Fallout New Vegas: A New Road

“What’s wrong with Minuette?” questioned the deep blue unicorn, her tone taking on one of defensiveness.

“Yeah, Six,” Lyra spat, turning towards the human with a stern glare. “What’s wrong with her name, Mr. Number Cruncher?”

“Too many vowels and too many syllables,” he replied. “Like, Min-OOH-ette? You’d be better off at calling yourself Minty or something.”

The unicorn looked between Lyra and the Courier, her face one of bafflement, as if she was trying to be offended by Six’s strange critique… and partly failing.

“Did he get hit in the head or something?” the deep blue mare asked.

“I wouldn’t be shocked,” Lyra added.

“Close,” answered the human with a shrug of his shoulders. “You’re technically correct.”

“With those charming introductions out of the way, can we move on?” Cherry asked, butting in. “If you two sit here trying to understand his logic, we’re going to be here all day.”

“I second Cherry on this one,” Bon Bon said, stepping forwards, standing between Six and Minuette. “And I must also say, it’s great to see you again, Minuette, your teeth look as awesome and sparkling as always.”

The hostility in the unicorn faded due to the earth mare’s compliments.

“Ah well thanks, Bon Bon,” she managed with a smile, showing off said deep white teeth. “It’s nice seeing somepon-creatures around here still have some manners.”

“Hey what I was just being honest,” Six snarked. “You guys literally have an entire magical element devoted to that sh-”

“Further snarky comments aside, what do you girls plan on doing today?” Cherry asked, interrupting any further conflict. “Kinda had to rush past the explanation when Lyra and Bonny were over!”

“Just lunch, walking around town, a bit of shopping,” Lyra explained. “Nothing insane, really.”

“What about a hot air balloon ride?” Cherry offered.

“You can just give those?” Minuette asked.

“I am Ponyville’s number one non-pegasus aviator,” the pink earth mare smirked.

“That’s pretty awesome actually,” Minuette replied. “I never really got a chance to ride an airship or anything like that back in Canterlot.”

“Always for the upper crust assholes I presume?” Six asked.

“Like you wouldn’t believe," the unicorn replied with an exasperated sigh. "Every time I went for tickets, they’d be sold out!”

“Yeah, high society is a scam,” the Courier nodded, getting a chuckle from the minty mare.

As he looked at her, she reminded him almost of several toothpaste product placements in old magazines he’d read. Guess that explains the teeth.

“Hey guys, I know you’re not arguing with each other, but I think we should get Minuette's bags to our place,” Lyra said.

“Right, but shouldn’t we schedule a time for the balloon ride?” the other unicorn asked.

“The Weather Team said there'd be a clear forecast today, so we can do it sometime this afternoon,” Cherry Berry explained. “But we gotta do it today, tomorrow calls for rain and all that crap.”

“Alright Cherry, we’ll go ahead and run Minuette back to the house, should give you time to prepare everything,” Bon Bon offered.

“Yeah, we should leave before Six here insults my name again,” Minuette snorted.

“Mhm, whatever you say, toothpaste,” the human spat back, getting a laugh from the mare, whose teeth seemed to sparkle as she chuckled.

Before long, he and Cherry were away from the train station and wandering through town, splitting off from the other three. Currently the dynamic duo were heading through towards Cherry’s air balloon booth, the bustling of the town fading into the background as they continued ahead. While they walked, the human fidgeted with his Pip-Boy, flicking the knobs uselessly, as he knew the map was still kaput.

Cherry trotted beside the human, trying to think of a way to make small talk with the bulky biped. After a moment of pondering, she turned, looking up towards him.

“I don’t think I ever asked, but how are the mailruns going?” she questioned. “Before the broken ankle put you out of the job for a bit, I mean.”

“Ankle’s fine, I probably could’ve gone on a run today if they’d accepted me when I asked this morning. Honestly, I need to pick up the pace on those deliveries. The damn place is backed up to hell and I need to go to more places than just dodge an-”

“Six you need to calm down,” Cherry groaned, rolling her eyes. “You sound like one of those overworked Neighpon salary ponies.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” the human questioned, snapping away from the Pip-Boy and fully looking at her.

“I run an air-taxi service, Six. I get to meet a lot of different ponies from all over Equestria, from Manehatten to Vanhoover to Trottingham-” she paused herself before going on a full off-topic discussion of her own, shaking off the thoughts. “Nevermind, that’s not important! What is important is you cooling it.”

“This is basically the same conversation we had this morning,” the human growled. “Let’s stop repeating ourselves here. I’m alright and I can handle it.”

There was a pause as the two continued walking in silence, Cherry leading the way as the human followed at her side. After a few seconds of taking time to just look around at the town and the several ponies who passed by the two, the pink mare shook her head with a sigh.

“Fine,” she said softly.

She felt his gloved hand patting her back a moment later, rubbing the nook between her shoulders.

“There you go, keep it smooth,” he encouraged with a snicker. "It's all okay."

Cherry gave a half-smile at that, almost wanting to melt backwards against his hand as she had that morning, but she (reluctantly) shook him off.

“H-hey quit it, gotta keep myself focused!” she huffed.

“Whatever you say,” he replied, adjusting his jacket.

As they continued on, the duo were passing through the market, closer to Cherry’s air balloon stand. The Courier spotted a strange sight out of the corner of his eye though, and his head snapped to the left, looking down the street to see…

“Is that a zebra?” the human managed, holding a finger towards the equine in question.

“Hm?” Cherry managed, looking around, finally following the direction he was pointing in. “Oh, it’s Zecora!”

“Horses and donkeys and now zebras, huh?” the human shrugged, looking at the striped mare, who now seemed to notice him as well.

Zecora raised a brow at him, noticing he was pointing at her. After a moment of looking around with uncertainty, she shrugged to herself, and put on a small smile, approaching the burly human.

“Hello, bipedal being,” she said, waving a forehoof, “my, with your attire, you’re quite a threatening thing.”

“Huh?” he cocked an eyebrow at that.

“So you are the strange creature I’ve heard so about in the much in the news-”

“...Why are you talking like that?”

“Relax my friend, I am not putting on a ruse!” assured the zebra with a chuckle.

He stared at her in silence, before turning and looking down to Cherry Berry for help or explanation, at least.

“Zecora rhymes,” she said flatly, turning her gaze up at him.

“Yeah?” he asked, with the answer not helping.

“I dunno if it has to do with her culture or being a zebra or just because she wants to, but she rhymes everything she says,” added the mare factually.

“Thank you, Cherry Berry, for being a good translator,” Zecora said, smiling at the pink earth pony in question. “Then again, I would expect nothing less from Ponyville’s top aviator.”

“Ah thanks, Zecora,” said the mare with a grateful smile, looking away with a shy expression. “I dunno if I ever apologized in person for what happened all those years back, but again, sorry about how we acted.”

“They shunned you too huh?” Six asked, catching on.

“My friend, you are quite deductive!” Zecora nodded. “Ironic, considering your adventures are destructive.”

“It’s collateral damage,” he responded. “Not my fault exactly.”

“Relax, Courier Six, I’m just teasing,” the zebra said. “I do hope you don’t find my method of speech displeasing.”

“Yeah it’s uh… fine?” he managed, sounding confused.

“I have to get back to my potions, so I suppose I should leave before I put your head further into a spin,” Zecora snickered, giving a nod at both the human and Cherry. “Hopefully we shall meet again.”

With that, she trotted off, a saddlebag with numerous plants sticking out of it slung over her back as she made her way down the street, leaving the mailman to just watch her as she went.

“Okay, Cherry, am I high at the moment?” he asked.

“If it’s anything like a dream, a strong enough hit could snap you out of it… Want me to check?” she chuckled, rearing back a forehoof to hit him in the thigh, however he just grunted; his lenses glared down at her making her look away with a nervous chuckle, becoming a bit more serious. “Right, sorry.”

However, the human was quickly back into his own thoughts, bringing up a hand to rub at the bottom of his mask. It didn’t make contact with his chin due to the bulky filters, but it was the best he could manage at the moment.

“She said she can brew potions, right? I read in old Grognak comics about that kind of stuff,” the human pondered. “She could make something like a healing brew or fire resistance drink, correct?”

“Heck if I know,” shrugged Cherry. “I’m into planes and sometimes trains… not automobiles though- anyways, potions and magic aren’t my forte. Maybe ask her yourself, or someone like Starlight?”

“What, just waltz on up to her school and request a meeting?” the human questioned.

“Or wait until after hours,” added Cherry. “You got that pseudo fatherly-bond thing with Scootaloo, could do that.”

“I’ll worry about that later,” the human decided. “For now, let’s hurry up with this damn air balloon shit.”

“Whatever you say, boss,” chuckled the earth pony.

The two ascended within the basket of the hot air balloon itself. Cherry Berry had turned on the burner, and the human watched the machine with a cocked eyebrow. Only after the duo were a couple dozen feet off the ground did he turn and look out at the town.

Despite his prior chopper ride, the flying was an unfamiliar, strange sight. Towered over the buildings by a couple of meters, and like last time, he again felt… maybe peace? Maybe a bit of vertigo in there too; looking down gave him the dizzy sensation, though he blinked a few times, forcing it away.

“You alright, Six?” Cherry questioned, standing behind the bulky human.

“Fine,” he said, squinting, looking down at Ponyville, spotting a few of the multicolored horses he’d expected.

Before long though he was looking out at the vast, rolling hills, the trees, the Everfree off in the distance, and so on. Looked nice, as the first ride over here had been. Cherry herself was looking at the back of his duster, which billowed as a small gust of wind blew in. She watched as the stars and the stripes swished this way and that, her eyes remaining only partly focused, as her mind seemed to partly be somewhere else.

“Be careful,” she said with a sense of sternness, breaking up the silence between the two. “As much as I love flying, it can be dangerous.”

“Our experience with a helicopter crashing kinda tells me that already,” he snarked, turning towards her.

She chuckled softly.

“More than just that I mean,” she offered with a small smile. “Hot air balloons aren’t as sturdy as a helicopter, just takes one really bad gust of wind or a small tear and the balloon and…”

She sighed to herself, looking away.

“...Yeah,” she concluded, sounding a bit uncomfortable.

“Seems like you’ve got something on your mind,” he said, fully turning his attention towards the mare.

She was silent, looking down at her hooves, only occasionally glancing up to check on the balloon’s burner, making sure it was operating smoothly. The Courier could see the slight twinges of discomfort tugging at the edges of her face, evident in her eyes.

“Come on, you can tell me,” he offered.

She looked up at him, remaining silent, yet her gaze was more hopeful, vulnerable, even.

“We’re friends, aren’t we?” the mailman said softly. She finally sighed, turning her gaze towards the burner as she spoke.

“Few years back… one of my balloons got a tear in it,” she explained. “Now that wouldn’t have been such a bad thing, if I wasn’t a few hundred meters in the air.”

“Ah, near death experience,” the human nodded. “Sorry to hear about that.”

“A hero named the Mysterious Mare Do Well saved me at the last minute,” she added further.

“Mare Do Well? What’s next, Anon E Mous?” the human chuckled.

She just glared at him, making him stop mid-laugh.

“Sorry, Cherry,” he said, his tone genuine.

After a few moments, his apology made her gaze soften as she groaned to herself, finally continuing.

“I know I’ve been a bit clingy with you this morning Six, but I know what it’s like to have everything just flash before your eyes... If Mare Do Well hadn’t saved me-” the aviator stopped, looking down at her hooves with a deep, grumbling sigh. “Ponyville would’ve been down more than just an air balloon.”

The human was silent, looking out at the world. He could see Canterlot in the distance. He could see the clouds, just a few dozen feet above him. He could see lakes and rivers and green forests below. He could see it all, just as he had with Cherry on their last aerial adventure. And to think there was a chance she wouldn’t have been here to talk with him if just one thing was a bit different. If one pony had been a bit slower. If one mare had been a bit unluckier…

Felt familiar.

He nodded his head to himself as he continued looking at the landscape. He ran his tongue over his teeth. Blinked a few times, still nodded to himself once or twice more. Finally, he looked down at her, she was still balling her face in her forehooves. Wasn’t crying, shockingly. Just trying to be alone with her thoughts.

Tough little mare.

“Cherry… you know how I said I got hit in the head to Minuette back at the train station?” the human asked softly.

“Y-yeah?” she asked, looking up at him.

“That’s not exactly wrong,” he replied. “You know those bullets, uh, the things my guns fire. You know?”

“You got hit with one?” she asked in shock, remembering just what his pistols and rifles had done to the boar beasts back in Dodge.

“To the head, yeah,” he nodded.

“Oh Six-” She went to hug him but was softly shoved back, with him patting her on the cheek affectionately instead.

“Hey, hey cool it, alright. That was a long time ago. As you can see, I got better…” he trailed off in thought, before snapping back to himself. “Look, I just am the way that I am because of that, I guess. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be alright. No matter what anything here hits me with, I’ve been through worse.”

“See that’s what I thought too, but then my air balloon’s envelope ripped,” she countered.

“They call it an envelope-” he stopped his question, focusing on the more important topic. “Look, Cherry, that didn’t stop you from flying now did it? Same way a bullet didn’t stop me from fighting.”

She nodded, turning away from the human and moving over to the edge of the basket.

“I know, but it’s still hard to not worry for you,” she added.

“Could say the same for you,” he pointed out.

“I guess it’s just because there’s no malice in flying,” the earth mare explained, propping her forehooves on the edge of the basket and hoisting herself up to get the best view she could, looking out towards Canterlot. “If someone dies, it’s always an accident, well, mostly. Just some bad wind from a weather squad, or a careless pony not taking the right precautions. But fighting, that’s… well, you know how that is.”

“Hey, you helped me fight back at the concert,” he said, stepping over to the pink pony’s right side.

“And I’d do it again to protect you and my fri-” she stopped suddenly, rolling her eyes and looking away with a partly defeated chuckle. “Right…”

“See, it’s not so hard to fathom when you put it that way now is it?” he said, giving a small laugh of his own.

She turned back towards him, giving him a small half-smile, her white teeth partly visible behind her lips.

“You’re still a prick you know,” she teased.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he snarked back, with the two enjoying the vista ahead.

The light of the afternoon sun glistened off of the rivers and the mountains in the distance. While watching, the Courier gently placed his left hand onto her right forehoof, giving a small, reassuring pat to it...

"By the way, is the Mysterious Mare Do Well still around?" he suddenly asked. "You know, in case there's another giant monster attack or something."

"Oh no, she wound up being all of the Elements of Harmony, who all banded together to teach Rainbow Dash a lesson about being bragging and boastful and all that jazz," she answered.

"...What?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think I'm the only one who even knew about that, I accidentally dropped a flowerpot which nearly landed on Dash during their big friendship lesson... it was a whole thing," she brushed it off.

He just stared blankly, his hand still on her forehoof.

Neither seemed to mind though, as they didn't move away from each other for a good while...