Fallout Equestria: Ascendancy

Off in the distance, at the top of the mountain, I saw two towering figures that looked like they were made from scrap metal.

The one on the right was an Earth pony wearing a cowpony hat and a vest with a badge on the chest and a bandana around his neck.

The one on the left was more imposing. Its face was hidden by the gas mask on its head and it wore a bullet-ridden trench coat over armor that looked like a sturdier version of what Security wore in 72. On its flank was a long-barreled revolver.

They were both locked in a hoofshake.

I continued up the path, wanting a closer look. I had to navigate the wreckage of carriages that created a maze along the highway.

There was a small caravan ahead. The merchant was sitting on the ground wearing a wide-brimmed hat that shaded her from the harsh sun. Standing beside her was a gruff-looking stallion clad in leather barding. He drew his submachine gun when he saw me approaching. I guess I looked a sight after the hotel.

“Not another step, stranger,” said the mare. “Whaddya want?” Her blue eyes glared at me from underneath the hat.

“I’m just passing by. Wanna trade?” I gave the friendliest smile I could. I’m sure it looked creepy, me being covered in blood with a wing and a half.

The mare looked at me with suspicion but smiled back. “Ah guess. It does look like ya have quite the load.”

My saddlebags were getting heavy. She didn’t have any food but she did have a Laser Pistol. It looked like the mountain wiped its ass with it though. I figured that something could be salvaged from it. If not, well, she practically gave it to me. I also got a few healing bandages and potions as well as some Gem Cartridges for said Laser Pistol.

“Whoa, ya wanna trade that there shotgun?”

“Nope.”

I was generous and gave her more than her stuff was worth. She didn’t seem as suspicious by the end of our trade.

“What are those things up there?” I asked, pointing to the giants.

“That feller on the right, with the hat, is from the NCR. They’re sorta here to keep law and order. Not that they do, but they try.”

“What does that stand for? NCR.”

“The New Coltifornia Republic. They come from further west. Ah guess it’s more civilized there than it is here in the Marejave. They sure are friendlier than what you’d expect.”

“How about the other one?”

Her expression changed to something like fear crossed with excitement. “That there is the baddest muthafucker you’ll ever come across in Equestria. That’s one o’ them Neighvada Desert Rangers. They got guns that’ll blow a Hellhound apart with a grazing shot,” she said, throwing her hooves wide.

“Really? I’ll believe that when I see it.”

She walked up and poked me in the chest. “Ya just might if you piss off the NCR.”

I rolled my eyes. “Uh-huh… Say, you haven’t seen my daughter by any chance have you? She just a filly.”

“Yep. I’ve seen lots o’ fillies out here.” She gave me a sarcastic smile.

“She’s a Pegasus.”

“Now that does narrow it down. Can’t say Ah have though. Ah’d remember if Ah did.” She looked at my wing. “Ah sure hope she’s doin’ better than you.

I hung my head and sighed. “Thanks anyway.”

“Thank you fer the company. It’s not every day I get to have a civil conversation with somepony other than this clunk over here,” she pointed to her guard. “There’s an NCR building at the top of the mountain, just past the statues. They got patrols all over. If anypony’s seen yer filly, it’d be them, and they’d tell ya. Ya don’t see ponies with wings every day, so Ah’m sure they’d remember her.”

I thanked the mare again for the salvage and started up the mountain. There weren’t as many carriages on the hill. Most of them had slid to the bottom, creating a wall of wood.

Once I reached the top, I approached the giants. There was a plaque in the center, beneath them.

It read: Here marks the site of the signing of the peace treaty and the forging of the alliance between the New Coltifornia Republic and the Desert Rangers of Neighvada.

I guess the mare did know what she was saying.

The Outpost was just beyond the statues. High chain link fences surrounded the two buildings. Sandbags were at the only entrance. Behind them stood two ponies wearing the same barding as the trooper at Thunderhooves. They gave me a friendly glance as I entered the Outpost.

The first thing I noticed was the poster on the wall. It showed a Zebra wearing a helmet made from the head of a Timberwolf. In bold letters, it said: When you fight for the Legion, you are his bitch!

Ha!

The mare at the front desk was looking down at the stack of papers in front of her. She didn’t even look up as I approached her.

“Weapons requisition… shipping manifest… ?” she asked.

“What?”

She looked up. “Sorry, I just need something for the log books. The suits want everything catalogued.” She sounded like she hated her job.

“Just passing through. I came here to see if anyone here has seen my daughter. She would have passed through… maybe yesterday. She’s a Pegasus.”

“No, nopony in the NCR has ever reported a Pegasus in the Marejave.”

“Why? Are we supposed to be extinct or something?”

“They used to make up the Enclave. Greedy bastards flew up to the skies and closed ‘em up, leaving everypony else to fend for themselves. Any Pegasus that flew down here was branded a traitor and had their cutie mark burned off. But nopony’s seen hide nor hair of ‘em in about fifty years.” She looked at my wing. “You one of ‘em?”

“I don’t even know what that is.”

“Okay. Anything else I can help you with?”

“Do you have a trading post here?”

“That depends. What are you looking to trade for? We don’t trade our weapons. It’s protocol.”

“I need medical supplies, and some food and water would be nice.”

“Yeah, then you want to see the medic. Go down that hall,” she pointed, “second door on your left.”

“Thanks.”

“Sure.”

I followed her directions and walked into the clinic. The medic had plenty of potions and bandages to trade. I wished I had more stuff. It turned out that my Laser Pistol was valuable. I kept Perdition. I really liked that gun.

“How long ago did you lose your wing?” she asked me.

“Yesterday. The medic back at Thunderhooves cleaned and cauterized it. Say, you don’t have any Hydra do you?”

“I do, actually. One dose. If you know of it then you must know that it won’t come cheap.”

“I don’t have anything else to trade.”

“Then maybe you can do us a favor.”

“Uh… sure. What?”

“There’s a mare in the barracks, named Rose of Sharon, that we need gone. She’s causing a lot of trouble with the troopers. Plus, she’s built up a hell of a tab and probably doesn’t have the caps to pay for it.”

“So… what, you want me to kill her? Find somepony else. I don’t do that.”

“Celestia, no! I’d never condone the murder of a civilian but she refuses to leave and won’t say why. Honestly, I don’t care why. Get her to leave and the Hydra’s yours.”

“It’s worth that much to you?”

“It was my job. I tried and she wouldn’t leave. Almost ended real badly for me, let me tell you. We have serious repercussions for those who shirk their duties, so yes, it’s worth that much to me.”

Weird…

* * *

I walked into the barracks. It seemed more like a bar. Stallions and mares were in a variety of attire. Some wore the barding of the troopers. Some wore light barding. Some wore actual clothing. There was one stallion that wore metal armor with crude spikes that jutted out everywhere. Not a pony you’d want to get in a hoof-fight with.

Half of the ponies in here were puffing on cigarettes and cigars, creating an opaque veil that snaked around the bar. I fanned the smoke away in disgust and went up to the bar.

“What can I get for ya?” the barpony asked. She was probably an off-duty NCR trooper.

Clunk!

“Just a water,” I said.

She gave me a jug of water with a bendy straw. I drank my first bit of clean water in two days.

Clunk!

I looked over at the tan Earth mare sitting on the adjacent side of the L-shaped bar. She was downing shots like nopony’s business. She had a black cowpony hat sitting atop her roseate mane and was wearing a black shirt with buttons up the front.. My eyes went to her flank. A rose leaning on a bottle, similar to the bottle in front of her. She took a shot.

Clunk!

“Lookin’ fer trouble, Feathers?”

“No, I just…”

“Then what the fuck ya lookin’ at?” She narrowed her eyes.

“Uh…”

Then I made the mistake of glancing at her cutie mark again. When I opened my mouth to ask about it, I tasted metal. The long barrel of a lever-action rifle made its way into my mouth.

“Don’t even think about it. You try anything an’ Ah’ll blow yer fuckin’ head off.”

Holy shit! The bar was so quiet I could hear the bystanders breathing. I could also hear the creak of her trigger. That must have been the trouble the doctor mentioned.

“Put the gun away, Rose, or I’ll cut you off.” The barpony reached for Rose’s bottle only to get her hoof shoved away. Rose put the gun away and poured four shots, glaring at me the entire time.

“What the hell is your problem?”

“Mah problem is that Ah’m stuck here. Ah can’t leave because of a piece o’ paper.”

“And sticking a gun in its mouth didn’t work?”

“Hehe. Sorry ‘bout that. Ah just got pissed ‘cause Ah get every other stallion comin’ in here tryin’ to take advantage of a mare that’s drownin’ her sorrows.” She took another shot.

Clunk!

“Rose… wait. Are you Rose of Sharon?”

Clunk!

“Yep. Why?”

“Somepony in the NCR wants you out of here. Why won’t you leave?”

“Ah told ya. A piece o’ paper.”

Clunk!

“That doesn’t even make any sense.”

“Doesn’t it? It’s a contract that keeps me here ‘til my caravan arrives. Ya think these morons would know. But no!” She threw her hooves up.

“So… ?”

“So it ain’t comin’. Somepony burned mah wagon and killed mah guys. Does the NCR care? No. What’re they givin’ ya? They’re nice ponies but they ain’t the charitable type.”

“A dose of Hydra for my wing.”

“Me gone is worth that much to ‘em, huh?”

“That’s what I thought. Why don’t you just sell it? The company.”

“Would you sell yer name if somepony offered ya caps for it? Dad’d roll over in his grave if’n he found out Ah’d sold the caravan.”

“It’s not doing you any good here. You want to stay here forever? That’s what’s going to happen.”

“Ah know, but Ah just can’t.”

“How about a bet then?”

“Maybe… Whaddya got?”

“A drinking game.” She was already trashed. I could beat her.

The most sinister grin broke across her face. “Ya got a deal, Feathers. Ah can drink yer ass under the table.”

“And you’ll leave if I win?”

“Don’t worry. You won’t.”

* * *

I felt like crap. My head was throbbing and my stomach felt like it was going to fall out of my ass. I was outside on a sleeping bag and it was dark.

I was admiring the moon when something shifted next to me. The tan mare was curled up on my leg. Her red mane was messy. I almost didn’t recognize her. I tried to slide my leg out from underneath her and slip out unnoticed.

She chuckled and stretched her legs. “Ah’ll be damned, Feathers. Ah think ya fly better when yer drunk.”

“What happened? Did we… ? Did I win?”

“Ha! Hell no! You got trashed and refused a shot. That means Ah won the bet. Ya fulfilled yer end of the bargain though, hehe. Best night Ah’ve had in a long time.” She rolled on her back and stretched out and gave a sigh of relief. “Ah think they threw us out on account o’ all the noise we was making.”

I know I shouldn’t have been that upset but I was still faithful to a mare six years dead and I wasn’t ready to change that. Especially not for this brand of crazy.

“Why the long face? Ya seemed plenty happy last night.” She put her hat shirt back on.

“You should have told me your end of the bet. I wouldn’t have agreed to take it then.”

“What’s the big deal? It was just sex…”

“It’s a big deal for some ponies.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh… then you must be into the stallions? Whatever turns your wheels, Feathers. Ah don’t judge. Ah figured Ah did all right last night.”

“What?! No! That’s not it.” Two stallions? That’s weird…

“Then what is it?”

“None of your business.”

“Tell me.”

“No.”

There was a long pause. She stared at me for a while. I was pouting like a filly and I bet it looked pathetic.

“Fine, fine, stop yer cryin’. Have some dignity. Ah suppose… it was wrong o’ me to take advantage of ya like that. Ya really do seem like a nice pony.” She stepped toward me. “Listen. Ah’ll sell the caravan if’n it means ya can get yer wing back.”

“Really?”

“Ah’m comin’ with ya, though. Sellin’ mah name means Ah don’t have nowhere to go. It’s the least ya can do since Ah did win the bet. Besides, it looks like ya could use somepony to watch yer back.” She pointed at my gross wing. “Make sure that never happens again.”

“I don’t know…”

“You don’t have a choice. Ah don’t have anywhere else to go and it’s yer fault. Ah’m comin’ with ya.”

She did seem sincere and sorry. And it couldn’t hurt having another gun on my side. What the hay…

“Okay, fine. But I need to go get my wing fixed before we head out.”

“Yep. Ah’ll go find some clueless clunk to buy the caravan. Meet ya out front?”

I nodded and went back to the medic. She gave me the Hydra and I asked if she would administer it. She didn’t seem all that comfortable with chopping the rest of my wing off. I told them that I needed to hurry, so it would just be sawed completely off—much to my discomfort.

“Bite down on this.” She put a nasty block of wood toward my mouth.

“Don’t any of you medics wash your biting blocks? Besides, I don’t know who else bit down on it.”

“Nopony did.”

“There are teeth marks right there.”

“Fine, it’s the only one I have.”

“Just cut my wing off already.”

“Okay.”

I think that was worse than when I broke it and had half of it blown off. She gave me the dose and my wing began to regenerate. It was bald at first but feathers started to sprout from the base by the time it had finished regenerating and, after a few minutes, my wing was back and in pristine condition, just like the Thunderhooves medic had said. I flapped my wings just because I could. It felt alien despite it only being three days since I was unable to move it.

Rose was waiting outside, just like she said. I honestly didn’t think anypony would buy her caravan. She must not have told them that they couldn’t leave the Outpost now, or maybe she’s just a savvy business pony.

She spit out the piece of straw she was chewing on and stood up. “It’s about damn time, Feathers. Ah’ve been out here for an hour.”

“Sorry. Never re-grew a wing before. Next time I’ll know exactly how long it takes. At least you got some drinking money, right?”

“Drinkin’ money fer a day maybe.”

“I think you have a problem.”

We headed back down the mountain and off to the right; a path I had missed coming in. We didn’t say a word the whole way down and of course the cowpony broke the silence.

“So, who are ya? Yer name wasn’t one of the things you gave me last night.”

So much for being sorry.

“No more talking about last night. You know as well as I do that wouldn’t have happened if not for that bet.”

She snickered. “Fine then, gentlestallion. What’s yer name? Unless ya want me callin’ ya Feathers.”

“Plasma Storm.”

“Pleased ta make yer acquaintance. Ah’m Rose of Sharon as ya know. Most folk just call me Rose.”

“Is there a story behind your name?”

“Why would ya think that?”

“It’s a unique name. If you don’t want to tell me…”

“Humph. There’s a story for everything. Once upon a time, mah Dad gave mah Mama a Rose of Sharon flower when he asked her to be his very special somepony and she said yes. The end.”

“That’s such a nice story,” I said with only a tiny bit of sarcasm. “Why do you go by Rose?”

“If you want to say ‘Rose of Sharon’ instead of ‘Rose’ every time ya want to get mah attention then be mah guest. Ah like the name just fine but it’s a bit of a mouthful, ya know?”

* * *

The sun was just coming up as Rose and I trotted down the highway that cut through the desert. I hated to see the moon go; it was so much nicer than the sun. It was still mostly dark but I could make out a building in the distance.

It was missing a wall and most of the roof and had holes blasted in several places. I could see movement here and there inside and there was one pony standing out front.

This pony was… different.

Rose stopped me with a whisper. “Hold up. What are you doing?”

“Uh… walking down the road?”

“Past her?” She pointed at the strange pony. “That’s a raider. She’d blow yer head off as soon as shake yer hoof.”

“Oh…” Good thing I brought her along, I thought. Then the shriek of a younger pony came from inside the building. It sounded like a filly.

“Looks like they got a new toy. Ah sure hope you ain’t the type to sit out on action like this. Let’s go kick some ass!”

She loaded her rifle with the flick of her tail—seriously, it was pretty cool. I drew Perdition and we galloped to the rescue. I remembered Silver Bullet. I’d be doing Equestria a favor by taking out these raiders.

“Hold up. I’ll handle this,” I said.

She shook her head but sat down.

I thought Rose was twigged yesterday. She didn’t have shit on the mare in front of me. She was hunched over grotesquely and couldn’t sit still for a second. She constantly twitched and was muttering something to herself; something about a cactus; I couldn’t really understand her. Her barding looked like normal leather; weird for a raider. Her pupils were pinpricks and were looking in opposite directions.

She didn’t seem to notice the large Pegasus standing beside her. I bucked her in the throat; I didn’t want her calling for help. The others probably wouldn’t have even heard her over their own whooping.

They heard her gun though. She bit the trigger when I kicked her.

“What the fuck was that?” a stallion asked.

“Dumb mare’s probably shootin’ at her own shadow again. I told her not to mix the Dash and Supercharger,” another stallion said.

“Go check on that idiot. I’m not finished with her yet.”

“Take it easy on her, will ya?” a mare said. “They ain’t worth as much when they’re all cut up.”

“Fuck off.”

A few seconds later, two ponies—a stallion and mare—stepped through the front door. They didn’t look messed up like the mare on the ground. The stallion had a sledgehammer. The mare had a pistol.

Oh shit, I thought. Then she shot me in the chest. I hadn’t even hit the ground before the stallion started beating my head in. I heard the mare cackling then it was drowned out by a gunshot. A click then another shot sounded and I wasn’t being hit anymore. The stallion fell on top of me. He smelled like shit. Wait… I thought.

He had to shit before he died…

I felt glass on my lips and a silky liquid poured into my mouth.

“You’ll handle it, huh? Fuckin’ Stable ponies… Yer not very smart, are ya?” Rose had her repeater over her shoulder. “Come on. Somepony still needs our help.”

The mare I’d bucked was gasping for air on the ground. I crushed her windpipe with that kick. She just stared at me with tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry,” I said. Then I shot her. She probably deserved to die, but I didn’t know for sure. What if she had never hurt anypony in her life?

The building appeared to be a small sheriff station. It contained one large cell and an office all in one room.

A stallion was pounding on a filly that was chained to the wall inside the cell. The filly kicked back with little effect until she got him in the groin. He growled and pulled a knife and went to stab her.

I rushed in and bit his mane and pulled, sending him sprawling to the floor and he dropped his knife. He got up and his horn glowed. The knife shot back into his hoof.

“Nope.” I pointed Perdition down to his horn and pulled the trigger, painting the floor behind him with shredded brains and blood.

The chain jingled and the filly screamed. She was back in the corner and trembling.

I walked up to her. “It’s okay. We’re not going to hurt you,” I said, extending a consoling hoof to the filly. The white Pegasus filly.

A single crying amber eye looked up at me.