Fallout: Equestria- The Road Home

Chapter 4: Reclaim

“It’s plain that you’re lookin’ for trouble; trouble’s what I try to shun.

But if that’s want you want then that’s what you’ll get cuz cowboy we’re both packin’ guns.”

The morning brought with it a cooling breeze. The ground I stood on ran red with the blood of raiders and the poor souls that suffered at their hooves. Bodies lay scattered around the farm, some with bullet holes, others scorched by the burning flames of justice. A pony had told me once “Out here we just try to get by and attempt to do better,”. Well I wasn’t trying, I was doing. After last night’s battle I realized that Equestria was being plagued by unspeakable evil. There was no reasoning with raiders. They capture, rape, torture, and murder innocent ponies just for the fun of it. If that wasn’t enough, I saw firsthoof that most of them were cannibals. Something changed in me that night. I realized that the wasteland didn’t need a hero, it needed an executioner.

Most of the ponies we saved had left before dawn. Two had stayed overnight to get some rest and join the looting party in the morning. Everypony spread out to maximize our efforts. Lockout hit the sheds that had been used as shelters. There were a couple of locked containers but they were no match for his picking skills. The coals from the barn were still hot but that didn’t stop the rangers from sifting around in it for some salvage. I trotted off into what appeared to be an administrative building about forty meters from the barn. I walked into the lobby and saw a desk with a beat up terminal. Both walls were lined with grey steel filing cabinets. I picked through them pretty thoroughly not want to miss anything. Found some ammo for my pistol along with an extended magazine. I turned to the desk and started rummaging through it. What a score! I found three packs of Mareboro Menthols! I triumphantly slid one out and lit it up. Inside was a note attached to the packs.

Dear Apple Strudel,

I know that times are tough around here but you really need to stop this. You’re slowly killing yourself and I know how hard it is to put ‘em down. This whole thing’s been stressful on us all but I don’t want ta see ya die of cancer after we fought so hard to win this war. As always, all the best.

Your Cousin,

Applejack

Well it looks like Strudel followed her advice. I started down the hall towards the back of the building. I found what looked to be the manager’s office and tried to open the door. Locked. I pulled out my bobby pins and screwdriver and got to work. Wiggle here a little bit. Snap, damn it. A little to the left. The lock popped with a satisfying *click* and I was in. On the walls were many pictures of mares and bucks. One that struck me was the portrait of two mares and a massive buck. One mare was light orange with a blonde mane. In front of her was a crème filly with an adorable smile on her face. Towering above them both was the biggest pony I had ever seen! Damn I didn’t know they made ponies that big. Under the portrait was a gold plate that had ‘The Apple Family’ engraved into it. I rooted around the office and found more ammo, this time for my rifle. In the middle of the room was a desk with a terminal still running. I sat down in the chair and decided to give it a try. Great Celestia! This terminal had a twelve-letter password! There was no way I was going to get in it but I knew somepony that could.

I trotted back outside to see Lockout by the campfire fiddling with a small container. He looked to be having some problems getting the lock popped.

“Hey Lockout! Can you help me out with something real quick? Bring that box over too!” I shouted across the yard.

“Sure, be right there!”

Lockout gathered his stuff and started to make his way over to the main building.

“What’s up? What do you need?”

“Got a terminal in the back room. Its a doosy too. 12 letters.” I told him.

“Ha, that’s colts play, I thought I was gonna get a challenge!”

“Wow, way to make me feel bad. While your back there I’ll pop that container for you.”

“Ok, terminal here I come.” He said confidently.

Lockout tossed the locked box on the lobby desk and headed to the back room. I flipped on the radio on my PipBuck while I tinkered with the lock.

‘Yes, I’ve got heartaches by the number

A love that I can’t win

But the day that I stop counting

That’s the day my world will end’

“Good morning wasteland, its me, DJ Pon-3 welcoming you to another beautiful day in Equestria! Your forecast for today is cloudy like always with a 60% chance of raiders trying to fuck it up for you. I mean really do these guy ever take a day off? Maybe they should as reports have been coming in all morning. Remember the fire I told ya bout last night? Well looks like that was one of the raider strongholds outside of Ponyville burning to the ground. I for one couldn’t be happier. One down, a lot more to go. Bet there sittin’ in a cave somewhere lickin’ their wounds. See the question on everyponies mind is who’s responsible? One report says that a young buck out of Stable 23 is the buck behind the mayhem. About time too. Wasn’t sure if they would ever open their doors. Not sure how true it is but one things for certain; those raiders are as dead as dog shit. Well that’s about it for today’s news, and to the buck from 23, keep up the good work. The wasteland needs heroes’, even little ones. Stay classy Equestria.”

Once the broadcast was done, the most depressing song came on. So monotone and boring. Something about a buck named Johnny and his stupid guitar. I flipped my radio off and proceeded to get at the lock. To my amazement the box didn’t give me much trouble. It was weird, I turned my bobby pin slightly to the left and it clicked right open. I levitated the contents out and set them down on the table. By Star Swirls beard! The weapon was closer to a piece of art than a killing machine. It was a .38 special revolver; snub nosed, with the most stunning decorative engravings etched in its metal. The mouth grip was a bright red cherry wood finish. It looked spectacular! The pistol was accompanied by about twenty hollow point rounds and thirty regular ones. As I gawked at the amazing firearm I heard a triumphant “Got it!” come from the back. I placed the contents back in the box and started off to the office.

“Merry Celesmas!” I shouted upon entering the room.

“What’d I get? Tell me tell me tell me!”

“Take a look.”

He levitated his new gun out and a smile burst to his face. He wasn’t as awestruck as I was but he could still appreciate a quality firearm. Lockout happily trotted out of the office as I sat down at the terminal. There was only one file on the computer. I synced my PipBuck up to the terminal and watched the little guy do his work. The device let out a pleasant *ding* once the download was complete. On my map four new markers had shown up, all being marked as raider hideouts. Man, the idiocy of these guys never ceases to amaze me. Guess it’s time to hit the road.

“Hey everypony, come on over here!” I shouted.

In a few seconds everypony was huddled around a broken table in the center of camp.

“Hey Cap, let me see that map. Ok guys, so on that terminal was a map of the area that showed a couple raider hideouts. There locations are here, here, and here.” I took a small marker and put some X's for them. “Now this is the closest one, the Mega-Lo-Mare shopping center. If we leave now we can…” out of the corner of my eye I saw two yellow earth fillies with different styled pink manes standing beside Golden listening attentively. “And you two are?” I asked

“She’s Tip” one replied.

“And she’s Top” spouted the other one.

“And we wanna help you kill raiders!” The both screeched in unison.

“That all well and good but aren’t you two a little young for this stuff?” I said.

“O just because we’re little you think we can’t hold our own. Kick it Tip.”

Tip immediately flung five battered plates into the air. Top produced a 9mm pistol and quickly put a bullet through each plate. Then Top pulled out a coin about the size of a plum and threw it in the air. Tip readied her pistol and popped the coin making a resounding *ting*. The rest of my crew was surprised by this show of marksmanship.

“Well that was quite impressive, sorry I doubted you two. As they say, the more the merrier. Ok back to the plan. If we head out now we can be at the Mega-Lo-Mare in about an hour. If everypony’s ready we’ll head on out.” From around the table were nods of agreement as everypony slipped on their saddlebags and got suited up.

*** *** ***

As we reached the shopping center I couldn’t help but notice how deserted it looked. It was a three level structure shaped like a cube with an atrium in the middle. The parking lot was filled with pre-war vehicles lying idle. As we got closer, I started seeing the signs of a raider camp. Old campfires, used needles, and the occasional severed head atop a spike. They sure were keen to put a pony’s head on a spike. Guess they wanted to look like some hard asses, scare decent folk into not messing with them. Well they weren’t scarin’ me. As we got to the atrium it still seemed that the base was vacant.

“Ok guys. Looks like nopony’s home but I’m not taking any chances. Tip, Top, and Golden you’re with me. We’re goin’ hunting. Everypony else stay down here and look out for danger. If shit hits the fan regroup on the second floor, south side of the building.”

We started up one of the staircases into the main building. The whole place smelled like piss and vomit. I wondered if the paint flaking off the walls was from decay or the smell. I pulled out that bad ass breathing mask I got back at Sweet Apple Acres and slipped it on.

“No fair! Why don’t we get sweet masks!” Tip and Top said together.

“Well find one and there you go, problem solved.” Golden told them.

“Well its still lame and it smells like crap in here,” Tip wined.

As we made our way down the second story hall I heard a familiar sound. I remembered this sound from back in the stable when I was a little colt. I would sneak out after curfew and explore all around the stable. It was the sound of flanks rapidly slapping together. I slipped my mask down and lit up a cigarette. As we got closer to the room I could hear the vulgar banter of a raider couple. For the sake of sanity, I won’t elaborate but lets just say it was enough to make a porn star blush. I overheard something about “ramming Luna’s horn up her shitter”. About ten feet from the door I motioned for Tip and Top to stay there. I got right up beside the door and prepared for entry. “Knock knock”.

“What the --”

I bucked the door open so hard it almost flew off the hinges. I quickly spun around and engaged S.A.T.S. I queued up four shots with my pistol and exited. One bullet went straight through the mare’s head and left a bloody smear on the wall behind her. The second shot hit a gun that the buck was reaching for while the last two hammered into his hind legs. He let out a scream as he dropped to the ground in agony. I signaled for Golden to help me move him to a chair and proceeded to tie him to it. I needed answers and I was gonna get them.

I walked over to the buck as he muttered curses about how much of a whore my mother was. I stuck the barrel of my pistol right in his mouth and cocked the hammer back.

“Here’s the deal. You tell me where to find this fucker Dark Matters and I wont paint the wall with your brain. Sound good?”

I removed the pistol only to be met with a glob of raider spit right in my face. “I ain’t tellin’ you shit and when I get out of here I’m gonna fuck you till your dead. Then I’ll move on to yer lady friend,” he said with a jagged toothed smile on his face.

“Wrong answer.” I took the pistol and jammed the barrel into the fresh bullet wound in his leg. The sound he made was at least five times worse than his initial scream. I twisted and turned the barrel all around inside his leg. After about two minutes I pulled the barrel out and cleaned the blood off.

“You know I’m not enjoying this right? Wait… I lied. I’m thoroughly enjoying this. You ready to talk yet?” I pulled out a smoke, lit it, and stuck it in the raiders mouth.

“Ok, ok. He came through about three A.M. last night. Rounded up most of everybody and headed off to the west. Didn’t say where they were going, just said he was in a hurry.” I check my PipBuck and sure as shit there was a marker on my map to the west.

“Thank you for your cooperation. Know if you would excuse us we have some murderous fuck faces to kill.” I readied my pistol and shot three rounds right into his gut making sure he didn’t die but insuring he would bleed out soon. I holstered my pistol and trotted out of the room with Golden.

“Why did we have to stay out here? We wanna be in the action!” Tip said.

“You didn’t need to see that girls. I didn’t even want to see that.” Golden said in a motherly voice. Golden shot me a harsh glare but stayed silent till we made it back to the rest of the group. As we returned Lockout came up to me looking a bit nervous.

“Hey Crack, can I speak to you in private?” He asked.

“Yea sure. Want a smoke?”

“Sure.”

We both lit our cigs up and walked around to the other side of the complex.

“Something about these rangers doesn’t sit right with me. I feel like they’re hiding something.” He said grimly.

“Why do you say that? Golden helped rescue you.” I replied.

“I don’t know, it’s just a feeling in my gut. That’s not why I wanted to talk to you. It’s worse.”

“Ok well are you gonna tell me?”

“Well after you left the stable, Recon Team 4 returned. They brought back with them detailed reports about most of the factions in the area and the state of stability for each. The reports showed that things are going to shit all across the board. Some guy named Red Eye is mobilizing troops and I don’t know how they figured this out but so are the Enclave. With this new information the Overmare has decided to green-light Operation: Reclaim.”

Level up: Lockpick (50)

Perk added: Burning Justice – Your Intense disposition towards raiders can’t be ignored nor can your love of fire. This yields a 5% damage boost against raiders and 10% boost when using fire-based weapons.