Fallout Equestria: Striving for the End

A grunted sigh escapes my lips as I make my way through a corridor. I tug at the side of my saddlebags to make sure that they remained tight, yet flexible. Wouldn’t want another incident of a thief thinking they’ll get lucky with a couple of bottle caps trying to get away with my gear or robbing me entirely.

Fortunately, my not-quite-so-concealed knife weapon was strapped to my bags, though closer to my hooves’ reach. I have ways to defend myself, and the local Stable security won’t hassle a stallion of my age over a sidearm... just as long as I don’t go crazy like my father did. I also learned a long time not to be trotting across the Stable with a full pocket full of bottle caps, unless I’m planning something to do with it. Thieves will get nothing, that’s the summery. It just means that I would have to go get more tools, more redundant and a pain in the flank than anything else to be honest.

I climb my way up a set of stairs when I had gone into the entrance of the corridor. Upon reaching the top, I was greeted by the sights and sounds of the city that could only be known as: Stable A104.

Ponies talking, jobs working, sounds booming, and sights seeing, this mass congregation of a civilian hub could only be known as the lunch break. This city had towers, buildings that would go far up into the air, and high-rises that loomed over the citizens below. Seemingly, they went for miles before being stopped in its tracks by the massive supports that curve into the shape of a dome as the ceiling of our city. Makes ponies realize just how large the Stable was, and just how small and insignificant we all were in comparison.

I personally preferred to stay down “Underground” in the maintenance tunnels.

I couldn’t stand how open it was up above. It wasn’t as open as many would think. If the close-packed buildings didn’t create a sense of claustrophobia, then it would be from the amount of ponies going by their day-to-day lives. Every ten steps and another ten new pairs of eyes would have walked past.

Only good thing I can think about having all these ponies is that we certainly won’t lack for genetic diversity. That said, I don’t know when the Stable was first made, where it originated. Has it always been here or not? Never was a fan of the unknown.

Turning a left past some small business complexes, I was just another face in the crowd. When ponies gazed, they would only see a tired old stallion living off the last fumes of his life, a cough may escape from him depending on how tough his morning was below surface level, the amount of dust that clung to his jumpsuit would speak for how much work he did in that particular span of hours. No one would care if a technician died in an electrical explosion underneath a home, so long as it didn’t damage the home. Being a technician can be boring and is certainly hard work, but one simple mistake and you’re finished.

Reminds me of surviving day-to-day as a younger colt... though with more wires involved.

A group of fillies and colts playfully ran passed me as I made my way down an intersection. They laughed and smiled, completely oblivious to the harsh realities of life they will each face when they grow older. I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel any envy for them being as carefree as they were.

Finally, I reach my destination, the Overmare Offices, noted by the giant letter ‘O’ placed on the front of its doorway and the way it was designed to look something like a government building, maybe just to show off its important to the rest of the Stable. Stable-tec , the makers of the Stable and everything within it. They might have gone a bit overboard with the design when they first built this place, though it is a lot easier to access.

I just wish they didn’t have so much stairs leading up to the entrance of this giant brick.

It’s true though, the more I thought about it, the more this place looked like a giant brick. A brick that then sat on top of another brick, and then another and another. Somehow that layering had blessed the design with stairs, though there were only two definitive frontal entrances and some that were used in an emergency. Such as those that lead into the tunnels.

I grasped the railing as I calmly made my way up the steps. If I didn’t mention it before then I will now, of all the places in Stable A104, I had to have found that the Overmare Offices was the place I hated the most. This was where I go to get my pay, my assignments, my everything pretty much. And these damn stairs everyday are just a terrible side flaw that I have to live through every time I have to come up here.

I made it indoors after an automatic metal-coated door opened for me allowing entrance. I then made my way towards the secretary (noticing just how sparse the place was. Where were all the guards?).

“Hello Sandy,” I said to the secretary mare with her head down. Her light-sanded hooves on her keyboard as she had her head down and her eyes hidden behind her long brown mane. She didn’t answer. “Sandy, it’s Ash. I’m here to see my daughter who’s in a meeting with the Overmare today,” I said, trying to explain. Still, no answer came from her. “Alright, Sandy. What’s going on –“ I lifted her head with a careful hoof and recoiled when I made the horrific discovery. I allowed her head to slump back into the previous position.

She was dead.

A clean bullet hole was left imbedded in her head. The trickle of blood still ran and though dark, remained bright enough to cast a reflection of light. She died only minutes ago.

No guards and a dead secretary. My first thoughts might have been selfish, but they were of my daughter and if she was in danger.

I don’t know what was happening; I needed to know if Fern was alright. I drop my saddlebags with my tools inside with a loud clang onto the ground. Strapping the knife to my jumpsuit belt this time, I hurried as I made my way down a corridor toward the Overmare’s room.

The eeriness of the empty hallways caused more panic to well up into the depths of my chest.

I arrive at a doorway, just like any other doorway in the whole damn Stable. The only difference was a panel overhanging sturdily on top of the frame with the word, “Overmare”. Such robust green lighting and the proudness behind the maintenance of that word ensured me that I was where I had to be.

What hit me first was the sight of crimson blood. It was over the walls, splattered all over the metal door, it had pooled onto the floor, and the source had been from a dead Stable security guard slumped down on the floor with his back against the wall. Holes riddled his chest cavity and blood was smeared all over the inside of his riot-shield helmet.

So much for protection, I thought to myself, still disgusted by the sight though not fazed. I have been alive for too long in this Stable to let a dead guard be called any more than a brutal murder. Not an average sight, though certainly odd for today’s time. Right here in the Overmare’s Offices? It can’t be a coincidence.

My examination of the dead body ceased when I heard a clamor of objects falling and crashing in the Overmare’s room. Crying and loud wails were heard, I couldn’t understand the words but I understood the voices.

“Fern…” I whispered to myself. It was dangerous to make any noise; whoever was killing all these ponies was likely in the room with the Overmare… and my daughter.

I backed away from the door, there was no way I could simply enter that easily and expect not to end up like that dead guard over there. My eyes darted around the hallway. Something, anything I could use to get another way in…

Aha! The ventilation ducts!

Not those small ones I could probably have squeezed into when I was a foal, but these fan vents could be large enough for me to crawl into. It was easy to find one, they happen to be on every single ceiling in this building from what I recall from my maintenance record. Trouble was, they were on the ceiling.

More noises and shouts came from the Overmare’s room. I have to work fast.

Thank Stable-tec for making their interior ceiling design so much lower!

I was able to stand on my hind legs, and jump towards a fan vent. My hooves gripped the edges, and already I could feel my weight having an impact on making it sag. I wiggled around and tried to jerk it down on top of me. I slammed my hoof against one of the screws holding it in place.

Suddenly, the whole thing fell along with me to the ground. I landed on my back, and the panel along with the fan landed on my front. No sound occurred minus a grunt of pain escaping from my mouth with a tired breath.

“Argh, that hurts -- that really hurts a lot. Ouch…”

Just had to remind myself that this was better than going through a direct approach with the door. I got myself back up to my hooves while carefully placing the fan that fell on me carefully to the side. I was really considering that option with the door though.

I rubbed my front hooves together in anticipation and leaped towards the open vent, the feeling of gripping the metal layer of such a vent was one that comforted me during my time at the Stable. I soon hoisted myself into a dark and gloomy grate. Claustrophobia around the Stable was rare since everything was so compact, though few ponies had the pleasure of crawling face-first through a nearly pitch-black dusty vent cut off from the regular traffic of ponies and surrounded instead by four walls that threatened to squeeze them forever in darkness and never be found again.

Places like these were constant reminders my foalhood, and truly what I considered to be home.

I made my way through the dusty shaft; I could feel the strain in preventing my back from bumping against the ceiling, and my hooves from scraping against the more rusted areas of the vent. Heading in the direction towards the voices, I begin to hear them more clearly.

“… please we don’t –“

My daughter.

“—Enough! We only want information,” a booming eloquent voice responded. Not one I can recall, but I can hear the agitation behind it.

“Look, I don’t know what it is you’re after—“ I heard a feminine voice. Sounding of authority, though frightened, it definitely must’ve been the Overmare.

Immediately, I heard a loud bang. My daughter screamed. I could hear circuits sparking and frying. The sound of reloading confirmed my fears: it was a gunshot.

I crawled faster through the vents until I turned a corner and noticed light permeating between the bars of a vent grate. I reminded myself to be discreet as I approached it. Carefully, ever so slightly, I pulled my head closer towards the opening for risk of being seen.

As my eyes finally made it to the point I could see, I could view everything in the room below me. The Overmare, her mane already grey from her old age stood alongside my daughter Fern in front of a control panel. Fern has the same mane colour as I did when I was younger, a dark-black, her coat a lighter green compared to mine thanks to her mother, an Earth pony by standards and possibly why she has an interest into dirt and plant work, but her eyes are what I wanted to see. They were the same brilliant emerald luster of her mother’s, and now, they were horrified and covered in tears.

Opposite to them stood four ponies, ponies that didn’t belong in the Stable. Outsiders, I thought to myself as I gritted my teeth. So I guess the rumors were true. Not all of them of course, but at least now I know there has to be more than this Stable. The thought of an outside world beyond the confines of this place enticed me -- but I had to stay focused – my daughter was in danger, and if they so touch just a hair on her…

I grit my teeth from the mere thought.

I positioned the viewpoint I had to get a better angle on the outsiders. They’re wearing such strange outfits. Not any uniform I’ve ever seen, two of them are actually carrying some type of bulked up armor. Just looking at those and I could feel the energy they were giving off.

“He won’t ask nicely again lady,” one beige pegasus said to the Overmare. Wearing a uniform with yellow bars going down his shoulders, and a cap marked with an insignia of wings and a puffed up white ball, he looked more like a respected battle commander than a murderous lunatic. His pistol was holstered to his side, but I could see the stain of blood on the tip of the barrel of the firearm.

I stared at it, my troubling past helped to piece the details together. He had to have put that right up to a pony and fired. Probably shot them in the head when they weren’t looking. Or... when they were.

He turned his attention to the pony aiming a larger gun, a shotgun, coated white and with three barrels fused together around a support frame, pointed towards the Overmare. The pony himself was wearing a black duster coat that went down to near the bottom of his hooves, and went just as high to cover the mouth of his muzzle. A pair of green and purple lines went up from the right arm of his coat to the neck cover near his muzzle. A bald white coloured pony, couldn’t see his eyes from this angle. I have to keep an eye on him though. He seems to be calling the shots.

“Please, be reasonable, Overmare. We only have a simple request. Just a small one, one that will make a big difference. You can be a part of it. You will change lives as a result. No more lives need to be taken today -- you have my word,” the white bald stallion said to her. Something about the niceness behind his tone made me want to hoof him across the face. He wasn’t smug either. He completely sounded genuine.

Finally got a look at his eyes: bright green, but I could see some blue around his iris. Just short little strands. Never saw anything quite like it, it couldn’t be natural. I made sure to get a very good look at him.

“Come on, we’re wasting time. Just shoot them and be done with it,” a pegasus next to the bald pony.

This pegasus was covered in a sleek and shining black armor that looked more plastic than metal. It covered her all across his body except for his head, which left a sandy-pelted mare with a rugged brown mane stood across the middle of her scalp. The same double line colouration ran down her hoof like the bald pony’s uniform, except that it went down both hooves and went up from her back neck to her tail in a straight robust line. She stood proud and strong and attached to her hooves were large gloves that went over top of her armor. They looked like weapons that could pack a punch.

“Commander Thunderhoof…” another armored pony said to her with a stallion-like voice through a respirator, almost demeaning her. This time his armor scheme was more dull grey, a tinge of green with no coloured markings. The difference was that this pony had its helmet on. A frightening mask to say the least, it had tubes going from one end to another on his body, but definitely the most heavily armored of the group. I noticed it had a transparent section on the top of its helmet which housed a pink horn. A unicorn no less, and in full armor: a dangerous combination.

“Fine… fine, but don’t come crying to me if Command decides to kick your flank for taking too long. We got other places to get to,” she said with an exalted sigh towards the pony in full armor. “This place is garbage anyway.”

The one thing in common that they all had except for the heavily armored unicorn was an emblem of clouds and wings, a pair of eyes gazed out from the shelter of a single arch with green and purple overtop their black uniforms and armor.

After witnessing all of them, and the situation at hand, I determined that this plan of mine was pure suicide. But my daughter was there, I have to keep her safe no matter the cost.

I continued to crawl my way over the grating, certain they were too distracted to look up and then went around back to continue looking, this time getting a good look at each of their faces. They talked more, but my daughter and the Overmare remained silent, more terrified and unsure of what to do.

Soon I was joined by a small rat also in the ventilation ducts with me. It must wonder what this big random pony was doing in its home. It looked at me and noticed I was still observing those below me, so it did the same. My eyes were transfixed on the gun aimed at the Overmare, a little to the left and – no – not my daughter…

Suddenly, the rat fell through the vent grating as it tried to get a closer look. It fell to the ground harmlessly, everypony in the room noticing as it skirted off to hide in a dark corner.

“Oh, crap!” I said quietly to myself as I ducked my head out from the view as soon as possible.

Did they see me? They didn’t look up yet. They must’ve looked up. Okay, good I don’t think they have—right better keep going, I was kidding myself, I had no idea what I would do when I worked my way down these vents. I saw a working fan when I was looking down, maybe I could use that but after… after I wouldn’t know what to do.

These were ponies I never seen before, that the Stable hasn’t seen before. There’s no telling where they came from or what they can do. Still, I never have seen an outsider before.

This ventilation path is complicated, but at least I can get the jump of them. I continued down the dusty hallway of barely breathable room, and got to a vertical shaft. The drop wasn’t too high, though I tried to reduce as much noise as I could when climbing down it.

I approach the spinning fan from the opposite side. I couldn’t see the room as the blades were spinning at a threatening speed and was exposed to my general direction. I was able to hear some more words being exchanged between the two parties, but the wind from the face drowned out my ears.

Recalling from previous maintenance problems I had to deal with, I looked for a panel that holds the circuits that connects the fan to the power line. Luck would have it that the circuit panel was right to the left of the giant fan. I smacked the panel off with one hoof and reached in with my other – seconds later – I pull and yank out as many cords as I could, small showers of sparks emerging when I did.

The fan quietly began to slow down until it stopped; quiet and stillness on the fan’s metal blades gave me comfort I wasn’t going to have a hoof chopped off. However, on the other side of the fan as I peered through the slits, I saw the backsides of the four outsiders, the closest being the distinguished battle-commander type in his military suit. Further ahead stood the Overmare and my daughter – now having spread her hooves out in front of the Overmare to protect her.

“You can’t do this! I won’t let you kill her just for some stupid information!” she shouted at them, her fear in her voice was audible.

Damn it! I shouted in my head. They haven’t noticed me, but I began to work on the giant bolts that held the fan in place. Why do these have to be so tight!? Fern, FERN! I kept shouting in my head. No, these bolts were too tight. I can use my knife as a jack to wedge them out and then use my mouth, but the panic was getting to me. Come on! OPEN!

“Please, it was not my intention to hurt you. But if the Overmare cannot comply, then she must die,” the bald white stallion said to her. He sounded like he was appealing to her, but his words rang hollow. My daughter just stood there, she had to protect the Overmare. Chaos would ensue if she didn’t.

Come on Fern, just a few more seconds, just a few more— trying to fight back the desperation and focus on saving her.

“I’m…” the white stallion started to say.

NO! I shouted inside my head. My stomach fell into such a hole that the panic I was feeling was tearing into my sides.  No don’t do this, please don’t do this—

“… sorry,” the white stallion finished, raising his gun. Her eyes widened at the sight of that. Then she looked past it, she could see me behind the fan, she could see me struggling to save her. Those emerald eyes, they were looking to me to protect her, to make sure she would be alright.

Fern, FERN! I practically shouted that as a whisper. Just one more bolt, just one more--

A loud shot rang out through the room. The noise rebounded on wall after wall after wall. A loud boom as strong as sitting next to thunder, quietly turned into a stillness of sound.

FERN!

All my worst dreams and nightmares were coming to a reality. My daughter, my one and only daughter.

Holes riddled her chest, dark red liquid was pooling onto her green fur, it soaked through her Stable jumpsuit.

No… Fern… I had finally managed to unbolt the last bolt with my mouth, but the pain I felt in my heart. The bolt dropped to the floor from my agape mouth. Fern could not survive this. These outsiders would just let me take her willingly to a hospital. My legs felt weak, I felt as if my whole life was now meaningless in that flash of gunfire.

My daughter gasped for air, blood dribbled down from her mouth. Her eyes were horrified, filled with shock as she continued to look at me as if she were experiencing the most incredible pain that could ever be felt. Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed onto the floor. The Overmare behind her was shot as well from the bullets that went through my daughter, but she was alive.

She was alive thanks to my daughter.

My daughter is dead.

Tears poured from my eyes, as I stared, absolutely helpless to have stopped it. I grind my hoof against the fan. I’m hit with a flash of sweat, and a boiling fire burned deep down in my gut that had sunken so low. My body felt completely numb, I didn’t realize I had bitten my lip as hard as I did. I felt my pupils shrink back as my vision focused on the white stallion that had murdered my daughter.

My daughter is dead.

I grind my hoof against the fan metal. My grip tightens as I grasp the blade that I carried.

My daughter is dead.

My teeth grit, as if I was trying to crush them.

My daughter is dead.

My daughter is *DEAD*.

All I could think about, all I could think was just how much I was going to rip this stallion apart with my bare hooves. My rage was unrivaled, and in a second, it was let loose from its cage.

*   *   *

I shouted, my voice boomed with the roar of coursing thunder as I slammed open the fan as I burst from my hiding spot. “RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!” was what the group heard; as they turned their necks it was already too late.

My hooves had grabbed onto the battle-commander with him having no time to even be surprised. My hoof held my knife as it fell through his neck splattering the handle and coated my green fur in warm blood. With this pony in front of me as a shield, I raise him up and grab the pistol from his holster with my other hoof, letting pure adrenaline and rage take over.

I fired a shot at the stallion that murdered my daughter, my aim was unstable and with no help for my rage, it missed. A return shot was fired and I ducked behind the body of the pony I had grabbed, his flesh protecting my life. With another pull of the trigger, I fire a shot and it hits into the white stallion’s chest.

I heard a clang, I thought nothing of it as he fell down to one of his knees in pain, thinking it was from the shotgun that he also dropped from his hooves.

I saw someone in the corner of my eye. A giant metallic fist punched me off from the side of my head and away from the body I was holding. Immediately, I tried to fire off another shot, at somepony, anypony: outsider one, outsider two, the murderer, buck it -- even the Overmare for being the reason my daughter sacrificed her life.

Before I could, a sound rang through the air. A gunshot that wasn’t mine.

I look down to my right side and notice a hole. Soon, a stream of blood came down it. The adrenaline from my rage ended, a sense of euphoria washed over me, and I instantly fell from my legs in pain.

As I fell to the ground, I saw that the stallion, the murderer of my daughter, had brought a pistol up from underneath his coat, and that was what hit me in the side of my chest.

My body was numb once more, the pain of the bullet had overtaken me and I was down on the ground, the pistol I took fell from my grasp and away from my reach. Any movment I make hurt my side with a raging flare of painful spikes.

It's been a while since I was shot... I half-mumbled to myself, not sure if I was able to speak or if I thought I could.

My vision blurred as I saw the figures circle around me.

The stallion approached, wiping away the spot underneath his coat where my bullet had hit him. Now, he switched his pistol for his shotgun and was aiming right at my head.

“Damn it… killed… Admiral,” I heard off to the side.

“…Obstacle… no loose… ends,” I could hear the voice of that stallion.

“Look… dead already… don’t waste… time we need… deal… Overmare—,” the pony in the heavy metallic armor said to the white stallion. That got the gun out of my face and then pointed at something else from outside my view. A shot fired, and a scream followed after.

I felt someone join me down on the floor with a thud as I laid there.

Then just pure silence.

The Overmare… of course… damn it, I tried to keep breathing. I sighed. Damn you... just...

“—Good now… extract… Crystal… we need… that heart is…” the pony continued.

That was when I passed out into the dark abyss.

My only thoughts were of Fern and what I could even say to her mother if there was a crossover between the living and death. I failed. I completely failed everyone I ever cared for.

The stallion’s face haunts my period of limbo. I replay the scene over and over and over in my head. I will never be able to move on from that. My daughter's death... that's not something a lifetime could ever forget.

I... I failed her.

Those eyes seeking help, the gunshot, the pain, oh the pain I could see the moment when... what kind of pony would gun down an innocent kid? M-my... kid.

Emery, forgive me... please.

My thoughts turn back to that stallion. The bald one, with those eyes. Outsiders... there's no telling what they could do.

I know a fact though.

He's still just a pony.  And he can still die.

He will not get away with this. He just took the one pony that mattered and my reason for living. I will be glad to return the favor for him, after all…

I have nothing else to lose, and HE has everything that can be lost.