Fallout Equestria [Parody]: Legend of the Earthbound (Rebooted)

Fallout Equestria [Parody]: Legend of the Earthbound

By: Plot Twist of Neighpon

Chapter 07: Taking a Trip

August 18, 1999
Osaka, Japan; Earth

"Attention passengers. This is your Captain speaking from the cockpit. Because that’s where I pilot the airplane. Ha ha. Just a little flight humor there. You're currently on flight 2-5-8-A headed from Osaka to London, with our final stop in Baltimore. Those traveling on to other locations will need to transfer to other flights from there. Thank you for flying with us."

It was Wednesday night. Exactly one week after meeting Lyra Heartstrings, the magical unicorn pony from another world. He was still the only person who knew of the incident of that day. And no one really talked much about the meteor in the park. In fact, some were saying they were going to keep it there as a tourist attraction. John didn't care. He had other things on his mind. He had to prepare himself for a special trip in another week. A trip to Lyra's home world of Equis. John Stone had just finished his five day vacation in Japan. Before, his goal was to go crazy and buy rare animated shows and movies. But instead, he simply toured at least five major cities and a couple of smaller towns during bullet train stops, taking in the culture, the people, and the history. This way, he could save more money to better prepare for his Equestria trip.

During a short stop in a town just outside of Kyoto to visit a shrine, John came across an old shop that sold various trinkets and toys. Most of the items there seemed old, worn, but still usable. But one item caught John's eye. He has seen plenty of Japanese swords while on his trip throughout the country, and he had passed them up without a second glance. Nothing special or unique. But this particular sword, a blue Katana, for some reason, really grabbed his attention. Taking a closer look, he saw that the handle was made of a pure white ivory, had various designs of feathers engraved into it, and was wrapped with thin strips of leather. The blade, the part that wasn't halfway hidden by it's midnight blue scabbard, seemed of very high quality and also had an engraving down the sides of it; more feathers and some stars. John had heard from his dojo master that sword engravings weren't there to make it look pretty, but to either alter or improve the balance or strength of the blade. John reached out and picked up the beautiful sword. Once his hand touched the handle, he felt the smallest prick of static go through him. It reminded him of when Lyra used that one spell to locate him inside the dumpster he was hiding in. He removed the scabbard, making the silver metal ring slightly. The ringing seemed to speak to his soul as if saying, 'Hello, old friend. I've been waiting for you to return.' Upon an even closer look he saw that there was an extra engraving right at the base of the blade where it meets the hand guard. He knew the writing was in Japanese but couldn't read the more complex characters of the language. But if anything, he marveled at the supreme balance of the sword. It's simply felt... right... in his hand. As if it was for his hand. But unfortunately, the price tag wasn't for his wallet. It was no wonder the sword had been in the shop for so long. No one here would have that much money to afford such an item.

John replaced the sword in it's scabbard and placed it back upon it's display rack. He was about to turn and leave when the store owner, a short and ancient looking man with almost no hair on his head and face but plenty on his eyebrows, seemed to have appeared next to him out of nowhere without a sound. His wrinkled face had a small smile as he stroked his hairless chin and looked John up and down. Though he looked old, John could almost sense a youthful spirit within him. Thinking he may have done something wrong by touching the merchandise, John began to apologize in the native tongue. "< I'm sorry for touching the sword. I did not mean to offend. >"

The old man's eyes widened at John's ability to speak the language quite well. As with most people in Japan who see foreigners, they usually don't expect the newcomer to know how to speak Japanese. Therefore a foreigner who takes the time to learn the language is a sign of great respect. A sly smile crossed the old man's face. "< It looks like you like my wares. Does this sword call to you? >"

John wondered if he heard the old man right. Maybe his mind was translating funny. It could be that he really asked if the sword interested him. "< Um, yes. It's very interesting. It has a nice feel to it and the designs are beautiful. >" The subject reminded him of something and he decided to ask. "< What is this mark here at the hilt? I can't read Kanji. Sorry. >"

"< That phrase there on that side of the blade is 'Harmony,' >" the man said, not taking his eyes off of John. "< This sword has a long history of being a defender of Harmony. When wielded by the right... individual... it has the ability to end hatred and sadness, and can restore Hope. >"

John thought his ears weren't working right, or that the dialect of this area of Japan was difficult to understand. 'Defender of Harmony? Able to end hatred and sadness? That doesn't sound like a sword's function. What about felling foes or striking down enemies from afar? Hmm. But... why do I feel so in tune with this sword?' John thought to himself as he stared at the beautiful Katana.

"< You travel long way. Yes? >" the old man asked John suddenly.

John's attention was drawn back to the old man. "< Yes. I have traveled a long way to get here. And I expect to make another long trip to another place very soon. >" Of course John wasn't going to say he was planning to head to another planet with magical ponies. But from looking at the store owner, it almost seemed like... he already knew.

There was a gleam in the old man's eye as if he understood everything. He then reached up and took the sword down from the shelf and walked to the counter at the storefront.

John was confused. As much as he liked the sword, he didn't have the money to purchase it. And he tried to explain that fact to the old man. "< Sir, I can not buy. Not enough money to buy. >"

"No problem. I give you discount. I sell to you... for..." The man peered at the sword with one eye for a moment before looking back to John. "How about seven American dollars?"

"Seven dollars!? For this sword? Not just the scabbard, right? Just seven dollars?" John rushed to get his wallet out of his pocket. He knew a good deal when he heard it and wasn't going to argue about it. John noticed he didn't have smaller bills due to exchanging most of his money for local Yen. But he did have a ten dollar bill. He pulled it out and set it down on the wooden counter. "This is the smallest I have in American money. You can keep the change if you'd like," John said with a smile.

The old man looked at the money and then back to John. "< Generosity... >" he whispered to himself.

John looked worried. "< Um, is everything alright? >"

The old man smiled and wiped his eyes. "< It is yours. Always keep it with you, never leave it's side, and it will serve others well. >" The old man then took the money from the counter and walked to the back of the store with the sword. He came back a moment later with the sword wrapped up for travel. "< May your trip be magical. >"

John took the sword in his hands once again. But this time it was truly his to keep. He felt a sense of pride and honor well up within him. "< I shall treat it well, sir. Thank you very much. >" John then looked at his watch and saw he had very little time before his train left for the next town. He hurried out of the store.

The old man watched him leave through the door with a smile. "It's about damn time. I was thinking I made that sword for nothing. So the events are beginning back there. He may or may not be one of them. But he can at least try to search for them and keep the balance." The old man sighed. "I'm too old for this. Wait... I've said that before. In that case, I must really be too old for this." The old man laughed and slowly walked to the rear of the store as a long beard began to quickly grow on his once hairless chin.

John looked both ways before crossing the street in front of him. He still couldn't believe the deal he got on the sword. He didn't believe the old man was crazy. Or was he? John looked back at the store... .......... 'Huh? What! The! Fuck!? It's gone!!' Yes. The store John just walked out of wasn't there anymore. Because... reasons. John made sure he didn't walk further than he thought and looked up and down the street. There was no sign that the old store even existed. John then checked to see if the sword was still in his possession. Wrapped in the thick cloth was the sword in all it's glory. Deciding not to dwell on it now, John raced to the station to catch his train.

That was a day ago. Now John was on his way back to his home in Texas. He sat in his seat on the plane with the sword in his arms. He decided to name the sword "Seiban," which was a way to say 'seven'; the cost of the sword in dollars, and the way the number sounds in a Japanese tongue. And why would John carry a sword on a major airline? Because Japan is super-duper awesome and they had better laws about certain items on planes during those years. And also... reasons. Remember it's 1999! Don't you miss those days? I know I do. In any case, John wondered if he would ever use the sword. He wasn't expecting to go into great bloody battles anytime soon. He could use it for practice. He could definitely show it to Lyra next week. Once the plane got off the ground and reached its cruising altitude, the 'fasten seatbelt' light went off and John took that time to use the restroom. It was going to be a long trip so he wanted to get that part over with. Taking the wrapped sword with him, he traveled to the rear of the seating area and found an open stall. Once inside, he took a look at himself in the mirror. Dressed for the trip in a loose white buttoned-down long sleeve shirt made of a heavy material and black military-style cargo pants, he felt he shouldn't have to change clothing once he got home. Looking down at the sword in his hand, he began to wonder what really happened to the store and the old man. 'Come to think of it,' he pondered, 'didn't he speak English for a short time? I was so caught up in the moment that it snuck by me. In any case, once I get the chance, I need to really examine this sword to find out it's true history.'

*BUMP!*

"Huh? What was...?"

*BUMP! BA-BUMP!*

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. The 'fasten seatbelt' light is now on. We're experiencing some heavy turbulence at this time. Please remain in your seats until further notice. Thank you."

'Oh joy. Just what I've always wanted,' John thought sarcastically. 'I better use this thing and get on back to the seat.' John sighed and began to undo his pants. 'I hate being rushed.' Just then, the plane hit a heavy patch of air, almost causing John to lose his balance. 'Whoa. That could have hurt.' John looked around and found his sword on the floor. Picking it up, John made the decision to wait until later for the restroom. Unfortunately, the restroom had other plans for John Stone as a vacuum could be felt just under him. John looked back at the toilet and saw a circle of purple colored light with many mixed colors within. A portal. In the toilet. That wasn't the bad part, of course. The bad part was that the portal was dragging John in. "You gotta be kidding me! Did it have to be a toilet!?" John grabbed hold to the sink but it did no good as his grip began to slip. "Lyra, it better be a good reason you're dragging me through a toilet! I'm not taking responsibility for my actions once I'm on the other side covered in poooooop!"

That was the last anyone saw or heard from John Stone as he was completely sucked into the portal as if he was falling through a manhole. He looked up and saw the opening he passed through disappear. Looking down he saw more colors and no opening. 'How do these things work from the inside," John quickly asked himself. 'And how do I stop from falling!?' Suddenly, as if to answer him, the portal curved outwards to level itself out horizontally and he came to a sliding stop on his butt, his sword stopping next to him. 'Ouch. Now I know how Luke Skywalker felt in Empire Strikes Back. Well, I guess that's one problem solved. So, now what?'

****<<<<

At that same time in Equestria...

Moondancer was ready. She had everything she needed to track down the Earthling John Stone and create a portal to him. Lyra had been released from the hospital a few days earlier and was still ignorant of what really happened in the library. It was for the best. She double checked her supplies in her saddle bags. If she was going to stay on this other planet for a couple of days, she wanted to be ready for anything. She packed a survival guide, a book on non-magical healing, an atlas, a new recording gem, a small amount of bits and non-magical gems, water canteens, her favorite sweater, food rations, and, of course, Sparky. Because... reasons. She adjusted her thick glasses, locked all her doors and windows, and faced one of the bare walls near her study. She began to channel her magic on the wall to open the portal. Then she used her magic to pick up and open the small glass vial containing John's semen sample and added it to the magic of the portal. She felt the magic of the portal shift slightly as it created a link to it's target. Her heart beat faster as the portal finally opened to reveal it's many colors. 'Yes!,' she thought to herself. 'I've recreated the portal to the Human's planet! Twilight would be proud of me for pulling this off. So, I wonder how this John Stone will actually look? I guess I'll find out when I get there and meet him.' Moondancer walked towards the portal and was about to go through when she noticed a vacuum coming from it. 'Huh? That doesn't seem right. Portals shouldn't have vacuums. Nngh! It's dragging me in. But I can't close it now or else I'll lose this chance. Grrr! I won’t give up on my dream! I’ll show Equestria this new human species. And with my achievement, Twilight will be sure to return my love!' With that thought, Moondancer let herself be sucked into the portal.

(To Be Continued)