Aftermath
A/N: I have brought great shame upon myself for making everypony wait so long! :(
~
All the ponies watched with a heavy heart as the chariot disappeared over the treetops. Even as the unnatural shroud of silence was receding from the forest, a heavy aura of melancholy rolled in to take its place. Very few ponies were used to situations like this one.
Luna did what she could, summoning a covered medi-chariot to attempt to haul the stranger off to where he could hopefully get help. She had given the medic ponies that had come and gone very specific orders, and made them swear to keep this secret; they didn’t need the rumors spreading. He was in very bad shape that much was certain. Before the alien’s departure, Luna managed to cast a spell to keep his already precarious condition from deteriorating further, and that was extremely taxing for even one such as her. Her head was bowed and her mane lost some of its luster.
The sky above was overcast; unscheduled of course, as was the nature of the Everfree, attributing to the solemn mood further as the ponies contemplated what had recently transpired. They had met an alien. An actual extraequestrial and he was badly wounded, maybe even killed helping them. Luna sighed and sat down on her haunches.
I’d wager he didn’t even know what he was protecting… she thought grimly as she surveyed the remaining element bearers before her. As she sat there and saw all the dirt caking their coats, and the obvious fatigue heavy in their eyes, she felt a tinge of guilt and shuddered as she settled on the numerous cuts and bruises dotting Applejack’s hide, as well as the terrified filly clinging to her back. She, the Princess, had put several of her subjects in danger.
She sighed sadly and directed her gaze skyward towards the layer of cloud that was blocking out the sky.
I suppose I should lower the moon soon…
Fluttershy was openly crying, and being supported by Rarity and Pinkie, the latter’s mane went straight once more. Fluttershy’s body was quivering and her large teal eyes were hidden behind her mane, she was unable to mask to pitiful whimpers.
“Oh that p-poor thing…I wish I c-could have d-done more…” she choked as several large tears splattered on the ground, near where the creature once lay.
Rarity patted her friend’s shoulder and reassuringly nuzzled her, sighing sadly, “Don’t fret darling, you did what you could…” she said.
“I should h-have been able to h-help…” mumbled Fluttershy.
“But you did help,” Rarity inferred.
“Not enough…” said Fluttershy.
Pinkie wished that she could do something to bring a smile to her friends face, but for once, she was lacking ideas. A heavier knot of sadness formed in her gut at the fact. The mood seemed to be like that of a funeral, and funerals really weren’t her forte. Although she already found herself brainstorming ideas for a ‘Glad we survived the creepy monsters party’, she would have liked to throw a party for her newest, bestest friend.
She tried humming a reassuring tune, but failed, a persistent lump in her throat choked it out.
Applejack gentled nuzzled the quivering form of her foal-sister. Her wounds still stung, but it was nothing compared to how she was feeling inside. That alien-thing had held off that monster for them, he had stayed behind so she and her sister could get away, along with Pinkie. She wasn’t one to ignore a debt like that, but it made her feel terrible that somepony had gotten hurt for her sake.
“S-sis…why wouldn’t he m-move…what was wrong with h-him?” a quiet voice asked from her back.
Applejack gritted her teeth; and there was that. Although the body wasn’t there anymore, the bloodstain and the images remained. Apple Bloom had seen the whole thing, the monsters, the body, the blood, those deep wounds. No child should have to witness something like that.
“He…got hurt bad, sugarcube,” she stated.
Apple Bloom looked at her with her large golden eyes, tears welling in them, “Is he gonna be okay?”
Applejack paused and bit her lip. What am I gonna tell her? Applejack wasn’t a pony for dishonesty. Applejack took a deep breath and swallowed, squeezing her eyes. “Ah don’t know, sugarcube,” she said truthfully.
Apple Bloom sobbed and a tear escaped her eye, “H-he was like y-you…you w-wouldn’t move…”
Twilight glumly kicked at a loose stone on the ground, a dejected sigh passing though her muzzle. She saw how much blood that creature was losing, how deep those wounds on his chest were. She had so many questions, so much she wanted to ask and learn; she didn’t even get the opportunity to make friends with the alien, learned how to speak to him…she could have only imagined the things he had to say; but now, she might not get that chance.
A pang of sadness settled in her gut and her ears drooped. She yawned and tiredly rubbed her eyes. She was about to speak before a loud splash broke her train of thought.
It was Rainbow.
“Rainbow?” asked Twilight. She took a step forward but stopped when she felt something under her hoof. She glanced downward to find that she had stepped on an odd grey L-shaped object, drawing her attention away from her rainbow-maned friend. She cocked and eyebrow, stepping off of the thing and staring closely at it. Using her magic, she lifted it into the air and held it before her, turning it about and examining every inch of the strange object.
“Hm…what is…?”
Her eyes widened in recognition as she realized what it was. It was the alien’s weapon, his ‘zapper’ as Rainbow had so astutely put it. She was vaguely aware of somepony approaching her as she continued to scrutinize the object. The hoofbeats stopped.
“Twilight Sparkle,” said somepony; Twilight turned to look up into the face of the Night Princess, who looked down on her with half lidded eyes, “I would ask that I am allowed to have that,” said Luna.
Twilight wasn’t one to argue, so she handed over the strange weapon, forcing a smile. As she weakened her own magic on the device, her purple aura was quickly replaced by Luna’s silvery-blue. Twilight’s eyes followed the object as it disappeared into Luna’s saddlebag. Just one of many questions left unanswered, she wished she could ask the alien what it was.
Twilight watched as the Princess briefly swept her eyes over their clearing, before settling on another glittering object lying in the grass. When the Princess lifted it with her magic, it became obvious what it was; it was a large knife, splattered with blood. Twilight could practically smell it from where she was standing. Also one of the alien’s weapons, she supposed, she remembered seeing him carrying it around earlier.
Speaking of weapons, Twilight couldn’t help but mull over how she had used her magic to end those monsters earlier. Not ward off or scare away, kill, and she did it without batting an eye. Part of her was terrified at how she was able to use her gift to end life like that; a shiver involuntarily went down her spine at the thought of how easily her talent could be perverted into something sinister. Her head drooped.
“G-Get it off me…! Get it off!!” cried somepony from nearby followed by the sound of several splashes.
Everypony turned to find Rainbow standing by the stream, vigorously scrubbing at her hooves in a frantic attempt to wash away all of the blood. Her eyes were wide, her irises shrunken. She bit her lip as the red stains persistently clung to her hooves, sending water splashing everywhere.
“Rainbow, what are you doing…? Are you okay…?” Twilight asked as she slowly approached the blue pegasus.
There was no response. She continued to flail about in the water as her wings fluttered in a flurry of helplessness, neither achieving flight nor stability.
“It’s h-horrid!” Rainbow wailed as her breath began to get heavy. Her disturbance caused silence amongst everypony present watching her.
“Rainbow!” shouted Twilight, causing Rainbow to pause in her act.
“Oh… hey Twi..!” Rainbow swallowed, turning around. “What’s up?” she asked, masking her otherwise obvious panic.
“Are you okay? Is something the matter?” Twilight calmly asked, Applejack close behind, as she stood by the bank of the river.
Wordlessly, Rainbow held a hoof aloft whilst looking away, displaying the blood-coated foreleg.
“Are you bleeding?!” Twilight quickly asked.
At the final word, Rainbow’s body shuddered before seizing up for a moment. She then slowly shook her head.
“Ahhh, relax, sugarcube. It’s just a little blood you got on ya” said Applejack, who joined the two.
“T-That’s not it, AJ!” hissed Rainbow turning directly to them, voice raspy, her eyes going wide, “It’s just… it’s..!”
Rainbow stopped yet again before looked back at the others, who were looking at her silently. Blinking and regaining focus, she forced a smile at them
“Aha… it’s nothing you guys! C’mon... I just err… think the red doesn’t go well with my cool blue…! Yeah!”
…
“Well, why are we still standing around here for?” said Rainbow, trying to pretend she never had her little panic attack, “Hm…maybe a nap first, or maybe a snack…” almost as if on cue, Rainbow’s stomach growled loudly, “Yep, definitely a snack. I am starving…” she glanced at herself briefly, “Or maybe a bath first, I’m a little filthy,” she nervously chuckled averting her gaze from her bloodstained hooves.
Pinkie Pie giggled, “Careful Rainbow! You’re starting to sound like Rarity you silly filly!”
Rarity scoffed, “One does not have to be a proper lady to maintain proper hygiene!” she glanced at her formerly pristine white coat, now splattered with mud, “Besides, we do need a spot of cleaning! We are all filthy! I look dreadful! Ugh, my mane!” she brushed an errant hair of her once impeccable mane out of her eyes, “It takes so much effort to prepare such a coiffure!”
Twilight couldn’t help but smile. At least this whole ordeal hadn’t changed Rarity much. Twilight gritted her teeth as her head started pounding with each of her heartbeats. She couldn’t really say the same about herself though she thought as she rubbed her temples with her hooves. The scene where she had unleashed all that destruction kept replaying in her mind’s eye.
“Reckon we should start headin’ back, Princess?” said Applejack, breaking Twilight from her musing.
Luna turned her attention towards the farmpony, before sweeping her gaze across the remainder of the group. Twilight felt a slight shiver go up her spine as Luna’s stare briefly met her own. Whether it was intentional or not, the younger alicorn had a much colder demeanor then that of her sister.
Luna put a single hoof to her chin, and sighed inwardly. She realized that she hadn’t even set hoof on the crash site, which was her original intention. A brief tizzy involving a monster attack sidetracked those plans, but after what happened tonight, Luna realized that those plans could wait until later. Luna gave a single terse nod, “Yes, we shall return to the herbalist’s hut to retrieve the other children before moving back to civilization. I will likely order my guards to scour the area as well, to see if any of those beasts remain…” she glanced at the clouds overhead, “If we hurry, we could make it before I must lower the moon.”
The ponies all murmured in agreement; the all turned towards the treeline and started slowly cantering away. “Wait!” Luna said abruptly, causing everypony to stop and throw her a quizzical stare, “Before we return, I feel the need to say something to you all.”
Twilight looked up at her expectantly, “Yes, Princess?” already she was expecting the worst, quickly brainstorming whatever improbable action Luna was about to do.
Luna cleared her throat, “In having you join me in this endeavor, I have put each and every one of you at risk,” she said grimly, her ears drooped, “I did not expect to encounter such vile creatures tonight, and I am aware that thou could have been seriously injured,” she trailed off, “So, to that end, I would like to give thou a heartfelt apology for potentially putting you all at risk,” she bowed her head and sighed with resignation, “I hope you can forgive us… forgive me.”
The resultant air of silence weighed heavily on her shoulders; part of her expected them to jeer.
Luna’s ears perked up when Applejack was the first to speak, “Ah, don’t worry your head none, Princess. It’s just a few cuts and bruises… ah’ll live…”
“Besides,” added Rainbow, “Somepony had to take care of those monsters!” she punched at the air a few times to emphasize our point. “It might as well have been me!” she attracted a few perturbed stares, “I mean…uh…us!”
Rarity cleared her throat, “I am more than willing to get a little…” she glanced at her filthy coat, “Well, in this case, a little more than dirty if it ensures the safety of those I care for,” she thought of Sweetie, and what those monsters could have done had she and her friends not stopped them.
“You didn’t take me out here…” squeaked Apple Bloom, who was silently lamenting her and her friends’ mindless choice to wander into the woods tonight, “That wasn’t yer fault, I came here on mah own.”
“Had we not intervened, it was only a matter of time before somepony was seriously hurt by those creatures,” added Twilight, wrinkling her nose. She gritted her teeth at the realization that somepony had been seriously hurt, except that it, or he, wasn’t a pony. “We all saw them, how they seemed to have no light behind their eyes; it was imperative that this task was carried out,” she bowed her head and sighed, “It was just a shame that some of us are walking away with…” she swallowed and glanced at the quivering form of Apple Bloom, then to the bloodstained grass, “…scars.” And the worst ones don’t show… she thought grimly, tapping the dirt with her hoof. Poor little filly…
“I still wish we could have done more for that poor creature…” reiterated Fluttershy, her head hung low, her ears drooping.
“Ooh! I know!” said Pinkie Pie, whose bubbly demeanor was slowly returning, as well as her poofy hair, “How about we wait til’ he gets better, then throw him a super-special ‘Welcome-to-Equestria-Glad-You’re-Not-Dead-Thank-You!’ party!” she bounced excitedly on her hooves, “It will be super-duper spectacular!”
“I’m sure it will be, Pinkie,” said Twilight, forcing a smile. She wasn’t exactly optimistic about the alien’s chances, yet she didn’t want to put a damper on Pinkie’s mood. Twilight turned her head and faced the Princess, who continued to watch them with rapt attention. “Again, Princess, we are not angry at you. In hindsight it was a good thing we came along.”
Luna observed as everypony present looked up at her. A feeling a relief was welling up in her chest at how their gazes held no resentment for her. Each of them was wearing a smile, save for the filly, whose head was buried into her sister’s neck.
Slowly, a smile came onto Luna’s face. “Well…in that case…thank you, truly. Thank you for assisting me in this task,” she trotted forward, the ponies parted before her as she headed towards the treeline, she through a glance over her shoulder, “It has been a long night, I trust that there are no objections to the notion that we return home now?”
There was a chorus of agreements.
Luna nodded, and pointed towards the trees with a single hoof, “Well, then, let us be off!”
And so they went.
~~~~
The library was still a mess. Many of the books that had once been neatly organized along the shelves lining the walls were still in a disorganized heap on the floor, and amidst it all nervously paced a small purple baby dragon.
It was extremely unusual for him to be up so early; a quick glance at the clock showed that it was barely past six o’clock, but a nightmare, coupled with a second loud blast that ripped through the morning air, waking the whole town again put an end to his precious naptime. The chatter outside had died down, but he couldn’t fall back to sleep.
He had woken up to find that Twilight had left him a note, detailing where she had gone. The details were sketchy, at best, but it was still worrying.
He could see it in his mind’s eye: the horrific visions of Twilight, Rarity, and the remainder of his friends being cornered by dark, twisted monsters with big claws and gnashing teeth, while Rarity cried out for her beloved savior Spikey Wikey to come rescue her.
Pale light streamed through one of the windows, and he stood in the beam as if it were a spotlight. He wringed his claws together while worry wracked his form. He stared at the staircase, hoping that Twilight would walk up it. To try to ease his mind, he got an earlier start on putting away and reorganizing the books.
Like Twilight, but to a lesser degree, he had a habit of expecting the worst to an irrational extent; he figured he must have picked that trait up from her, given that she raised him, and right now he had a sinking feeling that something terrible had happened to Twilight and her friends.
Didn't she say that Luna with them?
Before he could dwell on it further, he could hear the front door open and close downstairs. Spike whole body went rigid; the library wasn’t open this early so he was either dealing with an intruder or…
Twilight was home, finally.
He clenched his claws as he heard the sound of hoofbeats cross the public area of the library below him, shortly followed by somepony climbing the stairs. It was made very clear to everypony that the upper level was private, the only ponies who regularly came up here were Twilight, himself, and her friends. Spike gritted his teeth and his heart raced a strong feeling of anticipation came over him as the unseen newcomer slowly climbed the stairs.
Before long, a familiar purple unicorn came into view at the top of the stairs. Before he even realized what he was doing, Spike closed this distance as fast as his stubby legs could carry him and wrapped his arms around the neck of a startled unicorn. A feeling of relief washed over him as a contented sigh passed through his maw.
“Spike!”
“Twilight!”
An awkward moment passed between the two. Twilight cleared her throat, “Um…what brought this on?” she glanced at the clock, “Come to think of it, you’re never up this early, what’s the matter?”
“I had a bad dream,” said Spike, his words muffled into Twilight’s neck, “I couldn’t get back to sleep. What took you so long, why did it take all night?” he started.
“Long story,” murmured Twilight. She reached her hoof around and massaged her forehead, gritting her teeth at the lingering headache. She grunted in pain.
Spike noticed and took his arms off of the unicorn and took a few steps back. “Geez, Twilight, you’re a mess!” he exclaimed, looking the pony over. Her coat was splattered with dried mud and some other suspicious substance he couldn’t quite put his claw on, her bedraggled mane had stray hairs pointing in every direction, messier then when she had lost it when she was late for a friendship report, and dark bags were forming under her heavily fatigued eyes. “What happened?” he demanded, putting his claws on his hips.
“Ugh, I’ll tell you all about it later,” she groaned as she rubbed her forehead some more.
Spike raised an eyebrow, wringing his claws together. “Um, Twilight, are you feeling okay?”
Twilight shot him a glance, “I’m fine, just a slight headache is all…it’s been a long night?”
“A headache?” asked Spike, “Want me to get you something for that?”
Twilight smiled at him and nodded once. “I would appreciate it,” she said gently as she trotted over to the table situated in the middle of the room.
Spike shot her a quick salute and he sauntered off to the medicine cabinet.
Twilight watched him go, a long drawn out sigh passed through her muzzled to moment he was out of view. So much was on her troubled mind, and her pounding head only made it harder to make sense of the whole thing. Now that nopony was watching, she nearly collapsed as the weight of what had just happened that night washed over her.
After departing from that place by the river, the ponies had returned to the herbalist’s hut, and thankfully, nothing had impeded them. Everything had gone off without a hitch, much to her relief. The zebra was very relieved to see that everypony was intact, and the remaining Cutie Mark Crusaders were overjoyed to see that their wayward yellow companion was safe. She didn’t return their enthusiasm.
While they were there, Zecora had offered to treat both Applejack’s, and Apple Bloom’s injuries, to which they had both accepted. Twilight realized that she could have gotten something for her headache while she was there, but Twilight chose not to impede on the zebra’s hospitality further. Luna had ordered her guards to scour the area, to see if any of those monsters had somehow escaped the power of the elements. Luna had escorted Twilight and her friends to the edge of the forest, retrieving the elements from them before parting ways.
That brought her to where she was now. From his perch high above her, her pet owl looked down at her with his large, round eyes. The only sound permeating the otherwise quiet interior of the library was the subtle tick-tock of the clock mounted on the wall.
She was seriously perturbed by how many questions were left answered from this whole ordeal. Where had the stranger come from? Where had those monsters come from? Had they come from the same place? She couldn’t deny that those creatures were alien life, even though she and the rest of her friends never actually made it to the crash site, all evidence pointed to them being alien. Yet what disturbed her most was just how similar both the stranger and the monsters looked. It was as if…the monsters used to be the same or somehow related to the species as the former.
She and her friends had faced down many bizarre and dangerous creatures before, yet in the end, nopony was seriously hurt. It had never ended with somepony lying in a puddle of their own blood with holes torn into them, as well as the fact that she downright killed some of the monsters.
It also crept up on her just how easily that could have been her lying there, or Applejack, or Fluttershy… or anypony. Her own life was put in jeopardy, as was that of her friends. She had once charged a hydra, as well as a corrupted princess-turned-monster and still she didn’t feel the same fear she had felt tonight. From what she had gathered the creature had protected Apple Bloom, outright saved Applejack, and thrown himself in harm’s way for their sake, and Twilight was very well aware that they were just as unfamiliar to him as he was to them.
He put himself in danger for the sake of a complete stranger… thought Twilight who bit her lip. That’s…noble…
She cradled her head in her hooves once more and sighed deeply. She lifted her head and surveyed the chaos the living room was in, with the once organized shelves being in total shambles. It seemed like it was much longer than six hours ago that Luna had entered the library and asked for her assistance in some unknown task.
Twilight hardly noticed when somepony placed a glass of water and a couple pills on the table beneath her muzzle.
“Twilight?”
No response. She continued staring into space, a distant look plastered on her features.
“Twilight!” Spike snapped his claws in her face a few times, shaking her from her musings. Her eyes shot towards the dragon, who staggered back slightly from the sudden movement. “You were zoning out there for a moment.”
Twilight glanced down at the offered painkillers and glass of water, “Thanks Spike,” she said as she used her magic to telekinetically grab the items, popping the former in her mouth and washing them down with the water.
“Have there been any messages from the Princess?” Twilight said abruptly.
Spike cocked his head at the sudden question, “Um, no?” he said hesitantly, he glanced at the clock, “It’s a little early, don’t you think? She probably just woke up and raised the sun.”
“Oh right…” mumbled Twilight as she fell onto her haunches and rubbed her eyes some more, silently demanding that the painkillers would dull her headache quicker. It would be foolish of her to expect that she would hear anything from her mentor so soon, assuming Celestia planned on updating her on the situation anyway.
“Are you gonna be okay?” asked a concerned Spike, who put a clawed hand on Twilight’s shoulder.
“Sorry it’s just…” Twilight swallowed, “It’s been a rough night…” she looked around the room, “Plus, I think I still have an essay to complete…and I need to reshelf, all of these books…” her statement was interrupted by a deep yawn, “…hm…I left a to-do checklist around here somewhere…I think there is a big mess in the basement that needs cleaning up-”
“It will still be there tomorrow,” Spike interjected, gently patting the unicorn’s shoulder, “You look tired, you should go lie down for awhile Twi.”
Twilight took the suggestion to ignore the sacred checklist as if somepony had just told her to go jump in a lake filled with starved piranhas, “But what if there are visitors?” Twilight pleaded, her eyes widening and imagining how bad it would look if somepony saw the sorry state the library was in, which they would then file a complaint to the mayor about how she was taking poor care of the place in which she would inevitably be evicted! What if-
Spike sensed the incoming panic attack and raised his claws in a placating gesture, “I can take care of it Twilight,” he glanced at the clock, “Besides, the library doesn’t actually open for another few hours, a couple hours of rest couldn’t hurt-“
“Yes, I suppose you are right…” Twilight mumbled with a resigned sigh, bowing her head and leaning heavily on the table.
Spike’s eyes widened in surprise; Twilight never gave into somepony else’s suggestions so easily. “Twilight, what’s bothering you?” he climbed up onto the pony’s neck and gently tapped the back of her head. “Did something bad happen out in the Everfree?”
Twilight was silent for a moment before continuing. She quickly debated on how much she should reveal to her #1 assistant. Although Luna hadn’t specifically forbade her or her friends from disclosing details about the events that happened in the woods, Twilight had an inkling she shouldn't go spreading it. She thought about it for a moment; Spike was good at keeping secrets, unless he was talking to Rarity as a means to ‘impress’ her with the stuff he knew, and Rarity was already aware of what happened.
“Somepony…got seriously injured” she started, turning her head towards the curious dragon, “Maybe they even…died. I don’t what has become of…”
“Woah woah, somepony was hurt?” said Spike, his irises shrinking. The details of his nightmare came flooding back, with images of his friends cornered by horrific monsters. His mouth went dry, he expected the worst, “Did Rarity get hurt?” his whole body went rigid as he pondered this, “Oh no! Rarity!” he started running for the stairs, his tail swaying slightly behind him.
“Rarity is fine Spike!” Twilight called out from behind her, “Somepony else got hurt.”
He abruptly stopped, “Oh, good,” he turned to find Twilight glaring at him. He scratched his head sheepishly, “Um…I mean…oh how terrible,” he walked back to Twilight’s side, wringing his claws. “Well…who? Rainbow? Fluttershy?”
Twilight recalled Rainbow's brief episode before pushing that thought into the back of her mind, “Somepony new,” she said vaguely.
Spike was even more curious. “Twilight…”
Twilight looked to and fro, making sure that there were no eavesdroppers present, as pointless as the gesture was. “Can you keep a secret Spike?”
Spike crossed his arms, “Of course I can, I’m better at keeping secrets that you are, remember?” he put a lot of emphasis into the last word.
Twilight rolled her eyes, “Oh come on Spike everypony knows that you have a crush on…” she was cut off as Spike covered her mouth with a single claw.
“Shh shh shh! Not so loud!” he hissed. He withdrew his claw and crossed his arms, “See what I mean?”
She snorted in response, “This is serious Spike! Promise me you won’t tell anypony!”
“I promise.” He replied.
Twilight’s head drew closer to Spike’s, “Pinkie promise?”
Spike rolled his eyes, “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” he made the appropriate gestures, “Now, what is oh so important?”
She beckoned Spike to come closer with a wave of her hoof. Spike leaned in close, his face scrunched up as he directed his scaly ear towards Twilight’s muzzle.
“There was something…in that thing that fell from the sky earlier…” she trailed off, and tapped her chin with her hoof, “At least I think it was in that thing, I fail to see where else he would have come from…”
Spike’s jaw went agape as he processed what Twilight had just told him, “A-are you saying that there were ali-“
“Not so loud Spike!” she snapped, “This is a serious issue! If this is made public, I’m afraid of how everypony would react!” she bowed her head.
Spike tapped his claws together, “Sooo…” his voice dropped to a whisper, “Aliens, huh?” he understood now why Twilight wanted him to keep it quiet. His body started quivering with excitement, “What were they like, how did they look? Did they have laser beams?” his voice started increasing in tempo.
Twilight silenced him with a stern look. “I’m not exactly sure how to describe it, so many details are unclear,” said Twilight as she nervously tapped the wooden floor of the library with her hoof, “He was…interesting. He was tall, even taller than the princesses but he didn’t look like a monster, he was…friendly,” a hint of a smile came to her lips, “I didn’t get enough time to get a thorough examination but at a glance I could clearly see the technology he was using I had never seen the likes of before.”
“Well, what happened?”
Twilight rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes, “Well, we talked a little,” her voice dropped, “It was a shame we couldn’t understand a word from each other…”
Spike shrugged, “So you couldn’t understand each other… that’s not so bad, is it?”
Twilight raised a hoof to cut him off, “I’m not done yet; there were also…monsters…monsters of which we had never seen before.”
Spike was nervously bouncing up and down on his heels, “W-what kind of monsters?”
Her expression darkened, “Were they…alien as well? I think so. There was no light behind their eyes, none at all.” she sighed, “In the end…we used the elements to…destroy them,” her lip started quivering and her ears drooped, “Not to banish them, or to turn them to stone, but to destroy them! There was nothing left!” her voice started rising in volume, “And even before that, I used my magic to kill a few of them Spike! I…I don’t know what I did, it j-just happened!”
Spike stared at her with his mouth agape, visibly disturbed by the news, his tail dragged limply on the floor. It was hard on him to see his best friend upset like this. He had seen Twilight get mad before, lashing out with magic out of anger, yet she had never used her magic to intentionally hurt anypony, “And the other alien, the friendly one?” he said hesitantly.
Twilight swallowed loudly and drew in a few raspy breaths, “He was injured…badly,” she said shakily, “I…I don’t know exactly what he had encountered, Pinkie, Applejack and…Apple Bloom do,” she cupped her hooves to her face, “Oh Celestia…there was so much blood…” her voice dropped to a whisper.
“Twilight?” whispered Spike, a pang of worry hitting his heart at the state of his surrogate sister, “Are you okay?”
“And there was nothing I could do…” she sobbed, “I’ve…never felt so helpless, Spike. I’m supposed to be Celestia’s protégé, yet all I could do was sit there and watch…” she sniffled and wiped away the tears that were gathering in her eyes, “He threw himself in harm’s way for us, and he might very well be dead right now Spike. Poor…creature…we should have been able to do more for him,” a nervous laugh passed through her muzzle, “Oh goodness, I’m starting to sound like Fluttershy-“
She was abruptly cut off with a surprised squeak as the small purple dragon threw his arms around her neck and hugged her tightly.
“It’s not your fault, Twi,” reassured Spike, “I’m sure that you did what you could, and just think about it…” he released one arm from the unicorn’s neck and made a sweeping motion with it, “For all we know, that friendly alien could have like…weird…alien superhealing powers or…something. Princess Luna was there too, wasn’t she? She could help him out.”
Twilight leaned into Spike’s hug and sighed, “I…s-suppose…” she murmured, “Though I don’t exactly know where he was taken to, I’m certain that both of the royal sisters will be there, and together, the two of them can accomplish anything!” she said with rising fervor. She averted her gaze from Spike as a hint of a smile appeared on her face, “T-thanks Spike…” she stood up straight, “I think I needed this…”
Spike chuckled, “No problem Twi, that’s what I’m here for…” the dragon released her from his embrace and folded his hands behind his back, “You should lie down, you look like you could use it.”
Twilight laughed nervously, “First things first: I’m absolutely filthy,” she presented a mud-splattered hoof to her number one assistant, turning it about allowing the dragon to see every inch of it. “I think I’ll wash up before that…”
Before Spike could go prepare her a bath, Twilight stopped him by tugging on his tail lightly with her telekinesis, “Don’t worry Spike, I can handle it,” said Twilight as she cantered past him into the bathroom. She threw a reassuring smile over her shoulder at the dragon who was still watching her with a confused look on his face, “I’ll be fine, Spike.”
Spike gave a single firm nod, “Right, I’ll just…start reshelving some of these books then or something?”
Twilight laughed, “Do what you feel is best, Spike,” she said before closing the bathroom door behind her.
As steam filled the room, and the hot water flowed over her body, she felt as if all of her worries were washing away with the dirt, sweat and blood marring her coat. Her mind gradually flowed away from the events of the previous night as she soaked in the warm bath.
It was a grueling experience for all of them, she realized, but they lived through it. She could take comfort in that. She felt happy to be alive and unharmed.
She was unsure how long she lay there in the bathtub. Minutes? Hours? But eventually the unicorn had enough and pulled herself out.
A good bath always made her feel relaxed and comfortable; coupled with her already fatigued mind, she barely had the willpower to use a simple telekinesis spell on a towel to dry herself off.
She slowly ambled out into the living room, feeling warm and refreshed; she was hardly aware of Spike acknowledging her as she cantered up the stairs to her loft.
Her bed felt amazingly soft and comfortable as she slid into it, pulling the sheets over her tired body. Her thoughts began to wander as sleep began creeping over her.
It was a new day, and no nightmare would ever change that fact.
She drifted off to sleep…
~~~~
Several days had passed since the turn of events. Luna stared down at the unconscious being in the bed before her. He was surrounded by various bits of medical equipment, as well as a lone nurse silently standing off to the side, pouring over charts; the rhythmic beep the machine monitoring the alien’s heartbeat, and the almost imperceptible hum of the sterilization spell masking the doorway were the only noises in the small, sterile white chamber. Pale light shone between the gaps of the curtains in a small window set into the wall. The worst of the damage was concealed beneath clean sheets, leaving only his head exposed; all of the creature’s items were stacked on and under a nearby table.
Barely five days ago was he mere inches away from death. Luna had sent a message to her sister telepathically ahead of time before the alien arrived, and Celestia quickly responded. By the time the chariot had made it to Canterlot, Celestia had already enlisted the aid of the best medical staff that Canterlot had to offer, even they were up for a challenge. The extensive injuries, coupled with the physician’s nonexistent knowledge of the creature’s anatomy made their task difficult.
They had absolutely no idea how to manually remove his armor, so they resorted to forcing it off with magic, via teleportation. The surgeons labored over the battered body for hours, doing their best to keep the critically wounded creature from passing away. Both princesses lent their power when it was needed.
Shortly past noon that day, the alien’s condition was declared stable. For now, the comatose alien was transferred to an undisclosed location within Canterlot Castle, surrounded by nurses and guards. It was easy enough to find a vacant room in the vast palace.
He had lost a lot of blood. His ribcage was pretty much crushed, his left arm was broken, whatever had attacked him left several nasty large fangs broken off and embedded in his skin, several of his internal organs had taken damage, and there were a multitude of various other small cuts and bruises. The surgery had been several days ago, but at the rate he was recovering, Luna could have sworn that it had been much longer.
But there were complications.
The worst of the damage didn’t show; basic magical scans could detect something far worse with the alien’s health. The alien had come from a non-magical world, which was apparent. The creatures that reside on Equis are constantly exposed to the magic permeating the air. Nopony ever gave much thought to it, since the typical background magic levels are minor, but this eventually leads to them being able to tolerate exposure to much stronger levels of magic.
The alien had been on the planet for less than a day, and he had been exposed to the Elements of Harmony, the most powerful magic known to ponykind. It was like tossing ice-cold steel into a hot furnace. The fact that the alien had survived his terrible injuries was a miracle in itself, but this was on a whole new level of incredulity. The effects of magical overexposure vary from pony to pony, or alien in this case. It could be anything from exhaustion, to fever, to migraines, or everything else in between. The only way to find out would be to wait until he woke up, which is what Luna had been doing for the past couple of days in her spare time. Shortly after Night-Court had closed, she found herself wandering down to the makeshift infirmary, silently hoping that the alien would wake up.
She tapped her hoof to her chin, tilting her head slightly as she scrutinized the sleeping being more closely. He looked so peaceful laying there, a far cry from the stone-cold expression he had when he was fighting those other creatures. A nasty bruise lingered under one of his eyes, and Luna could see the subtle rise and fall of his chest through the sheets.
He fascinated her; apart from a magic scan telling her that he was sick was severe magic poisoning, she could also sense strange anomalies present beneath his flesh. It was as if he had metallic components embedded into several of his internal organs, including the eyes, heart and brain, embedded to the point where it was too risky to try to surgically remove them. Even more curiously was that his spine seemed to be…entirely metallic. How that could have been possible utterly perplexed her.
She wished that he would just wake up so she could get her questions answered. She bounced there like an excited schoolfilly as she pondered just what sort of things she could learn from him. Slowly, she circled the bed and headed to the table on which the creature’s items were stacked. They had been cleaned off, and the ponies had sorted through the alien’s various pouches and bags.
A brief examination from various scientists found that material that composed the outermost, plated layer of the alien’s suit to be surprisingly light, yet harder than anything that Equestrian smiths could hope to accomplish. The fact that the armor was in bad shape showed that its comatose wearer had been to Tartarus and back…or whatever his race’s equivalent or ‘Tartarus’ was. Curiously, even though the strange armor was unoccupied, they still found themselves unable to separate the individual components. Luna was surprised to find that the alien was wearing a much lighter, form fitting, yet surprisingly tough suit underneath, which was now folded up neatly next to the heavier suit.
It was in much better shape that the plated armor. The only indication of damage on it were few small gashes, as well as the several prominent lines running across the chest and back where whatever monster had left its mark.
The weaponry that the creature had been carrying was in a securely locked case under the table. They decided to do so after one of the scientists nearly managed to blow himself up with what looked like a strange dark green stone. Luna was unable to glean any answers from the strange device by merely looking at it, and she was hesitant to disassemble anything. They risked being unable to put it back together, plus she doubted the alien would appreciate it. Luna almost learned the hard way just how sharp the knife the creature had been carrying when she accidently dropped it, and landed point down, mere inches from one of her hooves. The mark it left was very visible on the stone floor.
“Somehow I knew I’d find you in here,” a new voice announced.
Luna made a brief squeak of surprise and quickly turned in place to face the intruder. The annoyed look on Luna’s face disappeared when she saw Celestia standing in the doorway. Luna didn’t miss the look of concern on her sister’s face.
“Oh, hey Tia,” said Luna, setting her attention back on the alien’s items.
Luna was aware of the sound of hoofbeats crossing the room and stopping next to her. Luna turned her head and found herself staring into her sister’s violet eyes. In her peripheral vision, Luna noticed the nurse step out to give the two some privacy.
Luna was surprised when Celestia suddenly draped one of her massive white wings over her body, and hugged her close.
Luna sighed and lightly tapped the stone floor with her hoof, “If there something you need, sister?” she said curtly.
“Is it so wrong that I want to check up on my dearest sister?” Celestia replied.
“I’m fine, Tia,” Luna snapped, slightly more rudely then she intended, shrugging off Celestia’s wing, “I can take care of myself.”
Celestia gave her a stern look, “Is something bothering you?”
“No, nothing,” said Luna, “Just this whole turn of events has me a bit flustered,” a hint of a smile came to her face, “I mean, actual extraequestrial life, and we're the first to discover it…”
“Yes, this is quite the find, Lu,” said Celestia, who was standing up straight, “It’s just that you’ve seem more…subdued lately. I find it troubling,” Celestia walked around her sister and stood in front of her, “You’ve haven’t been outside in days, Lu. I know how much you love stargazing, and you always disappear the moment Night Court is closed.”
“It’s not like anypony actually comes to Night Court…” Luna grumbled.
Celestia bristled slightly at that statement, “Anyway, you’ve been spending all of your free time down here, I’ve rarely seen you smile over the past few days, I know you haven’t been getting a whole lot of sleep…” once more Celestia draped a wing over her sister, “I know something is troubling you Lu. I can understand being excited over an incredible discovery like this. I certainly am, but you have that look about you…” Celestia tapped her hoof with her chin.
Luna sighed and bowed her head, “Am I a good princess, Tia?”
Celestia’s eyes widened in surprise. She certainly hadn’t been expecting that, “Of course you are,” said Celestia, “What could possibly make you think otherwise?”
Luna swallowed and leaned into her sister’s embrace, “It’s just that...I was willing to put those mares in danger. I specifically asked them to come along, not a large cadre of guards that are specifically trained to fight.”
“You didn’t know, Lu,” reassured Celestia, who gave her sister a squeeze.
“But I should have,” snapped Luna.
“Is that what has been bothering you, sister?” inquired Celestia.
Luna gave an almost imperceptible nod, “Fillies like them… shouldn’t have to be put in situations like that…”
Celestia nuzzled her sister, “There, there, it’s not your fault…”
Luna sighed and mumbled something into her sister’s side.
“Besides, if they hadn’t been there, there is a good chance that our guest here would have met an untimely end,” Celestia added, “Because you brought them, we were able to save him.”
“I’m not so sure,” said Luna, her ears drooping, “From what I’ve gathered the reason he was grievously wounded was because he was protecting our little ponies from my mistake…”
“Your mistake?” said Celestia, “Unless I am mistaken, you didn’t make that…” she searched for the right word, “…vessel fall from the sky, did you?”
Luna took a deep breath, “…no. I suppose I didn’t,” she turned to Celestia, “At least they’re safe, right?”
Celestia smiled and nodded, “Right.”
“But…still…” she turned towards the sleeping alien, “There is so much left that I want to know!” she glanced towards her sister, “Yet there is still so much that confuses me…”
“Such as?”
Luna lightly tapped the floor with her hoof, “You know how we’ve had ponies scouring the crash site, right?”
“Mhm…”
“I’ve seen some of the materials they have brought back…some things just don’t match up…” Luna scratched her head, “We have this fellow here,” she pointed at the comatose alien, then at the items that were laying on the table, “Some of the items recovered from the crash site are of similar make to what he’s got, yet most of the materials are completely different.”
Celestia cocked an eyebrow, “How so?”
Luna wrinkled her nose, “It’s hard to describe…it’s as if they come from different cultures…If you want, go ask the project manager for a report,” she tapped her chin with her hoof, “For instance… imagine if an archaeologist was to enter an undiscovered ruin and find artifacts from both Maresopotamia and the ancient Himalneighyas in the same tomb. Completely different cultures, completely different place and time, yet they were both buried together. Do you understand my meaning?”
Celestia nodded, “I do,” she gently patted Luna’s shoulder, “I guess it’s just one more thing you can learn from him when he wakes up right?”
“If he wakes up,” reiterated Luna, “Although I am still hopeful, physically, he seems to be recovering at an incredible rate, but the high level of magic poisoning worries me.”
“How do you think he will react when he comes to?” asked Celestia.
Luna furrowed her brow, “I honestly don’t know. He will probably be frightened and confused. He’s a fighter; that much is apparent…”
Celestia placed a hoof on her chin, “… and if he gets violent?”
Luna shook her head, “From what I’ve seen of him, that is unlikely, assuming he is lucid,” she glanced towards the alien and shifted about on her legs slightly. “If not…well, we have more than enough guards to keep him sedated,” she threw a glance at Celestia, “Don’t worry Tia, I’ll be fine.”
Celestia smiled, “If you say so Lu. Before I go to hold court there is one more thing,” her horn lit up with a bright golden glow and a small closed box floated into the room, suspended in the air by Celestia’s magic. “Since I’m assuming you’re going to be down here for awhile, I thought I might as well bring you a snack.”
Luna snatched the floating parcel out of the air with her telekinesis and floated it towards her. As she opened it, the smell of freshly baked pastries flowed over her nostrils, causing her to involuntarily drool. Within the box was a large slice of cake and a fork. Luna could barely suppress a laugh; it was rare for her illustrious older sister to actually share her cake, let alone carry it around and not eat it.
Luna beamed at her sister, “Thanks, sis.”
“You’re very welcome, Luna,” she said with a smile. Luna did not fail to notice when Celestia’s eyes involuntarily drifted over to the cake, or what the tip of Celestia’s tongue flitted across her lips. “Take care of yourself, Lu,” she turned towards the exit.
“You too, sis. Have a pleasant day at court!” Luna said with renewed cheer at her sister’s retreating back, waving as she went.
Once again alone in the chamber, Luna turned again to the items sitting on the table. Using her magic, she levitated the fork and started indulging herself in delicious cake all the while. Luna reached out and grasped one item in particular with the crux of her hoof.
To her eyes, it looked like little more than an unflattering necklace that featured a metallic grey rectangular tag with rounded corners suspended on a chain. What perplexed her though was the black side with a crack running across it. It looked slightly glassy, and she could see strange components within. She turned it over as she shoveled another bite of cake into her mouth. On the reverse side was a peculiar emblem carved right into the necklace. She assumed that it was some sort of heraldry, given that a very similar symbol was painted onto the shoulder plate of the being’s armor, with the exception that rather than a lion, it was a trio of what looked like gears.
She turned it over once more, setting down her fork all the while.
Staring intently at the cracked side, curiosity was plastered across her face. She tapped a hoof to her chin and placed the necklace back on the table, an idea forming in her head. Tilting her head forward, magic coalesced around her horn, which was pointed at the cracked necklace.
A narrow beam of silver shot from her horn into the object, and it did its job. It was a simply Fix-it spell. Luna watched as the crack disappeared, the glossy black material flowing around it like water. In less than two seconds, the once-damaged side of the tag looked like a span of black, polished glass.
Luna waited to see if anything would happen. She sighed several seconds later when her efforts bore no fruit. With a slight huff of frustration, she lifted her fork with her telekinesis again, and roughly impaled the poor cake. When she tore it out, she did it slightly too violently, and she somehow managed to lose her grip on the piece of silverware, sending it clattering to the table. The fork collided with the smooth black surface of the tag, splattering the dark surface with cake.
The look on Luna’s face suggested that she narrowly averted a disaster of epic proportions. She sighed with annoyance she made to pick the fork back up, but then the dark side of the tag flickered to life. Luna gasped and her whole body went rigid as words appeared in lines neat, bright blue lettering. She dropped her fork once more and snatched the tag from the table, yanking it close to her eyes.
Those are…letters! She realized with excitement Actual alien script! She bounced energetically on her hooves, her mannerisms reminiscent of a certain pink baker. She couldn’t read a word of it, but still!
Shepard, Isaac L.
DoB: 7/13/58
Brotherhood of Steel
Luna grinned with enthusiasm as she sat the tag back down, ideas running through her head. Words…and letters. I’m certain it’s to be worn around the neck…hm…parting words from somepony important? Name? Is it a nametag of sorts?
She turned to the last item, taking another bit of her cake all the while. At first glance, somepony could have mistaken the heavy grey, cylindrical object for a shackle, yet upon closer inspection, Luna found that she could see more of those strange letters on the device, positioned under above three small buttons. She experimentally prodded at some of the buttons with her magic, and was surprised when they lit up when she pushed them, and the image on the screen above changed.
The first two didn’t display much, but the third displayed lines and lines of script. Luna found it odd that she didn’t discover this several days ago. Part of her knew that it was unwise to be fiddling with unknown technology, as that near miss with the exploding rock thing told her, yet why would the creature be wearing something so dangerous on his wrist?
Through a little trial and error, she found that fiddling with the knobs and dials to the left of the screen allowed her to scroll through the lines and lines of alien data. She wished so badly that she could cast a simple translation spell so she could read it, but that first requires her to have a solid knowledge of the language she is translating to. Her cake sat there, seemingly forgotten as Luna continued to mash buttons. Other than lines of alien script, she also stumbled upon what looked like a map of some sort. As she continued to experiment, she didn’t notice when the device beeped once, barely audible.
“(Hold on Jonas! I need to record this first!)”
Luna shrieked out of surprise and darted around to the far side of the room when the sudden noise came out of nowhere. Her heart raced in her chest as she took cover behind the bed.
There was a brief pause, “(Son…I…I don’t really know how to tell you this. I hope you’ll understand but I know you might be angry. I thought about it for a long time, but I thought it was best for you not to know.)”
That sounds like…a voice! thought Luna as she poked her head over the bed. There was no mistake about it: that sounded like a deep, masculine voice playing from the strange shackle-device. The voice continued to speak as she circled back around the bed.
“(There’s no telling how the Overseer will react. It’s best if he can blame everything on me. Obviously you already know that I'm gone. It was something I needed to do. You're an adult now. You're ready to be on your own.)”
Luna stopped, and sat down on her haunches, her eyes wide and her jaw agape. Recording audio wasn’t an unheard of concept in Equestria, but they couldn’t play it on a device small enough to fit onto a foreleg. She prodded the device with her hoof as the unseen speaker continued to drawl. Although she couldn’t understand a word he –he sounded male- was saying, certain inflections crossed language barriers. He sounded grave, sorrowful even. His words sounded heavy with emotion.
She leaned forward and rested her chin on her hooves, and sighed deeply.
If she had been paying attention, she might have noticed the prone figure in the bed stir slightly.
~
He felt like he was floating through water. He couldn’t feel his body. His world one of darkness… how long had he been laying there? Hours? Days? Weeks? It was hard to be sure. He wasn’t even sure if he was alive. There was so much uncertainly right now. So many unknowns, so little answers.
He thought he could see a light in the distance. There was supposed to be a light at the end of a dark tunnel, right? But he didn’t want to walk towards it. It felt cold, unwelcoming, and foreboding. It didn’t promise peace, only turmoil. Many times, he kept drifting towards it, but every time, something kept pulling him back.
“Maybe someday things will change and we can see each other again. I can't tell you why I left or where I'm going. I don't want you to follow me.”
That voice…
He had heard that voice before. Where had he heard it from? His mind was like murky water, completely devoid of clarity. Follow him where? He tried to remember, but he could not.
“God knows life in the Vault isn't perfect, but at least you'll be safe. Just knowing that will be enough to keep me going.”
I…know you…
The speaker was someone close, someone personal, someone close to his heart. Was he alive? Dead? He wasn’t sure. Slowly, he felt himself being pulled away from the cold light, further into the blackness. It crushing sensation came over him. He couldn’t breathe; he gasped for air, but his lungs found nothing
“Don't mean to rush you, Doc, but I'd feel better if we got this over with.”
I know you too…who are you?
Were any of those voices his? He struggled to remember. The crushing feeling lifted from his chest and he inhaled large gulps of air. His head felt dizzy, the world around him started to brighten, but it was not cold or unwelcoming like before. It promised warmth, safety.
“Okay. Go ahead. Goodbye. I love you, Isaac.”
His heart seemed to stop in his chest. It all came rushing back to him. The one speaking was his father, and that was…his name. He hadn’t heard his name spoken aloud for years. He was Isaac. And he was still alive. With a feeling as if he had broken the surface of a pool of water, his mind returned to his body, and Isaac, the Lone Wanderer awoke.
~~
Annnnnnnnnd we're out. Once again, sorry for the month-long wait. Again, another thank you to this guy for doing a swell job editing it.
Random question: In your mind, how would a high-level fallout character act?
A different random question: What do you think of my character's name?
Another random question: If you could wub the tummy of any pony, whose tummy would you rub?
Yet another question: There wouldn't happen to be somewhere out in the audience who is good at drawing, and would be willing to draw some cover art for this, would there? I would be grateful!
I swear I won't take a month again, especially now that I'm done with school!
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Everypony turned to find Rainbow standing by the stream, vigorously scrubbing at her hooves in a frantic attempt to wash away all of the blood. Her eyes were wide, her irises shrunken. She bit her lip as the red stains persistently clung to her hooves, sending water splashing everywhere.
The paragraph is repeated twice!
591180
...it is?
Hang on...lemme check...
591180
There, fixed. Oopsie daisy!
I feel silly now; first comment of the chapter, and it's telling me I f***ed up.
Did you... really name your character after the protagonists of Dead Space and Mass Effect?
I'm not sure whether to applaud you for your new additions to the brony lexicon (i.e. extraequestrial), or to
in a spectacular manner.
Looking forward to the next update, now that everypony's in relative safety and actual interactions can commence!
591199
Sorry Explodium, figured you want that fixed asap since it was really jarring! But otherwise, awesome chapter! I just finished reading, I was hoping that wanderer would already awaken this chapter, but I can't really complain. As for the name, I have no problem with homage to other video games, so long as it avoids cliches (john smith or something). As for the rest, idk.
591233
Actually, I named my character 'Isaac' after a Golden Sun binge, but Shepard...uhh...yeah. Originally his last name was something else, but then ME3 happened.
How would a High Level Wanderer Act:
I would say it would largely depend upon how you pictured the events playing out. Is he nice? Is he good? Is he self-centered? Is he evil Incarnate?
So far, you have a Paragon Wanderer, though jaded through his many adventures. He despises the wasteland and it's occupants, though he still does the right thing, if only for his own soul at this point. After the adventures of both FO3 and New Vegas, plus addons and even Aliens, I would have to say that the Wanderer would be pretty placid about new things. He would examine, but accept them. Magic would just be a 'ok then' moment. Though magic as radiation has just been done in another fic. Still, run yours as you will, and thanks for updating. Wonderful chapter if a bit fluff.
PS: At least you didn't include the random, everyone speaks english/equestrian bit.
Well, for the first question I would say a little panic. Living in Wastelands for so long and then waking up somewhere pristene? Even high intellectuals may be a bit frazzled.
I think Shepard is appropriate due to him proctecting his 'flock'. Isaac . . . were you thinking of Dead Space when you put it in?
Anypony? Ditzy Doo. That pony don't get enough lovin', poor thing.
Last question. While I can't, I do know someone who can though we haven't spoken for a bit.
591270
I'll believe in chapter seven when I see chapter seven. Until then, it's just a government conspiracy to cover up the existence of extraequestrial life.
i think a high level fallout character would act like the beginning of fallout new Vegas but far slower
and please make his recovery slow he has a highly traumatically event behind him near death the 2. time this is nothing you can take light.
another thing it would be nonsense if he can suddenly after a short spell speak equestrian make the progress also slow.
And don't begin with the romance tag so fast.
sorry for the bad english ^^
591276
I agree with what he said. It seems right. You have built the Lone Wanderer as a Paragon so far. He fights, not only for himself, but for others as well, whether they appreciate it or even know about it or not. As he already knows the situation he is in since he looked out the window of the spaceship (another planet, little to no chance of leaving), he would probably try to roll with his situation. He might feel out of place because of how serene everything is without much conflict. Remember, he comes from a world where major conflict over minor things is commonplace.
At this point, he probably is a master tinker/repairman, so when he can, he most likely is going to attempt to repair his gear.
Another random question: If you could wub the tummy of any pony, whose tummy would you rub?
The most likely to demand or at least accept that would be Pinkie Pie, however anypony else would be funny given the reactions.
You have no idea how much this has made my day!
When I am left without a fic to read and can't find much else only this and one other fic is something I would reread because you make the character of Issac great to follow given that he had no characterization from the game.
Would have to agree with Obsidian on how a high level character would act.
Waiting for your next extalment of epicness with patience and high hopes.
Excellent work!
Looking forward to more
first question: since he's a "high level" he'd have a lot more experience with things and wouldn't freak out as much as a "low level" would. He'd examine things first and deal with them accordingly. not sure about the magic though.
second question: I'm not a big fan of the name Issac, but that's just me. I'd probably give him a different first and last name, but it's your story and you name the characters how you see fit.
third question: Depends how I'm feeling at the time, right now it's Fluttershy
these are just my opinions, so don't judge that much on them
I'm highly intrigued by this story and hope the next chapter isn't another month away
Thank Luna for new chapters! Please don't let me wait that long anymore ^^
BLAST YOU AND YOUR SUSPENSE
Oh, one last thing.
If anypony can guess what the middle initial stands for, you win an internet cookie!
591374
Lucky? Sorry, thinking of Borderlands here.
Will Isaac get more emotions for some pony then the others?
Annnnnnnnnd very good
Issac lol so many hero
I'm pretty goodish at sketches, but sadly I'm horrid at dates and have a sad lack of anything to elevate it past a random sketches.
I would wub Vinyl Scratch, and rub her too.
Isaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaac
Chapter update! dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Luna_lolface.png
1) At high lvl pretty much nothing would phase me, until someone was hostile with me then they bullets fly.
2) The only thing I dislike is his last name, it seems everyone uses Shepard now. But then again I named my wanderer Avalon Waters (which shocked the hell out of me when it turned out that was pretty much the end goal of the game.)
3) Either AJ or Apple Bloom, maybe Sweetie Bell.
YES!!! YES!!!!!!
img-cache.cdn.gaiaonline.com/151f049c5d1231daf01e6272cbde3108/http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh72/Shunt666/BisonYes.jpg IT UPDATED!!!! IT UPDATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now to actually read the chapter.
I would wub pinkie pies of course!
Damn, and it was just getting good, too.
"Isaac", huh?
Interesting. Although, I'm instantly reminded of Isaac Clarke, from Dead Space.
From now on, I shall always picture the Lone Wanderer as Isaac Clarke and there is nothing you can do to stop me.
Now, how would a high level Fallout character react?
Well, we're talking about the Lone Wanderer here. He's seen some pretty weird shit (Nothing compared to the Courier... Unless he's the Courier too. I forgot, is he? He does have the metallic implants of Old World Blues...), so he might be a lot more accepting to things taking a really weird turn (For the better, this time).
I wouldn't be shocked at anything anymore after seeing Liberty Prime shouting anti-communism lines while firing lasers and rockets at the Enclave. Multi-colored horses have nothing on that shit.
Or how about waking up on top of a tower in a patient robe with surgical cuts everywhere? Yeah, he's not going to be shocked anytime soon.
If you could wub the tummy of any pony, whose tummy would you rub?
I don't think it's quite possible to dubstep the tummy of a pony, but...
Nah, I kid. Truly, this deep philosophical question boggles the mind.
Whose tummy would I rub? Hmm...
Pinkie Pie.
Because.... Pink.
shit's gunna go down.
Man, one month's absence, and you hit the feature box. Nice
AND IT FINALLY GETS FEATURED!
Conglaturations! Now go and rest our heros!
...Wait? I did? My story is featured? Le holy crap! I didn't expect that!
591660
Actually Pinkie Pie because she'd volunteer to have her belly rubbed.
IT UPDATED?! YEAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!
#1
In my mind, with my play style, A high level fallout character would come across a group of helpless travelers being attacked by deathclaws in the middle of the wastes and not even think before springing into action to help them. He would do anything to help everyone, because he's already challenged the wastes and won, Nothing could stand in his way to make his wastes better.
#2
I love it. Isaac is a cool-ass name.
#3
This is a tough question. It's close between Twilight and Vinyl. maybe even Lyra. I want to rub all the pony tummies.
#4
I could draw you some stick figures and a pretty good cat. that's about it.
Just finished. Y U END IT THERE!?!?!? Anyway, great chapter. Hm, as for the questions...
Answer 1: This is the Courier and Wanderer in one we are talking about. He's seen plenty of weird shit. So he would probably keep his cool, more or less.
Answer 2: Good, I guess. Kinda hard to give the Wanderer/Courier a fitting name though, considering they are nameless.
Answer 3: Luna. Because Luna is best pony.
Answer 4: I suck at drawing :\.
591747 And I'm sorry to inform you, it seems your story has set the record for shortest time Featured. A RarityxFluttershy fic pushed it off.
591869
Yeah I noticed -.-
591270
This fic is awesome! Keep it up! 
Original Golden Sun FTW!!
“No, nothing,” said Luna, “Just this whole turn of events has me a bit flustered,” a hint of a smile came to her face, “I mean, actual extraequestrial life, and where the first to discover it…”
I think you meant we're
And Twilight's tummy, because she's best Pony
Evil cliffhanger! EVIL I SAY!!!
Can't wait for someone to use a Fix-It spell on the AI.
591684
dear idiot
fuck you
sincerely, the 300+ people that like this story
CURSES!!!
*raises fist*
CLIFFHANGER AGAIN!!!!!
Love the name.
By the way the answer to the tummy question is obviously Pinkie. I mean, she may not be best pony (ALL HAIL FLUTTERSHY) but she is the pony i could picture getting a tummy rub from.
HRRRRG you damn cliffhanger bastard
I'm surprised that nopony said Rainbow Dash
!
29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwh5je0Y961r05905o1_500.jpg
img.ponibooru.org/_images/079d6154b29443682fe29d7ea75ec593/47683%20-%20artist%3AJackarunda%20belly_rubbins%20rainbow_dash%20tummy_rubbins.jpg
Thought everypony wanted to rub her tummy!
Dang! so close! Oh well... at least next chapter we can see what happens when worlds collide
brisbanetimes.com.au/ffximage/2008/09/24/470x400planet_collide,0.jpg
images.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/8477749.jpg YES YES ZE BLOOD ZE BEAUTIFUL BLOOD!
Damn you cliffhanger!
In reguards to your first question: Given his actions so far it would seem he has a high Int and given how he handled meeting the CMCs I think he would continue with the calm patient approach.
I have to agree with the general consensus that Isaac (great name by the way because...Heroic!) has seen so much that little could phase him. Though he may be a bit bothered that Luna was messing with his stuff.
I do thank it will be hard for him to adjust to a nonviolent way of life, unless you got something up your sleeve that will prevent that.
I would prefer if I didn't have to wait a month to read that next chapter but if it is necessary to maintain the great quality of the story then I will gladly wait.
Everyone already knows Pinkie wants a tummy rub.