Fallout Equestria: Fading Echoes

by Winter Storm

Chapters

Prologue-The Rapture (R)
Chapter 1-Disassociation (R)
Chapter 2-Wasteland Wonders (R)
Chapter 3-Mind Over Matter (R)
Chapter 4-End of Innocence (UR)
Chapter 5-Blood and Plasma (UR)
Extra: How the Characters Appear- Updated (5/24/13)
The Chapter Nobody Wants to See
Not A Chapter, But Important Nonetheless

Prologue-The Rapture (R)

by Winter Storm

All FoE credit goes to Kkat and Somber

MLP is the product of Hasbro and their associates

Prologue - The Rapture

Everyone has different ideas about how the world is going to end. From floods and earthquakes to the zombie apocalypse, no two ideas are the same. The people of the planet Earth discovered the truth on December 21, 2012. As you might be able to guess, I was one of those people.

The name's Stephen. Stephen Anderson. What follows is a summary of my newfound life.

My life in the Equestrian Wasteland.

=========================================================================

So there I was, the night before the end of the world. People are out having parties, praying, or doing a combination of the two. What was I doing? Only what I was best at. Sleeping. Why bother with worrying? If the world ends, oh well. I snagged a few extra hours of sleep before the end. Not to mention the fact that there wouldn't be a General Linguistics exam waiting for me the next day.

If everything is fine, then humanity goes back to its normal routine of wars, famine, and suspicion. By the same token, love, kindness, and goodness will also carry on. I'd certainly be able to continue my disobedience against society's norms by watching a certain television show. I think we all know which one.

No, not Thundercats. The other show.

Anyway, I was experiencing the joys of dreamland and slumber, when a rather loud voice decided to screw it all up.

"AWAKEN!"

Being incapable of coherent thought, the question of who this voice belonged to did not register immediately. Then, a couple of synapses in my brain decided it was time to work. Thoughts slowly began to penetrate the haze of sleep.

I'm not in my apartment, and someone with a megaphone is really asking for a punch in the face.

Emerging back into the world of the living, I slid my blanket off my body, ready to beat the crap out of whoever awakened me. Only there was no pillow. Or blanket. My bed also appeared to be missing from the equation. I eventually opened my eyes, only to be blinded by a searing light.

I no doubt looked like an idiot, flailing around and groaning from a little light. My eyes slowly adjusted to the glaring light, and I looked around to take in my surroundings. Was I in Heaven, or was I superglued to a cafeteria table like last time?

I would have assumed the latter, but our cafeteria doesn't have a heavenly choir of angels flying around, nor is it made of fluffy white clouds. I think. Maybe the college got a monetary grant or something. Oh, there I go again. Using humor to acclimate myself with unfamiliar things.

Time for serious mode.

Well, they were right. All of the theorists and religions, all of it. The Rapture was real. Great. The Aztecs were friggin' geniuses, but they still sucked at football. Anyway, my lack of churchgoing and general irreveren- err, open-mindedness probably made eternal torment a certainty, if certain scriptures were to be reviewed. It was probably too late to discover the wonders of God, Allah, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster. There weren't any people knocking on my door, so no luck there. Oh wait, i'm avoiding the situation.

My thoughts summed up into one word?

"FFFFFUUUUU..."

=========================================================================

Remember that annoyingly loud voice that woke me up earlier? Well, it decided that it was time to shout again.

"SILENCE, MY CHILD!"

That shut me up. I searched frantically for the source of Mr. Megaphone, but to no avail. It surrounded me, the words reverberating through both mind and air.

"The Rapture that was foretold ages ago has arrived. Life on your world has ended, and you, human, like many others, now have a choice to make." The voice resumed.

I didn't like how this was going. Nevertheless, I needed answers.

"What choice? What type of eternal torment I want?" I replied. "Something without needles or Jus-"

"Quiet! All will be revealed in time."

"Nickel for every time I've heard that." I muttered. The voice of God, for who else could it be, continued on.

"As you did well in life, you have 3 choices. You may go to Heaven, Hell, or the world of your desire. Be sure of your choice, as you will not have a second chance."

"World of my desire?" That axed out Earth. There were only four things here that I enjoyed and made life worthwhile. Sleeping, improving the lives of other people, being a brony and reading all of the big fanfictions, and... I'll have to get back to you on the fourth.

Anyway, I could hypothetically go to the world of my favorite video game or TV show, I figured. Equestria would certainly be nicer than here. I was about to voice this, when an important detail threw itself at the forefront of my mind.

I like to help people. Equestria is pretty self-sufficient. Any problems that arise are solved almost instantly. By the time I would hear about something, it would have already come, done its damage, get beat up, and be solved before I got there. I must seem odd to other people, using the lack of people to help as an excuse to avoid a paradise. Maybe there are some places in books that I could improve. Wait. Books. Stories. Fanfiction. My Little Pony Fanfiction. Now we're getting somewhere, I think. What world in fanfiction would need the help I can provide, and what world could I stand to live in?

it was as if a big mental list of fanfiction titles were in front of me. As I came up with details to narrow down my decision, names began to disappear. Soon, only one was left. One I was very familiar with.

"Fallout: Equestria..."

"That is your desire, my child? That land is still full of hardship and pain, and there is no Rapture to save it. Remember that you will not get this choice again until you die. You may not even get a choice next time."

This only confirmed that my decision was the right one.

"Yes. I chose a life of hardship. Not because I feel that I deserve it, but because others don't. There are ponies in that world that have to suffer every minute, and they don't get the choice I do. Therefore, I want to have the choice to go and help them and make their lives better."

With what seemed a hint of pride, God responded "Very well, if that is your desire. I can sense that your heart is pure and your determination great. Therefore, I will provide what limited aid I can to help you on this quest of yours. Although I am almighty, I have little control on the worlds other than my own. The Divine Beings of the Universe hold power over their own domains, and no others. The Beings of that land you desire, however, are no more. I can... meddle in the fabric of its existence somewhat."

My head began to spin. Divine Beings? He must mean the gods of other worlds. And in Equestria that would mean Celestia and Luna. Who, last time I checked, were trapped in a computer and dead, respectively. Learning even this tiny fragment of information caused me bewilderment. These were secrets that no mortal had heard before. Yet it made perfect sense. However entertaining it might be, I wouldn't want the gods of the Discworld meddling with my reality.

Still dazed, I confirmed my decision.

"Very well, then. Make the best of your new life. I hope I don't see you again for a long time."

There was another blinding glare of light, to which my brain decided the best course of action was to stop functioning. I fell into the deep pit of unconsciousness, with only the hope that I would survive the coming days.

Author's Note

So, this is the edited version of the beginning. Just cleanup, frankly.

For the chapter titles, (R) means Revised, (UR) means Unrevised.

You'll be able to see the difference anyways.

Chapter 1-Disassociation (R)

Fallout Equestria: Fading Echoes

by Winter Storm

All FoE credit goes to Kkat and Somber

MLP is the product of Hasbro and their associates

Chapter 1-Divine Intervention

"I don't have time for some silly scavenger hunt! I've got a real problem..."

It is truth that every being must enter the world blind, deaf, and utterly helpless. I myself was no exception. However, I had the misfortune to experience this more than once.

On the ground, curled up and shivering, I was no doubt the easiest target in the Wastelands. A radroach could saunter on by and take a big bite. The thought of this happening actually came to mind, emphasizing the need to get up, check the surroundings, and move.

As I carefully opened my eyes, I became... aware of my body. My limbs now held the sensation of being both arms and legs. It didn't take a genius to figure out that I wasn't a human anymore. I slowly slid a new foreleg in front of my face, eager to see what my new body looked like.

What type of pony would I be?

A dark grey pony, according to my eyes. A sort of blackish grey that could blend into the shadows. I leaned my head over my right shoulder, and caught a glimpse of dark brown. My tail. That, I thought, is rather boring. I guess my mane color matches my old hair. Next up on my mental checklist was the issue of locomotion. My preliminary glances told me I had no wings, so that scratched my being a pegasus off the list. Just as well, I figured.

Being a pegasus here means that the Steel Rangers or the Enclave will want you dead. That left me as an Earth pony or a unicorn. I hoped it was the latter. Call me picky, if you will. I had no desire to shoot guns using my mouth, thank you very much. A quick swipe with a fore hoof confirmed my hopes. I have a horn, and surprise! It's rather sensitive to physical contact.

Keeping my foul words to myself, lest someone heard me, I attempted to stand. I thought about how the ponies stood, and how a human might emulate a similar pose. I imagined myself back in my human form, touching the ground with my hands. Only my back was perfectly level instead of arching like a cat. Well, time to walk. The ponies, if I remembered correctly, walked with alternating hooves. To test this, I extended my left fore hoof, and felt a slight pull in my right hind leg. it wasn't unlike the natural human instinct to swing arms while walking. I followed this urge, and I successfully took my first step. A second and third soon followed. Who knows? Maybe I could become an expert trotter by the end of the day.

But then the raiders killed my momentum.

=========================================================================

Those who have knowledge of the Fallout universe know what raiders are. Humans, doped up and psyched out, dressed in a motley collection of metal plates and debris and screaming for your blood are bad enough. Give them guns and make them ponies, and they're ten times worse.

Now I had to deal with three of them.

With no guns. Or armor. Whoops.

Under better circumstances, this wouldn’t be a problem. A few bullets and there! Problem solved. Also, raiders are on my “Beyond Saving” list, so I would have no moral issues with blowing their heads off. They had their chance to be good people, ponies, what have you. A bullet to the head would only help the Wasteland.

Unfortunately, I was lacking in the weapon department. The raiders therefore had me both outnumbered and outgunned. Diplomacy was not an option. That left me two choices: fight or flee. Fleeing means a bullet in the flank, and fighting could mean a bullet, or twenty somewhere else. I figured fighting was my only chance of surviving, all while wondering how the hell I was going to win.

The leading pony, a pale yellow stallion with bloodstained metal armor, let out a psychotic scream around the gun in his mouth. A moment later, a wild spray of bullets peppered the ground before my hooves. This cut my observation short.

First order of business: find cover. I shot my gaze around my surroundings, and spotted what seemed to be a ruined sky chariot about ten feet away. Oddly convenient. Rather than look a gift chariot in the mouth, I charged for the wreck.

Only to trip over my own hooves three seconds later.

I slid to a painful stop just behind it when the bullets started flying over my head. There were pings and sparks erupting all around me, but still no injuries. I had no idea how long my makeshift cover would hold, so I needed a plan.

I had no gun, so shooting them was impossible. I could try to lift the chariot and throw it at them, but I had no magical practice, and would probably get shot to pieces in the process. At this point, all I could do was wait for somepony or something to rescue me. Maybe Littlepip or Blackjack would show up and save the day!

Yea, right.

Wait a second. Blackjack. She weaponized her telekinetic magic. Flinching as a stray shot tore a chunk off my cover, I frantically tried to activate my latent magical power. The muscles in my neck bulged, my eyes practically popping out of their sockets. Suddenly, I felt a sharp, aching at the base of my horn. Could I have done it?

Nope. A stray bullet had merely cut a thin line across the top of my head. "Crap." I groaned. "I'm about to be the first human to meet God twice."

Then, something happened. Flashes of memories, memories that weren't my own, tore through my mind. Then..

Suddenly, I knew.

I knew how to charge up my horn.

I knew how to direct the chaotic flow of energy that would arise, how to properly use it.

In an instant, I could see a red-maned mare, her armor torn and bloodstained, with blinding flashes of magic striking out from her horn, the bolts tearing though a pony-shaped robot, in the dark, twisted corridors of some ancient structure. I blinked, and, just for a moment, my mind melded with hers. Only a second, but one that seemed to last a thousand years. The flow of energy was wondrous, a sensation that no human had ever experienced, so completely alien and unique.

Together, we alit our horns with magic. As one, we leapt around the next corner, and released a spell.

A spell that I knew how to cast.

In that instant, I knew how to kill the raiders.

=========================================================================

A second blink, and existence continued. Without a second thought, I stood upright, head and shoulders above my disintegrating cover. As bullets tore past, I began a process that was utterly new, but with the ease of a lifetime of experience. Strength flowed from my limbs, consolidating into the base of my horn. A headache struck, and my legs trembled. A mental switch clicked, and the strength made an inexplicable change into eldritch energy.

From there, I focused all the energy into a single, marble-sized space. The little orb blazed with blue light, and it took all of my attention to keep it from expanding. with a second burst of magic, I created a small wave that shot the orb towards the raiders. It flew in a graceful arc, leaving a small trail of blue light behind it.

Then it hit the yellow raider.

BOOOOOOOOM!

A wave of pure energy blasted out from the pony's body, sending a shockwave that revirberated through the air. The yellow one was disintegrated instantly. Unfortunately for the other two, who still seemed surprised at my sudden attack, they were not behind cover. The shockwave killed two raiders instantly, the force first shattering their bones, then tearing the fragments out of their flesh.

They were dead before they knew it.

As it turned out, there had been a fourth raider, a brown-coated mare with a tattered saddlebag. She must have been lagging behind the others, because she was outside the lethal zone of my spell. As it was, the mare was tossed violently into the air, screaming obscenities at the top of her lungs. They abruptly cut off as she slammed back into the ground with a sickening crunch, a trail of blood and torn flesh marking her landing.

My first five minutes in the Wasteland, and I had already learned to walk, use magic, and kill raiders. I hope I survive the rest of the day.

Now, everyone knows that looting the bodies is the next step of survival. Problem is, it's difficult to do so when there's half a raider's head at your hooves, with blood and specks of brain matter pouring out of the single eye socket. In fact, it's impossible without throwing up. Following my body's urges, I looked away and dry-heaved, but the image of that head stubbornly refused to go away. I shuffled backwards and sat down as another wave of nausea struck.

Come on, come on, its just blood. It's not an injury, because nobody is feeling any pain. That's not a person. That's not anything worth focusing on. It can't feel anything. Get a grip. it's just something on the ground... I reigned in on my thoughts, not allowing them any room to expand or warp.

I turned back and opened my eyes. The head was still there, but the response to it was gone. It was just something on the ground.

I looked at the horrific scene with new eyes. I took note of the ravaged barding, the submachine gun that the lead raider had used, and the ground nearby. The armor was shredded, and the firearm was torn in two. Walking around the circle of scorched earth, I approached the last raider. I didn't see her collapsed body, laying on its side. I didn't see the white of bone protruding from the torn red flesh of her back.

I didn't see the short, irregular gasps of breath, each one laden with untold suffering. Striking green eyes, clouded with misery. I didn't see the simple, unspoken desire in those eyes, the desire to live, for the pain to stop.

I saw the revolver laying in front of me. I saw an aura of blue magic surrounding it, lifting it, allowing me to examine it like an interesting trinket. The grip, moulded to easily fit in a pony's jaw, the long barrel, the enlarged trigger. A single bullet in the chamber. I saw the barrel resting on the mare's bloodied head.

I heard the sound of a single gunshot. But I didn't see the mare.

Just something on the ground.

Moving away, I caught sight of the raider's damaged saddlebag. I raised the bag, and a metallic object tumbled out. Grenades? Mines? I caught the thing before it hit the ground, and magically shoved it away from me. From a safe distance, I noticed a familiar shape to it.

A PipBuck.

One that looked different than the others. For starters, there were no buttons, only a blank green screen surrounded by metal bracing. Where the buttons normally were, there were three dark green unlit lights. With nothing better to do, I levitated the device next to my left foreleg. As it approached, the bracer split apart, allowing me to place it against my fur. With a hiss of pressurized air, the device clamped shut, the padding resting firmly against my fur. For a split second, I felt a simultaneous pinch underneath the PipBuck and in my head. The strange sensation quickly passed.

Sliding my left hindleg forwards to keep my balance, I bent my foreleg until the device was clearly visible. The dark green screen lit up with the silhouette of a pony. Words quickly typed themselves across the screen, followed by a slowly filling bar.

New User Detected/System Initializing…

While I waited for the bar to fill, I realized that more stuff had fallen out of the damaged bag. A cursory examination revealed three dirtied plastic bags filled with bottlecaps, an empty leg holster, and some boxes of bullets. They were .32 rounds, the same ammunition that the revolver I used to...

...To kill a raider. Silently pleading, begging for her life...

No. Nothing more.

I floated the gun over, opened a box of ammo, and methodically loaded the rounds. With mechanical precision, I closed the chamber, slid the gun into the holster, and fastened it to my right leg. I dumped the remaining loot into the less damaged pocket of the bag, and strapped it to my body.

A beep emanated from my foreleg. I looked back, and saw a silhouette of a stallion on the screen. It resolved itself into a segmented diagram, showing vitals of each major body part.

Letting my foreleg drop, I scanned my surroundings. In the distance, the skeleton of a ruined town rose from the earth. Just one step. Than another. Setting out in a new direction, without a purpose. I didn't look back at the carnage left in my wake.

Just something on the ground.

==========================================================================
Footnote: Level Up!
Welcome to Level 2!
Perks:
Kkat Fan: Your vast knowledge of the Equestrian Wasteland gives you an edge. Sometimes you know more about a pony than they would like, much to your benefit. +1 Charisma, +1 Luck. Unique knowledge options available.

Hand of God: God, the Lord of Heaven, is helping you out. You depend on it a little too much, however. Increased chance of gaining Memory Perks, -15% ALL experience gains.

Reputation Perk added:Apathetic Killer: It's not murder. It's fate. Nothing more. Unique Intimidate dialogue options are available, but at the loss of karma.

Memory Perk added: Eldritch Grenade: You can create one energy-based explosive per day. You're never without a weapon now.

Author's Note

The new notes: Dark. That's the only way I can describe that ending.

I'm surprised. Truly. This just came to me as I was doing the revisions. I know the direction the story is going to take. I know how the Wasteland will change because of this character.

I know who Stephen really is, and what he's going to become.

Do you?

Chapter 2-Wasteland Wonders (R)

Fallout Equestria: Fading Echoes

by Winter Storm

All FoE credit goes to Kkat and Somber

MLP is the product of Hasbro and their associates

Chapter 2-Wasteland Wonders

"Sit on my horn and spin."

Pip-Bucks are the pinnacle of Stable-Tec inventions, second only to the Stables themselves. They moniter your health, keep track of your possessions, capture radio signals, and map your surroundings. That's just the basics. Magic makes a Pip-Buck complete. Stable-Tec Assisted Targeting Spells that seem to stop time itself. The ever-important Eyes-Forward Sparkle, with a compass on the top and a thing that tells time. Truly a marvel of modern pony engineering.

Now if I could just turn the damn thing on.

"Come on, you..." I growled, "turn on already. Activate. Power up." The Pip-Buck remained blank. The earlier messages had faded out long ago, replaced with a green screen. I had figured that it was still programming itself, so I let it be. In the meantime, I had set out towards the distant remains of the city I had spotted earlier. The problem was, I had no idea where I was going, nor what might lay ahead of me. Hence the need for the Pip-Buck's mapping feature. For all I knew, there could be a radioactive crater filled with cybernetic hellhounds riding tanks over the next hill.

At least I had the buildings as a landmark. I had caught sight of them about an hour earlier, and had gravitated towards the settlement. Luckily for me, the ground was pretty much barren, and offered plenty of visibility. Still, this Pip-Buck needed to start pulling its own weight if I was going to survive the rapidly descending night.

Maybe there's a button or switch on the side..."Ah ha!" I crowed. "Found you."

A small switch, protruding ever so slightly away from the side of the device, seemed to be the solution. All I have to do is flick th... Fuck. I forgot. No fingers. Retreating into my mind, I searched for the memories that were not my own. I had barely begun to focus on them before the process of telekinesis revealed itself.

One smug telekinetic flick later...

/System/Operations/System Initialization/Programming Locational_Tracker_1101

"Now that's more like it!" I grinned. Within moments, the screen of the Pip-Buck became coated with varying shades of green and black. I instantly found my current position, and took note of any locations on the screen. The town I had been traveling toward for the last few hours was entitled Cherryvale. Behind my indicator, back from where I had came, was an unusual icon. Something like an hourglass, and labelled "Arrival Site Alpha". Anyway, the town itself wasn't what caught my attention. Just below the town's name, there was a small marker, with the description Statue.

Well, that's descriptive.

=========================================================================

In front of me was a statue, worn with age, but still definable. A unicorn stallion, rearing on his hind legs. An ornate piece of armor, coupled with a hooded cloak, covered most of his body, with only his leg and neck exposed. A stylized helmet completed the statue's features. Despite being over two hundred years old, the statue was in relatively good condition. A faded placard identified the pony as Resonare. Given the condition of the statue, this guard must have been somepony of importance in Pre-War Equestria. I wonder what-

"NOW! KILL THAT FUCKER!"

Raiders. Again. Sorry, Resonare. You'll have to wait. At least I could perform clean kills this time. Nothing like the... No. Forget it. This shouldn't be too much of a pro-

BOOOM!

I went tembling head over tail as an explosion upheaved the ground before me. A storm of dirt and rock blew past me, rendering my aggressors invisible, and me coughing and vulnerable.

Yet again, I found myself making an acquaintance with the ground. A quick note: Wasteland dirt is VERY hard. Slamming into it at high speeds can be bad for your health.

As I lay helpless on the ravaged soil, clouds of dust danced through the afternoon air, rendering everything a swirling shade of brown. Only one thought was in motion, reverberating like the aftershock of the blast.

Can I go home now?

I attempted to pull my magnum out from its shoulder holster, but the shock of nearly being atomized must've caused my magic to conk out. Being smarter than the average bear, I followed the age-old pony method of grabbing things with my mouth. I had my new gun primed, ready to use. One good bite makes the bad ponies go away, as the bullet torn billboards had proclaimed.

I shakily stood up, tossing my head side to side in an attempt to find my attackers. My situation was pretty bad.. Clouds of dust still swirled through the air, obscuring everything from sight. When the ringing and shaking stopped, I was able to finally form a coherent idea. Maybe they think that the blast killed me. I could use all of this dust for cover.

A glance at my Pip-Buck confirmed that Cherryvale was straight ahead. Rather than sticking around to see if I could fight an unknown amount of attackers with no cover, I took off galloping as fast as I could towards the distant ruined town.

The dirt and debris thinned out as I got farther from the blast zone until the air was finally clear. After a few minutes, I stopped to catch my breath and to check for any pursuers. Apparently, the raiders had started running in the opposite direction. Figuring that it wasn't not good to question such things, I let it go.

Next stop: Cherryvale.

================================================================================

For two centuries years of neglect, Cherryvale was in good condition. That is, there were still free-standing structures. Several buildings were still whole, only missing windows and a door or two. Lucky for me that this place didn't get hit by a balefire bomb. I thought. If it had, there would be nothing but a radioactive crater left. While that might suit a ghoul or alicorn just fine, it wasn't my idea of prime real estate.

The main entrance to the town was a different story.

The main path was clogged with bones. The ancient bones of ponies, all shapes and sizes. Right in front of me was the skeleton of a little filly, with two skeletal adults wrapped around it protectively. Shreds of clothing fluttered in a faint breeze. Sights like this continued, a road of remains trailing into the town's center.

I had never seen anything like this. But who had?

Even though they were a different species, I still felt immense sadness at the sight. Numbness, shock, dismay, they all elbowed their way into my mind. knowing that this kind of suffering happened and not being able to prevent it is as painful as a bullet to me.

Frankly, I wanted nothing more than to go back in time, somehow, and save these ponies from the terrible fate that had befallen them. Closing my eyes, I slowly waded my way through the graveyard, trying to block out the brittle sounds of snapping bones.

Just something on -snap- the ground...

It didn't work. This wasn't a single pony, one who suffered through my actions. Thoughts swarmed me, questions that would never be answered. Who am I stepping on? What was their life like? Did they have family? Did they help to end Equestria?

Or are they just more victims of a senseless war?

A minute later, the dreadful sounds came to an end, signifying that I had passed the ordeal. I needed a break. I needed to get away from all this, to just find a corner and let my emotions out. I opened my eyes, finding myself in the center of town.

I also found that I was not alone.

Alicorns. Fluent in flight, magic, and movement, one would be real tough to beat in a fight. The Equestrian Wasteland's equivalent of super mutants, but with a unifying mentality and frightful intelligence. I certainly had no desire to become one with Unity.

Yet I had four staring at me across the square with their demonic eyes. Purple, green, blue, and...black?

I quickly reviewed what I knew about the monsters. Purples were known for their teleportation abilities, blues had exceptional invisibility powers, and greens, masters of telepathy and shielding, could also supplement the spells of other alicorns.

I remember there being only one black alicorn in the Wastelands, even though she was truly a green. She who wore the skeletal remains of Princess Luna as decoration. The pony who needed to die.

This alicorn, although the same unique color, wasn't wearing anything but her horn, wings, and a angry expression. Nevertheless, she was giving off some sort of dark glow that closely resembled heat waves. Even from this distance, my Pip-Buck began to click. Concentrated radiation. Her mere proximity could kill me.

I was totally screwed.

I had taken on three raiders with a single spell. However, my newfound magic couldn't possibly defeat four of the Wasteland's toughest creatures. Having clearly caught sight of me, the purple alicorn seized the initiative and teleported adjacent to me. She reared up on her hind legs, ready to crush my head in like a watermelon. I stumbled away from her, struggling to pull my gun, to enter S.A.T.S., knowing I would never be able to take a shot before getting brained.

Even as the revolver slid out, I waited for the inevitable.

It never came.

A split second before her hoof crushed my skull, a high-velocity whizzed by my face and tore through her head in a spray of blood and gore. A second later, the loud crack of a rifle echoed through the square. As the partially-decapitated alicorn collapsed, I scrambled away. This mystery sniper might have meant that shot for me.

A decent-sized hole had been made through the right side of the alicorn's head, tearing chunks of flesh from her skull. However, blood failed to pour from the shattered bone and torn flesh. Rather, a pinkish gas was wafting out from the trench, melting and warping the surrounding flesh. Before my eyes, bone turned as soft as wax.

Pink Cloud. That bullet was filled with the most dangerous substance in the Wastes.

There was no chance in this world or the next that this creature had survived. I had the body of a purple alicorn laying in front of me, with half of its head melted and deformed. My thoughts invariably shifted back to the raider, yet again. Somehow, I didn't feel the same revulsion.

Across the town square, the black alicorn looked stunned. I could remember that Pink Cloud disrupted an alicorn's telepathic ability, but they must have sensed the pain and suddenness of the shot.

I had no doubt that Unity would not want to experience that pain again, as evidenced by the green alicorn forming its classic shield of energy. It draped over its body like goo, starting from the horn and creating a larger, invulnerable form of the pony. That was strange; shield spells formed domes or spheres. I could only guess that this shield allowed better mobility, at the cost of increased magical drain. Even still, as the glowing energy reached its legs, another shot rang out in the still air. The green pony flinched, pulling up its right foreleg like an injured animal. By then, the shield had fully surrounded it, shimmering with eldrich power.

It wasn't enough.

Moments before the shield finished, another bullet had hit the green one in the leg. Just like before, the high-caliber shot had inflicted considerable damage to the limb, almost tearing off the hoof. Now, as it quivered in its magical armor, pink gas began to flow from the wound.

The deadly agent crept up the leg of the now convulsing alicorn, before spreading out across its body. Flesh warped and melted, blisters popping as soon as they appeared. As her face became obscured by Pink Cloud, she let out a long, anguished scream, which was echoed by the two remaining alicorns. At last, the shield winked out, revealing the shriveled and tortured remains of the pony. With one foreleg still raised, a gruesome statue of melted flesh remained affixed to the blasted ground. fur and skin slowly removed themselves in the gentle breeze. Alicorn, sniper, and former human all stood silent, unmoving, until nothing but a warped skeleton remained.

Another marker to the Wasteland's horror.

The blue alicorn took a few steps backward before turning invisible. No doubt it was attempting to save its own life.

While I was distracted by the grim sight of the skeleton, the black one had shrouded itself with its own shield, one that pulsed and crackled with radioactive energy. The ticking on my Pip-Buck became more intense. Letting loose a wild cry, she charged at me, fury and pure anger in her blood-red eyes.

Quickly raising my magnum with telekinesis, I took aim at the creature and focused a thought on S.A.T.S.

In the alternate reality of S.A.T.S., I saw the frozen world with unmoving eyes. A mere thought allowed me to queue up all six shots on the alicorn, with a decent chance to hit. Fire! I cried in my thoughts.

Reality started up again. One after another, the six .32 rounds left the cylinder. Each splattered uselessly on the shield, flashes of light accompanying them.

Before I had a chance to reload, or even look for more ammo, Nightseer collided with me. She tossed me backward into the dessicated building a dozen feet away, cracking the wall in an almost comical fashion.
.

The sound of bones cracking wasn't quite so humorous.

I struggled to get up, near tears from the pain, but a glowing black hoof forced me back down. The contact sent burning sensations deep into my body, and drove the breath from my lungs. I looked around desperately, hoping that I could do something to save my life.

My vision was filled with the sight of a midnight black head dropping toward me, like the final curtain of an opera.

The screaming of my radiation counter going insane.

The cry of a nearby mare, full of anguish and regret.

The last sensation I felt was a horn piercing through my skull.

Footnote: Halfway to Level 3! Or death. Either one could happen.

Author's Note

I've gone and fixed this chapter up a good amount. I figured that Nightseer would make a good MacGuffin for this part of the story. It would also fit into the canon storyline, given what comes next.

Chapter 3-Mind Over Matter (R)

Fallout Equestria: Fading Echoes

by Winter Storm

All FoE credit goes to Kkat and Somber

MLP is the product of Hasbro and their associates

Chapter 3-Mind Over Matter

“It's so hard to forget pain, but it's even harder to remember sweetness. We have no scar to show for happiness. We learn so little from peace.”

Pain.

A variable of life, one that can be experienced in countless ways. Pain is felt differently for each person, and each person experiences it in their own way. Some say pain is just weakness leaving the body. Scientists say pain is a message from nerves that inform the brain that something is wrong.

I disagree.

I say pain is a reminder. It informs me, without remorse, that I am mortal, that I can make mistakes. I can spend my life without injury, but it is not possible to avoid pain. I feel the pain of others as if it were my own. Maybe that's why I help people. By reducing their pain, I cure myself, lessen my own suffering. The pain of others, I can heal. Physical pain heals. Psychological pain, with time, fades.

However, some pains are too great, never to be relieved or healed.

There is no relief from this pain.

=========================================================================

You cannot survive. I will take what I please, and you are powerless to stop me. You are nothing. The searing pain of every word tore my mind like a savage wind. Mouth wide in a soundless scream, mind being torn into pieces, I now truly understood the meaning of pain. I felt memories, ideas, and conversations, every bit of information that made up my identity, all pulled out of place and viewed under the tainted gaze of the alicorn. You cannot hide anything from me, for I am Nightseer. I find all. I see all. Give in to me, or I will tear you apart, piece by piece. You will face the justice of our Unity.

Screw....you.... I thought back. I clung to my memories, forming an unstable raft in a sea of pain and chaos. Unbidden, scraps of my past flashed before my eyes. A beach, the breeze making a fine mists over the churning sea. Opening a present at Christmas, the joy I felt at the occasion. Watching a cartoon, laughing at the character's antics. Suddenly, the memory stopped. Nightseer must have seen something unusual, some bit of information floating around in my mind. What is this? You are no normal pony. I caught a glimpse of what she had seen. it was my conversation with God, right after the Rapture. Small details stuck out, words spoken and gestures made.

End of the world? Second chance? Human. So that's what you all are. Or rather, what you were. Now, you are nothing. The pain, flowing like an electric current through my body, suddenly increased. My raft of memories was torn apart, and I began to sink into the churning sea of insanity. As my figurative head was about to go under, I felt a force wrap around me, just keeping me from sinking into the depths of my own shattered mind. I still felt the corrupted presence of Nightseer, yet oddly enough, it was her who was keeping me alive. The reason why, I did not understand. Another memory began to play out, like an old projector at the movies. This time, it was words. Black against a smudged white. Something I had read caught Nightseer's attention, and made her pause. As the text became legible, her presence turned from inquiring, to worry. I caught snatches of sentences, enough to guess the subject.

Wasteland. Balefire. Alicorn. Nightseer.

As she came across her own name, the worried emotion morphed into suspicion and something else; panic. A new list of words, unbidden, surfaced into our collective mind.

Canterlot. Nightseer. Littlepip. Death. A sentence formed, one I could finally understand, one that I remembered quite clearly.

'Nightseer glanced downward as she felt her necklace shift. With a telekinetic thrust, I drove Luna’s horn through the soft tissue under Nightseer’s muzzle and up into her brain.'

NO! she screamed, shattering the memory. This cannot be true! YOU LIE! I AM NIGHTSEER! NOPONY CAN DEFEAT ME! With that, the force holding me up vanished, and I fell into the deep recesses of Nightseer's crazed mind. A thousand voices clamored, all saying the same thing, yet all voices speaking of different subjects. millions of memories entered and left me. Memories not of my own mind suddenly became my own, my identity.

I was a unicorn mare, walking underneath the shadows of Canterlot. I was a pegasus stallion, kicking clouds left and right. I was an Earth pony colt, cowering from the death blow of a zebra legionnaire.

I was a pony surrounded by five others, filled with happiness and wonder.

Just as my head slipped under, the sea disappeared. Somewhere, a switch flipped, and all the voices stopped. A haze of pink filtered into Nightseer's conscious, disrupting the thoughts and actions twisting through her mind. A single, raw force replaced the pain. Fear. Pure fear.

I felt the connection between our minds sever, and I dropped back into my own conscious. The pain returned, but not in the strength I had previously felt. Nightseer had done a number to my cognitive abilities, and I had great difficulty focusing on any one thought. more memories surfaced and submerged just as quickly.

As I regained control over my body, I knew something was wrong. I was practially screaming in agony, and I couldn't seem to focus my eyes on anything in particular. My vision began to clear somewhat, and I saw exactly why Nightseer had lost control. Blossoming out of her left shoulder was Pink Cloud. The mysterious sniper has scored a successful hit, once again saving my sorry flank. Now, as the wound began to fizzle and melt, Nightseer let out a cry of frustration and pain. In a burst of blinding light, she teleported away.

The chaos consumed me.

===================================================================

I awoke.

Something was wrong. My nerves were sending messages from all across my body, each conveying the same message.

Damage. Injury. Irreparable.

The problem is, my brain wasn't exactly in the best condition. All these memos were piling up in the “In” box, and the sorter was on the floor getting the crap kicked out of him. The metaphorical worker managed to pull it together, and information began to trickle through. There was something wrong with my vision. The majority of my pain was originating over my left eye. The entry point of Nightseer’s horn had been the same area. With a start, I realized the depth of my injury.

I had lost an eye.

Besides that, I had a massive puncture wound where my eye used to be, as well as bad radiation burns in the same area. In fact, the radiation had cauterized the wound, and there was a minimal amount of blood coming from the wound. Glancing down at my midsection, I spotted a large scorch mark where Nightseer had hoofed me. Various other cuts and bruises patterned across my hide. An odd protrusion lifted the skin of my chest. Well, this is just great. If the trauma doesn’t kill me, the radiation will. I needed help, and fast. At that moment, Mystery Sniper made an appearance.

“You alive down there?” I was somewhat surprised to hear a feminine voice. No, I’m not sexist, I was just…

Shut up.

“Depends on your definition of alive.” I groaned. Then screamed as a rib poked though my hide, accompanied by a spurt of blood.

“Well, witty comebacks are generally a good sign,” was the haughty reply. “But that didn't sound good.”

Great. The first pony that doesn’t try to kill me on sight, has to be a smartass. If I was lucky, she'd kill me with a Med-X overdose.

“If you’re going to do something, do it fast.” I swung my head from side to side, grunting in pain as I tried to find the elusive mare. “Where are you anyway?”

“Right here.” I flinched, setting off a whole new wave of pain. She was right behind me. “You need to be more patient. Charging in is gonna get you killed.”

It already has. I thought. The mysterious mare came around on my left side. I could hear the clopping of her hooves, and the rattle of a weapon. As she came into my line of sight, I was totally unprepared for what I saw.

She was, well, beautiful.

I was expecting a pony with scars and dirt, with bloodstained armor. Perhaps a scowl and eyepatch. What I got was almost the exact opposite. The mare had a pale orange coat, unstained by the Wastelands. A narrow horn pushed through a long mane of strong orange that tumbled down her neck, with lighter streaks pulsing throughout it. She wore a light grey cloak that obscured her Cutie Mark, but the odd lumps indicated armor underneath. It seemed almost decorative, with cloth flowing down her back, only disrupted by the occasional armored plate. Deep green eyes, filled with concern, raked over my various injuries. As she reached my ruined eye, her own grew wide.

“Sweet Celestia…” she murmured. “You weren’t kidding around. Stay still, I’ll get some supplies.”

Hah, as if I was going anywhere. Instead of voicing this thought, I simply nodded. As the mare turned her head to reach some saddlebags I had not seen, I caught a glimpse of the weapon on her back.

Like the mare, it was a sight to behold. A sniper rifle, black as night, rested in a back holster. I spotted a few small green gems embedded along the barrel, along with a giant pink diamond right above the magazine. This rifle held a different kind of beauty, holding the elegance and sleekness of a predator. If the injuries it had inflicted were any indication, this rifle could punch straight through most armor. My examination came to an end as she abruptly turned to face me, floating a roll of bandages, bottles full of purple liquid, and a bottle of glue in front of her. The sparkling green glow of her magic was rather soothing to my beleaguered mind, and I felt myself drifting away…

*SMACK!* A hoof impacted on the right side of my face. “Oh no you don’t,” was the explanation, “you’re not falling asleep yet, not here.”

Damn, that hurt. I closed my uninjured eye as she unrolled the bandages and began to wrap them across my head. The smooth cloth felt odd against my burned face, like a cool sensation that slowly eased the pain. The reason came forthwith.

“These are bandages soaked in a healing potion. Not as effective as a potion itself, but they get the job done.” My body seemed to agree. I could feel the swelling go down, and the cuts beginning to close. However, one nagging thought made me interrupt her. Most ponies don't help one another in the Wastelands without wanting something in return.

“Who are you? Why did you help me?” What do you want from me? I didn’t say the last one aloud.

Rather than responding immediately, the mare popped the tab of a healing potion, and levitated it to my lips. The magical liquid reminded me of grapes. For some reason, she pulled the bottle away after that first sip. Her explanation came forthwith, in the form of my rib being enshrouded in green magic.

For the second time in as many minutes, I screamed in agony. my cries of pain were silenced as the rest of the potion was poured down my throat. Only after the puncture on my chest closed did she respond.

“I helped you because that’s what I do. I help anypony who needs it. As for my name, I’m called Echo. And no, I'm not like the last one.”

“The last what?” I inquired.

“You don't know?” she asked. I shook my head. “Well, I suppose I could tell you why I’m called Echo.”

“Okay, I guess that’ll be fine…” I answered, still perplexed by her generosity.

Echo motioned to the rifle on her back. “That beauty is why I’m called that name. The rifle itself was named Echo, and each Bearer of it has taken its name as their own. Each Bearer has tasked themselves with some great goal in the Wasteland. The last one... his intentions weren't exactly noble. Mine were. So I became the next Bearer."

"What happened to him?" I asked, fairly certain of the answer.

'What do you think?" she promptly countered. He wasn't fighting the Good Fight. If ponies are going to survive, we need to do better. I thought that I could accomplish that. You should be glad. It's the reason I saved you."

The orange mare started to stow her remaining medical supplies. "Something told me that you were worth saving." She looked thoughtful. "I think it was how you reacted to my second shot, actually. Only a corrupted or evil soul could face a sight like that without pity or horror."

“Well,” I muttered, "I don't think I was worth saving." Her emerald green eyes filled with confusion. I let out a labored sigh. "I... there were ponies. They attacked me, and I stopped them with my magic. But one of them didn't die. She..." My voice hitched. "H-her back was torn open. There was blood everywhere. The eyes, they..." my voice broke off again.

Echo laid a forehoof on my shoulder. "Let it out. Don't keep this bottled in."

I took a deep breath and steadied myself. "I took her gun. I looked her straight in the eye."

"Then I put a bullet though it." I shuddered, thinking back. "That's not even the damning part. I didn't care. I had this mare's life in my hands, and I just fucking ended it, without a second thought!"

I expected to hear the sound of a pony walking away. Instead, I felt the embrace of Echo, as she sat next to me. "It doesn't look that way to me." she smiled. "You couldn't have done anything. You did the right thing. Those raiders would have kept on terrorizing the Wasteland if you hadn't stepped up and stopped them."

Her sooting words eased the turmoil of emotion that churned inside me. She was right, after all. But I still knew. I wasn't a good person. I only felt remorse for my thoughts.

I knew that I would kill again.

I knew that I wouldn't feel remorse for my actions.

=========================================================================

"Umm, Echo?" I said. "I think it's getting dark."

“I know, and that’s why I’ve got to get your sorry flank out of here.” Echo tightened the bandages on my face, and made one last check over my chest. “Problem is, you are in no condition to move.”

“I could have told you that.” I shot back. “So, any advice on what to do from here?”

“...Always smartasses…” I heard her mutter. Echo met my eyes, or rather, eye. “There’s a town to the north, goes by the name of Saddleton. It’s been safe from raiders for a while, and the ponies are decent. You should head in that direction.”

She glued the final wrappings shut, and floated me back onto my hooves in an impressive display of telekinesis. “There’s a clinic where you can get better medical attention. A nice pony by the name of Vista runs it. Ask him about Emerald, let her know that I'll be back soon.”

“Well, that covers me. But what about you?” I pointed out. “Are you just going to stay here?”

“In case you’ve forgotten, that blue alicorn is still out there. An invisible monster is especially dangerous. It could bypass Saddleton's defenses. Or, it could lurk around this town for a while, preying on anypony who gets too close. I need to-" A heavy weight knocked me on my side, interrupting Echo.

Then she started to scream.

I watched, struck still with horror, as a razor-sharp object sliced through her barding and ripped her flesh, from neck to tail, in a single, savage strike. Blood poured from the wound, where it stuck to something invisible. A spiraling horn made of gore presented itself to my damaged eyesight.

As the mare collapsed, I magically tore the rifle from her back and swung the stock as hard as I could at the nightmarish horn. With a loud crunch, a dazed blue alicorn appeared, its muzzle coated with blood, its horn cracked and leaking eldritch energy. I quickly spun the rifle around and pressed the long barrel right between the monster's eyes.

Up close, the shot was unavoidable. The alicorn’s head vanished in a burst of bloody chunks and Pink Cloud that flew in all directions. I scrambled back, discarding the rifle and crawling over the Echo’s prone form. I was hoping for the best but expected the worst. The moment I laid my eye on the wound, I knew there was no recovering from this. Once a puddle of blood reached a certain size, there was no survival. Nevertheless, I lifted her head, checking for any signs of life. Surprisingly, she was still alive, proven by the uneven rise and fall of her labored breathing. Echo let out a low groan, and attempted to twist her head to face me. I gently lay a hoof on her head, not wanting her to strain herself even more.

"Listen...*cough*...I need you to..." I edged closer, not wanting to miss any of her whispered words. "Y-you have to take...the*cough*...rifle. It's under your...*cough* care now."

"No!" I whispered. "You'll be fine. Just..."

"Don't try to *cough* comfort me. I know...I'm not going to...*cough* make it." She slowly extended a hoof in my direction. "Take...Echo. You are the n-new....Bearer." I nodded, tears forming in my eyes. I had caused her this pain with my own stupidity. The least I could do is follow her last wishes.

I levitated the bloodstained holster from her back, and slid the rifle in. I took a second to figure out how to put it on. As I found the correct placement, Echo locked her emerald green eyes with mine. "One *cough* last thing." she coughed. I stopped my motions and stood totally still. "My n-name....my real name is...is..." Her voice faded to a whisper. She raised her hoof towards my face, one final attempt to move. Echo let out a shuddering sigh, her name gently drifting out of trembling lips.

"...Azure..." The glow in her eyes dimmed, and the outstretched leg hit the ground with a muffled thump. I watched, helpless, as those beautiful green eyes closed for the last time.

Just something on the ground.

=========================================================================

"No..." I said quietly. "No, no NO!" My voice rose to a scream, a cry of pure anguish. "Why? Why did she have to die?" I cried to the world, but with no ears, save my own, to hear. I did this. I got her killed. My thoughts ran rampant, refusing to focus on anything other than the mare lying dead in front of me. If I hadn't stumbled in here, she wouldn't have had to save me. It's all my faul- I felt a sudden stinging sensation in my head, interrupting my self-depreciating thoughts. With the pain came a voice, faint, but unmistakably male.

"Not your fault..."

I tried to place the voice. However, both the mysterious voice and stinging sensation had vanished. Whatever that was, it was wrong. Azure's death was my fault. The best thing I could do for her would be to follow her last instructions. There was one thing that came first.

She needed a burial.

I found a folding camp shovel in the saddlebag on her uninjured side. With it, I spent almost an hour digging a rectangular hole. My mind remained an empty void, with nothing but the thought of digging. By the time I had finished, a decent-sized headache had built up from the magical strain. I folded up the shovel and placed it on the ground with the rest of Azure's belongings. I didn't feel the pain.

Nothing but emptiness.

I carefully wrapped my magic around her prone form, making sure to not disturb her body. Despite the terrible rent in her side, she was still breathtakingly beautiful. As few strands of her mane slid over her serene face, my pain-filled thoughts once again threatened to break past my mental barrier. I gently set her down into the fresh-dug earth, my magic creating a cocoon of light around her.

Unbidden, a memory arose. Like before, this belonged to another pony. It was nothing more than the mental pathways of a spell, one that would affect Ech- Azure's body in some fashion. I cast it without a second thought. My blue magical aura turned a simple white, and obscured her body from sight. When the spell ended, a shimmering bubble of energy surrounded her corpse. The field was transparent, and with a start, I saw that Azure's injury had disappeared. Before my hopes were raised, I "remembered" that an illusion spell had been mixed in.

I did not question the nature of the spell. Whatever it was, it was beyond my comprehension. All I knew was that I had not thought to bring the memory, yet my mind still manipulated the energy to make it happen. Using my telekinesis, I forced the piles of dirt back into the grave, completing the task in far less time than it had taken to create it. However, the magical bubble refused to be smothered. As earth filled the narrow trench, it rose steadily with the tumbling dirt. As I cut my control over my magic, the mystical barrier merged with the surrounding ground, becoming as solid as starmetal. Now, the body of Azure was visible to any in the Wastelands. Time would not ravage her.

The Wasteland would never claim her.

Now to make sure that they remember her.

I examined the surrounding buildings until I found a slab of stone that suited my purposes. I pulled the dusty chunk of rock off a nearby wall and turned to face Azure’s grave. Still floating the shard, I unsheathed the combat knife I had found in Azure’s possession. Feeling the strain of levitating multiple objects, I began to carve letters into the slab with delicate precision. When I finished, the blade dropped from my magical grip, allowing me to read the inscription.

Here lies Azure, the Bearer of Echo.

She fought the Good Fight where others wouldn't.

She helped a stranger without a second thought.

She was a hero to the Wasteland.

May her spirit echo in the hearts of all.

With my arduous task accomplished, I had nothing more to keep me in Cherryvale. I packed my saddlebags, slung Echo over my shoulder, and proceeded to trot away. I barely noticed the ancient skeletons that clogged the town entrance. They were merely echoes from the past, remnants of long-ago conflicts. After all, what significance did these ancient bones have compared to what the Wasteland had just lost? To what I had lost? A glance at my Pip-Buck confirmed that I was heading north. With a heavy heart, I limped toward my new future, whatever it may bring.

I stepped over the remains of two ponies and a child.

Never once did I look back.

=========================================================================

It never lasts. A measure of peace can never last forever, and when it ends, it’s guaranteed to be a shitstorm. No matter how much you try to prolong it, prevent it, or avoid it, bad things will happen. In my case, it was the minefield that started it all.

Landmines are nasty things. They come in all different varieties, from ones that are simple step triggers, to sophisticated bouncing proximity charges. After that, there are the homing drones equipped with magic beams, which seem to have difficulty telling ponies and zebras apart. Of the three, pick the cheap ones. Easy to deal with, and a quick death if you mess up. Of course, I had to have the drones coming after me.

"Die zebra scum!"

"For the last time, I am not a fucking zebra!" I shouted. Overnight, I had gotten close enough to the settlement of Saddleton for it to appear on my Pip-Buck. At the same time, I had stumbled into an advanced minefield that separated it from Cherryvale. Azure had failed to mention it in the seven minutes she spent healing me. No doubt she meant to afterwards, but with her being dead and me having three drones on my tail, it was a little too late.

Anyway, I was galloping as fast as I could toward the distant town, all while dodging lances of energy and natural obstacles. As I evaded yet another shot from the drones, I contemplated using Echo on them. I realized that it would be hopeless. The gun was too big and the drones too small for me to hit with my inexperienced shots. Even S.A.T.S. has confirmed that my hit chance would be next to zero. Also, I had a nagging feeling that Pink Cloud would mess with the drones in a way that would cause more harm to me than good.

So focused on the drones I was, I failed to notice a trench stretching across my patch. I tumbled headfirst in a flurry of dust and limbs. Oh man, I'm so screwed. I waited for the unique sensation of being disintegrated, only to have the unexpected occur.

On either side of me, armor-plated turrets were affixed to the rugged earth. A chaingun with what seemed to be micro-missile launcher proceeded to rip the drones to shreds. Laying only a foot away from them, the noise was deafening. Bits of blazing shrapnel flew from the desiccated drones, which collapsed to the ground in charred heaps. The turrets swept the area in front of them for a few seconds, then sealed themselves back up. Save for the drone remains, there was no evidence that the turrets had ever activated.

"Well, glad thats over." I muttered as I attempted to exit the ditch. "Now I just have to-GAH!" I collapsed in agonizing pain as soon as I tried to climb out of the trench. A quick check of my body revealed the bloody truth. A piece of shrapnel had sliced along my left foreleg, excavating a bloody furrow along the length of the limb. The only area that was not sliced up was the spot below my Pip-Buck. There was no way I could put any weight on the wound, and I had no more medical supplies. Azure had used all of hers up to fix my eye and chest. nevertheless, I had to get to Saddleton. It boiled down to two choices:

Move or die.

Gritting my teeth against the pain, I limped forward on an northernly course. Luckily, my mad dash to escape the drones had put me very close to the settlement, right inside the outer defenses. As it was, I was fighting a losing battle.

Blood loss and fatigue were taking their toll, and each step became harder and harder. As I approached the front gate, my vision tunneled, and the only thought in my mind was my wish for the pain to stop. I continued to soldier on, as the sun began to peek over the horizon. At last, I could do no more. I pitched to the side, unaware of anything but the terrible, agonizing pain.

The last thing I saw was a brown pony racing toward me.

Then everything became darkness.

There is no relief from this pain.

=============================================================================

Footnote: Level Up!

Welcome to Level 3!

Perks:

Unity's Judgement: The very fabric of your being has been tortured to the edge of destruction. Yet you have survived. -1 Intelligence, -10% ALL experience gains, +3 DT.

One-Eyed: You lost an eye, but now you look like a badass. People listen to badasses. -1 Perception, + 1 Charisma, + 10 speech. Bonus to Intimidate checks.

Quest Perk added: Unity's Grace: (Level 1) You hear faint whispers in your head. +5% Experience gains.

Reputation Perk Added: Echo: You are the new Bearer of the legendary sniper rifle. + 1 Charisma, + 5 Small Guns, + 10% damage vs. abominations. Unique Dialogue options. Reputation may vary.

=============================================================================

Chapter 4-End of Innocence (UR)

Fallout Equestria: Fading Echoes

by Winter Storm

All FoE credit goes to Kkat and Somber

MLP is the product of Hasbro and their associates

Chapter 4-End of Innocence

"That doesn't look like a table... We were making a table?"

Sleep. How often do we take it for granted? The ability of a creature to cease the multitude of actions in the mind, and simply drift off into the calmness of sleep is a wondrous thing. It gives the mind time to sort things out, to make sense of new information. Without it, humans would slowly descend into insanity. For the first time in a while, I had the opportunity to rest. Granted, it only came after a multitude of dangerous situations, but that makes it all the more vital. Now, I can make sense of this new world and my place in it. Perhaps my only role in this world is to suffer.

Then again, maybe not.

Finally, A chance to relax. I thought. I can just… Wait a second. I’m not awake. I’m not dead, am I? I opened my eyes, only to find myself standing in a haze of light. There was nothing but endless stretches of spiraling light in all directions. It was not the glowing expanse of clouds that I had encountered during my appointment with God. The light beneath me felt solid, yet it was just as transparent as the strands around me. As I looked from side to side, I caught a view of my left foreleg. Or rather, my arm. A perfectly normal human arm. The only constant was the presence of my Pip-Buck, which had conformed to match the shape of my human limb. I checked the length of my body, and found the same features I had as a human. Thankfully, I was still clothed in the attire I had worn during my last night on Earth. Specifically, a pair of jeans, a clean white shirt, and sneakers.

Ok, this is getting weird… I felt a weight going from my left shoulder down to my right hip. Glancing down, I spotted a black strap extending across my torso. I gave it a tug, and felt something hard press into my back. I swung my hand back, and felt the stock of a rifle. I gripped it firmly, and pulled it over my head.

It was Echo. The rifle that had saved my life, at the cost of others. The final gift from a mare I barely knew, who selflessly gave her life so that I might live. I slowly turned the weapon in my hands, my inquisitive eyes picking out detail after detail.

A slight scratch in the stock, from where I had hit the alicorn.

Flowing lines of metal, forming delicate patterns across the length of the barrel.

Finally, the pulsing pink gems mirrored on either side of the ejection port. A grip designed for a human was just behind it. As I had noticed before, small green gems lined the expanse of the barrel. From what I knew of talismans, they could do anything from levitating the rifle to reducing recoil. I could only guess at the function of the pink one. I carefully extended a finger to the pink gem. As my finger approached, the motes of light inside the crystal seemed to flash and swirl with renewed vigor. Full of apprehension, I made contact with the mysterious talisman. A flash of pink light emitted from the object, causing me to drop the rifle in alarm. Instead of falling to my feet, it simply floated in place. With a start, I realized that I was doing the same.

I was so caught up in examining the sniper rifle; I had failed to take note of my surroundings. The shifting banks of light had faded into a grey haze, leaving me floating weightless in the environment. Worried about something attacking me, I grabbed Echo and held it in a rifle-ready position. I swung the gun from side to side, looking for anything. A prickling sensation teased the nape of my neck. You see, I’ve been able to catch people sneaking up on me before, thanks to this odd sensation. I couldn’t explain how it worked, but it was reliable. Without hesitation, I spun around and pulled the trigger. Only after the bullet left the barrel did I see my target clearly.

A man, about the same age as me, wearing a white polo shirt and black pants. Spiky red hair stuck up from his tanned head, which twitched to the side as my shot whipped by. The man shot his arm out, and knocked the sniper rifle away from him. His red eyes met mine. Suddenly, he grinned and set his hand on my shoulder. He opened his mouth, and spoke in a startlingly familiar voice.

{Good idea, Stephen. Just don’t try it on me.} With that, removed the hand from my shoulder, and stuck out his arm for a handshake. I reluctantly took his hand, and gave it a firm shake. I needed answers from this guy, whoever he was, and playing nice would probably get me what I wanted. So I put all of my questions into one sentence.

“What the hell is going on?”

The strange man laughed, and shook his head. {Many things are going on. You’re dying, for one. Losing an eye and having your mind fractured is not something you just walk off, you know.}

“You don’t say?” I said sarcastically.

{I do say, actually. You’re having a conversation with a strange man while floating around in your own subconscious. Rather odd, don’t you think?}

Damn, he had a good point. “Speaking of strange men, who are you? Why are you here?”

The man’s smile faded, replaced with a slight frown. Nevertheless, he continued to speak.

{I’m you. Or rather, a part of you. I am the more casual, carefree side of you. You can call me Blaze.}

“Right, and I’m supposed to just believe that? You’re probably a figment of my imagination, made by my mind to keep me entertained while I die.” Sorry, but this was just pushing it. I must have a really weird subconscious.
I felt a prickle on my neck yet again. A woman’s voice, just as familiar as Blaze’s, came from behind me. {Actually, you’re not far off. When a human mind is traumatized, it can break up into various fragments, as a way to protect itself. On Earth, these fragments often end up all jumbled, and the victims incoherent. They often get diagnosed with schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder.}

I turned about to face the newcomer. She was the same height as me, and looked to be the same age. She wore clothing identical to what Blaze wore, only a silver ring was on her left index finger. Dark blue hair tumbled past her shoulders. The woman had icy blue eyes, and looked me over with a cold, calculating gaze. She crossed her arms, and continued her explanation.

{The nature of your injury altered your mind’s fragmentation. No doubt, the magic that Nightseer released into your brain caused this. Instead of losing your coherent conscious, you gained two more. Blaze and myself. You heard us during your escape from Cherryvale, correct?}

I didn’t respond immediately. I was still trying to make sense of what this woman, this part of my mind, was saying. It was too much information for me to grasp. I started to make small conclusions about what she said, in hopes of getting the big picture.

“So, you’re both fragments of my mind?”

{Yes.}

“Nightseer did this to me?”

{Yup.}

“And you two can talk to me in my mind?”

{Somewhat. You won’t see us when you’re awake, and you probably won’t hear us clearly. Your mental psyche is in bad condition, and it will take time for it to heal. If we need to say something, however, you WILL hear it.}

Suddenly, the grey light surrounding me began to glow brighter. Strands of light opened above my head, and I could hear the echoes of voices in the distance.

“What’s happening?” I questioned. “Am I dead now, or something?”

{ No, you are just waking up. Stay strong, and you will recover.}
The glow became brighter, and the woman’s voice became more indistinct. I realized that I still did not know her name. I called out to her, and strained to hear her reply.

{…Name… Star!}

The light became blinding, and I shielded my eyes from the burning rays.

“He’s waking up!”

A muffled voice rang through my head, setting off a wave of pain. I ignored it as best I could, and forced my eyes open. However, there was nothing but darkness obscuring my left eye. With my impeded gaze, I looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. I found the blurred face of a pony standing over me. I shook my head, and the dizziness vanished. My vision cleared, I saw that I was on my back, secured to a tarnished metal table. Yellowish light forced itself through a grimy window that perched on the wall in front of me. As for the pony who towered over me, I recognized him as the one who was charging towards me as I collapsed outside Saddleton.

He had no horn, and from what I could see, no wings. This time, he was wearing what seemed to be a fancy suit with armored plating set in vital areas. A tattered tie hung from his neck like some sort of decorative parasite. Despite this rather beaten look, he flashed me a wide smile and extended a hoof.

“Hey, nice to meet you.” He greeted. He gave his leg a little shake, prompting me to do something. I stared at it, clueless. Frowning, he withdrew the hoof, and set it on the ground. “You have quite the amount of injuries.” The stallion informed me. He glanced at something over my head, and began to list my copious wounds.

“Let’s see. You've been unconscious for about a week. You have an irradiated puncture wound on the left side of your face, coupled with radiation burns of various degrees. On your chest, there is yet another burn, which caused your internal organs to end up on the "well-done" spectrum of cooking. Other than those two wounds, you have a few dozen various cuts, bruises, and contusions all over your body.” He rolled his eyes. “Overall, it’s not that bad. You’ll live.”

“Not that bad?” I shot back. “I just lost a goddamn eye! How is that ‘not that bad’?” His eyes widened at my outburst, and I realized my mistake. These ponies don’t know about God. Well, maybe Gawd the griffin, but that's a totally different story. I should have kept my freakin' mouth shut. His next statement, however, knocked me right out of the metaphorical water.

“Humans can take a lot more punishment than you would think. You’re no exception.” I stared at him, mouth agape. Normally, I wouldn’t be so obvious, but cut me a break. I’ve been stabbed in the eye, I deserve a reprieve.

“How…how did you k-know I-““-was a human?” he interrupted. The stallion raised his other foreleg. A Pip-Buck was attached to it, one identical to mine.

“Because I’m one too.”

================================================================================

Well, now. That’s not what I was expecting. Once again, Wasteland, you have found a way to fuck everything up. True to my nature, I didn’t immediately believe what he said. I crossed my legs over my chest, which caused me to make a rather disturbing discovery. I felt around to be certain, my panic steadily rising. At last, I released it.

“WHY IS MY CHEST METAL?!?”

A guilty look flashed across the supposed human’s face. “Yea, I forgot to mention that. The radiation burns were pretty bad. We had to cut the irradiated tissue away; otherwise you would slowly die of radiation sickness. Armored plates made a good substitute.” The stallion pointed to a picture on the wall, one I had missed in my initial observations. “As I said before, your organs were cooked. Luckily, only a small part of the damage was permanent. Those parts were cut out and replaced with cybernetic enhancements. They’ll slowly absorb the radiation and heal the injuries. Luckily for you, the flesh will grow back over, and you can get the chest piece removed. Eventually.”

This sent my mind in turmoil. I’m a cyberpony. I’m not human, I’m not even a full pony.” I was so caught up in my thoughts, I failed to notice that the pony had continued to talk.

“-and that’s why you still can’t see.” He finished. Great, I’m still half-blind. How could this possibly get any worse?”
The door burst open with a crash, and a green blur shot through. The next thing I knew, there was a mare in front of me, and a knife aimed at my head. Note to self: don’t say “It can’t get any worse.” The mare, an emerald green unicorn, began to talk.

“Where is she? Where’s my sister?”

“What?” I responded. “How would I know? I just got here an-“ The knife flew towards me, stopping an inch from my good eye. This mare meant business.

“My sister. The mare you got THAT from.” She motioned to the side of my bed. Gently resting on the wall, was Echo. She narrowed her eyes, and drew my gaze back to hers. “Now, I’m only saying this once. Where. Is. My. Sister.”

Despite the knife orbiting my face, I didn’t flinch or cower. “Was your sister an orange unicorn with a streaked mane?”

“Yes. What did you do to her?” her voice took on a dark, menacing quality. I had no doubt that she would kill me in a second if I gave her reason to.

Nevertheless, she had to know. “She was killed by an alicorn in Cherryvale. She saved my life. I was being tortured by one of them, and she took them out. One snuck away, and caught her by surprise. I killed it before it could escape again. Before she died, she told me to take the rifle, that I was the new ‘Bearer’.”

At the news, tears began to pool in her eyes. In an instant, she turned from an arbiter of fate to a pony that looked like she needed a hug. However, she shook her head and glared at me. “How can I trust you? How do I know you’re not lying?”
I knew what to tell her. “I know your sister’s name. Her real name.” She shook her head, a desperate attempt to deny what I was saying. “Azure.” Memories of the mare resurfaced, full of pain and determination. She will be avenged. The Goddess herself shall fear my retribution.

The green mare’s eyes widened, and she let out a small cry. She ducked her head, allowing me to see behind her. The brown pony that healed me had his right foreleg right behind the mare, the Pip-Buck lit with a faint glow. A narrow blade extended from the base, poised to stab her if she attacked me. For a doctor, he was certainly willing to harm another pony. Then again, he would be doing it to keep another from harm. Why do these ponies help me without knowing who I am? Azure had died saving my life, and now this brown pony was willing to kill somepony to save me.

Huh, I managed to pick up on the local dialect rather quickly. Well, time to defuse this situation before somepony does something that they will regret.

“Ok, Mr. Doctor. Please remove the knife from Ms. Green Pony’s neck. Miss, would you kindly do the same for me?” I requested, being a smartass as usual. The mare spun around, shocked to find a blade hovering inches from her neck. With a nod, the brown stallion twitched his foreleg and the blade retracted. The mare warily sheathed her own knife, keeping an eye on the other pony.

I pressed on. “Thank you. Now, I can’t keep referring to you as Brown Stallion or Green Mare. What are your names?” The possible human stepped forward, and gestured towards himself.

“My human name was Daniel, but you can just call me Vista.” The mare’s ears twitched when he said human, but otherwise gave no indication of recognition. Then she stepped forward.

“I am Emerald Blizzard.” She met my eyes. “If you are indeed the true Bearer of Echo, then that is how you will be known. That name is well-known in this region of the Wastelands, thanks to my sister."

“Is that so?” Focusing my magic, I attempted the arduous task of levitating myself off the bed. Ethereal swirls of red and blue energy coated my body, spreading a pins and needles sensation. With pained grimace, I felt myself slowly floating up off the small surface. Pressure built in my skull as I began to rotate. When my hooves were oriented parallel to the ground, I released my grip on the spell. I landed on all fours, wincing as dozens of bruises ached in harmony. “Alright, I think it’s time I got out of your collective manes. I’ll just be going-“ Vista’s leg barred my path, preventing me from leaving the room. “Hold on, there. You’re in no condition to head back out there alone. Besides, what do you even plan to do?” Damn, he had a good point.

Um…well…”I trailed off. He smirked.

“Exactly. Now how about you listen to some reason?” He lowered his hoof and nodded to the door. “When I said you can’t go out there alone, I meant what I said. I’m coming with you.” This can be useful. He seems good in a fight, and every Wasteland hero needs a medic to fix all of their self-inflicted injuries.

I smiled at him, then turned to Emerald Blizzard. She had been rather quiet after her declaration, and I wanted to make sure she was alright. “How about you, Emerald? Do you want to travel with us?” She was still rattled by the news of her sister’s death, so I doubted she would.

It came as a surprise to me, then, when she nodded in affirmation, and explained why. “Yes, I will travel with you. My sister thought your life was worth more than hers, and it’s the least I could do to honor her last wishes.” I shivered as I heard these words. This was almost exactly what I thought to myself back in Cherryvale.

Vista chose that moment to cut the morbid mood. “Well, now that that’s all sorted out, let’s go adventure! Allons-y!” he spun around and cantered out the door. I rolled my single eye and followed him, with Emerald Blizzard in the rear.

“I don’t know. It feels… strange.” I spun the outfit around, carefully examining each part. “I feel like I’m ripping off of the story.” Vista glared at me.

“You need armor.” He told me. “This is the best they’ve got here. The last thing you need is more critical injuries.” He turned his head and reached into a pair of saddlebags identical to mine, minus a few bloodstains. A plastic bag full of caps came floating out.

“Hey, how are you doing that? You’re an Earth Pony. Only unicorns can float stuff.” He grinned and pointed to his Pip-Buck. Giving it a gentle tap, he explained it to me.

“You haven’t figured out how to use this yet, have you?” I shook my head.

“Just the power switch, which opened up the maps, but I couldn’t find any dials or buttons.” I explained.

“That’s because this is a special type of Pip-Buck. It has telepathic controls. In other words, you just think of the operation, and it will activate it. Watch this.” He raised his foreleg. The screen flashed as a diagram of Vista was replaced with a map of the surrounding area. Just as quickly, an inventory list popped up, labeling his barding as an “Armored Pre-war Formal Suit.” He put the leg down and the Pip-Buck opened up and fell to the wooden floor of the establishment. On the underside, a glowing white gem was giving off a glowing aura. I was somehow able to confirm that it was giving off magical energy, like some sort of subconscious magic sense. “This gem right here is what powers a weak telekinesis spell. It can’t lift weapons, but small items are fine.” He stuck his hoof back, and the mechanical clamps sealed shut.

“For an Earth Pony, you sure seem to know a lot about magic.” I said. Meanwhile, I was thinking different thoughts.These Pip-Bucks are amazing. Hey, I wonder if it lists perks? As soon as I thought that, the screen clicked, and a list appeared. Ha, Kkat Fan. That’s a nice perk. Hand of God isn’t so nice, though. Wait. Ravaged Mind? How could I lose intelligence? I don’t feel any less smart.

{You couldn’t figure out how to use a Pip-Buck…}

I smacked the side of my head. Shut up, Blaze. I turned my attention back to Vista, who was waiting patiently. “Ok, I’ll take it.”

“Good to hear, since I already paid for it.” He grinned. I ordered my Pip-Buck to unclamp, and it complied. I slid the barding over my head, and carefully stuck my forelegs through. I put the Pip-Buck back on, feeling the familiar pressure on my foreleg. I opened up my inventory, looking at the new entry.

[New Item: Armored Stable 47 Jumpsuit.]

Nodding thanks to the shopkeeper, Vista and I left the store. We found ourselves in the center of Saddleton. It reminded me of Megaton, with random debris forming the walls and ceilings of the buildings. All it was missing was a giant bomb in the center. Still, the citizens of the town were kind, yet cautious. In the short time Vista had been with them, he had gained their respect my working as a free doctor. Back on Earth, Daniel had been a cybernetics student, working to get a medical degree. He had wanted to develop cybernetic limbs for people who had lost them. Being only a student, he didn’t have the expertise to build a fully functioning replacement eye. Metal plating and radiation absorption, however, were a piece of cake.

We stood outside the store, waiting patiently. Emerald Blizzard had left to go grab her belongings from her home. She had told us to wait in the center of town. I took a seat on a rusty bench. Several passing ponies gave me odd glances. I quickly realized that I was sitting like a human, with my back against the bench and my hindlegs hanging over. I gave an embarrassed smile, and stood up to sit in the proper fashion. Just before I could sit down in the correct way, I heard a voice come from thin air.

“That’s not how you sit on a bench, you know.” I gave a small shriek and jumped backwards. Before with a laugh, Emerald Blizzard faded into view, garbed in some sort of armor. Metal braces extended across her legs, linked to a center chest plate. In that plate was a blue gem, with wires linking it to the other parts of her armor. A black cloak obscured her Cutie Mark, and had metal plates woven in. She noticed my examination, and gave a half-smile.

“This is Semi-Powered Infiltration armor. SPI, for short.” She explained. “From what I was told by Azure, it was developed by the Ministry of Wartime Technology, for some sort of secret mission. It uses Stealth-Bucks as a cloaking source, but boosts their effectiveness and duration. I can also move with increased agility and strength. Lastly, it comes with a limited Eyes-Forward Sparkle and Stable-Tec Assisted Targeting Spell. From that, I can get directions, and do a single attack in S.A.T.S.”

These features made my barding seem more like pieces of cardboard duct-taped together than practical armor. I looked at Vista, waiting to see his reaction to all the techno babble. He was completely engrossed in the armor, and started to fire off questions at a somewhat bewildered Emerald. After a minute, I decided that they were wasting time.

“Hey, this is the Wastelands, not a science convention. We’ve got work to do.” With annoyed nickers, they cantered across the square and stood on either side of me. Of course, there had to be at least one last smartass comment before we left. This time, the honors went to Vista.

“Under the definition of ‘impatient’, Echo, is a picture of you.” I smacked him on the side, and sighed. It seems like any group out to make the Wastelands a better place must be filled to the brim with sarcastic ponies. As we exited the gates, which were guarded by two high-tech turrets, I made a final equipment check.

Let’s see. Rad-X, Fancy Buck Snack Cakes, Sparkle-Cola, bottlecaps, and some healing potions. Let’s not forget the combat knife, magnum, sniper rifle, and extra .44 & .308 rounds. I went through a mental checklist that would have made Twilight Sparkle envious. Once I was done, I saw that Vista and Emerald were doing similar gear checks. Emerald pulled out the same knife she had threatened me with earlier. She floated it ahead of her, gave it a twirl, and slid it into a foreleg sheath. Vista triggered the loading mechanism of the shotgun battle-saddle he had purchased earlier, feeding shells into the gun via ammunition belts. Once it was loaded, he spat the firing bit out of his mouth. “Ready to go?” he asked.

“Eeyup.” I intoned.

“Quit ripping off of Big Macintosh.” He groaned. He turned to Emerald. “How about you, Em?” She twisted around and gave a dark look to Vista.

“Don’t call me that. Only my sister gets that right.” The look in her eyes was terrifying, full of menace, yet it seemed that intense sadness was just behind it. Being an only child, I couldn’t truly imagine the bond the two mares must have shared, but it must have felt like losing a part of herself. I didn’t try to comfort her. Vista had learned the hard way that Emerald Blizzard did not take to pity very well. To be specific, she responded to it with a hoof to the other’s face. Eager to not repeat that experience, Vista backed away and nodded quickly. “Yea, I get it. Sorry. Won’t happen again.”

“Good to hear.” She said with a huff of satisfaction. She started to trot off in the general direction of Cherryvale. I fell in behind her, with Vista providing rear cover. Although the town itself had been free of raiders, the area surrounding it was a different story. Despite the risks, we had decided it was worth it. Regardless of our decision, Emerald would have left anyway. Nothing could keep her away from her sister. Not the raiders, the radiation, or the alicorns.

Certainly not the stallion that got Azure killed.

================================================================================

The trip to Cherryvale was somewhat eventful. Which is to say, a complete pain in the flank.

Our first obstacle was been an encampment of raiders between the town and us. I had missed it during my pain-filled trek to Saddleton, having traveled far enough North to stay out of sight. That’s when the robot had attacked me. This time, Emerald used her knowledge of the surrounding area to help us out. We cut around to the south this time, which put us close to my initial starting point in the Wastelands.

After that, it got weird.

I took point, and made periodical checks with the sniper scope to look for long-range threats. E.F.S. was good, but the Mark One Eyeball still held first place for finding things. I was making one of these sweeps when I spotted the statue of Winter Storm. Or rather, what used to be the Winter Storm Memorial. From what I could see, the pedestal was still there, but the statue itself had changed. I couldn’t get a clear look from this far out, but it seemed bigger and less pony-shaped. Wary, I relayed this information to them. After a few seconds of discussion, (consisting of Emerald smacking me in the head for being scared of a statue) we decided to move out.

About ten minutes passed, and I found myself standing in front of the memorial. Only, it wasn’t to Winter Storm anymore. A large creature, made of the same worn stone, had replaced the familiar pony. The replacement could be best described as a cross between a pony and a griffon. The plaque stated that it was Badger the Hippogriff who was being honored. Instead of being commissioned by the Sky Archons, it was paid for by the Royal Equestrian Army.

Unlike Winter Storm, I had no recollection of this creature. Sure, hippogriffs had become canon creatures in the later seasons of MLP, but there weren’t any of importance named Badger. I edged my way over to Vista, who was examining the statue with mild curiosity.

“So, does this statue mean anything to you?” I asked. Without looking at me, he shook his head.

“I’m not sure. There was nothing in the show, but it could be from a fan fiction or something.” He took a closer look at the statue, examining each defining detail. “You said that this statue used to be something else?”

“Yea, an Original Character I made when I first became a brony. I had read a great story by CardsLafter, and he had a group of elite guards called the Sky Archons. I decided to make a character that could fit into their role, maybe use him for a story device or something.” As soon as I said that, I felt a sudden chill. I felt exposed, as if there were dozens of people watching my every move. It seemed like an otherworldly presence had suddenly taken interest in me. I looked all around me, but I saw nothing except Vista and Badger’s statue. Wait a minute. I thought. No Emerald Blizzard…

A choking cry came from the hillock behind me. I spun around, rifle ready. I watched as a red marker on my E.F.S. merged with a green dash, and winked out. A tan unicorn, dressed in poorly made metal armor, tumbled down to a stop at my feet. A hunting rifle quickly followed him. A deep gash was cut into his throat, but the flesh around it was melted and burned. At that moment, Emerald Blizzard appeared, shimmering into view like a mirage. Her knife was floating in front of her, coated in the blood of the mystery pony.

“A raider. I spotted him just as you two started talking. He was lining up a shot when I got to him.” She explained.

This is just great. Practically every second of my Wasteland experience has involved somepony keeping me safe from threats I can’t see or can’t possibly handle. The whole reason I came here was so that I could do that for others. Vista pointed out a detail on the dead raider, bringing me out of my mental rant..

“Hey, why does his neck look like melted plastic? Last time I checked, knives don’t do that.” He leaned in to take a closer look. Before he got too close, Emerald stuck the knife in front of his eyes.

“They do when they have a hollow chamber filled with concentrated Pink Cloud.” She noticed my expression. “I didn’t put it in. This knife came with the SPI armor. Azure said something about them being locked in a room with the rifle.”

“All this prototype tech secured in some random room? Lucky find.” I said. “I wonder if there’s anything else left inside. Maybe a Verti-Buck we can use to have a jolly old time.” Vista covered his mouth to suppress a snicker, and Emerald glared at me.

“For your information, this wasn’t ‘some random room.’ It was part of a MWT base. My sister never got through the main entrance, but she found a side passage that led to a storage room or something.”

“A Ministry base?” I asked. “One that hasn’t been picked clean by scavengers? Sounds like a quest to me.” As soon as I said that, text scrolled across my eye.

[New Objective: Locate entrance to Ministry of Wartime Technology Base #31.]

Vista started blinking rapidly, indicating that he had gotten a similar message. Emerald looked at me with curiosity, but said nothing. I met her eyes. “Is there anything else you can tell us? Do you know where the base is?”

“Yes.” She responded. “It’s under Cherryvale. The entrance is in the center of town.”

Vista turned away from us and began to trot away from us. He turned his head to face me. “I don’t know about you, but I’d rather find this base than stare at a strange statue all day.”

Emerald and I rolled the three eyes between us, and went after him.

================================================================================

Sitting in the shadow of the statue, unseen by our group, was a small unicorn plushie. Although worn with age, it would have been possible to see the flame-colored mane and tail, and the flaming shield Cutie Mark on its flanks.

================================================================================

“May her spirit echo in the hearts of all…” Emerald trailed out. After picking our way past the bone-ridden entrance, our team had gotten to the center of town. Emerald had charged forward and slid to a stop in front of her sister’s grave. She sat there, unmoving, as tears poured from her eyes.

At last, she stood and turned to me. “Thank you. You have done more than I could to honor her memory.”

I gave her a half-smile, caught up in a sea of conflicting emotions. I didn’t believe what she said. Had our positions been changed, Emerald would have been able to save Azure. That alicorn would have never gotten the drop on them, and Azure might still be alive. At the same time, I had avenged her death and given her a burial better than any of the dead had received in the Wastelands.

Before I could say otherwise, a subsonic boom shattered across the cloudy sky. Looking up, I saw a patch of clouds dissolve into mist, and metallic object blasting through. Green lances of energy followed it, some connecting with bursts of smoke and flame. As the object grew closer, I could see twin propeller blades on either side of the hull.

It was a Verti-Buck. The very object I had used to mock Emerald not an hour before. Fate really has a grudge on me. Raising Echo, I saw that a squad of pegasi wearing black armor was responsible for the shooting. Before I knew it, the damaged Verti-Buck crashed into the center of Cherryvale, nearly sending all of us to the next world. The vehicle gouged a muddy furrow across the square, obliterating what used to be the town hall.

The pegasi altered their course and came to a stop in front of us. Three ponies, dressed in their signature black segmented armor. I couldn’t find any defining features about them, save the glowing green gun barrels being pointed in Emerald’s direction. The one in the center stepped forward, and a voice issued from his helmet speakers.

“You, Emerald Blizzard, have been charged with assaulting and murdering three officers of the Enclave Military. For this, you shall be executed by firing squad.”

I stepped forward, planning on asking what the hell was going on, when the weapons discharged. Bolts of sickly green energy raced towards the mare, filling the space between her and me.

In a flash of blinding green light, Emerald vanished.

Then the Enclave ponies turned to me, and opened fire.

Footnote: Level Up! Welcome to Level 4!
Charisma at 10 points.
Speech at 50 points.
Small Guns at 50 points.
Perks:
Cyborg: You have permanent additions to your body, whether you like it or not. +10% Damage Resistance, +25% Radiation Resistance, + 5 to Science and Small Guns.

Split Mind: (Level 2) Your consciousness has become fully sentient. +1 Blaze, +1 Star, +1 Charisma.

A/N: The words “pain in the ass” are vaguely close to how this chapter felt. I deviated from my plans pretty much after the first sentence, and ended up with this. Overall, I am somewhat satisfied, but there is definite room for improvement. Pacing is going to be an issue for me, since I really want to go from big event to big event without stopping. I won’t take the easy way out and put in a “10 minutes later” as I feel that sort of writing detracts form the rest of the story.

Anyway, I want to give a little shoutout to Solar Eclipse, the author of Badger the Hippogriff. I found his story enjoyable and wanted to give him a place in the Wastelands. Also, thanks to Killjoy for giving me the idea of having Blaze and Star. Lastly, a round of applause for CardsLafter, for generously letting me make Winter Storm a Sky Archon in the first place.

Chapter 5-Blood and Plasma (UR)

Fallout Equestria: Fading Echoes

by Winter Storm

All FoE credit goes to Kkat and Somber

MLP is the product of Hasbro and their associates

Chapter 5-Blood and Plasma

”My combat inhibitor is kinda iffy on this one...”

How much loss can one person take?

Will they break down after the death of a simple pet, with the thought that life has no more meaning? We are all like that in childhood. As we mature, we become accustomed to loss. It’s a terrible to think that some people experience this regularly, living lives full of hardship and suffering. Even the average adult can face the death of someone they knew without shedding a tear.

I’ve had slightly more loss than the average college-age human. Two grandparents, from old age. Two cousins. One when I was just a baby, was killed by cancer. The other, murdered while hitchhiking, just for the snowboard he carried. Two cats, practically siblings to me.

Then there are the others, the ones of my new life. Azure, the mare who saved my life, only to be slaughtered before my very eyes. Even my sanity has been slipping. Now I have more to add to the list, more names to add to the many that no longer exist.

How much loss, before I lose myself?

===============================================================================

Green. Boiling, shimmering green. Waves of heat and energy, all directed at my head, with the single purpose of destroying me. I had seen Emerald disintegrated, and my own fate was now apparent, my remaining time alive measured in seconds. I closed my eye, prepared for my life to end. At once, the plasma washed over me, the heat burning my grey coat. Just like that, it was over. The burning, stinging sensation was present, but the waves of heat had passed. I opened my eye, ready to see the cloudy expanse that made up God’s domain.

Instead, I saw three Enclave soldiers on fire. The flames twisted around them, sinking into every opening of their black carapace armor. The screams tore the air apart, cries of pure pain and fear. A series of gunshots, and the soldiers collapsed.

As I tried to figure out what happened, I finally noticed a swirling yellow glow that clouded my vision. The magical field flashed, and collapsed with a crackle. I felt a lurch on my left foreleg, right where my Pip-Buck was. Looking down at the device, I saw a yellow gem, carbonized black, drop out of a hidden chamber.

“Anyone injured?” called an unfamiliar voice, with a definite Southern twang. I didn’t respond, as I began to realize what happened. Emerald Blizzard was gone, disintegrated by the Enclave for reasons I couldn’t understand. Dead, in the very same place where her sister fell. Dead, because I brought her here. Not to mention I had sizzling things popping out of my Pip-Buck.

A pile of rubble shivered, then collapsed, revealing the dust-covered brown of Vista’s coat. “Well, I did just have a building collapse on me. It turns out buildings are rather heavy.” His head popped out of the rubble, and turned in my direction. “How about you, Echo? Lose any more body parts?” His bemused expression turned to worry as I failed to reply. He noticed my expression, and followed my line of sight. Four hoof-shaped scorches were etched into pockmarked ground. “Is that…”

“Emerald.” I finally spoke. Before I could do anything else, something that would no doubt involve shooting, the same strange voice spoke again, much closer than before. In fact, it was right behind me.

“Ah asked you a question.” Despite my jumbled emotions and combat stress, I still jumped, holding back curses that would have made Littlepip proud. What is it with ponies being able to sneak up on me?

I spun around, Echo twirling to face the stranger. Another pegasus, garbed in what seemed to be cut-down Enclave power armor. He had no helmet, only a communications headset, allowing me to see his orange coat and deep red mane. I cycled a round into the sniper rifle, making sure that this pegasus understood my opinion about the Enclave. His eyes darted to the rifle, and back to my face. I met his gaze, letting all of my pain and anger show through my single eye.

A single shot shattered the air.

================================================================================

I have one thing to say about pegasi.

They are fucking FAST.

The orange pony twitched to the side, the tainted bullet missing by a few millimeters. Just as quickly, he launched himself forward, legs outstretched. With a crack, he collided with the telekinetic field holding Echo. The rifle shot out of my magical grasp, skidding to a stop several yards away. With nothing to hold, my telekinesis collapsed, vanishing in a red and blue flash. Good thing that wasn’t my only weapon. I whipped out my magnum, taking aim at the pegasi’s head.

Only to find two high-caliber rifle barrels in my face.

The stallion attached to said guns calmly spoke. “Ah asked you before. Are. You. Alright.” I didn’t reply, giving him a glare that conveyed my general mood at him. “Not a talker, huh?” he shifted his head around my own, looking behind my back. “How about you, Ms. Invisible Pony?”

What? Invisible pony? Is this guy nuts? I focused my telekinesis, hoping to pull Echo out from this Enclave bastard’s hoof. A second later, I felt a stinging pain as the pegasus struck a glancing blow across my face with a hoof. I dropped like a stone, stars exploding across my vision when my head cracked against the ancient pavement. Being no stranger to head trauma, I covered my head with my hooves, blinking rapidly. My vision stopped spinning, leaving me with yet another injury to my battered body. I rose to my hooves with no small amount of difficulty. I raised my right foreleg to my mouth, unsheathing the combat knife I had purchased earlier in the day.

Then an all-too-familiar voice spoke.

“Echo, I really wouldn’t recommend that.”

Emerald?!

================================================================================

It seemed too good to be true. I had seen the plasma strike Emerald, melting her body into oblivion. Yet the same mare was shimmering into existence, a bemused expression present on her green features.

“No…no, this has to be some kind of joke.” I glared at the mare, her grin fading to a slight frown. “I watched you disintegrate!”

The green equine gave a short laugh. “ Right… I’m just going to blame your lack of an eye for not noticing.”

“Noticing what?” I asked, getting all four hooves underneath me and rolling into a surprisingly comfortable position. Vista, who seemed to have disappeared during this entire episode, made his reappearance.

“Weren’t you listening when I asked Emerald about her armor?” he queried. I shook my head, and he rolled his eyes. How come everypony does that around me? “Look, this armor is a work of technological art. It can protect and cloak the user, boost their speed and strength, and even give them limited S.A.T.S.”

I had, in fact, picked up this info already. “Okay, and your point is…”

“The armor has a holographic spell emitter built in to it.” Holoemibazawha?

“And this does what?” I asked, perplexed.

“It can, quite simply, create an insubstantial copy of the user, made out of nothing more than light. Not to mention, it can alter the appearance of the armor itself. Emerald triggered a hologram and her stealth when she saw the Verti-Buck. While she took up a better position, the hologram followed you, acting as a decoy. ” Vista spewed this mouthful of info at me.

“Sounds interesting.” Was our resident pegasi’s response. I narrowed my eyes, throwing metaphorical pointy things at

his face.

Without taking my eyes off him, I spoke to the rest of my companions. “So, what are we doing about this Enclave pony?

I vote him off the island.”

“Huh?” Emerald intoned. Meanwhile, Vista fought to contain his bubbling laughter. To my surprise, the pegasus chuckled.

“Tell ya what. Find ah body of water, make an island, and Ah’ll let ya toss me off it.” He laughed. “I’ve had enough of the Enclave to last me a lifetime.”

“What? Did you finally realize that they have no intention of helping the surface? That all they want is to starve out the Wastelanders?” I shot at him. I knew quite a bit about the Grand Pegasus Enclave, and I didn’t like them.

He quickly replied, “Oh, A’ve known about that for a LONG time. It just took being shot at to realize that it was time to go.” Uh huh. “So, I figured I would just grab what I cared for the most and head down to the surface, join the rest of ponykind.”

“You still haven’t given me any reason to trust you.” I pointed out. “All I see right now is a buck who attacked me and could have gotten Emerald killed.”

The orange pony let out a guffaw. “Attacked you? If Ah recall, y’all tried to shoot me with that fancy rifle o’yers. A’hm not the one at fault.” Having said that, he sauntered on up to me, a smile etched on his face. “So, rather than arguing, let’s just cut to the chase. A’hm Cirrus.”

There was something about this pony that made me think. He was right, after all. I did fire at him, merely because he wore the armor of the Enclave. What right did I have to be his executioner, without knowing a single fact about his life? I saw the armor, and refused to trust him. I could almost hear a certain orange mare explaining the importance of trust.

Do better.

“Echo.” I responded. Pleased to meet you, Cirrus.” I allowed a small smile to grace my battered features.

Emerald and Vista came forward, standing by my side. Emerald stepped up first, reintroducing herself to the pegasus. Vista glanced at me, then at Cirrus. He seemed hesitant to approach Cirrus. I felt that a little nudge was in order. “Go on Daniel, it’s safe. Go meet the nice pony.”

The “nice pony” dropped his smile. He leaned forward, fixing Vista with a relentless stare. “What did’ja say yer name was?”

Vista looked especially uneasy, and took a nervous step back. “D-D-Daniel. People call me Vista.”

Cirrus continued to stare, Vista cowering under the viciousness of his gaze. Suddenly, he leapt forward and shook Vista's hoof like a madma-er, pony. 'Well howdy, Vista! Nice to meet'cha!"

The orange pegasus withdrew his hoof, leaving Vista flailing his leg in the empty air. I enveloped the former human's hoof with magic, stopping his repetitive motion. Grinning, I looked past Cirrus, examining the crashed Verti-Buck.

The vehicle looked quite similar to a Verti-Bird. Two propeller blades on extended wings, allowing the vehicle to fly. Instead of jet propulsion, two orange levitation talismans assisted in flight. A somewhat mangled tail fin extended into the sky, flaps at random angles. The rest of the aircraft was buried inside one of Cherryvale's many desiccated buildings, leaving only the open hatch where Cirrus had first exited the vehicle. My inspection was cut short when Cirrus gave me a small push towards the Verti-Buck.

The pegasus pointed a hoof. "Well, go on in! Ah can see that yer mighty curious about it. Anypony else want ta check out the Verti-Buck?"

Vista gave a slow nod, and trotted over the the crashed aircraft. Emerald Blizzard took one look at it and shook her head. " No chance. I've had bad memories regarding the Enclave, and I have no wish to relive them. I'll watch out for any other threats." A visor slid shut over her helmet, and the green mare faded into oblivion.

================================================================================

Up close, the damage to the Enclave ship was far more obvious. Propeller blades were twisted and chipped, hull plating was dented and scratched. Plasma fire had gouged out tracks in the armor, the edges puckered and deformed. Inside, however was quite a different story.

A single equestrian seat in the cockpit, versus the standard double-seats of the standard variety. Cirrus started a running commentary on the Verti-Buck's many features. A wraparound holographic display provided the pilot a 360 degree view around the vehicle through various miniature cameras. What appeared to be condensed clouds sat at regular intervals, with switches jutting from them. A perfect security system, as nopony but a pegasus could activate the aircraft. The only thing the cockpit lacked was a joystick. Granted, hooves and joysticks don't really mix well, but there didn't seem to be ANY way to pilot the craft.

How, I bet you're thinking, do I know so much about aircraft? Warrant Officer Lawrence "Purvis" Anderson. My cousin, the Army helicopter pilot. He's the one who taught me about flying and the things that do it. He even got clearance to take me on a short flight around San Diego in a UH-60 Black Hawk, explaining how each switch worked as he maneuvered around the Coronado Bridge.

Needless to say, he was my favorite cousin.

Anyway, the Verti-Buck had its fair share of similarities to human aircraft. Something the U.S. Army didn't have, however, was a headset that allowed the pilot to make a neural link to the aircraft, to make piloting as "easy as flapping your wings", according to Cirrus. Sadly for me, wings were required to control the vehicle's flight path and elevation.

Then he explained the power issue.

"So, all the gear on this thing means that more power is needed, right?" I queried.

"Eeyup. Stealth systems suck up alot of th' juice, so some modifications were made. Liquid rainbows made ah decent fuel, but it's a risk to use them. One shot to th' fuel intake, and th' whole darn thing lights up like ah balefire bomb. There's some extra armor on that spot, but an Anti-Machine rifle could git through it."

Something about this information was bugging me. Best to squash it now, before it comes back to sting us."Weak point aside, it uses liquid rainbows as fuel."

"Eeyup."

"A resource that is unobtainable on the surface."

"Well, that's where th' the backup power system comes in handy." The orange pegasus stated with a smirk.

"And what exactly is this alternate power supply?" I asked. Please don't say carrying it, please don't say carrying it...

"Solar power." Cirrus replied. "Clean, alternative energy for a better Equestria."

Oh man, I should have know that his answer would be worse than manual labor. "You ARE aware that we're below a solid cloud barrier, with zero sunlight penetrating it, right?"

That pony must have set some sort of record for loosing smiles. "Umm... well... Ah suppose... dammit."

" No fuel, and no backup power. I guess this means you're stuck with us for the time being." I said. "Welcome to the Random Party of Wastelanders." Maybe we need a better name... The rules are simple: Don't kill innocent ponies, don't shoot any of us, and you clean the dishes every Thursday and Saturday."

================================================================================

There was one thing Cirrus forgot to tell me. He had a son, a colt by the name of Zephyr.

A son still above the clouds with the Enclave.

"Well, Ah'm conflicted over th' issue. Part o' me wants him down here, where Ah can keep an eye on him, but ya can't beat the Enclave in terms of military protection."

"Yea, but aren't you considered a Dashite now, or something? Doesn't that mean your son could be cast out and branded?" The more I thought about it, the more I feared for the child.

When a pegasus goes Dashite, their entire family suffers. Ridicule for raising a "traitor", suspicions about loyalty, all dumped into a colt's life without warning. Something nopony, especially a child, should endure. I voiced my concerns to the ochre pony.

"The thing is, Echo, Ah'm not a Dashite yet. Those ponies who followed me were the only ones who knew 'bout mah recent actions, and they ain't tellin' anypony now. Ah reckon that It'll be at least a week before Command knows what happened, and Ah can have Zephyr safe and sound by then."

We had been standing in the passenger bay of the Verti-Buck for some time now, and I had a feeling that the others were getting nervous. I gave Cirrus a quick nod of approval, and cantered back to the exit. I hopped out of the vehicle, wincing in pain as my injuries flared from the impact.

The bodies of the anonymous Enclave soldiers had been relocated to the battered doorway of what seemed to be the Town Hall. Vista was crouched over the corpses, hooves removing various components from the damaged power armor. Emerald Blizzard stood a few yards away, levitating a scavenged plasma rifle.

I'm lucky I found these people. Ponies with honorable traits, and a human who is willing to help others at a moment's notice. I thought happily. Sure, I would have preferred to keep the eye and avoid a mind-rape from an alicorn, but overall, I'm happy that we can all more or less cope with the Wasteland.

I sauntered over to Emerald's right side, wary of the magical weapon in her grasp. The green mare turned to face me, a frown and smile fighting it out in her expression. I spoke up, asking a question that had been bothering me since the Enclave showed up. "Emerald, why did they go after you? What did you do to piss them off so badly?"

The victor of the facial conflict was the frown, expanding across her hardened features. "Remember when I said that Azure and I found the rifle and knife?" I nodded. "Well, we weren't the only ones there. A Enclave patrol had found some old records, and were looking for any tech to be recovered. We had gotten there first, but they weren't going to let us leave. That's when I lost it, and stabbed the commanding officer right in his faceplate with Eclipse."

"Eclipse?" I wondered aloud.

"It was engraved into the handle; I assumed that it was the name of the weapon." I blinked my single eye, prompting her to continue. "Anyway, I wasn't expecting much. A scratch in the paint, at most. I wasn't prepared when the blade slid right through the visor and and vented a puff of Pink Cloud. I can still hear his screams as his flesh fused to the helmet. At that moment, I knew that this was a weapon of terrible power, something that should only be used in dire circumstances. Luckily for us, the rest of the pegasi vacated the room after that terrible display."

Her snippet of information gave me a whole new perspective on the unicorn. Not only was she a determined and fearless pony, she also had a sense of morality and honor. She didn't pursue the fleeing soldiers, and she took no pleasure in killing another pony, but was more than capable of doing so.

I wondered if her sister had been the same way, before I had gotten her killed.

================================================================================

Our group had gathered near the disabled Verti-Buck. "Alright everypony, it's getting dark. Let's get in some sort of shelter before something shows up to kill us in painful ways. Emerald--" I raised my right foreleg to the mare. "Can you lead us to the place that you found Echo? It seems safer than camping out in the open."

"Very well." She responded, waving a hoof to the Town Hall. "An elevator in there took us down to a basement of sorts, with a couple of lockers. Some of them had been broken open; that's where Azure and I found Echo and Eclipse." With that, she trotted away, the servos in her armor whispering into the peaceful twilight.

The Hall was in standard Wasteland condition, meaning your average piles of debris, bones, and dried blood. We were navigated through a long, unlit hallway, with Vista and I mentally activating our Pip-Bucks' illumination. In less than a minute, we had reached the aforementioned elevator, if this miserable slag heap of metal could be called that. Hell, a couple of wooden boards and rope would be safer. Lacking said supplies, I carefully stepped into the machine. A very worrying screech of metal arose each step, and I halted the moment my flank was clear of the entrance.

To top off an already scary experience, Cirrus just had to speak up. "Good thing y'all aren't afraid of heights, right?"

Cue the sound of tearing metal, and a grey unicorn falling through the floor of the elevator.

"GAAAAH!" I screamed, plummeting into the endless night of the shaft. I wondered how long it would take until I--THUD. Well, that was quick and relatively painless. Also anticlimactic, but that wasn't the point.

I had fallen a grand total of ten feet, by Stable barding absorbing most of the impact. Still, I would have some new bruises to add to the collection tomorrow. I encased myself with my oddly-colored aura, and floated myself back to a standing position. Luckily for me, the strain was no more than if I had used physical strength to accomplish the same task. Echo had fallen out of its holster, but all it took was a simple retarget of my telekinesis to put it in its rightful place.

Vista's voice echoed down the shaft. "Hey Echo, you okay down there? How many limbs do you need me to replace?"

"I'm fine, but Cirrus could do with a new brain." I called back. "You NEVER say things like that when in this kind of situation." I examined the new entrance, taking in the destroyed controls and scorched doors. However, they looked weak enough to be blown open with some explosives. I activated my retrieval system, and a single frag grenade floated in the air before me. Setting it carefully in a gap between the doors, I pulled the pin.

Truthfully, I had counted down to two when I realized that the grenade was three feet away from me.

"Ohshitohshit..." I wracked my brain for any sort of spell to save me. I activated S.A.T.S., something I had neglected to use so far, and time stood still. I considered my options: I couldn't toss the grenade upwards, since the shrapnel could still hit me or even bring the elevator down. I couldn't disable the explosive, and I certainly didn't want to stand still while it killed me. Without warning, my vision fluctuated, and I saw a peculiar sight.

I saw a green alicorn, horn alight. A crackle of energy shattered the air, and a shimmering eldritch shield flowed into existence. At the same time, I could somehow sense the way she cast the spell, the connections between imagination and reality. I knew how to cast the spell.

I blinked, and the vision faded. I charged up my horn, reliving the memory I had witnessed. S.A.T.S. disengaged, and time resumed its normal flow. Two seconds later, lightning stuck.

A rumble shook the shaft, and the screams of tortured metal filled the air. pieces of steel fell from above, creating a symphony of noise. Fire blossomed before me, roaring like a pack of lions as it surrounded me.

Then it faded away, leaving nothing but a sole pony surrounded by a red and blue barrier.

I dropped the shield, nearly collapsing from the strain. Through the smoky and heated air, I saw the twin doors blown apart, forming a crude archway. I slowly cantered out of the shaft, ignoring the cries of my companions. Nothing else mattered but the battered locker before me. A pulsating white orb sat alone, an island of perfection in a sea of corrugated metal. I could hear a voice, urging me on, as I encased the memory orb with my magic.

It made contact with my horn.

A flash of light, then darkness.

================================================================================

Footnote: Level up! - Welcome to level 4!

New Perk:

Alicorn Shield: Rank 1. -You can create a basic barrier around yourself that can stop conventional weapons. Duration is dependent of your Endurance skill.

================================================================================

A/N: I'm so sorry for the long wait, everypony. I just could not find the motivation for this chapter, and I didn't know where to go. I finally figured out what I want to do, and my writer's block vanished.

I'd like to give a shoutout to CascadeJackal, author of Fallout Equestria: Wasteland Bouquet. It is an excellent story, even better than mine, and it provides an interesting perspective on Wasteland life. He helped me more than he knows, and I'm thankful for it.

Extra: How the Characters Appear- Updated (5/24/13)

Here is Stephen Anderson, aka the newest Echo. Drawn by the truly epic poCHAINgun.

And, due to a surprising demand, we have Azure, the bearer of Echo before Stephen!

Blaze and Star. Props to poCHAINgun yet again!

Spoiler/Preview:

All I'm gonna say is, these are part of a larger group known as The Hunters.

As new characters show up, I will provide images for them.

Author's Note

All artwork has been done free of charge by poCHAINgun on dA. Go give him some muffins!

The Chapter Nobody Wants to See

Along with the status of certain death.

I'm sorry to report that I will not be continuing the story of Fading Echoes.

I encountered the all-too-common problem of sailing into a wall, only my compass was pretty much broken from the start. I could never come up with a set story to tell, only occasional bits and pieces of encounters that couldn't really be tied in.

Maybe Echo's mental trauma on behalf of Unity would have created some sort of unconscious pseudo-link with it. The "memories" of casting specific spells would have thus been explained. There wouldn't be any "communication", but memories and the like may have been shared.

Vista...

Damn it, I really had a good story for him. Classic tale of Pre-War tech corrupted in horrific ways. His tale, however, is one that I could place into many alternative FoE fics. I'll get onto it later, but suffice to say, we will not be seeing the end of this well-dressed stallion.

Speaking of which, I present the artwork done by the excellent poCHAINgun.

Emerald Blizzard, or just Emerald as I began to call her, was an OC sent as a request back in the days of chapter one. She was pretty much a color palette, and I didn't know what to do with her. Once I went back and started rewriting, I could fit several possible roles for her. A sister she loved killed. Vengeance would be key. It would have melded well with Echo's planned hatred towards alicorns. (I was planning on making him quite bigoted towards them) Probably not a love interest. Sneaky assassin, yes.

She also would have been killed. By who, what, when, I don't know. But she was going to be the redshirt.

Cirrus. Never got around to developing him. Was supposed to be some sort of "Enclave, but not really" guy. Felt too Sue-ish, with him being human, snagging nice armor and bringing in heavy aircraft right in the beginning. He may see a different role in the future.

I talked about a changeling once. Nope. That was post-season 2 excitement leaking through. I would have messed it up royally.

That's just characters. But that's all I really had. I could make a character, think of how they'd react to situations. But I couldn't MAKE those situations properly.

That was slightly more than a year ago.

A lot's happened since then. Namely, I think I could try again. Wipe the slate mostly clean, save the nice bits. It's be a new fic, one that isn't Fading Echoes. It won't be the same story, not by a longshot. Some characters will be making returns, but not in the same roles. Vista will be the most unchanged.

Humans, at least those from "the real world" are not going to be a part of this. They're too limiting.

I can't say when a new fic will be out. I can really only say a one thing about my ideas.

It's about time, and there's no time like the past.

Author's Note

If there are any questions, suggestions, complaints, death threats, promises of muffins, etc.

Throw them at me though the comments or PM.

Fading Echoes has faded away. But the stories are not quite dead.

Not A Chapter, But Important Nonetheless

Hey, Winter Storm here.

So, chapter progress has, obviously, been quite slow. (How many months now? Four?)

The reason behind this was simple. I tried to get from point A to B, without knowing how to get there. I started a story, introduced characters, and then...

You see the problem.

Luckily for me, CascadeJackal (author of Fallout Equestria: Wasteland Bouquet. Read it!) Was tossing ideas around for his own story, and a side-story plan of his resonated with me. With some tweaking, I could make it fit into the current setting, without pulling a Pen Stroke/CardsLafter and rewriting everything.

Where is this new chapter, I hear you breathlessly asking?

In the back of my German Language notebook. Pretty much the only time I can motivate myself into sitting down and writing, since I don't have the chance to be tempted by video games or the Internet. I'm up to 12 pages in a college-bound notebook. No idea about the word count, but it's not quite done. (For instance, I have completely forgotten which eye Echo lost, and I can't even remember which leg his Pip-Buck is on.) I suppose this could be the ideal time to call out to any of the artistically gifted for some assistance. Already have a plan for a cover image, but no way to get it done.

Now, why did I not put this all in a blog post?

Because, being humans like me, you all would go down the 100-plus notifications, and completely skip it. Hence this "chapter". I don't plan to make this a regular thing, because that would be abuse of the system.

Just when it matters.

-Winter Storm