Fallout Equestria: Memories of Lyra

“More and more ponies are dying everyday! Why won’t you accept my research?!” I recognized my voice as Lyra’s. In front of me stood a set of ponies wearing white lab coats.

“Because your ‘research’ isn’t science, it’s fantasy! Battle armor is far too advanced for anypony to legitimately create, let alone mass produce.”

“It’s not a waste of time, and I can prove it! I just need the funding. And even if you don’t look at my designs for armor, you should at least look at--”

“Lyra, stop wasting our time with myths and legends, and go back to making sweets with your mare friend. We are very busy constructing things that will help us in this war, and we don’t have time to waste on fairy tales.” The scientists walked out, leaving Lyra standing there alone. She stormed from the building to find Bon Bon waiting outside.

“It didn’t go well, did it?”

“They wrote me off as a quack!” Lyra raged. “Don’t they know who it was who gave them the guns they’re perfecting right now?”

“No, they don't. You remained anonymous, remember? You said it would be better for us if they didn’t know because it would split us apart. Do you regret it?” Bon Bon asked sadly.

“No, I don’t regret that choice, and I’m sorry I made you upset. I just wish they would at least look at the designs. Now that the Zebras have reverse engineered guns, we need a better form of armor than simple barding, but those ponies in Ironclad can’t see past their snooty upturned noses. Not even Ironshod would spare a thought toward these defensive measures.”

“Don’t worry about it, Lyra. You’ve already done so much to help the war effort. Let the scientists do their jobs, ok?”

“I...” Lyra looked into Bon Bon’s pleading eyes for a long moment; then her body relaxed. “You’re right. I've worked with MWT and Stable-Tec. I’ve built weapons and created a communications array. Equestria doesn’t need me anymore. Let’s go home.”

“There’s the Lyra I know and love. When we get home, I’ll make you some blueberry pastries.” We passed through a building to a railway and waited. Soon, there was the sound of metal against metal and a shrill, piercing whistle. I looked to the side and saw a large structure with many chambers screeching to a halt. If this is a railway, then is that a train?

“All aboard! Next stop Ponyville!” cried a pony clad in blue. We boarded the train. It was very well kept inside, having carpeted floors and painted walls. The windows were large enough to allow multiple ponies to watch the scenery as it passed by and had sliding drapes to block the view, if one so desired. I, however, couldn’t imagine anypony wanting to do such a thing.

Lyra must have held Bon Bon’s head in her lap (yes, a lap. I was sitting in a peculiar position that allowed for such a thing) for hours as the world flowed by. The outside world was a beautiful blur of mountains and forests. Of rivers and lakes untainted by radiation or foul creatures. Of great cities in the distance as we looked over a vast cliff. Greens and browns and flowers of every color washed my eyes clean of the wasteland as the sun set in golden hue surrounded by a red sky... I never wanted to leave this place. I wanted to hold Bon Bon forever and watch the world go by, but all too soon the train stopped.

“Wake up, Bon Bon. We’re here.” Bon Bon picked up her head and looked out the window, as if to confirm Lyra's statement with her groggy eyes. Lyra helped her up and stabilized her on her hooves before walking outside.

Come to think of it, this was the first time I’ve ever been outside. Both times I’ve been with Lyra, I’ve been inside the sweets shop. The air smelled clean and fresh, as only something the wasteland hadn’t touched could. It was dark before we arrived back at the shop. We went inside and turned on the lights.

The shop was gutted.

“Oh, Lyra...” My host immediately turned the lights off, sparing Bon Bon of the sight.

“Go to the Cakes’ house. You shouldn’t see this.” She could only stand in shock. Lyra stood right in front of Bon Bon and placed her hooves on her friends shoulder, looking straight into her eyes. “Bon Bon, please. Go now, and wait for me.” Obediently, Bon Bon walked away in silence, unable to react otherwise.

Lyra went inside.

The place was torn apart. Pieces of the display case were in multiple sections of the room. The tables were either overturned or snapped, and produce was everywhere. The kitchen didn’t fare much better, as pots and pans and assorted smaller utensils covered the floor. Bits and pieces of wall were strewn all over the place in both areas.

Lyra pulled a small device out of my pouch and-- hey, that’s a PipBuck! The device whirred to life as it slid over her leg. She switched the menu to a radar, revealing a few red dots still in the area.

She withdrew a scoped, black pistol from my pouch. The grip was ivory by the looks of it, and it had three little apples carved into it. “Sorry, Applejack. I know you commissioned this one, but I’m gonna have to use it first.”

Lyra glanced at the dots again, then made her way toward the stairwell at the back of the kitchen. Slowly, quietly, she climbed the steps. I could hear whispering coming from above me.

“Damn it all to hell!” swore a raspy voice. I sidled against the wall. “You said this was the right place, but we’ve searched everywhere and still nothing! No experiments, no prototypes, not even a research paper. Just some fucking recipes for candy and muffins!”

“All her shipments come here. She spends most of her time in this shop. This is the place, or I’m a petty thief.” Lyra poked her head just above the entryway, confirming the three griffons weren’t looking in her direction. Their weapons were leaning against the wall a short distance away.

“Then you’re a petty thief. There’s nothing here, boss,” said the third.

“May I ask what’s going on here?” Lyra stood at the top of the stairs, pointing the gun directly at the leader.

“Fuck! She wasn’t supposed to be back for another hour!” The leader glanced toward his cache of firearms.

“Ah-ah-ah. I wouldn’t move for your guns, if I were you,” my host warned. “You wouldn’t make it two steps before--” One bolted. Suddenly the world around me seemed to slow to less than a crawl as a strange interface came into my view. The runner’s head glowed: 95%. *BOOOOOOOM!!!* I watched as the bullet flew powerfully through his skull, blasting the wall behind him with a red-ish grey paste. The world returned to normal, and the rest of the his body crashed to the floor. “I tried to warn you.”

The remaining intruders exchanged a glance. “Alright, you got us.”

“Who are you?”

“We’re the Talons.”

“Mercenaries? Who hired you?”

“Can’t tell you that, Lyra. That would compromise my contract.”

“Your contract has already been compromised. Your mission failed as soon as I found Bon Bon’s life in ruins. Either tell me, or forfeit your other subordinate.”

“Kill me then! I’ll never make the boss break his code!” I fired, leaving another splash of paste on the wall. “BOSS!”

“Now your boss can’t break his code. Tell me who sent you, or join your friends.” Lyra cocked the pistol. I never knew she was this brutal...

“Please, don’t kill me!” the griffon pleaded.

“You wrecked my home, looking for something to steal from me. You aren’t just petty criminals, since you planned for the moment you knew I’d be gone. You’re a mercenary, fulfilling a job that is harmful to me and my way of life.” The last remaining enemy’s eyes grew wider by the second, his feathers sticking to his head from the sweat as I approached him slowly.

“I’m sorry! Please have mercy!”

“Not only that, but you brought war to Ponyville, a haven of peace. You destroyed the culmination of my love’s work. You raped her innocence of the outside by bringing your evil here.” I could feel Lyra’s body, which up until now had been eerily calm, burn in her growing rage. “Tell me why, or I’m going to fucking destroy you!!”

“We were hired by a group called the O.I.A.! We were told to bring anything involving technology and research created by Lyra Heartstrings!”

“What else?!” I flared, my gun wavering in my magical grip.

“Lyra, what are you doing?!” I looked behind me to the stairs. The voice belonged to Bon Bon.

“Bon Bon! Why aren’t you--”

“Look out!” *BOOOM!! BOOOM!!* I mentally screamed in agony as the shotgun pellets tore through Lyra's flesh and flung our body through the air. She crashed to the ground in an ungraceful heap. "LYRA!!"

“You must be the one that corpse was talking about.” I could barely make out the griffon walking toward Bon Bon.

“L-leave.. B-Bon Bon... Run...”

“Don’t move, or I’ll kill Lyra right now!” To my dismay, Bon Bon stayed. The griffon turned back toward me, never pointing his gun away. “You’re a tough little bitch. Tell you what we’re gonna do. I’m gonna foalnap your lover here, and you’re gonna bring every last scrap of research with you to Riverside. If you don’t, I’ll assume you died and have no reason to keep her anymore, savvy?” The intruder sprinkled my non-existent limbs with a health potion, sealing the wounds. “Can’t have you dying before my bosses get what they want. You’ve got one week. You! Downstairs and out the back.” The two of them disappeared from my sight, then Lyra’s eyes closed.