Fallout Equestria: Mountain Mystery.

It’s been a couple of hours since we found the right tunnels to get into the old village of Antler. The tunnels start showing their wear and tear from old age and not being well kept. Of roots breaking through the walls. That is not it though there are old bones from the old battles of many trying to escape from the monster of Antler.

“Bumble I don’t remember any of this… How bad did it get?’

The mare stops a moment to turn to look at me and she smiles weakly. I knew from that look that she took a memory for me to make sure I wouldn’t remember anything that happened in here. Just that I remember coming here and then waking up back home it was strange to me back then.

“You got badly hurt. We failed to fight the creature. You said to me the next time we meet them. We would talk to them and try to learn a way to take care of it peacefully.”

I sigh, removing the pipe from my pocket and lighting it. It was the only way I could think while I breathed smoke out of my nose. I am unsure how to handle all this.

“I got an idea Bumble if you could for me find one of his guards and tell them we come in peace. I know this may surprise them. But I will wait here if you don’t mind.”

Bumble just stares at me. From the look on her face, she is not impressed with me. Her horn glows pulling me with her. It didn’t take us long and we finally made it out on the other side of the tunnels. Looking around the run-down village of old Antler. The creatures roaming around are the children of the creature that has been living here for years.

They turn to look at us but they just keep moving on ahead. I took a deep breath blowing the smoke out of my mouth as these creatures just stare at us like we are not even there. The poor creatures of Antler though look like they have seen better days.

“From the looks of it, the creatures here look close to their deaths. I take it the monster is dying and that he feels he needs to expand his seed again to stay alive am I correct?”

Bumble quickly nods.

“Even though it won’t even work anymore. If we attacked we could win. But you said you want to talk to him this time. Are you sure about this Smoke Pipe?’

I quickly nod.

“Yes, I am sure. There has been enough death in the past. You and the other Blue hats along with Wheel Tread are the reason for this poor creature. So yes we all know the best way to handle this and you know that well.”

BumbleBee sneers at my idea. She hated my ideas. It was her idea to get married. It was my idea to have kids but we got married but never had kids. I have no idea what is up with that. I will still never understand what I saw in her.

“If you feel talking to him will save your friends then we will do so. Just if I die because of you I will haunt you in the afterlife till you scream and cry.”

I roll my eyes, not sure how to handle this. I walk along a path that heads to the main old city hall that had been built in large trees. The guards turn to look at me and Bumble they try to lift their weapons but. Their bodies are so weak from the power the creature releases, unable to give them the energy to fight us. I turn my head to look at one of the guards.

“We are just here to talk to your leader. Is it on his throne?’

The moose creature grunts trying to move to nod as it could. I feel very bad for these creatures. A creation made by Wheel Tread and the Blue hats to try to fight evil zebras. Just it turns out to be a worse weapon than ever.

When we get to the main hall trees grow to try to block us. But soon after they slowly die and fall to the sides. I look at the trees. The poor creature is not only close to death it takes all it could from the trees around this village. The energy of the forest has kept it alive. That many of the trees around here have no more to give.

“I will stay behind Smoke Pipe. I will come in to shoot the creature if you fail.”

I nod going up the stairs and before I could fully move ponies made of roots and leaves talk to each other. I look close to it and see it is a memory of this creature.

“How can we do this to this poor creature? I know the species of Antler have no issues with harming their own for weapons. Just why do we have to do this?”

I turn my vision to stare at the other pony who is in a Wheelchair. My eyes focus on him finally this is how he looks. Neighsay who I remember him as and who used to be such a good pony after everything that he went through. The war starts and he becomes a racist stallion again. This time trying so hard to blame the zebras and not the non-ponies this time.

“Like many things my dear. We can’t allow the zebras to win. I may have been kind to the ponies at Twilight's school but these creatures wish to start a war. A war that could harm our way of life my friend. Your land is so far out of the way from others of Equestria that you don’t know what's happening in front of your nose.”

A voice comes out of the halls. A voice I haven’t heard in so many years.

“Smoke Pipe..”

The creature breaths weakly.

“I thought the war ended you, detective. My dying heart soars in happiness to know that you’re alive. Maybe this time you will be smart and not try to fight me but talk to me?’

I stood looking at the ponies that are the memories of this poor creature. Lifting my hooves on the steps to walk towards the halls even more. More memories formed from this creature, the moose and deers of Antlers speaking and whispering to each other.

“How could they do this to this poor creature?”

“They don’t seem to care about life since this war has started. The ponies only care what is to come and to win this war.”

“Have they lost their wits?”

I took a deep breath of smoke in my decaying lungs. I didn’t know what to think anymore since I was here at this time but I don’t even remember anything of this past. Maybe I will fully learn everything that happened.

“I see you don’t remember what happened the last time we met. Those Blue hats that helped Wheel Tread or. Should we say his real name.. Neighsay? Stealing the name of Wheel Tread and murdering the older stallion to get the glory for project Storm watch.”

When I hear Project Storm watch I close my eyes remembering it. Taking every villain or creature the ponies have run into or dealt with. Trying to control them and using them just in case the zebra war gets even worse. So many creatures and death.

“I haven’t seen Neighsay since what went down. All I know is stories of a pony in a wheelchair calling himself Wheel Tread. He has been seen from what I have been told but no one has done a thing to him”

The creature laughs weakly.

“Yes. I have changed detective I am not the creature that I once was. I don’t even remember what race I used to be. Just remember being captured and used as this project to fight zebras. You’re the only one that tried to help me even if it meant killing me. Do you want to know the truth of why you were stopped?’

I was stopped? I remember it the other way around that I was fighting him and he knocked me out and tried to kill me. I move more into the hall seeing more of the past but this time I see myself Wheel Tread and Bumble Bee.

“How could you?! This is an innocent being that you took from their home and changed into this monster. I am going to go talk to him to see if he even remembers who he is. “

The memory of me walks away from the roots that kept my hooves in place as this memory walks off and vanishes into leaves and sticks. I remember that the creature is now connected to the trees around him. He could use the trees to watch and consume

“That husband of yours Bumblebee will never understand. If he tries to kill the creature and the creature requests it. Then you must be ready to destroy your loving marriage to him. If that means destroying your love for him then you must in the name of Equestria my dear.”

Bumble Bee shook her mane. I remember back in the day she and I didn’t always see eye to eye even though we have been married for so long. I am just a detective. I am not trying to protect or win a war, I make sure those are brought to justice.

“Normally Wheel Tread you would have no right to tell me what I can and can’t do. But my leaders want me to do whatever I can to make this creature ready for battle. So if I have to hurt my husband then I will do so.”

I shook my head not liking this at all. I go more into the halls. Turning my head to look at a broken door. I remember this door leading to the old lab. I go into the lab and when I remember Dr. Slice and his wife MRS Slice I never got her name.

The creature is on the table. I stare at them working on him, the poor creature. I felt so bad for him. When they open him a strange mist enters both the bodies of the two ponies and DR Slice screams in pain and his body and flesh start to decay and melt. So that is how he got that sickness. MRS Slice had more of a mask on to stop that from happening but I have no idea what happened to her at all.

“They hurt me detective at first I had no issue being a creation. I had no problems with it then I saw how they treated the zebras and how the zebras treated them. I wasn’t being created to win a war. I was being sent into murder in the name of a broken sense of justice for those little ones that got murdered at Luna’s school.”

He is correct that is what started most of the war from what I remember. I don’t fully remember what started it fully though. I took a deep breath and finally relaxed. Taking a few steps to the main hall.

“Why did you kidnap my friend’s old friend?’
The creature went silent for a while and finally spoke.

“I wanted someone to talk to you after all these years. Just after they’re here for so long they become the creatures around you. If you’re here to save them then you have time. It has to be almost a month and they need to eat the food the others give them. I told them no matter what, don't eat anything.”

Then everything I was told about this creature is wrong. When I woke up that time later I was lied to. The reason many vanish then is that this creature wants to talk and learn of the outside world and not breed with others.

“Then the stories of you stealing lives to breed with them and to expand your might are faults.”

The creature laughs weakly.

“Even if I could gain my strength back Detective I would have to feed on a new forest and live through that. But the trees have learned from me and keep me from absorbing anything in them. I can no longer feed. If I knew these mares were your friends I would have come to you and asked you to do the job again.”

The job again?

“You want me to kill you this time and make it stick then?’

The creature laughs.

“Yes but I'd rather it was not from a gunshot You see I want to sleep, my old friend. I want to finally sleep and let the forest take back what belongs to it. If I sleep I can finally see my family again. I can finally see those that died so many years ago.”

He wants to sleep from talking then. I feel it would be wise to sing to him then. I could try my best to sing again as I did in the old days.

“I will be in your throne room soon my friend. I wish to say this before I kill you with words. I am sorry for what the ponies of the past did to you. I wish I could help you fight them but you and I both know we can’t always get what we want anymore.”

The creature chuckles.

“Yes, but there is something else here with me. A strange orb that I am sure interests you, it was inserted into me as a way to protect it. This was so long ago after the war ended. A blue hat came in here and I don’t know why it did nothing but give me this. Said if someone comes for it. Give it because if you don’t it will be the end of us all.”
It must be one of those orbs I have been finding around that started that strange countdown. This must be a smaller one or a big one. I am unsure but I am hoping it will bring to light more of what happened here.

“How have you felt all these years? I am sure you felt the end of the war.”

The creature stays silent. When I finally get into the throne room. I see Root and Blossom sitting on the floor in front of a large throne with a creature infused into the trees. When I finally get closer and sit by my scared friends I hush them before they say anything.

“Hello, Detective. I am happy to see you again with these old eyes.”

I didn’t remember what this poor creature was before all this. I just give a weak smile trying to remember what this creature used to be. Root sits next to me leaning into me. I turn my eyes to look at her.

“You didn’t have to come. He said he would release us when the end comes. When we told him we know you. He knew you would show up with the Blue Hat that has been feeding you lies not only lies because her memories have been taken as well.”

Before I could say anything. The creature finally breaks through the leaves and trees that grew out of it. Being lowered to the floor below is a large dragon with a large tree sticking out of its back forcing fluid and blood through the stump.

“Now we can talk Smoke Pipe. Before I die I need to tell you something about why I was created.”

I sighed, shaking my head. I hated not remembering why these projects were made.

“I was created because the Blue hats didn’t trust the citizens of Antler. I was created to absorb the poison that the Blue hats placed in the soil of this land. I have tried… Detective I have tried hard. The poison that the Blue hats put in the soil will go away after many years.”

The poison that the Blue hats put in the soil. I remember the orb that I placed in that machine in the memorial explaining about that.

“I understand why gardens in this wonderful land are so protected now. But do you have any last request before you die, little dragon?”

The dragon whose colored scales have vanished over the years from being absorbed into the project looks around his tomb finally relaxing sitting back on his throne.

“I want to hear singing in these halls again. I want to hear the songs that many who lived here sang before I was changed into this creation. Please detective my body is shutting down. I want to at least hear the words.”

I stood on my hooves looking to Root and Blossom leaning down to them.

“Sing for him, please. I need to go speak to a mare.”

I turn to see BumbleBee who is standing not far from the throne I go over to her sitting down. While the two mares talk to each other about a song to sing.

“You and I both are going to need a long talk Bumble.”

Bumble nods at the look on her face. She wasn’t happy. I bet after hearing everything she heard about what the Blue hats have done to this land as well as causing it that rain comes less and less. She leans into me to try to relax her mind.

“We will after we watch our adopted son die.”

Those words hit me hard. I now remember we adopted him after his family was killed during the war. I close my eyes tightly not enjoying the fact I am watching someone I helped raise die. I lean into Bumble needing to feel relaxed before I watch him die.

Root begins to sing as the strange music starts to play around us. Every time a pony sings the magic of music comes from anywhere and it’s strange how it works. I have never understood this.

“Oh, little dragon sleep… Sleep. The world has ended and it’s time for you to rest. Allow your heart to rest and sing with the forest of life.”

Blossom flies into the air joining into the song.

“Life will never become normal again. Life shall go on even if the world has ended. So please sleep and bring forth your soul. Bring your soul to the endless stream of magic. So please sleep.”

The dragon slowly falls asleep from the song. The two mares sing together.

“So please close your eyes and please sleep, little heart. Don’t let this pain control your soul, little one. So end your pain with the world of endless sleep. So please sleep and please become one with the world so sleep.”

The song ends and when the dragon finally dies his body breaks open and the energy he has absorbed all these years goes back into the ground. The energy from what I can tell is going through the soil to at least try to help remove the poison. The trees around the area of the old Antler start to fully die. My horn glows, taking the memory orb from the broken body of the creation.

We walk to the entrance of the old city while the trees die and twist around us. The others go out as I look at the poor city dying and decaying. The only thing keeping this forest alive was the creation. Life will return someday just not when it should. When we fully leave Antler the entire old city folds into the forest and the forest goes dormant to heal.

“Come let’s go to new Antler and tell them.”

I look back to the dead city following the path as the trees around us slowly decay. When we leave the forest I look back seeing roots wrap around the entrance of the forest to keep anyone out. Turning to the other forest many miles away that is full of life.

“And so. The war has taken another life. So is the way of war and the way of death.”