//------------------------------//
// A Long-Awaited Meeting 
// Story: It Must be Tuesday 
// by Explodium 
//------------------------------//

	Isaac was worried.

It was still early in the morning, just past four as he restlessly paced back and forth in the Citadel courtyard. Apart from a few vigilant knights standing on guard duty, he was alone. Five days had passed since the Wanderer had returned from brief mission into the Wastes, five days since he had uncovered the return of Unity.

Elder Owen Lyons was of a similar mindset: he judged this to be a serious threat. The first time Unity had reared its head over a century ago, the Master was defeated and his army was scattered before it could coalesce into a region-wide firestorm. In this resurgence, both the Elder and the Wanderer were hoping for a similar outcome.

Several scout teams had been deployed for any signs of significant mutant movements, but so far, they have had nothing to report.

That was even more worrying. Ever since he and his companions had ambushed and destroyed the mutant-reinforced Talon Company force, there hasn’t been any sign of any mutant activity.

On the other hand, Talon had been surprisingly active lately. They were hitting caravans like common bandits, but there was something alarming about the attacks.

The pack brahmin were gunned down, their cargo looted, the robot escorts destroyed (if any), but what stood out the most was that there were no other bodies.

Also, when Isaac had intervened and successfully repelled a raid, one thing became apparent: the mercs were using non-lethal weaponry.

Talon Company was abducting people. They weren’t taking them as slaves, Isaac was sure. He had personally razed the vile nest of filth known as Paradise Falls, the Capital Wasteland’s slaver headquarters, to the ground.

While he knew what Unity’s agenda was, he highly doubted that the Talons shared their motives. The implications were unpleasant.

Isaac sighed as he rested against a wall, trying to calm his nerves. He knew that a storm was coming.

The only question was: “When?”

~~

Isaac sat in a simple wooden chair as one of the unicorns looked him over. The doctor, Healing Touch, was a bespectacled, tan-coated stallion with a caduceus on his flank. He alternated between looking at Isaac and the information on a clipboard, suspended in the faint azure glow of his horn.

The Wanderer still wasn’t entirely sure what he had been stricken with. He was obviously treated for the injuries he sustained from both the crash and the proceeding battle, but that didn’t explain the long-term exhaustion. While he had a decent grasp of their language after the many lessons with Twilight over the past several weeks, some concepts had a difficult time translating over. The closest word he could get across was “Magic,” but that would just be silly.

Then again…I am surrounded by unicorns…

To be precise, he was apparently suffering from a mix of so-called magic overexposure (or was it poisoning?) and…something else. A deficiency of some kind, though he had no idea what a “thaumacyte” was. Some kind of microbe, obviously, but he knew nothing more than that. Supposedly, the Wanderer had the worst of both cases in recent medical history, and his recovery was nothing short of a miracle. A bad case of the latter can easily lead to a bad case of the former, or so the ponies had said. Severe cases of magic poisoning were often fatal without immediate treatment.

Turning a page on his clipboard, Healing Touch looked at Isaac with a smile on his muzzle. “Good news, Mr. Shepard. You’re going to be just fine!” he said.

“Well…that’s good to hear…” he responded in thickly accented Equish. Isaac clasped his hands together. “So…what happens now?” he said with trepidation in his voice. For much of his stay in…Equestria - that’s what Twilight called it - he was absolutely clueless as to what lay ahead. The ponies he had interacted with had been sincere enough. However, he still had some doubts. He was an alien on a foreign world, after all. Such situations had cropped up in fiction many times before, and they never ended well. Then again, much of the conflict in those first-contact stories arises from one side abandoning rational thought and taking pot-shots at the other side for some arbitrary reason. Unless they were communist aliens. In the pre-war USA, that would have been viewed as totally acceptable.

Also, this is assuming something fictional to read could be found. In the Wasteland it’s rare to have a moment in which one can just sit back and relax with a book.

“Well, now we just have to see what the Princesses want to do to you,” Healing Touch said cheerfully. He frowned when he noticed the questioning look on Isaac’s face, “Now, don’t you worry about a thing, sir. The Princesses are fair and kind. You can trust them!”

The doctor’s words brought Isaac some amount of comfort. He was only familiar with the younger Princess, Luna. So far, the only time he had seen the other Princess…what was her name…Celestia, I think?...was upon his initial unpleasant awakening in the depths of Canterlot. From what he was able to glean from the ponies, though, the two Princesses shared equal power, Celestia was more widely respected and influential.

Something about having the day shift…

Initially, Isaac thought her absence was a result of disinterest, but the ponies reassured him it was because she was much busier than Luna.

“Well, that’s good to hear,” said Isaac, his statement punctuated by a yawn. While his musculature had barely atrophied, given how long he had been inactive, he still tired very easily; it would take many laps around a track to get him back into ideal shape.

Slowly, Isaac stood up. Nearby, Healing Touch balked as the Lone Wanderer stood to his full, impressive height. He was wearing an off-white T-shirt and pair of tan pants. Both articles were made by Rarity, and unfortunately she wasn’t a cobbler, so only a simple pair of sandals was on his feet. It was a far cry from what he was used to, but at least they were comfortable. A few errant pops were heard as he rolled his limbs about. After being stuck in that bed for so long, simply being able to stand and stretch felt like heaven.

“Ah…that’s nice…” Isaac groaned as his arms fell back to his sides, sparing a glance at his Pip-Boy as he did so. It was shortly past dusk.

“Um…” Healing Touch said nervously as he craned his neck upwards to look at Isaac’s face. before clearing his throat. “Oh! Right…I was told to give you this.” He carefully placed his clipboard on a nearby table before redirecting his gaze towards himself. Shortly after, a small orange bottle hovered out of his coat. Isaac studied it carefully. At first glance, it looked similar to a bottle of pre-war prescription medication.

And that’s because it was. Snatching the bottle out of the air, the Wanderer examined the alien writing on the side

“Take one every morning,” said Healing Touch.

“What for?” asked Isaac as he continued rotating the bottle on his palm.

The doctor briefly readjusted his glasses. “It is to stimulate your body’s production of thaumalcytes. While you are healthy enough to leave, your lastest blood test shows that your thaumalcyte count is still low…”

The human raised a hand. “Wait…” he interrupted. “How would you know that my…thaumalcyte count is low? You don’t exactly have a baseline to compare it to.”

“To be honest, we are making rough estimations, comparing your results to a pony of similar weight…” he trailed off as Isaac’s eyes narrowed.

“That seems like an unsafe assumption to make, doctor,” he said. “I’m not exactly a pony…I’d hate to get put back in the hospital.” And I don’t even know what thaumalcytes are. He sighed and rubbed his forehead, trying to stave off the headache that was starting to form.

“As I said before, you’ll be fine,” he reassured. “There are plenty of races on Equis, and they all have the same baseline.”

Isaac nodded once before slipping the bottle into his pocket. “Very well…I’ll trust your judgment, doctor.” He stood there and pondered Healing Touch’s words for a moment before realizing something. Wait…did he say races? Then again, he assumed the doc was talking about the different types of ponies. Then again, there was that one violet reptile.

Both of them snapped to attention when they heard the sound of someone approaching. It wasn’t long until Twilight Sparkle trotted into the room with a bounce in her step, quite literally actually. Unlike Fluttershy, who frequently made trips home and maintained some sort of fitness routine, Twilight had remained sedentary for the greater part of the last month and a half. The end result of a lack of physical activity coupled with near-unlimited access to the pantry showed, primarily in her flanks: the starbursts on her haunches were visible from the front, and the width of her posterior had increased by approximately forty-two point four percent.

Isaac wasn’t exactly sure why he was making note of this.

Twilight wasn’t alone, however. Two of those golden-armored stallions trailed behind her. She strode up to Isaac with a smile on her face, and crane her neck to look him in the eye

“Hello, Isaac!” she said happily, in English. The tell-tale signs of a prolonged lack of sleep ringed her eyes; the long nights of studying having taking their toll.

Even so, she maintained a cheerful attitude. Her mood was infectious, and soon he found himself crouching to wrap the unicorn in a powerful hug, which was returned. Over the past couple of days, contact with Twilight had been limited. Ever since he had the strength to walk again, a large portion of his time had been consumed in physical therapy and tests.  After having so many lessons - with Twilight falling asleep mid-lecture multiple times - it felt odd when he was alone. She had been a near-constant companion; Isaac hadn’t spent this much time with one specific person - or pony in this case - for a very long while.

“Hello to you, Twilight,” said Isaac as he released her. He remained crouched at Twilight’s eye level. Judging by the twinkle in her eye and her demeanor, he assumed she had something good to tell him. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Good news!” she said excitedly as she started bouncing on her hooves. “Good news! Good news good news!” Both of the guards exchanged odd looks at the presence of this odd language uttering forth from their ruler’s protégé.

Chuckling in a good-natured way, Isaac placed his hands on Twilight’s withers to hold her still. He had been around her long enough to be familiar with her behavior once she got excited. “Calm down, Twilight. Take a deep breath, and say your piece.”

Twilight did so, a sheepish look crossing her muzzle. “Hehe…Sorry about that. Anyway…both of the Princesses are going to see you! Isn’t this great? I’ll finally be able to show you around!”

Hm…I guess it’s just like Healing Touch said, thought Isaac as he rose to his feet. “Really? As in right now?” he asked. It will be very nice to get out of here…My curiosity is killing me…

“Yep!” said Twilight.

“Well then, what are we waiting for?” questioned Isaac as he glanced at Healing Touch. “Thank you, doctor, for all your help. Pass my gratitude on to your colleagues, would you?”

The stallion took a moment to readjust his glasses and his coat. “There is no need to thank us. We were just doing our jobs.”

“Still…regardless, I owe you.” He glanced towards the guardponies by the door. “I assume that you two will be escorting me, so…lead the way.”

The two stallions shared a glance before turning around, making a beckoning gesture with their wings. Isaac followed closely behind, with Twilight Sparkle in tow.

Whatever underground complex he was in was strange. Although he hadn’t had a chance to explore it yet, there seemed to be far more passages than he remembered. Whatever place he was in wasn’t strictly a hospital - Isaac had been in enough infirmaries to know that - but Twilight had mentioned that he was in the depths of a castle, of all things. Sure he had read about castles both historical and fictional as a child, but blank white walls and cold slate-grey tiles were not exactly what he had in mind.

“Is Fluttershy still gone?” asked Isaac as the group rounded another corner.

“Yes,” Twilight answered him. “Although one of our friends is house-sitting for her, she still wants to check up on all of her animal friends; it’s her special talent, after all.”

Special talent…He had heard Twilight mention that before. In the context that she used it, Isaac assumed that she was referring to their occupations. Fluttershy was apparently a veterinarian of sorts, with an uncanny sense of empathy. She was literally capable of understand animals of any kind, including other sapients. Although he had yet to witness that for himself, the fact that she was seemingly able to speak to him prior to bridging the communication gap solidified that claim.

“I’ve realized I’ve never asked but…how far away is her home?” said Isaac, throwing a glance over his shoulder at Twilight.

“Ponyville is about a two hour flight, if conditions are good,” Twilight responded without missing a beat. “Though Fluttershy prefers to take the train, even though it’s much slower.”

Before he could ask why, his question was cut off as the quartet stepped out of the corridor and into a brightly lit room. It was much larger than his ward, and both the floor and walls were lined with tables stacked with items of all kinds. A large rug dominated the center of the room as well. The Wanderer recognized the nature of the items: things were salvaged from the alien ship.

Biting his lip in worry, a host of questions came to mind. What would the consequences of the ponies getting their hooves on this technology mean? The last thing he needed on his conscience was being responsible for the collapse of a civilization from dumping a bunch of tech in the laps of a people that didn’t truly understand the destructive power of the weapons they found. Could they be trusted to use it responsibly? Although the ponies he had met were friendly and well-meaning, it would be incredibly foolish to believe that such traits apply to every single pony. They were like humans: diverse.

However, at first glance he did not see anything that appeared to be in working or even salvageable condition.

On the table nearest him was a disintegrator with a gaping hole in the chassis, through which he could see that it was devoid of any and all electronic guts. The long barrel was bent at a thirty degree angle, and the delicate structure on the tip was missing. One of tables was covered with a bunch of relatively uninteresting nick-knacks, including a dented Vault-Tec lunchbox, the smiling man on the lid perpetually smiling at the Wanderer. Other than just the vast amount of broken equipment, the tables were also occupied by ponies of all different colors and sizes, each of them staring intently at the human in their midst.

Isaac felt uneasy from the sheer amount of eyes upon him, their gazes tracking his every move. Their expressions ranged from curiosity, to amazement, and, much to his annoyance, fear. Though, seeing all of this broken equipment made him realize something as his hand unconsciously drifted to his hip, blindly groping for a pistol that wasn’t there. It, along with all of his other equipment, was locked tightly in a trunk in his hospital ward.

“Isaac?” Twilight’s voice shook him from his thoughts. “Is something wrong?”

He realized that he had stopped moving, the guards looking at him with a mixed expression of annoyance and apprehension, along with every other pony in the room.

Clearing his throat, he spoke. “I just realized…my trunk?”

“Will be brought up to your quarters once your meeting with the Princess has concluded,” one of the guards answered.

“Alright…” said Isaac. He wasn’t sure how to feel about this.

He felt a slight nudge on his back as Twilight urged him forward, and the Wanderer continued on. Throughout the whole exchange, with the exception of one pony in the corner wearing headphones, completely oblivious to the world around her, not a single one of the ponies’ gazes drifted from Isaac. It was incredibly unnerving.

The tunnel out caused Isaac to raise an eyebrow in curiosity. Rather than the white walls and tile floors he had been seeing for the past month and a half, the tunnel looked natural; the rough stone walls and floor were a shade of brown. Taking a deep breath, Isaac followed the guards into the tunnel, Twilight not far behind.

It was a tight fit for him, obviously not intended for one as tall as he. If the ceiling was any lower, he would have to duck his head to fit inside. It was dimly lit by torches set in brackets on the walls. Their shadows danced against the flickering light. A slightly damp earthy scent hung in the air. The chatter from the ponies they had just left behind resumed before promptly fading away into silence until only the sound of his companions’ hoofbeats and their own breathing remained.

Just how big is this place?

The tunnel seemed to be winding, the path forked many times as they delved deeper. Left…right…right…left…middle…middle-ish left… he thought to himself as they walked down another path. It looks really easy to get lost down here… Isaac glanced at one of the guards. He couldn’t help but be impressed; either the ponies had a superb sense of direction, or they were navigating through other means. Though, he had the feeling they were going the right way. Isaac could feel the subtle upward slope of the tunnel beneath his feet.

The Lone Wanderer had his Pip-Boy to avoid getting lost thanks to its automap feature. Just out of curiosity, he raised his arm and peered intently at the device. With a push of a button, he switched to his map feature and…

…What.

He stared blankly at the display, to be more precise, the static upon it, and the prominent ERROR message. The lack of a world map was completely understandable, given the lack of a GPS system, but the local map? A sense of worry started to creep over him. This had never happened before. What about this cave could possibly cause this? He had a month and a half to check to see if his Pip-Boy was damaged, and even then, that was unlikely.

None of the ponies noticed Isaac’s unease as they pressed forward. Something about these caves seemed unnatural. The closer he looked, the more discrepancies were apparent. Some tunnels made turns at greater than a one-eighty degree angle, and with how gently the floor was sloping upward, it felt like they should have ended up running across junctions they already passed. But they didn’t. They ended up at new intersections every time. It was as if the tunnels were constantly shifting…changing. Secondly, the darkness shrouding this place seemed unnatural. The Lone Wanderer had unusually keen low-light vision, thanks to cybernetics, and he couldn’t see more than eight feet in front of him. Torches seemed to materialize from the dark, rather than their flickering light being visible from a fair distance away.

And Twilight and the other ponies had to traverse this place every day? Isaac thought to himself. The Lone Wanderer became more uneasy as he listened closely. There were whispers emanating from the corridors that they did not traverse, beckoning him to seek them out. Dark apparitions appeared out of the corner of his eye. Whether the ponies could see it or not, he couldn’t tell. The pony guards pushed onward unfazed, while Twilight hung behind him, occasionally looking over her shoulder.

Just when Isaac was about to throw a question Twilight’s way, it was as if a fog was abruptly lifted from the tunnel. The whispers stopped, and the crushing sense of isolation vanished. It was jarring enough to cause the Wanderer to stumble, though he caught his footing before he could make an ungraceful meeting with the rough floor.

“Isaac? Are you okay?” asked Twilight, concern evident in her eyes.

He glanced over his shoulder at Twilight, catching a glimpse of the inky blackness that lingered in the tunnel behind them, seemingly swallowing all light. “I’m fine…what was…what was that?” said Isaac.

Twilight bit her lip. “A series of defensive spells, designed to ward away intruders.” She sighed as she wiped a bead of sweat from her brow, suppressing a shudder. “And I agree…it is unnerving…” A distant look came to her face, as if she were recalling some painful childhood memories.

Spells, spells, spells. More spells… thought Isaac. He spared a glance at his Pip-Boy once again, to find that it was seemingly back to normal, much to his relief. It accurately showed that he was in a long, narrow tunnel, but oddly enough, it seemed to just cut off at where the curtain of blackness began. It didn’t show a wall just…nothing, as if the passage opened into a void. Aside from that, he noticed that barely a minute had passed. It felt as if he were in those tunnels for at least ten.

The new, much more brightly lit tunnel quickly turned into a set of stairs, leading upward. Isaac wasted no time in following the guards, as did Twilight, both of them eager to be free of the tunnels.

That was the most panicked he’d felt in quite a long time. The last time he’d experienced such horrors was his forays into places like the Dunwich building or his trip to Point Lookout. The former was frightening enough, with its hordes of feral ghouls lurking in the dark, their scratching noises audible through the walls, as well as that…thing in the basement. Disembodied voices hung in the air around that obelisk, and they haunted Isaac’s dreams for days. The latter, on the other hand, had an unnatural aura of wrongness just blanketing the entire park, as if nature had abandoned it long ago, and something evil had taken its place.

He’d been stricken with insomnia and lost many nights of sleep thanks to those places, and those tunnels just made some bad memories surface. He’d have a stern word with the Princesses about this.

Just how far underground is this place…? thought Isaac as they continued climbing the stairs. Soon, a bright light at the top was visible, growing brighter by the second. A grin slowly crept its way onto the Wanderer’s face, eagerness quickly overtaking the anxiety he felt in the tunnels. As if sensing his excitement, the guards picked up their pace, and the remainder of their ascent passed by quickly. Isaac grunted in satisfaction as he reached the landing, entering a much wider corridor. As Twilight took up the rear, Isaac took a moment to catch his breath. He couldn’t help but feel ashamed; it had been some time since stairs had been an issue for him.

Damn stairs…

Thankfully, the rest of the group waited patiently for him. The ceiling was much higher as well; Isaac could actually jump and not collide with it. The ponies’ hoofbeats became muffled thumps as the ground beneath their hooves gave way to a rich, red carpet. The rough walls soon became smooth and white. The torches were replaced with brightly lit bulbs set into the intricate ceiling.

“We will be taking a different route,” announced one of the guards. “Your presence here has not been acknowledged yet, so we want to minimize the risk of you being spotted.”

The Wanderer nodded, “I understand,” he said. He couldn’t help but feel disappointed as the guards led him and Twilight on a detour through a seldom-used, dusty wing of the palace. He had been hoping to get a good look around the place, but all the rooms they passed were barren; their only contents being dust and cobwebs. Even the light fixtures within the rooms had been removed. Only the hall lights remained.

Seems a waste to have all this unused space…

They wordlessly passed through the door at the end of the hall, and bright light flooded through. Wincing at the sudden change, it was then that Isaac finally got a glimpse of the real Canterlot Palace. The ponies’ hooves clacked on the marble floor as Isaac took a good look around, his jaw dropping in awe. The chamber they stepped into was at least three stories tall and was brilliantly lit by a crystal chandelier high above. Tall, white pillars rose all the way to the vaulted ceiling, from which colorful banners hung. A red carpet with gold trimming was perpendicular to him, and ran the entire length of the room to a flight of stairs at the far end. He could see more doors similar to the one he’d just exited. He barely even noticed when one of the guards locked the door behind him. Just beyond the landing on the upper level, a large window dominated the wall. The gentle light of dusk shone through, and Isaac could clearly make out the sky, the first stars of the night just becoming visible.

The Wanderer was shaken out of his gawking when he felt someone tug on his arm. Blinking once, he looked down to see Twilight’s hoof wrapped around his arm, a smile on her lips. “Impressive, isn’t it?” she asked. “I remember the first time I came to Canterlot Palace as a little filly. Do you have places like this where you come from?” She looked at him expectantly.

Isaac froze as he pondered how to answer that question. He took another glance around the room before swallowing once. Did he? “Well, I’ve seen some pretty lavish places, but nothing so…spectacular,” he said honestly. Or clean, or not infested with ghost people or mutants, or not slightly nuked…

Twilight’s grin widened. “Well, I’m glad you like it!” she said cheerfully. The sound of someone clearing their throat drew the attention of both man and mare. They turned to find both of the guards waiting for them at the foot of the stairs, their expressions blank. “Well, I guess we’d better keep moving, huh?”

Isaac nodded in response and followed her. A quick glance made it apparent that they had emerged from some sort of side passage. The broad staircase split in two different directions. Twilight and Isaac followed the guards as they headed up the right set to the landing. It ran the length of the room on both sides, additional doors on the walls, and a sturdy wooden railing to protect from falls. Now that he was closer, Isaac could clearly make out the intricate carvings on the wall, depicting ponies, the sun, or the moon. A multitude of paintings and tapestries lined the wall, each beautiful and well-maintained.

They walked along for a short while before the guards directed them to one of the doors and stepped inside. It led into another short corridor. Several potted plants placed on pedestals decorated the room, and a couple of bright lights in the ceiling kept them out of the dark. It was only a short walk before Isaac saw what was at the end of it. He and Twilight groaned in dismay.

More stairs, spiral stairs curving around the corner and out of sight.

He didn’t even offer a word of complaint as he and the ponies climbed them, obviously up a tower of some sort. Isaac could hear Twilight panting nearby, the pudgy scholar showing her displeasure with stairs as well. Finally, they reached the top. Taking a deep breath and mentally cursing those damnable stairs, Isaac opened his eyes to find himself face to face with a large double door, which was flanked by two additional guards, both of them unicorns. On the far end of the room, away from the stairs were a potted plant and a portrait of a unicorn. To the left of that…opposite of the doors, was a large window. Nearby, Twilight had dropped to her somewhat meaty rump, panting. As his escort was conversing with the guards, Isaac took the opportunity to glance out the window.

Woah…

He was taken aback just by how high in the air they were. Overcoming the initial sense of vertigo, the Wanderer took in the sights of the land below. He was too high up to see things in too much detail, but it was enough. He saw a city lit in the evening below, and it took him but a moment to realize that the city and the palace itself was built into the side of a mountain of all things. Setting aside questions about the architecture for now, he looked beyond the city. He could see green, green, and more green. Blue rivers flowed, and he could even make out buildings in the valley far below, little more than specks at this distance. Fluttershy’s home perhaps? I’ll ask Twilight…

“Mister Shepard…” said one of the guards, his expression unreadable. “The Princesses are expecting you.”

Twilight was back on her hooves, giving him a reassuring smile. Isaac spared a glance at himself as he slowly approached the double doors. He snorted as he realized that he wasn’t exactly dressed for such an occasion, but that’s how the cookie crumpled. Not a thing he could do. As he contemplated this meeting, a plethora of things that could go wrong rapidly ran through his head. How would they react to the truth?

The two unicorns guarding the door horns lit up in unison, and the door swung open. Straightening his collar, the Wanderer strode through the open door, Twilight at his side.

~~

Luna bit her tongue as she gazed into a small hoof-mirror suspended in the silvery glow of her magic, as she ran a comb through her starry mane. Celestia was certain this was at least the fiftieth time that evening.

She seems determined to be presentable… Celestia thought to herself as Luna made a sound of approval as she worked the snarls out of her mane and lowered her mirror. The Princesses were waiting patiently in a private study set high in one of Canterlot Palace’s many towers. It was a long time coming, but the sisters were finally going to get a heart-to-heart chat with their otherworldly guest. They sought to make the meeting as pleasant as possible. The center of the room was dominated by a large blanket, upon which numerous cushions made of the finest, most comfortable material sat, along with themselves.

The two were bathed in the soft moonlight streaming through the tower window as the seconds ticked by on a nearby grandfather clock. Celestia sighed as she pondered the types of questions and answers she would glean from Isaac Shepard. Part of her was afraid of the things she might learn. She still clung to some irrational fear that the human’s comrades would blame them for his predicament or that his cooperation was all a farce. Celestia glanced at a locked trunk that rested just off of the blanket, the trunk that contained all of Isaac’s equipment. It had been brought up very recently.

As a show of good faith, Luna suggested that they let Isaac keep all of the items he had when he was brought in. Celestia felt uneasy about allowing an alien creature with unknown intentions to carry a weapon. Although she hadn’t witnessed the destructive power of that small, L-shaped device he had in possession, the reports she got from her sister were jaw-dropping. How could something so small be so powerful?

A soft chirp from the phoenix in the corner snapped Celestia out of her musings. She glanced over to the perch upon which Philomena stood, staring at her mistress with a knowing gleam in her eyes. Oh, Celly, stop worrying… The Princess briefly shifted her position on the cushions. Some part of her could understand why Luna was so adamant about having at least his weapon returned. Years after Discord had been defeated over a millennium ago, veterans of that conflict felt uncomfortable when their spears were out of hoof’s reach. Whatever place from which their alien guest hailed was clearly going through a similar struggle. She had seen him slip into a flashback, after all. Celestia realized how little she had to complain about. Almost all interaction with Isaac had been done by either Luna or Twilight. They knew him far better than she did.

A rustling of parchment drew her attention, and she turned to see Luna staring at a particular scroll, her eyes narrowed in concentration. Celestia smiled when she caught a glimpse at what was on it and the case containing countless other similar scrolls resting by Luna’s flank. Twilight hadn’t been the only one busy studying. Like any good scholar, her faithful student had been recording every moment of every lesson with Isaac and sending copies to both Princesses. Celestia had to admit that she found the new language, “English”, fascinating. While they had yet to see any samples of the English alphabet, both sisters had been extensively studying the information Twilight had learned in their spare time.

It had been ages since a new language had been introduced to Equestria. The last time had been when contact had been made with the minotaurs some eight hundred years ago. Though Celestia had mastered many languages over her long lifespan, English had fascinated her more than any other. Zebrician, Gryphoni, Minosian…each of them could be described in a single word be it exotic, coarse, or powerful. But when it came to English, every time she thought she had a general overview, something jumped out of the woodwork to surprise her. It was like a delicious layered cake, each new bite having a different flavor and texture.

Before the thought of cake could make her salivate, both Princesses’ ears perked up when they heard the noise of somepony approaching outside of the room’s large double doors. Celestia glanced at Luna. “Are you ready for this, sister?” she said gently, crossing her forelegs.

Luna gave her a puzzled look. “What made you think otherwise, Tia?” she said before sighing deeply. “I know you still have misgivings, but please, trust me.”

Of course… Luna had told her that her plan of truly gleaning what type of pony Isaac was inside had nearly reached completion. Personally, Celestia hoped that she had done it sooner because that would easily put many of her worries to rest. Swallowing her doubts, Celestia resolved to take Luna’s words about their guest at face value. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her back and turned to face the door, her expression neutral. Luna did the same, though some degree of giddiness shone through her stoic mask.

They heard muffled voices through the door, and soon after, they swung open, and two familiar figures stepped inside. Twilight Sparkle smiled at her, which she returned, before her gaze swept over the object of her concerns.

Isaac peered curiously about the room, eyes wide open and his posture attentive. Celestia felt a hint of pride for her race at Isaac’s impressed expression. A flash of recognition and a hint of a smile crossed his face when he noticed the phoenix on her perch. Eventually, his gaze settled on both Princesses. Celestia could see the intelligence in those eyes. He was a lot larger than she remembered. At his full height, he was slightly taller than her. Other than minotaurs and the mighty dragons, she rarely had to look up to meet somepony’s gaze. He was clothed, with that strange device still on his wrist. The parts of his skin that were exposed were pale and muscular. Celestia couldn’t help but wince at all the scarring, partially hidden by his shaggy mane, along with a prominent mark on his left arm that she hadn’t noticed before. Once again, the same question permeated her thoughts: just what have you been through?

Giggling happily, Twilight trotted up to her, a smile on her face. Celestia couldn’t help but feel happy too. Twilight sank into a quick bow. “Princess Celestia!” she exclaimed.

A smile on her face, Celestia craned her swan-like neck and gave her precious student an affectionate nuzzle. “It is very good to see you, my faithful student,” said Celestia as she withdrew her muzzle and appraised her student. The Princess was not surprised to see dark shadows rimming Twilight’s eyes; she always skived off sleep once she was engrossed in a major project. She suppressed a giggle when she took note of Twilight’s more prominent curvature.

The evidence of Twilight’s repeated forays into the royal cake dispensary were made plain for all to see with her doughy midsection and haunches. It subtly squished out to the sides as she took a seat at Celestia’s flank.

The Princess felt an odd feeling surge through her chest when she realized that she was being surveyed as well. Looking away from Twilight, she saw Isaac analyzing her every move.

Cautiously, he took a few steps forward, his eyes never straying away from either Princess, before stopping at the edge of the blanket. His posture was rigid and alert. Both sisters said nothing. Celestia could feel uncertainty rolling off of Isaac as he stood there. It was clear he was unsure how to proceed.

After a few more uncomfortable moments of silence, the Wanderer slowly and awkwardly bowed out of respect, never breaking eye contact. He relaxed when the Princesses returned it.

Luna was the first to break the ice. “Good…’eve! Isaac Shepard!” she said loudly in fragmented English.

Isaac turned to her, surprise slipping through his controlled expression. “Wha-?” he started to say.

“Been practicing!” Luna said happily.

The Wanderer glanced at Celestia with an eyebrow raised. The Princess could only chuckle good-naturedly and shrug.

“Well…good evening to you too, Princess Luna,” he said finally in accented Equish after a few moments. Celestia cocked her head out of curiosity; it was like no accent she had ever heard before, which could be expected, given his origins, but still, it was surprising. All in all, his voice sounded pretty powerful, and she was surprised how coherent he was. Twilight had informed her how much his Equish was progressing, though she hadn’t expected it to be to such a great degree. He glanced at Celestia. “And it’s nice to finally meet you under more…favorable circumstances, Princess Celestia.”

Rather polite… “The pleasure is all mine, Isaac Shepard,” she said in return.

He finally broke eye contact as he slipped off his sandals before stepping onto the blanket, joining the rest of them. The four of them were arranged in a diamond as Isaac settled into an odd position where his legs were crossed. Luna looked on in curiosity. That looks uncomfortable…

“I hope I didn’t offend you in any way, Princess…I can’t say that I’ve had a meeting with royalty before,” said Isaac.

Celestia giggled before extending a hoof to him.“No, you have not offended us in any way, Isaac Shepard.”

Isaac eyed the offering before giving it a powerful shake. “If it isn’t any trouble, please just call me Isaac.”

Celestia smiled. “Only if you call me Celestia. My sister and I were never big on formalities.”

Isaac shrugged. “Okay, Celestia.”

“I’d have to say that you are looking much better,” said Celestia.

Isaac nodded. “I feel much better,” he replied as he scratched the mark on his left arm. “Thanks to all the ponies working down in that…place...” Celestia noticed apprehension flit across his face for a brief moment.

Luna didn’t seem to, however. “I imagine that it must have been terribly dull,” she remarked, her hoof resting on her chin with a thoughtful look on her face.

Isaac winced. “You have no idea,” he grumbled. “Not the worst hospital stay I’ve had. The last time…” he trailed off before muttering something under his breath. “Anyway” - he glanced at Twilight, a smile on his face - “It was made far more tolerable thanks to the efforts of Twilight and her friends. Saved me from the ravages of boredom, and even learned a new language in the process.”

“I expected no less from her,” said Celestia with pride, looking at Twilight as well.

“Well, I uh…thank you!” she stammered, beaming with pride at the praise from both Isaac and her beloved mentor.

“She acquired these skills from somewhere,” said Isaac. “I heard that you are her teacher, or so I was told.”

Celestia smiled and rolled her eyes. Flatterer. Clearing her throat, her expression turned serious. “Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, let’s proceed to the purpose of this visit.” Everyone sat up straighter. “As we are all well aware, the circumstances surrounding your arrival in Equestria are most…unusual, to say the least. Needless to say, this is an unprecedented event.” Celestia sighed, rubbing her temple with a hoof. “I prioritize the safety of my subjects beyond all else, and as much as this pains me to say this, I cannot let you leave this palace until I am absolutely sure that you do not intended to harm my ponies.”

Twilight gasped and raised a hoof in protest “But Princess…” she started.

“Twilight,” Isaac cut her off, patting her gently on the withers. “It’s okay.” He turned to Celestia with a hard look on his face. “I understand. I don’t expect you to believe me through my words alone, but hear me when I say this: I swear to you on my honor as a Star Paladin of the Brotherhood of Steel, I will never harm an innocent,” he said, his voice steady and powerful.

Celestia listened intently, pondering his words, trying to weed out lies and deceit. She found none. While some words stood out, like “Paladin”, she had no idea what this “Brotherhood of Steel” was.

Taking a deep breath, Isaac fixated on her with and even stare. “Ask your questions, and I will answer them as best I can.”

“’Star-Paladin’?” asked Luna, a quizzical look on her features. “So…you are a knight, then?”

Isaac glanced at her. “…Of a sort, I suppose.”

Celestia glanced at Luna, her eyes slightly widening in surprise. Twilight had a similar expression on her face. This was an unexpected revelation. If the knights of Isaac’s world were anything like those of Equestria, that would ease her worries. Though, he had called himself a paladin, a knight who had dedicated himself to some higher goal. Other than foals playing make-believe, she had not heard someone refer to themselves as such in generations.

“I hope we haven’t offended you by not acknowledging your title, good Sir Knight,” said Luna.

Isaac chuckled. “Please, no honorifics. I loathe them just as much as you do. Besides, I’m not exactly a knight in the traditional sense, anyway…”

Celestia’s brow furrowed. In what way…? She decided to ask about it later. “Could I offer you anything to drink? Tea, coffee, milk, wine…?”

“Just water will do, thank you,” he responded without a second thought. He recoiled in surprise when Celestia’s horn lit up, and a pitcher of water appeared with a golden flash. It was suspended in the air alongside a tall glass. His eyes didn’t leave it as she poured him a glass and levitated it to him. He gingerly took it as if he expected it to shock him.

Celestia turned to Twilight, “And you, Twilight?”

“Milk please, princess!” she said cheerfully. As Celestia prepared a simple conjuration spell, she glanced over at Isaac. A thin metal probe was deployed from the strange device on his wrist – What did Twilight say it was called? A Pipboy, I think. – and was dipping into the glass. His expression was stoic as he gently stirred the probe, gazing at the green-tinted screen on the PipBoy the entire time.

“Might I ask what you are doing?” asked Celestia has she gave Twilight her glass of milk. She took it eagerly and nearly downed the thing in a single gulp.

“I’ve seen you do that before. You always do that before you eat or drink something,” said Twilight as she lowered her glass. Much to Celestia’s amusement, her upper lip was stained white.

“I always scan my food for toxins, poisons, radiation, or anything else that could be…hm…what was the word? Ah yes…harmful to me,” said Isaac, not even looking away from the screen. He froze immediately when he realized how that sounded.

Poison? Toxins? Rad-i-a-tion, what’s that? Thought Celestia. She was about to reply, but Luna beat her to it, her voice tinged with anger. “Surely you don’t mean to imply that we-”

He hissed something in English when he finally looked up from the screen and found three ponies with looks of disbelief on their faces. Celestia assumed it was a curse word. “I’m not…acc-us-ing…” he struggled with the word “…you of anything.”

“Then why-”

He shrugged. “It’s a habit of mine, I suppose,” he muttered as the PipBoy beeped. “I’m sorry if I made the wrong…im-press-ion.”

Without another word, he began drinking from the glass, apparently convinced that it was safe to drink. Celestia and Luna shared a subtle glance, the same thing on their minds. What sort of place would he have come from for such habits to form…?

“Now, I don’t suppose you could tell us what your future plans are?” asked Luna. “I would expect your people would be worried that one of their knights is stranded in our lands. Will a party be arriving to retrieve you?”

Celestia noted that Isaac was drinking his water with deliberate slowness, as if he was hesitant to speak. She frowned. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that many things about the whole crash site didn’t add up. By now, she would have assumed that whomever that vessel belonged to would have come looking for it, and what they salvaged from the wreck was chock full of discrepancies. Many of the samples retrieved were too different from each other, as if they came from different sources. She had seen some chairs and some tables taken from the crash. They were intended for someone much, much smaller than Isaac.

She had a feeling that Isaac’s response would reveal much.

After what seemed like an eternity, Isaac lowered the glass. His eyes were closed, and he took a deep, hesitant breath. Finally, his eyes opened and his green gaze met Luna’s blue. “No,” he said simply.

Luna visibly recoiled. “What do you mean by that?”

The Wanderer’s shoulders sagged. “No humans will be looking for me…” he said, his expression forlorn. Luna looked between Isaac and both ponies present, her mouth agape. “I wasn’t on that ship willingly.”

“How did…what…” Luna spluttered, “Were you a prisoner?”

Isaac growled and averted his eyes. “I was abducted. Taken against my will,” he growled. All three ponies noticed a pained expression flash across his face, as if he was reliving an excruciating memory. His hand disappeared under his shirt as it gently traced a hidden scar. Celestia’s mind briefly went back to the time when they had their brief, first meeting. How he had thrashed and screamed in agony at some past trauma. “They did…things to me. I was not the first,” he sighed deeply as he continued to stare into space. “You remember those monsters that attacked us, Luna?” said Isaac.

“Yes…what about them?” Luna asked, her voice heavy with trepidation. “Were they your captors?”

Isaac’s expression darkened. “No. They were their victims, the end results of their experiments,” he spat. Celestia could feel the anger in his words, though he still maintained an outward appearance of tranquility. “Those things used to be human…”

All three ponies recoiled in shock, especially Twilight. “They…they used to be…oh…oh my…” she murmured as she swayed on the spot. “I…I think I’m going to be…oh…” Celestia saw tears well up in her eyes as she trembled. “And I…I killed some of them…” she looked up at Isaac, “Oh Isaac…what have I done…?”

He gently patted her head. “There is nothing that can be done for those poor souls. You did them a service by freeing them from their torment,” he said softly.

Celestia was bewildered at the new information, her mind reeling with questions. She stared at Isaac as he tried to calm Twilight down, her mouth agape.

“Why?” asked Luna, her brow furrowed in disbelief. “What in tartarus did they expect to gain by turning your people into those…those…” she stammered as she tried to find the right word, “Abominations?”

“Hell if I know…” he muttered. “They had no control over them; they seemed to serve no purpose other than to satiate their own sick curiosity…”

Celestia had to suppress the rising feeling of anger she felt at these interlopers. She could tell from Isaac’s expression just how horrible it was. Thankfully, over a thousand years of practice made her a master at suppressing her emotions. “How did you escape?” she asked calmly.

“I employed violence,” he said bluntly. “They are arrogant as they are depraved. All it took was a few crossed wires to escape my cell. They have been abducting victims for centuries. Sure, they may feel high and mighty as they cut open a man strapped to a table, but when their targets can actually shoot back…” he trailed off and left the rest to the ponies’ imagination.

The Princesses were alarmed at the vindictiveness dripping off of Isaac’s words, but they could understand his anger. Twilight, though, was quite pale; the sheer hatred in Isaac’s voice, contrasted to the polite tone it usually carried, was making her feel queasy.

Isaac bowed his head and sighed. “I do not know how or why they came to be in orbit above your world, Princesses, but I am certain that it wasn’t for a good purpose.”

Luna’s eye twitched recalled as an unknown object appearing in her night sky in a red flash and the blast following it. Both Princesses were having similar thoughts. The idea of these monsters stealing away their little ponies and twisting them into abominations was just…unthinkable. They would cast all of those interlopers into the sun before they would let that happen.

Twilight paled further as she had visions of her friends before her, their coats gone, their eyes black, soulless pools, twisted into mindless monsters.

“Why haven’t your people done anything about them?” questioned Luna.

“We are no more spacefaring that you are, Luna,” said Isaac as he rubbed his temples. “Perhaps we were at one time but…not anymore.”

Celestia and Luna exchanged a glance, “What do you mean ‘Not anymore’?” asked Celestia, her brow furrowed as she looked at Isaac with concern. He took a deep breath and wiped away a bead of sweat running down his forehead. Celestia knew hesitation when she saw it; she knew he was worried about how they would react.

He glanced between all three ponies, his expression hard. “I don’t know what sort of civilization you thought I was a part of, but you’d best toss aside whatever preconceptions you had about us. My race is…We are in ruins,” said Isaac, a look of resignation on his face.

Three jaws dropped in surprise. That had been unexpected. Very unexpected. Celestia winced at the look of dismay on the faces of both Luna and Twilight, the latter especially so.

“How…did this happen?” asked Luna.

“It was our fault,” he lamented. He took the silence as a cue to continue. “It was around, hm…two and a half centuries ago this whole mess started. The worlds’ nations relied on two resources in particular, I don’t know the Equish words, or even if you have words for them: Petroleum, and Uranium.”

“What were they used for?” asked Twilight.

“They were used as a source of energy.” He glanced at Twilight. “My people were always a creative sort. We built self-propelling chariots, large transports that could fly through the sky, great factories, plants that could supply entire cities with electricity. We once even built a machine that landed on the moon itself.”

That got everyone’s attention.

“Pretty much all of them were powered by one of those materials I mentioned.”

“And how did this lead up to your civilization’s collapse?” said Twilight. Both Princesses were silent, listening with rapt attention. The scenario he was presenting them was very similar to an event in Ponykind’s past.

He drummed his fingers on his chin. “Hm…let me put it this way. This ‘magic’ of yours you told me about before, it is an important part of your society, yes?”

Twilight nodded. “That is correct.”

“Now, imagine that it is provided by a rare material.”

“Like arcanite?” Twilight asked. Isaac cocked his head in confusion. “Oh, it is a rare mineral that constantly emits a thaumatogical field. It can be used as a power source for magical devices, though most ponies prefer to use enchanted gems, because they are much more common.”

Isaac blinked once before shaking his head. “Okay, imagine that this ‘arcanite’ is the only source of magic for both machines and your own innate abilities. Now, what would happen if the world was to run out and no one could use magic anymore?”

Twilight winced. “Well, it would be chaos,” she said.

“That’s what happened to us,” said Isaac. “Once the world’s supply of energy was running out, people started fighting over what was left.”

“Couldn’t they have looked for alternatives?” said Twilight. “Wouldn’t that be best for everypony? Why would they fight over it? ”

Isaac sighed. “Yes, one would think that…Because the old world leaders were obsessed with keeping things the way they were. There is an expression for what their problem was, old world blues,” he explained. “They were so desperate to cling to the past, that they could barely grasp the present, let alone cope with the future.”

“Moving ahead into the future, but facing backwards the whole time…” remarked Celestia. This was sounding very familiar…

Isaac nodded. “Exactly. By the time the situation was going downhill, no nation had any sort of back-up plan.  The world leaders just kept on pretending that everything was fine, even when it sure as hell wasn’t. Global relations plummeted, and wars broke out pretty much everywhere. Nations began fighting over scraps, like starving animals desperate for a meal. Governments because more aggressive, stagnant, and corrupt, both towards domestic and foreign matters. And to top it all off, a goddamn pandemic broke out in the nation where I lived, which caused even more civil unrest. It was not happy-fun-times, like the government was pretending.”

“B-b-but…how…?” Twilight stammered.

“By then, though, I wouldn’t call it ‘the US government’ anymore. I don’t know exactly when, but they had been subverted by the Enclave, given the sheer amount of human rights violations they had committed…”

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but…’US’?” asked Celestia. I wonder what this ‘Enclave’ is…

“Oh? United States, the country I came from. By the time of the Great War, it had been transformed into a twisted mockery of its former self…I could get into it further, but at the moment, it’s not important,” said Isaac. “While Europe – that’s a continent – was tearing itself apart, the US was embroiled in a war with a nation called China. Again, fighting over the world’s last remaining resources. By about…one hundred ninety years ago, someone had finally invented the world’s first microfusion cell, but by then it was too late.” He seemed to be staring far into the distance. “While uranium is used as a power source, it can also be used as a weapon. A very destructive weapon.” He let that hang in the air for a moment. “They can be fired at an enemy for a long distance away, more than long enough for the target to see it coming…and in turn fire the same thing back.”

Twilight was speechless, “So…someone used one of these weapons? Which, in turn, caused their target fired back?”

Isaac nodded once. “Exactly. The concept is called ‘mutually assured destruction’. No one knows who fired the first missile. No one knows just how many died in the resultant destruction…” He winced at Twilight’s horrified expression. “Over two hundred years later, and we are all paying the price for our ancestor’s idiotic refusal to change, their refusal to let go of the past…It has cost us tremendously. In the aftermath, it was up to the survivors to try to restart society, to not forget the lessons this has taught us, to begin again,” he said sadly. “There have been many times where I sat on a hilltop as the sun set, gazing out at ruined DC cityscape and just asking myself ‘How could we let this happen?’, and wondering if there is a man in Beijing, London, Paris or any of the other ruined capitals, doing the same thing…”

The room was silent as Isaac finished his story, nothing but the sound of the clock ticking. Isaac was seemingly staring past everypony, his expression sorrowful, his eyes heavy with regret. Twilight’s muzzle was buried in her forehooves, trying to comprehend what she just had been told. Celestia and Luna shared a glance, both mortified from the story they just took in. The entire situation was familiar, the two of them knew this.

It all added up. The nightmares, the scarring…They just never thought they would ever encounter someone who survived such a tragedy.

~~

So, there it was. The truth was laid bare. He knew that dishonesty would only hurt him in the long run. Even though he knew that there was very little chance of them discovering his true origins, unless they could read minds, he wouldn’t lie about something this big.

He was afraid how they would react. What would they think about a civilization that tore itself apart? Would they order him locked up or disposed of out of paranoia that he might somehow bring ruin? He couldn’t garner anything from the Princesses by sight alone, the two of them obviously good at hiding their emotions behind stoic masks, especially Celestia.

Twilight on the other hand…Isaac felt horrible about her reaction. She had obviously dreamed up some sort of futuristic utopia as his place of origin, only for it to be brutally shattered by the truth. She looked like she was about to cry, hit by the news of so much death and destruction.

He sighed and rubbed his forehead, trying to stave off the rapidly approaching headache. He froze when he heard the sound of someone rising to their hooves and slowly approach him. This is it… he realized. Part of him expected the Princesses to throw words dripping with condescension or contempt his way. Or fear, or worry…or calling for the guards to seize him.

All of his worries were swept away when he found himself wrapped in a feathery white wing and pulled into an fluffy embrace. Gasping in surprise, he quickly found that Celestia smelled faintly of vanilla.

Her gold-shod hoof was resting on his opposite shoulder. “There is nothing to be ashamed of,” she whispered into his ear. “While it would be so easy to make broad assumptions, I will not judge your race based on the actions of a few selfish individuals. They dragged your civilization to ruin. Your people should not blame themselves.”

There was something unusual about Celestia, and it wasn’t the fact that she was a six-foot tall winged unicorn or the fact that Isaac felt that he could accept her words at face value. She made him feel…strangely calm. In some ways, he was reminded of the pacification field at Big MT, but there were some huge differences. He was unable to even form an aggressive thought at the latter. Around Celestia, he could still feel angry, but be eerily tranquil about it.

“Um…thank you?” he said uneasily, his words partially muffled by Celestia’s side. “I…appreciate the sentiment.” Much to his surprise, Celestia gently nuzzled his face when she finally released him and walked back to Luna.

“To tell you the truth,” said Luna. “Our race has once made a very similar mistake in the past.”

Isaac’s eyes widened in surprise. “What?” said both Twilight and he simultaneously.

Celestia nodded. “Although most of us have long forgotten it, the rise of Discord was the fault of Ponykind.” At Twilight’s shocked silence, she continued, “Very few know what happened all those years ago: the truth has almost been lost to history. I understand that you have many questions, though I would ask that they wait for some other time.”

The Wanderer was curious as well. He didn’t know who or what this ‘Discord’ was, though judging by Twilight’s reaction, it was something major. “Is that truly a good idea…? Nearly forgetting something of that magnitude as a civilization?” questioned Isaac. “There is an old saying amongst humans, ‘Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.”

“That is…wise,” commented Luna. “And while I understand your concern, the circumstances leading up to such a fall will never happen again. My sister and I have lived for a very long time and personally experienced that age. We would never allow such a fate to once again befall our ponies,” she said with finality.

Isaac frowned. Not what I was hoping for. They said they lived for a long time, how long is…long? He could tell that the ponies were offput by his reaction. “Just…make sure you keep that promise, okay?” he muttered. He looked directly at Celestia. “And be wary. I do not know if those…interlopers will return, but I’d prefer that you are not taken by surprise…”

Celestia nodded. “Of course. The safety of our subjects is our number one priority.”

“But, enough of such dark matters for now,” said Luna. “Earlier, you had mentioned that your people had flown a machine to the moon itself.”

Isaac blinked in surprise at the abrupt change in topic. “Er…I did indeed say that, yes.”

Luna excitedly clopped her hooves together, giggling all the while. “Oooh! Tell me all about it!” she said cheerfully. He noticed that every pony was focusing on him with their full attention. Even Twilight had shaken herself from her dour mood, her intelligent eyes sparkling with curiosity.

They continued to listen with varied expressions of awe and wonder on their face, all previous traces of distress gone as he explained the space race to them. He told them of the moon landings, and how the entire world watched as it happened. Television was another thing he had to explain to them, which they also found intriguing. Apparently they had radios and telegraphs in Equestria, but no TVs. Oddly, when he described how the astronauts had planted a flag in the moon, Luna blushed and awkwardly looked away, for some reason.

“So, your nation went from having no space-program to speak of, to landing on the moon in less than a decade?” asked Celestia, her voice humbled.

Isaac smiled and nodded. “Yep.”

“Wow…” said Twilight, mouth gaping.

“That’s a funny thing about my race. If you motivate an entire nation towards a common goal, we can accomplish just about anything,” said Isaac wistfully. If only I could instill the same fervor on the people of the wasteland…

“Indeed, that is an amazing accomplishment,” complimented Luna.

“Ooh! I’ve been meaning to ask,” said Twilight. “All this talk about the moon has gotten me thinking. Who raises the sun and moon in your world?”

Isaac’s mouth opened and shut, though no words came out. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Who raises your sun and moon?” she repeated.

He stared at her as if she had just grown a second head, and she continued to stare back with the same diabetes-inducing grin. “Who raises our sun and moon?” he parroted, his tone confused. What kind of question is that? “What do you think? No one does, it happens completely on its own.” Isaac was bewildered at the looks the ponies gave him. Looks of awe as if he had just revealed to them the answer to the most important question in the universe. “…What?” he asked.

“Really?” asked Twilight, her eyes seemed to be glittering. “How do they rise and fall on their own? Tell me! Tell meeeeeee!”

Trying to keep the confusion from his voice as to what was so amazing about the sun rising and falling on its own, he explained how Earth orbited the sun, and how the Earth’s rotation on its axis gave the sun the illusion that it was moving across the sky, and how the moon orbited the Earth.

“Your sun and moon are capable of being in the sky at the same time?” asked Luna as if it were the most amazing thing in the world, to which Isaac nodded. “And…does this mean that there are moonless nights?”

“Yes…” said Isaac, still confused as to why this was so earthshaking. Is their moon always on the dark side of the planet…? Even the geocentric model of the universe explained how the sun rose and fell.

“Incredible…” muttered Twilight, as the royal sisters were talking amongst themselves.

Brow raised, Isaac addressed the Princesses. “Dare I ask how your sun rises and falls?”

Celestia turned to him and cleared her throat. “It is the duty of both my sister and I to manage the heavenly bodies at dawn and dusk.”

Isaac couldn’t quite keep the disbelief from spreading into his features. Riiight… “Uh-huh…” he replied, though it came out brusquer then he intended. If the sisters were offended, they showed no sign. Impossible. I mean, why would someone have to tell that lazy-ass sun to get up in the morning…? Perhaps it is just symbolic, as part of some old tradition? The whole concept was simply spitting in the face of everything he knew about the universe. Sapient ponies that could levitate things with their minds was one thing, but moving the sun?

He could tell that the Princesses knew that he didn’t believe them. No one was shrieking “heresy!” at his skepticism, so he took it as a good sign.

A look came to Luna’s face as if she just remembered something. “Oh! We’ve been meaning to return these to you,” she explained as she snatched up a relatively large trunk that was just off the blanket in her telekinesis before swiftly placing it in front of him. Everyone jumped at the heavy thud.

Isaac eyed it in curiosity as the heavy padlock was removed. Everyone was watching him as he cautiously opened the trunk only for his eyes to widen once he realized what was in it. Everything that he had on his person upon his arrival to Equestria was neatly stacked inside. Isaac was confused. He saw his all of his equipment down in the other place. In fact much of it was stacked on the table next to his bed. He had just been there. How did this get all the way up here without me noticing…? He recalled how Healing Touch said that his things would be brought up following his meeting with the Princesses, but he didn’t expect that they would be this prompt.

Especially with all those goddamn stairs. Carrying something this heavy up them would be quite a feat.

Then again, he noticed earlier when Celestia had seemingly conjured up a pitcher of water. Perhaps she had done something similar? The remaining pieces of his power armor rested at the bottom while his stealth suit was right next to it, neatly folded. A cursory glance showed that everything else was present, though he’d inspect the contents of the chest much more thoroughly later.

“We have tampered with nothing, I assure you,” said Luna. Isaac caught no deception in her words. “Well, almost everything.” Isaac looked at her in alarm. “That…tag you are wearing around your neck? I repaired it with a Fixit spell,” she elaborated.

His eyes widening, Isaac’s hand shot to the dogtag hidden beneath his shirt. Again with the spells. “Excuse me…’Fixit spell’?”

Luna looked pleased at the opportunity to explain. “It is rather advanced magic; few know how to perform it. It is capable of making small, delicate repairs. Unfortunately, that’s really all the extent of it.”

His face fell. “Oh…so it can only be used on things that are lightly damaged…?” Crud…that would have been useful.

Luna shook her head. “Sorry, larger repairs would take too much energy. Also it cannot replace what is destroyed,” she said. Luna went silent for a moment before coughing awkwardly. “Oh…and one of those green cylinders um…exploded. Sorry about that.”

Green cyli-…? Oh, grenades. “Was anyone hurt?” he asked.

“The pony who set it off was unharmed, only shaken,” added Celestia.

Isaac nodded in satisfaction. “Okay, that’s good,” he said. Twilight and Luna took a cautious stance as he carefully removed what was the most dangerous object in the trunk while Celestia looked at him with curiosity.

Of course, she hasn’t seen what this is capable of… he thought as eyed the Novasurge. He frowned when he saw that the pistol was still loaded, and the power switch was set to the on position.

“Um…Isaac, what are you…?” started Twilight.

Before she could finish, the Wanderer deactivated the pistol and removed the energy cell. All of the ponies shared a glance as he made a show of insuring that the weapon was pointing as far away from anyone as possible before replacing it in the trunk. “Just a safety precaution,” Isaac elaborated. At Twilight’s curious expression, he continued. “A weapon like this is very dangerous. One of the most important rules is to ensure that they can’t accidentally harm anyone. Ensuring that it is both inactive and unloaded is the best way.”

Celestia looked pleased at his explanation, apparently welcoming his willingness to ensure the safety of all present. “Was that ammunition you removed?” she asked.

“Yes. Accidents happen sometimes; you can never be too careful,” he replied. He closed the trunk before glancing between both sisters. “Thank you for leaving my things alone…well, most of them. I appreciate it.”

“You are very welcome,” said Celestia.

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” said Isaac. “I am here, I have recovered, I am alive. I am currently in your lands. I have no way to return home…” He looked Celestia dead in the eye and shrugged. “What do you plan to do? What is going to happen to me?”

Celestia sat up straight, her expression serious. “To be brutally honest, ever since your arrival, I’ve been skeptical. But that could be more of a product of centuries of repetition. You are…an anomaly. But now that I’ve sat here and spoken with you, those worries have waned considerably. You’ve told us the unfortunate truth when it would have been so easy to hide it. Of what you’ve told me of your home, what you’ve endured…lesser beings would have been twisted into savage beasts, but you…refused to submit. Admittedly, I still have my doubts, but the fact remains: you helped our ponies when they needed it the most. I can only say that in return, Star Paladin Shepard, we will see to it that you will live a comfortable life here in Equestria,” she said as a smile slowly crept its way onto her face. “It’s the least I could do for someone that has endured such hardships.” She glanced at Luna. “Do you agree, sister?”

“Indeed, Celestia,” said Luna, as she wore a similar grin.

Before Isaac could say another word, he once more found himself being embraced by Celestia. “Know this, if it was possible, I would do everything in my power to ensure that your people could get back on their hooves…er…feet,” she said with absolute sincerity.

Isaac looked up at her. “You would…do that for us…?” he questioned. “…Why?”

“Because it’s right,” she returned. She continued to hold him in that embrace. “That dark chapter of your life is over. Let go. Begin again…” She rocked him gently. “You don’t have to suffer anymore.”

Isaac couldn't remember the last time someone had been so kind to him, and he had to gather himself before choking out, “…Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she said warmly as she finally released him. “Tomorrow, I will announce the arrival of a new race to Equestria. This hasn’t happened in centuries.”

Seems a bit excessive, given I’m the only human here…wait…there was Spike…and the doctor mentioned something about other races…  “’In centuries?’” Isaac asked her curiously. “How many known races in Equis?”

Celestia then recited a surprisingly large list, much to his surprise. He didn’t know the words in English, though. After a brief description of each, Isaac could only barely hide his wonder. They all sounded familiar. While there was something as mundane as zebras, there were also more fantastical species like Griffons, Minotaurs, even dragons! He’d met one earlier without even realizing it! Although he’d reserve judgment until he had seen them for himself, it was abundantly clear that he’d fallen into something he’d consider a fantasy.

“Wait…Spike is a dragon?” he asked Twilight.

“Sure is!” she replied cheerfully. “He’s just a baby dragon, though!”

“Are there many races on your world, Isaac?” asked Luna.

Super mutants and ghouls don’t count… He shook his head. “Not at all. It’s just humans, humans, and more humans,” he replied to their surprised expressions. “It’s funny, you know? All of you, including the races you just described seem to be very similar to fictional creatures from my world…”

“What…really?” Twilight said incredulously with a big smile on her face. “We could say the same thing about you!”

It was his turn to be flabbergasted. “Seriously? Humans are myths in this world…?”

“Well, they weren’t specifically called humans, but yes,” Celestia clarified. “In some way, shape or form, a simulacrum of your species appears in the mythology of every race on Equis.”

He looked at her quizzically. “They said nice things about us, I hope…” he said with mock severity.

Celestia put on an exaggerated pout before giggling. “Yes, very nice things indeed.”

“I wonder if this means anything,” added Twilight. Everyone looked at her. “I mean…something like this is too…strange to be a coincidence.”

No one disagreed. “Hmph…I wonder…” muttered Isaac. “Heh, I wonder what would get a more colorful reaction from your people: ‘Hey, an alien fell from the sky’, or ‘Check it out, I found a mythological creature’.”

“Nothing quite so…silly,” said Celestia, rubbing her head with a hoof. “As ashamed as I am to admit it, our ponies can…overreact at times, and by that, I mean ‘Gallop around in circles, holler, and then hide in the nearest alcove’,” she said, her face deadly serious.

Luna giggled. “This is indeed true, sister.”

As the minutes ticked by, the four continued to talk. The topics varied widely. Twilight repeatedly asked Isaac questions about various scientific advancements and theories humans had developed. Isaac could now say that he was the one who taught ponykind Newton’s three laws. In return, she told him of an old unicorn scholar by the name of Starswirl. Apparently, he had a hoof in discovering much of the science behind Equestria's magic. Even though he had known Twilight for a month, he still wasn’t used to her boundless curiosity. She was even more forward about it, now that they could understand each other. Luna asked him about the state of things in the wasteland. The Princesses showed some admiration at how his race continued to hang on despite how harsh things were in the wastes. Again, he wondered just how similar the Great War was to this catastrophic event Luna mentioned earlier. He’d have to ask about it some time.

Celestia told him more about the races of Equis. Ponykind still hasn’t circumnavigated their world, so much territory was unexplored. There could be even more races they haven’t contacted yet. Each race’s nation was separated by large swaths of unsettled wilderness, and apparently Equestria was smack-dab in the middle of them all. Of those that were known, Equestria was the most prosperous, though Isaac had no way of knowing if that was the truth or simple pride on Celestia’s part. Then she mentioned that she had been ruling over Equestria for over a thousand years. A thousand years…? Is that even possible? Then again this is assuming that our years are the same length…but what about Luna…? When he inquired about her, Luna seemed to shrink slightly, and an ashamed looked came onto her face. Isaac decided to let the subject drop. He’d ask another time.

Now, Isaac’s arm was extended, currently cradled in Twilight’s forelegs while he let the ponies take a closer look at his Pip-Boy. Unfortunately for him, in Twilight’s eagerness to play around with the device, she seemingly forgot it was attached to his arm. He yelped in pain. “Careful! That’s my arm you’re handling,” he said to Twilight, as she tried to twist it too far.

A hint of a blush came to her face. “Sorry,” she said sheepishly. She peered intently at the green screen, the tip of her tongue poking out of her mouth. “Just what exactly does this thing do? How does it work?”

Isaac smiled. “In your language, the ‘Pip’ is short for ‘Personal information processor’. It’s extremely useful; I never leave home without it.” In fact, I almost never take it off. “It has a medical suite to monitor my condition, various scanners to detect toxins, a Geiger counter” – that drew a blank from Twilight – “a clock, and automap function…Oh…check this out.” He beckoned the ponies closer. When they were ready, with a push of a button, he opened the map. Varying looks of intrigue came onto their faces when they realized what they were looking at, a map of Canterlot Palace, depicting the exact route he and Twilight had taken to get to the tower.

“Fascinating…” said Luna, her hoof resting on her chin.

“Omigosh, that is so…neat,” squealed Twilight as she rubbed her hooves together. That familiar twinkle had returned to her eyes.

“How are you able to fit so many functions into such a small device?”

“With science, my dear Princess. Science,” said Isaac flippantly. Celestia rolled her eyes. “And that’s not all…I also use it to create to-do lists, and…”

“Wait, you mean like checklists?” Twilight butted in. When he nodded, she continued, “You mean you can create checklists without a quill and ink?” Another nod. “And…it can be reused as many times as you like?”

“…Yeah?”

“Omigosh…” she whispered. Nearby, Celestia giggled and smiled knowingly, very familiar with her student’s antics.

“It also has the ability to store data. Sound files, picture files, you name it. I can store entire books right here on my wrist.”

Twilight was sweating. “J-just…” She swallowed and took a deep breath. “Just…how many books can your store on your PipBoy?”

Isaac crossed his arms. “Well, once I stored an entire library worth of books-…”

“HuHhuhhHUHWHhhaaaa?” said Twilight, her eyes going wide with shock. The Princesses looked amazed as well. Isaac yelped when Twilight placed her hooves on his shoulders and forcibly turned him towards herself. She was close enough that Isaac could pick up a faint whiff of lavender. “Y-y-you can store an entire library? On your wrist!?”

Isaac looked at the Princesses, silently asking for help. They only giggled. “Um…yes?”

Twilight’s ear twitched as a glazed over look came to her eyes. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth, and…wait, is she drooling? She moaned softly, prompting Isaac to once again silently signal the Princesses for a hand.

“I think he broke her,” Luna whispered to Celestia with a mischievous grin on her face. She silently laughed in response.

Isaac waved a hand in front Twilight’s face; she seemed to still be in la-la land, or whatever the pony equivalent was. “Hello…Earth to Twilight? Are you in there? We come in peace?” he said. He snapped his fingers a few times.

She blinked once. Isaac swore he could have heard the sound of glass shattering when Twilight finally came back to reality. She looked around wildly for a few moments, realizing that everyone was staring at her. Blushing, she twisted her hoof into the blanket. “Um…hehe…sorry…” she muttered. “But still…wow…”

“It is, indeed, impressive,” added Celestia.

As the night wore on, the four found themselves inexplicably huddling more tightly together. Both Princesses were close enough that he could easily touch their withers, and Twilight was using Isaac’s thigh as an impromptu pillow. The Wanderer’s legs were going numb from sitting on them for so long, and the Princesses had shifted to a position that could be called lounging. The dusk’s gentle light was long gone by now. All that was left was a dark blue, starry sky.

“…and this ‘New California Republic’, you’ve worked with them?” asked Celestia, her voice fatigued.

Isaac nodded. “With them. For a time, yes,” he responded. “They aren’t perfect, but I approve of their core values.”

“Neither is Equestria,” added Luna. Unlike Celestia, she seemed to be wide awake. “You said that you are a ‘Star Paladin’. If you haven’t sworn fealty to them, does this mean that you…wander the land, righting wrongs?”

Isaac snorted. “Unofficially, yes,” he sighed deeply. “I haven’t worked with them in years, though. We’ve had some…disagreements when we last parted.” The Princesses caught a flash of anger on his face. “I’ll be blunt, while I approve of the values the Republic stands for, I loathe the current leadership.”

Celestia and Luna shared a look. “And, pray tell, why is this?” asked Luna, her eyebrow raised.

Isaac rubbed his temples, “Because…” He was cut off when he felt something damp on his leg. Looking down quizzically, he had to suppress a laugh.

“Zzz…”

“How long ago did this happen…?” he thought out loud. Twilight Sparkle was fast asleep. It was one of the cutest things he had ever seen, minus the drool. Mane askew, her mouth hung open, and a dark pool was forming on Isaac’s pant leg. Overwhelmed by the cuteness, he reached down and gently scratched behind one of the sleeping pony’s ears.

A pleased hum emanated from somewhere in her throat, and a wide grin came to her face. One of her hind legs kicked out, narrowly missing Luna, who shot him a glare. Twilight then rolled to the side, her pudgy belly facing the ceiling, her forelegs curled across her chest.

“Mmm…books…knowledge…learning…” she muttered.

“…I think it’s getting…” her statement was punctuated by a deep yawn “…pretty late,” Celestia said rhetorically, just as the clock chimed midnight. No one disagreed. Everyone – sans Twilight – stood up, eagerly working out the stiffness that had been building in their limbs. Celestia’s arched her back like a big, white, royal, kitty cat, while Isaac stretched his legs. Luna seemed satisfied with simply rolling her legs in their sockets, still looking like she was full of energy.

Isaac shot another glance at the still sleeping Twilight. “Poor filly deserves a rest…” he thought aloud. “She’s worked so hard for my sake.”

“I’m glad you feel that way, Isaac,” said Celestia as she made a futile effort to shake off her sleepiness. “It is good to know that her efforts are appreciated.”

“Continue this conversation later?” asked Isaac, grimacing while he wiped away the Twi-drool from his leg.

“I would like that,” said Celestia with a smile. “Luna, could you see to it that Mr. Shepard reaches his new quarters?”

Luna nodded. “Of course, sister.”

Isaac pointed at Twilight. “What are you going to do about…” He was cut off as Celestia’s horn lit up in a golden glow, and the sleeping unicorn was gently lifted into the air. As she did, Twilight’s hind legs tucked into her stomach, like a kitten. One of her forehooves found its way into her mouth, and she began sucking it. “…Oh.”

Hnnnnngh…

“Don’t you worry. I’ll take care of it,” said Celestia in a motherly tone as Twilight hovered to her side.

Isaac turned away from her only for Celestia to immediately call to him. “Isaac?” she said. Their gazes met for a moment. “Welcome to Equestria and…good night.”

With that, both Celestia and Twilight were enveloped in a bright flash of light. When it cleared, they were nowhere to be seen.

“…Thank you,” he muttered. His eyes remained locked onto the spot where she had just stood moments ago. Even after everything that had happened, his mind still hadn’t quite fully processed just what had happened to him. Here he was, far from home in a land populated by dragons and other mythological creatures. And the local ruler just assured him that he will live a comfortable life here. Back in the wastes, he’d never even considered settling down and putting it all behind him. He just had too much to do, so much to lose, so much to care about…

He barely even registered the gentle thumps of Luna’s hooffalls as she cantered up to him. “Are you ready to go?” she asked gently. Turning to her, Isaac found that the trunk that was containing all of his equipment was suspended in magic next to her.

“Uh…yeah,” he quickly put his sandals back on and walked over to her. “I’m…ready.”

Luna looked at him with concern. “Have you never teleported before?” she asked.

“Not by magic, no,” said Isaac.

She beckoned him to come closer. “Here, put your hand on my withers,” she instructed, and he did so. Her coat was soft and warm to the touch. “Now…relax…”

Luna’s horn lit up once more, and in a flash, the two disappeared from the tower. It was over in an instant.

~~

The Lone Wanderer decided that he wasn’t going to just sit here and do nothing while Unity built an army. The following morning, he had gathered his companions, and went to go tell Elder Lyons of his intentions. The Elder approved of his decision.

Now, Isaac, Fawkes, and Charon, along with Dogmeat, were heading westward through the Capital Wasteland. He had a few ideas in mind of where he should start looking. There was, of course, Fort Bannister, headquarters of Talon Company. He had to hand it to them, even after how much damage the Wanderer did to them, the organization still existed. They were like cockroaches.

The second was Vault 87. All evidence he found the last time he was there pointed to the defunct Vault-Tec facility as the mutants’ breeding ground, the place where FEV was created and stored in the Capital Wasteland. He felt like a fool for not looking into it earlier.

Apart from an overconfident band of raiders, it was a surprisingly quiet and uneventful journey. Not even a molerat had popped out of the scenery in a suicidal charge.

It only made the party more tense.

“Hold on…” growled Charon. He peered intently at the pass ahead of them. “Something isn’t right…”

“I agree…” muttered Isaac as he readied his rifle. “I’ll go on ahead. Watch my back…”

“I don’t like this…” Charon responded.

Before he could even take a step, he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye, and they widened in alarm when he looked at it. It was barely noticeable, little more than a slight distortion in the air. Isaac, though, was seasoned enough to recognize the effects of a stealth boy.

“Get down!” he shouted. Not a moment later, the wasteland was lit up with gunfire. While Fawkes and Charon escaped unscathed, Dogmeat was not so lucky. The dog was thrown to the ground with a yelp. The party blindly returned fire at their cloaked foes. Suddenly, Isaac was taken by surprise as a cloaked figure managed to flank him, violently throwing him to the ground. His assailant raised his weapon with murderous intentions, though they were unfulfilled when it received a shotgun shell to the face, courtesy of Charon.

The stealth boy fizzled out, and Isaac found himself staring at a strange, blue-skinned super mutant. Overcoming his shock, Isaac then turned towards Dogmeat, only to feel a solid lump form in his stomach. His beloved companion was riddled with holes, including one right through his neck. It didn’t take an expert to determine that the dog was dead.

“No…” he whispered.

Fawkes ducked behind a rock to change the cell in his Gatling laser. “My friend, we must get to a more favorable position! We cannot hold here against foes we cannot see!” he yelled.

The Wanderer numbly nodded in agreement as he gingerly cradled the form of his fallen friend in his arms. “Fall back!” he shouted.

The trio ran, their invisible foes shouting in triumph.

…They’ll pay for this… thought Isaac.