After leaving Vault 13 forever Vault Dweller wanders mysteriously to the lands of Equestria.
Inspirated from 'Wayward Courier' by Tony1685
The master was defeated and the super mutant army was gone. I returned to my dear Vault 13, but the overseer refused me to get in. After the night, i found myself someplace, where the trees had green color, air was fresh and there was peaceful civilization; except it was ponies.
Damn, it has been a long time since I had my beauty sleep. After I left Vault 13, I had always nightmares, from what happened. Cathedral.....Master....Super Mutants......these things were inside of my head, haunting me. Overseer....throwing me out....."Being too different." he says......
But now, I wasn't there anymore. I wasn't at the wasteland. The all changed in one night, like the blink of the eye. I slept that night in a rundown, abandoned house. Now, I was standing in the middle of some small arc; and you wouldn't believe it, but the trees were full of leaves. I stood up and took a closer look, and the trees had apples hanging from their branches. I grabbed one and took a bite. It was fresh and juicy; best of all it didn't have any rads in it. I smiled, but then started to think about what I'd do. I was in the middle of nowhere; it would be impossible for me to find my way back to Southern California. Then I was startled when I heard someone's footsteps echoing nearby. Immediately, I grabbed my 10mm pistol and pointed to the barrel at the source of the sound. When the creature stepped out from the shadows, it didn't appear to be hostile. I sheated my pistol and took a closer look to the creature.
It looked like a baby horse, but it was too small to be even that. It had a light-yellow coat and light-red mane; and strangely enough, it had a large pink ribbon in its mane. After it saw me, it started to back away, staring me like I had the first time I saw the super mutants.
"M-monster!" It screamed and ran away.
Okay, this was strange. It'd just talked. I mean she; she had a voice of a little girl. Regardless of her gender, I quickly ran towards her. If she would yell to the others of her kind that I'm a monster, they all would immediately become hostile towards me.
Applebloom ran fast as her hooves could carry her. She had never seen any kind of monster like that. It was walking on 2 hooves and was wearing so many clothes, and that metal thing that it pointed at her... She couldn't even think about what it would do. She needed get to her big sister to tell her about it. She turned her head and saw that it was running towards her. Applebloom increased her speed, making sure that she would get to safety before it could capture her. As she ran to the left side of the barn, she crashed into her sister.
"Watch it there, Applebloom. Ya'll look like yer tail's on fire." Applejack said.
"Applejack! There's a big scary monster just around that corner." Applebloom cried.
Applejack took a careful look and saw it running towards towards them. Applejack readied her hooves to give it a big kick on its chest.
I saw her disappear behind the barn. Oddly enough, the barn wasn't abandoned or destroyed. It was just a normal barn. I wondered how this species has avoided the Great War. Anyways, I walked around the corner, and-
THUMP!
I went flying back a few meters before I impacted the ground. The pain in my stomach was horrifying. It was same as getting hit with a sledgehammer. I tried to stand up, but the pain made me stay on the ground. Luckily no crippling limbs this time. The one who kicked me put its front legs on my chest and stared into my eyes.
It was another horse (I still don't think that "horse" is the right word, their heads are too big) and it was wearing a cowboy hat! It had a yellow mane and an orange coat; and like the first one, she was feminine. I wonder where all the males are? Or better yet, any humans?
"Did ya tried to take mah little sister?" She asked me. Now was my a chance to speak to someone.
"First of all, I wasn't trying to do that and second, i-"
"So ya can speak after all! Who are ya and what are ya doing here?"
"I could ask the same about you, too."
It was an awkward silence between us, but when I tried to speak first, she started talking.
"Applebloom. Get back inside the house." She said to her sister who willingly went inside the house near the barn.
"And as for ya ah gotta bring ya to Twilight Sparkle." She said, offering her front leg which I used to pull myself up. After that, she demanded that I follow her, and I did. I wouldn't want to make her angry at me, 'cause no one else would listen to me.
After a moment of walking, my stomach started hurt again. The mare looked at me as I struggled along while attempting to ease the pain.
"Hope ah didn't broke any of ya'll limbs" She said awkwardly.
"No, it's not that. Hurts a lot, though."
"A'hm sorry, mister. Mah sister said you're a monster and well ah had to protect the little fella." While she was saying this, I took a Stimpak to heal my wounds.
"What the hay is that?!" She asked, really confused.
"Relax. This is Stimpak and to tell it simple; it heals the wounds."
"Ok.........so, what are ya?"
"I'm human. Haven't seen any other humans? Cause you sure seem to talk like us."
"Nope. A'hm Applejack, by the way." She said and offered a hoof. I grabbed to it and she shook it.
"So what's yer name?" She asked after she let go of my hand.
"Vault Dweller, Wanderer, just pick which one you'll use." I informed her.
"That ain't a real name for anypony." She replied.
So they're ponies. But that's great; the entire land must be full of ponies.
"But that is your choice; either call me Vault Dweller or Wanderer." I said to her.
"Ah choose Wanderer." Applejack smiled. I smiled too.
We arrived to the edge of a little town. When I entered the town, it kinda reminded me of Necropolis: 'The City of the Dead', except not every building was broken. I wondered where everybody was, but, then again, I couldn't care less. I wanted information, not friends.
"Ah hope ya don't bring a trouble here. Everypony seems to scare ya already." Applejack stated.
"Don't worry. I'll prove them, that i'm not a threath. But you said something about a pony called Twilight."
"Ah yes! She would love to know more about ya. Follow mah trail." she started to walk a little faster and i followed her.
A few buildings later we came to a house, that was a tree. I'm not kidding. The treehouse. I felt little uneasy, but i stepped toward the door.
I opened the door and looked inside. It was an ordinary library, a bed next to a window and a violet-coated pony, with sapphire-blue mane with violet & rose streaks and with a horn on her head reading a book. A horn? I couldn't really believe myself. She saw me and quickly gasped. Applejack came inside.
"Twilight, let me introduce ya to-" Applejack managed to say, before she and Twilight disappeared like a flash. I confused and started to look, if they were inside hiding or something.
Twilight & Applejack were teleported back to her house. Applejack was going to protest, but Twilight quickly shove her hoof on her mouth.
"Shh! Be quiet! If that thing is going to find us, who knows what-in-the-name-of-Celestia would happen." Twilight whispered to Applejack, but she pulled Twilight's hoof from her mouth.
"Ya just listen to me now! He isn't dangerous and we must introduce him. Ya were right from Zecora first time, so why not from him?." Applejack growled.
"Because he isn't a pony." Twilight stated.
"Twilight, come on! He's not so different from other good fellows, who aren't ponies." Applejack begged from her.
Twilight knew, that Applejack wasn't the best liar on Equestria and she could see the truth coming from her lips. She sighed.
"Alright then, Applejack. Let's see, if we can trust to him." Twilight said and they both teleported back to see him standing there, more confused.
"Where were you? I just saw you two disappearing and now you're back. Did you use Stealth Boy to sneak away? To leave me alone?" I asked from them. They both looked at me confused.
"No, of course not. It just happened, that Applejack said you're no harm to anypony. Is she correct?" Twilight asked.
I dropped my head. Yes, i wouldn't start to shoot ponies, but any other from California would do that for the meat.
"To tell the truth, no." Twilight looked back to Applejack. "But, i'm not one of my race, who would do that for you." Twilight got interested.
"And why not?"
"You see, the world where i come from is full of death and pain. The resources of food and water is low and there's a rare change to find fresh samples. If one of that world's human would ever step to here, he would had turned you to his meat." I told and i could see shivers on Twilight.
"So, how did you survive from all that and appeared to here?"
"That's a long story, but i will try to put it to short." I said, clearing my troath. My mind started to look back from where it all began.
"So, from my time, there was a "Great War", which happened to clear whole world. Atomic bombs were dropped on the surface and everything was wiped. Still, there were these nice little places to stay safe; underground Vaults. I had a nice life there, until the day, that our water-purification chip we relied on to, was broken. The Overseer, our leader, gathered heatlhy of us and made us to draw straws. I was the one who took the shortest one."
"Just wait a darn minute. What the hay is an 'Overseer'?" Applejack asked.
"Overseer is the one, that plays a role as a mayor inside the Vaults." I answered.
"Ah. That name was just real odd." (I would say same from the ponies names.)
"So, my only clue was to find another Vault, number 15. It was not easy, to walk through the desert, but I could rest, in the settlements. The human race wasn't so rare after all at the wasteland, though, it was suffering. I helped them and they helped me. I learned the way that survival requires work together, even to the ones you wouldn't trust. I did, however, earned trust of 2 citizens of Shady Sands. Thanks to them, I could continue my journey towards Vault 15. But what i saw, was my end. It was on ruins and the way to find the chip, was under ten ton of fallen rock, so I had to find another solution."
"So, you couldn't get along with everyone?" Twilight asked.
"No, it depends from the person. But the rule is that you help another, they help too." I said to her.
"So, I ventured into Junktown and boy, I realised, that doing the good deed sometimes means doing bad things. I acrossed there with the best pal you would ever have, a Dogmeat. I didn't find the chip from there, but I wasn't panicked. I had time, but I needed to hurry on. Still, they pointed me towards the Hub, the largest city in the wasteland. The Hub could be fit into my Vault and you won't see difference from how big it was, but instead than my people, these were desolated. But thankfully, I finally found merchants to hire and bring water back to the Vault. From a little note, I found myself at the city of ghouls, called Necropholis. There, I saw the most hideous thing ever, super mutants, armed with weapons to their theeth. It was sad that I had to lost Ian there, but it was not over; I found the water chip, buried underneath the city. I could go back home."
"Y-yer friend got burned?" Applejack stuttered.
"Yeah. It was not the best moments of my life, but life still goes on and i had a mission to do."
"But wait! What's a ghoul?" Twilight asked.
"Let too much radiation to your body and there you go."
"But that doesn't help anything to describe it."
"Well, it looks like me, except it's skin is very burned and teared off and after a weeks, it's a monster against everyone else but their kind." i said. That was a mistake, cause Twilight frightened from idea to get that radiation to her body.
"The Overseer was happy to get the water back, but he was frightened about descriping the super mutants. Though, this time, I had to leave again. Finding the super mutants leader and finish them from this earth. As I left it again, I decided to look from Hub some clues. Though nothing getting covered, I managed to rescue young man who belonged to Brotherhood of Steel. I decided then to journeyed into this Brotherhood. Though they picked me into a quest before letting in, I completed it with little effort putting on it. Thankfully, I received their information I needed and some of their technology. Though not getting yet to Boneyard, my road ventured to visit in Necropolis. Though, the city was literally dead, super mutants roaming the streets. One of the survivors told they were looking for specific human, meaning me, before dying. It was again, one of the sad moments of my life, but without looking back, I headed towards Boneyard."
"How could anyone kill somepony? That's horrifying!" Twilight shouted and was close to tears.
"Twilight. It's not your world. It's my world and i promise, that this won't happen to you." I tried to cheer her up and it worked a little.
"The city of Los Angeles was really dead, telling the truth, as there wouldn't be more disturbing place to see. I took my chance and killed foes and helped fellow friends. Getting inside, I stole an outfit of my enemy and dressed like him, getting myself deeper into underground bunker. It was horrifying, as the flesh inside there was not just gross, it was sentient, living. Inside the chamber was the Master, the one, who created super mutants, in his gruesome form. Without doubts, I ended him, letting super mutant army to crumble without the leader."
"That must have been disgusting sight to see." Applejack said.
"Yeah, but back there, i didn't have choice to watch that abomanation. I destroyed him, before his plans could succeed."
"Though, my job wasn't over. The army was still made, dipping humans into vat and forming them into super mutants. But I didn't stop. I bursted my way inside of the place where they made them and finished every one of those bastards, but in the cost of Dogmeat. I miss him very much. But his life wasn't put on empty rail, I managed to destroy the vats, finally ending Master's army."
"Ah have a dog too called Wiona. It must be sad to lose someone so close to ya." Applejack said.
"Yeah, but i had done it. I did the right thing. I killed them, who would have killed us or turned us to them." I replied.
"Though, returning victorious, getting into Vault 13, I saw Overseer there, congratulating me from what I have done. But instead giving a reward or praise, he simply pointed me out. I was too different, he said. I was really holding back tears. All of my things...was to get banished from my home. I simply walked away, looking back a little, before deciding to find a place to rest. After waking up, well, here I am."
"That was crueling, horrifying and most disturbing story ever! But still...You did the great thing, I guess..." Twilight cheered me.
"Indeed. Now, would you please tell me any kind of place I could storage my weapons?" I asked.
10mm pistol. Always useful for tiny insects and animals. Minigun, the best weapon for a mass raid. Super sledge, fly farther than from the sledgehammer and hurts as more. And finally, The Power fist, powered by small energy cells, it gives a good shock to my hostiles. Twilight and Applejack gasped, when i demonstrated, how the gun works. I really didn't guess, that one bullet would do a hole size of my head, when i shot on the wall.
"Listen, mister...." Twilight said, but of course, i didn't introduce myself to her.
"Vault Dweller or Wanderer." I said.
"True name."
"Twilight, everyone keeps saying me from both of those titles, so i really don't have a true name."
"Oh. Well, Vault Dweller, i'm afraid i must take your weapons away. They're far too dangerous at here and besides, we never need to use something like that. We solve the problems using our words, not these." she said and grabbed the weapons with somekind of mist flying around them, levitating them to a safe. She locked it, which seems to be an avergarge lock, so i would have some challenge to unlock and retrieve my weapons.
"How do you do that?" I asked.
"What?" Twilight was confused.
"That...levitation thing."
"It's just a normal magic spell."
"Magic?"
"You don't know what is magic? Magic is our unicorns power to peform spells, like the levitation or teleportation, which i used and not a some stealth boy. What is even a stealth boy?" Twilight asked.
"The RobCo Stealth Boy 3001 is a personal stealth device worn on one's wrist. It , makes a person much harder to notice but not completely invisible." i explained.
"That's some fancy stuff ya got there, but the weapons must stay, for our safety. If ya don't mind, ah go back to the farm. Darn apples can't be sold, if there's nopony to sell them." Applejack said and left the unicorn and human alone.
"So, what about you, Twilight? Would you mind to tell me something about this town?" I asked.
"Well, as far you know my friend, Applejack, i have too Rarity, Rainbowdash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Spike." she answered.
"Spike? Sound's like a dogs name."
"Sorry, but he's a dragon."
"A dragon?"
"Never heard of dragons? Scaly, fire-breathing animals, which are the one dangerous species in Equestria?"
"Nope. The only dangerous thing in my world is Deathclaw. Everyone scares the name for a reason."
"I see." Twilight rolled her eyes. "So, about my friends, there's an unicorn Rarity. Almost like me, but she's more interested in fashion than knowledge. Then there's Pinkie Pie. She runs a shop called Sucarcube corner, where she bakes delicious treats for all of us."
"How many bottlecaps does one treat pays?" i asked, as my stomach started to feel empty.
"Bottlecaps? We don't use that kind of currency. We use real gold pieces called bits." Twilight show one shiny coin in front of me.
"So, there's two pegasusses, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash's mane is by her name, rainbow and she's boasting herself often from things she has done. Fluttershy is the kindest pony here in Equestria and wouldn't even hurt a fly." "And that's my friends here at Ponyville." Twilight finished.
"Is there change to meet this friends of yours?" I asked from curiosity, to see what they were.
"I think it's possible, but they never had seen you, so they would be a bit jumpy or worse, aggressive towards you."
"I don't really care. You and Applejack learned to trust you. Why wouldn't they do the same?"
"You got the point. Let's then get going." Twilight said, opened the door and we both stepped outside from the library.
I stepped outside to see this world. I was really having strange emotions, not anymore this pure fear or hatred, but something calm and relaxing. Was it because I am going to lose my mind or is this really a place for me to live my whole lifetime? Either way, i decided to follow Twilight Sparkle, as my stomach screamed for food. The town was empty, like many other at Wasteland, but here, they were really haunting me.
"Umm, Twilight, you happen to know about the residents of this........?"
"Ponyville, you mean? Yes, i know many of us, like me, weren't so nice for strange creatures like you....."
"I'll take that as a compliment...."
"Right, so here, this is Sugarcube Corner!" Twilight pointed her hoof on the strange building. I sighed and stepped inside, only to be scared by a pink pony.
"HI THERE, FELLAW!!" She shouted to me.
"What the?"
"???" What happened was that both of us were staring each other, eye-to-eye. Me, because of her sudden appearance, she, well, because she saw me. Pink pony walked next to Twilight.
"Twilight, how come you keep dragging here strange creatures?" she said.
"Ahem......this is Lone Wanderer, Pinkie Pie. Lone Wanderer, this is Pinkie Pie." Twilight introduced us. I looked at Pinkie Pie, who was almost smiling all the time. I couldn't help but smile myself too. I offered my hand. She startled a little, before she decided to shake my hand.
"Friend?" I asked.
"Friend! This deserves a biiig Parteeh!" She shouted like she wouldn't know what's indoor volume. My stomach was now hurting from hunger.
