Written by TOOS0BER

Heat.

Intense heat washed over my goatee-bearded face as I rested where – where was I?

I would have bolted upright at that thought, but my aching body just protested louder than my desire to rise. Leather armor with assassin plates (a 'gift' from a certain high-tech hellhole), while ideal at stopping most forms of minor attacks, was not good at keeping one cool. I was used to the blistering, cruel sun of the Mojave, and the daylight that poured on to my face felt similar enough.

Aside from that, my body felt like it had been pummeled with scores of ball-point hammers swung by Nightkin – those bastards hurt! I recalled that pain from infiltrating RobCo's launch facility some distance from my home, Novac.

That in mind, and my limited knowledge of medicine, I slowly tested my movements. Finger, palms and arms all moved with no problem – no broken bones there, good. I took a deep breath, expanding my chest as far as I dared. No hideous sting of pain assaulted me – good, no broken or bruised ribs.

A roaring lightning strike of sound caught my attention, and I opened my tired, old eyes at the sight.

And then they shot wide at the scene before me.

The perfect blue sky was marred by a whirling dark gray and purple vortex of cloud in the sky, an ominous red glow directly in the center. The sound I heard was one of the random, and frequent, energy bolts shooting off in random directions, emanating from the eerie threatening glow. Just beyond the fringes of the swirling cloud arms, space itself seemed to be distorted, as though I were looking through crystal clear water.

What the fuck? I blinked rapidly at the strange... whatever it was. I'd seen some fucked up, crazy shit in the Mojave that took two, sometimes three slices of cake – but this took the whole damned pastry.

The anomaly gave a screeching metallic whine, and rapidly shrunk into itself, the angry storm cloud arms receding at demonic speeds to the red glow. It brightened with each passing second, and when all the cloud had disappeared, the hurricane thing exploded. I heard and saw the shock wave before my body, still prone on where I had landed, was assaulted by the whirling wind that was produced thereafter.

I shielded my face, which protected me from the minor debris that was swept up. The resulting whirlwind pelted me with dozens of small rocks and other random junk.

When I dared to peek out from my leather bound arms, the anomaly was gone – poof, like it never even existed. The groaning screech, likewise, disappeared and was replaced by a peaceful calmness.

I sighed in relief, grateful that I wasn't being blown up for the umpteenth time in my relatively short life. With the Wasteland, getting shot at, exploded on, or just in general getting massacred was a way of life.

I pushed myself up with my right arm, the muscles sore and protesting with the effort. I groaned in pain, but knew that I needed to figure out where I was. If I was lucky, I'd be near New Vegas or another peaceful wasteland settlement. If not... well... let's just say that I hate surprises.

The first apparent thing was that I wasn't in the dead and dreary wasteland anymore. I was surrounded by neatly groomed and trimmed plants. Some of them I recognized despite the fact that the only ones I'd seen were dead and defaced shrubs. Others I had absolutely no idea. Beyond that vegetation, I could make out white-washed and golden towers. At first I wondered if House had managed to paint and spruce up the entire Strip since I last visited.

I scoffed at my own thoughts. There was no way that House and the Three Families could have possibly done that in less than a week – even if they managed to contract and/or conscript the whole populace of Vegas.

No, it was quite clear I wasn't in the Mojave any more.

The next apparent detail was one I had made myself. Just beyond my black-booted feet was a gouging dirt trail, the colorful grass and trees bent apart and obliterated. After a moment of consideration, the perfectly straight trail pointed in the exact same direction as that mysterious anomaly that vanished just moments ago.

It was still too early to tell... but did I possibly do that?

I tried to recall what I was doing before this, where I was and when. And I drew a complete blank. It was like my memory just started over from square one. I knew I had done things, I knew I accomplished stuff – could recall acquaintances, enemies, and what few friends I had made; but the specifics were gone. I did recall Mr. House, and knew that he was... well, important. But beyond that... nothing. I tried a little harder to remember...

...and was rewarded with a massive migraine that made me scream out in pain. My gloved hands clutched at my temples, my back spasmed, forcing me to collapse back onto the ground. Jesus Christ! It felt like someone was drilling straight into my forehead with mining drill! Augh!

So intense was the pain, that a small inkling of tears ran from the corners of my eyes as I lay there, fighting to keep consciousness.

Okay, no thinking about the past. Got it. I thought sarcastically, mouth grimacing on my face.

I waited for maybe a minute, but that constant throbbing made it feel like hours, and the heat still bearing down on me didn't help one bit. Eventually though, the pain dulled down to an almost absent ache. Even so it didn't go away, but it was bearable. I shifted myself up once again...

I heard a voice. No, lots of voices. They sounded frantic, accompanied by rapid... footsteps?

I've heard the tell tale sounds of others before, and being so practiced, I could tell who or what it was by the sound. This was completely foreign and unfamiliar – and that scared me. Gathering as much information on enemies before confronting them was how I survived the Mojave for so long. Those precious moments to prepare and select the perfect plan of action, and the most appropriate, effective weapon. Victory lies in preparation, and I was not prepared!

I glanced around quickly. The rest of the supplies I was – or must have been – toting were scattered around me. I spotted my duffel bag with basic supplies and extra ammunition, saw various boxes and other trash. Apparently some of the junk around me came through with me; I made a mental note to check, something could help shed some light on where I was before, and how I got here. If I ever get the chance that is.

I spotted what I really wanted a mere ten yards away; my customized twelve gauge, lever-action shotgun, lovingly nicknamed Retribution. As well as the upgraded anti-material rifle with it.

I grinned at the weapons. I might not have been prepared, but those two guns could handle almost any situation with relative ease. The rapid footsteps were getting closer – I had maybe a minute before they were on top of me. I made to move...

...and again fell to the ground yelling in pain, this time clutching my right leg.

“Augh! Fuck!!” I screamed aloud, and fumed at my non-responsive leg.

Almost immediately I wanted to hurl. Halfway down my shin, the leg was twisted at the most unnatural angle. My limb was almost snapped in two! The thick and heavy jeans I wore concealed the true horror of the injury, but even through the clothing's black color I could see the dampness of blood soaked through – oh not good...

Ten yards may as well be ten miles now. There was no way in hell that I could possibly reach the weapons in time. Fuck! I kicked out my uninjured leg in frustration.

The figures drew closer into sight now, figures clad in armor. Damn!

I forced myself to kneel on one knee, steadying myself with my one good foot. Quickly, I patted myself down, looking for my auxiliary weapons. The footsteps were deafening now, and I could tell without looking up that my potential enemies were upon me. I drew the Ranger sequoia and the scoped hunting revolver. My outstretched arms held the two heavy revolvers at opposite ends; it was the best position I could muster, with each gun covering roughly half of my flanks.

The rumbling noise stopped, and I finally got to examine whatever had me surrounded.

Figures clad in armor had me covered from every angle. My eyes and head swerved back and forth, the shade of my desperado hat shielding my eyes from the sun. Damn it, there were maybe three or four dozen of these things.

Fuck. Outnumbered, injured, and in some place I didn't recognize in the slightest.

My chest tightened as it dawned on me that I was probably fucked, hard.

Then the strangest thing occurred to me – I was still alive. They weren't attacking me outright. All of them stood there, staring at me. The adrenaline in my blood hadn't subsided, but my mind calmed and I began examining the creatures in earnest.

Obvious things first, these were no creatures I had ever seen in the Mojave. All of them were quadrupeds, and the vast majority were an almost perfect white color with large, expressive eyes uncovered by the armored helmets they wore. Just behind them I could make out various furry tails, most of them different colors that could not have possibly been natural. Neon blue, a fiery red, and a few even had colors I didn't really recognize; I blinked several times, contemplating this. Perhaps the oddest fact was that the creatures were similar to horses – which I saw in the occasional undamaged pre-war book. The only exception was that they were much smaller. With me kneeling on the ground, their heads would come up, maybe, to my chest.

My muscles tensed when I saw their armor. It reminded me much of Caesar's legion – especially the helmets with the artificial mohawks dividing the head. The exception would have to be the color scheme; Caesar had a thing for white, red, and black, while these guys wore gold, silver, and perhaps some black.

I was still wary of them. Even if the coloration was vastly different, the only ones who wore armor in that style were the Legionnaires.

As if to further confound me, I took note of the weapons they wielded; some of them pointed in my direction, while others just stood neutral. Spears, swords, maces, shields, and other such close-quarters combat implements. No guns, no energy weapons, and certainly no explosive-launching bazookas.

I inwardly grinned. That gave me some advantage at least.

That grin disappeared when I saw what looked like crossbows floating above their heads, wrapped in... how the hell should I know what!? It just looked like multi-colored faint light. The fuck!? My eyes lingered on the weapons, wondering how the hell that was even possible, as my ranged advantage was flushed down the proverbial toilet.

It was then that I noticed a similar glow surround a few of the creature's foreheads. Said opponents had what looked like some kind of bony appendage or horn, surrounded by that same creepy glowing light. So was there some kind of connection? Worry about that later...

If there was a later... I deadpanned that uncharacteristic optimism.

It seemed like we were all in some kind of awkward stalemate. I couldn't move and had nowhere to go, and they didn't appear to know how to proceed. If I had to guess, perhaps they were just as surprised to see me as I was to them. I caught several of them cocking confused eyebrows at the two revolvers clutched tightly in my hands. What, had they never seen a gun before?

Suddenly, a group of the strange things off to my left parted ways – some even took flight – to allow an even larger creature to come into view. The thing was significantly larger than the rest, taller by perhaps two or three heads worth. From the forehead jutted another of the horns, but much larger. If there was any indication, this meant it was more powerful by far. From the thing's sides there were a pair of wings – perfectly white, matching the coat. It had long hair that flowed all on its own, a multitude of unnatural colors. Honestly, it felt almost odd to call that stuff hair, the way it seemed to wave and weave all on its own – there was no breeze that I could detect.

The figure slowly approached, and I jerked both pistols to aim directly at it.

The figure stopped, and there was a shuffling of armor. The guards that stood idly by, the ones that didn't already have their weapons pointed at me, now had them all aimed directly for my head. If the stature wasn't indication enough, their protectiveness was; this larger, winged and horned, creature was their leader – and they apparently revered it significantly.

The figure glanced at the guards surrounding us, and waved a long, blunt foreleg at them. They all hesitated, and then lowered their weapons begrudgingly. I didn't expect that, and almost felt like a jerk for not doing the same. I couldn't. There were too many unknowns.

“Be at ease my little ponies,” the giant figure spoke, in perfect English no less. I visibly winced in surprise, clearly taken aback by this. The voice also sounded very feminine and regal.

At me being startled by that act, she smiled warmly.

I narrowed my own eyes in apparent confusion and stark suspicion. The only smile I'd ever gotten like that came from psychopathic raiders, and/or men in business suits whom were just snakes in human form. So, I was wondering whether she was going to kick or bite me.

“It seems he doesn't trust you Princess,” another of the winged and horned creatures strolled up. This one was noticeably shorter, with a dark purple coat and indigo hair; a large... was that a tiara?... crown thingie, a gem shaped like a star burst centered on top, on her head.

I pointed my left revolver, the sequoia, at the new one.

She halted in her tracks, staring at the weapon, and chuckled nervously. “Seems he doesn't trust anypony...” Pony? These things were ponies? I thought my brain had broken.

“Shall we introduce ourselves then, my faithful student?” The large white one asked, turning that smile to her companion.

“Yes!” the new one beamed before looking back at me. “I am Twilight Sparkle, Princess, and student to Princess Celestia.” At the last word she nodded her head toward the larger being – whom bowed.

“Uh...” I coughed and cleared my throat. “I'm...”

The one identified as Twilight Sparkle spoke up in alarm, “Injured! Oh my, you're leg! You need medical treatment immediately...” she made to move closer to me, that large horn on her head began to glow a stark purple.

Again she froze as I aimed both revolvers at her and said, “Whoa, whoa, whoa!”

I paused, and waited to make sure she wasn't going to do anything else, before continuing, “Just what the hell do you think you're doing?” a sweat began to break out across my forehead, and I got the feeling it wasn't from the heat.

Twilight recoiled from my words, which seemed odd, and then gave me a flat look, “And just where else are you going to get that leg treated?” she gestured at my mangled limb with a forehoof.

I grudgingly took my eyes off her to stare at the leg. It was bad. I had the tools in my duffel bag, but I wasn't sure I could properly mend the injury. At best, I would have a bad limp the rest of my life; at worst, I'd be crippled, and for all intents and purposes, dead. On top of that, I'd have to decide quickly. The blood loss was starting to become noticeable as slow drips of my life liquid began to lightly pool on the dirt ground.

Oh jeez...

I sighed, and partially lowered the pair of revolvers in defeat, holding them at my waist, still pointed in Twilight's direction. She took that as a cue, smiled, and trotted slowly towards my maimed leg. The pony bent her head down low, the horn pointed at the leg, and the glow came up again. I felt the tingling in the limb as she began muttering to herself.

“Torn muscle, broken shin, rapid blood loss, and massive blunt trauma.” as Twilight named off my various ailments, I must have been hallucinating because it seemed her fur was going pale. Could fur even do that? I had no idea.

“Goodness...” Twilight gasped as she brought her head back up, and stared at me in pity. “how in the world are you still awake!?” I blinked at her statement, glanced at the leg, and shrugged.

“Years’ practice?” I chuckled softly. Pricelessly, she gaped at me in shock.

“If you would like,” the larger white pony, Celestia, spoke again. “we can take you to get medical treatment in the castle... mister...?” she trailed off and looked to me expectantly.

“Echoes,” I said. “Dustin Echoes.”

“Well Mr. Echoes,” Celestia continued, “Welcome to...”

Celestia was cut off by a sudden roar.

The two winged and horned ponies, the armored guards around us, and myself turned our heads up to the sky. There was a massive black cloud rising from the horizon... and appeared to be moving towards us!

“Changelings...” Celestia muttered, and then turned towards the guards. “to your stations! Defend Canterlot!”

Now the regal horse turned to Twilight, “Mend his injury, we will need all the help we can get.”

Wait, what!? Suddenly I was dragged into another war! My headache returned with a vengeance, and I clutched my head in pain. Right, don't think about the past! Any protest became impossible with that throbbing.

“Yes Princess!” Twilight said, and started to move down low next to me. “Brace against me. We need to get you inside before I can mend that!”

I didn't argue. Anything to regain the use of my leg.

“Wait,” I said, and looked back at my possessions strewn across the ground. “my stuff.”

“Right,” Twilight yelled for one of the guards, who grabbed everything I pointed out and quickly followed after us as I hobbled next to her.

I looked again to the mass of what Celestia had called 'changelings', and wondered what horror I'd be subjected to next.

Definitely not in the Mojave anymore... Next Chapter: Everything Will Be Fine Estimated time remaining: 9 Minutes