Fallout: Equestria- Arcane Division

The lavender unicorn calling herself Troja scans Max’s Pipbuck with her horn.

“This has the same energy signature as a Discord artifact,” The strange mare remarks.

“Discord artifact?” Max asks. He had been identified as an escaped prisoner and rearrested by the government officials.

“They are very rare, Objects created by or altered by Discord. They emit magical radiation,” Melissa explains, “But it’s the Pipbuck its self that intrigues me. They are the new swords of this world.”

“New swords?” Max shakes his head.

“Ancient legends tells tales of magical swords,” Melissa explains, “Some say they are made from star metal. Those who hold these swords can conquer the world.”

“Well Pipbucks are more common then star metal swords,” Max remarks.

“My point still stands there’s less than a thousand active Pipbucks out there and most in Junction Town,” Melissa points out.

The griffon and unicorn leads the fugitive buck to a red pickup wagon.

“Convoy where is the nearest settlement in the direction we are heading?” Melissa speaks to the wagon.

“There is a small Followers of the Apocalypse outpost station thirty clicks from here,” The wagon replied.

“That wagon talks?” Max said shocked.

“Yes and no, He’s a creature that takes over machines,” Troja explains.

“More than that,” Melissa boasts, “I found him in the old Diamond Dog mines.”

Melissa, Troja and Max hunkered down in the bed of the wagon. The machine starts up and rides into the desert.

“What are you going to do with me?” Max asks.

“Good question,” Melissa pauses to think, “I suppose I’ll hand you off to the next marshal unit we come across. They are Raider hunters after all.”

Melissa looks to Troja for an opinion.

“I sense hostility and uneasiness,” The unicorn answers, “No specific threats. I think whatever we decide to do he’ll comply.”

“Really,” Melissa gets a smirk on her face.

“What was that just now?” Max points at Troja.

“I’m an empath,” Troja answers, “I sense emotions. If I really try read minds.”

“Useful for a government official,” Max remarks, “Just what does…”

“Arcane Division,” Melissa answers.

“Yes,” Max nods his head, “Do?”

“We investigate and detain dangers of the wasteland of a special significance,” Melissa replied, “Monsters have been a big problem of late. There are also old war and present day fringe experiments. A new one of those makes light every week. We find the nature of these things.”

“Don’t we have heroes for that?” Max remarks.

“A government should protect its people, or allow the people with means of protecting themselves.”

“It would be a griffon merc to think that way,” Max smirks.

“True,” Melissa laughs, “But I’m a merc who has official government authorities giving to me by Gawd herself.”

Troja starts coughing. She takes out a canteen of water. Heats it with her magic, then mixes a potion into it.

“What’s up with her?” Max asks trying to get a look at the lavender unicorns flank. Her cutie mark as of a granite horse head. “I can tell she’s not a normal unicorn.”

“That's her business,” Melissa answers.

Troja had drifted off to sleep.

By the prewar signs laying about as they reached the outpost station, it was once an organic farm owned by some ponies called Wheat Grass and Flax Seed.

Before the Gardens of Equestria was activated this was one of the lesser contaminated areas just outside of Ponyville. Now it was even more flush with living plants and blossoming with life then it had been.

Troja wakes up as the party pulls to the farming outpost. She gets a strange look on her face.

“What's the matter?” Melissa asks.

“Not sure,” Troja answers, “Keep your guard up, the minds around here are different.”

They were greeted by a farm hand and three alicorns. Two purple ones and one green.

Troja gave then a confused look, “Sisters? All of you are still female? Shouldn’t one of you have had gender placement by now?

“We opted out of the herd family unit,” The green alicorn answers.

“Really?” Troja questioned.

“Yet you are not the norm sister,” The green alicorn remarks, “Where’s my manners.” The alicorn looks at Troja’s companions, “I’m Radiant Step, My two companions are Poppaloo and Frosted Flower.”

“I’m Melissa Featherborn officer of the NCR. I have a prisoner with me. I don’t think he's going to be a hassle but I suggest a room that locks on the outside.”

“I have door sealing magic,” Radiant Step answers.

Melissa whispers to the wagon, “Convoy you think you’d be okay on your own?”

“Yes,” The machine answers.

Radiant Step leads the way with Melissa and Max fallowing her.

“So? Troja is an alicorn?” Max remarks as he walked.

“We are individuals now,” Radiant Step answered, “I don’t know what happened to her.”

Along the way an old wooden barrel falls off a pull wagon. It cracks open splattering flowery smelling blue slime.

The smell caused Max to cover his nose. Melissa on the other hand takes in the scent.

“What is that wonderful smelling stuff?” The griffon purred.

“The markings on the side of the barrel says Goops,” Radiant Step answers, “They been here for hundreds of years. Over that time they absorbed so much radiation they became toxic. Now that the lands are purified, they are purified. We are moving them to sell.”

“Oh? How much for a vile?” Melissa asks.

“We are figuring out the proper pricing right now. But if you are willing to do some work around the farm in exchange?”

“Sounds like a deal,” Melissa smiles, “let me put this trash away.”

The griffon shoves Max causing him to step in the goo. When the buck pulled his hoof away it stretched out in a long string before breaking off with a snap.

After putting the con in his room, Melissa walks down stairs to the lodging/farm community room. Troja watched the two lavender alicorns and a ghoul breathe in from a white device known as a balefire bong.

Yes, that is as dangerous as it sounds. Alicorns and ghouls use them to take in the radiation they need to live. It also gives them a charge and a slight feeling of euphoria. The more hits they take the more charged they become.

The most dangerous thing about balefire bongs is, if someone got pissed off enough and smashed one against the floor everyone in the room would die in an explosion.

“Sister,” Poppaloo speaks up passing the BF bong to Troja.

“No, I have other ways,” The mutie unicorn gives the bong back to the alicorn.

“What do you mean by other ways?” Poppaloo asks.

Troja takes out her potion packet. “This allows me to live without radiation. But as you see it has some side effects.”

“Your wings?” Frosted Flower points out.

Troja sighs, “Hopefully a day comes when I don’t need the potion anymore.”

“Troja come here,” Melissa orders well trying to hide that fact.

The unicorn trots over to the griffon.

“So that strange feeling you had?” Melissa asks.

“I think my power to sense emotions is being blocked by the green one,” Troja answers, “They are hiding something.”

“Okay, I’ll mingle and see what I can dig up,” Melissa tells the unicorn.

“Go watch our prisoner and see if you can get a better read on him.”

Frosted Flower takes a hit from the balefire bong and gives a blushing smile to Melissa.

“I’m sensing sexual desire for you coming from that one,” Troja points out.

“Thanks for the tip,” Melissa rolls her eyes.

“If she kisses you, take some Rataway,” Troja warns as she walks up stairs.

As she approached the door, Troja’s horn tingled sensing two entities behind it. She releases a mental ping.

By the time the ping hit Melissa. Frosted Flower was starting to introduce herself to the griffon as the first step to get under her tail.

Both of them felt it. Melissa stronger and the alicorn only because she was so close to her.

“Is your girlfriend jealous?” Frosted Flower remarks blushing.

“I need to check on her,” The griffon excused herself.

“What’s the matter?” Melissa asks as she walks up to the mutie unicorn.

There are two people on the other side of the door,” Troja points out, “The strange thing is one of them. Max I’m sure is sleeping. I have no idea who or what the other is.”

The griffon pulls out her pistols and kicks open the door. This awakes Max from his slumber.

(So she was right about the buck sleeping,) The griffon remarks in her head.

“What’s going on?” Max asks as Melissa inspects the seemingly empty room.

The only thing out of place to her was a blue puddle of goops on the floor giving the room a flower scent to it.

“Was there anyone else in here with you,” Melissa demands to Max.

“No,” Max replied.

“What’s going on up here?” Frosted Flower or Poppaloo [Really doesn’t matter they look alike,] demands. The other alicorn came up the stairs behind her.

“Troja thought she sensed another life form in this room,” Melissa explains, “Anyone or anything here that would?”

The two alicorns look at each other. “No,” They said at the same time.

Melissa sighs, “Very well, Troja stay here. I’ll go and find some tools to fix the door.”

Melissa and the alicorns leave the area.

“Now what?” Max remarks.

Troja’s horn glows. “I still sense a life form.” She waves her horn back and forth stopping at the goops on the floor. “Is this alive?”

The slime twitches causing the mutie unicorn to squeal. Suddenly the goops lunges at her. Max puts his hoof down on the thing. It was slowly slipping from his grip.

“Lift your foot now!” Troja yells.

Max pulls away just as a stream of fire shoots from Troja’s horn burning the goops creature.

“What the heck was that!” Troja snaps catching her breath.

Max scans the thing with his Pipbuck, “This says two hundred years old plant oil, bees wax and egg whites fused with bacteria and mutated after sitting in radiation. Also it’s expensive as shit.”

“Why do you think it came after me?” Troja remarks looking at the smudge pile.

“Well that bit came from when I stepped in a puddle that leaked from a barrel that they were transporting. The thing is it didn’t go crazy around me.” Max points out.

“Is that radioactive?” Troja asks.

“Yes,” Max replied as he waved his Pipbuck at the thing.

“Maybe this thing seeks out radiation?” Troja suggests, “Since I'm technically an alicorn, I have a much higher amount then you. Heck the potions I take contain bacteria that absorb radiation.”

“Okay, if they only attack alicorns? There is a ton of this stuff. Shouldn’t the alicorns know this is dangerous to them?”

“Humm,” Troja thinks for a moment. “This stuff is sentient, if it infects people it could cloud their minds like the interference I’m getting off of my sisters.”

“Wait? Infect?” Max points out, “Radiant Step is trying to sell this stuff to the outside world. Shit these things will attack everyone of you.”

“Life finds away to survive,” Troja points out.

Troja tries pinging Melissa again.

“That isn’t going to work this time sister!”

“Aaah!” Troja screams.

“What happened?” Max asks.

“They know and are blocking me from contacting Melissa,” Troja answered well holding her head.

“What about that vehicle? Convoy?” Max asks.

“I’m sure they are blocking everything,” Troja shakes her head. “Besides only Melissa can contact him mentally. There was something else I sensed about my sisters. It’s like their minds are linked again like we were with the Goddess.” Troja looks down at the burnt blob of bacteria one more time, “Many beings acting as one. If this reaches my people we will be lost forever.”

“Then unchain me you need my help,” Max tells the mutie unicorn.

“I don’t know,” Troja replied, “I sense your sincerity to help but there is great violence with in you.”

“I want to do better, be better,” Max replied with a smile.

They hear the sound of ponies running up the stairs.

“Too, late for debate,” Max snaps.

Troja unlocks Max’s bindings.

“Don’t hurt them to bad!” Troja shouts as the doorway fills with ponies, “These are farmers we are dealing with!”

Max nods his head in reply. Troja swiftly fires a magic missile. Well the ponies were stunned, Max slips into SATS. He melees the ponies with his hooves knocking them all out before his SATS ran out.

“How’s that for not hurting,” Max remarks taking some of the farm pony’s guns.

“Acceptable,” Troja replied.

They reached down stairs. The community room was empty.

“Augh, Where could Melissa be?” Troja groans scanning the room.

“She was mingling with the residents,” Max points out, “They could easily catch her off guard.”

Ka-bush!

Suddenly one of the lavender alicorns crashed through the wall with a big red and blue pony shaped robot. The robot pushes the alicorn against the bar table and punches her in the face until unconscious. Then tosses her body on the floor.

Max aims his gun at the robot.

“Stop! That’s Convoy!” Troja shouts.

“He’s a giant robot?” Max says shocked.

“Cybertronian,” Convoy replied.

“Or you can call him a transformer,” Troja adds.

“Who are you people,” Max shakes his head.

“Like the boss said, Arcane Division,” Troja answers.

“Sorry about your alicorn friend, I would have tried a peaceful solution but she attacked first,” Convoy apologize as he gives Troja a shot gun.

“It’s okay,” She tells the robot.

“Speaking of boss, she’s in the next house over,” Convoy points out.

Max and Troja kicks the front door of the house open. Convoy being larger stayed outside.

A commotion was happening up stairs. Soon Melissa and one of the lavender alicorns assumed to be Frosted Flower crashed down the stairs.

Frosted Flower gets to her feet. Melissa was on her back trying to strangle the alicorn with a bed sheet. The creature tries to buck the griffon off. Soon she trips and falls to the floor. After a few seconds of kicking the alicorn stops moving.

Melissa releases the creature and gets to her feet. She then spots Troja and Max watching her.

“Don’t say it,” The griffon snaps.

“You road that pony,” Troja smirks.

Melissa grits her beak, then notices Max. “I see you let the dog loose.”

“As far as we can tell the alicorns have been taken over by sentient shampoo,” Troja explains.

“And those bastards were going to give me that stuff,” Melissa snaps.

“We need to find the goops and destroy them,” Max points out.

“With two of the alicorn down and the towns people scattered I should be able to find the slime.”

They located a couple of wagons full witch Convoy destroyed with a flame thrower battle saddle like weapon that popped from his sides.

Finally Troja leads them to the cellar where the goops were stored. Melissa leads the way her guns drawn. Max and Troja walked behind her.

The griffon flips on the light revealing a hundred barrels of goops.

“How are we going to get rid of all of this?” Troja asks.

“I think Convoy can unhook his flame throwers,” Melissa points out, “We have to take them down here and light these things up our selves.”

They heard a commotion outside and Convoy yell out in pain. The party rushes out to see Radiant Step standing over Convoy’s mangled body. The alicorn’s eyes glowed flame green.

Radiant step smashes Convoy’s head into pieces with her hoof. A blue light shoots from the robot’s chest and hits Melissa in the stomach. She screams and passes out.

“Melissa!” Max shouts.

“She’s fine,” Troja assures the buck, “It’s a side effect of his connection to her!”

Radiant Step takes out a balefire bong and starts inhaling deeply from it. She pulls it away from her mouth and speaks. “Sister? Why do you oppose us? Don’t you miss the unity? Miss being something more.”

Troja shakes her head, “No sister, I don’t, My wish is to be normal. Like what I used to be.” Tears stream down Troja’s face, “I want the love ones I left behind in my other life to look me in the face and know who I am!”

“Then di-“

Boom!

Max had slipped into SATS and sniped the balefire bong. It explodes knocking the green alicorn back.

“Max!” Troja cries.

“You saw her!” Max snaps, “She was jazzing off that thing!”

“Aaaahh!” Radiant Step stands up most of her body burned but it was also healing from the balefire radiation.

Behind Max and Troja they could hear a cracking noise coming from the cellar. Max grabs Melissa as they dodge a wave of goops.

“No! No! Stay away!” Radiant Step screams as the slime covers her body.

After the goops suffocated the alicorn it starts reaching for Troja.

“No!” Troja screams.

The slime takes her body. Suddenly it changed from blue to orange and starts falling apart. Troja takes in a deep breath as the smile dies around her mouth.

“You’re sure this will work?” Melissa asks.

“Yes,” Troja answers as she pours a packet of her potion down the throat of one of the tied up alicorns. “It had to be the potion in my system that killed the goops.”

Suddenly the lavender alicorn snorts out orange slime.

“Good, if that didn’t work I would have had to put a bullet in their heads to stop this infestation,” Melissa snaps.

“Would you have to be so cold hearted?” Convoy asks from within the griffon’s womb.

“I have a country of people to protect,” Melissa answers.

“And about me?” Max asks

“I still think you’re a loaded gun,” The griffon answers, “But until we reach back to home base welcome to the team.”

Melissa extents a claw to the pony. He gave a puzzled look for a moment. Finally getting it, Max puts his hoof in the claw and they shake.

After seeing both alicorns were cured. The Arcane Division members found another pickup wagon. The griffon exhales blue energy that enters into the machine. The wagon turns red. The group climbs in the back and they drive off down the road.

A ghoul watches them drive off. As he watched blue slime leaks out his eyes.
___
“Former ponies of the wasteland, I know in the years before the great change we have lost many things. Some of use struggle to get the things that were lost back, but with every two steps forward, I can honestly tell you there is only one step back. All I ask you to do is to step along side me. DJ-Pon3 Homage signing out.”