Fallout Equestria: The Ink, and The Cherry

      "Is this on? Looks like it. If you are hearing this get as far away from this place....if you need more reason I suppose I'll tell you my story. My name is Ink Well, and it all started when a over excited mare bumped into me in the markets before the mega spells...."

     I was trotting through the busy marketplace of Ponyville holding my books in my telekinetic grasp. My short green mane stuck to my forehead with sweat. It was a very...very hot day today. My black fur wasn't helping matters. I groaned at my color palette why couldn't I be a royal guard white of at least yellow like my father, but nope it had to be black like my moms. I was in my thoughts when somepony bumped into me from behind knocking me off balance, and sending me into the dirt. My levitation broke, and my books fell to the ground. "Oh I'm so so so sorry!" said a very eccentric voice. I pushed myself to my hooves, and spun around to see a light pink earth pony. Her mane was long, and stylish. Her mane was the color red with a few pink lines through it, her eyes the color of bubble gum. "I'm such a klutz!" she started gathering my books faster than I could make out, and then held them out to me in her hooves.

      "Thank you....I guess." I replied resuming my magic grasp on my books, and lifting them in the air. She grinned, and started bouncing away. I turned to resume my walk, but she zipped in front of me.

"What's your name?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"Ink Well"

"Profession"

"Author"

"Neat....have a mare friend?"

"Why is that if any relevance at all?" I asked.

"It isn't but do you?"

"No I do not."

"Okay....you going to Canterlot?" she asked last. I groaned a bit out of annoyance.

"Yes I'm going on the school trip to Canterlot....let me guess you want me to be your partner on the trip?" I raised an eyebrow before realizing she led me into a trap.

      "Thank you for asking yes! She you in the train." she pranced away leaving me dumbfounded.

"She just played me.....clever girl." I said to myself followed by a chuckle I quickly stopped. I cleared my throat, and straightened my posture "I guess I'll be off." As I walked I was still having trouble wrapping my head around that mare I had just met I didn't even know her name! Everything happened so fast I didn't even catch her name! Of fucking course. I shook my head, and made my way back to my cozy little shithole hotel, were me and my dad lived.

I opened the door, and walked in. The room smelled of booze, vomit, and depressing thoughts. This was my home. A small apartment with one bathroom, a bed, and a couch you can guess which one I sleep on. I dropped my bags on the couch, and slowly lowered my stack of books besides me. I levitated a copy of 'Daring Do', and began to read. I had just opened the book when my father stumbled in drunk as a skunk....were did that frase come from anyway? My father was a white unicorn, with a bright red mane. His cutiemark was a broadsword. He used to be a soldier you know....until a sniper shot him in the leg, and thus impaired his movement so he was retired.

      He didn't say anything he just stumbled to his bed murmuring about something, and passed out. Peace, and quiet was all I heard before I finished my book, and went to bed dreaming about tomorow. The following day my father was still passed out in his own filth so that was a plus I grabbed a box of cereal, and looked in the fridge for some milk....the milk was chunky so I just ate the cereal dry, and headed out to the door to the outside. I walked down the metal staircase outside my apartment to find a stallion flagging ponies down handing out boxes to them. I was courious so I walked over to him "Excuse me sir, but what are you passing out?" I looked at his outfit. It was a stable jumpsuit.

      "Just handing out Pip-bucks to those who can't afford to get into the Stables they are very useful tools you know....want one?" asked the stallion grabbing one of his many boxes, and holding it out.

I thought for a second, and shrugged "I don't see why not." I took the box, and went on my way holding it in my magic. I opened the box, and floated out the slightly used Pip-buck 3000. It was a little beat up, but knowing Stable Tech. It wouldn't break on me any time soon. I clamped it on my left fore hoof, and watched the screen light up showing the image of the Stable Colt.

      I lowered my leg, and kept on trotting my destination the train station for the school trip to Canterlot! I have been waiting for this trip for ages. It took a lot of saving, and hiding the money from my dad, but it was worth it. I guess that mare showing up out of the blue was a good thing I was in need of a partner, or else I wouldn't be aloud to go at all! She slammed into me before I even saw her. The same mare from yesterday again knocked me off of my hooves, and into the dirt......I was already getting tired of this. "Well" I spat out dirt "nice to see you too." I said looking up at the pink mare.

"Oops sorry Inkie!" she said pulling me to my hooves "I just don't look were I prance sometimes!" she was smiling sheepishly.

      "It's fine no harm done....I don't believe I caught your name yesterday can you tell me it?" I asked brushing off some dust from my fur.

"Names Cherry Berry! I help out over at Sugar Cube Corner on weekends just so you know." she answered smiling all the way. I nodded, and turned my head to look at a street clock it was 12:05 PM the train leaves at 12:15 PM!

"Were going to be late!" I exclaimed grabbing her hoof.....was that a blush I saw on her face? And ran in the direction on the train station as fast as my hooves would carry me.

On the train

      We luckily made it just before it left station thank Celestia for that! I was panting with exsertion my head rested against a window as the train chugged along towards Canterlot. "So what did you bring to pass the time?" asked my companion "I brought a Joy-boy." she then pulled out the hoof held gaming device. It was a dark green box with two buttons, and a d-pad on the front with two little bumps on either top edge! and a screen.

"I just brought some books." I answered levitating out an apple, and a blank book. By the end of the third hour of the train ride I had finished writing down half of a book. It was a story of a stallion who's long lost love had been kidnapped, and against all odds he found her and saved her. Call it cliche but I wrote it anyways. I looked up, and saw that my partner was still staring at the screen of her Joy-boy playing what looked like Super Mareio 3.

      "Attention passengers" shouted the conductor from down the aisle "We will be arriving in Canterlot in two hours." he shut the door on his way back to were ever conductors go.

      "So Inkie..."

"Don't call me that."

      "What do you wanna do first when we get to Canterlot?" Cherry asked raising an eyebrow. I shrugged, and levitated the book I had been writing I was two pages away from finishing it, but I was out of ideas! I was considering asking her for assistance, but quickly sided against it How could she help anyway? I thought to myself. I levitated my quill, but before I could even put it into the inkwell the train shook violently. Everypony started freaking out, but I looked out the window.....I was terrified at what I saw. A large pink could enveloped Canterlot being held in only by a force field of sorts.

      "What is that!" I yelled to my new ally. She didn't respond instead she just curled up on the seat holding a cupcake plushie, and cried. Not a moment after that a bright green explosion hit the tracks in front of the train my Pip-bucks Geiger counter started ticking indicating radiation. "Were being bombed!" I shouted before another blast impacted the ground beside the trains engine tossing it off the tracks, and down the mountain. As others held on to dear life (others fell, and broke through the glass of the windows) I was using my magic to hold me, and my blubbering comrade in the air. It was straining yes, but in had just enough energy for one last spell.

      "Do you trust me!?" I shouted to Cherry. She nodded up and down quickly then returned to her sobbing.

"I just want my mommy!" she cried to herself over, and over again. Under normal circumstances I'd ask her to stop being a baby....but this was different the world was ending before our very eyes.

      I lit my horn. I've only done this spell once before so I wasn't sure this would work, but heck it was better than dying. Just before the train hit the ground light surrounded us, and I felt myself liquefy as I turned to ink. Before I was entirely transformed I flung us at the empty pages of the book. Then everything went black.

Footnote

Level up!

Perk added- Strength in numbers: When you are a part of a group your strength increases by 2!