[Grimdark][Crossover][Sci-Fi]
Author: R10t Pol1ce
Description: Gordon Freemane had always dreamed of one day working at the prestigious Black Mane Research Facility in southwestern Equestria. What he didn't dream of was the unending nightmare that would follow a catastrophic accident during an experiment in the Anomalous Materials division, Sector C.
Now, the magical land of Equestria is ruled with a synthetic, bio-mechanical fist by an alien race known as the Combine who show no compassion, no mercy, and no limits to what they will do to achieve... whatever it is they're here to achieve. Celestia help us all.All Links below the break!
The Ballad of Gordon Freemane
The Ballad of Gordon Freemane Part 2
The Ballad of Gordon Freemane Part 3
The Ballad of Gordon Freemane Part 4
The Ballad of Gordon Freemane Part 5
The Ballad of Gordon Freemane Part 6
The Ballad of Gordon Freemane Part 7
The Ballad of Gordon Freemane Side Story
The Ballad of Gordon Freemane Part 8
The Ballad of Gordon Freemane Part 9
The Ballad of Gordon Freemane Part 10
The Ballad of Gordon Freemane Part 11 (New!)
Afterward (New!)
Additional Tags: Half-Life, Gordon Freemane, Dr. Breen, Black Mane Research Facility, SCIENCE, epicness
123 comments:
Oh geeze
ReplyDeleteIsn't this a crossover?
ReplyDeleteOH HELL YES!!!
ReplyDeleteYeah, you don't have to read more than the title to realize this needs a [Crossover] tag.
ReplyDeleteWhy has nobody done this before. Oh well, "WATCH OUT FOR THE HEADHUMPERS, GORDON!"
ReplyDeleteWell, time to read.
HO SHIT
ReplyDeleteI know this'll be good, even before opening the first chapter.
ReplyDelete*Cracks knuckles* Let's do this...
wow, to say the least!
ReplyDeleteAw yeah. Funny enough, this is kinda how I RP as him.
ReplyDeleteIt was only a matter of time...
ReplyDeleteHow many Valve games remain to be Ponified?
Bonus chapter: FULL LIFE CONSEQUENCES.
ReplyDelete*chuckles at the twist at the end*
ReplyDelete*checks the blog labels*
Wait, this is complete?
@Multifish Uhh... Good question.
ReplyDeleteOnly game I can think of thats close isn't even from Valve, and thats Vindictus.
I only mention it because they sometimes do Valve events in-game.
Just finished this piece of epic win. I think Gordon's characterization is spot on with that of Freeman's Mind Gordon. It was incredibly funny to read. Although, why does it have the Complete Tag, I wanna read more.
ReplyDelete@Multifish
ReplyDeleteAs far as I can tell, L4D was ponified only in a picture parodying the original artwork for the game, and L4D2, CSS, and DoD have been untouched completely.
So, get to work fanfic writers.
It was only a matter of time until Freeman himself got ponified.
ReplyDeleteI love this Fandom so much.
@Multifish; Alien Swarm, L4D, aaaand.... Dota 2
ReplyDeletenext fic: Mega Mane, starring everyones favorite (ponified) blue bomber!
ReplyDeleteAlso, being the absolute Half-Life nerd that I am, I can point out a few things for you.
ReplyDeleteSo how long until we get The Ballad of John Freemane?
ReplyDeleteOh god the ending! OH GOD THE ENDING! It's so amazing! I can't say it! I really, really want to but I just can't! I'm still laughing about it, in pure joy. Good god just read it! So awesome!
ReplyDeleteOh god, please let the complete part be a mislabeling. This is to much awesome for it not to continue.
ReplyDeleteIsn't this like, the 3rd Half Life crossover fic?
ReplyDeleteThe first one ended on a REALLY depressing note.
The second one was REALLY good, but never got finished.
Several things:
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately the picture and your story are inconsistent, in the story he's a unicorn, oh well.
However something I do NOT like that you have done, is given gordon a voice.
In doing so you ruin part of the mystery of his character, something that was very attractive about his character.
When I saw the title I thought 'the Ballard of Gay Tony'..
ReplyDeleteTime to read it....
No you guys, it's not finished, not even close!
ReplyDeletePinkie Pie as Alyx? :D
ReplyDelete@R10t Pol1ce: Who's the best pony? YOU'RE THE BEST PONY.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely going to look into this story later, but at the moment all I can think is:
ReplyDeleteJohn Freemane who is Gordon Freemane's brother was one day an office writing using a quill. He got a derpy mail from his brother that said that aliens and monsters were attacking his place and axed him for help so he went.
@DJLowrider
ReplyDeleteDARK STALLION YOU WILL SUFFAR!
@Soulharvester
ReplyDeleteI didn't draw that picture. But yes, Gordon is a unicorn who is into science and magic, which to him are the same thing.
Giving Gordan a voice are we? Careful there, your trotting on very thin ice...
ReplyDeleteIf Pinkie is Dr Kleiner then Gummy as Lamarr? Suitably random. :D
ReplyDeleteI can't help but think an adult Applebloom will be Alyx. Or maybe Scootaloo. There needs to be an excuse for her to get places Gordon can't get to.
Bigger question remains: Who gets to be Judith Mossman? Would any of the mane 6 betray their friends to 'protect' one particular pony?
Can't wait to read more!!!
@joetraincool
ReplyDeleteI'm actually writing Left 4 Ponies right now..so..yeah.
EDIT: It's about the events that happen after the sacrifice, until they leave for the keys. Should I use Twilight or Celestia in place of Bill?
ReplyDeleteshouldn't there be a crossover tag?
ReplyDelete@ Pinkie Pie
ReplyDeleteI will make sure ch 2 has a [crossover] tag, Dr. Pie.
You've got to be kidding me.... I've been writing a HL crossover too, lucky for me that I'm doing it about the first game and not the second. But whatever I'm still gonna write it and submit, Good luck with yours though the prologue was great.
ReplyDeleteYESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
ReplyDeleteBecause yes. Also because this is far too good to not be published.
ReplyDeleteDownside: You'll never be able to get it finished. Episode 3 isn't going to come out within our life times.
@DorianCreed
ReplyDeleteToo right, mate. Assuming Gaben has delayed episode 3 one week per fat joke made about Gaben, episode 3 won't come out for approximately 400,000 years.
This is a really good story
ReplyDeleteBut to be honest, it kinda makes me sad. I don't know WHY, it just does.
Gordon speaks ...
ReplyDeletenotsureifwant.jpg
Half Life: Opposing Force, Adrian Ponyherd
ReplyDeleteOh yeah if you want to see a real life horse wearing a gas mask, see footage of China's first nuclear testing.
I thought they scrapped Ep. 3 and decided to go straight to HL 3.
ReplyDelete@Multifish
ReplyDeleteCounter-Strike, Day of Defeat and Alien Swarm. Those first two seem like they'd be pretty hard to ponify, since the characters involved have no personalities at all. Alien Swarm'd be a bit easier, though.
that, was awesome!
ReplyDeletethis thing combines my 3 favorite things%@#
half life 2, MLP and humor!!
@RedShocktrooper
ReplyDeletecounterstrike characters not having personality? You have obviously not seen The LeetWorld youtube series.
Fix the labels. It should say "incomplete", yet it says "complete".
ReplyDeleteI literally died when I reached the end of chapter two. I get free resurrections, which is why I'm alive again, but you frakking killed me!
This is really well written and interesting so far and I cannot wait for the next chapter, rarrrgh!
I love this fandom! Just found out my friend from High School is responsible for this. Small world.
ReplyDelete@Viethra
ReplyDeleteAnd I just found out that MY friend from High School is responsible for "Twitchy Ear Lyra"!
Excellent work! It follows the plot of HL2 without ripping it off completely. It makes sense the Combine would invade Equestria. It's such a nice place. I must see more!
ReplyDeleteWait! What happened to Celestia and Luna!?
@BlackWidower
ReplyDeleteNO ONE KNOWS!!!!! *mystery* oh my gawd I have so much homework to do why am I not doing it CONCENTRATE
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete@R10t Pol1ce
ReplyDeletePlease ignore the above comment.
This reads like an episode of Freemans Mind :)
ReplyDeleteAlso why aren't people ponify-ing L4D
NEW PART.
ReplyDeleteMUST READ.
New chapter is great! And the labels are fixed!
ReplyDeleteYou're awesome!
Great chapter! Just one thing though, the Combine, under no circumstances, use missile.
ReplyDeleteNot once in the entire Half-Life series has a race under the control of the combine fired a missile. It makes no sense for the Hunter-Chopper to have missiles, even if it does have mounts for them (I've never understood that)
So yeah, just thought I'd point that out as it annoys me slightly. Can't wait to read more anyway.
Thats not true elite, the Combines apc thingys use missles the entire chapter of water hazard and in route canal
ReplyDeleteHow long until we see a Gordon Freemane/Science and Ponies Crossover? Yo dawg, we heard you like crossovers.
ReplyDelete@Nulono
ReplyDeleteWhat in the blazing saddles is "Science and Ponies"?
@R10t Pol1ce
ReplyDeleteBetter Living Through Science and Ponies is a My Little Pony Friendship is Magig - Portal crossover fanfiction written by Pen Stroke.
Pen Stroke also wrote Creeping Darkness, an MLP - Alan Wake crossover and Past Sins.
All three of those are long, epic and very well written pieces of fiction that I really enjoyed reading and that I recommend to basically everypony. In fact, you should probably go read them right now.
@Rosethorn Larana'Khash (AKA theuncalledfor)
ReplyDeleteDarn it, I should have checked the spelling before posting.
I meant Magic, not Magig.
He's leaving without retrieving the elements?
ReplyDeleteWhich are still hidden in the lab.
@Nintyuk
ReplyDeleteGordon left without the Elements of Harmony because he forgot. He'll probably remember later. He hasn't been getting a lot of sleep lately, and his new job has been really stressing him out. Pony's got a lot of shit on his mind, cut him some slack, dawg.
Anyway, thank you for reading my story, I really do appreciate any feedback on my work, it helps me to be a better writer.
NEEDS MORE FATHER GRIGORI
ReplyDelete@TheBlankedFile
ReplyDeleteI'm Guessing Soon,
But you seem to be integrating Objects from The episodes Directly in to the main plot. I can see that you are making your own story instead of doing a carbon copy which is good. But no episode 2 means no Magnuson, and I can think of a certain blue unicorn who would be a dead-ringer for his self important personality.
Also Why did this story's advisor's remind me of space marines?
@Nintyuk
ReplyDeleteOh, I think Gilda would be a much better Magnusson, considering her particular dislike of Dr. Pie.
And I was thinking of Tychus from Starcraft 2 when I made the Advisors.
Hey, Nintyuk, would you like to be a pre-reader for my story? Just give me your email address, and when the next chapter is ready, I'll send you a link. And then you can email me about all the plot holes and such!
Poor Free Mane. Colt just wants a good cuddle now and then. ;) I mean the Combine went to all the trouble of making them not need to worry about birth control but wont give him the time to enjoy it. I wonder if he will get the Traveling Gnome achievement.
ReplyDeleteDis is gooooo shit, mon.
ReplyDeleteEpic story!
ReplyDelete-Blader
Hahoooooly fuuuuuudge nuggets~! So here I am a few days ago, just derpin' along, enjoying the first three chapters. 'I was all, mmmmyesh, vry niiize...'
ReplyDeleteThen the fourth comes out and I'm all, 'wtf? since when was Kkat working this story? I feel like my brain was blown away by the awesomenessicity of this story. I enjoy MLP greatly. I fukken LOVE Half-Life. You pulled this off so well so far that... Well... just wow, I don't even know what to say, really. So many things I want to say flying by at once that I can't say much more than it just being pure, undiluted +20% more awesome than just about all the other stories I come here to read... @_@
@Lesolan
ReplyDelete*blushes* I have never been compared to Kkat before! I can't tell you how happy I am that you enjoyed reading it so much!
I am very impressed with this story and the amount of crossing over you've managed to cram into it.
ReplyDeleteWhen the Cerberus mentioned the Vortigaunts, was he meaning Half-Life Vortigaunts, or Commander Keen Vortigaunts? Are we running into a 'this has all happened before' scenario with the Humans being enslaved by the Combine and then going on to enslave others in the Combine's name? Are the Cerberi just smart dogs in environment suits because the oxygen concentration in Equestria is too low?
Sorry if I spoiled things for anyone with my suppositions.
@GBScientist
ReplyDeleteIndeed these Cerberi seem to have once known the Vortigaunts from Half-Life 2, and seem to have a very intimate relationship with these 'Combine', they even breathe the same atmosphere. The question is, how did they get from here to there, what violation of nature and the natural order has occurred, how old is the Combine's technology, really, and how many times has it changed hands, and whose hands where they, and across what interval of time?
The Cerberi, like the Vortigaunts, are a side-story to the main saga, so don't worry too much if you don't understand what they are now and what they used to be, that's my job as the story-teller; to make sure the reader understands what they are supposed to understand, and if I fail to do that in the end, then I will have failed at being a good story-teller.
As a side note, oh my lord I'm going to have so much fun writing the next chapter which I'll give you two guesses as to what the title will be and the first one doesn't count.
It is such a shame that I have already given you the maximum amount of available stars, preventing me from increasing said amount any further.
ReplyDeleteGreat job with part four! I can honestly say this is easily my favorite fanfic, and I can't wait for the next chapter!
ReplyDeleteStupid ratings only go up to ‘5’.
ReplyDeleteLet’s see, what have we got:
1-fairy-tale biology in a high tech world (I thought Gordon was joking the first time this came up, but then you followed it with a good set of reasons for still ‘giving birth’ at a hospital)
2-plausible redesign of firearms for the non unicorn
3-first class technobabble (it sounded good to me, and my day job is science!)
4-a story line similar enough to HL2 that I know what’s going on but with your own spin
5-military dragons (‘nuff said)
…and did my eyes deceive me, or was there a passing reference to the flehmen response in horses?
Excellent, absolutely excellent.
Minor quibbles:
-characterisation is a bit spotty, e.g. I still don’t know what Barney looks like (or Gordon for that matter), I’m assuming he’s an earth pony (implied from the Combine’s behaviour towards the other two types), but I don’t think you ever actually say.
-Gummy is an alligator rather than a croc.
-you used the phrase ‘gigawatts of current’ (should be ‘giga amps’)
I. Love. This. Community and what it has spawned!
ReplyDeleteAt last another chapter
ReplyDeleteDarn, as a fan of Half-Life I'm surprised that I haven't read this fic earlier. This is definitely going into my fanfic reading list (which is usually empty).
ReplyDeleteThis will be finished be fore the "Freemen's Mind" Macromedia.
ReplyDeleteSeriously....
Link to part 6 not working. it goes to a picture and not the story.
ReplyDelete@Luna Epona
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, Luna! I sent Seth an email asking him to replace the artwork with this awesome picture that my friend drew me, and he put it in a story update! There isn't actually a part 6 yet.
Seth y u no replace the picture!!
ReplyDeleteWell done with this fan fic, I am a Half-Life fan myself and when I seen this fic I enjoyed reading every part of it.
ReplyDeleteWait, if Eli dies in hl2 ep2 and Twilight is Eli then....
ReplyDeleteoh sheeeet
I don't have 4.6 stars anymore! I have... I have NO STARS AT ALL
ReplyDelete:(
You and everyone else I'm afraid. FIMFiction works pretty well (even if its email notification system doesn't), but there's some extra work to convert from GoogleDocs.
ReplyDelete@Luna-tic Scientist
ReplyDeleteOh, FIMfiction can go hug itself. I'll use it if I write any future stories, but as for now, I'm just going to finish what I started.
@R10t Pol1ce Aww... I like FiMfiction cause I can press one button and it downloads an ePub file I can use on my tablet... Sadly, Google Docs is very buggy and unstable on my older computer, and slow on the tablet. Last chapter i managed to read appears to be chapter 3 (based on the color of the links I've clicked). I like the story... I just can't bear the torture that is Google Docs... Not on my old machine. People don't realize how excruciating GD is on anything that isn't new and up to date.
ReplyDeleteAlso... ePub files are nice. :)
I may try to get my fancy URL to work on this... I figured out a way to make Google Docs spit PDF files to my download folder without ever opening the document in Google Docs, but I have to copy the right part of the URL and place it in the right part of my URL.
It's STILL better than dealing with Google Docs.
@richfiles
ReplyDeleteOkay, okay, I'll think about making a FIMfiction alternative, as soon as I'm done collecting dead cabbages in my dad's garden (don't ask).
Yay for HTML workarounds! It totally worked!
ReplyDeleteI managed to get all your chapters downloaded with my technique...
Oh dear sweet Luna...
Now I have to do this with 20+ chapters of Beyond Judgment! O_O
@R10t Pol1ce Thou shant ever underestimate the import of proper maintenance of one's garden. Thy garden feeds thine family... Tis a thing to be well treated and honored with good and honorable labor! :)
ReplyDelete@richfiles
ReplyDeleteThe Garden of mine Father (which existeth merely for his own amusemente) createth much extra labor for his kinsmen.
I think Freeman's Mind has forever warped my view of that particular bearded physicist.
ReplyDelete@Jack Clover
ReplyDeleteI think I've only ever watched a couple of episodes, but people have told me that my Gordon is a lot like the "Freeman's Mind" Gordon, heh.
How could I not know about 'Freeman's Mind'? I always assumed most people's internal monologue was along similar lines anyway (just me?)!
ReplyDeleteIn the remote chance folks have not seen it, check out the 'Concerned' webcomic, HL2 based and dealing with one Gordon Frohman, who seems to be constantly mistaken for the other one...
Back on topic: I was faced with a dilemma - read yours or write mine, fortunately the universe provided a solution, as what I actually did was spend the evening fixing a neighbour's computer.
Curse you universe!
@richfiles
ReplyDelete...as an aside, are you sure you need to do your workaround? If you right click on the doc name in GD it gives you a download option without ever opening the file (assuming that's the bit causing problems). It will also let you pick the format.
@Luna-tic Scientist
ReplyDeleteJust realised that you only get that file list if you have successfully opened the file once already. Back to square one!
@Luna-tic Scientist
ReplyDeleteI'll have to check those out, but I just the love of "Half-Life: Full Life Consequences" where it goes, "John Freeman saw his brother, *in a highly emphasized voice* 'GOHR-DEN' Freeman... fiting der final boss."
And you've got to read Parabellum, a half-life fic, it's like, 50% of my inspiration, it's amazing.
@R10t Pol1ce
ReplyDeleteFuck. I love the part of Half-Life Full Life Consequences, is what I meant to say. Fuck this, I'm going back to bed.
A Higgs boson walks into a Catholic church. The priest says "We don't allow Higgs bosons in here." Puzzled, the Higgs boson replies, "But without me, how can you have mass?"
ReplyDeleteJust remember, you started it.
'Parabellum' looks interesting, will give it a go, although I may never forgive you for reminding me of 'Full Life Consequences.'
Wait they have MLP Counter Strike?
ReplyDeleteYeah that's what I thought.
ReplyDelete@Nicholas Neace
ReplyDeleteWhat're you talkin bout, bro?
This ain't no counter-strike. This is Half-Life. Different game, bro.
I was talking about the fact that he said they had an MLP version of every Valve game.
ReplyDeleteWoah, I didn't realize until just now that your the author.
ReplyDeleteHey! Part 8!
ReplyDelete...
Uh...
You... feelin' okay there, buddy?
@Fluffeh
ReplyDeleteIf anyone asks - which, you did - it's a form of coping mechanism.
Twi!
ReplyDelete@Nicholas Neace
ReplyDeleteWhat?! What happened?! :(
This fic is awesome. I have fond memories of the Half Life series, when I was little my dad used to let me watch him play it on his computer, so I'm very familiar with the series. I myself have never been a big FPS fan, but this series is an exception. Anyway, this fic reignited my interest in the series, so thanks for that. The writing is great, I love Gordon's characterization, and the Half Life 2 storyline fits surprisingly well into the MLP series. I'm a bit disappointed that you've been skipping around certain parts of the game, but other than that, very well written fic.
ReplyDeleteNow, speculation time! All right, so it seems to me as though the final confrontation will involve the Elements of Harmony somehow, but I'm not 100% certain who the new bearers are. Given their significance to the story and that there doesn't seem to be anypony to replace them, Pinkie and Rarity will likely stay the Elements of Laughter and Generosity. The most recent chapter pretty much gives away the fact that Barney is the new Element of Honesty, as Gordon himself remarks at Barney's honesty ("I swear to Celestia, he's incapable of saying even the tiniest, most insignificant kernel of anything that could even remotely be perceived as dishonest"). The last three are a bit trickier. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are still alive, so that takes care of Loyalty and Kindness. However, we still have two main characters left (Gordon and Alyx) who could be the Element of Magic. Now, Rainbow and Fluttershy don't really play as important a role in the storyline yet (although that's mainly because they've just been introduced), and I can see Alyx as possibly being any of the three remaining elements, so there's a couple of ways to assign each of the characters to the elements:
1. Rainbow or Fluttershy dies or is otherwise no longer a bearer, and Alyx takes their place, and Gordon is the Element of Magic (this scenario was very close to happening had Gordon not used the time travel spell to save Rainbow, but now the two seem to be developing a relationship so I'm starting to doubt that Rainbow will be replaced).
2. Gordon or Alyx is the Element of Magic, the other is not an Element whatsoever (unlikely, considering they're both major characters and share perhaps the closest relationship out of anypony in this fic).
3. Gordon and Alyx are, somehow, both the Element of Magic (trust me, you would not be the first person to do this, I've seen at least one other fic assign two characters to one element).
At this point, I think the first is most likely and that Fluttershy will either die sometime later in the fic, or lose her status as the Element of Kindness for some other reason. But IDK for sure, I'll just wait and see on that.
- The Half-Life 2 storyline fits surprisingly well into the My Little Pony series
ReplyDeleteI never, ever thought I would read that, thank you!
Your speculation is completely wrong except for two little parts. Have fun figuring out which ones! And thank you very much for your comment, I am motivated by feedback and comments the way Gordon is motivated by guilt and morphine.
♫ GORDON FREEMANE SAVED MY LIIIIIFE! ♫
ReplyDelete@Odd-Ranger
ReplyDeletewhat
now lets talk about phermions....
ReplyDeletefreemans mind joke
@jake young Ha
ReplyDeleteRofl, A clan mate of mine just changed his name form Gordon Weedman to Gordon Freemane last week. Then this comes.................
ReplyDelete@Ronald De Caluwe
ReplyDeleteHa, awesome.
Sad to see this story end, but I'm glad I was able to see it through a strong conclusion.
ReplyDeleteAny chance of a sequel popping up sometime soon?
@Fluffeh
ReplyDeleteThank you, and that's up to Gabe Newell.