Revelations

        Jason thought about Li's words. His father wasn't simply a doctor from Vault 101, but someone who cared for the Wasteland future. Even though James lied to him, Jason had to thank his dad for getting him out of his boring life. The Wanderer could just read the same comic a thousand times, or practice his shooting in the same place.

        After nothing more than 20 minutes, the group found the Memorial. Big pipes sticking out of it, ending in the Tidal Basin. Platforms with some patrolling Super-Mutants. This last sight made Jason pick his sniper rifle off the Pipboy, and aim towards them. "Before you kill those things right there, could you tell us what they are, darling?" Rarity asked him, obviously provoking Jason about his earlier battle with the raiders. Jason sighed irritated:

"Super-Mutants. People who were infected by a virus, had their size doubled and strength increased, but became mindless. Their favorite pastimes are mutilation and, well, killing." Jason looked again at his scope. When he pulled the trigger, the Mutant's head exploded gruesomely, blood splattering everywhere. Fluttershy whined at the horrendous sight, before hiding her face into Twilight's chest. "Fluttershy, just don't look at the corpses, please. It's better for you." He realized how difficult it was for them. They came from peaceful world, and now are trapped in a cruel Wasteland. However, he could do nothing but to protect them. God knows what would happen to them if Jason dumped the girls in Megaton or another city.

        Another Super-Mutant came to investigate the dead body, only to be shot in the head, falling over his comrade body. "I think it's all clear now." The girls followed Jason, stopping shortly at a green door. A sign nearby said 'Gift Shop'. Jason opened the door and immediately crouched. "Hey! Get down or they will see you girls!" He whispered, alarming them about the dangers that could be lurking inside. They walked down the hallway, and took cover behind a wall. The Wanderer tucked his head to see what was awaiting them: 3 Super-Mutants. "Great. AJ and Rainbow, come over here." The Wanderer whispered. "Help me take those guys down." They stared at each other for seconds. Finally, Rainbow said:

"But we never killed somepony before..." Her comment made Jason feel angry, but he tried to keep calm. "Can't Dogmeat and ya take 'em down, sugarcube?" Asked Applejack, clearly showing her fear of killing. "No, because they're too tall for Dogmeat jump on their necks, and all my higher-grade weapons are low in ammo, and this rifle is slow. Please."

"Then, just teach us how to use those things." Rainbow commented, incredibly determined. The Lone Wanderer furrowed his eyebrows at her:

"Just aim at their heads and pull the trigger. Let's do it. Three, two, one..." His voice was muffled by three loud shots, leading the three unaware mutants to the ground. This made Applejack and Rainbow feel strongly guilty for their deaths. "Don't worry, I felt the same way in my first time. Though, they're better dead than mutilating our corpses." Jason tried to reassure them. However, they were still in shock. As they ventured through the Memorial darkened halls, The Wanderer and his dog looked closely for any holodisks or notes about his father. When they reached the rotunda, two Super-Mutants, one armed with a sledgehammer and the other with a hunting rifle, immediately noticed them.

        Jason got rid of the armed one, but the mutant with the sledgehammer rushed incredibly fast at them, hitting Twilight in the arm, sending the unarmed girl helplessly through the air, before landing violently on the ground.

"Twilight!!" Jason shouted, worried, and shot the offending mutant. He ran to see if the girl was okay. She lifted her head to see her friends worried looks. Twilight let out a small whine in pain. "M-My arm... I can't move... it." Jason looked at her arm as if he was a medic. "Hell, that guy beat you hard. I think I'll have to 'fix' it. Don't move for God's sake." The Wanderer then held her arm, and swung it, giving a painful "crack" sound. Twilight screamed in pain, and glanced painfully at Jason, moving her arm again. "Thanks, Jason." She thanked him. "It's nothing really. My dad is a medic, so I learned many things about medicine with him."

        The group walked around the Rotunda, and found a small pile of holodisks. "Perfect" Jason whispered as he collected them. Giving a closer look, he saw that they had small pieces of paper, with "Project Purity journal" written on it, alongside with numbers 1, 3 and 5. Jason stored them inside his Pipboy for future hearing. They returned to the Gift Shop, and followed Jason, who alongside Dogmeat neared a metal door. Before The Wanderer opened it, he warned:

"Let's be more careful now, so nobody gets hurt or even killed."

        Jason pressed the button, and the door opened with some metallic sounds, before disappearing underground. This led them to a staircase. After going downstairs, Jason saw two Super-Mutants. He signaled to the two armed girls, who understood him almost immediately. They shot the mutants in the head, letting them fall flat on their faces. "You guys are getting better. Just remember that I'm not trying to turn you girls into killers or murderers, I'm teaching you how to survive." Jason said trying to comfort the other girls, who now feared their own friends. They entered the large room, and examined it as The Lone Wanderer looted the corpses for ammo and money. Rarity found a gore bag, and almost puked at the horrendous sight. "What... the hay are these?" She asked, putting her hand at her mouth. "Gore bags. Where they store all the remains of their victims." Jason replied, with his tone sounding overly serious.

        At a small table, another pile of holodisks were found. 4 this time, and named 'Project Purity personal journal', numbers 1, 4 and 8. "Man, dad really liked to record himself talking alone." Jason whispered, ironically referring about the large number of audio logs he found. Descending another set of staircases, the group found themselves in the 'living quarters' of the purifier. Several rooms that resembled bedrooms. Jason entered each of them, looking for clues. He occasionally found his father's room, filled with bottles of scotch and another pile of holodisks. "Finally, I think those are the last. Let's go girls, back to the surface."

"At least, I'll see the Sun's glorious light again!" Rarity commented exaggeratedly.

"Ah, Rarity. It's been 20 minutes since we were up there." Jason replied, glancing weirdly at her.

        After leaving the purifier with (probably) no survivors, the group walked towards the Wasteland, again.

"Why are we returning to the desert?" Twilight asked him

"I don't really know. Maybe..." His response was lifted away from his thoughts. 'Let me hear those audio logs." He thought quickly and pressed 'play in his Pipboy (Another fact that Jason didn't know how it worked). But the first ones were just about his father talking about the project progression.

"God, this is getting me nowhere. Maybe those personal ones are..." He was interrupted by his father voice on the log, talking about his son. James commented on how he was now 'handsome, intelligent and headstrong' before saying that he didn't need his father anymore. This nearly brought tears to The Wanderer's eyes. Jason now realized how much he missed him. The next one didn't help, and another talked about a drunken night in the vault. But the eighth got his attention. James mentioned someone named Stanislaus Braun, the same man that Li told him. Jason increased his attention. The tenth was the last, but the most important. James talked about Vault 112, that was hidden in a garage, in the middle of the Wasteland.

"So that's were we are headed to!" Jason commented, but saw that the sun was setting on the horizon. "Or maybe tomorrow. Let me just find somewhere safe to set camp."

        Twilight neared him and said:

"Jason, you're pretty mature for someone of your age. Really"

"Yes, I am... Wait, how do you know that I'm 19?"

"This thing on your wrist has your age right here." She pointed at the Pipboy.

"Umm. you're very eagle-eyed to see something so tiny. And yes, I'm mature because this hellhole made me spend 2 weeks thinking and talking alone. It's tough to maintain your sanity in this loneliness."

        The group stopped under a decaying bridge. Jason took the sleeping bags off his wrist-computer and gave them to the girls. The Wanderer took some wooden planks off a pile of rubble and created another campfire. After lighting it up, Rainbow said:

"Finally, I'll get some rest. I am beat!"

        They sat around the campfire. Applejack and Rainbow were at Jason's side, while the others were at the opposite side.

"AJ and Rainbow, I have to admit, you two are very good at shooting, considering that you girls 'started' today."

"Ahnn, thanks Jason. But you're really better." Rainbow replied at her. His response was a chuckle.

"I see that you're feeling bad for killing those guys, aren't you?" The Lone Wanderer asked the same question again, this time expecting answers. "Ah think yes, partner. We never did somethin' like that back in Equestria. However, if this is for our survival, Ah will do whatever it takes to stay alive." Jason looked impressed at her confidence."Me too," Rainbow completed.

        At the other side, Twilight was talking with Fluttershy about their time in the wicked Wasteland, But for a moment, Twilight started to stare at Jason's brown eyes, shining a bright orange that reflected from the campfire. She stared at him for seconds that felt like hours. A strange feeling took over her heart. However, she came back to reality as Fluttershy shook her arm trying to get her attention.

"Twilight, a-are you alright?"

"Yes Fluttershy, I zoned out for a moment. Sorry." Twilight replied and thought 'What the hay was that? Am I getting in love with a human? No, no, no it can't be this!'

         Late in the night, the girls began to lay inside their sleeping bags, resting after a tiring day. Jason extinguished the campfire with dirty water. The camp was surrounded with a pale light. Jason sat down, alongside Dogmeat, and gazed at the Moon. He meditated about the situation that he was involved. "Dogmeat, in what we got ourselves into?" His dog replied with a low whine. Suddenly a voice called him from behind:

"Jason? Can I talk with you?" It was Twilight. She sat down at his side. This made Jason remember their talk in the morning.

"Yes. What is it?"

"I need to tell you the truth about how we came here." She said reluctantly.

"Well, then tell me." Jason allowed her to explain

"As I told you, I was a unicorn, so I could use magic. I was trying a spell, but things gone wrong. So here we are."

"But what about the people back at your land? Won't they miss you?"

"That's is complicated to explain, but I'll try. When I was teleported, I was 'replaced' by another 'me', that kept doing things that I would do if I wasn't transported here. Got it?"

"Yeees... maybe. However, go to sleep. You look very tired. And give that arm a rest." He pointed at her arm. and returned to gaze at the Moon. Some minutes later, Jason put himself inside his sleeping bag, meditating again about those events that were changing his life. The Moon's light shined at the Wasteland, while the group rested peacefully. Little they knew about the problems that were awaiting them...