Fallout Equestria: Ice and Soul

Chapter 3: Meat

I was sleeping comfortably in my bed when I heard a loud bang and my eyes shot open, the room was bathed in an orange light coming from outside. There was a crash and screaming from down the hall. I looked over at Nickel sitting up in his bed.

“What’s going on?” he asked. I shrugged when another crash was heard from the hallway. Nickel rolled out of bed grabbing his shot gun and heading towards the door. I jumped out of bed and followed him.

The door suddenly burst open and standing in the door was a ragged looking pony, he was covered in dirt and grim. His barding was made out of mismatched clothes and materials, he was holding a knife in his mouth. Nickel took one look at the pony and fire his shot gun right into the ponies face. The ponies head flew off his shoulders and splatted on the wall behind him. Nickel pumped his shot gun and stepped over the headless body of the pony. “Celestia dammit, fucking raiders.” He said stepping into the hall.

I stepped into the hall behind him. There were three more raiders in the hall. One was  an earth pony mare was trying to kick down a door, while another unicorn stallion was standing next to her magically holding a sledge hammer. The last was an earth pony stallion dragging a mare down the hall by her mane with his teeth.

Nickel took aim and shot the raider dragging the townpony, the buckshot hit the raider in the side. The town pony crawled into a nearby room and shut the door behind her. He loaded another shell into the chamber and turned the gun the other two raiders. The raider with the sledge hammer ran towards nickel swinging the large hammer. Nickel ducked under the swing placed the barrel against the raider’s chest and fired. The raider fell with a large hole in his chest, the last raider gave up trying to break down the door and headed towards the opposite end of the hall jumping through a window to escape.

Nickel went to the door the mare was trying to break down and gently rapped on the door. I went to the broken window and looked out. The mare who jumped out was hobbling away her back leg broken. But it was what else happening that drew my attention. Some of the buildings were on fire. The streets were filled with raider ponies dragging off town ponies while others were in a shootout with a couple of town ponies.

Nickel was still knocking on the door calling for somebody to answer. “Hello is anybody in there, it’s okay the raiders are gone now.” He said.

“Go away I’m warning you I have a gun.” Said a shaky voice from the other side of the door.

“It’s okay im not a raider.”

“I said GO AWAY!” screamed the pony in the room.

“Fine stay in there. Come on son let’s see if we can find the sheriff.” Nickle said running towards the stairs.

I caught up to him and asked “What’s going on, who were those ponies?”

“Raiders, probably just a bunch of drug fueled psychos.” Nickle said as we ran down the stairs.

The lobby of the hotel was destroyed the pony behind the desk was dead her throat slit. Two more bodies laid on the floor.  We stepped around the bodies out onto the street. It was utter chaos. The street were littered with the bodies of raiders and town ponies. The town ponies who were fighting back had retreated into a building firing at the raiders through the windows. I could hear the screams of ponies being carried off into the night.

A bullet hit the ground at our hoofs. Across the street a raider was shooting at us. I jumped behind a newspaper dispenser while Nickel fired back while taking cover behind a blue mailbox. The raider began reloading when nickel peeked over the mailbox aimed and fired killing the raider. He smiled at me with his shot gun in his mouth. I was about to smile back when out of nowhere a raider carrying a shovel with a sharped edge ran up behind him and slashed at his side. Nickel dropped the shot gun and fell to the ground. I saw the white snow turn crimson red around Nickle’s fallen body.

Time seemed to stop as I saw the raider raise the shovel for the killing blow.  It was like looking through a tunnel all I could see was that raider. I must have screamed because the raider looked at me. I charged forward ready to tear the raider limb from limb I felt my wings extend and with one flap I was launched forward like a rocket.

I tackled the raider and was on top of them. I just started stomping on their face until it was a bloody pulp. When I finally stopped the face was caved in their face now just bones and meat. I looked down at the lifeless form of the raider that killed my friend and felt cheated. They didn’t suffer enough, but it’s not just this one raiders fault is it, it’s all their fault the Nickel died. I thought to myself.  I saw another group of raiders dragging off and mare into the darkness. I ran after them I was going to make them all pay.

There were about five ponies including the one they captured. The raiders were carrying all sort of different weapons, knives, pool cues, baseball bats, and one had a rifle. I ran towards the nearest one jumping on his back. I wrapped my foreleg around his neck. The raider tried bucking me off but I just squeezed tighter and pulled up on his head and twisting it resulting in a loud snap the raider’s body crumbled. I got off the body when I was struck in the face with a bat. I didn’t feel the pain I was too full of rage and hatred to feel such things. The unicorn mare with the bat was reading to strike me again while the stallion with the knife circled me. The raider with the rifle grabbed the town pony in their teeth and started dragging her off.

The unicorn with the bat swung at me, I ducked under the bat and used my wings to propel me forward slamming into her knocking her over. I grabbed her head between my hooves and smashed her head into the cracked pavement several times. The raider in with the knife was slashing at my back and sides. I reared up my back legs and bucked the raider in the face knocking backwards. Turning around to face the raider he ran at me slashing at my face. I caught the blade with my teeth biting down on the blade as hard as I could. The raider and I fought over the knife with our mouths.

I felt the blade cut my tongue and cheeks as we struggled over control of the knife. The raiders twisted the knife prying it from my mouth. Gaining control of the knife he jabbed the knife towards my face I threw up my foreleg. The knife stabbed me in the foreleg between the hoof and the knee.

Out of the darkness a blaring siren was heard of in the distance. The raider I was fighting let go of the knife and ran off into the darkness. The sound of fighting died, there were still a few shots could be heard coming from a few of the town ponies shooting into the distance.  The world seemed to come back to me. I was in so much pain, my back was covered in deep cuts and my head hurt, and of course my leg was in excruciating pain. I grabbed the knife with my teeth and yanked it out of my leg, a small trickle of blood started leaking out of the deep wound.  I saw the red liquid and remembered Nickel laying in the street. Nickel, maybe he’s okay, maybe he wasn’t hurt as bad as I thought! I thought to myself hopefully, turning around running back to where I saw him fall. As soon as I put weight on my injured leg it gave out as if it my knee was made of water. I got back on my hoofs and hobbled to the hotel.

The cold air and wind must have numbed my body cause my others injuries bothered me less and less. I reached the spot in front of the hotel, Nickel was gone but I could still see where the snow was turned red by his blood. I started to panic looking around for any sign of him. What if the raiders took him? What if he died, I shouldn’t have left him. I probably could have saved him or at least keep the raiders from dragging him off like they did with those other ponies I saw. I thought to myself.

In front of the doctor’s office was a group of ponies huddled together. I quickly hobbled towards them hoping they could tell me where Nickel is. I stopped when a bullet kicked up gravel and dirt in front of me. Several town ponies with guns surrounded me, An old unicorn mare magically pointed a strange rifle at me and said “Don’t move you fucking raider, and drop the knife.”

I didn’t realize I was still holding the knife I quickly spit the knife onto the ground and kicked it away. “I’m not a raider, I’m looking for my friend. He was hurt I don’t ….” I was interrupted by the old mare who looked to be the leader of the town ponies. She demanded that I lay face down on the ground. I lowered myself to the ground and put my head down like she told me. I really wasn’t going to argue with a group of angry frightened ponies with guns.

Out of the crowd in front of the doctor’s office a little voice screamed out “Stop he’s not a raider.” I looked up and saw Pipe Wrench run out of the huddled ponies up to the leader. “He’s not a raider, he’s Mister Blank Flank.” She told the crowd.

“You know this pony little one?” the mare asked.

“He’s the one that save Miss Syringe and me from slavers.” She explained.

“Okay, you can get up now stranger. Sorry about that but with all that blood we didn’t know whose side you’re on.”

‘Blood’ I looked at my hooves and jacket and saw them covered in drying blood. “its okay, Im looking for my friend Wooden Nickel have you seen him?” I asked trying to wipe the blood off my hooves.

“Old Nickel, yeah he’s fine the docs looking at him right now.” I felt very relieved knowing that my friend wasn’t dragged off by the raiders. “Buckle you take some others do a perimeter check, if you find any raiders don’t kill them if you can help it. I want to know where they took are people,” She commanded the other ponies. “I will stay here and help this one.” She said hooking her leg undermine pulling me up.

The old mare had a light caramel coat with a light green mane streaked with gray her cutie mark was a bronze six pointed star. She had deep lines in her face to show her age.  She was wearing a heavy wool coat. She magically slung the strange rifle and turned to head to the Doctors office. I followed her with Pipe wrench walking besides me. I wasn’t limping as bad as before as we made the short distance to the Doctors office.

The mare slowed her pace to allow me and Pipe to catch up. “My name is Longmare I am the sheriff and mayor of Faribuck. What’s your name?”

“I don’t have a name.” I explained.

“What do you mean you don’t have a name?” Longmare asked suspiciously.

“He doesn’t remember anything.” Pipe said. “I just call him mister blank flank. But Miss Syringe says it not polite to call him that.”

“Blank flank huh, how do you feel about that stranger?” she asked. I could feel her eyes on my bare flank. I shrugged but honestly I was starting to feel a little self-conscious about it.

Sheriff Longmare must have noticed my limping or most likely saw all the cuts because she said “You should probably have the good Doctor take a look at you before seeing old Nickel.

“I’m fine, I will see him after I know Nickel is okay.” I said sternly.

“How do you know old Nickel anyways stranger?” she asked.

“We met on the road yesterday. He needed help pulling his wagon.”

“If you only met him yesterday why do you care about that old buck so much?” she asked.

"Because, he’s my friend.” I stated flatly. I didn’t think there was a need for anymore explanation. I didn’t have any other reason he was simply my friend.

We got to the Doctors office and the crowd moved aside so the Sheriff, Pipe, and I could get into the office. When we got inside there were ponies sitting on the chairs lining the walls or sitting on the floor, some were drinking the purple potions while others sat quietly parts of their bodies wrapped in bandages. Syringe was petting a young colt whose foreleg was bandaged. He was crying asking were him mother was. She petted and reassured him that his mother was alright and she would be back shortly. It was the same tone she used for Pipe when we were all captured by raiders. This time I could tell she was lying this, the colts mother was probably dragged off by the raiders.

The doctor came out of one of the rooms his white coat covered in blood. The sheriff called out him. “Doctor I got another patient for you.”

“I have enough patients Sheriff, if they are about dead I’m sorry but I can’t do anything I’m just about out of healing potions and on my last roll of healing bandages. And the nurse and I are about tapped out of healing magic.” The Doctor explained sadly.

“What about Nickel, is Nickel okay?” I asked the doctor.

“I don’t know who that is. Nurse who’s the next patient?”

“Nickel he’s an old earth pony stallion. Wears a puffy blue jacket.” I told the doctor.

“I don’t know, I’m busy.” The doctor said brushing me off as he inspects the bandages of a town pony.

“Which room is he in, I just want to check to see if he’s okay.” I started limping towards one of the doors when the Sheriff stuck a hoof out blocking me.

“The doctors busy right now. Let’s just take a seat and wait for the doctor.”

“But what about nickel, what if he needs help.” I protested.

“Nickel was one of the first ones brought in. I’m sure he’s fine now let’s just take a seat.”

The Sheriff walked me over to a bare spot on the floor and had me sit down. She left to go outside. Pipe sat next to me as I waited for I don’t know long. Time seemed to crawl in the office it probably didn’t help that I couldn’t stop thinking about Nickel.

Pipe and I sat there on the floor for a while watching ponies being treated by the doctor or for more minor Injuries by Syringe. She finally got to us and saw Pipe sitting next to me. “Pipe what are you doing here I told you to go back to the room and to wait for me.”

“I was Miss Syringe but then I saw Mister Blank Flank, the Sheriff thought he was a raider and was going to shoot him.” She explained.

“Pipe Wrench what did I say about calling him that,” she said scolding Pipe. “I’m sorry about that,” she said turning to me. “Now what are your injuries?” she asked. I twisted so I could better show her the cuts on my back and side. The cuts stung when I twisted, I hissed at the pain a little bit. She gasps when she saw how many of them there were. I then rolled up my sleeve showing the stab wound in my foreleg. “Sweet goddess.” She whispered. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

“I’m okay it doesn’t hurt that bad, I’m more worried about Nickel is he okay?”

Syringe seemed to ignore me as she called out to the doctor. “Doctor we have a severely wounded pony here.” She pulled me to my hooves and asked if I could walk. I nodded my head as he led me to one of the back rooms, Pipe followed us into the room where the doctor was finishing with another pony who was sipping on a tiny vile of healing potion.

“Drink the rest of that and change your bandages, come back to me if you have any problems.” The doctor told the other pony as they left the room. “Now what is it nurse.” The doctor asked slightly annoyed.

“The patient has a deep stab wound on their right foreleg and multiple deep cuts on back and side.” She said as she had me sit on a table in the middle of the room.

The Doctor walked over to me and took my right foreleg in his hooves and examined the wound. “It’s amazing,” he said astonished. “The ulnar Artery has been punctured, you should have bled out long ago, but it seems the bleeding has stopped on its own.”

“So I’m okay then.” I said hoping to get out of there to find Nickel.

“Not yet you’re not, the wound needs to be cleaned, closed up, and you should take some healing potion to prevent infection. Nurse I am going to need disinfectant and the sewing kit, some bandages, magical won’t be necessary, and about half a vial of healing potion.” The doctor said letting go of my foreleg as he prepped to close the wound on my leg.

Syringe left the room coming back in a a minute later levitating a brown bottle, a small white box, and a small vial of purple healing potions.

The Doctor magically took the supplies from Syringe and laid them down on the table next to me. “I’m sorry but we ran out of pain killers earlier.” The doctor said apologetically as he magically lifted the brown bottle and unscrewed the white cap. He grabbed my leg and held it up as he poured a clear liquid from the bottle into the wound.

“It’s okay doctor I’m sure I will be fineeeee.” I nearly screamed as the liquid touched my flesh and started to foam the liquid burned my flesh. I have been shot and beaten but this has been the worst pain I have felt so far.

Pipe Wrench jumped on the table next to me and watched the foaming liquid with fascination. The doctor screwed the cap back onto the bottle and set it down. He magically opened the white box and levitated out a needle and thread. He threaded the needle and looked at me and said ominously. “Here comes the painful part.” I stuck the needle into my skin next to the cut. I clenched my teeth as he started sewing the wound close. I looked over at Syringe who had looked away holding a hoof next to her face blocking the scene. Pipe looked away as well and looking a bit green. While I won’t say that it was more painful than the liquid from the brown bottle it was a different kind of pain.

The doctor finished stitching my wound close, with tiny scissors from the white case. “There we go, worst parts over.” He said returning the scissors and thread to the white case throwing the used needle into a nearby trash can. “Now drink this while I look at the cuts on your back.” He said magically uncorking the small vial and floating it up to my lips. I drunk the potion remembering the taste from when Syringe gave it to me. It wasn’t better the second time I thought to myself. I could feel the small amount of potion already going to work. The pain in my leg disappeared and the sting from the cuts in my back dulled. “Well the cuts aren’t too serious. Nurse clean and dress the wounds while I get started on the next patient.” The Doctor said leaving the room.

Syringe found a rag and filled a bucket with water and started wiping away the blood on my back. When she was done she dressed the wound with some bandages. Pipe had fallen asleep next to me on the table. I sat there silently while Syringe worked the only sound was Pipe’s light slow breathing. “So,” I said breaking the silence. “How did you and Pipe escape the raiders?”

“We were staying in the same house as the Doctor and the Sheriff. The sheriff heard them trying to break in and protected us and some others.” She said finishing with the bandages. “There all done, how are you feeling?”

“Good can I see Nickel now?” I asked hoping to finally see my friend.

“You should probably go back to bed and give your body a chance to rest and heal.” She said as she cleaned up the room and poured out the bloody water in a nearby sink.

“I’m fine. I just want to know if my friend is okay.” I felt irritated all I wanted was to make sure Nickel was okay and no pony would let me see him.

“Well its late, he’s probably asleep right now. You can see him tomorrow morning when the clinic is open. Now if you would please leave I’m sure the Doctor is going to need this room soon.” She said clearly annoyed with me.

I don’t get this mare yesterday she was suspicious of me and it seemed like she preferred never to see me again. Then when I was in line earlier she seemed all worried about me. Now she doesn’t want anything to do with me again. I hoped off the table and made my way out of the room. I heard Pipe yawn and say “Mister Blank Flank where are you going?” I looked back at the filly sleepily rubbing her eyes. “Are you going to see your friend now?” she asked.

“He is leaving, his friend is sleeping right now and is going to visit him tomorrow right.” That last part she said sternly glaring at me.

I looked at her glaring eyes then to Pipe who was now practically eye level when standing on the table. “Actually I think I will pop my head in and see if he is okay.” I turned around and walked out of the room.

The main room of the doctor’s office had emptied out a bit. The doctor was talking to some of the ponies in line. I went to one of the other rooms and slowly opened the door and stuck my head inside. A small desk lamp was the only light in the room. There were several mattresses laying on the ground. Several of them were occupied by ponies. Nickel was laying on the mattress closes to the lamp. He laid on his side reading an old magazine. I slowly tipped hoof into the room trying not to wake any of the other ponies. I loudly whispered to Nickel to get his attention. He looked up from the article he was reading and saw me. A huge smile spread across his face.

“Hey there son, glad to see you alive. I was worried about you didn’t know where you went.” He said in a normal volume.

“You were worried about me, I was worried about you. Are you okay, what happened to you, why are you in here?” I asked whispering.

“Why are you whispering?” he asked me at a normal volume. I pointed to the ponies sleeping around us. “Oh don’t worry about them son, the good doctor has most of them drugged up pretty good nothing short of an earthquake will wake them. And I am good son, after that raider got the jump on me I saw you run off after a couple of them. The sheriff found me and brought me here for the doc to patch me up.”

“Why are you still here then?”

“The good doctor want to keep me here under watch because he fears infection or something. Something about my old age and not being strong enough or some bullshit.”

“I’m sorry I left you. I thought you died and I was just angry I wanted to make the raiders pay.” I said ashamed that I left my only friend alone bleeding in the snow.

“Don’t worry about son I understand how you felt. I’m just glad to see that you’re okay.” he said patting me on the shoulder. “You didn’t happen to see my shotgun around have you?” I shook my head he looked slightly disappointed. “Goddesses Damn it. I liked that shotgun. Oh well why don’t ya go back to the hotel and get some shuteye we might have to postpone our trip north a few day until the doc lets me go.” I bide him good night and left the room.

I quietly shut the door behind me and turned around nearly running into Pipe who was standing right in front of me. “Did you get to see your friend Mister Blank Flank?” she asked looking up at me.

“I did, what are you doing here?

“Miss Syringe told me to go back to our room but I wanted to help you find your friend.”

“Oh, well thank you but why. Why would you want to help me?” I asked.

“Because you helped Miss Syringe and me, and you’re nice I can tell.” She said looking up at me. I smiled down at the little filly. Perhaps I had more than one friend.

From outside I could hear shouting. Are the raiders attacking I thought when I heard more shouts from outside. I waited for the sound of gunfire but none came. I ran outside to see what was going on. Outside a group of town ponies were calling for the sheriff they were dragging a pony behind them. The sheriff met the other ponies in the middle of the street.

“What is it what’s going on, what did you find?” Sheriff Longmare asked the group of ponies dragging the raider.

“We found a raider hiding in a hollow log just outside of town.” One of the other ponies said. The ponies threw the raider down in front of the Sheriff. By now a crowd had gathered around the scene. I felt a small figure standing next to me. I looked down a saw Pipe standing next to me.

The sheriff levitated out her strange rifle and cocked the weapon. I recognized the captured raider, it was the raider mare who was trying to kick down the doors of the hotel room and jumped out the window. The Sheriff pointed the rifle at the mare’s head “Where did you take our people?” she demanded to know.

The raider looked up at the sheriff in contempt. “Fuck you whore.”

The sheriff nodded to one of the ponies who had captured the raider. The pony stomped down on the mare’s broken leg causing her to scream in agony. “ Where did you take our people.” The Sheriff demanded again.

“FUCK……YOU……WHORE.” The raider screamed emphasizing every word. This time the town pony stepped and leaned on the raider’s broken leg causing her to scream writhe in pain. “ok, ok, ok I will tell you just stop,” The pony let up on the mare’s broken leg. “We took them and shoved them up your ass.” The raider said smiling wickedly.

The sheriff didn’t even blink she leveled her rifle and magically pulled the trigger and a bust of bullets riddled the raiders body full of lead. The raider collapsed she laid in the middle of the street coughing choking on her own blood. “Okay then how about this,” the sheriff said pointing the rifle at the raiders head. “Why did you take our people, tell me and your death will be quick and painless.” She said.

The raider started chuckling and her mouth twisted into a sadistic grin showing her teeth. They were all filed down to sharp points and she said through laughter and choking she said “ For their meat.” She coughed once more to never move again.

Sheriff Longmare slung her rifle and turned to one of the other ponies. “Deputy Spur get every pony you can and have them meet at the Greasy trough by order of the Sheriff and or Mayor.” The deputy nodded and ran off to do what he was told. “You all here that,” Longmare said to the small crowd that had gathered. “Meet at the Greasy trough in one hour for a town meeting."