Author's Notes:

So in case you didn't get the note, this is the "hidden" chapter where I stored all my little tidbits of information regarding this story. Contained below is where I put all kinds of small scene ideas, character sheets for Ryan and Christopher, the plans for each chapter (which I deviated from very quickly by very much), and a ton of stuff that didn't make it into the final cut of the story. In case it wasn't made clear enough by the chapter's title and the blog post I made concerning this chapter, it's entirely optional to read through, and it's really for both my benefit and yours, in case you wanted to see some of the planning and thought that went into the story, along with a little additional content. For some of these, I'll give a little extra commentary giving a bit more detail regarding whatever it is. Enjoy.

This was one of the first scenes that I wrote when I began this story. It was really just a scene that I wanted to include somewhere, but I could never find the place for it, so it was cut. Well, it was cut because of that, and because it sounded kinda corny and just weird in general. It was inspired by the song "Glass of Water" by Coldplay.

"But then what is the purpose at all?"

Ryan stared at her for a moment in thought. "Tell me what you see here," he said, gesturing at a full glass of water that sat on a table next to them.

"What?"

"Tell me what you see," he insisted.

"I see a glass of water. What do you mean?" she asked, irritated.

Ryan shook his head. "That's the problem, then! That's all you see! Look closer, look harder! There's so much more going on here!"

"I don't know what you mean, what more is there?"

"I..." he trailed off for a moment, losing focus. "What is the glass?" he suddenly asked.

"Um... a glass? It holds wat-"

"Exactly!"

"What?"

"It holds things! It's a container!"

"You've lost me," she deadpanned.

"Just look. Look into the glass and tell me what you see."

She groaned. "Alright." She stood up and peering into the top of the glass. Ryan leaned forward and looked through the side. "I see the table, and some water." She sat back down in a self-satisfying way.

"You're still not getting it!"

"Well then tell me what you see!"

"I-" he began, "Alright. You'd like to know what I see?"

"Please."

He stood up and looked in the top. "I see a glass of water." He held up a hand to cut off any victory shout she might have had. "But there's more to it than that. I see how important something as trivial as this can be. I see a mother giving her son the last few drops of water they have." He moved to look through the side of the cup. "I see a container, filled with nothing but potential. It could hold anything, be it water, soda, or even acid. I see it being used both as a peace offering and as a weapon." He put a hand on the top and twisted it around. "I see the amazing ways little things turn out to have great importance, or how something of little value to one person can have great value to another." He peered in through the top again. "I see the ripples and the rhymes of the past and future. I see how something so trivial can be so precious in so many ways." He gave a slight pause to allow his words to sink in. "But most of all I see myself. I see who I was and who I became. And I wonder if I really like it."

Ryan stood up and left the room, leaving Twilight alone with the glass of water.

This, I'm sure you recognize, is the first quote at the beginning of the Epilogue. I wrote it pretty early on, but I originally intended it to be the end of the conversation with Celestia or Luna at the end of Chapter 8. The other quote, "kick her ass," totally won me over though, so I cut it last-minute. But I like this one too much, so I just decided to put it into the beginning of the Epilogue as sort of a preface to why Ryan doesn't ever lose a fight. As for whom he's talking to, I dunno. It could really be anybody, but I'd like to imagine that it's Boone or Cassidy, one of the companions that can sympathize with him a bit more.

"The odds are always in my favor, don't forget that."

"But what if they aren't?"

"Then I rig them."

Events Ordered by Day

Key:
removed from story/was changed
made it into story

Day 1: Prologue/ Chapter 1; Ryan arrives in Equestria with 10 Luck, Celestia is looking for him. Ryan makes it to Ponyville outskirts. Celestia didn't find him.

Day 2 (and some of day 1): Chapter 2; Ryan meets with Celestia Mane 6 talks with them, goes with Celestia to the castle to decide what to do with him. Ryan talks more about his past specifically, California, The Couriers, Christopher. Talks briefly with Discord before going to sleep for the night. Luck 9.

Day 2: Chapter 3; Flashback to Benny confrontation. Celestia and Ryan talk more history. Ryan meets Mane 6. Goes with Celestia to the castle, talks more about Ryan's past: the Divide. Ryan spent night in suite. Ryan goes to spend night in suite, Discord appears to give Forecast and just basically fuck with him. Luck 8.

Day 3: Chapter 4; Wakes from nightmares, Talks with Celestia and Luna in war room, learns she can send him home right away. He decides he doesn't want to go yet, learn some magic to get an edge. Learns that he isn't good with anything but basic telekinesis, shields, and amplifying the power of his strikes. He and Celestia talk some more, Ryan vows not to lose his temper in front of her. spends the morning training, goes through his regular routines. Luna confronts him on the nature of his dreams, he reveals part of what happened in the Divide to her, shares a lesson on not dwelling on the past. He spends the rest of the day wandering around the gardens, thinking of what Celestia told him about NMM and Discord. Celestia watches him pace around, Luna enters and tells her about what she saw. They debate the good of preemptive strikes on enemies, Ryan reveals more about America's past with China, talks about the insignia on his back. Celestia gains a small understanding of why he is the way he is. He and Twilight share words/knowledge. Luck 7.

Day 4: Chapter 5; Ryan's practices are dangerous in the close quarters, decides to go to Ponyville and spend his final few days practicing magic and shooting in the more open spaces. Meets up with Twilight, begins training. Sanity meter on Pip-Boy, Christopher comes to mess with Ryan. Cut to Celestia and Luna discussing Ryan's dark side. gets a few pointers about energy focus. Get into a debate over weaponry and why it's necessary. "We carry the shield and the sword, the tough question is when each is necessary." Remedies an altercation in the marketplace between strangers: high speech skill, AJ and FShy are watching. Spends night out on the outskirts of town. Luck 6.

Day 5: Chapter 6: Nightmares worse. Goes out shooting, he makes the connection that he can enhance the stopping power of Lucky. RD intervenes, asking to take a shot and inquires about his life. Ryan tells her a bit about his time in Vegas, she doesn't believe him. Ryan and Twilight talk about friends and weaponry. Meets with Rarity, gets sleeves on duster. Resolves situation in market. He tells her the story of the Lone Wanderer in the East, anecdote about sun rising in the East and setting in the West, direct reference to his fading Luck. He talks to Christopher, what he would have thought about the situation. Heads back to the outskirts of town to sleep. Asks Celestia to send him home the day after tomorrow. Luck 5.

Day 6: Chapter 8: Day 6: Chapter 7: Wakes to a quiet town. Tests out unstable magic on Lucky. Party being thrown near Town Hall just as he gets suspicious about a surprise attack. Regales the tale of the Lone Wanderer and his "noble quest." Towards the end of the party he makes an announcement. "Fantastic party, too bad this is my last day here." Mane 6 disappointed he is leaving, because he is their friend. Later in the night, during the cleanup, he relates how much he's changed in the past few years, along with how much he's changed by being in Equestria. Brief cut to him beating himself up over not saying anything. Brief cut to Mane 6 discussing him and his lone-wolf personality. Luck 4.

Day 7: Chapter 8: Celestia arrives early morning, tells him that it's time for him to leave. Before he goes to say goodbye, she talks to him about considering staying in Equestria and finding an alternative way to augment his Luck. He firmly asserts that it is his duty to defend his name and his home. He stands for his flag, the one he wears on his back. Celestia worries he won't be up for the fight, given his Luck stat of 4. He asserts that he has "rigged the odds."

Epilogue: Ryan arrives at Ground Zero, calls out Ate. She arrives shocked, his body is sparking with energy, the storm barely contained. They spar, exchanging light hits, Ryan begins to wear down, realizes why it's not a good idea to fight a goddess. He misses every shot and gets knocked flat on his ass. She mocks him and Vegas, spits upon the human race and their "feeble attempts at civilization." She begins to debate destroying his city or cursing its citizens with bad luck and letting them die off quickly from terrible "accidents." Ryan releases the storm inside him in a quiet burst in a powerful scream, causing an earthquake that destroys the rest of Ground Zero. Ate immobilized as he walks calmly like he is in the eye of the storm. "I fight for my home, the place I set my flag over. You seek to destroy all that I have built up, including myself. I have made peace inside, betwen the man I am and the man I was. I speak with weighted words for my voice is doubled; by the man I am and the man I was. And now, I will take back what is mine." She vows to return one day, because the gods cannot truly be destroyed. He flourishes Lucky, presses it against her chest, and fires directly into her heart. Plays a game of rigged Russian Roulette to kill her because YEAH IRONY OR MOTIF OF LUCK OR SOMETHING. He walks to the East, into the rising sun, contemplating re-calibrating the Transportalponder! to take him to a better place.

Ryan's Characterization/Backstory

Ryan didn't know his parents, as shown in canon. He grew up in the area between the LA Boneyard and Vault City. He trained with The Couriers for many years, scored high in Tactical Assessment, then delivered packages across Cali, Nevada, and Utah; simultaneously protected budding settlements across the land. Eventually went through The Divide, then shot in the head. Woke up with the Luck. Journeyed across the Mojave like a man possessed, Christopher. Change of heart at Benny, decided to be a beacon of hope for New Vegas. Won the Second Battle for Hoover Dam. He ruled over New Vegas for 6.5 years, steadily improving the infrastructure. He's 37 years old.

Ryan
-not arrogant
-excited by new things
-often youthful, despite his age
-black and white morals
-knows where he stands
-not humble, but knows his limits
-patient from years in the Mojave
-diplomatic/friendly
-personality can pull quick turns
-possesses great knowledge of America's history
-knows the past teaches lessons
-desires to leave the past behind
-wishes to be left alone, relax, walk away from it all
-knows he can never find peace
-torn between choosing selfish pursuits and New Vegas
-holds New Vegas in high regards, chooses to be strong for the people under his flag
-deeply affected by The Divide, even more so by Ulysses on The Lonesome Road

Christopher
-arrogant
-boastful
-unafraid
-"raging storm"
-represents all of Ryan's vengeful hatred
-pugnacious
-liable to take over for Ryan when provoked
-unnoticed by Ryan, but clearly seen by those around him
-Ryan's past self: the voice of who he was
-source of most of Ryan's nightmares, what he did while he was Christopher
-Ryan can't control it, vents from time to time with outbursts of temper
-Christopher was out during the fight for Hoover Dam, during his final dealings with the Think Tank, and while dueling against Ulysses
-Not an actual personality, and but a symbol for Ryan's darkness/manifestation of his rage

So down below this box is the finale to the fight between Ryan and Ate. I wrote it super early and fell in love with it, since I knew that I wanted to story to end not with a flash, but a bang. And some Russian Roulette. Honestly, I don't have much else to say about this scene, other than nothing in particular inspired it, no video game or movie or anything. I just kinda... thought of it, y'know?

Such plans for Vegas... There's so much I could have accomplished. So much I could have done to make a nation. So much I could have done to reform the entire Wasteland. Restore America to its former glory... His brain lit up and made the connection like a spark of lightning. This must be what it felt like. The Think Tank, Daniel, Elijah... Ulysses. They all had designs for the future. And now I am going to die, just like they did. Plans to never be realized, the Wasteland never to benefit from the knowledge I had.

His head snapped up to stare Ate in the eyes. Then he spoke one word. "No."

And then his world exploded.

Wind whipped around him with the fury of a hurricane, tossing dirt and debris everywhere. He felt himself slowly rise into the air like a string attached to his back was pulling him up. The skies grew dark as lightning flashed in storm clouds above him, but no rain came down. He stopped ascending and looked around with eyes filled with rage. Ate was on the ground before him, staring in awe, seemingly unable to move.

He floated down to where she weakly stood, his feet touching the ground just before her. The world returned to normal, the wind dying down and the clouds retreating. Ate was still frozen in place her eyes not breaking contact with Ryan's.

He drew Lucky from the holster on his hip. Ate followed his motions with eyes stuck open by terror. He slowly spun the revolving cylinder and withdrew all the bullets but two, one on either side of the chamber. He closed the cover of the cylinder with a soft click, and pulled back the hammer.

He rolled the gun down his arm, causing the positions of the bullets to be unknown to either of them. "Let's see how lucky I still am," he said without emotion. He pointed the gun at his head and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. He spun the cylinder again and fired, this time without any hesitation.

The gun flashed and the bullet tore through her leg. She cried out in pain, falling to a knee. She looked back up at him, unable to form any words or make any noise other than grunts of pain. "Now you want me to show sympathy. To show mercy." He tilted his head sideways questioningly, pushing Lucky's muzzle against her forehead.

She couldn't nod, but he could see the answer in her eyes plain as day.

"No."

He pulled the trigger.

Alright, that's everything. So down here I'd like to just say thanks for reading everything, even though this last bit probably won't be seen by everyone. I'd like to give thanks to my wonderful friends on Skype who helped me talk through a lot of the things in this story, especially for the last two chapters, since my brain was essentially kill because of playing Undertale. (Which, can I just say, is totally worth the $10 that you would spend to get it on Steam. That game was literally a stun gun to my mind, and it was all I could think about for a solid two weeks after I finished it.) Anyway, I'm out of stuff to say here, so I'll just point down to the comments section and recommend posting there if you have any questions for me regarding the story, or anything, really. There's like a 99% chance that I'll answer your question if you comment it here.

So, uh, thanks for playing...?

before anyone asks, no there won't be a sequel
95% chance of that