Fallout Equestria: Moon's Blood

Slaves were gone, Killstreak was looking for ammo and Windigo was searching food.

So I entered a old building, looking for some stuff. It was a ruined clinic which would be slaver's healing center. I didn't imagined that I entered a butcher's lair ...

Patient's skinless corpses were hanged to the ceiling, the ground was covered of scarlet blood... Despite to the heat of the day, the ambience was like a cold room.

I slalomed between some corpses and looked at what was the reception.

A cadaver of a mare with the chest opened, ribs going out, the organs missing, forehooves attached to the back of the siet and her legs spread and tied to the chair leg.

My gaze passed at the dead body. I was sorry for her ... These raiders were monsters ... I took a look at the desk and smiled.

A box of cigarettes ... and a zippo lighter.

I took the stuff and levitated it, then lighted one of the cigarettes and pull on it.

I haven't took a cigarette since ... a week ...

I slowly blew a puff of smoke and I began to think.

In less than a week, I've been a slave, fighted in an arena with a giant bat pony, escaped with him, gone back to my village, found a town of bat ponies, was attacked by a group of raider leaded by a giant pegasus mare in a castle, found a ultra-secret weapon, has explored a pre-war mansion full of meat-made-timberwolves, killed a little group of raiders who have invade a slaver's camp with the bat pony and my first marefriend and now, I was smoking a cigarette next to a raped dead mare with organs missing in a ruined clinic full of skinless bodies ...

"Bad times ... This period is a bad time ... You're the best example, don't take it wrong ..." I said to the mare on the chair.

And now, I was talking to dead ponies ...

I took another breath and levitated the cigarette to drop ashes.

I looked around me, then exited from the clinic after taking some stuff.

Windigo and Killstreak were talking in the center of the 'street', I walked to my teammates.

"So ? found something useful ?" I asked

"I got a lot of ammo, some grenade and a strange gun ... but I don't know how to use it ..." Killstreak answered as she showed the thing.

"Hey ! I know this !" Said Windigo. "It's a flare gun ... You put the flare here ..."

He took the thing, opened it and showed the barrel.

" ... Then you aim the sky and you pull the trigger ... And if you encounter an aggressive beast, aim at it and shoot ... The light's gonna makes them flee and if they aren't afraid by the light, their burning skin should make them to think two time before come back to deal with you ..."

He closed the barrel and took the flare gun in his inventory.

"... And before they come back, you'll have the time to run to hide and take a most appropriate weapon ..."

"But we're gonna use it only in critical moments ?" I asked.

He looked at me

"I guess if you use a flare gun just for a rattlesnake, the snake is gonna be the last of your worries, after ..."

He began to count on his gauntlets claws.

" ... Slavers, raiders, big predators ..."

"Big predators ? What do you mean by 'BIG predators' ?" I asked, not really sure about if the answer was going to be reassuring.

"By big predators, I meant griffins who are maybe hunting ponies, timberwolves, chimeras, cockatrices, manticores, ursas, changelings, bears and maybe dragons ...''

I was out of speech ...

"You're kidding ? right ?" I said with a false laugh.

"Nope ..."

"Even for the dragons ?"

"Yep ..."

I felt my right eyelid move in a twitch.

"Don't look at me like that ... I know how think predators because I'm one ... By the way I'm hungry ..."

He looked around him and his right ear moved.

"I think we're gonna have some visitors ..."

He smelt around us.

"What's happening ?" Asked Killstreak.

"We're in the wind ... it comes from east ... and I smell a familiar odor ... "

"What kind of odor ?" I demanded.

"Three friends of us ... we're in their camp, and they don't know the raiders have kill every slavers" Windigo answered.

"You mean ... we are in their camp ?"

"Yes ... No, come take cover and reload !"

We each galloped to a cover. Killstreak was hiding behind a wall of concrete, Windigo took a cache in the building full of dead raiders we killed and I took the clinic.

We were in a triangle, when they'll be in the perfect center, we were going to shoot them down ...

I pulled out my .357 magnum and levitated it at my side.

I looked by a old window.

Barbed Wire was before her troops, followed by Steel Mane and Bulletproof at her sides.

Wire wasn't armed, but Steel Mane got a Zebra rifle and Bulletproof was having a flamer. They were having ten slavers with them ... maybe less ..

"What the hell happened here ?" asked Steel Mane.

"Fucking raiders ..." simply said Wire with anger. "But not the group from the last time ..."

"What ? Raiders are all the same ! Hordes of mad killers who like to plant heads on spades, rape and torture everypony they capture ..." Cried Bulletproof

"Raiders don't usually eat their victims ... those ones do ... But why ? They normally still vegetarians despite their stupidity and madness ... not those ones" muttered Wire.

They were approaching slowly of the center of our positions.

"Let see if these bastard are still here, if you saw one of them alive, I want him in front of me, alive and able to answer my questions .. NOW !"

Slavers trotted all around. one of them was walking in my direction.

"Dammit ! Please Luna, do something, I'll do everything you'll want but please !" I though the harder I can.

- inspire ... 1 ... 2 ... 3 ... 4 ... expire ... calm yourself ...-

"I got somepony !" shouted a slaver.

The one who was going to me gone back to their guys.

"I want to see him right NOW !" hurled Wire.

The smell of dead bodies in the clinic by the heat of the middle of day was unbearable ! But I needed to resist to the envy to exit.

Two slavers dragged Windigo before Barbed Wire.

"He was in the tent which is full of dead raiders ..." said a slaver.

Barbed Wire smiled.

"At least, he's still here ... well, I guess it could make me forgot this little incident ..."

They were exactly where I wanted to see them ! I exited from the building and aimed Wire.

"Release him, you kind of insatiable cum's dumpster on hooves !"

She turned to me.

"What a surprise ... You're here too ... But you're alone and I'm with my band, little bitch ...  I'm gonna put you back in your place ..."

"I'm not alone ... I got my party too ..."

Killstreak came out her cover with her war-saddle and her machine guns and shooted at the slavers.

Barbed Wire jumped behind a old plow, avoiding bullets. Bulletproof slammed Steel Mane on the ground and placed his body between Killstreak and his mare.

Windigo threw himself on the ground, trying to stay alive.

The slavers replied, shooting at Killstreak who took cover.

I fired one of the slave with a bullet in the back and others began to shoot me.

I saw Windigo catch two stallions and threw them away. He made a jump, using his wings to go farest from the group, and took Savage beast with his gauntlet, firing at slavers before take cover.

Smell of powder, blood and decay in the air ...  I don't know why, but it was like this smell was making me drunk of adrenaline in my blood. It was like a muffled commotion punctuated by gunshots from different protagonists.

It was a bloodbath ... a butchery ...

There was still 5 slavers, I shooted at the closest and his jaw was blew by the shock.

Another slaver took Killstreak out her cover and began to hit her with a police baton.

My heart was full of anger. A slaver gone help his fellow to beat Killstreak up. I saw Windigo jump and flew up.

Where the hell were he going ?! I finally understood after thirty seconds.

A whistle came at my hears, becoming louder with the time. Windigo was doing a swoop and landed on the first foe, grapping his face with the ebony gauntlet on his right forehoof and crushing his prey's skull against the ground in a horrible cracking noise. The second slaver jumped of surprise, unable to attack the bat pony who just landed like a cannonball. Windigo blew the slaver in a barrel roll with his wing and took Savage Beast with his gauntlet and fired at close range, cutting his target in two.

I exited from the clinic, my magnum levitating at my side.

Bulletproof and Steel Mane looked unconscious, all others slavers slain ... unless ...

Killstreak tried to get on her legs.

"How do you feel ?" asked windigo

"Pain, pain and more pain ..." answered Killstreak. "Just need one or two healing potion."

I heard a sound behind me and turned.

- BAM -

A bullet brushed my ear.

"I won't mich ya nexcht time !" said Barbed Wire despite the gun she held in her mouth.

I drawed my magnum before me. It was face-to-face between she and I ...

I activated my S.A.TS. and aimed.

-Inspire ... 1... 2... 3... 4.. expire ...-

"Now shoot that bitch and finish the job !" roared my soul with a rage from my guts burning of will to win and survive.

All my six bullets, all in her head ... almost six hooves underground ...

Like a cliché of old film from cowhorses and buffalos ... but in my life, and in this world, that was not always the brave who survive sysmeticatly ...

My most brutal, bestial and primal entrails were roaring in unison, spitting pure adrenaline in my veins full of boiling blood. My vision was no more that a black tunnel pointing right on my opponent, like a gun's barrel ... and my hatred for this mare who sent stallions, mares and foals to die in horrific conditions, forced to obey to cruels masters.

And this hatred, it was my bullets ...

The sound of my heartbeat and eardrums echoing in my head ...

- Bom-bom bom-bom ... bom-bom ... -

Time passed slowly, I was using the S.A.T.S. at the same time that this rage ... Suddenly all the heat of my rage became pure cold.

It was now or never!

- BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM -

Each sound of my magnum shooting Barbed Wire made me closer to the reality ...

And each shot struck his target ... Wire's head didn't got the time to move at the first bullet than the second was perforating her skull ... with each bullet ...

The time became faster, even more, and more ... And the time was passing normally. The dead corpse of Barbed Wire fell on the dusty ground, the skull perforated by six bullets of .357 magnum.

Bulletproof got up, took Steel Mane on his back and runned out of the camp, letting us alone.

I began to aim, but one of Windigo's leather wing opened in front of me, making me unable to aim or shoot.

"Let them run ... They're only two against all the dangers of the 'wastelands' ..." Said Windigo has he place a hoof on my shoulder.

"It was ... " I tried to said.

"The first time when you kill somepony is always the hardest as I heard" said Killstreak as she posed her hoof on my other shoulder.

I looked at my magnum.

So it was that ... The survival instinct ...

"It was... AWESOME !!!!!" I shouted to the skies with a giant smile and tears of happyness.

Windigo and Killstreak looked each other with surprise.

I know killstreak got her cutie mark when she killed roadroaches to the chain during an infestation in the town outside the Stable ...

Windigo was the definition of "alive killing machine" with his claws, fangs and feline eyes...

I was just a unicorn who got her cutie mark during a power-cut at home. I made electricity back by placing her horn in a power outlet, making red sparkles and lightning all around me ... and I got my cutie mark and charged all the quarter during three days …

My entire life didn't made me a killer or a action-mare. But now I've felt this ... I was ... like made for this despite all my peaceful childhood. The world has return to an ancient world ... An ancient world leaded by a simple and ultimate rule: Kill or be killed ... And nopony wanted to be the killed ... And after all, this rule was always present ... Even in the peaceful age of pre-war time ...

Now, raiders were like psychotic hyenas, killing everything which weren't raiders from their band. Slavers were a bit less brutal, capturing sentient species to sold them ... helping some cruels customers, so customers don't kill them ...

There must have been a lot of ways to survive with this rule, and I got mine:

With Windigo and Killstreak, we were a group ... And as the proverb said "Number is Strength" and the fight of today against slavers proved it ...

"Everypony's okay ?" I asked

"I think I'm okay ..." said Killstreak.

"Everything's right to me" answered Windigo.

I smiled, satisfied of our performance, a group of raiders and another of slavers killed in the same day ...

Killstreak looked at her pipbuck.

"What are you doing ?" I asked her, interested.

"I'm looking on my mini-map ... to see our itinerary." She replied calmly. "You'll better do it too ..."

Windigo and I looked at our pipbucks.

"Hoofington is right there, near to a certain 'Everfree forest' ..." Killstreak continued.

My pipbuck showed a map with some points, including Hoofington.

"Were did you loaded this map ?" I demanded.

"When you've opened files I gave you at the tavern, your pipbucks have downloaded location in undiscovered mode, as mine did ..."

"So, we have an idea about where to go ..." Windigo deduced. "And we've to go east then go south when we'll arrive to Canterlot" continued Windigo.

"Why don't go south right now ?" asked Killstreak.

"Because I have learned Equestria's geography when I was a foal ... And I know Hollow Shade's environs very well ... If we take South right now, we'll going to arrive at Foal mountains, and because you're unicorns and you can't fly, travelling by the mountains will take to much time ..." He told.

"Mountains ?" I questioned.

"Your high-tech toy don't show reliefs, only informations ... My old pre-war methods using memory still best sometimes ..."He replied with a taunting smile .

"Yeah, maybe ..." said Killstreak, visibly injured in his pride.

"Don't feel bad, nopony is perfect ..." Windigo consoled her.

Killstreak grumbled and Windigo looked her in the eyes.

"Do not sulk, it's just a map ..." He calmly said. "... I don't like to see my friends sad."

Killstreak tried to make a smile.

"Much better" he said, then kissed her cheek.

"So, we're going or what ?" I asked. "This place is full of bodies and smell decay ..."

I began to loot corpses.

"If you found Bottle caps, take it !" told Killstreak.

"Why ?" I asked, looting intensively.

"Moon said merchants and wastelanders are using as money ..."

"As money ?" questioned windigo with surprise.

"Yeah ..."

"And if you found ammo you can't use, take it anyway, we're going to sold it if we meet a merchant... and take all of it, against raiders, we're never have too much ammo ..." I continued.

We took an hour to collect every useful stuff. We also stopped at the gates of the camp.

"Ready for a long travel ?" I asked.

"Hell yeah !" replied Killstreak.

"Let's do it !" cried Windigo.

We began to walk forward to the west.

After twenty minutes, a question began to grow in my brain.

"Windigo ?" I asked shyly.

"Yes ?"

"I got question about pre-war world and ... every things like this, can I ask you about ?"

"Yeah ! How was the world before it become this ?" asked Killstreak, looking interested

Windigo took a moment.

"Well ... I don't know where to begin ... maybe by the beginning ..." he murmured.

"If you want" I continued.

"More than a thousand years ago, Equestria was founded by three nations, pegasi, unicorns and ponies. Princesses Celestia and Luna came next and as Alicorns, became rulers of Equestria -" He recounted.

"We already know that ..." I cutted him.

"Yeah, whatever, so you know all the bullshit with elements of harmony, Nightmare Moon, etc ... So the history lessons is ended, I'll describe you how was the world before it become a dusty desert." He told.

We were slowly trotting on a old railway.

"So, being a bat pony, I wasn't destined to live the day, but my parent's couple was a bit ... weird for the epoch ..." He uncomfortable said.

"Weird ?" Killstreak asked.

"Red Sky saw it in the Mansion, my grand-parents were a bat pony and a pegasus mare, and my parent's couple were same composition ... so my father was ... diurnal and nocturnal at a time to have time with other bat pony and his family … And my mother being a day pony, I have grew like my father and it permitted me to see the world with a different look than other ponies ... By the time, Equestria was peaceful by this time, but it was just for official Equestria ... Ponies were always fighting before Equestria, and they didn't change ... competition between salers, to have better than other people ... zebras and griffins were not having a good reputation, also bat ponies ... but we were a bit more integrated ... because we were Luna's guard and her small protected."

"Like puppies ?" I questioned, surprised

"Not ... really ... more like her childrens ..." He said, searching for words. "My grandfather was a Luna's guard, and my father was a reserve soldier. And one day, I've travelled to Canterlot, the capitol ... Luna, it was beautiful ... A bit too white, but beautiful ..."

He smiled like melancholic.

"I don't really remember after my twenty fifth year old ... I remember a mare's face, a horrible sad feeling, and nothing else ..."

He stood speechless for a moment.

"And about your Stable and your childhood ?" He asked.

I looked Killstreak.

"Well ... My mother said that the stable was a hiding place during the war to protect ponies from a great cataclysm ... Approximately seventy years ago the stable opened because of lack of space for population, and our grandparents began to build a village at the entrance of the Stable ..." I said.

"Interesting" muttered Windigo. "And about your youth ?"

"Red Sky and I were child of engineers from the Stable ... The stable was not longer our real home, but it gave us electricity, water-cleaning ... Our mother were friends, and we were too ..." Killstreak told.

"And do you became friends ?" the bat pony asked.

"Killstreak is albinos and the medics told she was having a problem at the right eye, and bullies were always mocking her, and I defended her many times."

"Red !" shouted Killstreak.

"He need to know, he's with us after all !" I replied

Killstreak growled.

"And when we became teens, Killstreak grew more than all ponies of the stable, and bullies stopped their wickedness against her ... And we became very ... very close " I continued.

Killstreak blushed.

"So cute !" said Windigo.

"Are you mocking me ?" I asked.

"No, I'm not ..."

"Yes, you are !"

"Gaaah ! Mares didn't change after all this time !" he moaned.

"Eyh ! What's that ?" asked Killstreak as she pointed a big thing in a pile of scrap metal.

We looked at it.

"It's a Sparkle-Cola distributor !" I cried. "Cool ! does somepony have some bits ?"

Killstreak looked at her pipbuck and made a negative move with her head, Windigo did same.

"Dammit, I forgot my money at the tavern ..." I sighed. " And I'm thirsty ... Gaah ! We'll see later ..."

Windigo approached the distributor.

"What are you doing bat boy ?" asked Killstreak.

Windigo closed his gauntlet claws and destroyed the glass of the machine.

"Are you stealing ?" I asked.

"No police, no rules, nopony to say that's bad ... And I guess drink and survive is more important than dying because you didn't took a soda in a distributor ..." He replied calmly.

He took all the bottles and shared it between us.

"Health !" Windigo said has he raised his bottle in his claws.

He opened the bottle and took the cap.

• Clic clac -

"You're gonna need it, son ... now hooves behind ya head and lie down on the ground ..." said a voice behind him.

Windigo lay himself on the dust.

The stallion behind him was a unicorn, wearing a hardat and was pointing a strange shotgun at us.

I heard something behind me.

"Do like you friend, or you're all going to have a real bad day ..." said a mare voice behind me.

Killstreak and I lay on the ground.

"Hum ... We're not raiders ... we're just travellers ... we don't want problems" I said.

"Rusty, they're right, mares got stable's jumpsuit, and they all wear a pipbuck." told the mare at her fellow.

"I'm not darn sure for the mutant-like-pegasus ..." He replied.

"I'm not a mutant or something else ... I'm just a bat-pony -'' said Windigo.

"And what don't prove me you're like these damn Gorgon or Brass ? A reaper's monster ! A pony with a bloodwing ?"

"No way ! I'm a bat pony, a Luna's guard pony, old-one !" shouted Windigo.

The unicorn looked at the mare.

"Well, I hope you're not lying ..." said the stallion. "Excuse us, we're a caravan to Dodge Junction ... I thought you were raiders ..."

We got up, looking at these ponies.

"I'm Rusty Wrench, and my fella is Tin Rivet" introduced the hardat-pony. "Travelling around here's dangerous ... You shouldn't be distracted by a Sparkle-Cola bottle ..."

"You're going to Dodge Junction ? Right ?" Windigo asked.

"Heck yeah, kid ..." replied the old buck.

"Is it near to Everfree forest ?"

"That's darn near, boy, you just got to trot to west-north and you're arrived after five minutes ..."

"So can we travel with you ?" I questioned.

"Why not, until you don't make troubles ..."

"Thank you"

"You're welcome, kids."

___________________

Footnote: Level Up.

New Perk: Gunslinger - While using a mouth-held or levitated firearm, your chance to hit in S.A.T.S. increases by 25%.