Fallout Equestria: Memories of Lyra

“Applejack, Silver Stripe, welcome to Riverside.” A sickly yellow stallion and a sad little unicorn clad in black greeted us as we approached. Applejack looked to the right and saw a striped pony walking with me. That must be Silver Stripe, which means I must be Applejack.

“Thank you, Goldenblood.” Yep, I’m definitely Applejack. “Now, why’d you decide to hold this meetin’ of the minds all the way out here?”

“I felt a change of pace would be good for us all. Someplace away from all the troubles where we can all think clearly.” Goldenblood led us to the the largest building in the city. “Riverside City Hall is the perfect place. Quiet and easily defensible.”

“You know, it’s not going to be easy to think with all these mercenaries around.” When we entered, there was a multitude of griffons. The lead griffon approached us, making me wary. My last memory of them wasn't exactly sunshine and rainbows.

“I have 50 of my best Talons in case of any foul play, Goldenblood. I don’t think anyone is going to get through.”

“Very good. Keep watching for anything out of the ordinary,” Goldenblood ordered.

“Are you expecting something to happen? Surely you considered the safety of this place before choosing it,” commented Silver Stripe.

“Shortly before you arrived, I received word of a possible compromise in our position. You were already en route, so I was unable to warn you and prevent your coming. These griffons were nearby, so I hired them as a precautionary measure just in case something were to happen.”

“Bogey approaching from the north!” cried one of the lookouts. The entire mercenary group went on alert. Applejack looked at Goldenblood warily.

“My intelligence network is rarely wrong, Ms. Applejack.” Goldenblood excused himself to oversee the events. “What’s the situation, flock leader?”

“Something’s coming, but I can’t tell what it is. It’s built like a diamond dog and stands upright, but it has a pony head. It's metallic so it may be a robot. If it is, it’s more advanced than any robot I’ve ever seen. I just don’t know what to make of it.”

“Let me see.” Goldenblood took the binoculars from the sentry and peered into the distance at the speck. “Ah, I see. That may be the nature of the information I received. Don’t attack it unless it becomes hostile. We don’t know what it’s capable of.”

“Yes sir. Talons, into formation targeting that speck, but hold your fire!” The squad took their posts in case of battle and waited. Goldenblood returned to us.

“Applejack, Silver Stripe, I recommend getting out of the area. The threat my intelligence spoke of is on its way here, and it is probably hostile.”

“I’ve never run from danger in this war, and I don’t plan on starting now,” my host said, firm in her stance. “Besides, I’d like to see this new threat that you think your mercs can’t handle.”

“The Talons are extremely capable, but that’s what I’m afraid of. We may get caught in the crossfire if we remain here, and you have your position to think about,” Goldenblood warned.

Applejack sighed. “Very well. Let’s get to higher ground, then.”

“I will stay behind and find a vantage point,” said the up until now quiet pony who accompanied Goldenblood. Strangely, she seemed saddened by the task she placed upon herself. Vantage point, huh? A sniper?

“Very good, Psalm. We may need you if it comes to battle.” The three of us climbed the stairways of city hall until we reached the top floor. Applejack approached the window and opened it to view the scene. "Applejack, that may not be wise."

“If it’s a robot like your griffon thinks, I want to see the tech that our enemy has created. You may be interested too, Silver Stripe, considering you’re up and coming in the cybernetics field.”

“If you insist.” She stepped up beside Applejack and peered out the window, searching for the mysterious enemy. “Ah, there it is, Applejack. Over there.” Applejack turned in the direction pointed until I saw the intruder. It was difficult to see without binoculars, but I spotted it where Silver Stripe indicated.

“That’s quite the creature. I wonder what’s inside that bit of machinery. Do you recognize it, Silver?”

“You mean it isn’t yours? I don’t know anypony with the technical expertise to make something like that outside the MWT or the Iron Co’s. It must have taken a great deal of time and funding to create. It doesn’t seem to be of Zebra make, though. They usually make larger, more destructive machines than that.”

“Do you think there’s somepony in Equestria who has that caliber of skill that we don’t already know about?”

“Halt,” commanded the squad leader when the suit neared the 50 yard mark. “This area is restricted.”

“Are you the Talons?” asked a dark, electronic voice. The same voice that... Oh No! This is Riverside, isn't it? The place where that griffon said he was bringing--

“I’m the leader of this branch of the Talons. Who are you?”

The suit of armor pulled a minigun off its back. “I’m the one you tried to steal from. The one whose lover you foalnapped. And for that, I am your worst nightmare!” Lyra, NO! I screamed to no effect as her gun blazed, forcing the Talons to quickly duck behind their cover and prepare to counter-attack.

“It’s hostile now, Goldenblood. We’re going to take it down!” shouted the leader toward us. I watched in horror as the squad of griffons moved as a unit against the pony who had gained so much of my respect. Bullets launched toward her as a firestorm, tearing through the air and striking the armor. No, hold on...

The bullets were stopping just in front of the suit.

“What the hell is going on, Chief?! Our gunfire is completely ineffective!” cried one of the mercs. I looked closely at the suit. Was its horn glowing?

“You’re doomed, Talons! I know your guns better than you do. I know where each and every one of you are hiding. My technology is better than yours. When you raided my home, you made the worst possible enemy you could’ve made in this war.”

“That’s a lot of hot air for a robot. You haven’t hit one of us yet, have you? Stop gloating and die!” A volley of grenades flew toward Lyra and exploded all around her, a few falling within a few feet of her, kicking up a large amount of dirt and dust. Several moments passed in silence. “Hah! Like I said, nothing but a bunch of hot air.”

The dust slowly cleared. The silhouette of a figure standing upright began to form an outline through the cloud, a red glow emanating from the top of the shadow. The shadow’s arm moved into its body, then returned with a large extension.

“Do you like explosions that much?” *ssssSSSSHHHHHHHHH BOOOOOOOOM!!!* Three griffons flew without the use of their wings. “You gave me so many. You must really like giving them away, don’t you Talons?” *ssssSSSSHHHHHHHHH BOOOOOOOOM!!!* Four others joined their comrades in spirit as their bodies were flayed by concussions and flechettes. “Why don’t you save a few for yourself?!” The rest scattered, avoiding the missile fire as it rained down from Lyra’s massive gun.

“Phew, look at the power in that piece of machinery!” exclaimed Applejack. “It said they raided her home, so there’s probably a pony inside that thing. If that’s the case, then this is the most advanced set of armor I’ve ever seen. I didn’t think something like that was possible.” She looked closely at Goldenblood. “Did you know this was coming?”

“I had my suspicions. I also believe I know who is controlling it.” Both Silver Stripe and Applejack regarded him in shock. “Do either of you know of an engineer named Lyra Heartstrings?”

“Of course I know her! She’s one of the most respected ponies in Ponyville, and a good friend of mine.”

“You may not be aware of this, but she has been trying to sell the idea of battle armor to several major weapons companies, including your own Ministry. Up until now, nopony has taken her ideas seriously.”

“What are you trying to say, Goldenblood? That she’s mad nopony will buy her work?”

“It is possible that she is trying to make a point about her armor, and I believe she’s made a very clear point. It is extremely effective in the field of battle.” I turned my head back toward the battle. The Talons were being completely decimated, powerless to stop Lyra’s assault. By now, she had discarded her missile launcher in favor of a black pistol. The mercenaries were darting around in the skies, firing from above as she targetted them from the ground. One by one, the Talons fell from the air, virtually helpless against her PipBuck enhanced aim.

*krrzzt* “Should I take the shot?” asked a voice coming from Goldenblood’s radio.

“Are you crazy?! That’s Lyra we’re talking about!”

“That is a possibility, yes. However, all we know is that an unidentified robot or suit of armor is currently attacking a meeting of the strongest technological powerhouses in Equestria. What if it isn’t Lyra? What if this is some other power sent to cut our military might at its head?”

“But it doesn’t seem to be interested in us at all. Just the Talons.”

“Not anymore, it seems.” Goldenblood pointed to Lyra. She and the lead griffon were engaged in a terrifyingly beautiful dance of blades: the griffon’s armored claws against the armor’s thin twin blades. Stroke after stroke, swipe after swipe, the glint of the sun shone off the edged metals, twinkling like stars. The flashes blazed in my eyes, threatening to enchant my very soul.

And then, with a decisive stroke, the pony skewered the griffon.

He swore and reeled, but after a brief moment, fell to the earth with a thud. Lyra turned her glowing gaze directly toward us. “It has spotted us.” All around the armored pony lay strewn the bodies of griffons, the last of the Talon mercenaries dead at her feet.

“Applejack! Are you the one responsible?!”

“Lyra! Is that really you?”

“What did you do with--” *CRACK~~~~!!* Lyra rocketed backward as a bloody spray splattered across the ground.

“Forgive me Luna, for I have taken the life of another,” spoke the voice from the radio.

“LYRA!” Applejack and I screamed in chorus. She bolted down the tower of the municipal building.

“Applejack, wait!” cried Goldenblood, but we were already too far down to pay him any attention. Bursting through the front doors, we rushed to our friend’s side. Applejack tried to lift her, but the armor was much heavier than I remembered. She removed the helmet, revealing Lyra’s bloodstained face. Her eyes were closed, her breathing heavy, the color draining from her face.

“Lyra! Lyra, say something!” pleaded a weeping Applejack. She just lay there, still as the ground beneath us. Goldenblood and Silver Stripe finally caught up with us as we sat together.

“A-Applejack?” Lyra asked weakly, a low gravel in her voice from the fluid that was building in her lungs.

“It’s me, Lyra. I’m here.”

“What... you do... Bon Bon?”

“Bon Bon? I haven’t seen her since the day she gave me the apple-carrot taffy.”

“Mercenary... took her... Riverside... My compass... she’s there.” Lyra pointed toward city hall.

“Goldenblood! There is somepony trapped in here!” exclaimed Psalm from her perch. “I can hear shouting!” Goldenblood rushed back into the building.

“Then... You weren’t here because of our meeting. You came because Bon Bon was foalnapped?” I heard the doors behind me slam open

“LYRA!! NOOO!!” We all looked back at the yellow mare charging us. “Move, Applejack!” Applejack did so. “Lyra! Thank Celestia you’re still alive! The mercenary said you were going to die. Are you going to be ok?”

“I’m fine...” Lyra coughed, spattering Bon Bon’s face with her blood and betraying her words.

“No, you aren’t fine, Lyra! You’re dying right in front of me! Doesn’t anypony have a health potion?!”

“Even if we did, she wouldn’t be able to drink it with all the blood in the way, and the armor is too heavy for us to simply remove it and apply the potion directly,” Applejack said solemnly. “We can’t help her now.”

“Your armor!” Bon Bon exclaimed, fighting the tears which streamed down her cheeks. “Doesn’t it have health potions and a healing talisman?”

“I used... all potions. Talisman is... destroyed...” Lyra’s breathing became choppy and pained as everypony watched, but she smiled. “I’m glad... you’re safe... Bon Bon. I’ll... waiting... you... okay?”

“Don’t say that! You’re going to make it through this!”

“Live well... Be best pony... Always know... I lo...” she coughed again, gurgling up more crimson. “I... lo..” And then the gravel in her throat stopped altogether.

"Lyra...?" No reply. "LYRA!" Bon Bon clutched her lover's lifeless body and held it close to her chest. Bitter, salty tears streamed from her eyes. "Please don't leave me..."

“Applejack, Silver Stripe, we should leave Bon Bon alone with Lyra,” said Goldenblood. The three of us stood up and walked back to city hall. I took one last look behind me at the two mares before entering the building. Bon Bon was cradled next to Lyra’s body, having placed Lyra’s arm over her. She wept silently, unable to do anything else. Applejack closed her eyes and tipped her hat, then followed the others inside.

“I think somepony just tried to cripple Equestria’s military might,” Goldenblood declared once we were inside. Silver Stripe and Applejack looked at him curiously.

“What do you mean by that?” Silver asked.

“Somepony tricked Lyra into coming here. Somehow they must have known about Lyra’s machines and made it so that she would definitely use them. And declare war on us at the same time. If she won, then the head of the MWT, the cybernetics prodigy of Hoofington, and the director of the O.I.A. would all be dead. If she lost, then the single greatest technological mind in all of Equestria would be dead. Either way, Equestria loses.”

“And it worked. We’ve lost our best engineer, and a major driving force in our technologic growth,” commented Silver Stripe.

“It hasn’t worked completely. We can use what Lyra has left us,” suggested Goldenblood.

“What are you saying? We kill her and take her equipment like a bunch of bandits? I won’t do such a horrible thing to a friend!” Applejack stomped in fury, appalled by the idea.

“Please, use her machines,” whimpered a voice from the door. The three of us looked back and saw Bon Bon standing there, puffy-faced and red-eyed. “She wanted nothing more than to help Equestria, but nopony took her seriously. When she came to rescue me, she brought her most potent equipment to defeat every enemy, and she did. I saw the bodies out there. One pony killed 50 griffons. And she wasn’t even a trained soldier! She was an engineer. Give her technology to actual soldiers and just end this stupid war!”

“Are you sure, Bon Bon?” asked my host.

“It’s what she would have wanted,” Bon Bon confirmed.

“I will have her body moved to MWT headquarters. I’m sorry events have turned out like this, but this may be the breakthrough we need to end the fighting.”

“Applejack, wait!” I stopped and turned back to face Lyra’s lover one last time.

“What is it, Bon Bon?”

“Lyra was using this in her fight.” Bon Bon pulled out the black pistol which I had seen earlier. “I think she meant for you to have it. See these marks?” Three apples were carved into its ivory handle.

“This is the gun I commissioned...”

“It’s Lyra’s last gift. Please, take it.”

“No, not her last gift. She gave her life to rescue you, Bon Bon. That’s her true last gift.” My host placed a consoling hoof on Bon Bon’s shoulder before walking toward the transport as the world faded away.