Fallout Equestria: Project Exodus

Chapter 2

"Kitty, guess what I got!" She burst into the room like an excited child, panting rapidly from excursion, accidentally kicking a stiff leg out of her path, not noticing its lack of owner. Her eyes probed the chaos of the atrium, searching her dear sister. Her head quickly snapped to attention when she found her target, laying with her back pressed against a wall, a small filly huddled in her arms. This wouldn't have surprised her much, having left the pair in the same state, but the look on Kit Tinkers face told her something had happened, something bad.

Following her sisters gaze, she found a unicorn stallion sprawled on the ground, fresh blood covering his body and the floor around him. His hoof was outstretched, reaching for a sharpened piece of bloodied metal lying a few feet ahead of him. The stallions eyes were stuck open, the pupils dilated and glazed, his face held a blood filled, manic smile. His body was filled with holes, one in his abdomen, another through his shoulder blade and a third clean through his head.

Glancing back at her sister, she spotted the discarded 10mm pistol, with empty shell casings surrounding it. She quickly put the pieces together and bounded toward her sister, intent on helping her sister in any way she could, even if she didn't know how.

The small yellow filly stirred as she heard Spree approach, opening her bloodshot eyes in the direction of the worried unicorn, recognizing the messy pink hair and violet coat instantly. She whimpered, pushing herself further into the soft lilac coat of her protector, trying to keep as much distance between herself and the mad killer. The filly went completely unnoticed by Spree however, too focused on the blood stain creeping down the collar of her sisters overalls and the steady flow of tears dripping from her unfocused eyes.

Sliding unsteadily next to Kit Tinker, her side painfully impacting the wall, she began to inspect the shallow wound. Relieved that it wasn't anything serious or life threatening, she reached into her saddlebags with her magic and pulled out a roll of bandaged, along with a bottle of disinfectant and a ball of cotton wool.  Taking the top off of the disinfectant, she placed the ball of cotton over the bottles mouth and quickly tipped it upside down  and back upright. She then began to clean the wound, wiping away the copious amounts of blood. The burning sensation of the disinfectant caused Kit to wince ever so slightly, her blank, tearful gaze still fixed, never leaving the dead stallion. After inexpertly applying the bandage around her sisters wound, Spree reached out with her magic for one of the healing potions sat in her saddlebags, but decided against it, figuring she'd save them for a more serious injury. She stood back up and stepped in front of her sisters vision, breaking her trance like state.

"Kit?...Are...Are you okay?" Spree mentally facehooved, realizing how stupid her question was and how obvious the answer.

"I...I killed him Rose. I sh-shot him. He...he tried to kill me, so...so I-I killed him first..." Kit's voice sounded weak, hollow, devoid of any scrap of emotion. She glanced briefly at the concerned eyes of her sister with her soulless eyes, pleading for a way to escape her horrid reality. She caught sight of the 10mm pistol, the one which she had used to add to the already large amounts of death and devastation. She whimpered and looked away, looking back down at the filly shaking with fear in her forelegs.

"You did what you had to Kitty. Just think about what he would've done to you or that filly if you hadn't shot him!" Spree stated in an attempt to reassure her distraught sister, finally remembering the yellow earth pony she had stopped to comfort. Her words seemed to have little effect on the almost comatose mare, in fact they seemed to only make matters worse. Kit whimpered and began to hug the filly tightly, the stream of salty tears becoming a waterfall as image after image played out in her head.

"Shit, that was a dumb thing to say..." Spree mumbled to herself, this time physically facehoofing, dragging her forehoof down her face. "Look Kit, it was either him or you. Celestia knows why he attacked you in the first place but the only thing that matters is that you are alive."

Kit jerked her tear filled gaze towards her sister "What makes my life more important than his? What makes me better than him?"

"Because Kit...I need you, I'd be lost without you, I wouldn't know what to do with myself, I would've ran with these idiots and got myself killed if I didn't have you," She gestured to the mass of dead unicorns behind her with her foreleg, "Celestia even that filly needs you right now! What would've happened to her if you'd died?" Her words seemed to reach Kit, penetrating her demeanor of self loathing and disgust, forcing her eyes to the ground, closed in deep thought, her tears continuing to fall.

"Kit I-I know you're hating yourself right now, taking the life of another pony is never easy but...you get used to it, you learn to not think about it and ignore it. The first time I killed somepony I was a mess, crying buckets and everything, but eventually... I just stopped caring. I convinced myself what I do is necessary, to protect everypony, you especially." Spree admitted, pushing the advance, in an effort to break through the crack she had created and bring her sister back from the brink. It seemed to do the trick as, ever so slightly, Kit gently nodded in reply.

"Okay then, I'll give you a couple minutes to sort yourself, then we're getting the fu- uhh... fudge out of here." Spree stuttered, suddenly remembering the seven year old that was also present with them, who was currently peaking her frightened eyes out from behind Kit's foreleg. Spree attempted to smile at her, but ended up making a menacing grimace, causing the earth pony to pull herself tighter against her sister's body. Frowning at the filly's response, Spree stood herself back up and left the two ponies alone, walking over to the mass of bodies with the intention of scavenging them.

"Sh-she isn't as bad o-once you get to know her sweetie..." Kit whispered into the little filly's hear, feeling her retreat from her sisters presence, utterly frightened.

"She's scary..." The filly finally spoke, her voice was mumbled and stuttered, from her recent bouts of crying, barely above a whisper as she continued to tremble. She watched with wide, teary eyes as Spree dug through the mass of corpses, seemingly unfazed by the vile mess of blood and decay.

"I-I know she acts sc-scary but she's a big sof-softy at heart, especially when it comes to the ponies she lo-loves." Kit began to gently stroke the filly's orange mane with her right hoof, the other laid across the filly's back, pulling her closer and turning her head away from the atrocious scene. No sooner since uttering those words a loud explosion rocked the room, blowing a small cluster of bodies into chunks and ribbons of flesh. A string of angry and profound curses followed the explosion the source of which was the current topic of conversation, who was busy smashing the life out of an already beaten stable security helmet with her magic.

"Y-You're going to have to t-trust me on that sweetie."

The results Spree's angry rant left a mess of glass and Kevlar spread out over the bloodied floor, along with a cut hoof for her efforts. After breathing deeply for a few seconds, in an attempt to calm herself down, she decided she was done searching the bodies for anything useful, unwilling to have another near death encounter with a random grenade. From the brief few minutes she had spent scavenging, she had recovered at least eighty 10mm rounds for her pistol, three fragmentation grenades and an unused healing potion. She also uncovered another combat shotgun, this one in a slight state of disrepair, as well as eighteen 12 gauge rounds, twelve of which she loaded into its drum magazine.

She then brought up her left foreleg to glance at her Pip-buck's clock, its soft orange glow alighting her hardened features, the current time showed that she had been at it for a good ten minutes. Figuring that ten minutes was enough time for her sister to collect herself, she trotted back over to the two, bringing the strap of the shotgun over her neck, letting it hang loose at her side.

"You and that filly ready to go Kitty? The quicker we get out of here, the better we'll all feel."

"Ye-Yeah we're ready, c'mon...urm...w-what was your name again?" kit drew a blank, feeling foolish at the fact that in all the time she had spent sat with the filly, she had never asked her name.

"My...My name's A-Apple Core." The young filly, Apple Core, sputtered out, her confidence withering in the presence of Bulletspree.

"T-That's a cute name, my names K-Kit Tinker and my sister's Rosemary, but she likes to call herself Bulletspree." Kit smiled at Apple Core, introducing herself and her sister out of courtesy more than anything else, since the filly already knew her name.

Spree's ears perked at the mention of the filly's name, the exact same name having been used as the late High Arc's terminal password. "D-Did you just say Apple Core? You're not by chance the daughter of High Arc? Y'know, your Overmare." She asked with curiosity, already having a safe bet about what the answer would be.

"Um...Y-Yes." She replied shakily, seeing the sudden rage building behind the violet pony's eyes, suddenly feeling even more unsafe being in the mad unicorns vicinity. Spree suddenly gave a snicker, taking a long look at the cowering earth pony, before she turned away and fell into laughter.

"This...This is just precious! hahaha...I guess she didn't want to give snk mercy to hehehe to her own daughter!" Spree's laughter slowly declined into mild chuckles, the confusion felt by the two other present ponies unchanging.

"W-What's so funny?" Kit dared to ask, confusion and mild disturbance shining clear on her face.

"What's funny is that her mother," Spree spat the word like venom, "had every single little earth pony colt and filly drugged to death, that is every single colt and filly but hers."

"Mommy would never do that on purpose! She was just making sure that everypony was safe from the unicorn cooties!" Apple Core shouted in retaliation, leaping from Kit's lap to defend her mother's tarnished honour, blindly and without question, just as any child would.

"Heh, then I guess she didn't want you protected against the 'cooties', some mother she turned out to be." Spree replied sarcastically, toying with the filly's weak mind, in a sick effort to get even with the already deceased mare, the mare who ruined her and her sisters life.

"She did! I just...I ran away, they were using these big, scary looking needles..." Apple Core physically shook at the image, the idea of one of those pointy objects going into her arm made her feel weak to the bone.

"Congratulations kid! You saved yourself from your mothers kiddy killing spree! How does it feel being the last of your friends to be alive!?" Spree screamed almost joyfully, watching the filly squirm as she slowly advanced on her, enjoying every minute of her torture.

"Rose! Stop it, can't you see you're hurting her!?" Kit jumped in front of her sister, maintaining at least a forelegs distance, just in case. Apple Core took the opportunity to slide between her legs, seeking sanctuary from her tormenter.

"HER MOTHER KILLED EVERYPONY IN THIS STABLE!" Spree roared, stamping her bloodied hoof on the ground and stepping forward in an effort to assert her dominance.

"And m-making a filly cry will make up for that? She's in-innocent in this, s-so don't blame her for anything!" Kit glared at her sister, placing a hoof over the filly's chest, barring her sister from reaching her. "You're no better! How many ponies have you killed, five? ten? You could've easily stopped and t-talked, worked things out, b-but instead you just shot each other."

"I...I did what I had to...to protect you, why can't you understand that? I...I did what I had to..." Spree's anger tempered off, becoming sorrow and desperation as she fought an inner battle with herself, trying to justify the actions taken by herself.

Kit took a deep breath and sighed, her horn glowed a faint blue as she lifted the filly, who squeaked in protest,  from between her legs and hoisted onto her back. "Let's just...Let's just get out of here...I-I can't stand it here anymore."

She began walking to the common rooms exit, back towards the darkened corridors and the stables main atrium, leaving her sister to flounder helplessly. Spree watched her sister trot away, unsure if she should follow, unsure whether she deserved to follow, or deserved to stay locked away in a tomb with everypony else, everypony she had a hoof in killing.

"Rosemary..." Her sisters voice brought her back to reality, sounding tired and frail. "Please... I need you."  Rose looked at her sister, stood waiting in the open doorway, her body bathed in the red light of the hallway beyond, her eyes pleading. Rose looked around at the mess, the ponies killed because they were too stubborn and too unrelenting to stop and think. Then back at the two ponies who were completely innocent, free of blame and guilt, in need of protection against the withering storm of reality. She decided.

"Okay Kitty...Let's go."

• - -  - - -

An awkward silence filled the air as the trio made their way through the dead stable, only the echoing sounds of their hooves hitting the cold steel could be heard as they trotted along. The two sisters walked side by side, each sparing only a brief glance at the other before their eyes fell back to the path ahead. Apple Core sat atop Kit's back, her eyes were knitted closed, twitching occasionally as horrific nightmares plagued her sleeping mind. This continued throughout their short trip, even as they neared the great door of Stable 87.

Finally, the three reached their destination and ceased in their movements. Minutes trickled by as the two conscious ponies stood staring warily at their salvation or possible damnation. Slowly, slowly Rose inched her way towards the battered, faded yellow control panel and reached her hoof towards the keypad, and with an incredible slowness she began entering the code.

8...6...4...3...8...4...3...7

The terminal pinged and flashed green, confirming the code and unlocking the control lever for the door release. Rose shakily hovered her hoof above the lever, shaking with anticipation and fear. Her violet, bloodstained hoof was joined by another equally as shaky hoof and they pulled the lever together as one, gradually sliding it as far as it would go.

Young Apple Core jolted awake with a squeal and fell off Kit's back with a thud, as Klaxons blared and warning lights flashed, filling the room with a cacophony of noise. A large metal arm extended out from the ceiling, lining itself up with the center of the metal behemoth and clanked into place. A steam hissed out from around its clamp as it secured itself tightly in place, then it began to pull. A loud, deafening, ear ringing screech penetrated the air as metal grated against metal, pulling the century old door from its fixture. Rust flaked off and rained down from the its edges as it was gradually moved aside until finally it halted, groaning as it grew accustomed to its new home.

The three ponies stared at the dark expanse beyond the door, the jagged edges of rock only just visible to them, only appearing with every rotation of the stables warning light above their heads, everything else beyond that was shrouded in a hungry shadow. The klaxons had ceased their wheezing sounds of alarm as the stable door was fully opened, leaving only the faint sounds of trickling water dripping deep ahead in the perpetual darkness.

The two elder mares stood stock still, their hooves rooted to their spots, unable to move out of both fear and uncertainty of what lay ahead of them. The inky blackness reached clawed into their soul and tore at their already weakened spirits, leaving a growing pool of dread to fill the void. The youngest fared the worst of the three, she sat whimpering behind Kit, frightened by the sudden screeching and of the panicked thought of the possible boogey man that lay ahead, hiding away in the shadows, waiting to strike.

"S-So....urm...L-Let's go!" Rose uttered weakly, beginning to edge her way forward, her hooves leaving faint tracks in the fine layer of rust that now blanketed the area as if it were snow. Her tepid movements slowed as she grew closer to the stable's exit and the dark, damp rock beyond. She switched on her pip-buck light and held it up, the green glow only managing to illuminate a meager few feet, enough to see that it was indeed a cave. Slightly satisfied that they still had a chance of escape, she motioned for the other two to join her with a nod of her head, a faint smile gracing her lips.

"C'mon, l-let's see where this cave leads."

After calming down Apple Core's erratic shaking, returning her to her place on Kit's back, the three mares began to explore the long system of tunnels. Kit followed her sisters example and activated her own Pip-Buck light, only adding a small amount of light to the pale green radius around them. They could barely see a few feet ahead, leaving them to confusedly navigate the complicated paths and branching routes. Their pip-bucks out dated mapping function gradually mapped their surroundings, helping to better navigate and backtrack when they hit a dead end.

At one point in their exploration they discovered the source of the mysterious trickling noise, a narrow stream that had managed to cut it's way through a small, weakened segment of rock on both sides of a small chamber. Rose dipped her hoof into the stream, the cool liquid barely rising above the edge of her hoof, feeling the gentle flow of the water. Along the bank of the steam a curious mushroom of sorts sprang out from the softened earth, from which a strange red glow seemed to originate from. Rose was tempted to pick a few but ultimately decided against it, unsure as to whether or not the funky fungus was safe to eat.

Deciding not to the waste the opportunity presented before them, the two sisters began to fill the few empty bottles they had at their disposal, whilst young Apple Core lazily swished her hoof in the soft flow, creating small splashes. Once they had finished their tasks, they began the arduous and extremely unpleasant task of removing the thick layer of dried blood from their pink coats. However, no matter how much Kit scrubbed and scratched, she could not seem to remove the feeling of blood from her hooves, rubbing her skin raw with her efforts. Her sister quickly realized what she was doing and stopped her before she managed to rub the flesh from her bone, holding Kit tightly as she began to cry.

• - -  - - -

The three continued on, saddlebags sloshing with a surplus of water and relatively cleaned of blood, through winding dark passageways, halting only to let their Pip-Buck maps update. At last, they came to the last stretch of their journey, their maps displaying a straight passage to an placed marked curiously as 'The Equestrian Wasteland'. Light streamed into the darkness from an area ahead, illuminating the grey, green, moss covered rock around them. Turning off their Pip-buck lights, they approached the light at the end of the tunnel, trotting towards their salvation and their damnation.

Slowly, slowly they found themselves nearing a an old, time beaten wooden door. A strange, almost heavenly light leaked through cracks and holes in its rotted surface, shining on their awe stricken faces, a sense of wonder overtaking them. Apple Core peaked her head above Kit's dishevelled mane, curious as to why the two older mares seemed so entranced by such a boring looking door.

With a careful slowness, Kit reached her hoof toward the heavily rusted door handed, grasping the rust red ring and pulled. Dust and mold drifted down as the door swung open, almost breaking off its hinged from the sudden movement. The light outside was a whole lot harsher than what it was within the cave, even if it was only a small fraction of the suns full might. Wincing at the sudden influx of light, the three ponies forced their eyes towards the dry earth, shadowing their faces with their hooves.

Eventually their eyes adjusted and they returned their gazes forward, jaws dropping as they took in the scenery. A clearing lay spread out before them, filled with the dried husks of what used to be grass. Trees stood tall, their branches bare of all things green and alive, their bark a dull, decayed grey. Crackles sounded in the distance, Rose quickly recognized it as the ghostly echo of gunfire but kept her lips sealed, afraid to further ruin the already bleak moment. Kit turned her gaze skyward, in an attempt to glimpse at the magnificent sun in which she had read so many stories about, only to see a thick, unending layer of clouds blanketing the sky.

"What do you think happened to the sky sis?" Kit asked absentmindedly, "Where's bright sun? The singing birds? The beautiful blue? Why is it all...grey."

"I dunno Kitty, I know there was a war and stuff but...I don't think a war would caused all the clouds to do...that! Maybe those Zebra's had a hoof in it? Who knows." Rose shrugged her shoulders and pulled up her Pip-Buck, scanning over the steadily updating map in an effort to gain her bearings. Oddly, the rotten wooden gate in which they had emerged from was labelled 'Red Ruby Mine', which was strange considering the fact that they had not seen a single ruby in their short spelunking expedition.

As the two ponies talked, little Apple Core gently slid herself from Kit Tinker's back and hopped onto the dusty earth below with a small grunt. Taking a brief glance up towards the depressing sky, she turned her attention to the field of yellowed grass only a few feet ahead and jumped towards it, a small giggle escaping her throat.

"Apple, no!" Kit shouted, springing her forelegs out in front of her in an effort to catch the airborne filly before she landed on the potentially dangerous plant life. Her reflexes proved to be too slow and the filly landed with a soft thump, the wilted grass crunching under her hooves. Off balanced and lost in shock Kit quickly followed suit, flopping over with a heavy thud and getting a mouthful dry grass and mud. Quickly she started to spit and hack, trying to get rid of the foul substances in her mouth, as well as the awful tastes that accompanied it, much to the amusement of the two other ponies present. Apple Core's childish giggles had transformed into uncontrollable laughter as she rolled onto her back, her legs kicking at invisible objects.

"Kitty, stop playing in the mud, we need to see if there's anywhere we can stay for the night, it's getting pretty late." Rose pointed out, checking the clock on her Pip-Buck, chuckling slightly at her sisters overreaction. Kit huffed in response, spitting a particularly determined piece of grass from her mouth as she stood herself back on all fours, making her way over to the still giggling Apple lying flat on the ground.