Tales by Balefirelight (a Fallout: Equestria Group Collab)

Devotion

by TundraStanza

“Well, well, well,” said High Seat with a commending attitude, “You’ve taken this humble city by surprise. No pony has beaten Crotch Burner until now. I can tell just by looking at you that you’re not one of the regular workers.” He folded his not-at-all creepy looking bat wings. “Now, who are you and what brought you this way?”

‘Don’t say anything,’ thought the colt, ‘As long as you play the part of the mute, he won’t have any leverage.’

“Please, feel free to state your opinion,” encouraged High Seat, “Don’t let that loaded turret behind your head scare you… or the heavily armed guards. Additionally, I’d appreciate it if you try not to pull the mute façade. We have recordings of you being able to shout profanities at the gladiators, after all.”

‘S***.’

“Heh, it’s kind of a strange story involving some mare I met just outside this place.”

“Douba-Ewe,” muttered Seat, “I should have known. Let me guess, she fed you some lines about how we of the upper order are doing nothing to protect the miners and smelters.”

“Eh-heh,” chuckled the colt nervously.

“I fully acknowledge that conditions aren’t at their best right now, but make no mistake. We are working toward a cure for the painful mutations caused by the harsh atmosphere. It will take time, but we will get there. As soon as it’s ready, we’ll be able to share it with the rest of the city.”

“Yeah…” The colt needed a topic change and fast. “So, what do I have to do to get into your guards’ ranks?”

Seat smirked. “I like your enthusiasm, boy. Right now, we could use some help restoring some order to the rebellious attitude floating around. It shouldn’t take too much of your time.”

The intercom cracked with a voice. “Sir! The rebels are closing in toward the mansion. There’s too many to gun down!”

“What?!” High seat exclaimed back before cursing under his breath. “Fine. I’ll be right down there.” He turned the microphone off on his end. “I’d really appreciate your help in this endeavor, boy.” He galloped out of the room.

“Um, yeah! I’m right behind you!” hollered the colt before muttering, “… about five kilometers behind you.”

‘Now if I was a cure,’ he thought while slowly walking the hallway off to the side, ‘I’d probably be where there are scientists working twenty-four/seven.’ He entered a room where a mare was trotting around in a lab coat.

“Huh? What are you doing back here?” The mare asked.

“Um, it’s okay,” stammered the colt, “I’m with High Seat.”

“Oh,” said the mare, “I guess you must be important for my husband to let you back here.” She smiled in a welcoming light. “Anyway, I think we’re really getting leeway on researching the cure for mutation exposure.” She suddenly started whispering. “Oh, but please keep your voice down. Malleable is sleeping in the crib over there.”

‘Wait, what?’

“Aren’t you worried about a foal being so close to experimental lab equipment?” wondered the colt with a disturbed look.

“Not at all,” said the mare while beaming, “In fact, work towards the cure would be impossible without her. You see, we were looking for samples of cells that could so much as resist the effects of the mutation. Well, as it turns out, little Malleable there is completely immune to the gas. Why, she’s practically the safest pony in the whole city. With a little time and effort, she’ll be able to offer what the rest of us couldn’t. Isn’t that just the most exciting thing ever?”

The colt nearly blew his cover by choking on his own spit. “Y…Yeah… exciting… That’s exactly what I was going to call it.”

“Well, I’d better get back to work,” said the mare, “You should probably get back to whatever it was that my husband requested of you.”

“Uh-huh,” he numbly replied before stiffly trotting out of the lab and closing the door.  He then promptly fell onto his haunches and placed his forelegs on top of his head.

‘F*** you, Douba-Ewe!’ he thought in mixed emotions, ‘You said I was going in, finding an item, and bringing it to you to use as a bargaining chip for the freedom of your little ponies. You said nothing about foal-napping!’

He punched his Pipbuck against the nearby wall.

‘I steal money, kill raiders and monsters, and desecrate graveyards. But I draw the line at taking foals right from under their parents’ muzzles.’

He banged his head lightly against that wall.

‘High Seat may be a corrupt bastard, but at least he cares about his child… his family. That takes something that I thought was extinct in this day and age. It takes true devotion.’

He sighed. “Maybe I can talk Douba-Ewe into calling it off.” He chuckled humorlessly. “Yeah, and while I’m at it, maybe I’ll shed my skin and transform into the next Princess Celestia.”

With a heavy heart, he began to trot the long distance between High Seat’s mansion and Douba-Ewe’s hideout.

“Why can’t things ever be easy?”