glancing harmlessly off his barriers as he opened fire.
They never stood a chance.
The Lone Wanderer’s minigun roared, spitting a shower of spent brass all the while as it took out the aliens below. Their hastily assembled battlements quickly became a kill zone as they frantically tried to find something else to hide behind, but they fell quickly under the relentless storm of lead.
The human’s expression was hard as the last one fell. A grim sigh passed through his lips as the minigun went silent once more, steam rising from its barrels. While he hated the aliens, he took no pleasure in this.
“Contacts, rear!” his AI warned him.
The Wanderer quickly wheeled around, finding a pair of aliens boldly charging at him from a side-chamber. He had no time to spin up his minigun, so instead he found himself dropping the heavy weapon as an alien swung at him with a stun rod. He deftly sidestepped the blow, cutting off its shrill battle cry as he drove a power armored fist into the alien’s neck. As it crumbled to the ground, coughing and spluttering, the other alien aimed a large, long-barreled disintegrator at him. Without a moment’s hesitation, the human reached out and grabbed the barrel of the awkward weapon and wrenched it out of the alien’s grip before it could fire.
Throwing the seized weapon aside, the Wanderer whipped out his sidearm from its holster and quickly leveled his sights on the alien’s head. It died moments later, much of its head terribly scorched from the plasma weapon.
The Wanderer remained alert as the last enemy fell, his heart still pumping, and his stance still loose. “All targets eliminated, good work, best friend,” his AI announced moments later, giving him a reason to relax.
He frowned as he surveyed all the death that he had wrought. Holding up his sidearm vertically, he examined it as memories washed through his head. He had obtained this pistol the last time he had been abducted by these aliens, a particularly heavy model known as a ‘Novasurge’. He remembered with a flash of how those red-jumpsuit clad aliens had fled in terror as he arrived. Who knows, maybe they aren’t all bad…?
No…
He lowered the weapon and his free hand clenched into a fist. He had seen the experiments, he had seen the mutilation, and he heard their victims’ terrified cries for help. If they were lucky, they were simply killed; if not…the Wanderer could still hear the snarls of those monsters that used to be human in his dreams.
These…monsters deserve no mercy… he thought darkly as he holstered his sidearm and picked up his dropped minigun.
His dark thoughts were abruptly cut off as the ship violently lurched. He nearly lost his balance at the sudden disturbance. Hugging his massive weapon to his chest, he leaned against the nearest bulkhead for support.
“What was that…?” he thought out loud moments before the ship lurched again. He squinted as the ship abruptly dimmed and a loud alien voice blasted over the vessel’s PA system. It didn’t sound like the actual aliens speaking, so he assumed that it was automated.
He yelped as his grip slipped on his minigun and the heavy weapon fell to the metallic floor with a noisy clang. The Wanderer winced as the rocking environment sent him colliding painfully with the railing, only to jerk him back once more, sending him sprawling across his back.
It was then that he caught a glimpse of space through the skylight. Aside from the nearly invisible barrier providing an extra layer of protection, he was certain that that sickly red glow hadn’t existed outside the ship previously.
His jaw gaping, he continued to stare at it as he forced himself to his feet, grabbing the railing. He couldn’t be certain, but the glow seemed to be getting brighter.
“Assess…” he muttered, hoping that his AI might be able to shed some light on the subject.
“No idea! Sorry!” the AI responded mere seconds later.
Well, so much for that…
His breath hitched in his throat as the ship rocked again, but he kept his footing this time.
Then, everything began vibrating.
He barely noticed it at first, but then it became more and more violent. Soon, his heart was racing and he felt light-headed as the red glow through the skylight became brighter and brighter.
He felt that something bad was about to happen as the light continued to grow until it became painful to look at. His eyes clenched shut as the entire ship trembled.
The humming continued to get louder.
A strange sensation washed over him as he held on for dear life. He recognized it. It was that same sense of finality he had when he was stepping into the irradiated control chamber of Project Purity; the same feeling he had when he was at the mercy of the man in the checkered suit, restrained and half dead.
He felt like he was about to die.
A long slow sigh passed through his lips as he felt tightness in his chest.
The red light turned white.
~
It was at that moment that the strange, alien spacecraft in orbit around the planet known as Earth vanished in a blinding flash of reddish white light.
…and reappeared in similar flash moments later around a different planet, a different dimension…
~~
In the land of Equestria, Princess Luna stood atop her balcony, surveying the moonlit kingdom before her. The night was silent, save for the sounds of nocturnal wildlife, and the scattered chattering of ponies who were still up at this hour in the city below.
It was nice to know that at least somepony else was enjoying her night, meager as their numbers may be. Even so, the Moon Princess still couldn’t shake the lingering feeling of loneliness as she directed her gaze skyward, towards the millions of stars that twinkled above.
A content sigh passed through her muzzle. Though many things had changed over the last thousand years, the Night Princess still found solace at gazing at the night sky. Her night sky. She allowed a smile to creep onto her lips. Since her return, Luna had witnessed many ponies sharing in her fascination with the stars, staying up well past their normal bedtimes to simply join her in her nightly vigil.
Suddenly a flash caught her eye. Her smile faded as she gazed at it. It was a strange red color, and it was definitely not a star or a comet, or any other object she recognized. She couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of foreboding as her gaze remained fixated on the location the flash was mere moments ago.
Luna closed her eyes and called upon her magic, the horn on her forehead lit up with a silvery glow. She reached her consciousness towards the mystery object. It was a useful skill, being able to reach into the heavens. The Princess mostly used it to create spectacular meteor showers for her little ponies. Her mouth curled into a frown as her magic felt the foreign object. She didn’t recognize it. Celestial objects passed their planet by all the time, be it meteorites, comets, or other bits of space junk. She always recognized those.
The Night Princess would have fetched her telescope, if not for the fact that it was damaged a couple of days ago in a freak incident involving cheesy poofs and chocolate milk. It was still being repaired.
Luna tapped her chin with her hoof. Perhaps Celestia would let Luna use hers? The Princess trotted back into her bedroom and glanced at the ornate clock that hung on the wall. It was just past midnight. She bit her lip, would her sister still be awake?
She didn’t entertain the thought of accidentally waking her sister; her mind painted colorful pictures of the wrath she would face from a cranky Celestia.
Taking in a deep breath, the midnight blue alicorn cantered out onto her balcony and took to the air.
~~
“Got you,” the Wanderer said menacingly as he bore down on the captain of the alien ship. The alien tried to raise his sidearm against the towering power-armored human, but the Wanderer was too fast. The captain’s pistol was batted out of its grip by the back of the human’s fist, and it soon found the cold barrel of the Wanderer’s sidearm placed firmly against where its heart was. It jerked back with a barely audible cry of pain as the human ended its life. In a strange act of respect, the Wanderer gently lowered his enemy’s body to the ground and crossed its arms across its chest.
Retrieving his dropped minigun from its place nearby, he diligently looked for potential targets that he may have missed. “All targets neutralized,” the AI helpfully informed the Lone Wanderer as he stood on the bridge of the alien vessel.
“…Good.” He muttered as he lowered his weapon. It was the strangest thing. After everything with the shaking and the red glow, nothing seemed to have happened. Well, he could definitely feel that something happened. On top of the usual fatigue from fighting, he now had a nasty headache that he needed to use stimpaks to overcome. Also, his limbs felt heavy, and his mouth was dry.
Taking an opportunity to booby trap all the exits first (seriously, the results he could get with a lunchbox, a cherry bomb, and a handful of caps was insane), the human stepped over the fallen aliens as he made his way to the captain’s chair. The seat groaned in protest as the heavy, power-armored man put all his weight onto it, but it didn’t break. Setting down his heavy weapon, his fingers groped for a hidden latch on his neck. A faint hiss filled the air as the helmet came off, revealing the man within.
The bedraggled mess of dark brown hair framed a scarred visage. Although the man within the imposing dark power armor was only twenty-six, all the wear and tear from life in the wasteland made him look years older. The human took a deep breath of unfiltered air as he set the helmet on his lap, massaging his throbbing temples with his right hand as a groan passed through his lips, both from fatigue and the headache.
As his vivid green eyes surveying the death around him, he allowed another sigh to pass through his lips as he rubbed his cybernetic eye, which was virtually indistinguishable from the real one. Taking another long, drawn out breath, he slid his helmet back on, the latches clicking into place followed by a hiss as the helmet sealed itself.
“Well, I guess it’s time to find my way off this thing…” he muttered to himself. On the other ship, he and his companions had found a way to launch a beacon down to Earth that he could teleport to.
“What time is it?” asked the Wanderer while he rose to his feet and rolled his arms in their sockets, trying to ward off the soreness that lingered there as his helmet’s HUD flickered to life.
“The current time is 12:05AM, Tuesday May 18th, 2285,” the AI informed him.
The human grunted and rolled his eyes. This little escapade had cost him hours, and he had a schedule to keep up. Something was brewing in the Capital Wasteland and he was certain that it wasn't for the benefit of mankind. Just when he was about to respond, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye.
Something on the planet below.
Narrowing his eyes, he turned his body towards the large, shielded window at the far end of the bridge. He could have sworn he caught a glimpse of green. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind. The greenest place he had ever seen in the Wasteland was Oasis. Emphasis on was.
Marching down the staircase to the observation deck there, his expression hard, he came to a stop mere feet from the window and peered outside.
He recoiled and a startled gasp at what he witnessed outside.
Though most of the planet below was shrouded under the darkness of night, the slim crescent that was lit by the sun was covered with the definite green of life. Unfamiliar landmasses with swirling white clouds playing across them met his vision.
The human backed away from the window, his eyes wide with shock at what he had just seen. His heart raced as he stumbled into the nearest bulkhead for support as his mouth felt even dryer than it was before. He licked his lips as a ragged gasp passed out of his mouth, slowly sliding to the floor. He cradled his head with both hands. He had seen Earth from space before, he could recognize the brown, scarred landscapes, the unhealthy oceans, and how the continent once known as Europe seemed to be permanently engulfed in a sickly glow.
That planet below…that wasn’t Earth.
How in the…what just…where did… half-finished questions ran through his head repeatedly as the situation became clear to him. Not Earth. Unfamiliar. Was that what that red glow was? Did the alien ship…teleport? Warp? Irrelevant… he thought as he forced himself to his feet as he stared at the planet once more. Whatever the aliens did, he wasn’t in orbit around his home planet anymore.
Beyond the planet was the sun, partially obscured but still brilliant nonetheless, but something about it seemed different. It looked…livelier, brighter, and alight with a healthy gold glow. Was it the aliens’ planet?
He glared. No.
They hold no regard for sapient life. What the hell would they do with plant life? He thought angrily to himself. They would probably strap the trees to operating tables and hack them to pieces for whatever sick science they follow.
The minutes ticked by as he continued to stare. The sun disappeared behind the planet and the lit portion soon fell into darkness.
The Wanderer took a deep breath and hung his head. Now I suppose I have to find a way back home… he paused. Why? Said a darker portion of his mind, Why would you want to go back to that tortured hellscape?
He bit his lip. Regardless…it is my home…the people of the Wasteland count on me…
“Um…best friend?” his AI chirped, breaking him from his reverie.
“Hm? What?” he said tiredly.
“Incoming contact…BIG contact…” the AI replied.
Instantly, the human snapped to attention and his rifle came from its place on his back. “Assess!” the Wanderer barked.
“One…big alien spaceship, front!”
The Wanderer blinked, “Wha-?” whatever he was about to say was cut off as something up in the bridge began beeping loudly. His pulse quickened as he noticed something off the front of the alien ship. There, silhouetted in the faintly visible aura from the system’s star was a strange black shape. He could make out the blinking lights on the front of it, along with the odd multi-tiered design of the disk-like alien ship.
Looks like they had sent reinforcements.
He snorted with disdain. Just like the last time…
Without a second thought, he dashed back up the stairs to the bridge as whatever instruments up there kept beeping. He slid into the captain’s chair and gawked at all the consoles before him. Fight off alien ship first, and then find way home… he decided.
The dark shape outside gradually grew larger and more detailed. He bit his lip in puzzlement as it continued to approach. Were they coming to retake the ship? Destroy it? Rendezvous with it? Did they even realize that he had taken over the ship? Last time he was in this situation they hadn’t…jumped to different planets. Knowing how well they regarded other sapient life, did they even bother checking to see if the ship that just warped in was still under their control?
He didn’t put much thought into it as he got up from the chair and stepped over the gunnery controls. If he recalled correctly, the holographic panels in front of the captain’s chair were the firing controls, while the power management and targeting systems were off to the left. It was easy enough to figure out how to use it. Hell, a pre-pubescent girl figured it out on the last ship he was on. The brightly lit icons conveniently had a user-friendly image detailing the function of that button. He trained the ship’s weaponry on the approaching alien vessel using a simple holographic interface, and held his breath. A gnawing feeling of anticipation grew in his belly as the other vessel got closer and closer.
The console beeped, indicating that he had a lock. Diverting the ship’s power to the weaponry, the Wanderer brought his fist down on the fire button. The entire ship rocked and the lights dimmed as the alien vessel’s weaponry fired a devastating azure beam at the other ship. From his place at the bridge, the human could see the beam rip through the hull of the other ship, tearing off its thrusters and causing its lights to dim.
The other ship hadn’t even raised their shields. Somehow, they were completely unaware that a human with the utmost ire towards their race was at the helm of one of their ships. How the hell didn’t they KNOW that!? He thought with incredulity as streaks of blue energy belched out of the severe damage he had wrought.
“Knew you could do it best friend!” said the AI.
The Wanderer merely smiled at the praise from his ‘best friend’. Not that he got anything BUT praise from the chipper AI anyway.
He was drawn from his thoughts as a nearby device flared to life. A hologram of the opposing captain materialized over what he assumed was some sort of communication console. Unsurprisingly, the alien started babbling in that grating language of its, insulting him or whatever. The Wanderer had no clue, nor did he really care.
While it was rambling, the Wanderer’s hand drew closer to his holster. His brow twitched as he fingered the pistol’s grip. He pulled his sidearm from its holster and put a plasma bolt into the projector in a fraction of a second. He did not know if the alien captain could see what he was doing from its end, but the expression on its face was priceless nonetheless. The bulb cracked and sparked as the searing green energy shredded its sensitive components. The image of the alien suspended above the device flickered and died away.
“You talk too much…” he grumbled, sliding his pistol back into its holster.
“Are you okay, best friend?” said his AI.
“Yes,” the Wanderer said, “I am. I am perfectly fine.”
A nervous laugh passed through his mouth as he slumped back into the captain’s chair. That was anticlimactic… he thought wryly, Now…I have to see about a way of getting me back to Earth-
His thoughts were abruptly cut off as a loud klaxon began blaring and an emergency light coming on, bathing the bridge in a red light. His eyes went wide and he shot to his feet, frantically looking around for whatever could be causing that alarm.
What could be-?
His thoughts were cut off as the ship shuddered slightly, and his attention was drawn the front of the ship. The other alien vessel continued to drift ever closer to him. What was about to happen hit him with a pang of dread.
In inadvertently disabling the alien ship, he had also removed their means of braking or changing direction. He bit his lip as he eyed the fragments of the severed flaming fuselage as it burned up in the planet’s atmosphere. On the other hand, he had no idea how to pilot the vessel he was in; it wasn’t like he’d find instructions in a nearby glove compartment like he did with that vertibird...
No really, there was a manual on how to fly a vertibird stashed the glove compartment of a vehicle he hijacked once.
Both ships were drifting towards each other. In space, there was no air resistance to slow either of them down. His mind quickly put those variables into its calculator and the answer came up to be a big frowny face.
Newton, you magnificent bastard.
A resigned sigh passed through his mouth as he slumped into the captain’s chair again. Wordlessly, he tapped a few buttons on the power management console and brought the ship’s shields up to max.
He couldn’t do much else except hope for the best.
~~
Princess Celestia couldn’t sleep. No matter how much she repositioned her body, she just couldn’t find a comfortable position. A distinct feeling unease kept gnawing at the back of her mind, like something bad was about to happen.
Resigning herself to her insomnia with a sigh, she slowly rose to her hooves. Her horn went alight briefly with a golden glow, and soon the lights in her extravagant bedroom flickered on.
The Sun Princess regarded her chambers with sleepy, half-lidded eyes, from the unlit fireplace, to her tiara and shoes that rested on a stand near the door. The white alicorn sighed when she glanced at the clock. Every day for over a thousand years, she had to get up early. Thankfully, the larder of Canterlot Palace had no shortage of coffee and tea.
Celestia had a multitude of things to do when she couldn’t sleep. Her gaze flitted over to the bookcase. She looked at the titles lining some of the spines before dismissing them with a shake of her head. No, no reading tonight. On some nights she gorged herself on sweets, the pleasant full feeling allowing her to sleep more easily, but she had no pastries on hoof, she realized with a sigh.
Finally, her violet gaze drifted over to her balcony doors, and the moonlight that was flooding through them. The night sky beyond looked so inviting. Staring into the heavens was always a relaxing experience for her. Better yet, ever since her sister had been saved she could stare at the night sky without that lingering feeling of regret.
Making up her mind, Celestia crossed her bedroom, her hooffalls muffled by the carpet. She caught a glimpse of herself as she passed by her mirror. She couldn’t help but chuckle at her appearance. Her mane, normally an ethereal mix of shimmering colors, hung limply about her face, a solid pink, and a few errant strands stuck out here and there; a typical case of royal bedmane. Rolling her eyes, she completed her journey to her balcony door and undid the latch with a faint click. The Sun Princess took a deep, refreshing breath of the cool night air as she stepped out onto her balcony. A hint of a smile came to her face as the fragrance washed over her as her eyes closed with satisfaction.
Her smile melted away as she felt a tingling going down her spine. As if someone was watching her.
It took her a moment to realize that her balcony was occupied already.
“Luna?” Celestia took a random guess.
“Good morning, sister,” the Moon Princess said in response, stepping out from the shadows near the door.
The elder alicorn turned to her sister, “How long have you been standing out here?” she thought out loud, “…hm…never mind …”
The younger alicorn took note of the elder’s disheveled appearance. “Trouble sleeping, sister? Are you unwell?”
Celestia regarded her younger sister with a smile, “No, Luna, I am feeling well but…yes, sleep…escapes me. I’ve been feeling…troubled,” she walked closer to the Moon Princess. Luna looked up at her, her blue eyes full of curiosity, “Gazing at the night sky has always put my mind at ease.”
Luna let a smile creep onto her lips, “Yes, it is most magnificent, isn’t it?” she said proudly.
Celestia craned her neck and nuzzled her younger sister, “You have a fantastic night, sister,” she poured affection into her words. Ever since Luna had gone to Ponyville on Nightmare Night several months ago, the younger alicorn had a much more cheerful disposition, as well as doing a fine job updating her vocabulary to present standards. Luna had come to realize just how much more active Equestria was past sundown in modern times. Though secretly , Celestia wished that Luna would go out more. Most of the time, she was an even bigger shut-in than her prized pupil was.
“Remember when we used to do this when we were fillies?” asked Luna. The younger princess had trotted over to the edge of the balcony, her forelegs propped up on the railing. “How we would just go outside at night, and just watch the stars, together…” Celestia could hear a hint of longing in her sister’s voice. Trotting to her sister’s side, Celestia draped a single feathery white wing over her dear sister.
“Yes sister, I remember,” replied Celestia. Luna looked up at her with a smile on her face, “We are doing that right now, in fact.”
Luna nodded, “Indeed, we are,” she paused for a moment. She was about to speak up again before a bright light high above caught the attention of both of the Princesses.
Luna bit her lip. Is that the same mystery object I’ve seen before?
“Luna?” asked Celestia. The Princess ignored her; her gaze remained fixated on the spectacle above. As opposed to the red light from earlier, now narrow flashes of blue flitted about in that small patch of the sky, Luna’s eyes narrowed as she continued staring.
Something was wrong, that light wasn’t natural.
“Sister, perhaps you should close your mouth before you swallow an insect,” said Celestia with an amused smirk. The younger alicorn’s mouth snapped shut and she looked away with a blush, hiding her face in her starry mane. Celestia cocked her head, her violet eyes boring into her sister’s head. “What’s this then? Some new project of yours, sister?” she said good-naturedly, gesturing skyward with a hoof.
Celestia’s smile faded when the younger alicorn shook her head. “That’s the reason I have come to your chamber sister,” Luna glanced up at Celestia, “I am investigating a disturbance in my night sky and…well…I’ve sort of damaged my telescope,” she looked at her sister with pleading eyes, “I was wondering if you would be so kind as to allow me to use yours?”
The Sun Princess’s smile returned, “Of course you can, dearest sister. Why wouldn’t I let you?”
Luna smiled, shrugged and nervously tapped the floor with her hoof as her gaze went skyward again. The blue lights dimmed away and the sky went completely dark once more. Celestia watched as the Moon Princess reached into the heavens with her magic once more.
Luna pursed her lips in puzzlement. Where there had been only one object before, she could now feel many. One of them was the same thing she had felt earlier, while the other objects were of varying sizes and shapes. A couple of the smallest objects were drifting away from the two larger ones, towards the planet. Both Princesses could see it when the lit up in the atmosphere.
Celestia shot an inquisitive look her way, “Sister? What is-?”
“I don’t know,” Luna hissed through gritted teeth. Her focus was on the two larger objects suspended in her night sky. She could feel them drift closer together. They got closer, and closer, and closer before both objects contorted as they collided with each other.
Luna could practically feel it due to her magic coiled around the strange objects. She gasped and slumped heavily against the railing.
“Sister!” Celestia rushed over to the other alicorn and supported her with her forelegs, “What’s wrong?”
“Something’s…something’s…” she coughed. But she didn’t get to finish as the sky abruptly lit up as bright as day.
Both Princesses gasped in pain as they we’re unfortunate enough to be looking directly at what appeared to be a second sun the moment it appeared in the sky.
Gritting their teeth, both alicorns cast a quick spell to shield their eyes from the dazzling brightness. Both of them were at a loss, neither Princesses had a clue what was going on. The blast was completely noiseless, consequently they could hear the entire city awaken, and distressed cries reached their ears.
“Luna! What happened!?” Celestia gasped.
“I don’t-…it is getting dimmer!” Luna exclaimed. Sure enough, the imposter sun was rapidly deteriorating, fading away. It grew smaller, and smaller, and dimmer, rapidly turning a red color. The sky looked like it was experiencing a very rapid sunset, forcibly turned from night, to day, and now rapidly turning into a golden color. Soon, the blackness of night returned.
Both princesses remained transfixed at the place the blast was, while the city below continued to stir. The ponies’ startled and frightened exclamations blended into an unintelligible cacophony of sound. The after-image of the second-sun remained burned into their vision, slowly fading away. Celestia licked her lips as she turned to her sister who stood there slack jawed.
Wordlessly, she felt for the strange objects with her magic again. One of the objects was shattered to pieces, while strangely, the other was mostly intact. All the fragments were floating off in different directions, and soon what looked like meteors to appeared in the night sky. The smaller pieces quickly burned up, but a sense of dread filled Luna’s heart when she realized that the largest fragment kept coming down.
Her eyes went wide and they were locked on to the flaming trail of the mystery entity as it continued to descend, and the stubborn object refused to break apart.
Luna and Celestia shared a glance as they realized what was happening. Without another thought, both Princesses’ horns lit up in tandem as the cast their magic at what appeared to be a shooting star. Their hearts raced when they realized that if they did nothing, the meteor would inevitably crash into the valley, and onto Ponyville.
The damage would be catastrophic.
They grimaced as they seized it with their magic. Sweat beaded on their foreheads as they diligently tried to slow the object down, but at this distance and speed, it was more difficult for the Princesses than one would think.
A look of determination came to both alicorns’ faces when they felt that they object was slowing. But it was still going too fast. In a brief moment of improvisation, Luna jerked her horn off the side. Celestia realized what she was doing and did the same. Both watched as the object’s trajectory curved off to the side abruptly, its path well away from the small town in the valley below.
Just in time too.
The object sheared the top of a mountain far to the south as it tore into the Everfree, crashing into the trees below.
They could see and hear the crash all the way from Canterlot, the loud blast shaking the frames of windows, further sending the citizens below into a panic, as a visible plume of fire and dust rose from the distance.
Both Princesses stood stock still for a moment as they could see the beginnings of smoke start to rise into the air deep in the Everfree Forest.
Relieved, Celestia wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. At least they averted a disaster, redirecting the falling star away from Ponyville, but she felt a pang of regret as she eyed the distant Everfree. The old Capital used to be in that region, and all those ancient trees were just killed in a blast of fire.
She hung her head and sighed. Such a waste.
Luna on the other hand, stared at the distant plume with a hard expression on her features. That wasn’t natural, not at all. Luna couldn’t help but feel that something intelligent was at play here. Making up her mind, Luna turned to her sister.
“Sister!” she said firmly, “Fetch the Elements and write to your student!” she brushed past her sister and trotted into the castle.
Cocking an eyebrow, Celestia was close behind. “Do you know what has just transpired?”
Luna hung her head and sighed, “No…but whatever fell into the Everfree is not of this world. Of that I am sure.” They both went silent, “I feel that whatever this is could be a threat to Equestria. I will investigate this personally; the Elements will be a precaution.”
Both Princesses listened to the rapidly growing sound of unease of the Canterlot ponies outside. “I will investigate this disturbance, while our little ponies need you to calm them down,” Luna looked her sister in the eye, “Okay, sister?”
Celestia smiled, “That’s quite alright.”
~~
It was dark.
Debris littered the bridge whilst sparks showered down from exposed wiring in the ceiling. Sensitive instruments were smashed, their intricate components strewn about. Moonlight flowed in through the small gaps in the safety shutters that had lowered over the large front viewport, the stars twinkling invitingly beyond.
And in the midst of it all lay a lone figure, pinned under a fallen metal beam. Like everything else in the severely damaged bridge, he too appeared to be dull and lifeless.
Or so it seemed.
His suit’s auto-doc features, as well as his countless mutations and cybernetic enhancements, was at work repairing the damage to his body. Within minutes, the figure stirred.
It all started with a twitch of the fingers, and then the Lone Wanderer gasped as he was returned to the world of the living. He coughed several times, his throat parched before taking several deep breaths, his eyes clenched shut.
He opened them moments later to see nothing but the interior of his helmet. Absentmindedly running a hand across his face, he frowned when he felt a deep crack on the front of his helmet, the sensitive optics destroyed.
The human fumbled for the emergency latch, and the helmet came off moments later, he wrinkled his nose as the stench of burning electronics hit him. There was no hiss this time, the pneumatic seal was damaged. He tossed the piece of equipment aside. As it was, the helmet was little more than dead weight.
He frowned when he noticed the beam lying across his armored chest. With a grunt, he forced his arms under the heavy metal. The servos in his armor groaned as he shoved the debris aside, dropping it to the ground with a loud crash.
With a groan, he sat up, cupping his aching head in his hands. The Wanderer blinked tiredly as he surveyed the ruined bridge around him. He winced as the pounding in his head intensified.
A grim smile came to his face as his eyes darted from console to console, from bulkhead to bulkhead. Even after everything that had transpired, against all odds, he survived. How that was possible, he had no idea. But whatever had happened, it didn’t matter.
He was still alive.
He winced as he took a quick gander at himself. Sadly, while all of his limbs were still attached, his power armor looked like it had seen better days. Large portions of the plating were missing, exposing the grey bodysuit underneath.
He went silent, his mind running at a thousand miles an hour as he sat there in the darkness. While his survival was fortunate, one specific variable stood out in his mind. The unknown planet he had witnessed through the viewport.
The same planet he had seemingly crash landed on.
A slightly crazed laugh came through his mouth as he fell onto his back, dazed as the gravity of the situation took hold.
Stranded on the alien planet, no way home… his breathing and pulse quickened.
What the hell am I going to do now?
~~
This is a rewrite, feel free to leave a comment.
Edited by: Gravity's Rainboom, q97randomguy
Original Chapter: Written 2/21/12, Rewrite: 10/17/12, Posted: 12/5/12