"WHAT?!" Twilight asked incredulously, "What do you mean, no?! You're the 'Lone Wanderer', I've watched you, I've researched you, you always help whenever someone asks! Why won't you help us now?!" She and her fellow ponies stared at Zachary with looks varying from confusion to anger.

"Why should I help you?" Zachary asked angrily, "You're just-"

"What my compatriot here meant to say," Darren said, cutting Zachary off, "was that we require a moment to discuss the information you have presented us with." He stood and moved over next to Zachary who had switched his murderous gaze to him.

"That is not what I meant an' you can sho-"

"Please, just shut up!" Darren said, almost shaking from the effort of trying not to smack the other human, "Just bear with me for a moment!" He turned back to the ponies and said, "Ladies, I think me and my fellow wastelander just need a moment of privacy to discuss things." Twilight looked from the humans to her friends and back before responding.

"I... I suppose that that would be best," she said hesitantly, turning back to the other ponies, "Girls, Spike, I think we should head upstairs for a minute."

Her friends shared a look of concern and Applejack spoke up, "Twi, should we really be leavin' 'em alone down here?"

Twilight thought for a moment before responding, "Yes. They should be fine down here by themselves." She looked at the humans before continuing, "I... I trust them not to try to cause any more trouble..."

Her friends shared another look of concern and Applejack said, "Well, if yall trust 'em to be alone down here, then I guess we'll trust you. But we want an explanation of just how and when ya found these two yahoos in the first place while we're waiting for 'em to talk."

"Yeah! You gotta tell us everything!" Spike said from his place at the table.

"I will," Twilight said, "I promise" With one last befuddled look at the pair of humans, Twilight stood and began walking towards the stairs, "Come on, girls. Let's... Let's leave them alone for a bit... Spike, you too." The baby dragon was enveloped in a purple aura and floated over to sit on Twilight's back. She took a few steps up the stairs and, one by one, her friends followed her up and out. First went Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who shot one last glare at Darren. They were quickly followed by Rarity and Fluttershy. Dogmeat tried to follow the yellow Pegasus out, his tail wagging all the way, before being called back by a whistle from Zachary.

The wastelanders waited until the door had closed behind the ponies before doing anything. Darren grabbed Zachary by the shoulder and dragged him from his spot to stand on the other side of the room. They stopped near the tables with the questionable stacks of papers and equipment, and poked his chest with a single finger.

"So, you rude little shit, why don't you tell me exactly why we shouldn't help these 'ponies'?" Darren asked in a grave voice.

Zachary slapped Darren's hand away and replied, "'Beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.'"

Darren stared at Zachary blankly for a moment, "I'm sorry, what?"

Zachary rolled his eyes and gave Darren look that told him exactly what Zachary thought of his confusion, "It's from 'Deuteronomy 4:19'"

Darren blinked and said, "Yeah, that ain't clearing a whole lot up for me..."

"It's a Bible verse", Zachary clarified, "I will not help these 'ponies' because they perform magic and they seem to revere the beings that supposedly control the sun and moon rather than God..."

Darren stared at Zachary in disbelief for a moment before throwing his hands up in exasperation, "Son of a bitch! So, I've got another angry Bible thumper on my hands!"

Now it was Zachary's turn to be confused. He narrowed his eyes and said, "Another angry Bible thumper?"

Darren shook his head, "Never mind, it's not important right now. What's important is that you don't want to help these folks."

"These 'ponies', they are not people, they are ponies. Animals and magic using pagans at that. We don't have to do shit for them."

Darren sighed and began rubbing his temples in irritation, "There is no such thing as magic. Whatever these 'ponies' are, whatever they can do can be explained through science."

"You might not believe in magic, but I know it exists," Zachary lowered his voice and drew Darren close, glancing up at the door at the top of the stairs, "I have experienced magic first hand in our own world and it is a dark and unholy thing."

The Courier removed his beret and brushed a hand through his hair, "You're just gunna keep latching onto that whole 'magic' thing aren't you?"

"And there's also the fact that I have duties to attend to back home. There are people who depend on me back in the Capital Wasteland. And judging by what the purple one said about you, you do too."

"I disappear all the time," Darren said matter-of-factly, "I have plans set up for these kinds of situations. If I don't return from the hunting trip I was on in time, then a group of my most trusted companions takes over and keeps my disappearance a secret until I return. And I'm not needed all that much anyways. Most of New Vegas' enemies have been wiped out and the place pretty much runs itself. Tell me, are the people of your 'Capital Wasteland' really so defenseless that they can't go without you for a little while?"

"Well... No, but I-"

"Then you have no reason not to stay. You're worried about their so-called 'magic' and the fact that they worship someone other than your god? Well, aren't you Bible thumpers all about trying to convert others to your religion?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"Then why not spread your beliefs here? Think about it. We help these ponies, you become a hero. You become their hero, you become their role-model and they will flock to you to learn more about you and your beliefs."

"I'm not sure that Ponies were included when Jesus told his disciples that he would make them 'fishers of men' "

"Again with the references. Really now, think about it. If that purple one, Twilight can bring us here, then she can likely send us back at any time."

"What's your point?"

"What would be the harm in staying here for a day or two and taking a look around? We stay for a couple days, look around, see if they really do need us. If you still don't want to help, then we can have her send you back."

"You're not gunna let this go if I say no, are you?"

"Nope"

Zachary sighed in exasperation, "Fine. I'll stay for one day and one night. After that, I'm gone."

Darren smiled victoriously, "That's all I ask, big guy. Now, let's go tell the 'ponies'"

The two of them turned and began walking towards the stairs, preparing to give the ponies their decision.

Author's Notes:

That moment when you realize that maybe your story wasn't ready for release...

Yeah, I'm seriously not liking the way this is going. I'm thinking some major rewriting and editing is in order. What do you guys think?