Fallout Equestria: The Vanhoover Chronicles

There was an event a long time ago, back when I was avoiding Vanhoover like a painful memory. It was back when Trixie still slumbered in her desolate mausoleum, before Stable 101 had opened its door for the first time, before there was even the slightest talk of returning to the old ways. It was a dark age, it is largely forgotten for there is nothing worth remembering. Only the painful struggle to survive, endless cycles of abuse and violence, and malevolent storm clouds covering the sky. It was truly the age of darkness and putrid green flames.

It was during this time that I ran into a certain stallion, a knight of the old days, forever unyielding in the face of the rotting corruption of the world. Despite the fact that his work would never be enough, he continued without question or complaint. He was magnificent.

He was Steelhooves.

The last true knight of Equestria.

***

Back then I didn't have a courier duster, I carried no weapons. As I still struggled with accepting the world I had found myself in I still insisted on dressing like I did during the war. Dresses of a quality and style that will never again be made, saddle bags with whatever mementos I couldn't bear with parting. No medicine, nor any food as I had found that I could subsist entirely on the radiation that was everywhere in the wasteland. Walking around in the grim wasteland like that, fully glammered and driven more by nostalgia than anything else... There was legends about me, of the the golden ghost that wandered the wastes. It wasn't far from the truth.

It was however about to change.

I was sitting on the upper floor of a half ruined building, on the terrace overlooking a street. It was one of my many little personal secrets from the war. A local café hidden away in an unassuming town in the Equestrian countryside. It was located in the heartlands, north of Canterlot. Away from the major railways, this town was little more than a community for the surrounding villages.

After the bombs fell, it stayed mostly the same. Various desperate ponies attempting to farm the land, and the town had become a hub for trade. Now that I think of it, the wastelanders named it The Hub as a result, completely ignoring its original name to my frustration.

This time however, it was a ghost town once more. I knew not what had happened to it, nor did I care. Such things happened everywhere, again and again. The corpses had long since been devoured by the wildlife and I thought that I had my little hideout for myself.

There was however another who lived in the ruin, a lone ranger walking on the main street before me.

"I know you're up there. What happened here?"

His voice was loud and commanding, as rangers tend to be.

Still, I didn't answer it. I never liked being ordered around, and I might have been a bit egocentric back then.

"If you know anything, tell me."

Annoyed that my solitude was disturbed I rose to my hooves and walked to the edge, looking down at the buck. Most ponies in the wasteland were shocked at my appearance, a few frightened, others acting like they had seen Celestia. Never did it fail to gather a reaction, until now.

"Are you responsible for this??"

Confused, I decided to amuse this strange soldier buck.

"Why would I be?"

"You are the only one alive, for starters!"

"No, I am not. Nor do I know what happened here, nor do I care."

"... Then you are useless."

Ignoring the offense I looked at him as he continued on his travel, still wondering at who he was. What made him different from all the other countless ponies I had met on my travels. And worst of all, there was a nostalgic feeling of recognition. At that point, it was all that mattered.

Rushing to pick up what gear I had, I turned back to the road and looked at his form getting further and further away. Making a decision, I teleported next to him. He was utterly unphazed by the display. This was a mystery worth solving.

He even ignored me until I explained.

"I have questions."

"Unless it involves what happened here, I don't care."

"A trade then, I'll aid you with whatever your quest is and you satiate my curiousity."

At that he looked skeptically at me, his rugged helmet failing to hide the obvious emotions.

"What can an empty shell of a pony offer?"

"This for starters."

It was the first time since the apocalypse that I had invited anypony into my most personal spell, a unique blend of dream walking, memory magic and time travel. The spell broke several rules on how such magic worked, and it would have made my old teacher proud if she was still alive.

There was a soft invisible wave that spread out across the ruined landscape, and for the first time I left an impression as the shapes of ponies and more appeared all over the place. It was a perfect recreation, albeit of a moment I didn't care for. There was shouting, and it was soon followed by the sounds of gunfire and screams of pain.

"What is this? Time travel?"

"Partially, yes. Please do not touch any of them, it destabilizes the... scenario."

He obliged and was silent for minutes thereafter, walking towards the source of the commotion. It was a grotesque scene, the townsfolk were under siege by ponies that were little more than rabid animals. The attackers were pathetic, unruly, and practically throwing themselves at the defenders. And yet they were winning.

When the fighting was over and there was little more than the moans and screaming of the dying, and the attackers turned to looting and cannibalism he had finally seen enough.

"Turn it off."

I looked curiously at him.

"Why? Can't stand to look at the horrors of the world?"

"No. There were no survivors, and I now know who to kill. Turn it off."

"As you wish."

Instead of falling away gently I cracked it like glass, and reality asserted itself. Expecting at least a discussion of sort, I was disappointed as he began walking away. Ignoring my presence once more. Not having any of it, I followed.

"Why are you following me?"

"Because you are different, it is curious and I am bored."

"Worst reason I have ever heard."

"You clearly never met Celestia then."

I muttered quietly to myself.

***

"You are not going to rest?"

"No."

"How curious."

We had been walking for hours without even the slightest pause. He hadn't slept, hadn't eaten, hadn't drunk anything. At first I had thought that he just tried to shake me off in a contest of endurance, but this was reaching beyond what was healthy for a mortal. Suggesting that he was something else.

"So where are we going?"

"After the raiders."

"For what purpose?"

Instead of answering he looked at me like I had stripes in Canterlot. Then he continued walking, in silence once more. Hours later we stopped at a burned out farm, and he asked me to reenact the scene once more. I obliged.

Then I decided to ask.

"What's your name?"

"Steelhooves."

It was familiar, and yet it took an hour for me to place it. By then he had continued onward and I interrupted our quiet walk once more.

"Applesnack."

Was all that I said.

He actually stopped, yet he didn't answer or look at me.

"You are Applesnack, the buckfriend of Applejack. Correct?"

"Yes."

The name had brought forward a memory that I had buried somewhere deep in my heart. Yet now that I had rediscovered it I couldn't simply push it away, so instead I explained.

"We met briefly at the Royal Canterlot Gala, you ruined my dress and nearly broke my ribs."

At that he reacted, looking at me properly for the first time.

"I remember."

"A bit of an overreaction if you ask me. No pony ever talked about how overprotective you were. And honestly, I doubt that I had much of a chance with her. If you are anything to go by when it comes to her tastes. How did it go for you two?"

He stared at me silently, in a mix of nostalgia and contempt.

"Please, no need to be rude. I am honest, and I do wonder what happened to her in the end."

"She entered Stable 2. And was spared the worst of it."

"And you didn't go with her?"

"She ordered me to stay."

"Oooh... It was that bad?"

I felt his anger building, it was a sore spot. Especially concerning the incident back when we first met. Still, I smiled faintly. Wondering if he would attack me or just ignore me. He did neither.

"I was still a soldier, and I had a duty. By staying I could save lives, and it was what she wanted me to do."

"And that is why you are doing this?"

"That should be obvious."

We sat like that for a few minutes, reminiscing over the past and not doing much more.

"Could you show me your face?"

"No."

"I do not care if you are a ghoul."

"I can't."

"Psychological defense mechanism?"

"No, I literally can't. I am fused to it."

Blinking in confusion I looked at him, wondering what he meant. At that time I had yet to brave the Canterlot ruins, not for fear of the pink cloud or the horrors but because of the painful memories. Not feeling very verbose, he still gave an explanation.

"The zebra weapon used in Canterlot, it melts and melds everything it touches."

"I see. Is it painful? Do you wish to be rid of it?"

Misunderstanding my intention he answered.

"I shall not rest until the last horror in the wasteland lay dead."

"No no, I do not refer to a mercy kill. I am asking if you wish to be whole, free and properly alive again."

"Don't treat me like a fool. This is permanent."

"Perhaps, perhaps not."

My horn flared softly as I enveloped him in a soft glow.

"What are you doing?!"

"Relax, you silly buck. It is just an arcane sensor spell. And this is remarkably fascinating. You are indeed correct, your biology is indeed warped beyond belief. As for your soul, it is very weak. I would call it stretched, starved. And yet... It seems to be largely untouched."

"Meaning that I am an abomination."

"You could say that, but what is relevant is the soul. Especially for what I am thinking about."

"Explain."

"Are you familiar with soul jars?"

"Zebra superstitions."

"Quite real, I assure you. Anyway, I should be able to rip your soul out of that husk of a body, place it in a suitable vessel and provided the appropriate power source... I could manifest your true self. You would be made anew, alive and breathing the actual air again."

"No."

"You should at least consider it."

"I have, and the answer is no."

"Are you sure? Everypony deserves to go out on their own terms."

"And I will. In the line of duty, defending the citizens of Equestria."

There was a tense quiet moment, but I relented.

"As you wish."

***

We had reached yet another ruined homestead, corpses still laying fresh outside. Whatever group of ponies he was tracking, we were getting closer. Not that it mattered much to me at the time. Few ponies dared attack me, and those that did, they died.

"Do your thing."

I didn't cast the spell, as I sensed pain, sorrow and fear.

"There is a survivor."

"Praise Luna..."

We walked up towards the house, and both of us realized that we had been spotted. His armour had its E.F.S., and I had no need for such technological tools. Whoever was in there preferred flight over fighting and hoped to hide from us. Steelhooves took a step on the staircase, and put his hoof straight through it. Carefully lifting it again he tasked me with finding the survivor.

"Are you sure you want me to handle the social situations?"

"If you are going to travel with me, you will have to do your part."

"If you insist."

Walking up to the second floor I simply followed the source of all the emotions in this place. Not very difficult to pick out, the living were always louder than the dead. And this particular pony was in a state nearing panic, and foals are particularly bad at self control. The filly was sobbing loudly, revealing her position underneath the bed to even an ordinary pony.

I found myself at a loss for what to do. When was the last time I actually interacted with a foal? Had to have been decades, if not a full century. What do you even do? Especially to somepony who most likely recently lost everything they cared about. That line of thought tugged at my supposedly dead heart, and some part of me realized what to do.

My own emotions began to mirror that of the foal, and reaching out with my empathy I touched her spirit.

Out from her hiding place she crawled, a scrawny purple thing with a grey mane. Her eyes were red from crying and there were still tears in them. Still, she braved her fears and looked straight at me. There was a sense of childlike wonder in those eyes, which made sense in retrospect.

"Are you Celestia?"

That specific question, oh how it hurt.

"No, little one. I am not."

"What about Luna?"

"No, not her either."

"I'm not dead?"

"No, child. You are not."

Her face made a strange expression as she tried to understand the situation, nothing in her life had prepared her for this encounter. Ironically, that was something we had in common.

"My name's Stardust, what's yours?"

Her purple coat, the grey mane, and her name. It made me think of my accursed relatives, could she...

"Starlight."

"Weird, that was my mom's name."

"Was it? Tell me about her."

Her face became solemn, yet she did not cry.

"She's dead, like my sisters. I ran off and... I left them!"

Her voice was filled with anger and regret. Unsure of what to do I lifted her head with my hoof.

"I am certain that they wished for you to live."

"But! But... if I was here I..."

"You are a filly, and you should not have to fight."

"Shouldn't I?? If I had at least tried! I could have saved one of them! Right??"

This was distressing, and I tried the one thing I could think of to silence her. Pulling her closer I hugged her and petted her mane. She broke down crying again, but this time she hugged me back and didn't stop until she passed out. Carefully I lifted her in my magic and carried her with me downstairs.

***

"Surely you can not be serious?!"

"I am, their camp is near and I intend to kill every single one of them."

"And you expect me to take care of a filly??"

The request was frankly outrageous in my eyes.

"Yes. Do some good for once, Starlight. I will return and figure out what to do with her, until then she is in your care. Don't dare to run off."

"But..."

"You promised to help me, and this is how it is done."

"I... I do not even know how."

"Then figure it out."

He walked away with determined steps, leaving me at a loss for words and utterly confused how I ended up in the situation. Before I could even begin to grasp the order of events that had occurred, I was distracted by a squeaky voice.

"Is your buckfriend leaving?"

"What? No. He is not..."

Still dazed, every word of the small filly cut deep.

"Is he going to kill the raiders?"

"Yes, yes he is."

"Good."

"It will not bring your family back."

"No, but it will keep the raiders from hurting more ponies."

"The cycle will continue none the less."

"You talk funny!"

"Do I?"

"Yes, you do. Where are you from?"

"Canterlot."

The filly gasped with shock.

"But mommy said its cursed! Nopony can live there anymore!"

"As far as I know, that is true."

"Then how are you from Canterlot?"

"I am old."

She considered it for a moment, but at least had some form of reference for it.

"Like a ghoul?"

"Yes."

"Did you ever see the princesses?"

Of course she would ask about them.

"Yes, although I never spoke with Luna."

"Meaning that you have met princess Celestia?!"

What was up with this filly? And why did she have to bring up the past?

"Yes, yes I have."

"Tell me about it! Tell me, tell me, tell me!!"

I looked at the rugged thing sitting expectantly at me with eyes of wonder, eyes I hadn't seen since the world ended. Eyes filled with hope, with innocence of all things. There was no way I could resist, she reminded me all too much of my childhood an eternity ago.

"I will do you one better, let me show you instead."

***

It was a memory I hadn't planned on ever revisiting, and I wasn't alone. Not sure why I had invited her, but she was positively ecstatic and bounced like Pinkie Pie all over the place. I had to stop her several times and grab her before she touched somepony. After explaining why she shouldn't do it, and that it was like a dream she asked a question that came out of nowhere.

"Can I still touch you?"

"Uhm... I do suppose you can, but why?"

Then she hugged my leg and looked at me with pleading eyes.

"Can I have a dress? It is a dream right, pleeease?"

I sighed at the silliness of it all, and obliged.

The dress matched her mane and was one of Rarity's many designs. Despite myself I smiled at the sight of her running in a circle trying to get a good look at it. To say that it made her happy was an understatement, I doubt she had ever felt such joy as in that moment.

"Come along, Stardust, we still have have the royal ball room to visit."

Step by step I walked up the enormous staircase, glancing at the well dressed ponies of Canterlot. Very few of them I actually cared about. The filly bounced ahead of me until I gripped her in my magic again, stopping her.

"This is Canterlot, at the royal gala and you are properly dressed. A lady does not bounce."

She looked confused at the idea but listened and awkwardly mimicked my way of walking. And promptly stopped when we entered the room, her eyes widened and she shouted with awe and the eagerness that only a foal can have. The carpets, the wall tapestry, the enormous windows, the magic light, the marble pillars, the scene where Octavia performed in Canterlot for the last time... I will admit that it was impressive, even if one had seen it before.

"This. Is. AMAZING!!"

"I suppose it is. Anyhow, you see that green stallion over there? The one in the uniform, with the blonde mane?"

"Ah-hah... What about him?"

"That is Applesnack, or Steelhooves. He is the steel ranger you met earlier. The orange mare he is with, she is Applejack. The ministry mare."

"Wooow..."

Then something else caught her attention.

"Who is that? She kind of looks like you!"

She pointed with her whole leg at the white unicorn with the stylish purple mane, in a spectacular purple gown.

"That would be Rarity, the minister of Image. My ministry mare."

"You have a ministry mare?"

"Not like that. I worked for her back during the war. She was the one who taught me about etiquette, fashion and the details of high society. You would have liked her... Know that I think of it, you remind me of her stories about her little sister."

"I do??"

"Yes, although I never met her myself."

"Where are the princesses??"

She jump on my back, stretched her neck and tried to get a better look around the room. Somehow, I didn't mind the action. If anything, it amused me.

"Patience, Stardust. She will appear."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, this dream is made from my memories and I was there."

There were plenty of distractions to keep her occupied until the trumpets announced the arrival of royalty. I gulped, my throat hurt and my heartbeat increased. If it weren't for the sake of this random filly I would never have returned here. Two rows of royal guards walked into the room, took their positions and there she was. The ruler of Equestria, white goddess of mercy and sunlight (or so the wastelanders say). Her coat was perfect, her jewelry as regal as her stature, her mane was enormous and ethereal. No, there was no other pony like her. Not even Luna came close.

And she was staring straight at me, with a look of recognition.

"Alicorns..."

I muttered as she continued with her entrance, fully ignoring my presence. The little filly was stunned silent at the sight, and hid herself in my mane. It was too much, even for the hyped little thing. She was cute, and I could not help but care for once.

"Do you want to leave?"

"No..."

Despite her protests she was exhausted and fell asleep on my back soon after. Not wanting to wake her I ended the vision properly this time, lifted her gently, laid down and let her sleep next to me. No longer caring that she was ruining the priceless dress. And strangely enough, I fell asleep soon after.

***

Waking up alone I was distressed, half panicking I wondered where she had gone. Forgetting for the moment my supernatural empathy. Raising to my hooves I was about to run around searching for the purple filly until I heard voices. Stepping outside I saw Steelhooves laying down on the ground next to a fire, the filly sitting in front of him with several packed saddle bags.

Every sane pony in the wasteland hesitated at the sight of a fully armoured steel ranger, especially one covered in scorch marks and blood stains. The fearless little filly was busy asking him about the days before the bombs, and was awed at every answer. I wasn't the only old pony whom she had gotten to.

Walking up to her I nuzzled her and told her how she had worried me.

"Don't walk off like that, you scared me!"

She was confused for a moment before she answered.

"I won't, promise."

Steelhooves was giving me a look, I could feel it.

"What?"

"... Nothing."

"Confusing buck... What now?"

"There is a steel ranger base a few weeks from here, I'm thinking of taking her there."

Hugging the filly protectively I asked her.

"What about you? What do you want?"

"I don't know... are you leaving?"

"No, I have decided to travel with him for a while. Unless you wish to go somewhere else, I am not abandoning you to the horrors of the wasteland, little thing."

"Then yes, if I can be a hero like you two. Then yes, I'll want to be a steel ranger."

"What? You... I am no hero. He is, not me. I am just a tag a long."

Steelhooves chuckled, somehow finding the situation amusing.

"What?!"

"Nothing."

***

We traveled day and night, little Stardust tired easily and rode on my back for the most part. When we reached the ranger bunker I sat down outside, content with having found her some kind of future. To my surprise the filly stopped as well, look at me with confused eyes.

"Why are we stopping?"

"Go on in, you can build a life here."

"You're not coming with us?"

Those puppy eyes again, I swear that filly was good at emotional manipulation.

When that failed she bit my mane and began dragging me inside. I conceded to her stronger will and followed them inside. Coming to a decision I stayed to make sure she had a good life, which meant living with the rangers for a few years. When not watching over her or following Steelhooves into the wasteland I ended up helping the scribes. Mostly in matters concerning the old days before the bombs.

Bit by bit the two of them got through to me, reminding me of why I was alive. When the rangers offered me an official position I hesitated. The steel clad knight had stayed true to his promises, to his vows. And it was high time that I fulfilled my own, there was still things I had to do. Unfortunately, it wasn't until Stardust appeared on my front door, with an army of rangers at her back, that I learned how much she had been hurt by my decision.

In truth, it is probably my biggest regret since the world ended.