Fallout Equestria: A Changeling Perspective

The Crystal Empire had been a country under Equestria's control since before the war. Though it wasn't an actual empire, more like a single city, it kept it's separate rights from Equestria by the fact it had it's own pair of rulers, princess Cadence, and prince Shining armor. The former, who was related to Princess Celestia by adoption, had abstained from the War when it had started between the ponies and Zebras. Instead, she had took it upon herself to offer safe refuge for members of both sides who didn't want to side with either nation.

At first it had been a small trickle of Ponies and Zebras that joined the Crystal Empire's inhabitants of Crystal Ponies, but as the war grew, and slowly became more extreme that trickle had turned into a tide and soon enough the Crystal Empire had swollen with refuges that the Empire had to regularly extend their fields and city in able to deal with the influx of population that soon near tripled the number of ponies who had lived there originally.

What was of interest however was that both nations continually threatened the Empire halfway into the war, and demanded the artifact that kept it safe, lest it be used as a weapon. Princess Cadence had also been known by another Title, and her cutiemark had apparently reflected that as the Princess of Love. The artifact in question was the Heart of her empire, a power that prevented evil from breaching it's nonexistent walls and prevented violence from occurring on purpose as long as the original inhabitants were happy. One thing was known however, it was the largest source of love in recorded history and Operations to steal the heart hadn't succeed since some pony known as Sombrero or something had stolen it a thousand years prior to that.

During the final days of the war the Crystal heart had vanished, and chaos ran amok as both sides began to hurl everything they had at everything, including the Empire. But it wasn't necessarily dead then. The Crystal Heart had disappeared, and Grey was more than certain it was still somewhere within their ruins far far to the north and past the mountains. However this lead to a problem, getting there.

Judging from our map we would have to make a stop to the large void in my Vanhoover map known as 'The Hole' for supplies and then traverse several smaller settlements in order to reach the town of 'Scuttle Mine' which resided at the border between the two wasteland nations. Though after that point my map cut short, we would have to find the Crystal empire ourselves rather than relying on my pipbucks map. Cait mentioned the Hole had one of the largest markets in the wasteland along our paths, only furthering our need to head to the large tower. Though if the news was anything to go by, there was also that radio host that filled the primary radio channel that always seemed to be in range, Mr. Hoofington.

We were still resting in the tomb of some rich pony who's name was too faded to read while the rain poured down, and a excited air was filled as we had a place to go, though Grey's enthusiasm amounted to changing his death glare to a pointed stare of mild disappointment to everything. I fiddled with the idea that he was trying to shame the rocks into withering down, but they ignored him, because they were rocks. It was a hard thing to get Grey to smile, during the early days of training he always bore a scowl or a grimace while we ordered us about with as few words as possible. It had begun a running joke with the few members of the Caste I had left back then that whoever made him smile must be a goddess of battle since his expectations of us were higher than he gave us credit for.

I turned on the radio, the gentle voice of a stallion singing a drawn out, "-st want to set a flame, in your heart." before it ended, I must of caught the end of it, sad.

Soon after the still silky smooth voice of Mr. Hoofington rang throughout the room as he began to speak, "Welcome back to the program. This is Mr. Hoofington, and I hope I'm not coming on too strong. If you like news, then you're gonna love our next segment."

Cait and Grey trotted over and sat down as he continued, "A few days ago a Balefire explosion was seen a bit south of the Eternal Flame, the occupants, a small army of animated machines were destroyed and the Cause was our very own Lovebug and Sentinel. A mare in orange however was seen shortly after it had gone off exiting the crater and sweet Luna was she mad. In other words you can expect an easier time traversing to and from the Eternal Flame in the south with the new absence of hostile machines. Thank's Lovebug."

Cait chuckled drawing a look of interest from Grey and he explained, "That's us. Sentinel and Lovebug that is."

Grey rose an eyebrow incredulously, "You two blew up a building full of machines?"

Cait opened his mouth to speak but I interrupted, "Shhh he's speaking!"

Cait chuckled and Grey rolled his eyes but let it be as Mr. Hoofington kept talking, "I've got more news for you. Citizens of north eastern Vanhoover are flocking to the Hole in droves amid a wave of terror caused by a dozen or so Brutes of Doc Smiles in the settlement of Blue Range. What they want there however is unknown. Now for one last segment of the news for you all, Steel Rangers have been spotted massacring raiders, slavers, monsters, and honest civilians alike around the outpost of Scuttle Mine. The local militia and inhabitants have been scattered and the sounds of the machines there have begun once again. Celestia have mercy on our poor planet. Now here's Sweetie belle with the soothing song of 'Heaven's Belle'."

The soothing voice of a mare began to reverberate through the room in a calming melody as Cait stood up and left the room, heading deeper into the crack and hole filled tomb in silence. I found it strange but before I could move to join him Grey had grabbed me, "13. Where in the world did you find a megaspell to blow that building up?"

I shook my head, "It was Cait that found it, but a robot that was in charge of the place was the reason it had detonated and blew the facility sky high."

He narrowed his eyes, "That's what he told you?"

"If it helps I heard a bit of it on the intercom too." I added, not quite get what he was getting at.

Grey looked back off to where Cait had went in thought before turning back to me, "Mind telling me if your Coltfriend finds any more dangerous toys?"

"He's not my Coltfriend..." I muttered under my breath and under his unwavering gaze I sighed and made a cross motion over my chest before gesturing to my eye while muttering, "Fine. Cross my hooves and hope to fly, stick a bullet in my e- ow."

I was interrupted as I accidentally poked my poor eye with a hoof. I rubbed my now shut eye and Grey rolled his eyes, "Get over it you wuss." He stood up, apparently satisfied with the conversation and I sank down to sleep for the rest of the night. I could ask Cait what was wrong in the morning, and I drifted off into deep slumber, the embrace of unconsciousness claiming me again, almost like a dream orb. But it was interrupted as a large flat thing made my cheek wet. I drowsily opened my eyes seeing Scrapyard standing over me, and I rolled over, "Hey Scraps..." I yawned, momentarily showing off my tiny white fangs that adorned my mouth, "What do you want?"

Scrapyard licked me again, causing me to be momentarily shut my eyes or else get saliva in my eye and wipe it off as he moved to lay next to me, "A bit Lonely I guess?" getting no response from Scrap. I giggled quietly, "Guess that's alright, I know how you feel."

I adjusted myself back onto my side and rested my head back on the small pillow I had borrowed from the hotel. What? It was too heavenly to leave there in that room and there were spares! Scrapyard rested his head onto his paws and I watched him for a while as he stared out into the rain, "I think it's pretty lucky Cait has a friend like you." I told him and he tilted his head to me, no doubt because I said his masters name, "you seem to always be trailing after him and keeping him safe from harm, to be perfectly honest, I'm a tad bit jealous."

It wasn't unnecessarily false, during the few skirmishes we had during our travels Cait had left his flank exposed during the few encounters of fighting we had encountered, and Scrapyard had ended up covering for him while I was busy dealing with the further back gun totting raiders. Scrap licked me again and I made another giggle, "Thank's Scrapyard, nice to know i'm your friend too." I ruffled the fur on his head earning a few more licks and a nuzzle. I laughed and told him to stop, his tongue was rough and I was ticklish. Soon enough, almost too soon, we drifted off to sleep, this time with a smile on our faces.

The blackness of unconciousness gave way for a dream, the familiar circular room of the Arena but its roof was gone in favor of a cloudy sky. I eyed my surroundings, and all around us were various changelings of all shapes and sizes lined up in front of each class, next to me was 28 and 17. I was smaller than last time and we were all grinning like crazy.

I nudged 28 to get his attention before asking him, "Whats going on?"

28 shook his head and pointed at the red siren lights that decorated the edge of the seating area where ponies watched the fights, "Someling escaped the Stable."

"Someling?" my mind drew a questioning glance that apparently gave way to 28 as he chuckled.

"Yep, seems someling escaped so they're making sure no one else left. Wonder why they would though, this place is safe and comfortable compared to what we have heard about the outside."

I looked towards a Scientist, he was dressed in black dirty power armor and was holding a clipboard between two metal tentacles. Director Maul was calling on each of our teachers for a head count and Professor Grey, our teacher, was missing. Instead Director Maul sighed and pressed a button from a terminal and the floor dropped out from under us. Darkness surrounded us as the floor shut above us. Now it was only me and 28. He was slumped in a small pile before he shook his head and stood up, his horn lighting up just enough to give us a dim glow on the plain grey flooring around us.

28 grinned, "Or it is test time it seems." and he dashed off with a grin, a rapidly receding light down a hallway before he rounded a corner.

"Wait!" I called off, not wanting to be alone, my own magic hadn't developed yet, and I ran after him. When I rounded my corner I saw he was on the other end of the hallway, before my eyes he was waiting just beyond the blackness, where it abruptly turned into lush green grass and he was standing in what looked like a perfect paradise of forestry that I had only seen once before, but I couldn't recall where. "Wait for me!" I called as I ran for him.

He smiled and waited, as I ran but slowly he began to become smaller as I ran towards him. The green gradually turning to red as before my eyes several scientists wearing medical scrubs and masks over their mouthes came into view from behind him, and I wanted to shout out a warning but it caught in my throat. I tried to lunge but fell as I saw his small sad grin before he turned to leave with them. I felt heavy, too heavy.

Darkness... feeling returned to my limbs and I felt a small amount of drool coming from the corner of a mouth. Still felt heavy, I tried to move, groaning with the effort before realizing someone, or something was ontop of me. "Ge'off..." I mumbled sleepily to whatever the heavy weight was, only to feel it get heavier.

I chirped in annoyance and tried pressing against it but failed as it was heavier than I could lift. I was a tall Changeling, not a very strong one and this weight was more than I could handle. I highly doubt infact that I could of picked up an adult pony let alone whatever was atop of me. I chirped again, this time in frustration and cracked open my eyes to see Cait looking down at me and that the heavy weight atop of me was Scrapyard who was grinning like a goofball as he sat on my back. I tried formulating a retort, something witty or angry perhaps. "whadayawan?" I muttered unsuccessfully trying to pull a hoof out to rub an eye.

Smooth 13... Cait chuckled, unphased by my butchering of the equestrian language and pointed a hoof at me, "Your shift, from three to six." he moved around to where he had set up his own bag, "Have fun." I gave him my best glare, but it only came across as drowsy.

Did I ever mention I was not a morning bug? With a few minutes I managed to worm myself out from under Scrapyard who was smiling all the while before he claimed my bag and I grabbed my hat and set up Ambush before heading outside to go and do the most glorious role in military history, sentry duty.

My brain was just sarcastic this morning. I flitted out my wings and flew onto a roof, the momentary dim glow hardly mattering in the dim light the early morning clouds gave me. Already I missed the confines of my sleeping bag, but at least the chill cold air helped in waking me up. I began to scan the area for any signs of life and got nothing. I looked in another direction, still nothing but the grey and brown remains of the wastelands and the few thousand graves that surrounded us. Way too much cover around, but if there had been anything around it probably would of attacked us by now during the middle of the night rather than waiting for my shift. Still however, I wasn't just going to be irresponsible in case by some chance something else came by.

I kept scanning for another half hour but by then I had grown bored. Looking at the same graves over and over again lost it's sense of importance after the thousandth time and my mind began to wander. No 13, wandering bad. I sighed and continued for another five minutes... My mind wandered to the dream and I earlier before I forced myself to return to carefully scanning a distant speck of tombstone through my scope for movement. That's right... keep you're attention off distractions.

To my surprise a machine finally rolled up into view a few seconds later. It was the same size as a Changeling Foals head, and four wings which kept it afloat. Several antenna were attached it as typical of a Sprite-bot and as it drew closer I could hear the faint sounds of energetic music coming from the bot. I raised my rifle and paused, watching it for any hostile intent from the robot but it simply took a right turn once it had halved the distance between us and began anew in another direction. I frowned and resumed scanning the wastelands, ignoring the thing as it paraded about. Eventually there came silence and I scanned back over, my ears twitching from a faint breeze of the wind as I returned my attention to the direction of the Sprite-bot.

Nothing. I paused, wondering where it had went and looked around with my scope for where the thing had went before shrugging. Not my problem if the thing went away, I turned around to check the back again and immediately found a large grey hole filled speaker inches from my face. I chirped in alarm falling backwards onto my rump as the Sprite-bot hovered there silently a meter off the ground and slowly tilted towards me. How in the name of Celestia's plushy flank was that thing so quiet? I noticed it tilted it's lowest attachment, a small rod with a external tube attached to it. I didn't recongise the design, I wasn't far enough along in my education to know everything about this bot, but I could tell it was a energy weapon based on it's similarity to the laser pistols we had once used in training.

I prepared myself to dodge but suddenly a mechanical crackle emitted from the Sprite-bot and a monotonous voice stated a query, "Are you related to the hive of Chrysalis?"

I gave it a blank look, i'm pretty sure my textbooks never said anything about these things talking. But as the energy weapon on it's bottom began to heat up I bluntly asked, "Who now?"

This gave the Sprite-bot pause, and I could see the weapon's glow dim down as it considered the statement, and asked another question, "What hive are you from?"

I scratched my head, "I used to be part of Stable 103 if you're asking that, but I think they no longer want me alive there unless I'm enslaved so I don't think I am in a hive anymore." I told him that, wording it out as I thought about it.

Ambush was still next to me, but I dared not try firing it at him less he shoot back. My armor was meant for low to medium caliber bullets, not lasers or plasma. My awnser didn't satisfy the robot however as it retorted, "Who's side are you on then? What factions are you allied with?"

I thought again, but having the barrel of a energy weapon pointed at me was really not helping, and at this range... I'd be beyond lucky if he missed. So I gave his question an answer, "I am on nobody's side, no factions either, because nobody is on my side but my friends." I told him as levelly as possible.

I wanted that thing's gun out of my face. It was uncomfortably close now, slowly drifting closer, so I added before he poked me in the eye, "Mind getting that gun out of my face?"

"What? Oh." the Sprite-bot replied and backed up a few paces, giving me some breathing room at least, "So what you're telling me is, that you're a Changeling from stable 103 who left her hive? Why would you do that and what are you trying to do?"

I gave him a flat stare, the child in me was finding this robot rather rude, "Hi I'm experiment 1993-13, also known as Aria Web and Lovebug if you go by the radio." I stated bluntly, adding an extra emphasis on the word 'experiment', "As for why I left, put two and two together about the lovely digits in my name."

"So you're a drone then." The voice stated stupidly. Wow it was it really that oblivious?

It tried to continue on but I interrupted him, "Not 'Drone'. Experiment." I stated again, this was a rather sour topic for me, for obvious reasons. I completely hated my stable for what the scientists had done to every Pony and Changeling inside it, "As in, born in a test tube experiment of D N something or other and modfied by earth pony scientists as an attempt to make a Celestia damned army."

My regular quiet voice had given over for a slightly louder and far more angry tone of voice. Talking to dumb robots was another matter than ponies. Let alone him calling me of all things a drone, that term was not only racist but implied that I didn't have a mind of my own, "and watch who your calling a drone you load of circuits!"

The bot remained motionless but then a few moments later it chuckled, "What's so funny?" I glared at it indignantly.

"Ah, sorry, sorry." the voice replied, "It's just usually I'm good at first asumptions, I thought you were a spy for some hive trying to wreck more chaos onto the wastelands. I'm Watcher by the way and I'll admit you're rather different then the other bugs I've run across."

My anger vanished instantly like a cat who had found a ball of yarn after failing to catch a mouse, "Other's?" I asked him, "There's other Changelings out here?"

Watcher paused, "Yes but that's not important right now considering they are far and few and scattered throughout the wasteland. I've been watching you for a while and I wanted to-"

I held a hoof up, interrupting him, "You've been watching me?" I asked him. A bit alarmed by the prospect of having a stalker, "Why?"

"I was getting to that." the voice replied, still monotone and tinny sounding, but I could imagine it was a bit irritated itself, which served it right, but after a moment it continued, "As I was saying, I wanted to see how you interacted with the world before passing judgement on what kind of..." the voice paused as if bickering with itself about words, it finally settled on one a few seconds later, resuming as if nothing had happened, "bug-pony... you are."

I could withstand the comments of being a bug-pony, in a kind of way it was true considering our vastly different biology when compared to the average pony. Having an extremely flexible and mold-able chitin instead of fur and a skeleton that of an average pony thanks to the exoskeleton didn't help either. I waited and he continued on speaking, "And I've decided to give you a chance and some advice since you're new to the Equestrian Wasteland. But you seem to already have a majority of them down."

"And what exactly do I 'have down'?" I quoted him, still staring at the motionless hovering robot

Seriously, how did it stay hovering without flapping those wings? Were they just moving so fast that they appeared still? No, that would be ridiculous. My attention refocused on watcher's tinny voice as he answered, "Friends, Weapons, and Armor. Though what you're still missing is a virtue and your main objective out here."

"Virtue?" I asked him, and Watcher sighed.

"A Virtue is a trait that defines somepony, or in your case, some....ling?" I nodded and he continued, "like the bearers of the elements of harmony. Rainbow Dash was loyalty because her most defining trait was giving firm support to her friends, Applejack was honesty because she tried to never lie, and Pinkie pie was laughter for being well... Pinkie Pie."

I deadpanned, "So what your saying here is that everypony must have a trait?" The sprite bot nodded, "Isn't that a tad bit stereotypical?"

"Huh?"

I sighed, "I mean, it seems rather shallow to define someone entirely off one word. Was Applejack nothing but honest throughout her life? Not dependable as she was displayed in history books or steadfast in her beliefs?"

"Well uh..." Watcher started, and I could tell he was slowing himself down so a child could understand him, "Yes she was but..." it paused trying to phrase it, "But her most remarkable trait was still honesty... It might not make any sense to you now, but it will later on. A virtue is also something a pony can hold onto to keep themselves sane after everything the wasteland can throw at you."

"Well if I find out what my virtue is, i'll let you know." I gave Watcher a dismissive gesture of a hoof, "Though why else are you here?"

"Pardon?" Watcher replied.

I gave him my best unamused-scientist face, same one my teachers would give fellow members of my caste when they did something stupid, "I doubt you are just here to question my faction and start a debate, what do you want?"

Watcher paused, and for a while I thought he had shut off, then the tinny voice came back again and started slowly, "I need a favor done, but since you're in the area..."

"And why should I trust a floating sprite-bot using tinny voice that I met less than a half an hour ago with doing a favor?" I asked him.

"Because, I could help you in return for the aide you give me and you're a Changeling happening to be heading the same direction as the job I need done."

I sighed, "Not agreeing to anything until I know what you want from me tin colt. Still don't have a reason to trust you, considering you almost shot me in the face at point blank earlier."

"Watcher." the sprite-bot droned on, "and I need you to recover a datafile for me from a 'HighHoof Industry'. As for why you should trust me, Haven't shot you yet have I?"

"Good point." I grumbled, "Fine, but don't think i'll do it for free."

"Wouldn't dream of it, so how about this, I'll give you something in return, your choice. Be it a weapon, armor, or just information and I'll see to it that it gets to you accordingly."

"Deal then." I muttered to the robot, I hated science. Probably because most- no, all, of the scientists I've met have been completely and utterly mad or treated their experiments like objects rather than ponies or changelings.

"The Data file should be somewhere in the upper office floors, I'll check back in a while once your pipbuck reads that the mission has been completed. Uploading objective data now.

"Long words, blah blah." I muttered under my breath.

"What?" Watcher replied to me, apparently I hadn't been quiet enough or he had been paying extra attention to my lips as I had muttered.

"Nothing at all." I lied to it, not wanting to get shot by the machine. Seriously, the whole hiding behind a sprite-bot thing was creepy to me. Reminded me too much of a scientist, and I hated scientists.

The sprite-bot eyed me for a while with the majority of it's body before watcher replied, "Well then, if that's all I'll be off."

It crackled and began to play polka music again, not even bothering to give me a chance to respond as it floated past me and back into the graveyard behind me. Alrighty then, so accepting a creepy mission from a creepy voice to go into a creepy ex-business and rob it of creepy files for said creepy voice. What could possibly go wrong?

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Xp Footnote: 75% until level up.