Fallout Equestria: A Demon's Fate

The camp was a mess, blood splattered everywhere. Bodies littered the campground, all of them had bullet wounds. It was just my luck that Nightshade had lost consciousness, she needed a healing potion before my spells wore off. Luna, why did I help her? I wandered the camp for several minutes until I found the medical tent. Even the sick were slaughtered, this time with a blade.

I removed a body from one of the beds, and ‘carefully’ threw Nightshade on it. I began rummaging through the tent, and found three healing potions. I had to force feed it to her, but it was better than having her die. I released the spell, and her wounds began healing, but she was still unconscious.

I moved all the bodies to create one huge pile. I was covered in blood, how fitting for me. There was a broken mirror on the side of one of the tents, I walked up to stare at my reflection. I liked how the blood complimented my coat. There was a lasting feeling of bloodlust, I was being watched.

“Hello there good lookin’.” I complimented my reflection “You are looking especially sexy today, did you get your mane styled?” Oh Luna, I was such a narcissistic pony.

The snap of a stick alerted me to the presence of the pony most likely responsible for the slaughter. There was a click, and then a gunshot. I crouched down and did a backflip, avoiding the bullet.

“Missed me!” I shouted, whirling in the air. I couldn’t see my attacker, but I did catch a glint behind one of the tents. I landed on the top of one of the tents. I scanned the area, looking for the tiniest hint of movement.

There was a miniscule sound of movement, there it was! I leapt to the side as a gunshot sounded. To my right, third tent over. I jumped again as two more bullets whizzed past me. I began running parallel to the tents, more gunshots sounded. I began running toward the sound, infusing Nether into my legs as I ran.

*BANG BANG BANG*

I brought my forearms up to deflect the bullets. I leapt as I ran, flipping up to the roofs of the tents.

*BANG BANG*

I swiped to the side, a bullet grazed my throat. Scary, too close, too close. I teleported to the location of the last shot. I appeared next to the attacker, we were both surprised. She was an auburn Pegasus mare and had a short sapphire mane, with two red stripes running across her bangs. She was carrying two rifles on her battle saddle. She took to the sky immediately.

She was elegant to watch, whirling around in the sky. She focused her aim on me, I leapt to the side, running behind the tents for cover as she unloaded her ammo on me. She was a good shot, that’s for sure. I leaned back as a bullet grazed my jaw, still too close.

A bullet grazed my shoulder, her aim was getting better. She was out of my effective range only one thing to do. “Nether Scene: Area.” A clear red haze engulfed the campground, and reached into the sky. Now I’d be able to reach the Pegasus.

I leapt back as another shot grazed me. I put my hoof against one of the tents, “Nether Impact: Area Shimmer.” The tent was immediately ripped from the ground and launched at the Pegasus, she evaded the huge object and returned fire.

I infused my legs with Nether and deflected the bullets. I dove toward a rifle on the ground, I never did bother to pick up the weapons of the dead. I put my hoof to it. “Nether Impact: Area Thrust.” The rifle shot up at the pegasus, she barely dodged it.

I leapt back as she unloaded more bullets into the camp. I looked around for something else to shoot at her. I ran into the nearest tent, and proceeded to grab for anything that was in there. I grabbed for what could have been rope, it was a whip.

I held the barbed whip in my hooves, and eyed it suspiciously. A gunshot sounded and a slight pain shot through my shoulder. Okay, no more mister nice Zippity kid!

I placed a hoof on the wall of the tent “Nether Impact: Mighty Shimmer.” The tent shot at her again, this time it managed to graze one of her wings. But I wasn’t finished, “Nether Impact: Area: Almighty Thrust.” The whip was launched at her. She attempted to evade it, but she failed to judge its trajectory accurately.

The end of the barbed whip caught the end of her left wing. She was unable to keep a flight, and fell to the ground, crashing into a tent. I trotted to the wreckage, only to see she had recovered.

She kicked something on her battle saddle, and her rifles detached. She whipped out two pistols and began shooting at me.

I leapt to the side, ducked and dodged, while still charging toward her. She began running while still firing, her aim was phenomenal. Shots grazed me every time she fired, I scooped up a rifle.

“Nether Impact: Thrust.” The rifle shot out at her, she leapt up to avoid it.

I chased her out of the campground and into a labyrinth of rocky structures. The rocks stuck out of the ground, like the pillars of an ancient tomb would. She is quite good.

She fired several shots, but not at me. She fired them at the structures, “Nether Scene: Area.” I could predict it now. I leapt and twirled to avoid the shots. She ricocheted them of the structures!

Time to limit her places to run. “Nether Impact: Quake!” I smashed my hooves into one of the stone structures. The ground rumbled and several of the structures began to fall, blocking her escape route. I had her trapped now. Phew.

I began trotting toward her, huffing. “Well….this was fun…but I’m a busy stallion…so let’s just stop this little game of cat and mouse.” I smiled menacingly.

I had used quite a lot of stamina today. Several teleportation’s, a complete time stop spell, several lesser time stop spells. Three or four shimmer impacts, and now a quake. I was quite tired.

She looked at her pistols and frowned. “Tch, just my fuckin’ luck! Nightshade would have someone to protect her sorry ass.” she swore, tossing them aside.

“You ran….out of ammo?” I asked wheezing.

She looked at her injured wing, flapped it once and winced. “Yup, and ya managed to break my wing to.” She crouched defensively, and drew a combat knife from her battle saddle. She then kicked off the battle saddle. How funny, she still intended to fight me.

“If you continue to resist—” my smile grew wider. “–I’ll make sure you suffer before you die.” I barely recognized my own voice. It was darker, more sinister.

She didn’t waver, but she did have a look of fear in her eyes. I infused Nether into my legs, and lunged at her. My hoof connected with her chest before she could react.  She didn’t budge! She thrust her knife forward, I blocked with my free leg just in time. Her knife shattered against my Nether infused shin.

Her expression didn’t change, she uppercut me with her front right leg. It didn’t really hurt but it was annoying. I place my hoof against her forearm. “Nether Impact: Crack.”

There was a loud snap that echoed, followed by a scream. The mare fell to the ground, crying in pain. I looked down at her.

“So, how shall I make you suffer?” I asked, clutching her throat.

I held her in front of me, bringing my hoof back preparing to strike. She closed her eyes, probably preparing for the worst. My grin broadened. I brought her face closer to mine and whispered in her ear.

“Do you wish to live? Then tell me why you are after one I have found interest in.”

She coughed weakly as I slightly constricted her throat. “Orders…Nightshade….has to be…eliminated….she has been….ejected from….the organization.”

“Oh really? What organization is that?”

“The bandit…lords…” I let her drop to the ground. She coughed and gasped for breath.

Bandit lords? Judging by the name, they were a group of powerful thugs. Most likely why Equestria hasn’t been recovering much.”

“So this organization, they are criminals are they not? Are they the reason Equestria has yet to get back on its hooves?” My eyes opened enough for me to actually look her in the eye. She seemed to freeze, as if she was cornered by a great beast.

“I-I-I don’t know w-what you mean by that…” she stammered, how annoying.

“Are they an organization that strives to help ponies, or to greedily grab resources to suite their own needs?”

She went silent, just as I thought. I grabbed her by the throat again and brought her face within inches of mine. I purred sensually into her ear; “As promised…I’ll let you live, this time. Next time, child, you might not be so lucky. I have a message for your precious lords; ‘the Demon of Equestria is back, and he’s coming for you’.”

With that, I dropped her and left for the camp. I let out a heavy sigh. I had used a bit too much energy today. I shouldn’t have been so reckless right after awakening. I felt my shoulder, yup I had a hole in it, lovely. It didn’t hinder me at all, but I’d have to use a healing potion if I wanted to mend it fast. I could always use that regeneration spell, but it drains waaaay too much magic for my liking. How troublesome, this place is full of dangerous ponies. Scary, scary.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

After taking a good look around, it was apparent that I had too much fun. The camp as in shambles. Tents lay in ruins, bullet holes were in almost every tent. But at least the bodies were in a neat pile, just like I had left them. The medical tent was still intact, no bullet holes in it.

I sat down in the middle of the camp. The mirror was still intact. I gazed at my blood-soaked reflection.

“Mirror…tell me who that pony is. Is he me? Or what I was? Should I restore Equestria as Zippity Do-Dah, General of Equestria’s military?” The reflection stopped smiling at me. “Or should I restore Equestria as Bloodlust Zippity? The Demon of Equestria?”

Such a difficult choice. If this wasteland if full of atrocities just like the computer said, then how was I to restore it? Should I come out of happy retirement from my blood filled past? Or should I try to spread peace, and hope? In this world that has collapsed, what is the correct path to take? Such decisions, such decisions…

I stood up, this is my decision. I trotted into the medical tent, Nightshade was still unconscious. I sighed, how troublesome, she looked just like her…

“Should I leave her here? Or take her with me?”

She may cause me undue stress. I have never been good at keeping others alive, they always end up dead. The only pony who I’ve kept from dying is myself. How amusing, maybe the stars are trying to tell me something.

Nightshade stirred, finally, she was waking up. A weird sense of relief washed over me. “You finally woke up kid. You were out for quite a bit.”

“Are we at the camp?” she asked rubbing her head, and yawning.

“Yeaaah, I got some bad news. Everypony in the camp is dead, and apparently, your status has been revoked.”

“Ah see.” Wait, what? That’s her response?! Everypony in her camp is dead and all she says is ‘I see’?! What the hell!

“You don’t care?”

“Should Ah?” oh Luna, what have I gotten myself into?

“Hmm, probably, if you’re a moral individual that is.”

“Says the pony covered in blood.”

“It’s completely decorative.” I responded.

“Ah’m sure.” She said skeptically. “Ya don’t know how the wasteland works do ya?” Well, everything is out for my blood. So I had some kind of idea, though I don’t expect everything to be like that.

“Enlighten me, oh wise little child.”

“Call me that again, and Ah’ll kill ya.” She is exactly like her, scary, scary.

“Anyway, Ah suppose Ah owe ya at least a little. So Ah’ll give ya some advice.” She hopped of the gurney and winced as she landed. “In this wasteland, assume everypony you come across is out to kill, rob, enslave, or rape ya. Trust nopony. Beware the Bandit lords. Don’t enter their territories unless ya want to die.”

“You kids are so uncivilized. Are death and suffering the only things in Equestria now?” I asked her. This would be where I make the decision of my approach to restoration.

“Pretty much. Trottingham is pretty bad compared to the rest of Equestria. Not as bad as Canterlot, but it’s pretty high up there on the danger scale.” So, the radiation sank into both of those cities. Canterlot was hit with that weird spell. Trottingham, I know was hit with a different kind of megaspell.

“So where did that bullet wound come from?”

I glanced at my shoulder, and back to her. “Just a gnat I shooed away.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Ya even helped me while Ah was asleep? You’re a weirdo.”

I turned away, “Awww stop it, you’ll make me blush.” I chuckled pretending to be embarrassed.

“Why did ya help me?” I figured that question would come sooner or later. Truth be told, I only helped her because she reminded me of Iron Curtain.

“That’s quite an odd question, does it seem so strange that I wouldn’t help a pony in need?”

“In this world, it’s unheard of. Ya have an ulterior motive, Ah can tell!”

“Well, I don’t.”

“Bullshit.”

“If you aren’t satisfied with my help, I can just kill you myself.” Never. I could never, she looks too much like her. Even the way she talks.

She barred her teeth, “Ya wanna try?”

I turned around. “Not especially, I only came back for a healing potion.” I levitated one off of a shelf in the corner. “It was nice meeting you Nightshade. I’m sure our paths will cross again. Until then, I bid you adieu.” Before she could respond, I used my last teleportation spell.

See ya kid, I’m sure we’ll meet sooner or later. Until then, stay alive.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

“Even if the world is against you, even if you are hated by everyone around you. You must hold onto what you believe to be right. For what are we without our values? What do you value?”

—Natsirt Tenenkei to Nexus