Fallout Equestria: Medicine & Mail

Author’s Notes:

This is a companion chapter to Chapter Four-point-Five in Medicine & Mail. If you have not read at least through chapter four-point-five in the main storyline, then this perspective will not make any sense.

Chapter Four-point-Eight

Flight

“Plans an’ schemes can only take you so far, kiddo.

Puttin’ actions t’ words, that’s where the real magic happens.”

I stood at the entrance to the basin and looked in. Vitia was huddled in the furthest corner with a slow stream of water pouring over her from above. She clutched at her now ruined hat, that precious gift, and sat in an uncomfortable silence.

It was plainly obvious what happened. Her body language told me more than a thousand words ever could. Vitia had brokered for our escape, but the price was steep.

The little pony in my head chided me for not going with her, or not thinking of something else. Shame tugged at me. “Vitia,” I stepped into the basin. “I shouldn’t have encouraged you like that. I’m sorry, I should have found—”

“Don’t!” She tore at the hat as she yelled. “Just…Just don’t, alright? It’s done.”

It was more than guilt—I wanted to burst into tears for the mare. More than anything I wanted to drag her back to the Crags and deliver her into Willow’s welcoming embrace. I knew she would never allow it and she’d never forgive me if I tried. My ears drooped and I whispered another weak apology before leaving.

I had packed everything of ours, and paced the room impatiently, glancing into the basin every few passes. The petite mare still sat curled up and with her face buried in the corner. Time was dragging at a snail’s pace, and my anxiety increased with each empty moment. First Light had come quite some time ago, and I knew we were both expected at our workstations. Our absence would not go unchecked for long.

“Vitia,” I poked my head through the doorway once more.

Silence.

“Vitia,” I tried again, firmer in my tone. “We need to get movin’.”

She shrunk back further into the corner.

I clicked my tongue in frustration. We didn’t have time for this. “Look,” I marched up to the mare, splashing in lukewarm water. “We’re on borrowed time here. If we don’t get going, this will have all been for nothing. Y’can cry later, but right now we need to move, so get yer shit together and let’s go.”

“I know that!” She threw the soaked hat across the room. “I know, Bit. Just let me have a moment.”

“We don’t—” I stopped short and slinked out of the room. My heart cried out for her and I wanted to bury myself under the nearest mountain for being so insensitive, but I also couldn’t shake the itch in my wings and knew we needed to get a move on.

Vitia returned to the common room just a few seconds after I did. She looked a soggy mess, with her mane soaked down and slick around her neck. Willow’s gift was nowhere in sight.

“I’m…I’m good now.” She said, taking her medical overcoat from the chair. “You’re right, Bit. We don’t have the time.”

A few ponies galloped past us as we made our way towards the upper tunnels to garden two. Workers milled about the area trying to fit salvaged materials together in a makeshift patch job for a burst pipe.

“Oh, Bit Flip!” a voice called out from behind.

Every muscle in my body tensed. We were caught before we even got to the gate. I turned around slowly and adopted a friendly expression. It was one of the workers from Bolts’ crew.

“Oh, hey—” I froze, trying to recall his name. “One o’ Bolts’ workers. Shit, I’m so sorry, I forgot yer name.”

“Wing Nut,” he replied. “Bolts got you out this way doin’ something?”

I explained to him that Buff Aloe had transferred us to a different work section. We were to meet with one of the topside scavenger members for a brief training and rundown on the materials the Ridge needed most. Wing Nut cocked his head and looked at me suspiciously for a moment before Vitia offered up the name Frolic. Wing Nut hesitated for a moment and replied with a half-hearted Buff knows best.

Did that damn ghoul have everypony in this place indoctrinated? A sudden comparison crossed my mind. Is this how others saw the caravan rules?

We trotted off slowly hoping to not raise his suspicions any further. The air became drier as we neared the surface and I saw a colt in a ratty strap and pouch laden jacket leaning against the grey stone wall. He clicked his tongue as we approached and stood tall. I watched as he uncomfortably shifted his weight, still trying to adjust to his maturing body.

“Was hoping you’d come alone.” He nodded his head towards me. “Your friend here as much a slut as you are?”

“Now, now,” Vitia said, quickly stepping between me and the colt. She looked at me with a set expression and shook her head once, then put on a smile as she sauntered up to closer to him.

I suppressed the urge to knock the brat senseless and listened with a tight chest and clenched jaw to Vitia play along with the colt’s berating and arrogant chatter.

Frolic led us through a series of tunnels before reaching a vented door similar to the one we arrived through. The flooring transitioned from rough stone to metal as we entered. Scrapes and pocks lined the wall opposite our entry and an unremarkable tan pony stood guard.

“What’re you doing up here?” The stallion stepped in front of Frolic as he made for the stairs. “I can’t let you go topside, Frolic. You trainees have to be accompanied by a master scavenger at all times, you know that.”

“We’re not scavenging anything, Deuce,” the colt said, amping up his arrogant tone even more than usual as he stepped up to the guardpony. “Slut back here,” he motioned to Vitia, “Can’t get enough of me. Says she gets hot for it up there. So come on, let a stallion dip his stick.”

“Ha! You?” Deuce eyed the two of us for a moment.

Vitia stepped forward leaned herself against Frolic, and gave him a peck on the cheek. She spoke with a soft, sultry voice, “It’s awfully crowded down here, and my friend and I need a place we can be sure nopony will hear, you know?”

Deuce’s obvious disbelief gave way to surprise. He glanced at Frolic and then back to Vitia, watching as she rolled her tail over Frolic’s side and his underbelly.

I couldn’t help but stare. It was almost like watching a younger, clumsier Willow at work. A blush crept along my ears and my wings involuntarily hugged my side.

Deuce shifted slightly, trying to regain his composure. “That’s not really my problem,” he said, becoming more assured. “Sorry, but I just let you topside for any reason.”

“Aww, Deuce,” Vitia teased. She slid up closer to him and cocked her head. “You’re really going to make two fillies like us hold it in like that? Oh, I know!”

She pranced from hoof to hoof, a movement that mimicked one of Willow’s habits almost perfectly. I felt a tug in me that ran to the tips of my wings, and forced myself to shake it off.

Vitia had swept around, standing with her side pressed lightly against Deuce’s. Her tone was lively and words rolled from her tongue like silk, “I know you’ve got a thing for Patch, so I’ll tell you what—you let us fillies have a quick nip and I’ll see what I can do about that pesky shyness of hers.” She was looking intently at the guardpony, a wide smile on her bright face and her tongue just barely visible, curled up against her lip. She sashayed back toward Frolic after a moment and draped her tail slightly across Deuce’s neck for emphasis.

Her lips met with Frolic’s for a long moment, and then she turned back to Deuce. “You’d like that, hmm?”

Deuce’s attitude immediately changed at Vitia’s mention of the other pony.

“I—” Recognition slowly cross his features. “You’re that new assistant to Scope, right?” He continued in a low voice, “You’d do that for me?”

I crested the stairs last, and the trap door closed behind me effortlessly. Frolic had shoved his way to the front and gone topside first with Vitia in tow. Typical foalish behavior, always so eager in everything they do.

The connected office was in severe disrepair, no doubt to try and disguise the entrance. Rubble from the collapsed roof sat in piles around the room, thick layers of dust and grime coated long unused counters, and a few bones from a long dead creature lay forgotten in the corner. The late afternoon sun spilled through holes in the roof highlighting just how different things were up here.

“Vitia, let’s go take a lay of the land, yeah?” I called to her as Frolic reached out to touch her. “See what we can get up to.”

She looked at me and nodded as I sidled up between them. “Yeah, Silver couldn’t have gotten too far,” she said.

“Silver?” Frolic tried to block our path, his voice cracking slightly. “You dragged me out here for that stupid fuckup of a mare?”

“C’mon, let’s just go.” I pushed past him hoping he would take a hint. My patience with the colt’s badgering was wearing thin.

“Piss off. I bet you’ve got a cunt dry as the sand up here,” Frolic spat at me before rounding on Vitia. “Come on, let’s ditch her so we can go fool around again like you promised. That fuckup’ll get on, or die. Nothing you can do about it.”

Vitia rebuked every advance he made as we walked along the path through town, but the colt persisted and eventually turned to shouting empty threats at us.

“Shouldn’t you head back to the Ridge, Frolic?” I asked. “Gettin’ a bit far out, aren’t you?”

“Shut it, you stupid bitch. I can take care of myself.”

“If y’keep on like that I’m gonna hang you from a building, y’little shit.” I made a shooing motion with a hoof. “Take off already, yeah? Yer unwanted.”

“Heh, trying to sound tough.” He motioned to a handle sticking from his jacket. “You don’t scare me. You’re not even armed—”

Frolic jerked back in surprise as I reared my legs. My hooves found purchase and the colt crumpled into a heap. All of the pent-up anger and guilt came bursting out at once. I slammed a hoof into his ribs repeatedly and felt flesh give way beneath. He howled in pain for a moment before giving in to whimpering.

Vitia’s short pleas fell on deaf ears as I slid my wings out and bit into his tail.

Small dust clouds swirled underneath as I beat my wings beat furiously against the air. A standing piece of rebar caught my eye as we lifted higher. I hefted the lanky pony and slid the bar through one of the straps on his jacket.

“Welcome to the Wasteland, kid,” I hissed into his ear. “Yer first lesson’s free, don’t threaten unless y’mean to do it.”

I touched down next to Vitia, and we started on, ignoring the bleating from Frolic behind us, dangling from the crumbling building. He begged us to not leave him there between whimpers. Vitia shook her head as the sounds turned to sobs.

“Bit,” Vitia sighed wearily. “We’re no murderers. We can’t just leave him there, even if it is…him.”

“I know,” I sighed and slid my wings back out. “I know that, it’s just…” I let myself trail off.

I felt pained, but not for me. For Vitia. Just seeing her treatment and what she put herself through when the worst of it was already done…But I can’t just leave him to die, I considered as I kicked off the ground.

Frolic glared at me as I hovered in front of him. I tugged on his knife handle with my hooves. “Look, ain’t about to make this a life lesson or anything, ‘cause I’m sure I could learn to live with leavin’ you here, so just get lost before I change my mind.”

The strap finally gave way to my sawing and Frolic flailed through the air for a moment before landing with a dull whump against the hard stone below. He shrieked in pain and cradled his leg before standing and limping away.

I called out to Vitia from atop the skeletal structure I was perched upon. The sun had begun its slow descent behind mountains. We had been searching the Ridge for a few hours now and as the daylight was waning, I had taken to flying about to scout the area.

She’s not going to like this.

“Did you find something, Bit?” Vitia sounded worried. “Please tell me you found something.”

“Yes?” I answered. I didn’t know how to put it easily.

She cocked her head and stared at me for a moment. “Well, what does that mean? Did you or didn’t you?”

“There’s a slaver train up ahead on the tracks and they’re loading up cargo right now.” I said in a rush, “It looks like your Silver is in that cargo.” Please don’t freak out.

“Oh, so we just have to get her off then.” She smiled.

Dust kicked up lightly as I fluttered to the ground and slid my wings back under the barding. “Ah, Vitia, that would imply that we could even get to her in the first place.”

Her gaze was fixed on some unseen horizon. “We can just smuggle ourselves onboard,” then to me, “Right?”

Did I just hear her right? I stared at the mare for a moment, completely dumbfounded. I didn’t know if she heard her own plan or not but I certainly wasn’t too keen on willingly letting a slaver slap irons on me.

“Alright, I’ll bite. Getting ourselves onboard is easy. We just walk up and get caught.” I nudged the mare, “But how did you plan on getting out cleanly? Given our track record, that part hasn’t exactly been very stellar.”

Vitia made a small dismissive noise and began walking. “I don’t think we can afford to wait. They could be leaving right now for all we know.”

“Y’got that horn screwed on too tight,” I deadpanned, motioning in the opposite direction toward the tracks. “Yer bad idea’s this-a-way.”

We edged our way around a building just out of sight from the main road. I could clearly see the slavers loading the remaining cargo on to the carriages. From the looks of it, they had been moved into repurposed coal bins, still barely held together with half-rotting wood and long strips of sheet metal. Between the gaps I could make out the shapes of ponies milling about in groups. Several large clusters of ponies had been lashed together at the head of the train, it pained me to see anypony like that but knew we only had one chance to get to Silver and it couldn’t be wasted.

“Hang on a moment, Vitia.” I stopped her just short of the clearing. “Gotta take care of somethin’ first.”

I took off my full barding and rummaged through its furthest pocket for some tools. With a few practiced tweaks, Hammer’s custom harness and my trader jacket separated. I slipped back into the barding but it felt wrong. It has been some time since I wore just barding and the missing weight left me feeling naked.

I pulled out a few scraps of the red and white string used by my old caravan to tie parcels. I sighed before placing the disassembled harness into a nearby salvageable box. Well, it’s not like I have my shotguns anymore and I’d rather a slaver not get their hooves on it.

Vitia fidgeted as she stood near me, her anxiety clear. “What’re you doing?”

“Oh, right, y’probably never seen one of these.” I motioned to the box and string. “I’m puttin’ together a courier drop. I’d rather not lose everything before we even get started.”

Vitia kneeled down and inspected the package. “Seems kind of…half-flanked.”

I laughed. “Yeah, well, most drops are more sophisticated than this, but we’d use them to ensure a package was returned to the origin caravan to be resent if we had to abandon it for any reason.”

“How’s another courier supposed to know where it goes way out here?”

“The Company issues tokens of some kind to caravans in their employ.” I pulled the pre-war coin from my front pouch. “Every caravan gets their own set of tokens, ours was this coin.”

“But I saw you give up your token.”

“The last thing Copper ever gave me was Hazy’s token.” I looped string around the coin and smiled. “He never reissued it after she died.”

I ducked inside a nearby building and spotted a mostly intact front desk. A quick search yielded a broken pencil, jagged chunks jutted out where an eraser once was. I hastily scribbled a note to Willow on the inside of the box and attached a pouch with my remaining caps to the box as payment.

“Anything you want to send back to Willow?” I asked, taking off the Pipbuck and placing it in the box.

Vitia fished around in her coat pocket before producing a multifaceted tourmaline gem sealed in a dish and set it gently on top.

She helped me dig a small hole between a nearby rock and tree that was visible from the main road. I covered the parcel and knotted the string around the base of the makeshift courier drop.

“Alright,” I nodded. “Let’s go get caught.”

——