Fallout: Equestria - Champions of the Wastes

He let out a wistful sigh as he gazed at the clouds above. He always hated cloudy days, they blocked the sun’s radiant warmth and darkened the beauty of the world. Then again the beauty of this world seems hard to find, so perhaps the sun is trying to hide? Hiding from the blight of hatred beneath the clouds, refusing to look at its cruelty? Or maybe, he smirked as he looked down at the boulder he was sitting upon, it’s just another cloudy day.

He jumped from the boulder to the ground below, kicking up dust as he landed in his massive armor. He looked at his precious weapon and shield, both donning vibrant diamonds encrusted in enchanted silver. He carried them both with a strength belying his stature, easily picking them up before looking to the sky once more.

Father. If only you could see me now, if you could see the things I’ve done with your teachings. I’ve helped people from one world to another, even saving some from death. But I fear that I am beginning to understand the warning you gave me. With another though he chuckled. And no mom, so far I haven’t departed from your advice either.

After a moment he looked at the mountain in front of him, or more precisely the large cave set into its base. Without another thought he began a slow pace towards the cave, not sure what to expect when he got there. A small colt ran up from behind him, and he knew without turning around it was his pupil.

“Crest I told you to stay in the town did I not?” He kept his tone harsh, but with the compassion only someone with his painful experiences could muster.

“Yeah but Master Taric! You aren’t really gonna go in there by yourself are you? That’s crazy!” The colt barely old enough to have his Cutie Mark, a bronze buckler, stopped in front of Taric and blocked his path. “Please master, I don’t… I don’t want to lose you too…”

Taric dropped to one knee and set down his hammer. “Crest you are still young, and that is something very precious. However this world is cruel and shows no favor to innocence or generosity. You are going to have to find your own way in this world, I cannot find it for you. Go back to the village, I will see you when I am finished here.”

He patted the young pony on the head before standing up, wielding his hammer with pride. He continued on his path to the mouth of the cave, his steps measured and confident. He had never truly faced a dragon alone before, but he couldn’t sit by while this dragon continued to harm others. From what the nearby village told him, the dragon would come on occasion and demand a pony sacrifice. One he would eat in front of the small town.

At first he would only come twice a year. But he began to come more frequently until now, he came once a month. The dying town has tried to flee once already, but because of their recluse location in a barren desert any that ran were caught and killed by the dragon before they got far. But all of that stops now. I will not suffer to let these ponies be brutally murdered one by one by some beast who thinks himself superior.

When he reached the mouth of the cave, he looked over his shoulder to ensure Crest wasn’t following him. After seeing no one he proceeded into the dark cave. The temperature immediately spiked and sweat started to form on his brow. As he walked deeper into the cave faint gems embedded in the walls gave off an eerie, ambient glow.

The heat quickly built as Taric descended into the cave, becoming almost unbearable until he finally neared his destination. He expected the cave to be silent, with perhaps nothing but the sounds of a snoring dragon inside. Instead when he neared a large room at the end of a tunnel he could hear a faint voice. It sounded masculine and very angry.

Picking up the pace he soon heard the sounds of a fight. Someone was already trying to take down the dragon.

He reached the cave’s largest chamber, and was greeted with the sight of someone familiar being thrown across the cave. After rolling to a stop across the room from the dragon, Shyvana stood up and charged the beast again. This time she jumped over his tail, coming down and slashing at the dragon’s face.

The dragon roared and slashed out with a clawed hand, but Shyvana ducked in time and leaped back to a safe distance. “What’s the matter, ‘great lord’. I thought you could crush me with nothing but your tail.”

He breathed a bout a flame at her, which she barely dodged. “Do not mock me, you are nothing but an abomination and a disgrace. Like your father was.” His face adopted a wicked grin. “Did anyone ever tell you how he died? When we came to kill him, he sacrificed himself so his vile daughter could escape.”

Shyvana yelled as she charged the dragon again, but this time he was paying more attention to the fight. He again swung his tail at her, which she dodged easily. But this time a clawed hand was waiting for her and grabbed her in a chokingly tight hold. “He fought bravely at first, it was quite admirable. Until I took out one of his eyes. He begged and pleaded for his life, even offering his great horde in exchange.”

The dragon laughed as she tried in vain to escape his tightening grasp. “It was amusing really, to see the once proud dragon begging for his own life. But I killed him slowly, choking the life out of him in much the same way you shall die.” The dragon raised her up until they were at eye level. “Like father, like daughter I suppose.”

A faint light distracted his attention, before a small gem impacted his eye at incredible speed. The dragon roared in pain as he raised his free hand to cover his bleeding eye. A massive blow landed on the dragon’s leg and caused him to collapse, dropping Shyvana just before she blacked out. Taric seized the moment and helped the half-dragon to walk a safe distance away.

“Thank you… Gem Knight. I owe you a great debt.”

Taric held a green gem in his hand, and as it glowed Shyvana felt her injuries start to heal. “You owe me nothing. It is a knight’s sworn duty to protect the innocent at all costs. Besides our battle is still far from over.”

Shyvana grunted as she forced herself to her feet. “Thank you, but this is my battle to fight. He killed my father, and I will avenge him or die trying.” She took a shaky step forward, and nearly collapsed before Taric helped her.

“A battle between good and evil? Apologies but this sounds exactly like my kind of battle. And you need to rest, if at least for a few moments. Stay here, I’ll see how tough this dragon really is.”

She wanted to protest, but in her condition she was in no position to fight both of them. “Alright fine, but just for a moment.”

The knight smiled and turned to face the dragon. “At your word.” He approached the massive beast with cold eyes. “Great dragon, I have come to put an end to your atrocities both here and abroad. If you will not relent from your wicked ways, I shall have to stop you by force.”

The dragon bellowed a laugh, filling the room with acrid smoke. “You? Stop me? I’d barely consider you a morning snack. But if you want to die so badly then come on over here boy.”

Taric stopped when he reached the edge of the dragon’s massive horde, countless gems and precious metals of all shapes and sizes were piled up in no particular order. “Tell me dragon, do you know anything of my people? Or of the power within these precious stones?”

The dragon snorted, not keen on being lectured by someone so small. “Why would I concern myself with such pittances?”

The Gem Knight continued unhindered. “You see where I am from, my people are very skilled at working with these stones. At reaching the incredible power they hold, and bringing it out to use for the betterment of others. And among my people, my family is the best at honing this skill.”

The dragon was getting impatient at this point. “Get on with it already, I grow tired of this meaningless talk.”

Taric merely smiled as he picked up a particularly large Opal from the pile. “Your own greed shall be the cause for your fall. Opal for harmony!” He again hurled the gem at the dragon at incredible speed. It impacted the dragon’s chest and the beast roared as the wound bled. Using the opening the knight charged the dragon fiercely.

“Sapphire for divinity!” He reached the dragon and brought his massive hammer down on one of the dragon’s hands. With a sickening crunch it was clear the blow had broken something. The dragon swung his other hand at the knight, sending him sprawling across the cave. Taric brought his shield up just in time to protect himself from the blast of dragonfire that came his way. “Emerald for insight!” The dragon roared again as the knight’s wounds healed before his eyes.

Now the dragon was furious, standing to his full height and spreading his wings wide. However he was noticeably favoring his injured left hand. The dragon roared and sent another wall of fire at the knight, but this time he didn’t let up. The only thing keeping him from burning to death was his gem imbued shield and armor, but the fire and extreme heat threatened to suffocate him.

He was finally met with cool air as the dragon relented, but it was short lived. Taric didn’t have enough time to dodge the dragon’s massive tail descending on him, crushing him under its massive weight. The dragon raised and dropped his tail twice more until he was sure the knight was through fighting.

Despite the blindness in one eye and the heavily bleeding wound in his chest, the dragon managed a laugh. “I have lived for a thousand years! I have faced far stronger opponents than you. What made you think you could possibly defeat me?” He raised his good hand, threatening to crush the crumpled knight to dust.

“Because… I do not… fight alone.”

The dragon’s eyes widened, but he was a second too late. A smaller dragon slammed into his side, pushing him to the ground on his back. She bit into his neck, pinning his uninjured arm under his own weight. He tried to throw her off, flapping his wings wildly and trying to roll from under her. But with a twist of her head, she ripped a large chunk of his throat out in a bloody mess.

“You die today.” Shyvana muttered as she stared at the dying dragon beneath her. He reached for her with his injured arm in a vain attempt to fight back.

“Killing me… won’t bring back… your father…”

“No, but it may give him peace in the afterlife.” Slowly, the light faded from his eyes and his body fell limp. She remained a dragon for only a moment more before a flurry of flames announced her return to a ‘human form’.

Taric was badly hurt and bloodied, but he managed to stand and walk to the silent dragon-morph. “Thank you, I owe you my life.”

Shyvana laughed and lightly punched him in the shoulder. “You don’t owe me anything, life for a life right? Besides what are you even doing here? I was only fighting him to avenge my father’s death, what about you?”

Taric grunted as he hefted his hammer over his shoulder. “This dragon has been harassing a nearby village, killing them one at a time. I came to put a stop to it.”

“Ever the heroic one huh?”

He raised an eyebrow as they walked together through the cave. “Would you not have done the same?” She didn’t answer with anything but a small smile.

“This village, would it be possible to rest there until I figure out what to do next?”

“If you are willing to help, then certainly. It would be best to stay together, I feel that something is coming. Something evil that we will need to face with all our strength to protect this world from destruction.”