Fallout Equestria: The End
Fallout Equestria: The End
By Numbername
Looking at it now, Junction city almost seemed alien to me. Big expanding skyscrapers, thousands of ponies, and other creatures going about their day. New hot off the line wagons are being driven through the streets. Seemed nothing like the makeshift town I first encountered.
“Eh, madam?” That rosy voice was something I had gotten used to in the decade I heard it. I turned to my desk to see Violet Skies sitting across my desktop filled with stacks of papers. “Did you get that?”
I blushed a little as I said. “Sorry, can you repeat that?”
The Purple earth pony mare sighed before shuffling through her papers again. “Well, since you seem to be daydreaming again I will surmise.” She said annoyed. “All systems are working as intended. We’ve replaced the control system completely, the launch wings have been tested and added, and the ship has enough fuel to last a few years. Everything is to yours and Miss Celestia’s designs.” She flicked her blue mane as she placed the papers on the desk. “All that’s left is signing off on them.”
I sighed as my magic lifted the paper and several pencils into the air, signing them all in unison. “Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork. That’s what my life has become?”
Violet raised an eyebrow at that. “You can literally sign them in under a minute, what are you complaining about?”
I leaned back in my chair as I let out a breath. “Yeah sure to you it looks easy but that’s a lot of focusing I have to do.”
Violet looked at me more puzzled. “Says the mare who dropped a train on an Alicorn.”
“That was years ago!” I protested.
“Your just being lazy.” She folded the signed papers up and put them on her back. “Oh yeah, your wife called. Says to get your plot down to Ponyville.” With that Violet trotted out of my office.
I turned back to the city. This was probably the last time I’d see it in years, might as well enjoy it. “Enjoying the view Pip?” That was a voice I had grown so used to in the last 40 years, it was more normal than hearing my mother.
I looked down at my Pipbuck leg, the green screen showing the image of a pixel Celestia. “Hey Tia, how’s the party planning going?”
She put on a fake offense. “You're not supposed to know!”
I rolled my eyes.”Tia, my friends are as horrible at keeping secrets from me as they were at stealth.” By the Elements, I had become the little mistress of shadows over my life, but my friends still couldn’t sneak around a noisy daycare let alone hide things from me.
“Just put on your best fake surprise face, Homage and Velvet went all out for this.” I bet they did. This was my last month here for a while. I expected Tia was going to go all out as well.
“So who's coming?” I put on my best ‘tell me’ face.
Celestia crossed her forehooves as a zipper sealed her lips. “Can’t tell. My lips are closed.”
I chuckled at the display as I got up. Trotting to the entrance of my office I looked back at it one last time. The desk Homage bought for me with its various papers and pencils liting it, my wall with a lifetime of awards, some ponies accused me of being an overachiever but I just like doing things.
As I closed the door behind me I left another life behind, like I did when I left my Stable.
The flight to Ponyville was nothing special. The only thing of note was the town itself. While the rest of Equestrian towns had embraced the industrialization that had come back to the world, Ponyville kept to its small town roots. The only difference was the residents that chose to live there. Ponyville was home to a large community of Hellhounds and Alicorns that moved here to get away from some of the less ‘friendly’ ponies.
Though the town’s new inhabitants didn’t really fit its name, they sure made the small town seem busy. Ponyville had almost completely been restored to its former glory, most buildings had been rebuilt, cleaned up the Carousel Boutique, and restored the old Tree Library. Seeing the Hellhounds and Alicorns milling about brought a sense of happiness with it. Once upon a time, I called these creatures my enemy, but that was long ago and the wounds from those fights had healed.
This town was an example of how far Equestria, no, the world had come in 40 years. “Touching down Miss President.” One of the Griffons pulling my personal carriage shouted. You know, being one of the CEOs of the first major company in the post-war world had its benefits. Personal flights were one.
We touched down on a field right in front of the dense forest of the Everfree, next to it sat a familiar cottage with even more familiar faces. Homage was happily waving at me, which I returned, standing next to her was an older mare that seemed to have aged perfectly, wearing a classy pitch black dress that matched her was the unmistakable form of Velvet Remedy.
Both were flanked by two younger ponies, my kids, New Days and Pip JR. News Days was the spitting image of her mother, light blue mane, lighter coat, and wearing godied purple shades with gems around the lenses. My son on another hoof took more after my own mother, luckily that didn’t extend to drinking.
Opening the door for me, my Griffin escorts tried to roll out a red carpet for me but I shook my head in disapproval. I hated all the formalities that came with my position but when it came to personal matters I just wanted to be a normal mare.
My kids galloped up to me just as I was leaving the overly paid for carriage. “Mom it’s so good to see you again.” Sometimes I forgot how much energy New Days had, she inherited her mother’s eagerness a lot. “I was worried we wouldn’t see you again before you left.”
“What? I would never miss being with my family before my trip.” I fake protested.
“With how much you work mom we thought you’d miss your own vacation. Maybe they should have called you Hyper Pip, you can never sit down.” Pip JR of course got my snark a little too much.
I looked around for my little balls of joy that made these get together the bright spot in my day. “Where are my grandkids?”
“Their in the cottage with Fluttershy. She’s reading them a story.” Homage said trotting up. “One of your Wasteland tales.” She mocked. When I told her years ago I wanted to write all the big events and heroes of the Wasteland just like my own story she told me ‘Pip your such a nerdy little hero’ and she never let me live that down.
“Well, well, well, seems a certain busy pony does have time for vacation.” I turned to see Velvet giving those unapproving yet friendly looks she gave her patients, guess you never stop being a doctor’s patient when you become friends. “Honestly Pip I think you should retire. At your age still working as hard as you do, that heart of yours will give out.”
“Well with the bizarre way I age now I won’t have to worry about that for probably.” I smugly tapped my chin to emphasize how good it felt to still be young. “Another 20 years.”
Velvet rolled her eyes indignantly as we trotted off towards the cottage. I always loved lording my age a bit over her, while she aged gracefully, me still looking like I’m in my twenties was a fact I sometimes teased her about. But I won't call her old lady.
We all followed behind the grumpy mare into the cottage, the smell of sweet apple pie, the sounds of kids playing, and the general warmth of the place made me feel at home.
Fluttershy was sitting in her green chair holding a book as she read to the kids. Reggie was on the other side of the room talking with Calamity next to the fireplace, the Griffin was dressed in her business suit that looked uncomfortable on her. Calamity was no different, he was wearing that old outdated Enclave armor of his, hell the tail had even fallen off now. Guess I wasn’t the only one who was a workaholic.
“Pip!” Calamity shouted when he saw me. “Y'all dang made it!” The rust colored pegasus galloped up to me and wrapped me into a huge hug. “Girl, I been missing ya!” He let me go when I began to cough. “Sorry. Haven’t seen ya in so long. How ya been doin’?”
As I regained my breath, I nudged the pegasus on the shoulder. “I could ask you the same thing! I wanted to go out to eat two weeks ago and you said no.” It was just playful banter, we both knew how busy our lives had become.
“Couldn’t Pip. The kids had a game.” he shrugged sheepishly. “But you still owe me a night out of drinking.”
“And you owe me a hunting trip!” Reggie cut in, hovering over to us. “I can tell the company to shove it to make time before your trip.” Even after all these years Regina still had that snippiness, it had become an endearing part of her I’d grown to love about her. “I want to see if you can bag a greater timber wolf, put that boasting about it to the test.”
“What? Was the one I bagged in Zebra lands not proof enough.”
Reggie scoff. “That was years ago! I want to see if you still got what it takes! Wanna see that old Stable Dweller spirit.” Some people really wanted to keep that label on me.
“I will take you up on that-” I was cut off as I felt hooves wrap around my legs.
Looking down I saw my pride and joy, Big Pip and Good Days, my grandkids. “Grandma! You came!” They both hugged my hooves tightly like they were legwear.
I couldn’t resist their cuteness. I lifted them both up and my magic and nuzzled their noses making them laugh. “Who's my little cute foals! You are!”
They both giggled and nuzzled me back, you never know how good you have it in life until you have grandchildren. I sat them down as Fluttershy glazed happily at us, she was old and wither with wrinkles on every part of her face. Yet the old pegasus still felt so full of life.
“Oh! everypony’s finally here, I think it's time for pie.” She struggled to get up from the chair forcing New Days and JR to help her. “Oh Pip that reminds me. Celestia’s here with a big surprise for you. She’s been in the kitchen helping me with it.”
Figuring Celestia she probably baked me a cake that dwarfed a house, the mare’s sweet tooth could kill a bear with a heart attack. But as we all walked into the kitchen I gazed upon something I thought I would never see in my life. Celestia was completely in the flesh, the pure white coat, her flowing mane that was a mix of light purples and greens that sparkled. This wasn’t the robot body I had gotten used to, it was like she was completely alive again.
And that idea of being alive ringed true as she tasted the frosting off a cake she was setting on the table. She locked eyes with me as I just stared at her in wonder. “Hello Pip, it’s good to see you in the flesh.”
We were sitting down at the table in Fluttershy’s cramped but nice kitchen, enjoying a day’s worth of baked goods all brought to you by reborn Celestia. I must have asked the Alicorn a hundred questions while we ate, mostly about how did she acquire this new body?
“Remember the golem robots Rainbow industries was making?” Celestia said through a mouth full of cake. “Well they had finally created a perfect pony body and I chose to be the first debut of the product. Hook this body's systems to the new Crusader Maneframe and boom.” She magically lifted a fork in victory. “New body I can control that’s just like my real one.”
I was dumbfounded, Celestia was back. Kinda, her soul was still in the new Crusader maneframe but this was the closest thing to life she probably had in 200 years. “Well, it’s good to see you happy Tia. Just don-” I glared at her as she inhaled a piece of cake. “Go overboard with using it.”
She rolled her eyes. “Pip I’m 1200 years old, I know how to run my own body, and besides I have a high metabolism.” She winked at me.
“Wait a second, no you don’t!”
“I do now!” She shot me down.
I stared at her more confused than ever. “Tia did you?”
“Yep, my body is exactly what I wanted to be now!” she smugly told me. “Burns fat quicker, sleeps better, and no more cramps for mama!” She smacked the table making Fluttershy jump and Velvet glare at her.
Everybody was laughing at me and Tia’s banter, we sounded like two old women yelling at each other over the weather. After 40 years dealing with Tia was like dealing with a sister from another mother.
“Where's Xenith and Xephyr?” I didn’t see the two Zebras anywhere around here.
“Oh Xenith on her way with her grandkids, Xephyr’s dealing with paperwork for your trip,” Reggie said while pecking at a slice of pie. “Been meaning to ask ya Pip. How long do you think your trip will take?”
That was a million dollar question, it was a question that everybody at the table had for me, especially my family. I sighed as I tried to place a time frame. “Setting up a colony is going to be a full-time job. We’re building towns, roads, and tons of other things creatures need.” I looked at everyone around that table. “Rough measurement 5 years, best 2.” The range of expressions I got from everybody was expected, I was going away from my loved ones again. “Don’t worry Tia and Homage are coming with me to keep me safe.”
“And to keep you out of trouble.” Tia said like a protective sister.
“I’m not having you cheat on me with a young pretty thing.” Homage winked at me.
“And we’re building a communication disk there first. So expect regular updates from old Pip.” That calmed them a bit, but I could still sense the unease in everyone.
Calamity seemed the most bothered by my trip. Ever since our lives became so involved with our jobs we'd barely seen each other, talked over the phone yes but that wasn’t the same. “Girl you ever think you should give this stuff up. I mean I know ya ain’t old or nothing but still. Haven’t ya done enough?”
I've gotten this question a lot, hell, I've gotten this question for 30 years now. And the answer was always the same “I’m just the right pony for the job, got the right management skills and talents for this. When we started planning this trip all the big heads at the company knew I was the most qualified to lead our ponies in the new colony. Apparently saving the Wasteland and helping restore Zebra lands gave me a big resume or something.” I half heartedly joked but I could see that wasn’t enough for Calamity. “The reason I won’t quit is the same reason you won’t Calamity. When ponies or creatures need me, I help.”
He seemed to accept that, he knew I was a big hero mare. Just couldn’t stop, I never would. “Well, I’m coming with ya!” He smacked the table making Fluttershy jump and Velvet glare more menacingly. “I ain’t letting ya go on another adventure without me! I still got as much fight as you do!”
I laughed at that, he was still a Wasteland gunslinger after all these years. Guess it's true what they say, the Wasteland generation will literally die of heart attacks or bullets before old age. “If you're going, you're changing out of that old armor. That thing looks like it can barely stop a BB gun.”
Calamity seemed to take offense at that. “This old girl has near done saved my life dozens of times. I don’t care about all them new power suits, I ain’t leaving her no way no how.”
Velvet rolled her eyes at her husband’s stubbornness, he was the most stubborn a pony could get and she loved him for it. “Oh, honey, your an old soul. You are the only pony in Equestria who still uses bullets. You and all these veteran Wastelanders need to get with the times.” Velvet turned her attention away from Calamity to the whole table. “Just last week I had to help a mare in applying stitching to a patient, when she wanted to do it by mouth I told her we have machines that do it. But she refused, saying ‘that’s how I was raised to do it, and I’ve been doing it ever since I patched up my brother.” Velvet mocked in a southern accent.
“You think that’s bad I had an accountant who still counts money like Caps.” Reggie interjected. “Like I grew up in the Wasteland too, but I ain’t obsessed with keeping it. Out with the old, in with the new.”
“At least Calamity’s not as bad as Crossroads.” Homage joined in the Wasteland bashing. “Those Applejack’s Rangers just make me feel sad sometimes. Seeing them still call each other Knights, Paladins, and Elders when they barely do anything. Well, at least they're not the Steel Rangers, poor bastards.”
We all stopped the Wasteland bashing at the high pitched joyful yell of a certain mare. “Every pony we’re here!” We all turned to the doorway to see a greyish unicorn dress in nurse attire, flanked by the form of an undead grey pegasus with a good eye and the other a thousand yard stare.
“Silver Bell! Ditzy Doo!” I rushed out of my seat to hug them both, which they returned. “I missed you Ditzy! You too Silver! Where do you get off not calling me?” I said pretending to sound hurt but failing.
“I had one last pick up to make before getting here.” Ditzy’s mouth opened and a robotic voice came out. No matter how many years passed I still wasn’t used to her artificial vocal cords, just felt wrong on a sweet mare like her. “We brought you some friends.” The ghoul pointed to the front door as two Zebras, an elder mare in robes and the other wearing a business suit followed by six foals walked in.”Xenith’s family’s here.”
“Now it’s a full house!” New Days shouted. “Everypony, I think it’s time for the party to start! We’re busting out the games and music now!” Everyone at the table shouted as they all got up, except Celestia who was still stuffing herself like a pig. The night was fun, catching up with old friends, playing games, telling old war stories. It truly was a celebration I needed.
As I sat in the chair usually occupied by Fluttershy, the elder mare playing cards with the adults at the table. I watched the kids play games in the living room, it was one of those new gaming boxes that came out. And the game they were playing was called Wasteland, sometimes life liked irony didn’t it?
“The party tiring you out?" The strange accent of Xenith sneaked up behind me, almost making me jump.
“Still being weird and scary Xenith?” I glared at her.
Which she laughed at. “You're not the only one who has kept their skills hone.” She crossed her forelegs as she sat next to me, looking at the children with the same proudness I did. “The world sure has changed little one.” I nayed at that. “Now the Wasteland is the home of stories and games rather than a brutal reality. Just last month on Nightmare night I saw children running around dressed as Raiders.
That just felt wrong on every level, but I remembered the world we live in now. Two generations had grown up without ever seeing a Raider or their horror for themselves. To them, Raiders were just bad guys in movies. Hell the last Raider warlord to be dealt with was 30 years ago, pretty much they were dead not just in Equestria but across the world. Still, it felt wrong. “I guess I'm kind of old, still can’t get over those old scars.”
Xenith gave me a knowing smile. “I know, I know all too well about letting go of old scars, Little one. But sometimes the world moves on and you must too.” She knew more than anyone in this house about the horrors of the Wasteland, and she put it behind her.
I looked at the children playing their game, Wasteland, watching as they battle a gang of Raiders in a weird menu-based battle system. If the fate of the Wasteland was to become stories to children then let it just become a story.
My month off was the peace I needed before the big trip. Spending time with everybody before I left is what I need to remind myself why I work so hard. To provide a good future for every pony I care for.
But there was one place I needed to visit before I left. A place I commissioned years ago, a museum dedicated to reminding the world of the Wasteland’s heroes, villains, and everything in between. All built within the walls of my old home, Stable 2.
As me and Celestia walked through the opened gear door, the guard at the front just nodded to us and let us through. We came into the atrium that flooded me with nostalgia, the stainless grey steel, the old pre-war machinery, the smell of it, I was home again. The only difference now was the giant sign pointing to different enclosures to visit.
“So, where should we go first?” Celestia asked while eyeing the gift shop.
I didn’t need to think about it, I knew why I was here. “To pay our respects.” I moved down the hall with the sign labeled ‘Heroes’. I didn’t need a guide, I knew everything about this place like I knew my Pipbuck, all its inner workings were second nature.
We entered the Stable’s former Apple orchard, the apples long since been moved to Junction City, and was the foundation of a park. Now all that was left was a room that held rolls upon rolls of display cases. Every case was dedicated to a hero of the Wasteland, a mannequin faithfully reconstructed to match the looks of the hero that held or equipped an actual item of that hero.
I browsed the huge room, paying my respect to each case with a prayer as I passed. Some I knew, others I only knew as a watcher and researcher of their deeds. But I could list them all off.
Hired Gun/Silver Storm, hero of Dise. She overshadowed me with her large built frame. I heard she could crush a pony easily while taking cal.50 bullets, and I could believe that. Her model was glaring at everything, something I heard was normal for her. Her relic connecting her to the real mare was her cyber legs, donated as a thank you by her Daughter Serenity.
Puppysmiles, Ghost of the Big 52. She was a filly, a filly trapped inside a hazard suit eternally smiling at the world. Fake pink clouds poured from her to give off the same eerie feeling of the real filly. The model every once in a while turned blue and the clouds formed into wings, apparently that meant Creepy Voice had taken over from what Lonesome told her. The only relic of hers’ was the suit itself, donated by her sister Henrietta.
Shadow Star, hero of New Pegasus. She reminded me of Velvet a lot, dark coat, white mane, minus the gold and red in Velvet’s mane. She looked as short as me, bore a Pipbuck like I did. When I met her a while back it was like seeing a mirror. She herself donated her own Pipbuck.
Alloy Shaper, Merchant of the swamps. She was a unicorn mare who wielded a sword of all things in her magic. Around her model was a scene of a forge from which she created her product. Heard she killed some raider leader named Malice with a mace.
Queen Whisper: Hero of the Badlands. A Changeling, a creature I didn’t even know existed until I heard of Whisper, she had gladly seen to it that her model was stomping a Changeling in the ground. She donated her own prized weapons.
Nora the pornstar, The Griffin who restored all of Baitmare. I still can’t believe a pornstar was a great hero if I hadn’t met her, she was..interesting to say the least. Her model was a beautiful Griffin blowing a kiss with one hand and holding a gun in the other. Donated by her.
And it went on, The robe of Elder Quillwright, the camera of Snapshot, the armor of Frost Windchill, Blackjack’s sword, the lever-action rifle of Appletart, The Pipbuck of Wandering Sunrise, the leather duster of Snakebite Tourniquet, the Jacket of Roulette. I prayed to them all, they were as much the foundation of modernity as I was and I wanted no one to forget.
Half these people were dead, killed in their quest or after, the others disappeared off the face of the earth. Shadow Star, Queen Whisper, and Nora were the only three I could still find active. New heroes had come, they would be the ponies and creatures that carry this story into the future. But for the Wasteland heroes, their days were long behind them. Only I was still standing.
“So this is how it feels to be the last one standing huh?” I said to no one but myself.
“You get used to it.” Tia spoke from experience, her time had become just another cycle, no different than Sunrise or Sunset. Eras came and went for her, with her either watching them pass by or partaking in them, and it would be the same for me too. With the way I aged now I wouldn’t be an old mare until nearly 300 years from now, I was destined to literally watch the world change. And Tia promised to watch it with me. “Time is a cycle of destruction and rebirth, those few who get to witness its changes are both bless and cursed.”
I thought about that as I looked at the armor of Elder Inkwell, no pony better understood it more than she did. I'd watched from Memory orbs the creation of the Steel Rangers and their power armor, only to watch in real-time as they were phased out by power suits and blasters. Inkwell here was a perfect example of it, he’d founded a Chapter of Steel Rangers in the ruins of a city called Winterlot, only for them to be destroyed years later by the New Empire.
“Tia, do you think anything of the Wasteland will remain?” It was a question I needed to be answered.
She glanced at me then went back to looking at a display with a green mare named Better Days. “depends. If society holds on to that thing or it still continues to affect society after the fact.” She tapped on her chin as if in deep thought. “For example, the Followers of the Apocalypse will remain because the world will always need doctors and teachers.” She looked at the display case in front of me. “But the Steel Rangers will die off. Because war and the nature of it always changes.”
Now that was food for thought. War did change, and I was going to witness it in all its cycles. “Come on Tia, I’m done moping about the past. I have a future to look forward to.”
As we both exited the Hall of Heroes I looked back at it one last time. “ Thank you all and Good-Bye.” And trotted out with Celestia.
The explosion of the engine and the sudden shock wave of force that hit me made butterflies inside my belly. Rocket take offs were still not my thing, but seeing the land get smaller and smaller made up for it. Looking around the first-class cabin we got made me feel too fancy.
Homage was sleeping next to me, head laying on my shoulder(how she sleeps through a rocket launch is beyond me). Calamity and Velvet were sitting next to each other opposite of us, the letter tending to Pyrelight, the Balefire phoenix purring with every head pet. Celestia was sitting up front, ordering various drinks and cakes from an admiring waitress mare. Xenith on the other hoof was sitting in the very back, quietly watching the take off with longing eyes. I still didn’t know why she came, but I could guess it was because she thought she owed me. I could shoot that down but she wouldn’t listen.
I leaned back in my seat, taking in the beauty of the Stars as the surface got further and further away. It was like a field of gems all sparkling throughout the sky. If I still believed in the Goddesses I would be praising Luna right now.
“Are you gonna miss it?” Homage softly spoke into my ears.
“Yeah, I will.” For the hell the world put me through, it was worth it. The Wasteland gave me a loving wife, the best friends, and family in the world, the path to find myself. “But I’m needed elsewhere. That era of the world and my life is over, I need to put it all behind me.”
Homage looked at me, that was the bright face I’d fallen in love with 40 years ago. Even after so long I never tired of seeing it. I would go to the end of the universe to keep that face bright. “No matter how much the world around you changes you are always my Lightbringer.” She kissed me on the cheek and laid back into her chair. “Never forget that”
I wouldn’t, ponies and creatures change, eras change, but at the end of the day, you are still you. No matter what happens you are still you.
The stars outside the ship expanded and fell off into eternal space. I heard the voice telling us over the speaker. “Beginning teleportation travel.” The outside became consumed in a magical field of bright light.
“Well, time to leave the greyness of the past behind me and find a new colorful meaning In Outer Worlds.”
