Fallout Equestria: Infinite

Fallout: Equestria
Infinite
“The sum of things to be known is inexhaustible, and however long we read, we shall never come to the end of our story-book."

Littlepip stared into the Infinite.

“What is this?” The small unicorn asked, standing alone in a dark room, lit only by the small terminals and a mysterious pool of grey water.

“What you see is possibility,” the serene voice of Princess Celestia, former ruler of Equestria, explained to the retired hero. “Or rather, you see one of several possibilities.”

The Stable Pony took that in, leaning closer to the murky water, “I meant the pool; what is it? It looks like nothing I’ve ever seen before. That shimmer is… impossible.”

As she stared into the pool, it glowed brighter and showed different images. Littlepip saw ponies she had seen before, or thought she had seen before, flash in front of her before fading away.

“This pool once rested at the bottom of Canterlot, hidden away for only me or my sister to look into,” Celestia explained, “We called it Infinite, for that was what it was.”

Littlepip wanted to ask how it could have moved from Canterlot, especially since the city had been destroyed. Even more puzzling was how it appeared in the Single Pegasus Project, apparently waiting here for the mare to discover. Instead, she asked, “What do you mean by infinite?”

“We never learned the magic behind it,” Celestia admitted, “Even now, it eludes us. What I do know is that it shows possibilities to whomever looks into it.”

“Possibilities? Of what?”

“Everything.” The way Celestia said it carried such gravity that Littlepip shuddered. “The past, the future, ponies you’ve never met. It shows the what-weres, what-ifs, and what-could-have-beens of our world. However, the viewer has no control; the pool shows only what it decides to show and cannot be made to do otherwise.”

“And now its here…” Littlepip frowned, “What should we do?”

The alicorn’s face on the terminal screen somehow managed to become even more serious, “I don’t really know for sure. But I believe… I believe that you must look into it.”

Littlepip felt herself shake again, not looking directly at the magical waters, “Why? What will I see in there?”

“I don’t know. But the pool has come to you, so there must be a reason.”

“Is it safe?” Littlepip asked.

Celestia ignored the question, “The waters only offer glimpses into what makes our world. Remember that the pool shows you everything without offering context. There is no way of knowing whether a vision is real, if it is an alternate path a pony has taken, or something that has happened… or something that has yet to occur. As I said, all our attempts to learn the pool’s secrets failed.”

“But you think I might?”

“You’ve surprised me before.” Celestia offered the smallest of smiles, which Littlepip returned. Then she sighed.

“What about the SPP? I will have to return to it soon.”

Celestia nodded on the screen, “I will do whatever I have to in order to pull you out of these visions if you stay too long. In the meantime, perhaps I will see if I can find out how the pool even got here.”

Littlepip sighed, “I guess I will try it… It isn’t exactly like I need to go outside anytime soon.”

They both shared a small, tense laugh. Celestia nodded to her, “Good luck, Littlepip. And thank you.”

Littlepip smiled at the princess, and then looked down into the pool. It began to glow, the water rippling.

Then, the Infinite stared into Littlepip.