Tales by Balefirelight (a Fallout: Equestria Group Collab)

I've Had Worse

by TundraStanza

“Were your pre-ghoul days as bad as having to fight a bunch of ferals and the mole-rats?”

The instant those words leave his mouth, my mind wanders to years before even I thought I could remember.

It was a simple infiltration mission.  Just pretend to follow the enemy’s orders and gather evidence to be used in their official war criminal record.  Most of the time, we were taking down creatures I didn’t like anyway.

It’s a shame that my Pipbuck decided that my luck was lousy.

The enemy general’s instructions seemed normal.  Escort these civilians through the security gates so that they could properly gather rations and leave.  Easy, right?

*krrt* “Gun ‘em all down!”

Magical bullets started flying from my assigned squad all at once.  I couldn’t let myself stand out as the one failing to follow orders.  I took no joy in shooting those three civilians.  It was easier than hitting bottles on a picket fence.

We were given the order to retreat.  I had to follow the general’s orders.  It would’ve been suspicious otherwise.  He gave me a hoof to hold onto as I started climbing into the motorized carriage.

“So, what message was that supposed to send?” I asked.

I had a new hole in my chest.  The enemy general had shot me.  My only thought was a question of how long he had known.

“This is no message,” he said with a sneer. “This is goodbye, little rogue.”

I lay in a pool of my own blood.

The memory ended.

“Actually,” I tell him, “I’ve had much worse.”