Fallout Equestria: Honest Lies

Fallout Equestria:Honest Lies

Chapter 1: One Glass Too Many

“But at the end of the day…sometimes I think I’d like to say yes.”

The plan was still fresh in my mind.  I could feel a part here and a part there slowly forming as I gathered myself up from the bar.  “I’ll be back around six tonight. Could you do me a favor?” I looked at the bartender who gave me a frown.  “Fine, I’ll give ya one of my food ration vouchers.” That seemed to soften his frown and he nodded to me.  “Alright, when I come back, line up six glasses, empty with ice, and then pour me my one drink when I give ya the drink voucher. That’s all I need ya to do.”  He regarded my request and nodded again, I’ve been there enough that he knew me and what I looked like rather well; this would be almost too easy.

The breeze was always refreshing as it welcomed me along with the exit jingle of the door bell of the “Ale-port Bar” an eye rolling pun on the fact that it used to be a vertibuck airport hanger for us.  I headed towards our training facility, a large shadowed building that still connected to the uppermost parts of Shadowbolt Tower. Man oh man, the pegasi could say what they wanted to about Rainbow Dash, but I know this much-everything that they built was certainly ‘Awesome’.  The dark clouds of the upper framework maintained their stormy disposition even while the sun pounded down on them, even though the sun and moon moved freely now, there was still an odd cycle to the day and night.

I approached the two guard ponies at the front door; I couldn’t tell if they were colts or mares in their power armor, but I didn’t really care, all that mattered is that they recognized me and didn’t bar my access. Heading into the main lobby I looked about at the impressive remnants of the pre-war organization. High on the wall above the floor was an old Ministry of Awesome logo that had been marred horribly by the Grand Pegasus Enclave logo, it was clearly painted over however and you could still see the awesome lightning bolt behind the encroaching cover-up.  “Can I help you Miss Punch?” the nasal voice of the lobby secretary, Windburst, dragged me from my stupor.  The chestnut colored mare had a strict manestyle and her tail was in a perm, the red of her mane looked lovely with her coat…though it did little to take away from the fact that she seemed like a desk ornament (and a hot one at that!), she was never privy to anything we did.  “I’m here to speak to Lighthooves.” She nodded at me then motioned for me to take a seat.

I got uncomfortable.  Sitting on the waiting room couch was taking its toll, I could only stare at the dual logo-ed abomination on the wall so much, I started watching the clock hands turn over the secretary’s desk.  I shifted again and again on the couch, got up and paced, I even tried sitting upside down on the couch after pacing had failed me. I found myself wishing I had come in my own power armor…at least then I could amuse myself with my E.F.S. or imagine trying to play games on its on board computer system.  If I had a plan, I loved to see it progress, not be halted by the slow march of time and some other pony being busy, a tell I would need to work on.

“It has been five minutes Punch…” Lighthooves voice snapped me out of my upside down delirium and I looked down, no, up at him. “What? I got bored.”  I gave him my best charming smile-he was not impressed.  “So what did you need me for?”  I thought blankly for a moment before righting myself up with some hapless flapping of my right wing, then I stood with him. “I was wonderin’ if ya wanted to come for some drinks tonight, say around seven?” He blinked at me in an odd disbelief.  “This is a strange happening.” I frowned.  “Did ya ever hear of the words yes and no?” he nickered at me. “Very well I accept, if not for the curiosity of this, you have no attachment to anypony, let alone me.” His words were smooth, but they felt so very jagged.  “Meet me at the Ale-port Bar, remember, seven.”  I slinked away being thankful for the ability of my coat color to hide any kind of blush that I garnered out of embarrassment, I certainly didn’t like him. He simply chuckled.

I prepared back at my home, homes were small in the Enclave, only so much room above the clouds, but it was much better than down below I was certain.  I kept my decorating minimally to a few pinups of pre war colts and mares and a smattering of empty bottles, geez I needed to clean this place.  That helped me kill time though, I checked the pulse gun I was challenged with using and hid it neatly beside my couch and gathered up a food voucher and some drink vouchers.  Vouchers were what we used in lieu of money; each household was given a certain number of them to survive month to month.  I sighed as I tried to gather the rest of my plan together in my head and set out the door nearer to six than seven.

I sat at the bar, he hadn’t arrived early as well-I half feared he might.  I passed the food and drink voucher to the bartender and he nodded, filling up six glasses with ice and one with ice and hard cider, I took the one he poured and held onto it, keeping the others in front of me as well.  I took one sip of the cider and kept it in my mouth for what seemed like ages, it didn’t matter if I was actually drunk or not, just that it seemed like it-and alcohol breath goes a long way in that disguise.  To my chagrin he showed up at about six-thirty, a whole half hour early! It was good that I planned ahead and was here earlier.

He approached me at the bar; I sank my head a bit and bobbed it from side to side slowly, letting a little bit of drool come from the corner of my mouth. “Punch…this is…” he looked absolutely bewildered at how much I had already ‘drank’.  I pretended to fight against odd slurs at him and finally brought out some words. “yer late!” I waved my hoof at his general direction, but a few degrees to the side. He frowned at me, “You seem to be the one who started early.”  I feigned ignorance again as I mulled over his statement and turned to the bartender, lifting another drink voucher I was actually surprised as Lighthooves pushed my hoof down on the table. “You’ve had enough tonight.” It wasn’t a question or an observation; I smiled inwardly because it was a statement.  “Buf I washn’t finish!” I semi-roared at him, causing most of the bar and the bartender to look at us in a stupor.  The bartender looked at me and pulled away my still half full glass of cider, “Missy, you -have- had enough.” I’d have to thank him later.

I struggled, having been hoisted over the shoulder of my boss who may or may have not been actually concerned about me.  “That was a sorry display in there. I hope you don’t come to work like this.”  Again his words were cold, but I sensed something akin to worry-though it may have been for the work and not me, I belched at him, he reeled from the scent of the cider that had become ingrained in my taste buds.  I was quite surprised he didn’t just leave me on the street after that, but he instead started carrying me home, of course he knew where I lived…though I had never told him.

He flung open the door I had left unlocked, and walked me over to the couch, I groaned as he put me down, he chuckled a bit. “I’ll get you some water alright?” This was it! I nodded to him meekly and looked away from him in false-shame. As I heard him turn to leave the room I lifted the pulse gun slowly from beside the couch and fired it at him, he had started to turn his head to face me and let out a gasp as it grazed his side, he had still almost dodged it, almost. There was a long moment perpetuated by silence between us as he sat down across from me on the only chair I had other than my couch and sighed. “You aren’t drunk, are you?” Again it sounded like a statement rather than a question. “No sir. I had a few sips of cider, but that was it.”  He actually smiled. “That was masterfully done. You used your ability to disguise how you are to others, your skill to manipulate others-like that bartender, and you actually got me with that gun. Color me impressed.”  I inflated with pride, but I wasn’t quite sure why I even cared.

I helped him tend to the small burn mark that poor excuse for a gun managed to leave on his side, had he even been wearing a coat, I doubt it would have even done that.  “Does this mean you’re gonna give me my own team?” I sounded more quizzical than hopeful and he caught that. “Punch, would you even know what to do with your own team?” I caved, “Nope. Not a damn clue.”  He smiled. “I’ll get you set up on a team, and see if I can’t find some work suitable for your...skills.” I was still curious though “What kind of work?” He shifted a bit in his seat and actually told me. “Well I still have reservations about putting you on my Hoofington project, but there are a few other things that have come down from the higher ups that may be right up your alley, come in tomorrow for the tart of your new training.” I nodded to him, and he got up and left. No goodbye, no nothing.  It dawned on me that he was really good at pretending to have emotions.

Footnote: level up: Enclave Black Ops. You have special training in the regimens of the Enclave Intelligence Forces, this includes magical energy weapons, stealth, and speech.