Fallout Equestria: Towards the Future

I was walking back to my room in a bad mood. Ever since I got my cutie mark I have become even more of an outcast that I was turning into. Now that I was old enough to understand things a little more, I understood why every pony hated me… well most ponies hated me.

“Split? Are you ok?”

I looked up to see Setting Sun looking at me with concern. The Pegasus mare was definitely very cute, her straight scarlet mane and tail stood out against her orange coat. A stripe that matched her deep amethyst eyes ran along her mane and tail. Her cutie mark was a sun behind a purple cloud.

I smiled warmly at her, “I am now…”

She turned her head to the side and smiled affectionately at me. The smile faded and she looked down at the floor, “It was Blitz again huh?”

I sat down in the middle of the hall. The younger orphans running down the hall to go and play outside leaving the two of us alone in the hall, “Yeah,” I took a deep breath, “I’m trying to play the

more mature pony here but…” I looked at my cutie mark with a deep loathing.

She walked over and kissed my cheek gently, “You’re doing it again…” she said quietly.

I looked into her eyes, I know I’m still a bit young but she was a very pretty mare and she didn’t outright hate me because of a stupid picture on my flank. I smiled and hung my head, “Sorry.”

She stroked the side of my face gently with a wing, “Everypony will soon realize that it isn’t the mark of a pony but the heart of one,” she kissed my cheek again, “I have to help Miss Lilly with the younger foals who still are having trouble flying,” she walked past me and glanced over her shoulder, “Try and get some rest Split.”

I watched he go for a few moments and smiled, ‘how did I end up lucky enough to get somepony like her to like me?’ I thought to myself.

I gave a slight shrug and walked into my room and flopped onto my bed for a few hours of rest.

I sat up and stretched trying to rub the sleep out of my eyes with a hoof. I opened my eyes and frowned, “Its dark outside already?” I hopped off my bed and gave another long stretch.

“So… Finally awake Spit Stream?”

I grinded my teeth together, “What do you want Blitz?” I turned to see the cocky Pegasus colt smiling at me. His mare friend hanging over him like a drunk giving me an equally cocky smile, “Oh and I see you brought your body guard as well.”

His smile faded a bit, “You better watch your tone Dashite or you will end up like your little mare friend”

My heart dropped then a small fire started to build as I glared at him, “What did you do?”

The cocky smile on his mare friends vanished instantly and she took a couple of steps back from me. He stood up ready to defend himself, “I did what I had to in order to get through to her that you were nothing but…”

I cut him off as I slammed him hard into the wall at the opposite end of the hall. My hoof was at his throat and the other one was raised ready to strike. My eyes narrowed at him and the venom coming off my words burned my mouth, “Where… is… she?”

His eyes dilate to the point of pin pricks, “She… she’s by the shed! By the shed! I’m sorry …I didn’t,”

I didn’t stick around to hear the rest of his babbling because I had more important things to do… like find Setting Sun. Not to mention the smell that he was giving off just then wasn’t very pleasant.

I didn’t even use the stairs I jumped out the window and shot straight to the shed. When I landed I looked around quickly until a small sob caught my attention, “Setting Sun?” I walked around the corner of the shed and saw her sitting there with her back to me hunched over sobbing quietly.

I reached out a hoof carefully, “Setting Sun is everything…” when she turned around my heart dropped. One of her eyes was swollen shut and she had blood coming from both her mouth and nose. She had parts of her mane ripped out and a few of her feather were scattered around her, but what made me sick to my stomach is the crudely hoof painted dashtie symbol over her cutie mark.

I reached out to her and she leaned back away from me, “Stay away from me dashite…” I could tell from the look in her eyes that it hurt her to say that much more than those wounds did, but the very fact that because of all of this is why she said it felt like my heart dropped through the cloud cover. She stood up with some effort, “I’m sorry Splitstream. It’s not worth getting treated like this by everypony just to be with you…”

She walked by me hanging her head and with a final goodbye she ran off into the house. I stood there looking at the blood still fresh on the cloud and the broken feathers around me. I lowered my head just like my friendship counter and let a tear fall to the cloud.

The tears stopped instantly as I looked up at the Enclave poster hanging on the shed wall. It promised to help make the future a better place for everypony while protecting the ones you love. I gave the poster one last glare and turned back to the house. My mind was made up now, and let somepony try and stop me, “Please let somepony try to stop me…”

******

I was just starting to feel myself waking up and I was feeling great… right up until a Pink ball dropped down onto my stomach. I sat up rolled over pushing Bubble Gum off me, “uh... wouldn’t a simple good morning have sufficed?” I said as I looked at her while holding my gut while my face and the pillow got better acquainted.

I heard the door close and then a soft click as Cool came into my view, “Sorry Split but it looks like your new mare friend has some interesting friends of her own.”

I sat up and rubbing my stomach, “huh” I then looked down at the bed next to me and realized that I was alone. I felt a tiny hoof on me and I looked down into Bubble Gums concerned eyes… well sort of alone.

Cool Coat slammed a hoof down making both Bubble Gum and I jump, “Split, Peppermint is a slaver! She tricked us and had slavers on their way since we arrived here last night.”

I was having trouble wrapping but something stood out, “What do you mean…Had?”

Cool Coat gave me a stare that answered my question. I put a hoof up to my face, again I had my hopes being shot down like I was not even a few days ago. I gritted my teeth as something inside me must have snapped.

I looked down at Bubble Gum feeling something building up inside of me, “Bubble Gum I want you to go into the bathroom close the door and don’t come out until I call you.”

Her eyes shrank, “What? but Split I…”

I stood up and slipped the armor for my wings again. I didn’t look at her, “Bubble Gum I meant now…”

I heard her jump off the bed and trot to the door but I as I finished fastening the armor down and was knocked back as something came hard across my face. I looked up to see Cool Coat glaring at me, “What In Tartarus Was That For!”

I held my cheek feeling the sting as I glared back, “I would advise you explain why you…”

He jabbed a hoof out pointing towards the door where Bubble Gum went to hide, “She’s scared you idiot.”

I looked back to him with an even stare, “She is fine Cool and I…”

THUMP THUMP THUMP

I swear I will get to a point where I can finish my sentences without interruption. I glared at the door, “Yes, Who is it?”

Cool turns his head to me with a slight glare and nods. He slung his rifle over his back, took the shotgun in his mouth, and flew over the door: propping himself up between the wall and a metal beam in the ceiling. There is a slight commotion behind the door and then it is knocked off its hinges to the floor.

A large brown stallion walks in smiling, “Well you are quite a looker ain’t ya?”

I didn’t answer him instead I simply was a little hungry. I walked over to the desk that was in the room and pulled off a pear and bit into it. I was quite surprised how fresh it was and crisp too.

One of the other stallions behind the brown one yelled, “Come on Kicker, let’s just take him out so we can get back and get paid.”

I chewed the last bite and swallowed, “I would like to know where your camp is. Would you be so kind as to tell me how to get there?”

The brown stallion grinned, “Oh I am going to give you a first class ticket…”

He stopped as I turned and gave him a glare the caused the three of them to take a step back, “I want a location… now”

He reached back and pulled out a large revolver with a scope on it, “We don’t need you… We can still take the other Pegasus and the br…”

I jumped at him and split the gun down the middle until my wing blade was now between his teeth, “I think I need clarify myself a little more huh?” I could feel his teeth chattering against the armor on my wing.

I felt my jaw tighten then I brought my wing forward faster than I was anticipating and felt it slice through the tissue, the teeth, the bone and finally out of the back of his head.

I looked at the stallion as his teeth clattered against my armor, ‘what was that?’ whatever it was I tried to shake it out of my head and looked at the brown stallion, “Now before I have to… take a little off the top… The location of the camp where I can find Peppermint…”

He swallowed hard, “It’’s… It’s just outside Manehatten… are you going to kill me?”

I looked him in the eye and saw utter terror in his eyes, and to be honest I felt a little bad. I mean he is just doing his job… be that it was a horrible job, “No I will not kill you this time.” I saw him relax a bit, “But it might be a good idea to look for a new line of work because if I catch you again…” I flicked my wing and ripped it out of his mouth along with a couple of teeth.

He yelled and fell to the floor holding his mouth as blood spotted the floor. The other two ran to his side and pulled him up, “You’re crazy if you think you can just walk in and talk to someone,” he said with a hoof over his mouth.

I glared at him, “Let me worry about my crazy, and you worry about how fast you can get out of my sight,” the three of them gave me a final glare then turned and ran off down the hall. I heard some shouting then a door slam shut.

Cool dropped down from the ceiling setting the shotgun in a makeshift holster, “Split I’m not sure letting them go was the best idea you have ever had but…” he stopped short as he looked over my shoulder and frowned.

I looked over to see a red tail disappear behind the door just before it closes with a snap. I turned and looked at the door, “Bubble Gum you can come out now,” no response.

I looked at Cool and he just gave me a hard stare. I walked over to the door and pulled the door open slowly. The first thing I noticed was it was dark; she never turned on a light. The second thing was I didn’t see her anyplace. I took a couple steps in, “Bubble Gum?” I called out.

I got a response of a little sob from under the porcelain bathtub. I knelt down and looked under the tube and I felt my heart drop. Bubble Gum was curled up on the other side between the wall and the tub and she was crying. She looked up at me her blue eyes swimming with tears, and whatever hatred I was holding towards Peppermint died when I saw those eyes.

I looked at her for a second then pulled myself up and sat up against the tub. Bubble Gum hated me and I knew why, I was an idiot. I closed my eyes, “Bubble Gum… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to do that to you again…” I heard her sniff so I continued on, “I let my anger take over too much, and as a result I ended up hurting you… just like you were hurt before.”

I heard something shuffling and after a few moments I felt her place a hoof on my leg. I looked down at her, right into those blue eyes as she looked up me. I reached over and picked her up and hugged her closely, “I’m an idiot… but I am very sorry Bubble Gum.”

She nuzzled her face into my chest and I felt something in my heart give of a warm sensation. She gave a sniff and said in a quiet shaky voice, “I thought you were going to be taken and I was going to be left alone again…”

I felt her tense up and let out a slight sob, and in return I squeezed her tightly, “Bubble Gum… I promised I would never leave you alone,” I felt my eyes start to sting, “I’m sorry Bubble Gum… can you forgive me this once?”

She didn’t say anything but gave a slight nod. Cool Coat opened the door and looked in and gave a slight smile, “See why I hit you now?”

I started to stroke her mane as I held her, “Yeah but that hurt less…”

Cool turned around, “Well keep that tucked away in your mind next time you do something stupid again,” he took a few steps away, “Now if you excuse me I have a few things to take care of.”

I felt Bubble Gum stir around a bit before she lifted her head and rubbed her eyes. She looked up at me and gave an innocent smile, “Just this once… idiot.” I did my best to smile but after what I just did to her I felt like I did when I saved her from slavers the first time. She hopped down off me and walked to the door stopping only to wipe her face a little more, “I have to go make sure Cool Coat doesn’t go spending our caps on anything he shouldn’t. You coming?” she asked with a backwards glance.

I stood up and gave myself a little shake, “I think I need to clean myself up first… go on ahead and I’ll be right out,” she nodded and took off after Cool. I sat down hard and put my hooves up to my head, “I guess having a good time with a good looking mare comes with one hellava price,” and then I thought of the mare who greeted me when I first walked into the building and shuddered.

I looked back to the tub and sighed. I then reached over and turned the faucet and to my surprise and delight the water started to fill the tub with hot water. I looked up sadly at the nonexistent shower head and let the tub fill.

After I got out of the tub and managed to drag myself down stairs Cool and Bubble Gum were sitting at the bar. Bubble Gum was sipping a light pink drink glaring at Cool Coat, and Cool was taking sips from a glass trying his best to avoid her glare. I walked over and sat next to Bubble Gum, “What’s wrong?”

Bubble Gum picked her head up and looked at me, her straw still hanging out of her mouth. She pointed a hoof at Cool, “I grounded him from buying anything ever again…”

I looked at Cool then back to her, “Why?” I had to admit this was starting to become entertaining.

She set her straw back in her drink and then shot him a sideways glance, “Why don’t you ask him... or better yet, her,” I saw Bubble Gums tail flick out and I looked over at the mare who greeted me now hanging over some young stupid buck.

I gave Cool a cocky smirk, and now he was trying to avoid my eyes while his face glowed red. I smiled back to Bubble Gum who went back to her drink, “What are you drinking?”

She smiled, “He had some strawberries and milk so he made me a shake,” she was pointing to a kind looking ghoul earth pony.

He looked up and walked over to me and asked me in that scratchy voice, “Would you like something to eat or drink?”

I felt my stomach growl my response. Apart from the pear I had earlier I was kind of hungry, “Yeah surprise me… I’m starving,” then I glanced at Bubble Gum who was watching me, “Got any more of that?” I pointed at her drink.

He gave a smile that I had to admit he probably should do less of because of the little amount of skin on his face. He turned around and walked through a door and a few minutes later walked back with a tray with a bowl of what looked like just he emptied a can of vegetables into it and warmed it up.

I had to admit though the warmed can of vegetables was far more satisfying than I thought the two hundred year old can would have tasted. I  finished my bowl as he set my drink on the counter. As he took my empty bowl to a back room, he flicked what was left of his tail onto a radio dial and the room was bathed in a music of a mare that if she sang for me to kill myself I would swallow a live apple grenade.

I felt a sadness fill my heart as the song drew to a close and then a stallions voice started talking, “Hello Equestrian wasteland this is DJ Pon3, your voice in the darkness or at least the radiation. Time for the News, I have received reports of a group of over sea ponies near the old Ponyville ruins that were attacked and brutally slaughtered by the raiders that have taken up refuge there. Moneys on they thought that they could take on…”

The rest of broadcast became background noise as I noticed Cool’s face was screwed up in terror. I lifted my head setting my drink down as, which Bubble Gum decided to confiscate, I leaned over to him feeling a little concerned, “Cool?.... you ok?”

Cool’s hoof was shaking, “that… that group on ponies…”

My eyes widened, “We are leaving… Now!”

Cool’s eyes snapped onto me with a surprised stare, “Split… you mean…”

I slid down off of my stool and smiled, “Cool… you are my friend. So what kind of friend would I be if I just left you hanging like that?”

Cool slid down off his stool, “Split… this means… I mean…”

I gave him a half hearted wave with my hoof, “Cool don’t thank me until we make sure that these are your friends…”

Cool gave a relieved smile and nodded. I grabbed Bubble Gum off of her stool causing her to jump and try grabbing her drink with little success. We quickly made our way out of the bar and to the gates of the town where we stopped and checked our supplies before setting out.

Bubble Gum opened her saddlebag showing about six healing potions, “Will these be enough?”

I gave a hesitant nod, there were enough potions for us to have two each but with my track record they were probably for me. Cool doubled checked his ammo with a concentrated frown as Jack sat down next to his master looking up at his as if waiting for something. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little worried for him.

Bubble Gum wiggled back into her saddlebag and looked up to me, “Are we ready to go?”

I gave Cool a quick glance and then smiled at her, “Yeah lets go.”

She gave a little smile and turned around and started to walk. I quickly followed into step behind her as she started humming a catchy tune, in fact I found myself humming with her a few minutes later.

Our walk was interrupted when a loud thunderclap told us that we had only a few minutes before we were all going to get very wet. I scooped Bubble Gum up onto my back and started running with Cool right behind me. We continued to run to try and find some shelter but a raindrop that hit me right between the eyes told me time was up. I slid Bubble Gum off me and held my wing out over her as a wall of rain closed in and drenched us. I kept my wing over her when Cool pointed out a large old overturned sky cart.

I nodded to him and motioned for Bubble Gum to walk. as we drew close to the cart I noticed it was a cart that was used to transport some kind of merchandise. Cool ran to the back and I lead Bubble Gum to the back as Cool took aim at a lock on the door of the cart. I poked him in the side with a hoof feeling a little annoyed. Cool looked at me and I flicked out my other wing and popped the old lock of without much resistance. Cool pulled the door open and I couldn’t help but smile as the whole back end was filled with large boxes that, according to the labels, were filled with pillows.

we pulled out a couple boxes to make room and then got inside as Cool propped the door open. Bubble Gum ran to one of the old boxes kicking it open and being covered in a small avalanche of pillows and some feathers. She popped out giggling and I couldn't help but smile at her.

We set up some of the old musty pillows to make some beds for the night, since it didn’t look like the rain was going to let us continue on. I tucked the blanket that Bubble Gum found in the robot store around her as she quickly fell asleep on a mound of pillows. I walked back over to were cool was and notice that he had a glass in his hooves, and was drinking some sort of clear liquid which at first I thought was water.

“Got any more?” I asked as I flopped down a large pillow sending all kinds of dust and what ever else into my face. I coughed and sneezed for like twenty minutes and when I was done I looked down to see a glass with the clear liquid sitting in front of me.

I picked it up and brought it to my lips and, “Whoa!” The amount of alcohol that slid down my throat could have made me spit fire if I had a light. I looked at Cool through watery eyes, “What is this?”

He gave a small chuckle, “Well… let’s call it liquid spirit,” as he took another sip of the strong alcohol.

I took a small sip and set the glass down and glanced outside, “So… who are these friends of yours?”

I gave him a sideways glance and he was looking into his glass sadly, “I… I was sent here from overseas from my home country to see if we could either find whoever was in charge of Equestria and talk peace term with them or…”

I felt my gut tighten, “or…” I said almost dreading the answer.

He let out a sigh, “Or send word that Equestria was without a ruler and that it was time for us to make our move…”

I adjusted my wings uncomfortably and glanced at the filly sleeping close by, “Oh… um… That is… um… interesting…” I knew I was giving away a little more than I wanted but I was surprised that he was smiling at me.

“Don’t worry Split… I gave up on my family and my homeland long ago,” his face said happy but his eyes and said that there was a pain there that wasn’t going away for a while.

I relaxed a bit, “Why? What happened?” I felt my head feel a little swimmy as he poured more of the drink into my glass.

He looked out into the rain, “Well, to put it bluntly and without going into a super depressing backstory, my father is a very important pony and he was very power hungry and thought the only way we could achieve anything was by force.”

I looked outside and smiled stupidly… I think it was stupidly, “Well… let me tell you what I think about your father… at least you knew him right?”

Cool glanced at me over his glass with a your turn to explain glint in his eye, and I knew I was starting to feel a little bit tipsy but I was feeling great.

“When… When I was born my mother told me,” I put a hoof up to my mouth to keep a hiccup down, “she told me that my ‘daddy’ wasn't worth the air he was breathing in. She said that the only thing he ever cared about was himself…” I stood up with a uneasy sway, “Well guess what will happen when I see that asshole?” I spun around and…. darkness...