//------------------------------// // Something Unexpected // Story: The Lone Wanderer's Journey // by SteelyThePally //------------------------------// Jason, best known as "The Lone Wanderer", opened the rusty metro gates, returning to surface after helping helping Three Dog with Galaxy News Radio signal in exchange for information where his father went. Followed by his faithful and friendly dog, Dogmeat, Jason tiredly went upstairs, being greeted by the Sun's heat and the Wasteland's vastness. He let out a long sigh, his eyes wandering around the lifeless remains of the Capital Wasteland. "That was a big adventure, wasn't it, Dogmeat?" The Wanderer said, stroking his dog's head. The dog barked happily at it's owner gesture, and sat down near the staircase leading to the metro station's entrance, panting calmly. "A hell of an adventure..." He whispered, memories of his wanderings through Washington D.C played inside his mind. Even though he emerged from Vault 101 two weeks ago, Jason was getting used to the Wasteland's harsh lifestyle. He lost considerable weight thanks to the absence of food during his journey to find his father. His mind was being hardened as days passed, his eyes witnessing cruel scenes of torture, murder, and even seeing helpless wastelanders die from starvation, thirst, and many other problems As time passed, Jason's face was quickly being recognized around the people of the Wasteland. A 6 feet tall individual, with disheveled brown hair. This description was quickly spread through the settlements. But his fame could be given by the fact that Jason managed to disarm Megaton's atomic bomb, being seen as symbol of hope. The Lone Wanderer also had helped Moira Brown with the 'Wasteland Survival Guide', being occasionally taunted by scavengers who followed the book's tips. The Wanderer wasn't the one to receive the scolding, though. He was only a volunteer. Jason's equipment was a simple Vault 101 armored jumpsuit, whose blue lost it's vividness as sand and dried blood stained it. He carried few weapons within his personal computer, the Pip-Boy 3000, such as common pistols, an assault rifle, the peculiar Fat Man and average numbers of ammo for his rusty but trusty hunting rifle. The rest of his items were food, and an alarming low quantity of medications. He lifted his left arm, staring blankly at the Pip-Boy's green screen. The Wanderer scanned the map of the Capital Wasteland, groaning defeated after he discovered the distance between his current position and Rivet City's location, the wrecked aircraft carrier that Three Dog said to be the place where his father, James, might have ran to. Noticing that the he was roughly 4 miles from Rivet City, Jason let out a long yawn escape from his lips, his legs aching slightly from his adventure. "I don't think I'm up for a big-ass walk again. I need to rest..." He lowered his head, his eye slits getting heavier as sleep deprivation tormented him again. It has been two days since he slept, considering the Capital Wasteland's violent inhabitants and creatures. The Sun was starting to set in the horizon, enveloping the Wasteland with a bright orange light. Jason started another probable long walk, his eyes hunting for a safe place to take a rest. Always moving with a fast pace, Jason was far from the metro station in minutes. Much to his frustration, he couldn't spot any place safe enough for him. Not even the town of Megaton was nearby. He halted his walk completely, taking some time to rest his aching legs. The Wanderer groaned loudly, lifting his head slightly. He scanned the surroundings for the last time: A collapsed bridge, the mountain range that dominated the Wasteland's limits, the ruins of Washington, and a seemingly endless desert. Giving up, he slowly lowered himself to sit and lean his head against a rock to take a nap. But before he could do that, a bright flash of light popped in the distance, making his sleepy eyes shot open. The flash of light then dissipated, leaving snow-white particles dancing around. "What the fuck was that?" Jason said to himself. Losing his sleepiness completely, he jogged to the location where the flash of light was last seen. "Let's go, Dogmeat!" When he neared it's presumed site, Jason crouched almost immediately, noticing a group of people standing idly there. He placed a finger over Dogmeat's mouth before it could growl, effectively hiding his position. The Lone Wanderer leaned his back against a nearby rock, noticing that the members where having a conversation, their voices sounding like desperate yells. "Is everypony okay?" A feminine voice said, pure angst in her tone. 'Everypony? What are they talking about?' A quick thought swept through Jason's mind, his eyebrow furrowing at the awkward word use. "What the hay is goin' on?" Another voice was heard with a thick southern accent. "And why my body is like this?" That was enough for Jason's curiosity explode. Silently chuckling at their use of words, The Wanderer slowly raised his head, being able to catch a glimpse of the group. Before he was able to actually look at who was talking, one of the women spotted him. He quickly slid his head down, trying not to give away his position. "Hey! Who are you?" That was enough for Jason's heart beat faster. He held his breath, and put his rifle in hand "Why are you hiding? Are you scared?" A scratchy, somewhat of a tomboyish voice taunted the hiding wanderer, Infuriated by the taunt, The Lone Wanderer stood up, cocked his rifle, and aimed at his provoker, threatening to shoot. "Who do you think you are..." His voice faded away as he noticed something that made his cheeks burn with the heat of the Sun: they were naked. This sight made his anger dissipate completely, numerous questions racing through his mind. Jason's eyes widened as he examined each of their bodies with interest. "What the fuck is this?" The Wanderer whispered to himself in confusion, lowering his rifle slightly. His arms and legs tensed, rendering him immobile. Dogmeat, however, angrily growled at them. Before the duo's eyes, stood 6 naked girls, their hairs being strangely colored. "Who are you? And where we are?" One of the girls asked him. Her hair was sapphire blue with brilliant rose streaks on it. Her question made Jason furrow his eyebrows in suspicion, effectively losing the tension in his limbs. He struggled to think of a good response, considering the rare sight before him. "Firstly, who are you guys, and can you explain what the fuck are you doing naked in the middle of nowhere? Are you on drugs or somethin'?" He asked, finally yielding his rifle completely. Well, he had to admit that seeing six butt-naked girls standing on the middle of nowhere was surely... new. A blush crept to his face as he felt an immense amount of blood rushing south. Jason's face looked like a tomato right now. The whole situation was embarrassing. He himself had never seen a woman naked in such an... exposed way. Well, he had sneaked into Amata's room while she was changing clothes, but that doesn't matter right now. What matters is that he found a group of completely crazy women, and that he had a bulge growing in his pants. "I am Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Fluttershy." The same girl who asked for Jason's name pointed at her friends, receiving an even awkward look from him. "Weird names..." He whispered, examining the women's hairs like if they were alien, but not looking at their breasts. "Ahn, nice to meet you... Twilight. I'm Jason Miller. What the hell are you doing around here, unarmed? Did someone robbed your equipment, you got lost from your caravan, something like that?" He tried to reason with them, one hand hiding his erection, and the other scratching the back of his head. "No... I was trying a new teleportation spell, and, well, here we are. Could you escort us home?" Twilight's eyes filled with hope, considering that she was now in a new body, and a new land. For Jason, however, it was awkward and confusing to the limits. Her request of an escort was tiring to the already worn-out wanderer, but he couldn't just leave them defenseless. Being the good individual that he was, The Wanderer lent a hand: "Well, I'm no strange to escort. Were exactly you people live?" He smiled, trying to mask away his suspicion and confusion. And his growing erection. The jumpsuit wasn't helping at all. What if they were another raider trap? "Ponyville." Twilight answered, smiling back at him. "What?!? Ponyville? What's that, the new kid-inhabited settlement around here? Never heard of it." Jason joked and folded his arms, sharp glares coming from both the rainbow-haired and blonde girl. He stared back, diverting their gazes successfully. The Wanderer looked back at Twilight, who was at the edge of hyperventilating. "Are you sure that you don't know?" Twilight asked again, nearly dropping on her knees. Jason nodded awkwardly, causing Twilight to walk in circles, mumbling quietly. In response, The Lone Wanderer simply scratched his head, not understanding her worry. He was having a hard time with not looking at their exposed breasts. "Aren't you lying to us?" The rainbow-haired girl, Rainbow, shot a sharp glare at him. "No, I ain't lying. I don't know any city or village called 'Ponyville'." With this, the expression on their faces turned out to be of instant angst. "So, yeah... I think that I'm..." Before he could complete the phrase and leave the area, he was assaulted by his conscience. So that's the good and kind Wanderer? Leaving girls for dead? He froze still, not moving a muscle. Taking a look back, he felt how desperate these girls where, even that Rainbow one, who appeared to be the bravest. This made his heart sink. Going back to them, he blushed again, considering their nudity. "Don't worry girls, I'll won't leave you guys alone." He stood at their center, pondering deeply on what to say next. "I think I'll try to give you guys some clothes." The girls face's lightened up with The Wanderer's sudden mind change. At this point, the moonlight already illuminated the Wasteland with it's weak pale light, a cold breeze wheezing, contradicting the hot weather that fatigued any traveler quickly hours ago. To Jason, the wind was cool, giving him a refreshing sensation. For the girls, the wind blew like freezing water, shivering as the cold air enveloped them. The Lone Wanderer noticed their reactions, a simple yet good idea coming to mind. Walking up to a dead tree, he ripped off some branches, broke them into smaller pieces, and left them over the sand, forming a small campfire. Collecting some loose rocks from the ground, he banged them together, orange sparks coming from the friction. when a particular spark came in contact with the wood, they ignited into flames, a bright orange light illuminating the surroundings. Jason smiled at the small campfire and stood up, the fire warming his tired legs. "You guys can warm yourselves here. I'll find something for you guys to wear." As if his words were magic, the girls launched themselves to the campfire, sticking their hands out. Jason could only chuckle at the scene. Climbing on top of a rock, he scanned the environment for somewhere worth a scavenging run. A collapsed bridge, destroyed houses, rocks, dead trees, and an abandoned military camp. Wait. A military camp! Finally, a stroke of good luck. The Wanderer thought, preparing to walk to the camp and loot it's content. Suddenly, he felt a finger poking his shoulder. Slowly turning around, he nearly spitted his heart out at the sight of Pinkie, the pink haired girl which was literally bouncing around, staring at him while upside down. She beamed a big smile upon him, his eyes examining her position: she was floating! "I just wanted to say that we're very grateful for your help, Jasy!" She then gave The Lone Wanderer a firm handshake, which Jason replied weakly. Pinkie dropped from her floating position, landing gracefully on the ground, Jason's eyes still widened at her scientifically impossible action. "N-no problem at all... Pinkie." Jason then took a long breath to regain his posture again, his attention being diverted to the military camp located at mere meters from his position. I'll need some extra muscle to bring whatever equipment that this camp may have down there. Turning back again, he examined the girl's bodies, trying not to think of perverted things. It was still hard for someone who lived underground for most of his life. Noticing that the Rainbow's and blonde's girl bodies were more muscular than their friends', he thought that they would perfectly help him. "Hey, you two there. Rainbow and Applejack, aren't you?" Both girls nodded, confusion clearly written on their faces. "Could you help me with somethings?" "Of course, sugarcube. You know what's goin' on, after all." Jason furrowed his eyebrows at the fond expression she used, but only waited for them to be near him. "Dogmeat, Stay alert. I'll be back in no time." Dogmeat barked, sitting down and putting itself on high alert. The Wanderer and the two girls trailed off from where the rest of the group was. As he and the girls quietly walked, his conscience came down on him: Great one, you idiot! Now you're stuck with those weirdos! Wasn't your goal to find you father? Yes it is. But they need help. Cut me some slack. You don't even know them! Of course. But will I leave someone to die in this hellhole? No. But have you ever thought that they could get stuck with you forever? The place where they come from doesn't even exist! With this, Jason looked up. His mind was right. For how long will them follow him? The Wanderer shook his head, trying to escape from the questions tormenting his mind. During the short walk to the camp, the trio kept quiet, the only audible sounds being of their feet pressing against the Wasteland's sand. Suddenly, Rainbow Dash spoke up: "I can't understand why you are helping us. Like, we're complete strangers to you!" "Helping people is always a good deed to do in this living hell. As long as you guys don't stab or shot me on the back, I'm fine." Jason silently chuckled at his response, while both girls seemed a little uncomfortable with his joke. "Hey, I was just joking. Even though, I have to keep my eyes open. Wandering here isn't exactly a walk in the park." Rainbow and Applejack wanted to ask him about why this new place was dangerous, but kept silent. When they reached the camp, two olive green tents stood firmly. The Wanderer said to the duo to search on one for any type of clothing. Entering one of them, he was embraced by the pitch-black darkness. Turning his Pip-Boy light on, he started to loot the tent. After mere minutes of searching, The Lone Wanderer examined the found loot: ".308 cartridges, 10mm rounds, some mines, two merc outfits and two leather armor... strange. They're so perfectly numbered. Whatever, at least I found something useful. Lemme check on that Rainbow girl and her blonde friend." Jason whispered, putting his findings inside the Pip-Boy's digital storage. The weight of the clothing made him lose his posture for a second, a reminder that the Pip-Boy's technology distributes the weight through the owner's body, slowing his or her movements. Turning off the light coming from his wrist computer, he stepped out of the tent. Outside, he noticed that Rainbow and Applejack were confusedly staring at two sets of combat armor with the bulletproof helmet, one dyed jet black, and the other a bright beige. Noticing Jason's presence, they diverted their gazes to the wanderer, like if he was their superior. "Hey, I see that you two found combat armor? Not bad..." "Oh, well. Thanks! It seems that you haven't got any luck, I guess?" Rainbow asked him, seeing that he came back with empty hands. "Nope. I found four. They're stored here." He tapped his finger on the Pip-Boy's screen, both girls not understanding what he meant. "Okay, just wear this now." "What?!?" They questioned as one, dropping the armor's edges, dust soaring through the air. "Yeah, consider it yours. It's for your protection, after all." Jason folded his arms, but the girls remained still. "But... aren't we stealing this from somepony?" Applejack furrowed her eyebrows, looking at Jason with her emerald green eyes. "Well, only if you think that we're stealing from that guy." The Wanderer pointed to a skeleton, it's white color lost to the sand. Applejack and Rainbow shivered from his not-so black humor. "C'mon. We're in a lawless place right now. I may be a good person, but looting won't exactly define whether I'm a Messiah or Devil's spawn, please." Nodding to his statement, they quickly began to dress up in the combat armor, while The Wanderer simply tucked his head inside the tent were they 'looted' the armors, just to make sure if they haven't forgot about anything. The interior was way more empty than the other tent. However, the simple sight of piled sleeping bags was enough to give him a new idea. He saw that the quantity was enough for him and the girls to rest. His eyes got sleepy again as he stared at the green sleeping bags. Grabbing them with difficulty, he exited the tent, being greeted by two armored girls, who were swinging their arms to feel comfortable with the new piece of clothing. He gave a long sigh at the thought that they weren't naked anymore. "This feels so awesome!!" Rainbow commented, putting her helmet on. "Still, Ah think that we stole this from somepony. But I'll go with what you said, sugarcube. Ya seem to be the only one who knows what's happenin' around here." Jason felt surprised by her early confidence. He met her hours ago, after all. "Well, thanks for trusting me. Not many people tend to do that. And I think I could use some help here!" He exclaimed as three bags rolled down his legs, stopping prematurely at the feet of both Applejack and Rainbow Dash. "We're going camping? That sounds very cool, Jason." The Wanderer could only chuckle at Rainbow's statement. 'Huh, nice. If she only knew what happens around here...' The duo grabbed two bags, while Jason stayed with three. They walked back to the camp, silence reigning again over the atmosphere, the Wasteland's night breeze sending chills down their spines. Back at the camp, The Lone Wanderer saw Dogmeat still on it's high alert position, quickly losing it when it spotted it's owner, running happily to his side. The girls noticed his presence too, their eyes staring at the now armored Applejack and Rainbow, who dropped the sleeping bags near the pile where Jason left his. Instead of asking, they kept silent. Jason then approached Twilight and Fluttershy, removing the leather armors from his Pip-Boy, green digital particles dancing through the air as the pieces of clothing materialized at his hands, gaining impressed stares from all of them. Twilight and Fluttershy took the armors quickly, slowly trying to figure out how to wear it. Jason then moved on to Pinkie and Rarity, whose eyes were now locked on Rainbow's and Applejack's new armors. He took the outfits from his Pip-Boy's digital storage, poking Pinkie softly on her shoulder. The Wanderer delivered the armor on her arms. Her response was a ear-to-ear grin. Suddenly, the set of clothing that once laid on her arms somehow teleported to her body in a blink of an eye. The Wanderer's pupils widened at the sight as a gasp left his lips, seconds before turning on to Rarity. He offered the outfit for her, but Rarity's only response was a disgusted look in her blue eyes. "I won't dress up in these ruffian clothes. They're simply dreadful." She gave the mercenary clothing a last look before raising her head with her eyes closed. "Sorry if I haven't got any luck to find fancy dresses. Okay. Freeze, then." The Lone Wanderer ironically replied to her nitpicky attitude. As if to help him in his persuasion, a colder wind blew strongly, threatening to extinguish the fire that kept the rest of the group warm. Rarity shivered from it, gritting her teeth. "Okay, okay. I'll take it!" She stared daggers at him while Jason chuckled, taking a seat around the campfire. Nothing was said from anyone, the only audible sounds being the cracks coming from the burning wood and Dogmeat's occasional panting. Not having anything to say, The Wanderer took a nuka-cola bottle out of his Pip-Boy, and after taking it's cap off, took a long sip. "How did you do that?" Twilight asked, quizzically studying the green particles that slowly dissipated from the now-materialized bottle. The Wanderer swallowed what was left of the black liquid in his mouth, taking sometime to ask: "Did what?" "That thing! You made this bottle... appear on your hand!!" She responded, sounding even more curious. "Nah, it's just my Pip-Boy. It's kind of a personal computer. Can show my condition, everything that I'm carrying, and a map." Jason explained the wrist computer, tapping his finger on top of it. "How do you store things in there?" Twilight asked again, eager to know more about it. "I just don't know. It's too complex, even for me. But I do know that, the more that I carry, the more I weigh." Twilight smiled enthusiastically, while most of her friends weren't showing the same interest. From what Jason saw, she appeared to be the most intelligent on their group. "Hey, are you girls thirsty? Hungry?" They all nodded negatively. With this, Jason emptied his bottle with a long sip, leaving the object at his side. Again, silence reigned. But The Wanderer wanted to ask them some questions: "So, where exactly are guys from? Aside from that... Ponyville place?" "We came from Equestria." Jason shook his head at Twilight's statement. "Could you... explain things a little?" "Of course. You helped us, I'll help you." The Wanderer raised his brow. 'I think that telling me your story isn't exactly helpful, but whatever.' Twilight took a long breath and cleared her throat before starting her lecture: "We came from Equestria, a land inhabited by ponies, dragons, griffin and many other creatures. Equestria is ruled by two sisters: Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, who respectively raise the sun and the moon. In our land, there were four kinds of ponies: the earth ponies, the unicorns, the pegasi..." Jason's eyes were getting heavier and heavier as Twilight's lecture went on, pictures of unicorns, pegasi and ponies popping in his mind. He was thinking that her story was completely a lie, but kept listening. "... and that's how we got here." The Wanderer scratched his chin in thought. Was it real or just made-up? He had some facts that could somehow lead him to believe that they really were from some kind of alternate dimension. And other facts that could make him believe that they were using drugs. After she finished, Twilight and her friends stared deep within his dark brown eye, waiting for a response: "I... ummmm... I have to admit that I can believe on you guys. But it's still a little hard to swallow." They all sighed in relief, what sounded like masked yawns. "Could you..." Twilight's speech was interrupted prematurely by a long yawn, her friend's eyes getting as heavier as Jason's. "... tell me where are we? It looks like we're humans..." "Uhhhhhh... you are humans. I am a human. But I see that you people will probably fall asleep. Why not call it a day and get some rest? Just grab a bag, and put yourself in." "But, Jason. Haven't you said to us that this place is dangerous?" Rainbow asked, horribly masking her tiredness. "Yeah, it might be. But we've got Dogmeat. He will alert us from any sound. Now, just get some rest." With this, the six girls took one sleeping bag for themselves, their figures being slowly enveloped in the moonlight as the campfire's flames died. Taking one for himself, Jason laid inside, and kept a close eye on the girls. One by one, they fell into deep slumber, a dog and an wanderer watching from their spot. Noticing that all of them were asleep, Jason looked to Dogmeat, whose eyes now stared at it's owner. "In what we got ourselves into, huh, boy?" He whispered, the dog barely paying attention to The Wanderer. Closing his eyes, Jason let the darkness take over his conscience, resting after two days of non-stop adventuring. He needed it. Because the next day, was going to be a long day...