And we open, To Li'lpip finally admitting that, maybe, just maybe. She might have a problem with Party Time Mint-als. Because despite waking up, slowly, painfully, surrounded by rubble, her friends still unaccounted for. All she wanted was another PTM. Even if she still feels like she's in control, that she is the one who decides when and where she takes a PTM, she simply does not feel right unless she is on it. She feels dumb, slow, dim, just plain WRONG. Without having the power of one of them coursing through her system.
It's a start. She's not driven enough to admit that she needs to quit, that they are harming her more then helping, or even willing to admit yet that she DOES in fact diffidently have a problem, she is at least, for the first time, thinking that maybe, just maybe it's even possible she may.
The rest of her companions start to wake up, Calamity flying back, full of energy and proud of what had just happened. Steelhooves giving the team a quick mention that, nopony was allowed to call his use of explosives to kill everything from Alicorns to radroaches 'excessive'. Velvet trying to move over to tend to the wounded, before passing out, batted and broken. And Li'lpip tries to stand to go to her, only to find a large chunk of metal in her leg, just above her Pipbuck, which was dead before passing out again.
Really that's the first time that I can remember REALLY feeling worried for her, other then the whole addiction subplot. We know she lives, she's telling the story after all, but losing her Pipbuck? That would just be devastating, and it's something no one whose played Fallout ever even considered to be possible. It never happens in the games, and you just take for granted the features it has will always be there. Never realizing how much you depend on them. But having Li'lpip look down and see her Pipbuck dead, it's almost as bad as her looking down and her entire leg being gone.
She wakes back up, Velvet recovered, working her healing magic on her. She dismisses the concern, saying a few healing potions and she'd be fine, till Velvet points out that they can't use magical healing beyond the most basic stabilization until they remove the metal rod stuck through her leg, and that removing would hurt, a lot. To avoid the pain, Li'lpip floats out the memory orb she found in the tower, telling Velvet to pull out the bar after she loses her self in it.
She ends up in a pony, a pony that was rather itchy, including in parts Li'lpip became quite uncomfortable at feeling ANYTHING from, let alone being in a body that had them. He's apparently working in a surveillance van, listening in on random ponies' phone calls. And in the process of monitoring a call between Sweetie Belle and Applebloom. Applebloom telling Sweetie that AJ was going to pull through, the doctors saying she'll be fine, after some sort of accident. That AB says is rumored to NOT be an accident, but an assassination attempt, and by ponies in her own ministry. (And given we know Four Star was part of her Ministry, and a group of Zebra supporters....)
From Sweetie's end crying is heard, Sweetie saying it was from Fluttershy, Rarity trying to comfort her, but not because of AJ's accident. but rather something happened between her and RD, something that ended with Rainbow calling Fluttershy a traitor, neither of the mares having any clue why.
The memory ends with the pony she's riding getting up, muttering how much he hates memory extraction.
This was, interesting, so much mystery, so many NEW questions. The mystery of just what happened, what went wrong, it just gets bigger and bigger the more we learn. And it even gives an answer for just why so many computer terminals were still functional, though not all, and generally, and coincidentally, the most important ones. From an offhoof remark from AB regarding how bad Twi teleporting into the room messed with the terminals, and saying she could design a better, sturdier one in her sleep. Which the previous CMC memory shows us she did. Though it was so close to the end of the war, only some, mostly the more important ones or ones belonging to the Mane 6 and the CMC were upgraded to AB's new hardier design.
The memory disturbs her. A lot, and the thought of Fluttershy having done something, something that resulted in the Element of Loyalty calling her a traitor. The instant Velvet isn't looking she tosses the orb away, hoping the nearby fires will destroy it.
As they make their way back to Tenpony,the gryphon leader, at Steelhooves prompting, lets them know they had only heard one side of the story regarding the slaughter of the ghouls wanting to live in Tenpony. That there were ponies in he tower that were perfectly fine with it. Though the sheriff was adamant not to allow it, and the leader of the ghouls was starting to show signs of losing it, becoming a zombie. And was planning on killing everypony in the tower if they ever got in, letting in a large group of zombies through the basement maintenance entrances. Even trying to bribe the gryphons into doing it.
The Gryphons meanwhile were only there to take out Rottingtail and his biggest supporters, not the whole colony, but they had no choice when they all attacked.
Okay some people I've seen take some issue with this, feeling it's a bit of a copout, making neither side wholly bad. though still painting the sheriff as a massive ass. And, okay i can understand their argument but, I really don't think so. It was a nod to a FO 3 event, but having Li'lpip get involved really wouldn't have been all that good. And as it is what does come from this little subplot isn't about Li'lpip but Steelhooves.
The Gryphons try to pay back Li'lpip for saving them, first thinking a set of their armor, though it wouldn't fit her. then giving her a massive gun, that's basically a modified AA turret rigged into a battle saddle, and powerful enough to take out an alicorn's shields with a few shots. But Li'lpip declines, not sure how they would even use such a thing. Though Calamity works out that he could mount it on Steelhooves back, and rig some targeting spells from his armor into it. Though Li'lpip puts her hoof down, and giving the fighter who already can't kill something without a huge risk of friendly fire and even MORE overpowered gun, not so smart. Instead opting for simply being owed a favor from them. (oh and the canon's name was Little Gilda.)
They give her a transmitter to contact them if she need help, Li'lpip noting she needs to get her Pipbuck working again before she could do that, but sure she can do it once she has some time, and isn't injured, and after a PTM. Stopping herself there, fighting it, She's done it before without PTM's she can do it no without one either.
Walking back Steelhooves mentions that there is a sprite-bot following them, trying to get Li'lpip's attention without the rest noticing, and Li'lpip excuses herself, telling the rest it's to use the little fillies pile of rubble. (Not sure why but that just gave me a chuckle). Watcher denies being what was following them the last day at Red Racer. Asking Li'lpip what the large explosion was. Li'lpip asking Watcher to tell Gawd about Blackwing's Talons, trying to give them a place to go, which Watcher initially refuses, citing it was one thing when lives were directly at stake, but he doesn't like revealing himself unless it's an emergency. But Li'lpip talks him into it, in exchange he want's Li'lpip to get a special memory orb from DJ-PON-3. Which she agrees to, but mentally notes she isn't going to steal from Homage, she'll ask for it, and if told no, to bad.
(And I really hope that was the Mint-al withdrawal side effects talking, I really just can't see Li'lpip making a promise like that and not intending to do her best to keep it.)
The journey back is agony to Pip, between the injured forehoof, the paranoia of not having her EFS to alert her to trouble, and fairly severe radiation poisoning, yeah not the best condition. Though still alert enough to wonder just why the hell she kept finding bottle caps in desk drawers, file cabinets and other locations that make no sense. Her mussing interrupted by the sight of a balefire phoenix fighting off a flock of bloodwings. Velvet leaping into combat immediately to help the bird, shocking Li'lpip and making her fear for her slightly, that she might just be losing herself to the Wastes, as Velvet takes out a few of the bloodwings, through the rest catch and pin the phoenix starting to feed on it when Velvet grabs Li'lpip's zebra rifle and sets the whole mass on fire, Li'lpip's confused mind unable to tell what the hell she was doing, killing the phoenix too, till he sees it reform from the ashes. The Bloodwings, just smolder quietly, probably smelling terrible while they do it.
Nearly back to the tower, Li'lpip tells the rest that she's going to save Monterrey, all of them, even Steelhooves aghast, trying to talk her out of it, finally simply accepting that she feels she has to, no matter what. Even if doing so would get them all kicked out of Tenpony forever. Velvet accompanying Li'lpip as she goes to make a new dart gun, planning to paralyze Monterrey since he won't come quietly, after stealthbucking her way into his cell. After it's finished Velvet asks to see it, Li'lpip suddenly realizing that a non-lethal weapon like that would be perfect for Velvet, about to say she'd make Velvet one of her own, when she gets shot with her own weapon, dropping to the floor paralyzes, Velvet loading her onto a wagon and dragging her off.
She wakes up strapped to a table, memories of the ghoul doctor flash through her head, along side thoughts of rage and betrayal, only amplified when she hears Calamity talking to Velvet, finding out just what happened, she was in the treatment center she had heard the two talking about, Calamity upset at Velvet for doing this, but agreeing it was for the best, since if she had gotten kicked out of Tenpony trying to save Monterrey, she'd never be able to get the treatment they knew she needed for her problem, and was about to receive whether she liked it or not.
She passes out again, waking up feeling....better, no longer hurting, and actually able to think, none of the hazy fog she'd gotten used to having over her thoughts, almost immediately admitting that yes she had a problem, but still mad they did this, it was HER problem, and she would have taken care of it in her own time. Most likely, possibly, maybe...
She sees Velvet on another bed, lost in the Fluttershy orb, making Li'lpip remark that she has her own problems, his anger at his friends for doing his, mixed still with worry for them. She's angry, resentful, but she dosen't, she can't, hate them for this, And overall, that's really just a perfect balance here, she has every right to be mad, upset, her friends just SHOT her, and forced her to undergo medical treatments against her will. But she realizes it was only out of concern, that they thought they were doing the right thing. And IMO they were. but it doesn't take away the sting of betrayal.
The doctor comes in, telling Li'lpip why she was still strapped down, her body had been suffering from far more then just Mint-al addiction, it had taken a lot of work just to heal the ravages of the last few weeks before even taking on the addiction treatment, and right now she needed to remain in bed and rest. And the Doc simply wanted to be sure he got a chance to speak with her, before she ran off to get high on Mint-als again.
He takes time to lecture her about PTM's it turns out that while the effect of the drug never decreases, using it does rapidly diminish a ponies ability to think and reason while not on it. The more Li'lpip took, the dumber, and less able to function she got while not on them, requiring PTM's just to be able to do things she normally found easy. Creating a cycle. Which was now broken, she's back to her old self, able to think just as well as she could before PTM's, amazed at the feeling. Though she is warned that while all the physical addiction effects have been purged, the psychological ones will still be there, and warning her to steer clear of ANY addictive substances, noting that she seems to be predisposed to addiction, mentioning Velvet telling him about Pip's mother. And then, after being asked, the doctor tells her that Monterrey was executed two hours ago....
When Velvet wakes up, the two talk, Li'lpip angry, hurt, and yet, still cares about her, more confused then anything. And again, the way it's handle, is, well, perfect. She still loves and cares for her friends, but right now, she's hurt, betrayed, in pain. But she doesn't lash out, her only thoughts right now are for Monterrey's foals. Telling Velvet to go get Steelhooves, so Li'lpip can fix her Pipbuck, and call in the favor Blackwing owes her. She's sending the foals to Shattered Hoof, asking Gawd to take care of them. Knowing it isn't the best idea, but better then them simply being tossed out the front door of the Tower and left to fend for themselves. And giving Velvet the task of explaining it to the foals. And i really do think she was intentionally punishing her with that, making her do something she knew would be painful, but Velvet agrees readily, and, well, again I can't fault her for the reasoning.
After she leaves Calamity comes in, apologizing to her, and Li'lpip admits that Velvet was right, she DID have a problem, and she DID need the treatment. Though Calamity says no, he's sorry for causing her addiction in the first place, being the one to introduce her to Mint-als to begin with. And Li'lpip suddenly realizes just what it must have been like to her friends, seeing her going through this, and Calamity blaming himself the whole time, the last of her anger at them fading as she hugs him.
Next up is Steelhooves, and as Li'lpip uses his armor to help reboot her Pipbuck she apologizes to him too, realizing that finding out Four Star was full of traitors, a branch of the Ministry he was loyal to, that it must have hurt, and Li'lpip was to dumb at the time to realize, though Steelhooves simply brushes her off. finally after mush cajoling.
“Littlepip, you’re the sort of mare who makes me wish I was a better pony.” He sounded… sad? “Only one other mare has ever made me feel that way. And sooner or later, you’re bound to learn, just like she did, that I’m not a better pony.”
After he leaves she spends some time thinking about that, a sudden realization and fear hitting her and she rushes out of the hospital, ignoring the doctors caution to take it easy as she runs down to the basement of the tower, finding Steelhooves in front of the controls to the maintenance doors, the ones the ghoul-ponies had been planning to open to let in a horde of zombie-ponies. Thinking the worst she begs him not to do it, but he simply turns around, telling her he would never do that to the innocent ponies of the Tower, and that he had made sure the door could never be open. And just as Li'lpip is chastising herself, telling herself not to think so badly of her friends. The face of the Sheriff appears in the window of the door, bleeding and torn, before being pulled back by the zombies devouring him.
Perk time-Kill something in SATS, get more SATS. Seriously, i didn't think there were THIS many VATS boosting perks in the game.
Thoughts- A nearly perfect end to the addiction plot, and it just felt wrapped up perfectly, and Li'lpip's reactions were almost spot on what I could see anyone feeling. And this isn't simply forgotten after this either, it stays a part of Li'lpip for the rest of her life. Once more this whole subplot is probably the single most masterful and amazing piece in the whole story. it was painful to watch Li'lpip go through it, but in the same way it was painful for her friends to see it, and it last just long enough to really get to you, and ends before it drags on to long, though not without repercussions and character development that sticks. I've lived with some with a problem like this, and while it wasn't QUITE as bad as Li'lpip's it came close, and, this really is very very true to how it tends to play out. Minus just how fast the whole thing runs it's course. And Li'lpip's scene with Calamity, where she fully and truly realizes what she's been putting her friends through, forgiving them for doing this, realizing fully that they were right, she needed this, it is just amazing.
And then Steelhooves. like he said he's not a better pony. He wont kill innocents, but he will take revenge on somepony that he thinks deserves it. He pegs to be a solid Lawful Neutral type to me. Who occasionally wish he was good. I really can't say what he did was right, but neither can I wholly vilify him for it. And it's just one of the many thing in the story that each person has to decide for themselves how wrong or right an action it was.
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