Friendship, Friendship Never Changes

Littlepip, a unicorn mare wearing the standard-issue blue vault clothing and her PipBuck on her leg, peeked out from under her covers. She kicked them off and came down gracefully on the metal floor of the vault. "Has anypony seen Velvet Remedy?"

Another equine head popped out from a bunk nearby. "She isn't back yet? She's gonna get in such big trouble!"

A third nodded as he walked past. "I bet she got lost again. You should go check on her."

Departing her bedroom and her roomie, Littlepip bobbed her head. She made her way through the vault at a light trot, moving directly for the door. Just as she reached for the controls, a strong and angry voice called it, "Wait right there!"

Pip looked around with a startled expression before yanking the lever, but a larger pony came into view before the vault could finish opening. "Now just one moment there, Littlepip. You know you have to be responsible when you go out to play."

Pip gave a soft snort and rolled her eyes. "Oh fine, if I have to. I'm old enough to take care of myself!"

The older stallion waved a hoof. "Be that as it may, safety first. And you have chores you can get done while you're out there." He handed her a little scrap of paper. "Did you pack lunch?" Pip displayed a small brown bag. "Is your PipBuck on?" She held it up and pressed a button, showing an icon of pony with some lines pointing at different parts reading 100%. "Well alright then, but be back by six." He pat her on the shoulder, and off she went, scurrying through the open doors out into the wide outdoors waiting for her.

The tunnel felt long. It always felt long, what with the theme music playing the entire time through it for the benefit of those watching at home. She emerged into the wastes and had a look around slowly, frowning at the dusty browns that made up the area around the vault. "If only ponies hadn't littered so much..." She picked up a bit of scrap laying nearby and tossed it into a trashcan, doing her part to clean the wastelands, one bit at a time.

"What do we have here?" Three ponies approached, two stallions and a mare with unpleasant expressions and equally garish attire. "Little vault mare come out to play. She's just in time too."

Littlepip recoiled back. "Just in time for what?"

One of the others grinned widely. "We had mismatched teams! You can play on Sun Flower's team, fillies vs colts!"

That sounded like fun, and Littlepip joined them for a game of kick ball, batting the ball around the field wildly until one of the wild ponies tripped and skidded their knee. He winced and held his abused knee, but he was a tough colt and didn't cry. Littlepip opened her bag and took out a bandage. "It's important to clean and bandage yourself when you get hurt."

She sprayed antiseptic on the boo-boo, and he hissed in pain, but he allowed her to get the bandage on. "There you go. Good as new! I really should get going. I have to find a friend of mine."

Sun Flower stepped forward. "Oh, are they lost?" Pip nodded. "We can help! We know the area around here real good, right boys?" The colts bobbed their heads and thrust up their hooves, ready to go.

One of the colts put a hoof to his chest. "I'm Free Wind, and if I was a filly, I'd head to Appleloosa, especially if I wasn't a wild pony. She's not wild, is she?"

Littlepip shook her head. "She's from the vault." She pointed. "Like me. Thanks for helping." With some new friends, Littlepip set off towards the closest town. On the way, her PipBuck softly chimed. She looked down at it. "Oh, they asked me to pick up some veggies while I'm out."

Sun Flower grinned. "We'll help you bring them back, but you have to share."

Free bobbed his head. "I love fried carrots. Are you gonna get carrots?"

Littlepip pointed ahead. "We can all have fried carrots, but we have to find my friend first. Safety first, then eating." With the proper order of things settled, they trotted as a herd into the town. The ponies that lived there seemed quite displeased at the appearance of the wild ponies, scowling at them with clear distrust.

Sun Flower shrank back from it. "Maybe we should wait, you know, outside?"

Littlepip huffed softly. "No way!" She turned to the lawpony standing guard. "They're with me, and they're good ponies! Stop staring at them like that! It's not polite to judge ponies just on how they look."

The lawpony snorted softly. "They can come in, but I've got an eye on the lot of ya." His gaze settled on Free Wind. "And don't think we've forgotten your last stunt."

Free looked quite sheepish as all eyes turned on him. "What? It was just a little joke..."

The lawpony crossed his forehooves, leaning against a post. "A little joke, huh? You goin' ta tell 'em or should ah?" At Free's hesitatint shuffling, he continued, "Well alrighty then. That colt covered one of our water tanks with pictures, chalk doodles."

Littlepip tilted her head. "What's so bad about that?"

He threw up his hooves. "They're all pictures of the townsfolk wit' rude comments. Ah'll have ya know I do NOT stink after a rain."

Sun Flower softly bopped Free Wind on the head. "Say you're sorry."

Free Wind ducked his head down, muttering something too quietly to be heard.

His other coltfriend chuckled softly. "Go on, Free Wind. He barely hear you."

"I'm sorry! OK!? It was just a joke..." He fell to his haunches with a mighty pout, but the lawpony seemed mollified.

They were allowed inside, and found Littlepip's friend volunteering at the first-aid center, putting bandages and wrapping ponies up in gauze diligently. When she saw Pip, she smiled. "What are you doing here?"

Pip giggled. "What am I doing here? What are you doing here? You didn't come home for dinner."

She waved a hoof. "They invited me to have dinner here. Who are your new friends?"

Littlepip eagerly introduced Velvet to Free Wind, Sun Flower, and... "I never got your name."

The colt put a hoof to his chest. "I am the colt with no name. Mysterious, huh?"

Sun Flower rolled her eyes. "You're not fooling anypony. He's Big Snout."

As it turned out, Velvet had forgotten her PipBuck at home and didn't get their messages, but now that they were reunited, all was well. After picking up some carrots, the whole group headed back to the vault. The wild colts shared in the bounty of carrots, enjoying dinner with Littlepip and Velvet's family, and they promised to play again another day.

End credits.

Author's Note:

I have not read Fallout Equestria. This was a challenge, and I did my best. How'd I do? Let me know!

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