Fallout Equestria: Alicorn Blues

Chapter 10: The Things We Do
“We don't need a hero. We just want you.”

Wind howled like a banshee through cracks in the walls, as a faint flame failed to do much for warmth. Overhead, the pattering of a heavy rain drowned out the crackle of the fire.

My eyes were shut tight, head tilted to one side as I wrung my mane out with magic until it felt dry enough. Towels were a luxury none of us had. The Goddess’s zebra cloak hung above the wannabe blaze like a piece of meat being smoked.

Crescent sat across from me, a deck of cards in hoof, as he waved them around and spoke of rules to blackjack. I already knew, so I nodded along like I was learning something. I have no idea where he got the cards, but assumed it was from his stable.

“Hey, Shock?” he asked, voice pulling me from the comforting abyss of my own mind. I didn't smile, nor frown, I just stared at him.

He threw a hoof toward the Goddess. “Is she actually a Goddess?”

“You know I can hear you?” she said from across the room. A different room from earlier with a higher view of the street outside, but same enough it looked like a pile of rubble shoved in the corner.

I nodded to her. The answer wasn't clear. If only a fortune teller were around I could ask them. Or, if I had my alicorn magic.

Crescent smiled at her and shrugged. “Yeah? Hay, would you like to play cards?”

“What?” The Goddess asked.

I tilted my head at Crescent wondering just what he was planning. He paused, then held the cards out in his hoof to her.

She took them in her magic, flipping the deck around, before she pocketed the whole thing. “No,” the Goddess said. “We do not play foal games.”

Crescent's ears dropped. “Awww…”

He waited to see if she said anything, but she didn't. The Goddess just watched him. Then turned her attention to me. She said nothing, I said nothing, Crescent said nothing.

It was an old fashioned Griffin standoff without the guns.

Crescent was the first to break it by clapping his hoofs together with a thunderous clomp. “Alright then! Hey, Goddess, would you happen to know about the Steel Rangers here?”

“They're full of themselves and hoard technology,” she said.

Crescent looked at me. I nodded. He then looked at the Goddess. “I see. What about the pegasi?”

The Goddess shrugged her wings. “Fluffy, but nowhere near here.”

Crescent tapped his chin in thought for a few long moments. “Do you have a story to tell?”

She looked at me, and I looked at her, then she looked at him. The Goddess cracked a smile, giggling softly to herself about something. She nodded slowly. “Allow me to tell you the tale of the pony in black.”

I got up, my old irradiated joints clicking and aching like they were trying to kill me.

The goddess waved a hoof to me. “Or perhaps, Shock’ll tell it?”

“Huh?” I tilted my head.

The Goddess grinned. “Go on, tell us a story. You know the one.”

I knew of one, yes, many in fact, but which one she was referencing came up blank. I tapped the side of my head, the ringing in my ears faded and came back, then faded when thunder rumbled around us, coming well after the flash.

“Which one do you want to hear about?” I looked at Crescent.

“How about a ghost story?”

“I could tell you the first time I met a ghoul. I'll never forget it.”

“That's not exactly scary.” He shrugged. “I've met a few already.”

I tapped my hoof to my chin for a few long moments, an idea already forming in my head for a story. If they want a story, then I’ll give them one. I nodded slowly. I told them I found it in a memory orb a while back.

“Our story starts back before the bombs fell in a time when Equestria was still mostly happy. By mostly I mean ponies looked happy, but you could feel MoM’s watchful gaze. Balloons flying in the sky, propaganda posters everywhere. The ‘Pinks’ coming in the night to disappear you for speaking against the status quo.

“Even the news talked about zebras in the shadows sometimes. A lot of it was false if you knew who to ask. The history books were approved by a select group of people, so even looking into the past wasn't helpful.

“We’d caught wind of a new job some weeks back; transport cargo from A to B. It was simple, but the cargo wasn't. We had to borrow it from another pony first.

“That pony was elusive, paranoid, and always looking over her shoulder in case someone was trying to shoot her. I don't know her actual name, as she called herself Mrs. Peach. Peach would pay us a ton of bits in exchange for our help. All we had to do was meet her contact and get the info.

“It seemed perfect. Almost too perfect. The catch? Well, the cargo was a book. A random ass fucking book the MoI hadn't touched yet, so it still contained the secrets of old. Whispers of the Forgotten Ponies.

“I sat in the corner of a noisy club as a slowed version of a rapid dance song tried to deafen me. It was dark, except for the magical laser lights. Fog drifted through the oppressive heat filled the building, forcing sweat to pool off my body as I tried to quench my thirst with a cider on the rocks.

“A crimson pegasus mare named Dawn sat next to me. Her basic black hoodie was loose around her fetlocks, her normally short mane having been dyed a bright silver with a few neon extensions added on. Dawn clutched a Sparkle-Cola in her hoofs and took a sip, closing her eyes.

“She was waiting, I was waiting, no one said a word, but her wing wrapped around me was a lovely feeling. One that I leaned into and rested my head on her neck. I closed my eyes, allowing the abnormally slow song to thrum and thump through my skull in time with Dawn’s heart.

“I took a slow breath on the verge of letting sleep take hold, despite the loud music. My heart fluttered and danced with various thoughts, but I cannot recall them now.

“Dawn’s voice cut through the music, as she gently shook my side and told me to wake up.

“A pony approached the table. She was wrapped ear to hoof in a dark cloak like some kind of edge lord that didn't want you to see her face, but her cyan muzzle was visible, as were her pink eyes. She stood across from us, never pulling her hood down or sitting. She just… waited, as if Dawn or I were supposed to speak.

“The mare tilted her head at something, her eyes shifting to the side momentarily. She stepped right up to the table, speaking in a hoarse voice that barely reached over the music. ‘Whence the sun comes?’

“Dawn set her Sparkle-Cola down and slid it toward her. ‘Less is more,’ she said just as quietly.

“The mare tilted her head the other way. ‘Thou shalt wilt in the fields of mine feathers. Once the…’ the mare trailed off, as she shifted from one hoof to the next.

“My eyes wandered from the edgy mare to the crowd beyond her. A rainbow crowd of ponies were dancing in front of an oblivious DJ. Even a few uniformed army soldiers on leave were attending the party. The barkeeper was busy mixing a drink in their magic, twirling the tumbler and putting on a small show while ponies looked on.

“Fog drifted across the floor, swirling around the pony and settling near them. Not far from the pony was a pair of dead spots in the mist. Places no fog touched, but should.

“My ears folded back slightly, and then they turned toward the pony. I nudged Dawn’s side to get her attention and whispered, ‘We’re surrounded.’

“ ‘You just now noticed?’ Dawn whispered back, nuzzling next to my ear. The thumping music made it impossible for anyone else to hear what we were saying. Or so I hoped.

“The cloaked pony looked at me. ‘Once the twilight of the… the… ugh, this is so stupid,’ she hissed, casting her gaze at something else.

“ ‘I have no idea what you're talking about,’ I replied and picked up my apple cider with magic, faking a sip as I watched her reaction.

“She stammered, tripping over her words, before she gasped, ‘What?! W-wait! I know the code! I ha-have information!’

“ ‘Are you alright, dear?’ Dawn said to her, waving a hoof at the mare. ‘You seem lost.’

“ ‘Confused,’ I added for her.

“ ‘Perhaps you should have a drink?’ Dawn continued almost as if we were one.

“ ‘Please, have a seat,’ I said, waving my hoof to the chair nearby with an idea to bore the mare out of her mind. Dawn shot me a confused look, but said nothing, as the mare followed my words and sat across from us.

“As she sat down, her hood slipped just enough to catch a glimpse of the unmistakable wrinkled face of Rainbow Dash, the Ministry of Awesome’s leader. What was she doing here trying to set us up? The invisible security detail was clear why now.

“I used my magic to pull a deck of cards out from my bag and shuffled them on the table between us. ‘Let's play.’

“She frowned. ‘Why?’ Rainbow asked

“ ‘Tell us why you're here then.’ I dealt five cards to everyone and set the deck in the center of the table.

“Rainbow picked hers up after a moment’s silence and stared at them. She set two down. ‘I was told to meet you two for a job.’

“ ‘Uh-huh, I have no idea what you're talking about,’ I replied, moving my pair of eights to one side of my hand next to an ace. Then set a four down.

“Dawn placed four cards down, causing me to raise an eyebrow at her. She shrugged and glanced at Rainbow. ‘It was junk.’

“I dealt everyone their cards again and waited for Rainbow to speak. We had no chips, so Rainbow set some golden bits on the table and called for a waitress.

“She looked between Dawn and I for a moment, before speaking again, ‘I was sent by a mutual friend to tell you about a book,’ she said plainly and openly. ‘The friend is rather large and round. Perhaps you know her?”

“Dawn said nothing as she set some bits out.

“Four of my cards were dark, and I held two pairs, so I threw a few bits haphazardly onto the table to match the bet and shrugged. ‘You could be describing a baker who eats everything they make. Why not drop the charade and tell us what you want?’

“Rainbow sighed, shaking her head. She glanced back at the invisible ponies for a moment, before looking at her cards. ‘I can get you back in,’ the blue mare stated plainly.

“It was my turn to raise an eyebrow, letting out a soft hum. ‘Explain.’

“ ‘We need a group to go into Zebrica for an important item.’ Her voice was low, so low I had to turn my head to the side and hold a hoof to my ear. ‘It's dangerous, but we’ve made a list of ponies we thought could survive the trip.’

“Dawn and I looked at each other. Her eyes said she was tired and worn out.

“ ‘Hold on,’ Dawn said to Rainbow, ‘Why are you telling us this?! You work in a warehouse!’

“Rainbow giggled softly. Dawn was right. Why would the Ministry of Awesome be interested in going to Zebrica? They were logistics! Then again, moving books is technically logistics.

“ ‘I’m tired, Miss Dash, so very tired,’ I said, shaking my head. ‘I already lost an eye in Hollow Shades, so why me?’

“ ‘Because you're a mare who knows what she’s doing. Your experiences could help them succeed.’

“ ‘Hypothetically, if I accept, what do I get out of it?’

“ ‘Your memories,’ was all she said.

“I blinked slowly, letting my eyes stay shut for a moment. My memories? How would she know about that? I’d lost my memory in a skybus accident. Everything from my foalhood to a few years ago was blank. A gaping void of nothing. Fragments here and there tried to surface, but they were shadowed and I’d forget them the instant I opened my eyes.

“ ‘Truly?’ Dawn asked for me.

“Rainbow held up a memory orb; a trap most likely. ‘Everything you were, everyone you knew, all of it contained within little orbs like these.’

“ ‘How do I know they're actually mine?’

“ ‘You don't.’

“ ‘A quick in and out trip to Zebrica for my memories,’ I said quietly, rubbing my chin in thought. It was extremely tempting, but did I want to know who I was? My cutie mark was mundane and boring. All I did was cook! I had nothing, no one, but Dawn. Not even a foal.

“I held my hoof out for the orb. ‘Give it to me.’

“Rainbow pulled it closer to herself. ‘Yours are in the Crystal Empire.’

“ ‘Why there?’ I asked.

“ ‘That's where you died.”

Crescent stared at me, eyebrows raised in clear confusion. “Did you ever make it?”

“Did you not hear the part where she found that in a memory orb?” the Goddess said, before thunder rumbled overhead again.

Rain continued to hammer the rooftop as I stared into the flickering flames of the warm fire. “Got deep into Zebrica and was less than a week from our objective when the world ended. The job no longer mattered. I never left Zebrica.”

“But you're here now?” Crescent said.

“Sort of.” I shrugged my wings, well, my shoulders. I didn’t have wings anymore. I glanced at where they should be, wondering why. Just why did that fool give me the drink?!

My teeth ground together, but there wasn’t anything for me to do. Dead Hoof wasn’t here. I couldn’t put a bullet in his brain. Maybe when I got back, but then how do I explain it?!

Perhaps if I lured him away to some secluded spot. No, he wouldn't follow me anywhere like that.

No, he wouldn't. He wouldn't follow Lilly anywhere. He's smarter than she thinks. Smarter than she is. Smarter than us. Sometimes, maybe. We do not think he is, but she doesn't believe us when we say it. So we watch from the shadows, lurking, waiting for Lilly to heal us. To make us whole again.

And then we can both make his final day stretch into a month.

Crescent stamped a hoof on the tile, cracking it. “Shock! You're doing it again.”

“Huh?” I tilted my head, blinking over and over at the stallion. “Doing what?”

“Staring off into the distance without blinking.”

Goddess nodded slowly. “The earth pony is right. You were staring at the wall like a statue.”

I shook my head, then rubbed my face, letting out a quiet mumble, “I don't think it's been that long?”

“Two minutes?” Crescent tapped his Pippy, the hard bit of his hoof clinking against the screen.

I shook my head, yet both of them nodded at me. Was it an after effect of everything?

Probably.

Likely.

Are you sure about that?

Probably not. We need to find a cure, Lilly. We need to be one again.

We do… I need my wings back. I yearn to fly free, to give them a flap. They were still there. I could feel them moving when I moved. Feathers that'll never be preened, an itch in the joint I can't remove. It'd be simple to just flap and let it pop away, but no.

I stomped both hoofs into the ground and glared at the wall.

To Ripper then?

To Ripper.

*** ***

We convinced the Goddess to help by offering her radiation and caps as payment. She had never been to Oakwood before and heard the stories about the alicorns there. A ‘paradise’ of radiation hot spots. A place where an alicorn could be free from society and make their own way fighting terrible monsters.

I didn’t tell her too much beyond the basics. Just enough to entice an alicorn into making the trip, but still knowing what to expect.

The three of us waited until the storm passed and headed down to the docks with the Goddess carrying the balefire bomb on her back like a pack mule. A wholly humiliating prospect for an alicorn, but one she didn’t seem to mind, as she had set aside her zebra cloak in favor of helping us.

For now.

I still wasn’t convinced that she wouldn’t betray us later on down the line if she ever figured out the crate’s contents, but for now. For now she was with us.

The docks were in disarray with ponies trying to pull rubble from one ship that had crashed into a building, others were trying to get smaller boats off the streets and back to the water. The citizens and workers paid us no mind, for we were merely travelers looking for a handout in their eyes as we went inside the local bar that was three stories off the ground.

Situated inside one small skyscraper, the Sea Grill & Bar was a lively place filled with a rainbow assortment of ponies taking up damn near every place you could sit. They had converted almost the whole floor to a restaurant in the past, complete with fancy spark-generator powered lighting that hummed away from fixtures dangling above.

A bright green earth pony off near an empty dance floor sat on a stool playing a soothing melody through a battered guitar. It drifted across the room and over the other voices, beckoning my ears to listen to the magic of wandering an open desert. A pink earth pony sat beside the first with a tambourine in their hoofs, gently clapping away with the music.

Overall, I’d say the restaurant owner had her head on straight when it came to layout, because everything looked like you’d see from the old days in a popular place. Structured, orderly, with clean floors and tables. I’d say the owner was a ghoul. It had that kind of old world charm to it.

One that left me looking for any ship captain as I wandered from table to table, ears alert and eyes up, joints clicking away. Crescent had left me to go look for his own captain, hoping to find someone here that’d hire us on the promise of payment, because we didn’t have much. I certainly didn’t have any caps. Ponies kept stealing my stuff.

Oh, sure, I had Hyde and a few trinkets, but I wasn’t giving up my favorite weapon for anything and a few trinkets might not pay for passage.

That is when I saw the darkly colored hippogriff staring right at me with their piercing ruby eyes! They had a similar dark-green shade to my alicorn fur with wings that looked like they could engulf two ponies when unfurled.

I looked behind me to see if there was anyone else, but the Goddess was with Crescent, leaving me the only pony the hippogriff stared at, so I slowly walked over to their table.

They motioned for me to sit across from them. “I’ve been expecting you,” they said in a voice that sounded hoarse from screaming so much.

“Are you sure you’ve got the right mare?” I cocked my head. It was odd, because I sure as hell didn’t know the hippogriff.

They nodded firmly, long mane falling over their shoulders and blocking my view of their shirt. “I am sure. The cards did not lie that a traveler seeking passage would come to me.”

“Who are you?”

They had a spread of fancifully painted cards in the center of the table, each depicting different things from death to a tower, to a dragon and beyond. A parlor trick at best. A con at the usual times. This hippogriff even sold the con by having a bottle of my favorite Sparkle-Cola waiting for me.

“You can call me Anna. You and I are both heroes of our own tale. Just as your traveling companions have their own tale.” The hippogriff grabbed their own glass of what smelled like fresh sweet tea, sipping it as they watched me. “Sit, tell me of your request. Convince me that I should help you.”

I set my bags on the chair and slid next to them, not taking the offered drink. “I need passage for three to Oakwood. We must speak with a local there and will find our own way back.”

“A one way ticket to the Isle of Death? Tempting, but Oakwood is far, far away and fuel is expensive.” Anna hummed for a moment, tilting their head one way, then the other.

“We can pay in caps, items or favors.”

The dark-green hippogriff cracked an eye open, freezing in place. “Favors?”

“Favors.” I nodded firmly.

They tapped a claw to their chin for a long moment, closing their eyes once again for what felt like eternity. Long enough that I decided to lift the bottle in my magic and crack it open with a satisfying hiss. Anna flinched visibly at something. The hippogriff leaned to one side, fore leg reaching for some kind of switch that wasn’t there before they opened their eyes. Anna’s glittering red eyes stared at the back of her wrinkled paw as if they dipped it in flames at some point in the past. Then flipped it around to look at the palm and made a hoof.

They noticed I was watching and looked up at me, nodding. Their seashell necklace clattered together, drawing my attention to a single shark tooth-like item in the center of it.

“Sorry. I am not from Equestria. Sometimes, certain sounds take me back to my homeland. A favor for a favor is a fair trade. If you will help me with a group of scientists, I will help you. The only thing I require is that you must be ready to kill.”

“Always,” I replied.

Anna nodded firmly. “A group of scientists chartered my trawler to search for a wreck. They are bringing aboard a lot of equipment and too many ponies for me and my wife to keep track of. All I require is that you make sure they do not bother my wife or get into the engine room. Understand?”

“I do.” I held a hoof out for a hoofshake.

30% to next level.