The Wanderer, the Eccentric, and the Diva

The wasteland certainly loves to give me giant fuck yous doesn’t it? I stand over the bodies of two creatures, if I remembered correctly they were ponies. I used the barrels of Eugene to poke one of the bodies, getting it to roll over and sigh, almost as if it was tickled.

“Okay so what the hell are these two…?” I mutter to myself, both of them really stood out amongst the barren look of the wastes, pink and alabaster were two colors one rarely saw here in the wasteland. I holster Eugene, the large minigun easily attaching to the slot on the back of my armor. Quickly picking up the two of them, which to my surprise weren’t as heavy as I thought they were going to be, I turn and start the walk back to Megaton, with the two ponies draped on each of my shoulders.

The only thing I could think to say is, “Moira is going to have a field day with these two…” I almost sigh, at the trouble I was going to cause for both the animals and myself by bringing them near the woman, who so far has been quite helpful in my endeavors but quite a pain in my ass with her book she wants help with, mainly for the fact I had to have most of my body crippled in the name of the greater good.

Upon reaching the gates of Megaton, I’m let inside and greeted by the usual people I came across on my way to my home. Entering, Wadsworth is floating down the stairs.

“Ah hello Sir I see you’ve returned early from your expedition. And you seem to have come back with company…” I take the two ponies and set them down, quickly moving to remove my heavier armor and replace it with my simple duster I wore when not actively doing anything beyond Megaton or the cleared path to GNR or the Citadel. Tucking the armor and Eugene into the corner next to my workbench, I grab the Blackhawk and place it in the hip holster, I tried to always carry some kind of weapon.

“Yes, I found them over by the Mart, they’re really odd aren’t they.” I tell my butler as I kneel next to the two of them, starting a closer examination.

“And this one seems to be mutated.” Wadsworth pips as one of his arms pokes at the alabaster pony’s horn.

“Well that’s a very unexpected mutation… Reminds me of Unicorns from the old fairy tales.”

“Right, so what will you be doing with them?”

“Put them up on my bed, I need to go see Moira about them, she’d be interested in putting them in her guide more than likely.” I turn back to the door and leave, making my way across town once again up to the Craterside Supply.

Entering I hear the bubbly words of Moira call to me, “Oh, Alex! Welcome back! Did you see about those Mirelurks yet?”

“No Moira, but I did find something interest on my way though.” I walked fully inside, giving a nod to her bodyguard.

“Oh? What did you find?”

“Two ponies, and they are some really odd colors too.”

“Really!?” She was clearly excited.

“Yep, you can come see them if you want they’re at home right now.” The shopkeep squeaks in glee and I can’t help but laugh. Following her out of the shop and back to my house.

However as we approach my home, yelling suddenly erupts from my home.

“This place is horrendous! What kind of animal lives here!?” Almost immediately I go into combat mode, drawing the Blackhawk, motioning for Moira to stay put, I open the door slowly slipping inside.

“Please calm down Miss, Master will be very angry if he comes home to his house a complete mess!” I hear Wadsworth shout from upstairs in my room. I slowly walk up the stairs, my pistol aimed towards my bedroom door. I spot a movement of alabaster color, Is one of the ponies awake?

A deep gasp comes from behind me, “Rarity! There’s a weird creature out here!” I swing around and see the pink pony, a giant smile plastered on it’s face.

“You just talked didn’t you?”

“Yep!”

“Wadsworth! Get me a drink right now! Oh and tell Moira to come inside, I need to speak with our guests.” I holster the revolver and look back to the pink pony, it was gone. I look to my bedroom door and it walks out with the who I assume to be the ‘Rarity’ it had spoken of.

Everything sits in silence for a few good moments, till Rarity opened her mouth to speak.

“What are you wearing!? It looks horrible!” I resist the urge to facepalm and just look at the two ponies.

“So you can talk? Or am I really high on chems right now?”

“Of course we can talk, and I don’t know what chems are but they sound weird!” The pink one exclaims as it walks forward and sits at my feet, “Hi my name’s Pinkie Pie and it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Pinkie sticks, and by the sound of her voice I’m assuming Pinkie is a she, her hoof out and I take in my hand shaking it.

“Okay this is probably the weirdest thing that has ever happened to me.” I almost immediately felt a sense of regret for saying that, but shook it off. “Why don’t we go downstairs and talk about what you two are and why I found you out where I did hmm? Cause I really need a drink before I go crazy…” We head down the stairs, more complaints from Rarity were given as I sat down in my chair.

Wadsworth comes over with a Nuka-Cola Quantum, a bottle of Scotch, and a glass, “Thank you Wadsworth.” I tell him as I take the items from him placing them on the small table next to my chair, moving to pop the cap off the Nuka-Cola and removing the cork from the Scotch, mixing the two drinks in a glass, producing a bluish-amber drink with the telltale radioactive glow.

I look to the two ponies, Pinkie whose smile hasn’t changed and the look of disgust directed at me from Rarity.

“What?”

“That drink...it looks horrible.”

“Well alcohol and radiation are really good for the health but nothing time or Rad-Away doesn’t fix, not that being radiated really affects me all too much anymore.” I shoot a glance to Moira who plays it off with a smile.

“Anyway, why don’t the two of you take a seat and we’ll talk.” Pinkie takes a seat but Rarity remains standing, “Rarity take a seat.”

“I’d rather not take a seat…” I got the sense of disgust in her voice.

I made the choice to ask why, “Why won’t you?”

“This place is simply filthy, I don’t want to soil my fur.”

This answer was quite irritating and drove a bit of anger pent up to the forefront, “Take a seat.” I tell her setting my glass down with a bit more force than necessary, the glass breaking.

“Son of a bitch!” I shout as I stand up tossing the remains of the glass across the room. I walked into my small kitchen, looking down at my hand which a single cut from a piece of glass. I sigh as I turn on the faucet and run the hand under the water. “Wadsworth get me a stimpak!” Quickly the robot stuck an arm out a single needle hung from it. “Thanks.” I grab it and quickly inject it at my wrist.

“What is that?” I hear Pinkie ask from beside me.

“A syringe with medication to heal my cut, didn’t really need it but I’d rather not take the chance of infection.” I turn off the faucet and walk back into the living area, Rarity sitting a little ways from my seat. I can’t help but see the look of fear and I do feel bad about getting pissed, “I’m sorry for snapping Rarity.” I sit back down and grab the Nuka-Cola downing the rest of it, leaving the Scotch. “Okay can we please get on with talking?” Moira opened her mouth but didn’t speak, she shuts probably trying to think of what to say. “Moira you have anything or can I ask how these two came to be out near the Mart?”

“Go ahead, I’ll just take a second to think…” She mumbled, still half in thought.

“Ok so...how did you two come to show up outside the Mart in the first place?”

“Well...we were with our friend Twilight who was trying a mass teleportation spell, it opened some sort of portal and she was sucked in. Our other friend Rainbow Dash almost immediately dove in after her, and we followed moments later. Our last two friends I have no idea about them, maybe they stayed to talk with the Princesses…” Rarity explained with a fair wind.

“Ok so another question where is this Canterlot that you spoke of?”

“In Equestria.”

“Hmm...I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you’re definitely not from this world. Also a mass teleportation spell?”

“Yes Twilight is a Unicorn like I am and as such we are able to perform magic.”

“Magic…” I cast a glance to Moira whose actively taking notes instead of thinking, so that’s her game, use this as a chapter in the Guide. “Alright so you can do magic, what about Pinkie here can she do anything special?” I look to where Pinkie is sitting but she’s not there, suddenly I see the pink poof of her hair to my right and I look, she has my Scotch in her hooves. “Oh no...you can’t have that.” I tell her, taking the bottle from her.

“Why? It’s a drink isn’t it?”

“Oh! I should have remembered something like that, you two are probably quite dehydrated from being out in the sun. Wadsworth!”

“Already done Sir.” He returns with two bottles of purified water.

“Alright drink up and if you can try not to drink all my purified water, while it may seem I have a lot I really don’t and the amount the town goes through I sometimes have to hand some of mine out, so if you can drink the regular stuff, I’ll make sure to check you for Rads till I can figure out a way to get you two Pip-Boys or something like that, be a lot easier than doing all the medical stuff by hand.” I stand up and start moving across the room going to my random piles of gear and loot. “Which also means I’ll have to give you stuff so you can make it on your own and teach you…That’s fucking great, I’m certainly not the best teacher, especially with how my life out here has been going for the most part.” I grab a few things from a few piles and toss them into a new pile behind me. Finishing with finding things, I start to go through the new pile, meticulously picking pieces of armor out moving them to the workbench. “I don’t suppose any of you know how to make clothing for the two of you, if such a thing even exists.”

A small gasp from Rarity and I have the Unicorn standing next to me, “What are you trying to make?”

“Well if you’re going to do anything in the Wasteland, outside of just sitting around town, you’ll need armor and weapons. Other skills will come as you go along, but that’s a something else to talk about later. So I would appreciate some help in doing so.”

“Of course!” I scoot over so she has room beside me and the two of us set to work, creating very and I do mean very basic armor, probably equivalent to Moira’s Armored Vault Suit she made for me, when I first came into Megaton.

Smiling as I hold up the finished product, the armor actually having Vault-Tec Suits been used in it’s making being the base material. “Alright, why don’t the two of you get these on and you’ll want to get a feel for wearing them a lot...and I do mean a lot I rarely switch armor or clothes, when I’m out.”

“That sounds horrible! Why would you wear the same thing over and over!?”

“Probably because it keeps me from getting killed.”

The room went silent and both ponies looked at me, “What?”

I had an odd feeling that where they’re from, killing things isn’t an everyday occurrence “Yes, out here you can be killed, not just by natural forces but by it’s inhabitants. I wouldn’t worry though, anything that sees you except for maybe those Enclave bastards will probably leave you alone as long as you don’t have anything on you...well...they might try and eat you...yeah you should probably wear something and carry weapons.” With my small ramble done, Rarity just stares in disbelief.

And Pinkie, “Okie Doki Lokie! Wear armor and have weapons and we’ll be ok!”

I shake my head, “You have to know how to use your weapons otherwise you’ll probably just kill yourself. That problem though I should be able to fix, at least with a few days and the rest you can learn as you go.”

The two ponies quickly slip into their new armor, only after Rarity makes a few adjustments to hers, to make it more fashionable. I tried to argue with her of course but she’s quite obdurate. I gathered up a few of my spare weapons mainly a few melee weapons, a couple of conventional weapons, a few explosives, and I got the only heavy weapon I think they could maybe fire, my Fatman.

“Alright so take what you would like to try out and we’ll head out, I’ll probably just take you out by Springvale and let you shoot. Don’t worry I’ll tell you how to fire everything once we get there.”

Rarity and Pinkie set into searching for weapons, no idea on what they were doing whatsoever, however that didn’t stop Pinkie from grabbing my Fatman, which she commented as reminding her of her ‘party cannon’ I didn’t question it after a look from Rarity who had decided on my Chinese Officer Sword and the Reservist’s Rifle.

“I think I have about what I’ll take…”

“You sure? That’s only a really close range weapon and one long one…” I look at Pinkie who has my Fatman strapped across her back, a ripper on her side, and a belt of assorted grenades, and to top it off a combat shotgun as well. “All of you set?” A round of nods, “Alright!” I start to leave the room, when I remember something. “Moira? Would you like to come along, you could maybe document a chapter about weapon usage or something? Add it in for this chapter and I’ll make sure to do the rest as the next thing on my list.”

The woman smiled, it was quite hard to anger her, “Sure.”

I quickly grab, Eugene deciding I may as well spend a little time practicing, I hadn’t been shooting many things lately. The four of us walk out of my home and leave Megaton, a few whispers from the townsfolk about the ponies following Moira and I were heard but nothing negative from what I heard.

“How do you carry that?” Rarity asks as she trots, I believe that’s the right word, alongside me.

“What, Eugene?” She nods, “I’m just strong that’s pretty much it. I can and I do.”

“Not very elegant are you?”

“When I want to be, sure otherwise nope.” I give her a smile, something I hadn’t genuinely done it at least two weeks.

The walk to Springvale was short, about five or ten minutes. Upon reaching the few houses, I stopped in the middle of the road, my Pip-Boy clicking with a notification.

“What the?” I bring it up, and stare at the screen, a new radio frequency has been picked up and the Pip-Boy labels it as ‘Vault-101 Distress Signal’. I listen to it and I let my arm fall back into a neutral state.

“I’m sorry you three but we need to go back to Megaton right now.”

“Why?” Moira questions as I turn and start making my way back.

“Home called and they need my help.”

“What do you mean ‘Home’!?” Pinkie called from behind me as they caught up to my quickened pace. “Isn’t your house your home?”

“Now it is but originally I came from a Vault up that way,” I jerk my thumb in the direction of one o’ one, “I left after my father left the Vault one day and the Overseer tried to kill me.” I look back and a slightly confused look from the two ponies gets me to elaborate a bit further, “The Vaults were giant underground shelters that Humanity used to survive the Apocalypse, each one has a Overseer who is the leader, and the one in my old home tried to kill me because my father left.” I continue to move and make it back to the house immediately walking to my power armor, removing my duster, and putting the armor on. I put Eugene back in it’s spot and went to another one of my lockers. Grabbing Lincoln’s Repeater, Blackhawk, and a few pouches of forty-four rounds, about three hundred. “Moira you don’t need to come, and you two just put the weapons upstairs on the bed, you’ll be coming with me, but I don’t need you walking in there with a bunch of weapons strapped to you.”

“And you are bringing your weapons why?”

“In case talking everything out fails, and for me it occasionally does.” I strap the Lincoln’s Repeater to my back and holster Blackhawk, snatching up my helmet. “Alright, let’s go. Moira I’ll be back and then we can do the weapon usage segment ok?”

“I understand.”

“Where I would be without you…” I mumble as I leave the house, the two ponies on my heels. We leave Megaton and make our way across the stretch of land I had once crossed weeks earlier. Coming to the door to the Vault Door, I stopped and turned looking at the ponies, “Alright I’m going to tell you right now, if things get rough don’t try and help me. Go hide and keep yourselves safe, I’ll be fine. If I think this is how it is, then I’ll take you two to Amata, a friend of mine, she’ll take care of you while I take care of this, alright?” The two of them nod, “Good now try not to bring a bunch of attention to yourselves, I should be able to talk you two by most of the people, well the one’s who don’t hate me anyway.” I spin back around and draw the Blackhawk, holding it in one hand as I proceed through the door and into the tunnel. Clicking my Pip-Boy light on, the bodies from when I first left were still there, I walked over them with little change in emotion, but I could tell that Rarity and Pinkie weren’t doing so well, so I quickly got the door to open.

“Alright let’s get inside and we can--” The door opens fully and a Radroach jumps out towards Rarity, I quickly line up a shot using V.A.T.S. and blow it away, the chunks of Radroach smacking into the rock across from me. A bit of the gore showered on Rarity who fainted. Pinkie quickly grabbing her, putting the Unicorn across her back.

“You going to be ok carrying her?”

“I’ll be fine.” I noticed her hair had slightly unpoofened, if that’s even a word, her hair just doesn’t seem as lively as we pass the threshold and enter the Vault. Moving across the to the door, we enter moving through the halls.

“Identify yourselves!” I heard a familiar voice call, from further down.

“Gomez?” I continue along, motioning for Pinkie to stay put for a second as I continue forward, Officer Gomez coming into my view.

“Who are you!?” He shouts a weapon trained at me.

“Gomez it’s me Alex, James’s son!” I tell him trying to be as calm as possible.

“Alex? What in God’s name are you wearing?”

“No time for that, I need to go find Amata, if anyone asks you didn’t see me or my friends.”

“Friends?” I whistle and call for Pinkie to come forward, the look on Gomez’s face turning from uncertainty to fear. “Mutant ponies!? What the hell Alex!?”

“No they aren’t mutants, I don’t fully understand this, but they have the technology to travel between worlds and these two are stuck here.” I half-lied.

“So they’re aliens?”

“Something like that.”

“Alright whatever I didn’t see you three, just get moving.”

“Once again, I knew you weren’t a bad guy Gomez, and I’ll try my best to settle this.” I tell him as we pass him, I take a guess that I should avoid the Overseer’s Office, and head to the Clinic. As we walk through the halls, my old memories of the Vault layout floating back to the forefront of my mind, the pops of gunfire hit my ears. We quickly stop and I motion for Pinkie to not move. I walk down the hall and notice a guard firing at a Vault citizen. I wave to Pinkie, and Rarity who chose this time to wake back up.

“Come on we just have to get to the Clinic.” We make a mad dash by the guard and navigate through the halls.

“Alright it’s just down here.”

Butch stepped into view and I passed him, “Well...look who waltzed back in--what the hell!?” His sentence warped as he caught eye of the ponies on my tail.

“Amata!” I hollar into the clinic as I step inside.

“Alex! Thank God you’re back!” She runs out of the back office and stops as she sees my armor and the two ponies peaking from behind me.

“Amata, don’t freak out these are two talking ponies I found out in the wastes they’re from another world, and are here because of a mess up with their technology.” The lie expands more as I tell it, doesn’t it?

She stares at them, but quickly shakes her head. “You have to help us, Alex. After you and your dad left, we figured out about how the Vault was open.”

“How?” I asked confused, as I still knew very little about my father’s exploits around that time.

“After the two of you left...Wally’s dad said something about how we should have never let you two in here in the first place.” So what made the Overseer close the place up?

“Ok I’ll help you but what do you need me to do?”

“You need to stop my father, just go and talk with him or something! Just don’t hurt him, he may be crazy but he’s still my father.”

“I can’t promise anything, but if I’ll exhaust all my other options before it comes to that. Now I have to ask you a favor, can you watch these two while I do this? I really don’t want to see them hurt.” She nods and I turn to the ponies, “Alright Rarity, watch after Pinkie ok? I’ll be back after I run some errands.” I say in a mock parental voice.

“Not funny.”

“Of course, but I was serious watch after Pinkie for me please, I don’t want her running around here on her own.”

She sighs and nods, I give a last look to Amata who is already talking with Pinkie about who knows what.

I leave the room, and make my way to the Upper Levels, the guards eyeing me the entire time. I get to the Server Room and I’m stopped by a Officer.

“You should have never left boy, and now I’m going to make sure no one leaves again!” Confused at his words he steps back and raises a ten millimeter, and I react quickly my hand going to the Blackhawk and drawing firing at bullets ping off my armor. The forty-four round pierces right through his chest plate and tosses him to the floor, dead before he hit the ground. I continue on, moving to the Overseer’s office. I stand outside the door, and I reload the spent round, I had no knowledge of how this was going to turn out so I wanted to be prepared.

I open the door and step inside, “I see you’ve returned…”

“Yes I have, Alphonse. And I have come to make sort out this mess.”

“So I’m assuming you’re helping Amata.”

“Yes, Alphonse I have to agree with her, all of you will not survive down here by yourselves!”

“That’s what you think...I know we can survive, we just have to work for it.”

“And isolating yourself and lying is the way to do so?”

“I did what was necessary for the greater good of the Vault.” I was getting tired of hearing his for the greater good of the Vault bullshit he spout all the time, but I decided to try and use it against him.

“Alphonse, what you’re doing isn’t for the greater good of the Vault, you’re just hurting the citizens.”

“I am not hurting them, they are hurting themselves by not going along with my leadership, I will quell this rebellion one way or another. And I’ll start by ending you!” A ten millimeter comes up from behind his back, and I quickly lower the Blackhawk, firing and the bullet splattering his head against the window.

“You just had to try and kill me…” I knew everyone probably heard that gunshot, and if they didn’t the blood splatter would be enough. I started back to the Clinic, when the sound of footsteps emanate from behind me. I quickly turn ready to fire another shot off, only to have the shocked look of Rarity hit my view.

“Alex...what did you…”

I quickly holstered the Blackhawk and walked over, “Rarity...I had to he was going to kill me, and the rebels if he had to. I tried to talk him out of it but I couldn’t…” Her eyes were locked on the corpse and I quickly blocked her view, “Come on let’s get back to Amata…” I start to walk but I don’t hear her walk after me, I look back and she hasn’t moved. I walk back over, removing my helmet, and crouching down next to her, “Rarity...come on...Rarity!” I scream in her ear making her jump.

“Ah! What!?” She shakes her head, looking at me bewildered.

“Rarity we have to go back to Amata, stop staring at the body and let’s go.” I tell her sternly, hoping she would listen now, as I place my helmet back over my head.

“Right!” She says, almost exclaiming now seeming eager to leave the presence of the dead. Heading back through the hall and into the server room Kendall enters his gun drawn and trained at Rarity and I. I quickly grab her and roll to the right as he fires, a few bullets pinging off my armor and one hitting the joint, piercing my skin. Letting go off Rarity, and grabbing the Blackhawk I lean out and spot a bit of Kendall, he is hiding behind another part of the server. I step out and close the gap, closing in on the officer, and when enough of him is in my view I fire the round hitting his shoulder and knocking him down. I fire another round into his chest, ending him. I call to Rarity, who comes out of behind the far server wall and walks out before me, not casting a glance at Kendall’s corpse.

Returning to the Clinic, Pinkie bounces into our view, “Hey Alex look I have the same hoof thingy you have!” She gleefully exclaims, showing off her hoof now adorned with a Pip-Boy. I look to the Clinic door, Amata and Stanley are there, Amata looking depressed and Stanley has a look full of despise, and it’s projected at me.

I walk over, “Hello Stanley. Thanks for getting the Pip-Boy for Pinkie.”

“I have another one that I can put on her.” She motions to Rarity.

“Yeah go ahead, take your time.” He gives a small nod, and moves past me. “Amata.”

“I… I just heard. The Overseer… My father is dead. What’s more, some of the people are saying I should be the new Overseer. It’s all so sudden.”

“That’s the way these things go. Now do the right thing for your Vault.” I tell her, my time in the Wasteland really showing true here, death was a simple piece of my life as eating was.

“Oh, I will, believe me. We can open up limited trade with nearby settlements and other areas, and see the world we’ve been missing. But it’s still important that I protect our Vault, and keep the people within it safe from the dangers of the Wasteland. Even when those dangers have helped us in the past. And that makes the rest of this even harder.” She spoke softly, she sounded like she was trying to stop herself from crying and with the last part, my mind started to let the pieces fall together.

“I’ve got a bad feeling I know where this is going.” I said, my fear starting to show.

“You saved us. But that doesn’t change the fact you killed one of us to do it, and I can’t let that sort of thing stand here. I guess it’s a bit familiar. You’ve already been forced out of the Vault once before. At least now you know what’s out there. I’m sorry. You’re a hero… and you have to leave.” She told me, finality in her voice and with that I didn’t say anything, I just turned and walked out. Seeing Pinkie and Rarity, with their new Pip-Boys waiting for me. I walk down the hall and they follow.

“Alex what happened?” Pinkie asked as we walked past everyone, there looks differing in emotion, all of my reactions hidden by my helmet.

I didn’t respond.

“Alex? Come on tell us what happened and stop being so quiet!” She exclaimed as we walked into the Vault Entrance, I stopped and turned around.

“I’m never going to be able to come back to this Vault ever again, I have been exiled by Amata.” I quickly tell them, my voice full of anger, with that I left Vault 101 for a final time, never looking back as the great steel door shut as I reached the threshold of the Wasteland and the entrance tunnel. My last thought as we left? It’s been one hell of a day.

Stats~

Alex~ Level 12 Tag Skills: Big Guns, Repair, and Medicine

S ~9 (+2)

P ~6

E ~7

C ~4 (+1)

I ~6

A ~5 (+1)

L ~7

Pinkie~ Level 1 Tag Skills: Explosives, Melee Weapons, and Lockpick

S ~ 6

P ~ 7

E ~ 7

C ~ 5

I ~ 4

A ~ 7

L ~ 4

Rarity~ Level 1 Tag Skills: Small Guns, Sneak, and Speech

S ~ 4

P ~ 8

E ~ 4

C ~ 7

I ~ 6

A ~ 5

L ~ 6