Fallout: the Return

Chapter 6: Rescue

I was a broken mare, sniffling like a record skipping as I cried. The Town Guard was at my house, asking me the same questions over and over, “Where did you last see Leo?” and “When did you notice he was missing?” It was like I was a suspect. Why weren’t they using the time they took to question me to look for Leo?

I had spent what felt like eternity looking for Leo in town. At first, I was sure he just wandered away from me, so I quickly took flight into the air. I didn’t see him, and I spent the next half hour looking as Discord helped. It was only when Discord tried teleporting Leo back to us that I was sure he’d been foalnapped… Discord’s magic had been blocked.Back at my house, two pegasi in the blue armor of the town guard finished questioning me, and left after saying, “Mrs. Brody, we will keep a lookout for your son.”It was like they weren’t taking it seriously. A nearly four year old child, foalnapped in Ponyville, unbelievable. Chalk it up as the yellow pegasus is just overreacting to her child having wandered off.On the couch, Jason had me wrapped in a hug as tears were in his eyes as well. I was too broken up to give Jason the news, so Discord had helped.Jason stroked my mane as he promised, “Fluttershy, I’ll find him.” I knew he was trying to calm both of us down, but it didn’t help.Even Discord was visibly upset, and depressed looking. I guess when you had as much power as he did, and couldn’t use it to help somepony close to you, it would be devastating.In my grieving I lost track of time. Just an endless sea of depression as I waited for somepony, anypony, to come to my door and tell me they found my son.

<~-~>

For three days, I lied on that couch, sobbing for my son. Friends came and went; Discord having teleported off because my incurable sadness was making him physically ill.I was ill too. I wouldn’t eat, I barely drank. I was just laying on the couch, sobbing. My friends were taking turns keeping me from outright stopping everything and withering away. It was Rarity’s turn today, and she answered the door when there was a heavy knock.I heard Jason mention something about a package for me, passed it to Rarity, then continued on his route. He may be grieving, but the ponies at his work aren’t. They only gave him two days off, and that was it, back to work.Rarity laid a brown package in front of the couch on the coffee table.“Jason said it was specifically for you,” she explained, looking between me and the package, “The pony who dropped it off was very specific that it get to you only.”“Probably junk,” I said through sobs as I rolled over, facing towards the back cushions.I heard Rarity open the package. “What’s this?” She asked, prompting me to glance over my shoulder.I saw in Rarity’s magic a crystal ball. A crystal ball swirling with green mist. From that green mist came cackling, a familiar laugh of a certain Queen.“My my, what happened to you since we last met Rarity?”“Chrysalis,” Rarity growled, her face reddening as she glared at the ball in her hold, “You’re the one who foalnapped Leo, aren’t you!?”The misty crystal sphere let out a cackle, “Yes. The little brat is filled with so much love, I couldn’t resist.”At news of my son, it was as if life returned to me and I jumped up from the couch, snatching the ball out of Rarity’s magic with my hooves.“Where is my SON!?” I screamed into the ball, quivering from aggression.Chrysalis let out a laugh that was cut off by a hacking cough, “With me. And it will remain that way until you do one simple thing. Come to the quarry in Gem Hills, alone.”Then the crystal ball shattered like glass in my hooves, the mist swirling slightly before disappearing on contact with the air.Rarity was steaming, the unwounded side of her face was redder than the scarred side. “That bitch!” She yelled, slamming a hoof down on my coffee table in rage, “I’ll show her what I do to scum like her.”I began to feel sick as Rarity went on a tirade, described giving Chrysalis something she called the ‘Fiend treatment’. I didn’t doubt for a second that Rarity would go through with what horrors she described.I interrupted her when she was at the point of pondering where she would get large metal hooks from. “No, Rarity. Leo may get hurt if we go and attack,” I said before swallowing, my head tilting down, “I-I’m going to do as she asks.”Rarity gasped, her mouth hanging open slightly, “But Gem Hills is Diamond Dog territory. She’s making you walk straight into a trap.”“There's a chance I can talk her into giving Leo back, safe and sound,” I explained rather softly, but the small kindness of my voice melted away as I furrowed my brow, “But if not, I’ll show that bug why you don’t get between a momma bear and her cubs!” I raged, fire burning in my eyes. One way or the other, I was getting my son back.I flew so fast up to my room that I must have been a blur of yellow. The first dresser in the nightstand contained a nine millimeter pistol. Safety on, unloaded.With the gun in hoof, I quickly remedied those two problems, and quickly slipped on the holster I kept from my re-arrival in Equestria. I kept the gun and holster as a reminder of how violent the wasteland was. I wouldn’t kill Chrysalis, I may even miss her completely, but it was probably enough to get my point across.Rarity made it up the steps and to my room just as I slipped the holster and loaded gun on, before I concealed it with my wing, and she gasped, her eyes widening, “Oh my.” She definitely wasn’t expecting me to arm myself with the only gun I owned.“If it’s a trap,” I said, standing motionless as I stared at the wall, “and she will not give me back my son, I just may drop her dead. Like one of those poor bloatflies in the Mojave.” I hated killing them, but they were just so sick and mean, so I had no other choice. And unfortunately in this case, I may have to repeat those events.

<~-~>

Gravel, dirt, and sand. Barely any plants, and as far as the eye can see… rocks. Maud would love this place in that weird way she loves all things sedimentary.I had been walking towards the quarry, abandoned by the miners because of some strike for better wages. It’s been thirty years and the machines still lay dormant, as if waiting for their workers to come back.It was chilling how close this place resembled the Mojave Wasteland.Craters were scattered all around from Diamond Dogs digging around, who were nowhere to be seen. What I could see, however, was a small cave entrance burrowed into the quarry, beside a long and rusted section of conveyor belt. There were still rocks waiting to be shipped to carts on the tracks.Taking a deep breath, I gave no hesitation when I shouted louder than Rainbow Dash, “CHRYSALIS, I’m here!”She must have been waiting for me. A laugh began to echo from the entrance of the cave, Chrysalis stepping out with a terrified Leo in her forelegs. Chrysalis had seen better days. The tip of her horn was chipped, her shell was covered in cracks and scratches, and one of her eyes had a film over it.“Momma!” He shouted, kicking and thrashing as he fought the Queen’s grasp.Chrysalis let Leo go, simple as that. My son ran to get to me like we hadn’t seen each other in forever… and in a way, we hadn’t. In a quick sprint, he was in my forelegs, hugging me as he cried. He looked the same as when he was taken - albeit more dirty - but wasn’t thin from lack of food. The fact saved Chrysalis from my gun… for now.“Now that you two are reunited. Drones,” she ordered loudly, smirking as a few black shelled changelings exited the cave. Two were dragging a fresh cocoon. “What, you seriously thought I’d let you leave? You two are practically a love factory, and after I capture you, the Elements of Harmony won’t work like they did for Discord.”I sighed, motioning with my wings, but not revealing the gun I concealed. My son was swept away by an invisible Rainbow Dash - who had to almost peel him off of me - using a Stealth-boy from Pinkie.Rarity had actually been the sensible one, talking me out of going alone. It didn’t take long for Twilight to form a plan, who now had teleported right beside me. She was dressed head to hoof in power armor, two laser rifles attached to the sides.Pinkie jumped out the cab of one of the shovel cranes, a Fat-Man on her shoulder as she was dressed in her NCR armor. Her hair was flat as a scowl was set across her face. A totally alien look in comparison to her normally bubbly attitude. “Game over, Chrysalis,” she declared with a dangerous tone, “Surrender now, or face immediate party cannon!”Applejack trotted up in her usual stetson, blue jeans, and shirt. Her face read nothing but barely kept in rage towards Chrysalis. She was unarmed, but we all knew her kicks could crack trees if needed. With a growl, Applejack pointed a hoof threateningly at the Queen, “If you so much as hurt a single darn hair on Leo’s head… I’ll remove yours.”Rarity didn’t so much as appear, as fire a warning shot into Chrysalis’ crown, knocking it off her head with a loud bang followed by the metal crown disintegrating to scrap bits. She must have used the Anti-Material rifle, instead of her smaller Hunting Rifle that she usually carried.Chrysalis and her guards froze when the shot destroyed the crown. Chrysalis’ eyes shrunk to pinpricks as she ducked low and covered her head with her hooves.Chrysalis began shaking fearfully, and I drew my gun with my hoof. With the weapon in hoof, I felt confident, and that confidence must have unlocked some dark part of me as I spoke low to the lying Queen, “You foalnapped one of two ponies who have helped me feel normal after the Mojave. More importantly, it was my young son. I have half the mind, and all the right, to kill you right now.” I growled menacingly, sending a shiver down my own spine with my words.Chrysalis shook even more, whimpering like a puppy as she cried in a language I didn’t know. The drones looking at the weapon I held with fear as well, frozen in their spots.“But I’m not going to,” I said taking a deep breath afterwards as I lowered my gun. Chrysalis took a peek through her hooves, her eyes holding nothing but fear. “I’m better than Caesar’s Legion, or the Fiends if half of what Rarity tells about them is true.” I replaced the gun to its holster and looked over to Twilight who stood silently in her armor, “I’ve said my piece, she’s all yours.”

<~-~>

Chrysalis surrendered without a fight. We found twenty seven malnourished drones hiding in the cave, along with several diamond dogs in cocoons. Guess they didn’t hold enough love to feed the remainder of the hive.I was pondering the small hive back at my house, Leo sleeping against my chest with his legs wrapped around me. She wanted me to feed her drones, her children. Was Chrysalis just a desperate mother?Jason gave Leo a kiss on the head, then looked me in they eyes with a knowing expression on his face, like he knew what I was thinking. “You’re thinking about that bug aren’t you?” He whispered so he wouldn’t wake Leo.“I was just thinking why she would do this. Revenge against Twilight for the wedding? Necessity for food? What?” I stroked Leo’s hair gently, “Why wouldn’t she just make a treaty with Celestia and not have to steal love?”Jason gave a light chuckle, “I couldn’t answer that. Ex-human remember. I may have been here for years, but I still don’t know a lot about magic. Love eating is one thing.” He shivered.I stroked Leo’s mane some more, “I know, but have you ever been in a battle that felt too easy? I mean, last time Chrysalis brought an army. I was expecting we had to fight through that cave to get to Leo.”There was a loud knocking at the door, Jason trotting over to open it so I wouldn’t disturb Leo.Opening the door, I heard a stallion asked in a rushed and panting tone, “Is Mrs. Brody here. I heard she takes care of injured animals.”I saw Jason give a nod, ushering in the stallion as two more ponies, a mare and another stallion, came in with a blue tarp, sagging from weight.I gently separated myself from Leo, who whimpered slightly before settling back to sleep.  Walking over to the tarp that was on my floor, the stallion spoke as he uncovered the tarp, saying, “I hit the thing with my cart and knocked it out. My wife decided I should bring it to you instead of letting it die.”I gasped at what was in the tarp… a cross of rattlesnake and coyote, the very dangerous, very deadly, and totally from the Mojave Wasteland. A Nightstalker.