Chapters 42
Chapter Two
“Are you crazy!?”
Yes, the answer to that question is yes. I am absolutely crazy. At least I think so. Heh. Well you maybe wondering, “Boo, who is this Byte you were talking about last chapter?” and I would reply, “Well that is really complicated. LIKE REALLY COMPLICATED!”
Oh, I was supposed to tell you the tale of meeting him for the second time? HA as if!
No, I think you came here to read the how and why I brought him back. That seems more like the story you came here for.
So, I had to go see Celestia. No, not the one in the SPP Hub. No, we are years in the past here. Short of the long of it:
500 years in the future Momma was having problems with her blank body. Not like bowel problems, come on I’m not going to sit here and describe in endless words her bowel movements like certain other ponies do. It actually turns out that a certain perk was being activated after her body absorbed enough Draconequus blood. She needed to maintain her blank body over the years. What you would call Flux. Is actually Discord’s blood. That bright rainbow sludge is the blood of all Draconequus and released from our bodies causes unpredictable mutations in other lifeforms. So you gotta be really freaking careful if you encounter a bleeding Draconequus.
So, this perk you may be familiar with:
Um, are you still here? Listen I KNOW this is a lot to try and suspend your disbelief to. Hell, I lived it and I’m still not certain on things and I’m an all powerful being of Chaos! I would advise like all things Chaos related you just roll with it. Like they say about Pinkie Pie, “That’s just Pinkie being Pinkie.”
Maybe I should add a time frame heading to the Chapter titles… Yeah that would probably be a great idea! Heh I’m so smart!
So anyways here it is:
Ponyville
Simple, right? RIGHT?! Gosh all this time travel stuff is a headache.
Where was I? Oh, yes. So I have to go to the castle in canterlot where former Princess Celestia is chillin’ so she can be all Principal Celestia like for her School of Magic. Okay, well I could just you know, teleport there but I’m going to be honest with you dear reader. Sometimes to get your thoughts in order its nice to take a train. And, so I did.
The train pulled up to the station in Canterlot. What, did you really think I was going to spend time telling you about the train ride? Nope, that was for me not you. Get used to it, I’m a bit selfish.
So, I made my way up to the castle and just visited a few shops here and there cause I am a lady, and I do like to shop. I even picked up this cute red dress from Canterlot Boutiqe that I can’t wait to wear for Sweetie, um, Flutterstay. I will get him back matter of fact you already know I do at this point and this is about the journey of how I do it. But I wanted to brag about the dress cause yeah. It is adorable.
So, I approached the castle entrance and there was a rather nice looking unicorn stallion wearing the solar guard armor. He looked at me in surprise as I came trotting up to the door. “Oh, Sword Strike, its nice to see you on the beautiful day! How are you?” I asked him politely.
Now, I know your going, "This story is so bullshit! You know the Princesses! You're not explaining the details of events you're supposed to so we can know everything you know! What kind of writer are you Boo?!" Fair questions to ask. My answer is, "Do you want a whole chapter of exposition? Go back in time and tell you from point A to Z in order with colorful pictures and fancy words?" Well if you came here for all that stuff then I'm sorry you will be disappointed. I'm a Draconequus and we do the whole, what you humans call, ADHD thing. Oh shit… look talking to you all has me all confused…
Oh yeah!
Now that I have Byte…
Wait that's too far forward.
I guess you need the details otherwise why would you read this?
I approached the door to Celestia's study and a black cat sat on a table next to a vase of flowers that was shattered on the floor.
She looked over to a box on her desk and looked back at me. "Can you banish a talking toaster?" She pleaded with me.
Wait, I thought you said this wasn't the story of how you saved Equestria from a toaster hellbent on taking over all of Ponykind? I hear you ask.
Uh, whoops. Yeah I suppose that story was a short one.
"That sounds boring eating the same toasted stuff everyday for every meal. Ugh I could get sick just thinking about!" I look sick. Then looks fine immediately.
Celestia laughed then set her teacup on a stool next to her with many other cups and mugs.
So, we had a conversation in Cat back and fourth line that for a time before Celestia raising an eyebrow interrupted.
"Interesting conversation?" She asked.
I frowned. "He was telling me he doesn't want to come with me as he is enjoying his life in the castle. A redeeming arc for him seems to be keeping him happy. However, I need his help. So I will have to sweeten the pot." I say to Celestia as I switch back to the cat.
I made him a simple offer.
I will send him to a dimension and place that has no deities or higher beings to plague him and he would be free to live among the native species as he sees fit.
He asked me in cat, what he had to do.
I replied to him, save Flutterstay with me.
The cat rolled around and seemed to be laughing.
If you have ever seen cat amused or pleased seeing one trying to laugh like a pony was another thing. It ended up being a snorting gasping sound. After he had finished laughing he asked me if I was serious.
"Oh this is ridiculous." I said then snapped my lion paw at him.
The sweet little black cat changed into a giant murder robot with red glowing eyes and it looked at its body.
"Well, this is not something I expected." He said his voice a robotic buzz but was clearly understandable.
"Well talking cat with you was getting tiring. But my offer stands. I get you away from us hated Draconequus and other meddlesome higher beings and you get a fresh start on a world that has no magic and is purely based on science. All you have to do is help me save Flutterstay."
The robot's eyes glittered and glowed as he processed the thought. "All I have to do is save him?" He considered.
"Well he has to be alive and aware when he comes back." I stated.
"I… I will help you." He said.
My eyebrows shot up. "Really?"
He nodded, "You know the whole reason I kept fighting you two was to wipe you both from existence and leave me alone. But this offer… I can't pass it up. I have learned a lot about life being a cat. Things I never considered before. Before I was focused on destroying your kind Draconequus. But a world where I don't have to suffer your magic and can be free to start again. That sounds worth it."
I stuck a claw out. "Then we have a deal?" I confirmed and to my surprise he actually shook my claw with his.
"So where do we begin?" He asked.
"I don't know yet I have to consult my Pipbuck. Flutterstay had a computer load all the details into it." I looked at the device and read the list.
The Pipbuck beeped.
QUEST UPDATED
Obtain Byte COMPLETE
Get him to work with you COMPLETE
Go to Tenpony Tower in the Wasteland
"Looks like we're going home to the Wasteland next."
42
Chapter Three
"I like trains!"
Canterlot, Equestria
So as you may have read already my dear I got Byte. Yay! Now I hope his robotic ass doesn't stab me in the back. I'm expecting a double cross at some point don't think I'm naive enough to think otherwise I do have a plan for that eventuality.
***
Several hours later.
"I can't believe I lost to a tin can!" Phoenix stated angrily as the train departed Appleloosa on its way to Manehattan next. He looked at the now gigantic pile of chips on Byte's side of the table. Phoenix looked at me, "He has to be cheating!" He stated. I looked at my own meager pile of chips, "No, I think he's just good at cards." I said shuffling the deck. I dealt him two cards and myself two cards. I got an Ace and Queen of Spades. I nearly burst out laughing at that. "Blackjacks cutie mark." I thought. "Too bad this isn't blackjack I would win with the unbeatable pair." I thought.
Queen of Hearts
It went to Byte. He looked at his chips and mine and bet 50. "Well shit." I thought, then gave a moment to act like I was considering the bet.
King of Spades
"Show 'em meat sack." Byte said flipping his cards.
Ace of Hearts
I laughed. Byte cocked his head questioningly at me as I placed down the cards in my hooves.
"Read 'em and weep bot brains." I said smirking.
42
Chapter Four
"Life's a journey, shame about the destination."
Equestrian Wasteland
The Wasteland. The brutal result of a war that should never have happened. Over 200 years ago the war with Zebra kind ended in balefire. The result was Equestria being burnt in an apocalyptic fire. As if Celestia herself had kissed the lands with the sun. Leaving magical radiation poisoning the land. Ponykind was able to survive the last day of the war by hiding in underground bunkers called Stables.
So, the dilapidated fire hydrant in the wasteland popped up and became an archway that admitted us into the wasteland. We looked around our surroundings and saw the efforts of hundreds of ponies to clean up the wasteland city of Manehattan with DJ Pon3 leading the efforts via the EBS Hub atop of Tenpony Tower. Our destination according to my Pipbuck.
***
Boo and Phoenix enter the lobby of the former hotel now turned settlement. The shops beyond the security desk were just opening for the day. Ponies and other creatures were walking about. Most were wearing fancy clothes and looking snooty. Phoenix looked at me, “You ever get the feeling you're underdressed when you come in here?” I looked at a pair of ponies who were giving me a disapproving look as they rounded the corner from the grand staircase. “Most of these ponies have lived their whole lives insulated from the Wasteland. They wouldn’t know the danger if it bit their faces off.” I replied making my way to the stairs to the elevator banks. We walked up the stairs and my Pipbuck beeped.
“Finally!” I say as I bring up the device.
QUEST UPDATED
“We have to swap out the water talisman for a new one. We need the jewel from it.” I told Phoenix. He looked at me. “So how are we going to get that? Are we going to steal it?” He raised an eyebrow. I cringed as that caught the attention of two security ponies who made their way toward us. I shook my head, “No, we will just ask the Twilight Society for help. I’m sure they will be willing to work with us.” I said with a laugh. This didn’t seem to deter the Security Ponies so I wiggled my nose and the both of us popped out of the elevator lobby and appeared in the vestible.
“Phoenix, next time you have a question about stealing stuff. Make sure that there are no security ponies nearby.” I am a bit annoyed. He blinked disorientated at first then looked around, “Oh, hah, my bad Boo.”
I shook my head and yelled, “Yo, Homage you home?” My voice seemed to echo around the lobby and then a door was heard opening as the older DJ appeared out of a door. Her blue hair had a touch of gray at the base as she looked down at us from the upper floor. “Oh, hey Boo, Phoenix.” She made her way down the stairs and stopped in front of us. “What are you two doing here?” She asked.
“We need a favor.” Phoenix started.
“A big one.” I nodded.
“That being?” She raised an eyebrow.
I went on about the quest we were on and she also had no idea I was married. Whatever happened to Flutterstay seemed to have affected the memories of other ponies, including Lu… I mean, Phoenix. I gotta stop getting the two confused seriously.
“So, you got a water talisman to swap it with already?” Homage asked.
I looked at Phoenix and he looked back at me. “Uh…” He said and I smiled. “Fear not, I have one gently used water talisman certified to be free from defects by the Draconequus money back guarantee!” I wiggled my nose and one popped out in the air above me and floated there. The gem gave off a cool glow.
“Well that looks in order.” Homage said, looking at the gemstone closely floating in the air. “Well come with me and we can get it changed out. The primary water talisman is on the roof next to the rainwater collection system.” She said starting to trot back up the stairs. “On the roof? I figured it would be in the basement.” I said following her.
“It used to be until the ghoul incident so the back up water processing system up on the roof became the primary system. The old primary system got damaged by a group of talon company griffons who cleared out more feral ghouls who took up shop down there a few years ago.” She explained as she opened the door to the studio and led us through the equipment-filled room to a set of stairs leading up to a sign that read “Roof Access.”
“Sounds like you need a certain Toaster Repair Filly to come and service the system. Among others.” I said with a lewd grin. Homage took this in stride. “I already asked if she can’t do anything about the water system. The other task, well I will be visiting her in a few days for a little us time.” She said with a wink as she opened the door to the roof. The cool morning sun shone down upon the roof as a flight of strange mutated birds were startled by the sudden opening of the door, they took flight off the edge of the building and as I turned my attention back to Homage I noticed a pair of red eyes looking at me from the corner of the roof.
There was a lot of different kinds of equipment including the massive antenna array of the Equestrian Broadcast System. On the far side of the roof sat a massive water tower and what looked like pumping machinery going into another stone stairway entrance on the other side of the roof. “This used to be another access way down to the main lobby but the stairs collapsed about a hundred years ago, so I had the bright idea to use it as a rainwater collection and distribution system. It happens to be on the same side of the water mains pipe up to all the floors so it was a good place to seal off and turn into a secure storage for the water talisman.” Homage said pulling out a bobby pin and a screwdriver. “Now for a little breaking and entering.” She smirked as she went to insert the bobby pin in the lock and I just wiggled my nose making the whole thing unlatch and drop to the ground with the door springing inwards.
She looked at it in shock for a second then looked back at me and Phoenix. “What?” I asked with a smile as she closed her mouth and shrugged putting the bobby pin and screwdriver back in her hair. I walked on into the room which went down a flight of stairs pipes on either side of me making it a tight fit. I saw several valves and a tank with the water talisman glowing gently in the center of the clear housing for the tank.
“Close these valves and open the one at the bottom right side of the tank to drain it.” Homage said as she started turning a valve with her magic. Between the three of us we had the valves closed and the water drained low enough to get at the water talisman. I shifted form and gently grabbed the water talisman off of its sustainment bracket, twisting it counter clockwise and then twisted the new one clockwise. The new talisman glowed brightly. We reopened the valves and the water system flowed freely again.
“So not to be like a downer or anything.” Homage said as she closed the door behind us and I made the lock reappear. “What makes that particular Talisman special? Why couldn’t you use the one that you had with you?” She asked as she turned back toward me as my Pipbuck dinged.
QUEST UPDATED
I raised my Pipbuck. “Cause this thing told me to?” I said with a smile. She looked at the screen. “Oh, yeah. I could never wrap my head around these quest log things. Like how does it know? Ya, know?” She asked, smirking. Just then we heard the clops of something climbing over the edge of the roof and we looked to see Byte pulling himself up the sides of the building.
I looked at him, my mouth agape and he looked back at me, “What?” His monotone robotic voice replied. “I got lonely.”
42
Chapter Five
"404 page not found."
Equestrian Wasteland
I stared at the robot. "You were lonely?"
***
Equestrian Wasteland
We appeared in the middle of a desert area with a ridge of cliffs around us. There were shattered hulks of tanks and still some sun bleached skeletons out here. I'm looking around and I'm not seeing any black walls.
The OIA, Office for Interministey Affairs, was an office setup by one Golden Blood during the prewar Equestria. They were responsible for all the projects pretty much. Pulling the strings behind the scenes. The wall ahead of us was black, made of obsidian. I tapped it with my paw. "I'd say this was a black wall wouldn't you?" I asked, looking at it.
***
We finally made it into the main room of the place. As we looked around we saw different research labs, storage, and production. “Everything the wasteland needs to get their cyberpony production up and running we should definitely tell the Colleaget about this place.” Phoenix said walking up to a Poniqune with cyber parts on it.
The doorway led into an unfinished area where piles of boxes lay around labeled with different cyberized parts. We trot through the warehouse to another hallway labeled, “COLD STORAGE” we enter, “This is where the tag ends.” I say and push the button the door doesn’t open. “Hmmm.” I turn to Byte, “Hey Byte, can you open this jar of pickles for me?” He steps up and pulls the panel off and begins playing with wires. After a few moments the door slides up into the ceiling. A standard Stable-tech retracting door. I turn on my Pipbuck lamp and illuminate the room. Inside there were tubes. Each one says “PROJECT ICICLE” with a number on each panel several of them were in operation. “So this isn’t creepy at all. Stasis pods?” Phoenix looked at one and a mummified frozen pony was inside. “OH SHIT!” He jerks back from the surprise of a mummy. “Careful Phoenix. Don’t piss yourself.” Byte says in monotone going to a terminal in the room and plugging into the system. He then begins to recite data.
Author's Note
Short chapter today, Chapters will update ever Thursday until completion from now on. It has been a busy few days and I haven't been able to write as much as I want. Work gets in the way, life gets in the way.
42
Chapter Six
"Too much of a good thing "
Equestrian Wasteland
The pod cracked open and retracted upwards as cold air rolls out of the it. The scent of a freezer filled the room and the CyberWolfie inside the pod didn't stir.
*
We spent the next 20 minutes collecting all sorts of parts and samples. A lot of it was familiar from Momma and Sweetie. Though we did manage to find some useful things like a few mouthgun weapons a whole stock of magical energy weapon components and the most shocking thing I found.
*
I walk back into the cryopod area and see the lights were on and the CyberWolfie was stirring in the pod. As I entered her eyes opened and a string of unintelligible computer jargon came out of her mouth then she looked at me. Her ice blue glowing eyes locked on to mine.
"No, no, no, no." I yelled. Then I did something stupid. I charged into the room where the fire was coming from my eyes glowing red as a furnace and I took in the room.
I walked up to the them letting my eyes glow angrily as a I presented my claw to the eyes of one who had the misfortune of still being able to see.
"Let's see how you like feeling a bullet enter your head shall we?" I asked in a demonic tone.
42
Chapter Seven
"Come on lucky 7!"
“Wake up little clone.” I hear a voice say. I opened my eyes and with blurry vision look around me and see, me. “Well look who is awake.” Prime Boo smiled down at me without mirth. She raised an eyebrow, “Someone was being naughty.” She said simply her pony face frowned as I sat up slowly feeling like my head was plugged into a light socket.
“So what are you doing here?” I asked Prime Boo, who turned to the deskeletoned ponies and began wiggling her nose at them sending them away.Where was this anger coming from? I asked myself.
"Affirmative it appears to be some kind of chip like a computer chip." Trisha said, examining the back of my head.
"There is writing on the chip it says number 42 MMOD." She said examining the chip.
Trisha examined it closely and shook her head, "Negative. I am not a surgeon. We would need the proper healing ponies to take care of this. With you in low power mode I cannot even interact with it other than observe it visually. But from what I can tell it is directly wired into your brain."
What exactly did Prime Boo do to me? Why do I get the idea that this is not going to be good?
Byte blinked rapidly. “Perhaps.”
I looked to Phoenix, "Why don't you see about getting more supplies?"
"Very nice Alucard. Though I think Fluttershy would be more appropriate for that role Papa." I said with a giggle.
"Only one of you Boos across the universe calls me Papa you know." He said thoughtfully.
I began to tell him the story so far. As Kansas's Carry on my wayward son started playing.
42
Chapter Eight
“That is a sticky situation.”
BYTE
I looked over the control panel of the stable door. I raised my right… hoof. To the control panel and commanded the link cable to come out. Fingers popped out instead. I looked at the appendages and gave them a wiggle. “This is so odd.” I said to no one. I commanded them to retract and they did. I put my hoof back on the ground and screwed up my eyes to my horn and tried to remember how to get magic to work.
“Damn it.” I swore as I caught my breath. So I am out of practice with magic. That’s to be expected I guess. I then turned my attention to the control panel and looked it over and pushed a few buttons. The warning lights came to life and the door rolled back into place being pushed by a pneumatic piston until the locking assembly pushed in to the back of the and pushed it into place making horrible screeching sounds as it whirred and locked the bolts of the cog shaped door in to place.
“Nopony is getting in here.” I say with a nod and turned back toward the door way another door caught my eye. “STORAGE” it said. I walked to it and it refused to open. I pressed the button on the wall with a hoof and it clicked and the servo refused to engage to lift the door.
"Odd." I say and then examine the door I notice the hydraulic line was crimped. I looked to my hoof and popped my fingers out and carefully unkinked the line. I then pressed the button again and after a moment the door ground as it raised in to the ceiling.
"That's better. Now what were you hiding in here?" I asked the space as I looked around. It was definitely a storage room. Only it wasn't quite just a storage room I could see boxes labeled different things that a stable might use and then on the other wall a pressure door not like a hydraulic door like the stable door I just opened. No this one was a straight-up pressure door I walked up to it and I pulled on the lever that opened the door. With a creek the door open swinging inwardly away from me. On the wall opposite me were three signs. An arrow pointing to the left side reactor, the sign in the middle pointing to the right said offices, and the final one said security office.
Definitely not just storage I thought. I proceeded towards the security offices. It was a pretty long walk it must have taken me a couple minutes to walk down that way okay it did take me a couple minutes I have a chronometer on my heads up display. I finally arrived at another pressure door. This is odd I thought why would these areas need to be pressurized?
"Okay why would a security office need to be pressurized?" I asked myself. The most logical answer I thought was a fire suppression system. Maybe halon gas. I checked around the wall looking for some way to release the pressure in the room. I didn't find anything on this side of the wall so whatever pressurized in the security office could probably only be unpressurized on the other side. I made my way back towards the reactor rooms.
I encountered the same problem at the reactor room doors. "Well that's odd." I said out loud to myself. Well let's try the offices I thought to myself and name my way towards the office door. This was also a pressure door but the pressure indicator was not popped out and this time I was able to pull the handle and open the door. As I walked inside I saw a movement and then Phoenix's head popped up over a desk.
"It seems like that would be a job for me then. Which way to the security office?" I asked the bat Pony alicorn. He pointed his hoof back out the doorway he had come through, "go out that door make a right head all the way down the hallway you'll come across one of them big stable tech doors in front of it is a security terminal good luck with it though." He explained to me.
"You didn't lock out the terminal did you?" I asked him giving him a pointed stare. Phoenix shook his head left and right indicating a negative. I nodded my thanks and walked out the door followed in the direction he said and came up to a terminal and I could see why the security door was closed tight and there was another one of those little pressured icons on the door.
"Time to give up your secrets to me." I said as I opened up the terminal and began hacking into it manually. It took me three tries but I finally got the password and of course it would be something so silly "bubblegum."
The terminal screen presented me with four options:
RELEASE SECURITY OFFICE LOCK
UNPRESSURIZED FIRE SUPPRESSION
OPEN DOOR
LOG OFF
I typed the number two and pressed enter. A hissing can be heard from inside the door and the little notch dropped him back into the door. The terminal screen changed; the second option was now pressurized with fire suppression. That's so odd I thought. I pressed one and then pressed enter and then pressed three and enter and then I folded the keyboard back up. When the door opened the first thing I noticed was the smell of carbon. So apparently there was a fire in there at some point. As I entered the office I noticed a dozen bodies on the ground, well charred skeletons really. Each one of them had a firearm and one of them had a flamer. Looks like the old weapons in there had been cooked. And the flavor was definitely out of fuel why would a dozen security ponies be in here and decide to cook themselves alive?
"Yeah I don't think we're getting any answers out of this room as to what happened or why." I said as I trotted it back out of the room.
"Definitely not and it doesn't seem to be anything else of value anywhere else I could find." Phoenix said sounding disappointed. He found a couple of pistols some ammo a couple of snacks pre-war of course. But nothing of interest at least to me.
"So," he began letting his so trail off.
"What?" I asked him.
Phoenix looked me up and down, "how are you dealing with the change? I was thinking we could just get you repaired but I guess Boo had other ideas." He asked me there was actually some concern to his voice.
"I am all right. Just a day ago I was a cat, this is a marked improvement from a cat halfway between fully organic and robotic, a change like this I can deal with after all I was a cyberpony before I went full robot."
42
Chapter Nine
“DUCK SEASON FIRE!”
Equestrian Wasteland
“And that’s how Equestria was made!” I finish with a flourish. I bow to Discord and smile. He claps then looks baffled for a moment and asks, “WHAT?”
I still felt very tired at my core even with the recharge of chaos energy. I laid my head down. “Welcome back boys, any good finds?” I asked as they trotted in.
My eyes opened to the most beautiful sight I have ever seen! Fields upon miles of ice cream and sweets of all kinds! With a squeal of joy I jump into a giant mound of chocolate and begin eating the delicious delights. After making a long trench of ice cream I stood up and laughed long and hard then I spot a lot sized piece of dark chocolate and start licking and munching on it.
The beautiful sky fizzles and darkens as a voice issues, dark, deep, and full of promises of utter terror.
The voice chuckle darkly, "A being such as you and your power having a dream of eating delicious sugary sweets in a dream, I never would have guessed knowing what I know of you 42."
My mane began to get really itchy. "Who or what are you?" I asked as I continue to look around for the source of the voice. Then out of the corner of my eye I see a dark form coalesce with bright red eyes. It was a draconequus body tall and proud but the body was completely black as if no light could escape it except for those eyes.
"Such a dramatic entrance!" I say evenly. "So what do I call you?" I ask then that voice sent my main itching again, "oh dear 42 you don't get to know what my name is; suffice it to say even though I am a great fan of yours. I can't have you interfering like that husband of yours in this universe. I simply cannot let you revive him."
He stretched out his dark appendages and gave us loud slap of his paws. And all around me other Draconequus appeared pure white with red eyes each one of them held out their paws and then they started sucking out of me what felt like pure chaos like energy.I wiggled my nose flipped around and then started to run as I pushed one of them out of my way with a shield. As my shield collapsed into him it wrapped him up and turned into gum then stuck into the sticky ground of the ice cream.
I ran and ran and ran what felt like an eternity every time I slowed down one of those creatures popped up and started sucking the essence out of me. Just as I banked around the corner of a cinnamon stick sticking out of an ice cream something impacted my side and threw me off my hooves.
I yelled out and Trisha jerked back from me in surprise. "Fuck!" I yelled zipping away from her up to the ceiling and sticking my self there with my magic.
The entire I continued to breathe hard as I was shocked awake. "I, uh, huh?" I looked around as Byte came sprinting into the room his eyes look to me and Phoenix sits up groggily and looks down at his leg. "Why does my stomach hurt and my front leg all wet?" He asks as he frowns.
"That was 42's doing, she began making joyous noises then her body scooted toward you and she began to swallow your leg like a snake, until she started to run in her sleep. She was able to land numerous blows on your stomach as she 'ran' in her dream before I could separate her from you." Trisha stated as I floated down to the ground my heart pounding in my chest.
Phoenix looked disgusted at this news and frowned at me. "Boo, will you please keep your mouth to yourself?". This causes me to blush a little. "Sorry Phoenix."
"How long were we out?" I ask shaking my head to clear away the rest of my tiredness. Trisha replied helpfully, "You slept for 6 hours, 56 minutes, and 44 seconds. Night fall will be in the next 35 minutes."
I looked to Byte, "Well I suppose it's time to get moving." He nodded and made his way back towards the door as Phoenix stretched getting to his hooves.
NEW OBJECTIVE ADDED:
GET PARTS FROM ROBRONCO FACILITY
"We have our heading. Looks like we're going to a Robronco Facility about 3 hours trot from here." I said to Phoenix and Trisha.
We met up with Byte in the entrance way. He opened the door we left and he closed it behind us. As we exited the coal mine we noticed that the sun had already set over the horizon. The night was somewhat clear with a bright half moon in the sky stars twinkled brightly. All in all it was a very beautiful sight. A cool wind blew in and we started to make our way to the Robronco facility.
42
Chapter Ten
"DEATH FROM ABOVE!"
Equestrian Wasteland
Boo's Perspective
The cool night air was only disturbed by the crunching of our hooves on the cracked sun worn asphalt. We made our way east toward the Robronco sattleilte facility. The only light out tonight was that of a sliver of the moon, hanging in the cloudy sky like crescent shaped sickle. We had our heads on a swivel looking for night time raiders, but we met nothing in the long hours trek. Byte finally broke the silence as he sucked on a ruby.
"No idea." Phoenix said tersely as he looked around us for trouble.
He frowned, "Ah, I see. Something to do with Discord then."
Once we had gotten a sufficient distance away from the explosion. What's down in the middle of the road and I asked, "Anypony hurt?"
42
Chapter One
Somewhere in the multiverse:
I suppose it all started one cool and surprisingly not rainy day in Hoofington. Momma was walking in the lead as P21 and Glory flanked her. Lacunae was walking, letting Scotch Tape ride on her back and Rampage was… well she was trying to get me to say curse words… any words really she was trying to get me to talk at all. Back then Discord was riding shotgun in my noodle and he was teaching me other things. So my body was just a body moving through the world wanting to be with its herd. But Discord was teaching me.
I guess it was at that moment I decided I liked the pony. Cause I nuzzled him before Momma came to me with a snack cake and my primitive mind said. "OH FOOD!"
***
600 years later, then 800 years back, then 10 years forward again then a stint in a universe where the natural laws are out to lunch.
I snapped my eagle claw, and sent a burst of pure chaos at two guards, the guards flashed and turned into a bowl of petunias, and one very surprised looking whale. A snap of my lion claw and another pair of guards disappear in a flash of light. To this day I don't know where they ended up but that's neither here nor there. See what I did there! Hah!
***
So you know those scenes in the movies where they just appear in front of the bad guy after entering an elevator? Yeah I know life isn't a movie after a really long and boring elevator ride up. Though that music was kinda catchy and familiar.
Confusion, blood, a gunshot.
***
I wake up, opening my eyes in my home. I look around and see me standing there looking annoyed.Who was I? What was I? Why was I? Oh, yeah. I'm The Great and Powerful Boo, clone #42. WHAT? THE! FUCK?! Fine. I thought then I saw a flower, I don't know what type of flowers they were but they were red and I floated them into my hair. They were cute to me. I hope Sweetie likes them. I hope I can fix this. I hope he can forgive me.Wait, forgive me? No, I don't need forgiveness that bitch does. Growl. Okay… that's not very mocchi. I thought about seeing the same things in other pictures.
‘Alright, first things first.’ I thought, looking around for the lab door. There it was beside the couch but barely visible. I approach it and put my hoof on the door. It appeared with the sound of confetti.
“System failure operating at 12 percent.” Comes a distorted AI Voice.
OH ALRIGHT I ADMIT IT I ELECTROCUTED MYSELF A FEW TIMES ARE YOU FLIPPING HAPPY!?!
Ahem.
The last bit of repairs to be done is to fix the polarity of the gemstone power recombobulator.
I DON’T KNOW I’M NOT A SCIENTIST! I throw my appendages up in the air getting all frustrated.
A voice is heard, “Actually you need to roll a 4 or lower on a 1d12 to do it correctly.”
I look up, “OKAY! BY CELESTIA’S TEATS!” I roll the dice and get a 6.
“FAIL.” said the narrator.
HOLD UP I SPEND A LUCK POINT AND REROLL!
I reroll and get a…
10
“DAMN IT!”
I look at the die angrily and then spend another luck point and roll it again.
5
I growl at the dice and then eat it.
“I, uh, what?” The narrator asked confusedly as I continued to chew on a plastic dice.
“One more time!” I say to it and roll again. The new dice afraid I will eat it too just gives it up and gives me a 1!
“YEAH!” I say out loud!
“Power restored to 100%!” The AI reported.
“But, Boo…” I hear you ask. Yes I am the narrator of the story technically, but there is another voice I have to contend with that made the idea for these events the being who pulled all the strings for this merry adventure. That wasn’t me, I just muck with them alot.
“Sounds like there are two narrators in this story!” Says the other narrator. I push them away with an angry look and to make my point I make the dice in my mouth make a sharp crack as I continue to chew on it like bubblegum.
“Please come back to the control room. I have a message from master Flutterstay.” ‘Puter says over the PA system. “Okay.” I say putting the tools away and floating the box behind me and put it away upon entering the control room.
“Playing message.”
“Boo, I knew you would be concerned enough at some point to know why I disappeared.” The hologram Flutterstay says.
“Well… yeah.” It replies.
WAIT WAIT WAIT!? The narrator says confused.
“WHAT NOW?!” I ask.
HOW IS HE REPLYING TO YOU!?
“DRA-CON-E-QUUS!” I reply in all capital letters sounding it out syllable by syllable.
“Narrator voice?” The hologram asks.
“Yes.” I reply annoyed now blowing bubbles with the plastic die.
“Anyways. Ahem. So I have a list of things to do for you to get me back, but you’re not going to like it.” The hologram says plainly.
“I love you, I am willing to do anything to get you back!” I said to the hologram as my Pipbuck beeps.
“I just sent it to your pipbuck, and I love you too.” Holo-stay said.
I looked at my Pipbuck and saw the new quest list.
*Obtain Byte
My brain crashes like a car wreck. “Byte!? Our sworn enemy banished to be a feline in Celestia's castle Byte? The bane of our existence Byte?!” I yell at the hologram.
“Well, heh heh, yeah.” The hologram replies.
“I’m tempted to leave you dead, my love.” I say looking back at the list again.
“I…”
I sigh, “Of course I want to see you again. I will do it.” I am not happy about it.
“I love you Boo. I will see you soon, yeah?” The hologram holds out a claw for me to fist bump as we really couldn’t hug.
“I love you too.” I bump the hologram's fist and it disappears in a shower of light.
Well, shit. Looks like its time to go visit the former ruler of Equestria Celestia.
I transform back into my earth pony form and trot out of the lab.
