Expected Friends: Unexpected Problems

by Sleepyted

Chapter 4

Celestia slowly removed the crown from her head, placing it upon a bust with a tired sigh. "It's rather obvious that they haven't gone through many diplomatic meetings."

"It made it a lot more entertaining than with the Griffons and their constant boring traditions or the Minotaur's that are just all shouty all the time." Luna stated, holding up the 'gift' that the Move delegation gave to Equestria, which consisted of a rather well-crafted dagger made from metal that seemed to swirl along its surface. The handle was wrapped in a scaly leather with a pummel of a curved claw.

"Well I enjoy some of the Griffons traditions, I love the cake they make to welcome dignitaries." Celestia said fondly. "It's the reason I always go over there for talks if I can help it."

Luna just rolled her eyes as she slipped the knife back into the sheath it came with and into the dark wooden box. "From what Twilight explained I doubt you'd want to eat any of the food that they might bring over."

"It means we have something to offer them if negotiations take place on trade. Fresh clean foods for something of theirs, Twilight mentioned they have a rather advanced medical knowledge." Celestia stated as she leaned back in her chair.

"I wouldn't have been able to guess with the metal eye and wing." Luna stated bluntly.

"Come on Lulu, you know what I mean."

Gannon strolled along side Twilight as they went down the one of the main streets of the Crystal Empire, the human drawing many eyes as he walked around with his old friend, two guards walking behind them. One thing the man couldn't get over was that the Crystal Ponies looked as if they were really made from crystal, reflecting light along them like a prism and he could swear they were almost see through. "Don't take this the wrong way but you're home is almost weirder than the Mojave, and I've seen all the implants Anne has now."

"How many does she have now?" Twilight asked, looking up with a somewhat worried expression.

"Blood filters, tissue re-generators, her other leg after a failed bombing. I could keep going for a dozen minor ones, she'd probably crush anyone she sat on with the amount of metal in her." Gannon listed.

"How many times have people tried to kill her?"

"Probably as much as before she became the leader of Vegas. Just from more powerful people." He stated with a shrug.

"So besides Anne becoming more and more robot, what else has happened since I've gone?"

"The Strip is practically the same, including not allowing people in from Freeside. Although she removed the NCR from the airport and set it as a base for her own army, but didn't remove them altogether from the Mojave lest she really piss them off more than telling their general to bite it." He stated. "Securitrons are more common and not just around The Strip, extend the reach and all that. But she's been focusing too much on forming her militia that we have to cut so many other costs on things like helping the Mojave with aid. She's preparing for a battle that won't happen in a long while."

"What about the Legion? Wouldn't they attack to get revenge against us for taking them out of the Mojave?"

"They've all but retreated, they threw a lot of men to try and take Hoover Dam that they we weakened when it failed." He stated. "That and from what spies have told us, Caeser hasn't been seen by his troops in a very long time, he either ran or he's dead or dying."

"Good riddance I say." Twilight stated. "That asshole deserved worse than whatever he got."

"The Legion will fall much like the civilisation it was based off." the man stated as he glanced up at the massive castle that towered over the Empire, sun shining off it brightly. "I doubt you have problems like that here."

Twilight let out a chuckle. "Unless you fear how a tea party will turn out or the latest fashion trend there isn't much in the way of constant problems. The worst thing I can think of off the top of my head is that an old enemy that my friends and I once defeated might be trying to stir up problems."

"Could be worse." He stated. "Anne could visit and start an interplanetary indecent."

"She knows I'd hit her so hard in the nose she'll have to replace yet another thing."

Cadence stood on a small hill that looked over the camp that the Mojave was setting up on the outskirts of their city, her husband stood next to her, sides pressed together.

So far three uses of the Teleporter had been done, bringing building supplies and regular supplies. A fully metal small building was in the middle, two stories tall and made from a flat pack and build up within a matter of hours instead of days with the volunteer of a few unicorn guards who wanted to be nice to the new visitors. The windows were just holes in the wall with metal slabs folded to the side. Walls had been erected around after that along with another smaller building that seemed to be a barracks for the troops and scientists that had come over. There was only one gate that was guarded at all times by two heavily armed and armoured solders. The actual delegation was staying in the castle for now until something along the lines of a temporary embassy was built in Canterlot.

"I hope it wasn't a bad idea that we allowed them to Equestria." Cadence said softly to her husband. "I don't want anypony to get hurt."

"I just hope that Twilie knows who she's bring to our home." The stallion said. "I don't like all the weapons they're bringing, I didn't even like the one that Twilight brought with her."

"How do you even work?" The brash cyan Pegasus asked as she hovered over the glass dome that contained the human brain, the two screens for eyes tilting to look up.

With an annoyed sigh Brian tried to ignore the pony, turning slightly in his 'seat' which was just a railing on a balcony halfway up the Crystal Palace. He thought that with his own room he might get his own privacy, but it seemed that even being high up doesn't mean anything when a third of the population could fly.

He was stopped from his ignoring when a tapping could be heard and felt on his dome. "I would prefer if you didn't treat me like a fish in a tank."

"Then stop ignoring me." Rainbow stated, continuing to tap.

"You should know that I can shoot lasers out of my eyes."

"Cool!" Rainbow exclaimed. "Showmeshowmeshowmesh-"

"Alright! Just shut up, oh my god how the hell does anyone put up with you!" The robot yelled, floating up to turn to the pony.

"Cause I'm awesome!" She said with a large grin, scooting back a bit so she could watch the laser show.

"If that's what you want to call it..." He muttered to himself. He considered just shooting her to get her off his back, or dome, but he didn't want to deal with the shitstorm that would come from it.

He didn't want to drag it out so looking over at a wall he fired one of the weapons he had, which was two little laser emitters just above the screens of the eyes. Just the two hits didn't do a whole lot besides leave a little burn mark.

Before she could say something he turned and looked directly at her. "If you ask for me to do it again I'll do it right at your painfully colourful hair."

Rainbow was quiet for a few seconds before saying. "Wanna watch me do tricks?"

"Why are all you ponies so infuriating?"

"Higher." The white unicorn said, biting her lip as she squinted.

"I don't think this is why I'm here for..." Mark said, brushing a hand through his sweaty brown hair. "Not that I don't mind doing something else besides guarding."

"Those hands of yours have uses and using my magic gets tiring after a while." Rarity stated.

"Aren't you an adult? And isn't this your job?" Mark asked as he grabbed another length of ribbon, reaching high above his head to tie it to the end of the last one.

"But I saw you standing there looking so bored and with nothing to do so I thought I might do something nice for you." She said, taking a step back so she could get a better look at the many ribbons that were already put up.

"I don't know how you've turned me working for you as being a favour for me, or that I'm helping set up an over the top picnic for your friends, Gannon and Brian." He said as he tied the knot on the end of yet another ribbon up.

"You're more than welcome to come along as well if you'd like."

"Thanks for the offer but that's not normally my type of scene, and I doubt I'd be wanted there by two of my bosses." He dismissed, looking down at the very large pile of untied lengths of fabric that he needed to tie into ribbons AND up into place around the frankly over sized gazebo. "And I may just pass out before I even finish..."

_

"How did ya first meet Twilight?" Applejack asked as she lifted up the small teacup to her lips, while this isn't something she would normally drink she didn't want to seem rude or anything.

"Well, that's a funny story." Gannon stated with a soft chuckle. "Her friend was going through... issues and Twilight came looking for her. After Twilight fixed my glasses I-"

"How did you brake your glasses?" Rainbow butted in, Twilight just rubbing the side of her head in annoyance.

"Anne broke them. Anyway I-"

"Why did she break them?" Rainbow continued.

"Because she punched me, and if you butt in again I'll stop telling the story." He stated with a soft glare. "As I was saying she came in looking for Anne and I mentioned how the work I was doing was useless and she offered for me to tag along and I did. And I even stuck through all the weird crap that happened with those two, including coming to a totally different world altogether just to meet up again."

"What issues were going on with your friend Twi?"

"That... would probably be best if I didn't say anything about that." The princess explained awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof. "Its about personal reasons and all that."

"Come on Twil-" Rainbow stated before getting s firm slap on the back of the head with a napkin by Rarity.

"Now now Rainbow. Its impolite it go asking about things that ponies say they'd rather not talk about." She said, picking up one of the colourful cupcakes from the tray in the middle of the set up. "What are the fashions like where you're from?" She asked changing the subject.

"It's nonexistent , almost everything is pre-war and two hundred years doesn't do much into having anything of quality." He stated as he looked down to his rather clean and new looking lab coat and undercoat uniform. "This was only made to make a good impression on coming here. My old lab coat is older than my grandparents, and has more patches than original coat." He stated, to a very nauseated looking Rarity.

"So... there's no fashion industry, no fashionistas?" She asked in disbelief.

"Where can I sign up?" Applejack said with a chuckle.

"Unless you want to die slowly and horribly from radiation or starvation I recommend you stay far away from the Mojave if you know what's good for you." He stated flatly. "Coming over here probably extended my life another few years as it is. It's not a pleasant place to say the least."

"The why doesn't everypony try to fix it?" Fluttershy asked, not looking up from her long mane.

"That would be nice if everyone agreed to that line of thinking." He said. "But people just want to be better than everyone else, and when everyone is looking for power they're not looking for how they can improve things." He said taking a sip from his tea. "But trust me when I saw you don't want to talk about the Mojave Wasteland. It'll make you feel depressed, I should know after thirty six years of living there."

Author's Note:

Sorry, I normally write up my stories in word because it allows easier control over grammar and spelling, but I haven't gotten word on my new computer and won't for another week so I wrote on this website, so sorry if the grammar seems worse than normal