• Published 7th Feb 2017
  • 4,942 Views, 281 Comments

Balance - BioQuillFiction



2012, the year the world was going to end. I really didn't think much of it, to me the world would be the same no matter what happens. Earth is violent and lacking real heroees. Maybe in my sleep I'll dream of a better world if this one does die.

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Button Mash's First New World

Finally! I mentally cheered as I ran out of school. Summer vacation is here and that means I am free to take on off world missions!

“Button, wait up!” Scootaloo called out, quickly catching up since she learned to finally fly. “What’s the hurry?”

“I’m heading to the scouter station.” I replied, the two of us now running.

“The scouter… oh right you wanted to sign up for some summer missions. Why so eager anyway?”

“I wanna see the new ones.”

“You know even with your rank in both the city and school combat system you likely won’t get anything too good.”

“I just wanna explore a new world is all.” I sad as we reached the scouter station. “You coming?”

“Na, I’d rather spend summer being lazy at home and forgetting everything I learned.” WIth that, scoot’s flew off.

I entered the building. The whole place wasn’t too big, mainly it was just an empty tiled room with a desk where three people sit and ask for your rank and give you missions you are qualified to do. “May I help you?” The first receptionist asked as I walked up.

“Yeah, what missions are available for me?”

“Name please?”

“Button Mash.”

She began typing on the computer. “Let’s see here, Keyblade Metal Chocobo, class C rank 17,004, impressive for your age, well there’s several you can take. Most of it seems to be basic recon of unexplored areas of worlds, a few that deal with heartless, and one new one for world discovery.”

“World discovery? Isn’t that a B class mission?”


“Normally but from what we can see of the world in the lanes between it’s largely barren with very little life. No one in B class wanted to take it since it seemed like a barren world so we downgraded it to C class.”

“Huh.” World Discovery. If I can find something amazing on that world I’d jump to the hundreds rank, even if not I’d jump five at least. “I’ll take it.”

She typed a bit more and printed out a paper. She also handed me a digital camera and some extra batteries. “Don’t lose these, they’re scouter loan.” She then pulled out some papers. “Sign here.” I signed it, then then ripped off something from the bottom of a paper in the back. “And have your parents or guardians sign this.”

I took it then flew my glider back home, quickly finding mom. “Hi Button, exited for summer?”

“Yeah, uh, can you sign this?” I asked, handing her the slip of paper.

She quickly read over it. “Scouter mission? You’re doing summer scouter missions?”

“Yeah, I wanted to see new worlds by myself and a world discovery mission was downgraded to B class since the world is largely barren.”

Mom seemed to be thinking it over. I gulped. “Well… if it’s barren then not much would be there to harm you.”

“Mom…” I whined.

“I guess it will be alright. I’ll go read this off to your father and then we’ll both sign it, you’ll get it by dinnertime, alright?”

I jumped and hugged her. “Thanks mom!”

She rubbed my head. “Alright sweetie, you go pack and enjoy yourself.”


The next day I had the signed slip in hand and was heading back to the scouter station. I handed the slip in and I was given some extra supplies and the world’s coordinates. I had already said goodbye to everyone back home and was ready to leave. I summoned my glider and was off.

The ride in the lanes between took four hours. This world is really far away from it all. I think as I see it up ahead. From what it looked like it was largely barren, and in the distance was some kinda tower with shining light’s all around it. This is barren? That’s a city right out there.

I shook off my confusion and landed. I was in… some kinda kinda desert. I was at least on a road so I could walk one way or another and end up somewhere. Something told me to keep my armor on so I did. Walking down the road the sandstorm around me suddenly stopped as I came up on some largely destroyed building… wow, brings back unwanted memories.

“It’s killin time!” Someone yelled.

“Wait, what?” I said, suddenly feeling something hit and ricochet off my armor. I soon found myself surrounded by some rather dirty looking people, all shooting at me. The bullets just bounced off, though, I think they didn’t quite get that. “Uh… you know that’s not doing anything.” I said, though I think they didn’t care.

After a few minutes they stopped to reload, to which I pulled out my Keyblade. “Sleep.” I cast as they all fell aseep instantly. “So… hostile world.” I said, pulling out my camera and talking pictures. Let’s see… scouter rule one when on a new world, bland in so… Ugh…

I took off some metal armor that one of the inhabitants was wearing, grabbed a sack I found nearby and took their guns and ammo. Took some effort but I dragged their still sleeping bodies into a somewhat safe spot of the broken up building. With some… rather loose fitting clothes and some of the other stuff I took out the large grey pistol and made sure it was loaded. I don’t plan on using but best not look out of place if this is normal…. Then again, they were human and I’m… a pony… crud.

I went back though they're still sleeping bodies and found some kinda sack that was made to be like a mask. Putting it on made me gag, smelled like beer and rotten meat. Seeing through the sewn in goggles wasn’t easy, but I made due as I headed off.

It wasn’t long before I found a town. Was really small, but people were around and they all seemed to be doing their own things. I walked up to the place that seemed to be some kinda office building. The receptionist noticed my height. “Either you’re one short guy or just some kid.” She said.

“Heh, I’m a kid. I was wondering where around here is information on… anything.”

“Well, not much around here save for sex and beer. You want info or just to learn you best go see the Followers of the Apocalypse, they are set up in an old fort up in Freeside just outside of New Vegas. There’s actually a caravan merchant heading up there now, run and you might catch him.”

“Thanks.” I said, heading out. New Vegas huh? Sounds interesting.


Two days Later

I made it to Freeside yesterday and on the road here I learned quickly that… killing is normal to survive here.

I’m so not telling dad or mom(s) that I already… shot some people. Was sudden, a group with little armor but heavy firepower came out of nowhere and everything went to hell fast. The caravan fired back and one managed to get close to me. I forgot about using my Keyblade, and just fired the gun in my hands…

I don’t regret it, some people can’t be saved, that’s something I figured out even before what happened back home took everything away. I know dad tries, but I guess with what happened to him, is he gonna keep trying the way he’s been, or will he take the easy rout.

Walking a corner in freeside two muggers tried to get me. Though, they were weak looking, dirty. I just knocked them out, thank you combat training, and pulled them off to the side, gave them some food the caravan got off the raiders that attacked us and went into the followers base. I ran into the leader, a woman named Julie Farkas, who said to look for a man named Arcade Gannon. It was easy to find him, and since he wasn’t doing much, he agreed to give me a general wrap up of the history.

“And that brings us to the second battle of Hoover Dam, occurring two years ago where Mr. House and Courier Six aided NCR, only to sorta talk them into a sort of treaty, meaning they spend money here and still get to help act as the Mojave police while Mr. House get’s their tourist income and general taxes. Anything else?” Arcade asked me.

“You kept saying Courier Six, do you know their name?” I asked.

“She only tells people close to her, other than her… past allies, only a few other people off the top of my head might know, and one who really should know, being Mr. House.”

“Huh. Well, alright. So where is she?”

“From what I know, she wonders, always exploring new places and dealing death to every bad guy from here to the Divide. She frequents there most often these days.”

“You know that how?”

“... Caravaners who go by see her going up there, dressed in her now iconic old world branded duster and riot gear mask.”

“Huh… thanks for the info.” I say, getting up. “So, where is the entrance to the Divide?”

“Near Primm, across a parking lot stuck between a creves are some piled up cars, the bus at the bottom’s door works, open it up and a few miles later, you’re in hell.”

Yikes, wonder if Heartless or Unversed are there… actually, come to think of it, I haven’t seen any here since I landed. A world like this would be an easy grab for Core. “Primm… you mentioned it had a rollercoaster around some hotel in it, right?”

“Yes.” Arcade said, picking up a book and taking a seat on a chair. “Well, you wanted a brief recap of history, there you go kid. Also, you might wanna try and get some different armor, with a cap and suit like that, if your height and voice didn’t make it obvious people mistake you for a merc or raider.”

“Fair enough… know anyplace that sells more.. My size?”

“A new shop opened up a week ago that sells armor, custom stuff too. Just head to where the old Silver Rush used to be.”

I nodded and headed off. Entering the more nicer area of Freeside, the new shop was easy to spot. THey seemed to keep the original Silver Rush sign, but added to it. “Silver Rush Travel Safety.” I read out. “Huh, well let’s see how it is.”

I walked inside, there were mannequins wearing armors of all kind, and three women doing various things. One noticed me and walked up. “Hello there, I’m Mayflower, pop was a history buff, so you need anything?”

“Some not mercenary, and fitting, clothes would be nice.”

“Well we do have child suited armors, but what’s this?” She asked, looking at my activator for my Keyblade armor.

“Oh… it’s uh… something my parents gave me.”

Oh… are they?”

“No, no. Back home there’s this… thing where when school’s out we can go out and explore.”

“Oh, so you must be from New California. So now when they are done with school kids get to explore? Kinda… risky.”

“It’s… Yeah, but I’m just wandering and taking notes.”

“Oh, so like a field study?”

“You could call it that… so, anything here come with masks?”

She walked me over to some kid sized armors. The only thing that looked like it could fit under my armor was resized recon armor, which when I thought about it, fit. As for mask the only thing they had was a pre-war childs gas mask. In total it was 237 caps, but Equestrian bits, being gold, were accepted. I got dressed in the bathrooms and headed off looking for the Divide.

I wanted to meet this Courier Six, something about them seemed interesting, and downright lucky with all that they seemed to have accomplished. I found Primm and the Divide entrance wasn’t far off. Painted onto a piece of wood was Lonesome Road. I took a deep breath, and walked into the Divide.


When I exited I was met by the view of a broken, hellish landscape, and two people, both wearing flags of this world's old nation on their backs, one was a dark skinned man, dreadlocks with a breath filter of some sort, and the other, a woman wearing a riot gear mask. “Turn back child, this place has not called for you.” The dark skinned man said.

“I came looking for her.” I said, pointing at the woman.

“Come for an autograph?” She asked. “You must be crazy to come here.”

“I could say the same about the things I heard you did.” I reply, coming over and taking a seat next to them. “Why?”

“What?”

“Why go through… everything you did?”

“It was fate that drove her, least that’s what I always figured.” The man spoke. “Name’s Ulysses child, and you may refer to the woman here as Six.”

“Alright then, so Six, answer my question, in your words.” I said to her.

Six seemed to be contemplating the question. “Honestly, I’m not entirely sure. I’ve never been able to just, stay still, or stand by. I’ve always had to move. Like… I never felt welcome anywhere.”

“Yet you constantly return here for what purpose?” Ulysses asked.

“I feel welcome. Despite the fact everything here is just waiting to kill me, I’m not afraid to kill it first. Isn’t that why you stay here Ulysses?”

“I stay because… this is my home now, I have forsaken all but the old world, and much like you in teaming with House, and his old world views, I will fight for that gloryful past from before fire rained from the sky.”

“How much have you been able to… clean up?” I asked the two.

“The marked men have been decreasing in numbers recently, so I’d say they’re almost wiped out, but the Deathclaws and Tunnelers are another story.” Six said.

“While marked men were once people, now far since twisted by the invisible fires, unable to grow in numbers without dragging others into this hell, Tunnelers have been here since before the Divide became the hell you see it as, brought top side when the old world woke up. Their numbers great and their nests far too deep underground. Deathclaw, from what we’ve found, have several nests, and breed many at once. In a year they grow to maturity.” Ulysses finished.

“So… unless you can target the nests, it’s a pointless fight?” I asked.

“Double edged blade more like it.” Six replied. “Yes, we may never wipe out the Tunnelers, Deathclaws maybe, but we can at least keep the numbers down, keeping them from the rest of the Mojave wasteland. For as long as we can anyway.”

“Can’t anyone help?”

“They can try, some have in the past… lost a few good friends to Tunneler swarms. Raul, ED-E, Cassidy… Those three were loyal to a fault.”

“We did warn them.” Ulysses said. “The Divide is unkind to those who are not destined to be here, even more so to those that are.”

“I know… Still, Raul was the first person I ever actually helped, as in changed their lives, Cassidy was like the sister I never had, and ED-E… if it wasn’t for him, in a sense, I would never have first made it though this place.”

“Were you able to bury them? I asked.

“Yes, after the bullet storm I unleashed on the damned Tunnelers was done I carried them all the way up here, then up to that cliff corner right there.” Six pointed to a small piece of cliff, to which two wooden crosses, and something Arcade had once called an Eye bot, were resting. “They both had no family, a lot of friends of mine didn’t have much of one anymore, so I had them all meet at the Lucky 38, and we had a party. Some friends from other places I’ve been showed up too. Including a long lost love interest of one of them. Heh, needless to say, they took the master bedroom.”

“Heh, guessed. So… if you could, would you clean this place? The Marked men, tunnelers, and Deathclaws? The radiation? Would you clean all of it?”

“Ulysses here, when I first came here, said I traveled the road this once was, After… the chip incident my memory is… hazy. I don’t remember the Divide how it used to be… so yes, I’d love to clean this place up entirely. Heh, if that isn’t a pipe dream if I ever heard one.”

“Stories from far east speak that pipes and blood removed the radiation from the Capital's water.” Ulysses said. “The device of man's science and god’s territory, the G.e.c.k. Course, they’re rare, and with the size of the divide, from what I’ve heard, we may need five to remove the radiation at least.”

“Huh… You know, my dad runs the… place I come from, maybe he can help out somehow?” I spoke. The two looking at me.

“He NCR?” Ulysses asked.

“No, he’s… unaffiliated with the major factions, he’s got his own thing going. He just wants to provide help and peace to as many people as possible.”

“A noble goal.”

“But… can I ask you for a favor first?”

“What kind?” Six asked.

“Well… dad recently went blind, is there something that can help him see again?”

“The Followers might be able to give him a look at, if he can be healed then I know a place where I can be sure he can be fixed up.”

“R-really?”

“Yeah. Ulysses has been there.”

“The Big Empty.” Ulysses said. “Science continues to march there, and with Six’s actions there, it’s gained a new purpose for it’s technological advancements.”

“Thank you, heh, since we’re alone, mind if I show you something?” I asked the two, standing up.

“Sure.” They replied as I took off the gas mask, the two gaining a surprised look at my face.

“You’re a mutant?” Ulysses asked.

“Nope.” I summoned metal chocobo, the two still looking surprised. “Not from this world.” I opened a DTL back home. “Come on, care to see a world that’s not afraid to help rebuild others?”

The two looked at eachother, and nodded. “Lead the way child.” Ulysses said as he and Six stood up, walking with me through the portal.


Six and Ulysses meeting with dad went well, and to be honest from what I told dad about the world he seemed to want to visit soon, well, after he can see again. Speaking of, the Followers said a simple laser eye surgery could give dad his sight back. Six was true to her word, taking us to this, Big Empty, which it turns out was actually called the Big M.T. Hah, weird how that works.

Right now the floating brain jar people had programed the autodoc, a rather amazing machine, and he was in there. My siblings and I, the ones old enough, with our moms, Six, and Ulysses, were waiting in the Sink, as this room was called. “How long has he been in there?” Mama Toriel asked.

“Ten minutes.” Mama Twilight said. “As amazed as I am, and want to talk science with the brains, this is worrying. Is it supposed to take this long?”

“The brains said it would take between ten and fifteen minutes for the autodoc to do it’s work.” Six answered.

I just hope dad can see after this… I still don’t know why this world has no Heartless or anything on it? Maybe Core things this world isn’t worth it, or is empty? No… something about this world seems to be off. The noises from the autodoc stopped, the door slowly opened as dad walked out. “Ugh.” He moaned. “My eyes feel like-” He paused… his eyes no longer had the fog over them, one was blue, the other brown. “I… I can see…”

Author's Note:

Rune: So, who here wants me to get my husband more booty to smash?

Zeke:RUNE! Get back into the story!

Rune: K, but seriously, comment yes if you do!

Why is the fourth wall breaking?

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