A Learning Experience
A/N: I'm a pretty bird...this chapter also involves time-skips...sorry, I'm a bad, bad refrigerator.
~~
‘Who are Unity?’ Isaac wondered.
The hot summer sun burned overhead as Isaac and his companions returned to the citadel. He gave the guards a curt nod, and they responded in kind.
The front door opened with a creak, and the bailey was alive with activity as the human walked inside. Several Brotherhood soldiers were training at the firing ranges while Paladin Gunny reamed out several rapidly paling initiates.
Isaac ignored all of it though, his sights set upon the sentinel, who rapidly approached him.
“Ma’am,” said Isaac, snapping a quick salute. Might as well act professional, given the fact they were in public.
“Paladin Shepard,” Sarah Lyons responded, saluting in kind. “You’ve returned. Anything to report?”
He nodded and explained what he had encountered.
One of the sentinel’s eyebrows arched in surprise. “Talon Mercs were working with muties?” she thought aloud, rubbing her chin with a gauntleted hand.
The Wanderer reached into a pouch at his belt, withdrawing a neatly folded sheet of paper: the contract he had acquired from the body of the mercenary captain. He handed it over to the sentinel. “Take a look at this.”
She deftly took it, and her eyes roamed across the contract. A confused look came across her features. “They were hired to protect the mutants…why?” she muttered. Her eyes darted up to Isaac’s face. “Unity… I could have swore I heard that name somewhere before…”
“I was about to head down to the lab and ask Rothchild if he could give me information,” replied Isaac.
“Agreed,” said Sarah. “Steel be with you, Isaac.”
Nodding once, Isaac and his companions marched past the sentinel. Excited chatter from some of the gathered Brotherhood soldiers reached his ears as they passed by, awed by the celebrity in their midst.
~~
The sound of his bedroom door opening roused Big Macintosh from his sleep. He grunted in annoyance at the sudden sound, blearily opening his eyes to find only darkness. It was still late, judging from the view out the window; the stallion’s bedroom window was facing eastward, and no sign of the sunrise was on the distant horizon.
His eyes rapidly adjusted to the low light, and he glanced towards the door. Finding the door open, he cocked an eyebrow. The cause of the disturbance quickly became known.
There, standing next to his bed, was Apple Bloom; her eyes were fearful and brimming with tears, and her favorite stuffed bear dangling from her mouth. Her mane was askew without her bow to hold it back.
The slight annoyance he had towards the little filly for waking him up was quickly swept aside by concern for the youngest Apple.
Groggily, Big Mac propped himself up on his side and stared inquisitively at Apple Bloom, who continued to look as if she were about to cry. The stallion was the first to speak. “Are you okay? What’re you doin’ up?” he asked.
The filly was silent for a few moments, nervously glancing away as she tapped the wooden floor with a single hoof. Slowly, she once again made eye contact. “C-could ah sleep in yer bed tonight? Ah had a bad dream…” she whimpered.
Big Mac raised an eyebrow. His youngest sister hadn’t done that since around the time their parents died. Whenever she had a nightmare, she would ask to spend the night with one of her siblings; naturally, being the most “Splendifferously Cuddleicious,” as stated by Pinkie Pie, it was usually him.
“Aren’t you sick?” Big Mac questioned.
“A’hm feelin’ better,” the filly murmured.
The stallion took a moment to consider her words. The last thing he needed was to catch whatever it was his sister had. But, the filly’s sudden sickness seemed to have been easing up quickly. Apple resilience, after all. In the end, whatever sense of caution he had was overridden by brotherly instinct.
Wordlessly, the big, red stallion scooted over to give his sister room, which the filly eagerly accepted. Immediately after she hopped up, Apple Bloom buried her face in her big brother’s barrel, and the tears she had been holding back began soaking Big Mac’s fur.
The stallion barely managed to conceal his surprise at the sudden gesture. Wrapping his forelegs protectively around his little sister and rocking her gently, he allowed Apple Bloom to pour her sadness out.
Big Macintosh knew that his sister’s nightmares were caused by whatever happened in the Everfree Forest. One moment, Apple Bloom and her friends were foolishly running off into the woods on some foolhardy quest for their Cutie Marks, and the next, she was sobbing and having nightmares. It didn’t take a genius to connect the events. Apple Bloom had gone into the forest without supervision before, even got herself into danger more than once, but the aftermath was never so severe.
Although her fur did a good job concealing it, the new scarring on Applejack’s frame did not escape the stallion’s notice. Applejack had been adamant about keeping the events of that night hidden from him.
Another recent event puzzled him: his sister’s abrupt trip to the capital. What sort of emergency warrants a royal summon? The last time Applejack and her friends were called away to the capital, Discord arrived to wreak chaos on Equestria less than two hours later. Twilight Sparkle seemed pretty anxious when she showed up to deliver the message, even excited. So far, out of everything that had happened over the past couple of days, all evidence pointed towards the strange meteor being the source of all this trouble.
Although much of Ponyville was content to ignore it like all of the other wacky shenanigans that commonly shook up the town, he certainly wasn’t. Not with a quivering filly burying her face in his chest.
“Sis…” he said gently as he stroked her mussed up mane. “Why don’t ya tell me what this bad dream was about?” The filly froze. “Ah’m yer big brother, Ah’m here for ya.”
Apple Bloom looked up at him, her eyes bloodshot. Her lip trembled.
Big Mac gently patted her back. “Ya don’t have to tell me nothin’ if ya don’t want to…” he reassured.
The filly looked away from her brother, bit her lip, and clenched her eyes shut.
The images from that night ran through her head. She could hear the sounds of those grotesque, bipedal monsters, those high pitched shrieks that seemed to pierce her very being. Images of that horrible horned creature flashed before her eyes, the likeness of its demonic visage as it charged her down forever burned into her memory. A whimper passed through her muzzle as she could see Applejack and the mysterious stranger who had helped them all that night; both of them were prone, covered in blood, and neither of them were moving. As they faded away, she found herself pinned under unseen rubble, all alone, in the dark…
Her eyes snapped open, and she sobbed loudly. “It…A-ah’m scared…” she sniveled. “S-so scary…” Thoughts of being trapped in the dark and her unmoving sister flashed through her head again.
Dark…
“C-could ya turn the lights on please?” the little filly pleaded, shivering all the while.
That request took Big Mac by surprise. Apple Bloom gotten over her fear of the dark years ago. Why now? What had brought this on? Shrugging in confusion, the stallion blindly reached out, pawing for his bedside table. When his hoof came in contact with the lamp placed there, he grunted with satisfaction as he felt the knob, and he gave it a gentle push.
The stallion winced as the bedroom was abruptly flooded with light. Blinking the spots out of his eyes, Big Mac redirected his gaze towards his trembling sister as she snuggled closer to his broad barrel.
Big Mac sighed. It was time for some answers. “Sis…what happened in the forest?” he pressed, his voice soft. When she didn’t respond, he continued. “Ah understand if it was scary, but it ain’t healthy to bottle things up like this.”
He heard a deep breath, and Apple Bloom blurted out a long stream of rapid, nearly incomprehensible babble into his chest. Recoiling slightly in surprise, the stallion was able to pick up words like “monsters” and “scary” and “aliens”.
Big Mac’s eyes narrowed. Applejack, what are you hiding from me?
“Applejack wasn’t movin’… ah thought…ah thought…”
Huh? The large stallion felt as if a lump of ice was dropped into his stomach. “W-what?”
“There was so much b-blood…Ah thought AJ joined Ma and Pa…” the little filly whispered, her eyes wide.
Big Mac’s mind stalled momentarily, his ears falling flat against his head. Applejack’s scars, her silence, Apple Bloom’s nightmares, all the pieces fit together. Applejack almost died, he realized with dread.
The annoyance he felt earlier was swept aside in favor of relief for his sisters’ safety. Unthinkingly, Big Macintosh enveloped his youngest sibling in the most powerful hug he could muster, eliciting a startled squeak from her. Applejack was going to receive the same treatment when she came home from the capital, he decided.
“Mac…can’t…breathe…” Apple Bloom protested.
The stallion let her go. “Sorry,” he said sheepishly.
“And…and if that alien hadn’t helped us, ah…ah…” she sobbed, the image of her being trapped in the dark, unable to move flashed through her head again. “He saved me…and now he’s…”
Big Mac’s brow furrowed and he cocked his head in confusion. “Alien?” he wondered aloud.
Apple Bloom forced a small smile onto her face, “Yup, a real, live space alien…”
“Uh-huh…” grunted Big Mac, “And what did this alien look like?”
The filly wildly gestured with her forehooves. “He was big, tall, walked on two legs, and wore a funny suit! Ah thought he was purdy scary at first, but then he turned out to be nice.” She relaxed and lay against her big brother. “He had eyes like you and AJ; ah felt…safe.” she glanced at him. “Ya believe me, don’t ya?”
Big Mac doubted that AB’s account was accurate, but he decided to humor her. “Yes, I believe ya…”
Whether this stranger was alien or not, he realized something in particular: the Apple Family owed somepony a huge favor.
The little filly yawned deeply, “‘M tired…Ah’m feelin’ better now…”
Mac leaned forward and kissed Apple Bloom on the forehead. “I love you, sis.”
“Love ya too…” muttered Apple Bloom. With his forelegs around her and his strong heartbeat beating like a lullaby, the filly relaxed. Minutes later, she fell back into sleep, wrapped up in her brother’s protective embrace. Dozing with a smile on her face, she clutched her stuffed bear in her hooves. As Mac felt her sister’s gentle breathing disturbing the fur on his chest, a long, drawn-out sigh passed through his muzzle.
Stroking Apple Bloom’s mane, he glanced out the window, deep in thought. His sister’s words were on his mind: this mention of an ‘alien’. The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed true, ridiculous as it was. It seemed awfully coincidental that a week after something strange crashed in the woods, his sister and her friends were called away to the capital for some undisclosed reason.
“I bet this alien of yours is just fine…” he whispered. Unless they went to the capital to pay their respects or something… he thought darkly.
Big Mac once again glanced at his sleeping little sister. Although she was peaceful now, he knew it wouldn’t last. But if she had another bad dream, Big Mac would be there for her. He wouldn’t let anything bad happen.
Ah don’t know if ya can hear me, Princess Luna, but please…give my sister pleasant dreams…
~~
“How has our guest been faring, sister?” asked Princess Celestia.
The two princesses were seated on expensive cushions at opposite ends of a table in a private study area. The large grandfather clock stationed in the room read that it was very late. Moonlight streamed in through the windows, the starry sky beyond just barely visible through the velvety curtains.
Taking a sip of her tea and a nibble of a glorious culinary marvel called a “grilled cheese sandwich”, Luna smiled. It had been two days since Twilight Sparkle had started teaching their otherworldly guest Equish, and the results were extremely satisfactory. Essentially, Twilight had started with numbers out of hope that she could get something across, and the alien picked up on it almost instantly. After that, she moved on to displaying pictures of common items and creatures, both sapient and not, and said what they were. Wanderer had responded by miming that he wanted something to write with, and he began taking notes. They assumed that he was writing a rough enunciation of the Equish word and its counterpart in the alien’s language. They went on like that for hours.
“Very well, Tia,” she replied. “He is an able learner and appears to be getting along quite well with Twilight Sparkle and her companions. This is no doubt the start of a lasting and glorious friendship between our species,” she said cheerfully.
Celestia smiled tiredly; it was well past the usual time when she turned in for the night. “I am glad to hear that, sister. I hope that the circumstances continue to favor us.”
Taking another bite of her sandwich, Luna beamed. “Indeed.” Leaning in, she continued. “He was also kind enough to provide us with his name,” she said in a hushed whisper.
“Oh?” Celestia replied, arching an eyebrow. “Do tell.”
Luna’s brow furrowed. “Hm…how was it pronounced again? Eye sick? Is zack? Oh yes, I remember now, Isaac Shepard!” she said happily. “Oh, and he is called a ‘hue-mon’!”
Celestia mulled over the newly revealed information for a moment. “Hm…interesting name…I wonder if it has some sort of meaning,” she thought aloud. “Well, I suppose names contribute to a long lasting relationship.” She redirected her gaze towards Luna. “Good work, to you and Twilight both.” Although she kept it to herself, she personally had some reservations towards their guest, or “Isaac”, as it was now revealed. Though the fact that he has shown himself to be intelligent and willing to work with Twilight raised her spirits.
She only hoped that it would stay that way. “When this is all over, what do you plan to do, Luna?” asked Celestia. Shortly after, a sly grin crept onto her face. “Or should I say…’Pwincess Woona’?”
Luna’s blushed deeply and averted her gaze, ears going flat against her head. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about!” she stammered.
“By your mannerisms, somepony is fibbing,” Celestia said playfully. “Come on Lulu, I’m surprised all of Canterlot didn’t hear your…disagreement.”
~
“T-Twilight…” the alien grunted, setting down his quill and offering the mare in question the sheet of parchment he had been writing on.
The mare smiled at the mention of her name. She maintained a cheerful demeanor as she plucked the parchment depicting Equestrian mathematics from the alien’s hand with her mouth.
It took the unicorn all of five seconds to review his answers, her grin rapidly widening. Gradually, Twilight was moving onto more and more advanced material to challenge the newly dubbed ‘human’ before her. It took him less than a minute to solve the problems.
With the exception of Fluttershy, the rest of her friends were not present. They knew that they wouldn’t have been able to help accomplish much, given the current situation. Rainbow wouldn’t have been interested in ‘Egghead stuff’, Pinkie was probably planning her ‘Glad you’re not sick anymore party’, Rarity didn’t need a reason to mingle in the city, Spike went with her, but Applejack was an odd case. She felt obligated to help out the alien in any way she could, but she wasn’t the academic type. She was probably with Rainbow.
Fluttershy was kept nearby in the event that they had difficulty communicating. However, it was proven to be unnecessary; the human was able to discern their intentions on his own.
The pegasus made a cheerful sound to indicate to the alien that his work was acceptable; in fact, it was all correct. “He’s a smart guy, isn’t he, Twilight?” said Fluttershy.
The unicorn smiled at her friend. “Indeed, I can’t wait to see what he’ll do next!” Her eyes drifted over to the alien. He was sitting up in bed, arms across his waist, his keen green eyes scrutinizing them carefully. His messy, dark brown mane hid his scars. Upon closer inspection, a pony could notice a few strands of premature grey.
He was still very weak from magic poisoning, but he was improving. Gradually exposing him to increasing levels of magic so he would develop a tolerance seemed to be working. While he was focused enough to partake in her lessons, the doctors said it would be quite some time until he had the strength to walk again. The bandages on his chest had been removed, and the human wore a simple white cotton shirt to hide the ugly scarring on his well-muscled chest.
She glanced at the folded parchment that rested on one of the end tables, notes that the alien had taken himself. They were all written in a strange script that Twilight couldn’t read a word of. An odd, tingly feeling passed through her chest at the thought: a new language, and she was one of the first ponies to see it in written form.
Twilight found the whole process of teaching to be quite exciting. She wondered if Celestia ever felt this way when instructing her. If so, she could easily understand why.
After reviewing the arithmetic, they went back to vocabulary. Reaching into a saddlebag, she retrieved a sizable stack of photographs depicting a wide variety of different items.
She showed him one.
“What’s this?”
“Fork,” the alien said in rough Equish.
Twilight drew a new card. “And this?”
“House.”
This exchange went on for a quite some time, the alien struggling to recite the wide variety of phrases from memory. Although just knowing the words was pretty easy, the real challenge would be learning syntax, sentence structure, grammar, and all that material. For all Twilight knew, the human’s could be completely different.
Finally, Twilight held up the last card.
“Un-unicorn.”
Fluttershy clopped her forehooves enthusiastically. “Good job, Isaac!” she cheered, in her unique, barely audible Fluttershy style.
Twilight felt elated as well. Although he made a few mistakes, it was very impressive that Isaac was able to memorize nearly two hundred and fifty different words in Equish.
Throughout this whole exchange, Princess Luna observed the trio from the corner of the room. A small smile graced her lips as she watched her sister’s student interact with their otherworldly guest. So far, this all looked well.
The fake sunlight from the window had long since dimmed out. Eventually, a deep yawn from Twilight signaled the end of the day’s lesson. The effect was contagious; Fluttershy was yawning as well.
“What a day…” Twilight said cheerfully, despite her fatigue. She slipped her notes and flashcards back into her saddlebags and rolled away soreness that had been building in her shoulders. As much as she’d like to have kept going, it would have been awkward if she had fallen asleep here. Nearby, Fluttershy arched her back like a cat.
The human realized what was going on and eased back in his bed, his hands clasping together. His eyes drifted between all the ponies present.
Just when Twilight was about to leave, the alien spoke up from behind her. “T-Twilight?” he asked.
The mare spun around on the spot, arching an eyebrow inquisitively. “Yes?”
He pointed at her. “Twilight, unicorn,” he slurred. His finger drifted over to Fluttershy. “Pegasus.” Finally, he pointed at Luna. “What?” He glanced at Twilight inquisitively.
Twilight’s mouth formed a small ‘o’, before giving away to a smile. “That’s Princess Luna, she’s an alicorn. Ali-corn, Prin-cess Lu-na,” she repeated slowly, drawing out the syllables.
“Alicorn,” the human parroted, “P-p-pwincess W-woona.”
Fluttershy and Twilight both giggled at the human’s attempt. However, the princess in question had a different reaction. Her dark cheeks flushed with embarrassment. It sounded like a saccharine pet name.
“Good effort,” Fluttershy said wistfully.
Luna cleared her throat. “That won’t do at all. I am Princess Luna, Lu-nah,” she said firmly, taking a few steps towards the prone alien. She gestured at her chest with a single shoed hoof and then jabbed it at Isaac.
One of the human’s eyebrows rose, something both of the element bearers noticed. “Woona?” he repeated.
“No no no no, Luna, Lu-nah!” insisted the princess, stamping her hooves like a child denied delicious snacks.
“Woona.”
Twilight noticed a sly smirk creep onto the alien’s face.
“Our name is-!”
“Luna,” the alien grunted.
She eased off slightly. “Yes! Just like-”
“Woona.”
Her face screwed up in frustration. “Our name is Luna!” she shouted.
Everyone present flinched at the sudden use of the Royal Canterlot Voice™. The alien’s bangs were blasted back in a comical display. Both Twilight and Fluttershy were nearly bowled over. Twilight felt a pang of worry; Celestia had said that Isaac had PTSD. He’d even had a brief breakdown when Pinkie had startled him. What if Luna’s abrupt outburst set him off again?
She found herself very surprised to find that Isaac was doing his best to not shake from laughter... and failing. Twilight didn’t expect that.
Luna, however, was less amused. “Art thou mocking us!?”
As soon as the gale-force shout died away, Isaac couldn’t hold it back anymore and started chuckling.
“Um…Princess…I think he’s messing with you…” Fluttershy offered meekly.
Luna paused for a moment to mull her words over. “Oh…hm…Art thou messing with us!?”
Both Fluttershy and Twilight burst into giggles. “It’s…uh…like a joke, Princess,” Twilight clarified.
“This was made in jest!?” a red-faced Luna exclaimed. When Twilight nodded in response, her ears slowly splayed back.
“Luna,” Isaac recited perfectly. The human and the alicorn’s gazes met, a look of utmost amusement was plastered on his face. “You loud.”
The blush on Luna’s face intensified, and she looked away sheepishly. “Not blasted Woona…” she muttered under her breath.
Her train of thought was broken as several medical personnel came rushing into the room, frantically asking about what that shouting was about. Twilight quickly set them straight while Luna stood by, shifting back and forth, trying to avoid their questions.
When all was said and done, the nurses left the room, leaving the human and the three mares alone. Soon, they made to leave as well.
Just as they past the threshold of the shimmering barrier over the door, they heard the alien speak up as they were leaving.
“Good night.”
The three stopped in their tracks and threw glances over their shoulders. Twilight and Fluttershy smiled at his progress, and Luna’s annoyance she felt towards the alien for his joke at her expense faded away as she saw his expression. The smug grin that had adorned his face was all but gone, replaced by one of exhaustion. Although he did a good job hiding it, everypony knew that he was still having nightmares, the nature of which, nopony knew. Even Luna couldn’t peer into his dreamscape; it was too different from that of a pony.
The princess could tell that Isaac didn’t want to return to whatever hellish dreams he possessed, and she was dismayed that there was very little she could do about it. She could at least show sympathy for him. “Sleep well,” said Luna, as she trotted out of the room with both element bearers in tow.
~
The princess tried to hide her blush as she took another large bite of her sandwich, but her efforts were in vain. Celestia’s amused grin grew as Luna squirmed. “Okay, maybe I overreacted a little,” she admitted as Celestia burst into giggles. Luna glared, but it failed to have the intended effect, only making her older sister laugh harder. “You are a terrible, terrible pony,” she groaned as Celestia regained her composure.
“Oh, Lulu, you really don’t mean that,” said Celestia. Her smile returned as she crossed her forelegs. “It just reminds me of way back when.” She took on a thoughtful expression. “What was it that father called you when we were fillies? Hm…”
Luna froze. “Don’t even think about it…” she growled.
A wide mischievous grin slip Celestia’s muzzle. “Oh yes! I remember! My widdle Woona…” she cooed, her eyes half shut as she gauged her sister’s reaction.
Much to her surprise, Luna had a very similar expression plastered on her face. “That’s right Tia. But…” She tapped her chin with a hoof while a look of false contemplation crossed her features. “I’ve heard some very interesting things about your exploits over the last thousand years.” At Celestia’s confused look, she continued, “Correct me if I’m mistaken but…The name for you was ‘Bananas’, if I recall.”
Celestia recoiled as a deep blush appeared on her white cheeks. “How did you-? Who told-? That’s just a rumor! I never-!” she sputtered. Her ears flattened against her head. “Lulu, don’t you dare-!”
Luna ignored her. “Bananas! Bananas! Bananas!”
“Why you little-!” Celestia made to grab her little sister, but the much more energetic sister easily dodged what would have led to a royal noogie. She was laughing all the while as she disappeared into the shadows, taking her delicious sandwich with her.
“We are messing with you!” Luna chirped in a singsong voice before devolving into impish laughter, echoing throughout the private study.
Celestia sat there for a few moments of stunned silence before a sheepish laugh passed her lips. “I love you too, sister,” she muttered just as the clock struck midnight. She sighed in defeat.
Only you would be so energetic at this hour, Luna… she thought wistfully.
~~
I love those dear hearts and gentle people
That live in my home town
Because those dear hearts and gentle people
Will never ever let you down…
Isaac hummed along with the gentle music playing on his Pipboy as he gently scribbled on the parchment. A quick glance at the device’s clock showed that it was just before nine. He didn’t know if it was some stroke of great fortune or what, but it seemed that this world’s time corresponded to his own.
This meant that “Twilight Sparkle” would be arriving soon. The violet unicorn ran like clockwork; she always showed up at exactly nine in the morning and didn’t stop her lesson until it was late. A quick glance at his nightstand gave him a brief overview of their progress. Upon the stack of neatly folded parchment sitting on it, hundreds of different English words were written in neat cursive, and next to them were rough enunciations of the same word in the ponies’ language.
Isaac was genuinely looking forward to the violet unicorn’s visits. He found her behavior to be very endearing. Whenever they made significant progress, Twilight seemed to be only a step away from joyfully hopping around. Also, she spent so much time in his ward that he wondered if it would be simply easier to set up a cot down here for her. She had dropped from exhaustion more than once. Considering that they studied and ate meals together, it would be convenient for both of them.
If anything, she and her pegasus friend helped stave off the crippling boredom he was experiencing cooped up in this ward. He probably would have gone insane by now if it wasn’t for their lessons. Shame he had nothing to read, with the exception of the countless notes and entries recorded on his Pipboy. He glanced at the sunlight gently tricking in the curtained window. Unfortunately, he was unable to get the fact that he healed quickly in sunlight across to the ponies.
How long has it been?
Growing up in Vault 101, he had a reputation as the introverted, bookish type, a trait that had carried well into his adulthood. He always loved learning and reading, and it was a refreshing change of pace to learn something new, especially since, for once, it didn’t involve killing things.
The information exchange thus far has been pretty one sided, although Isaac intended to rectify the situation. He nodded in satisfaction as he finished his work, deposing his quill into a nearby inkwell. The writing on the sheet closely resembled the same material Twilight had presented him on the first day of her lessons, except it was in his own language. One through ten, a corresponding number of dots next to each numeral, a short tutorial on how some operations functioned, and finally some basic arithmetic. Another convenience was that the ponies also used base ten mathematics. Isaac was surprised; he personally expected maybe base four from them.
He suppressed a snort as he pondered the implications. Here he was, the Lone Wanderer, Savior of the Wastes, all that juicy stuff, writing simple math problems for a unicorn using a writing utensil right out of medieval times.
He eyed the offending quill as it rested in its inkwell. That served as another source of confusion. The ponies clearly had a greater degree of technology than that, based on what little he had seen. They had x-rays and the means to save him from his grievous wounds, but they didn’t have ballpoint pens? Also, the few times there was a guard present in the room, they were wielding spears. It was difficult to gauge the ponies’ general level of tech, since there seemed to be so much variation.
It would help if he wasn’t stuck in this bed. Although that omnipresent fog clouding his mind had faded, his stamina was nonexistent, and his limbs still felt like they were made of lead.
Isaac grunted as he shifted about, tugging on the collar of his shirt. Apparently, one of the ponies had made it herself. The white one. Rarity, that was her name. He didn't know how she had gotten his measurements, but the shirt fit him perfectly.
His musings were interrupted when his old facial scars flared up. He hissed in pain as he rubbed at the aching tissue and his eye. Although the ponies tried to hide it, he could tell that his scarring made them feel uneasy; their eyes kept drifting to it from time to time. He would never admit it to anyone, but Isaac was very self-conscious about his old wounds. They tended to draw the eyes of his own kind as well.
The sound of approaching hoofsteps snapped Isaac back to attention. He glanced at his Pipboy, nine A.M.
Right on schedule. Hmm…
With a single push of a button, the music playing on his Pipboy went silent, and he listened intently to the approaching newcomers. Judging from the sound, there was at least a half dozen ponies coming towards him. Obviously, Twilight was one of them, probably the pegasus known as Fluttershy too, but who else? Luna perhaps?
Or Woona… He suppressed a chuckle at that memory. She obviously took offense to that mispronunciation.
The other mares had stopped by occasionally, but much of his time was spent learning how to speak pony from Twilight. She was clearly the designated group nerd, and this was her forté.
Soon enough, the first of the mares trotted through the barrier to the outside world. He took a quick mental headcount as they came.
Five…six…seven…
There weren’t usually this many of them; he smiled at the larger group. With the exception of Luna, every mare that he had encountered in the woods had come to visit him, as well as that small violet reptile. This was the first time the whole gang had attended since he started taking pony lessons from Twilight. Two armored guards had accompanied them as well, their stoic gazes drifted onto Isaac for a brief moment. Neither carried spears.
Also, a heavenly aroma accompanied them this morning. It didn’t take him long to discern the source. It was the pleasant scent of freshly baked goods that originated from the brightly colored box balanced on “Pinkie Pie’s” back, and a steaming, round pastry that “Applejack” brought.
He recognized it; although he had only seen pictures, he would recognize an apple pie anywhere. Supposedly nothing’s more American than apple pie…or at least that’s what the pre-war propaganda preached.
“Rarity” was carrying something in a featureless black box as well. Judging by the lack of a scent, it wasn’t food.
Twilight smiled at him. “Good morning!” she said cheerfully.
“You too…” He did his best to return the greeting to her, giving a small wave. The ponies who weren’t present for his pony-language sessions stared at him, some open-mouthed.
“How are you feeling?” asked Fluttershy.
“…Fine.”
The remaining ponies spread out evenly around the room. Applejack, Pinkie, and Rarity gently placed their burdens on the table at the far end of the room while “Rainbow Dash” stood uncomfortably close, staring at him inquisitively with those rosy eyes. Unlike Twilight, her interest seemed much less academic in nature.
“Hey! Can you understand me? Huh? Can you?” Rainbow asked excitedly as she drew closer and closer.
Isaac shifted around awkwardly as the pegasus’s nose drew within mere inches away from his own. “Um…I not know... much?” he said.
“Simmer down, RD,” Applejack drawled, jerking the overly nosy pegasus away by her tail. “Give the stallion some room, would ya?”
He glanced at the green-eyed pony and gave her a subtle nod of thanks for enhancing his breathing room. She nodded back, a smile on her face.
Shifting his gaze, he eyed the recently delivered goods. He could only guess what Rarity brought, and Pinkie probably brought cupcakes. Their generosity was appreciated. The basket of apples Applejack had brought wasn’t emptied yet, and they were still delicious. After spending the greater part of a decade eating two-hundred-year-old steak-like objects and giant mutant cockroaches, he wasn’t complaining.
He yelped as something heavy fell across the bed. To be more specific, a certain, pink, overly energetic something. Pinkie Pie had hopped over from her place near the table and was once again sprawled out across his lap, belly up. She put on her best sad puppy expression as she looked up at him.
Isaac suppressed a laugh; on every single one of Pinkie Pie’s visits, she had extorted belly rubs from him. For some reason, he found it incredibly funny that a sapient creature was acting like a big, pink, slightly pudgy dog. They must have very sensitive undersides or something similar. Wordlessly, he conceded to her request and gave her some vigorous rubs on the tummy, to which she squealed in delight.
“Pinkie, darling, that is so…undignified!” Rarity exclaimed, daintily putting a hoof to her mouth. The other ponies eyed their friend, shaking their heads or bringing hooves to foreheads. Isaac wondered if they had thick skulls, as it looked like it should hurt. Applejack and Rainbow in particular seemed to be scrutinizing his hand very closely.
A long, satisfied sigh passed through Pinkie’s muzzle as Isaac continued his ministrations. “Don’t…care…sooooo…good…” she groaned, “Okie dokie! Thanks Mr. Ali-…Isaac!” she said happily as she quickly righted herself. Before any of the other ponies could comment on her behavior, she wrapped her hooves around Isaac and pulled him into a tight hug before he could protest. “There’s your medicine, Sheppy! Doctor Pie prescribes a hug a day to keep the frownies away!” she said in a chipper tone as she withdrew from the flabbergasted human, deftly landing on all four hooves with a wide smile on her face.
The Wanderer still had to adjust to Pinkie’s unusual affinity for physical contact. Under most circumstances, if someone attempted to grab him, the proper protocol would be to violently eject the personal-space invader. None of the other ponies grabbed him in such a manner, so he had to assume that it was some strange quirk of hers. On the bright side, at least she hadn’t brought a cannon again.
And…Sheppy?
Still, he forced a smile onto his face as he surveyed the gathered ponies (and lizard).
“What’s the occasion?” he asked in English, his gaze directed at Fluttershy.
The pegasus recoiled slightly as all eyes turned on her. Nervously she stepped forward. “Oh um…Mr. Isaac, um…” she muttered.
I wonder why she’s so timid… thought Isaac.
“Well, you see…um…most of the girls are here to say goodbye.” Her ears flattened against her head, and she hid her face behind her long, pink mane. “Please don’t be mad at us.”
Isaac only nodded once at her statement. He cocked his head at the pegasus’s dejected look, her head hung low. “Hey,” he cooed in pony, or “Equish”, as he recently learned. He put a single finger to Fluttershy’s chin and gently but firmly lifted her head so she was looking him in the eye. “I no mad,” he reassured, patting the mare gently on the cheek. “I understand. You have lives.”
Leaning into the contact briefly, she smiled and looked away. “Thank you.”
The Wanderer cocked an eyebrow in confusion. Why was she thanking him? He wasn’t the one who taking time out of his day. “No, thank you,” he replied, his green eyes scanning across all the gathered mares (and Spike). “Thank all…you.” He wished he had the means to show his appreciation; words would only carry so far.
“Hey! No problem, that’s what I’m here for!” Rainbow said proudly as she puffed her chest out, acting as if she were the only pony in the room.
Applejack knocked her out of the metaphorical spotlight with a light punch on the shoulder, to which the pegasus directed a brief glare at her friend. The earth pony directed her gaze towards the human, a warm smile on her face. “Again, thanks fer helpin’ me and mah kin. Once yer all better, stop by the farm sometime.” She extended a hoof for him to shake. Taking her hoof in his hand, she shook was a surprising amount of vigor, eliciting a totally manly yelp from Isaac.
“Y-you d-don’t o-owe m-me anything,” Isaac forced out as the mare continued to enthusiastically pump his arm up and down. “I did the right thing…”
Applejack’s grin widened as she finally released his arm. The Wanderer groaned as he tried to get sensation back in the numbed limb.
Note to self: Ask Twilight how ponies grip things with hooves when you get the chance.
Applejack muttered something under her breath, a slight blush crept into her cheeks as she saw the aftermath of her overzealous hoofshake. He gave a quick laugh as he rolled his shoulder.
“Sorry…” she muttered.
“Keep sister safe,” Isaac told her. She nodded in response.
Rarity gave him what appeared to be the pony version of the curtsy, and Pinkie eyed him for a moment longer, a thoughtful look on her muzzle. Isaac could only guess what was going through her head at the moment.
With a sudden ‘ooh!’ she seemed to make up her mind. She turned around, apparently rummaging for something. Just as he was about to lean forward to investigate, she turned around, proudly holding a thin, white object in hoof.
Wait, where did she…You know what, never mind. I don’t care anymore…
Before he could object, Pinkie Pie forced the mystery object into his hand with a flourish. She stepped back, still wearing a wide grin on her face.
It was small and rectangular, made of some sort of paper. Written in bright colors on the front was an alien language, Equish, he presumed. He glanced at Pinkie. Whether she knew or cared that he couldn’t read a word of it, he didn’t know. A quick search showed that it was folded. Half of the sheet’s interior had more of that writing, but the other was a hand-drawn (hoof-drawn?) picture, depicting a grassy landscape. There was a town in the distance, as well as a forest. But what got his attention most of all was a drawing of what was unmistakably a drawing of him. He was wearing his power armor as it was when he first met Pinkie.
She was in the picture as well. They appeared to be…prancing together, with expressions of utmost happiness drawn on their faces. Oh, and the sun in the drawing was smiling too. There was also an abundance of cutesy hearts.
“Er…” he glanced at Fluttershy. “What is it?”
“Oh…um…it’s a ‘get well card’.” The pegasus helpfully informed him.
“Do you liiiiiikie it?” asked Pinkie Pie, her large, blue eyes wide and happy.
On one hand, it was the most saccharine thing he had seen in a long time, and that was saying a lot, given that he was surrounded by pastel equines, but on the other, the gesture was sweet.
Isaac nodded once, placing the card on the nightstand, “Yes, Pinkie Pie, I do.”
She cheered. Quirky behavior was definitely commonplace for this pony. His eyes drifted once more onto the gifts the ponies had brought. He figured he had one way to thank them.
He nodded at the table before eying the ponies expectantly. He uttered three words.
“Want to share?”
None of them objected to the prospect of free food.
After helping themselves to a delicious breakfast consisting of apple pie and cupcakes, the mares were ready to leave. Once he was finally well, Isaac would have to get himself back in shape. All this inactivity combined with junk food wasn’t doing him any favors.
A few affectionate hugs were delivered between Twilight and her friends; she was staying, obviously. They chatted amicably as Isaac watched them. A few hoofshakes with the ponies later, including Spike, and they trotting out the door, the guards in tow. Probably escorts. On their way out, Applejack tipped her hat at him, and Rainbow gave an approving nod.
Only Twilight and Fluttershy remained. As per usual, Twilight quickly unloaded some sheets of parchment from her saddlebags, eager for a new day of learning.
He signaled for her to stop by holding up his hand.
Twilight looked at him, her head tilted in confusion. “Yes?” she asked.
Wordlessly, he reached over and grabbed the human math sheet he had written earlier and offered it to her. She deftly snatched it from his hand with a hoof, violet eyes racing across the parchment.
She froze, her curiosity quickly giving way to wonder. Her mouth formed a small ‘o’ as the implications of what she was holding hit her. Slowly, her stare drifted away from the parchment and met his own.
“Is…is this…?” she stammered.
“My…numbers…” Isaac replied.
A small squeak passed through Twilight’s muzzle, and she seemed to choke a little. A wide grin stretched its way across her face, and the young mare was literally beginning to quiver with excitement.
So predictable… Isaac thought wistfully.
Suddenly, the dam that was holding back Twilight’s enthusiasm broke.
It was said that her squee could be heard across dimensions.
~~
The sound of a quill scratching was the only sound permeating throughout Celestia’s bedroom. The sky was golden as day gave way to night.
Celestia furrowed her brow as she poured her attention over a sizable stack of letters cluttering her desk. Setting her quill down, her horn briefly glowed gold as she sent off another response. The nature of the scrolls were varied, messages from foreign dignitaries, well-wishers, petitions…not too different than usual. Well, except for the multiple requests from her science staff to dissect Isaac’s equipment, as well as other artifacts from the wreckage.
There were a few tests here and there, but, for the most part, they had made very little progress. None of it had any magical properties whatsoever, throwing whatever existing theorems they had out the metaphoric window.
The princess felt a mote of respect for this new race. New, advanced technology that was utterly unfathomable to her subjects, and not an ounce of magic was involved. Pony society depended on and was built around magic. She wondered how the alien’s race managed without what most ponies didn’t realize made their lives much, much easier. It must have been very hard.
Privately, she was also concerned.
A firsthand account from her dearest sister informed her that Isaac was carrying powerful weaponry, clearly intended for war. For what reason would they have to develop such armaments? Also, why was he accompanied by a horde of monsters?
Celestia was always the type of pony who preferred walking in the light. Hopefully, she would be getting some answers soon. Luna had recently reported that they were making great efforts in crumbling the language barrier to dust. He was speaking coherent sentences, albeit with some difficulty.
Her lips curled upward at the thought; in just over a month, they had gone from complete incomprehensibility to being able to understand each other. Her student had done an outstanding job.
The alien had even responded by teaching Twilight how to speak “English” as well.
She couldn’t help but worry for her student; once she was dedicated herself to a goal, sometimes she would run herself ragged trying to achieve it. She had also recently taken to having one of the empty rooms down in the catacomb cleared out to use herself so she never had to come back up. She probably hadn’t seen actual sunlight for at least four days in a row now.
But, even after it all, there was one question that needed answering: What happens next?
Her eyes drifted onto a nearby bookshelf where she knew a series of stories regarding a race of enigmatic benefactors rested.
She disliked uncertainty, hated leaving things to chance if it meant possibly putting her little ponies at risk. On one hoof, he could be as selfless and altruistic as the beings depicted in those stories, but on the other… Although Luna spoke favorably of him, they knew next to nothing about what he was truly like. Perhaps he simply helped them to garner favor and his real intentions were dark?
No…that couldn’t be…
He had gotten himself badly wounded for the sake of a stranger. A stallion with an evil heart wouldn’t take a risk like that. She bit her lip and sighed.
There was an old adage she had in mind: hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
A gentle knocking at her door drew her attention. As she turned around, she smiled; Luna stood in her doorway.
“I’m surprised. You actually used the door this time,” said Celestia.
Luna giggled. “Sometimes, I do heed your advice, dearest sister,” she returned cheerfully as she strode across the chamber, her hooffalls muffled by the carpet.
Celestia turned back to her work. “Anything interesting to report?”
“The doctors say he’ll be walking again tomorrow,” she said optimistically. “He must be very strong willed to remain sane after this ordeal. I can scarcely imagine what such a long period of immobility could do to a pony. Thankfully, one unexpected side effect of their magic treatment prevented Isaac from severely atrophying.”
“That’s good news, sister,” replied Celestia.
Luna cocked her head. “You don’t sound too enthusiastic.”
Celestia leaned against her desk. “It’s not that, I just…” She sighed,. “Once he’s walking, what happens next?”
“What are you worried about?” asked Luna as she put a hoof on her sister’s shoulder. “I assure you, everything will be just fine.”
“We can’t force him to stay here… We will have to reveal his existence to the other nations as well,” said Celestia. “I’m concerned that somepony might attempt to take advantage of the situation…and with this strange new technology…” She glanced at Luna. “This could mean change for Equestria, and I’m worried it may not be for the best.” She started pacing. “Do we truly know what lies within Isaac's heart?”
It dawned on Luna what was bothering her sister. “I…don’t know. I’ve tried peering into his dreams, trying to see what has been haunting him so, but I’ve found myself unable to.” She settled down onto her haunches and wistfully tapped the carpet with a single hoof. “His mind involuntarily rejects my incursions. It feels…strange being unable to enter somepony’s dreams.”
Celestia nodded. “Is there no way to make his mental defenses relax?”
Luna’s brow furrowed in thought. “Perhaps…hm…” Something seemed to click in Luna’s head. A smile slowly crept onto her face. “I think I may have a solution, but it would require cooperation from him as well. I could force him to, but mutual trust is important in building lasting friendships,” she said.
“If you can, do it. It would greatly put me at ease if I were to know if the human can be trusted or not,” Celestia replied, nuzzling her sister. “I will see to it that the rest of the races’ leaders are informed of Isaac’s presence. Gently of course.” She couldn’t deny a pang of excitement at this new development. There hasn’t been another species introduced into the public eye in centuries. It was a grand event, and delegates from all across the world would meet and greet the newcomer.
Celestia smiled as she dipped her quill in her inkwell. She had a very important announcement to make to the world.
~~
“Is this information accurate?” asked Scribe Rothchild, his tone incredulous as he looked over the contract.
“Sure is,” replied Isaac.
The two were standing within the laboratory, their exchange watched over by the husk of Liberty Prime that was suspended in the center of the chamber.
Crossing his arms, he continued, “I was hoping you might be able to shed some light on this…’Unity’.”
“I can do more than that…” the scribe muttered. Isaac followed the man as he retrieved a holodisc from one of the many drawers in the room. “This has the information you need,” he said, handing over the fragile hardware.
Wordlessly nodding in thanks, Isaac quickly found a chair as he inserted the disc into his Pipboy.
His spirits quickly soured as he poured over the information.
Unity was a dangerous faction of mutants led by an entity only known as “The Master”, whose master plan involved exposing every human to FEV. Their ambitions were brought to a screeching halt by a man named “Albert Cole”, who destroyed both their bases at places called Mariposa and Cathedral, as well as killing the Master himself. The remnants of his vast army were allegedly scattered after his death.
Isaac was confused. These events transpired over a century ago, so why would they be returning now? Why was Talon Company involved?
A feeling of dread fell over him as he reviewed the information once more.
The wasteland was in for some dark days…
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Woaaaa!!!!!!!!!! Update!
Thankyou for stopping me from going to sleep.
2433795n Same reaction here! Its about time dang it!!
*Jumps out out of an exploding space station in orbit over Communist America and lands on a computer chair in front of an internet connected computer* It's about fucking time.
3) Not sure. It'd be kind of weird and might not fit at all as you've got to split perspectives between 4ish major characters already (Luna, Twilight, Isaac, Apples (of various flavors)).
As soon as I saw this, I exploded with joy.
No. No Chosen One.
Other than that, I want to see that Deathclaw return with sentience after getting blasted by the Elements.
Story-wise, the story is progressing well, but since Isaac was still bedridden, combined with the time between updates, it just feels like not much happened.
Even though quite a lot did happen.
There was just no shooting or explosions involved.
Can TOTALLY tell you stole that math sheet idea from the Arrow 18 stories, but who cares?!
Great chapter as always!
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You updated.......
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2433907 I'm not the only one.
Besides, communication via numbers and math is pretty much...universal. It's just like...the first step, ya know?
UPDATE??
UPDATE!!
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2433899
The "Bedridden" part was probably one of the reasons this was so difficult to write.
I mean...how can you have detailed interactions between hoo-mons and pwn-ies when one party can hardly move?
Will read this in the morning...
But i seriously screamed when I got the notif.
Only took half a year.
Btw I live in Florida, I had lunch outside at a panera bread yesterday.
I'm happy
2433918 Yup. I only mentioned it because I follow those stories just as religiously as I do your own; one tends to notice a similarity when you read the same stories dozens of times.
2433947
Indeed, and understandable.
I hope the next chapter will have him walking about, maybe getting into confrontations with the scientists about his equipment? Also, will his armor (AI included) be repaired?
1) Panic
2) More gun customization, more silenced weapons, more armor customization, more weapon types, larger environment, more sidequests, more storyline. A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING.
3) It would be an interesting development, the FO2 protag was slightly different from 3, but I could see it causing peace problems.
2433958
...maybe. I know it will at least have a 3-way conversation between him and the princesses.
Though the AI will probably stay dead. It sort of got crushed by a deathclaw and broken beyond repair, and besides, even if he fixed it it probably wouldn't remember anything.
1) Bow chicka wow wow
2) big ass map!
3) I dunno...
Also, to answer your questions:
1. Probably go with the flow
2. They're making a FO4?
3. Probably would be a bit irked, if you make the protag male, ambivalent if female. If you chose not to, I'd be fine with that as well.
The part with Twi's squee made me grin.
Nomad... Wanderer... Yessssssss
I'd... uh... I think I'd cuddle, but just cuddle.
Dual wielding small arms.
Eeehhh, whatever. Go for it if you want.
Your... alive?
2433990
2) I'm mostly just going off rumors, but supposedly Bethesda's been working on some project since 2010, and now that Skyrim has been out for awhile...I also heard that Three Dog is coming back.
1) Squee
2) Chinese Stealth suits and The Perforator.
3) indifferent.
Also, I would criticize you for the delay, but... Y'know... Eight months and counting...
2434011
Six, actually. Last update was in October...unless you count the rewrites, which was December.
I am so loving this. I MUST HAVE MORE
. Is Isaac going to be with Twilight or Luna or some other pony? and to anwer your questions.
Q1: I have to say this line, "Dear dairy, JACKPOT!"
Q2: More quests and/or more ways to mod weapons.
Q3: No
2433795
(2nd try) Sleep? Not likely!
Edit; (Aw buck it! heres the link instead...)
2433981 Besides, Pinkie would be jealous if some weird shackle-thing said that it was her Sheppy's "best friend!"
2433981
Aww, thats a shame, considering it was only in for a few chapters, and it did say it was shutting down to save itself. Maybe the memory core survived?
At the very least, the next one won't take 6 months, right? And if it does, you would posts blogs so we know you live, RIGHT?
If you have trouble writing such a mass of words as your chapters, I might have some helpful advice.
Don't write it as an 8-10k chapter.
If you can, simply write 8-10 1k chapters, and then put them together.
Don't even write them like you know you will be putting them together.
Write chapter 10.1 as a real chapter, with a good beginning and a standard cliffhanger ending.
Then rinse and repeat for chapters 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, and so on and so forth. Heck, if you make one chapter pure discussion or something, thats fine.
Then presto, you got what you need after a little bit of editing.
Also,if you think you could do it, write the chapters as it you were updating on a daily schedule, although that may detract from some of the detail of the story. Then you would feasibly have the next chapter ready within a couple of weeks, depending on word count and pre-readers.
UPDATE!
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EDIT: Right, well, now that that is out of the way and I have had the chance to read this, I must say: Well done!
As for your questions....
1) Panic as there is suddenly a pony on me when there was not one when I went to sleep, and then once I calmed down, freak out and as if she is okay and make sure I didn't hurt her in my panic induced flailing. And then sit there awkwardly as I try to figure out what is going on while I offer drinks and snacks (Let it never be said that I am a poor host!).
2) Fallout 4? Are they making it? If so, greater characterization!
3) Now, this is a tricky one. I would say go for it, but only indirectly. Celestia's book said that supposedly mythical creatures (that looked exactly like humans) had arrived in the past and had been the greatest of paragons and gave knowledge to the ponies. If you made THIS the Chosen One (Male or Female, though I must admit my Chosen One was male while my Lone Wanderer and Courier were [the same] ladies - also, in Tactics he (the Chosen One) appears and he is...well, a he. And a very old, certifiable BAD-@#$) then I would be all for it and I would once again say "well done". However, introducing the Chosen One as a main character? Eeehhh. In that I would advise caution and it would have to be done with the utmost care. In the end, however, it is YOUR story. We're just along for the ride.
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Why did my post get a thumbs down? I was only offering advice.....
FUCK YES UPDATE
1. Cuddles!
2. Hmm... at least one unambiguously happy ending. Even if the conditions for getting it are totally absurd and require insane effort... wouldn't it be nice if you could have saved your dad if you had tried hard enough?
3. Not very enthused. I'm quite happy with the status quo as is, I don't think the story would benefit at all from a second human protagonist.
1. Ditzy, and I would hug her. Can you imagine what she'd look like with a coy look on her face?
2. Parental interaction. I'm hoping to see an episode of where all the parents of the Mane Six show up and talk about their kids.
3. Don't know who/what that is, so can't really answer the question.
answer to question one: Check to see if my pants were still there, if not,then I know what's going to happen. If they were still there, I would ask what they wanted to do
Question 2: I suppose you mean the fallout after New Vegas, My answer is vehicles,more orbital death cannons, more involved weapon, and armor customization, and a nuclear winter.
Question 3: I would wonder where you were going with it, but not question it .
Also, I live in wisconsin, it's f*kin' cold all year 'round here. And I love it.
2434074
I'm from Minnesota, actually.
When I saw you updated after six months, I almost shit out my dick, I was so happy.
Poor little Applebloom.
YESYESYESYESYESYES!!
2433899
full sentience, a posh accent, and a desire to make up for his/her 'detestable behavior befitting only the lowliest of animals'
It... it's alive?
Excellent. I'm too tired to give a detailed review, so that one word will have to do.
As for your three questions:
1. Politely and calmly ask them to get off of me, then once they either comply or I remove them myself I wait a bit for my mind to reboot. Then I ask them how and why they are there, and why they decided to pin me in the first place. Then... I find some way to establish diplomatic relations with their nation/world.
2. Huh... tough question. I'll have to think about this one more later, but for now I'll say... an ending that doesn't suck.
3. I'd be very, very wary... But you HAVE managed to combine the protagonists of FO3 and FO:NV into a single character in a believable and interesting way, so I suppose I'd give you the benefit for the doubt. Also, I must confess that I'd be really interested in seeing how you'd pull it off. I'd imagine he'd be pretty old by now, though... I suppose he could be a ghoul or be sufficiently transhuman or something like that. Or just an elderly badass.
2434167
Thundersnow!
1. Hug him? It's Spike btw
2. A stable engine that accepts modding easier. And perhaps some actually freaken progress out in The Wasteland. Maybe a more colorful city as society rebuilds itself? I dunno.
3. Epic if it involves Time Travel or dimensional/ time travel. It would be EPIC!
MOAR!
Answer time!
1) Squeal like a bitch.
2) Just... just more.
3) I think I'd mostly just be confused?
Now that I've read this, I'm sad. And answer to your questions: Get violently crushed under the weight of everypony except Twilicorn, real-time NPC conversations with emotion and facial expressions and more guns, explosives, melee weapons, unarmed fighting styles, more armors, bigger map, more quests, better engine, more immersive storyline, and MORE THREE DOG!!!!, and for the Chosen One, if you do add them, don't make them my one. I'm pretty sure the only reason the master wasn't a smear in reality was because she ran out of ammo and punched him to death, without any unarmed improving armor and weapons. Took three hits.
EDIT: Fuck you too keyboard.
2434249
Your first answer disturbes be....
Remember the question.
1-) Be extremely confused, her eyes scare me.
2-) Customization, customization everywhere
3-) No...idea.
IT'S ALIVE!!!
1) Say "it's too early for this shit", roll over, and go back to sleep.
2) I'd like to see the factions mechanic from New Vegas make a return. Maybe some more stuff from the Enclave.
3) Do whatever's best for the story. Having your fans decide these things might seem fine, but it can bite you in the ass hard if you end up writing yourself into a corner.
2434247
Canonically, word of god pegged the Chosen One to be male and 20 years old at the start of FO2. So...lesse...FO2 starts in 2241...this story takes place in 2285... 2285-2241=44. 20 + 44 = 64.
If he does show up I plan to have him be much, much, much hammier than Isaac.
Today was a pretty shit day until I saw that you had finally updated your story and now it gets to end on a high note. And if its too cold where you live come down to Houston, Texas, its not so cold down here.