Fallout: Equestria - Champions of the Wastes

Blood.

There isn't enough blood.

I thought they were like me. I thought they shared my love for war and were without fear. Now I see they are weak. They are not worthy to be called warriors. I will kill them, show them what it means to be strong. Then there will be enough blood.

The raiders stared in awestruck horror at the monster that had just ripped a Steel Ranger in half with his bare hands. Each wore varying expressions of wonder and disbelief, but the fear was clearly seen in all of them.

"What the fuck is that thing?!"

"Hell I ain't fighting it."

"Yeah fuck that let's get out of here!"

"Just shoot it everything dies eventually!"

The leader of the group shouted as he finished reloading the brush gun with practiced ease, levitating it to aim at the huge monster before them. He just stared down at them with glowing red eyes, the hatred in them bearing down on everyone who dared to oppose him. The unicorn fired both barrels of the massive gun, almost ripping it out of his levitation field with the force. The giant seemed unimpressed as he lifted his huge axe from the ground.

"I am Sion, the strength of Noxus. And I will destroy the weak and any who oppose us." He took a step forward and hefted the massive weapon above his head. The raiders had enough sense to run as fast as they could back down the alley, with the exception of their leader.

He stood transfixed by those eyes, unable to comprehend the fear he was feeling. "What- what can we do to fight that? What can anyone do against that?"

"Nothing!" Sion yelled before bringing his axe down, the ground in front of him erupting upwards from the impact. Many of the raiders were sent tumbling or flying into the brick walls of the alley. The closer ones didn't get back up.

"Fuck this!" One of them yelled as he turned, a missile launcher crudely attached to his battle saddle.

Fwoosh!

The alley was lit up a bright orange as the missile impacted Sion straight in the chest. The giant merely laughed.

He grabbed the upper body of the Steel Ranger he had killed and hurled it at the raider frantically trying to reload another missile. The armored body impacted the pony with a meaty crunch, and they both laid crumpled on the ground.

None of the other raiders even dared to look back after their leader was slaughtered. They all ran and tried to find hiding places, hoping neither the giant nor the nearby Steel Ranger detachment would find them. Two raiders, one with a spiky blonde mane and red coat, the other with a short brown mane and green coat, huddled behind the counter of a coffee shop nearby.

"What was that thing? I swear I saw it take Jet's missile to the face and it didn't even flinch!" The red mare asked as she dared to peek over the counter.

"Don't know and I don't want to find out. Listen as soon as the coast is clear we're heading back to the camp, with the boss gone it's every pony for themselves and I want a piece of that loot before it's all gone. You still got your-"

The mare put a hoof over his mouth and shushed him. "Shut up I heard something!" They sat still as the seconds dragged on, barely even breathing out of fear that the monster might hear them.

"Light em' up!" They heard a voice call out before the world around them burst into a cacophony of bright lights and rapid fire explosions.

"Damn Rangers!" The buck shouted as he pushed the mare to the floor, shielding her as best as he could from the shrapnel and debris.

After the barrage ended he fell off the mare, his breathing ragged and blood pouring from countless small wounds.

"We know you're in there filthy tribals! Take us to your camp and we might let you live!" One of the armored ponies called out as they approached the front of the coffee shop. Several more grenades were fired in their direction to accent the seriousness of their offer.

"We surrender you cunts stop shooting! Get me a healing potion before he dies!"

The closest ranger barked a laugh. "Tough luck, he shoulda fought for the winning side. Now get out here before we drop the roof on you and call it a day."

The red mare grit her teeth and wiped a tear from her eye. "I'm not leaving you, come on we're gonna get you fixed up." She carefully draped him over her back, the taller buck's hooves dragging on the ground as she strained to carry him outside.

"You big idiot. I'm dead anyways just leave me. Save... Yourself..."

"Fuck that, and fuck you. You're not gonna die until I say so got it? Now shut up and take it like a stallion."

She was actually surprised that when she exited through what was left of the front door, the Rangers held their fire. "Well what do you know, maybe there are a few of you assholes with a little honor."

"Coming from a raider?" The lead ranger asked incredulously.

“Hey I didn’t want it to be like this. We didn’t have much of a choice after you fuckers showed up and flattened our town."

"Like I said, shoulda joined the winning side. Now hurry up sweetheart we have more raiders to fry before breakfast."

"Sweetheart?" She stopped short of reaching the closest ranger. "Now don't start getting any ideas just because I'm a mare!"

One of the Rangers in the back collapsed into a laughing fit. "With you? No telling where you've been, I wouldn't even let my dog have a roll with you."

The raider scowled but walked the rest of the way. Once she reached them a grin crept onto her muzzle. "Of course you guys must have felt pretty dumb. All that work and time spent on getting into that Stable in Fetlock, even massacring our little town, just to find out it's still sealed tight and you can't even get in. Bummer."

One of the Rangers growled and shoved the raider to the ground, the unconscious buck toppling off of her back. "Do not mock the Steel Rangers tribal, there are other ways to find the rest of you filth. We don't need your help."

"That's enough Knight Lamplight, back into line." A mare shouted from the back of the group as she approached the pair of raiders. "That goes for you too Knight Soy, we are Steel Rangers. We do not sink to their level for the sake of throwing petty insults. Both of you will be dealt with accordingly when we get back to base."

This one's armor bore different markings than the rest, and she was the only one with a missile launcher. "Get up raider, the sooner you help us the sooner the two of you will be on your way. Our medic will carry your friend and provide any emergency medical treatment necessary. This will guarantee your cooperation?"

The red unicorn couldn't hide the relief that washed over her features as she nodded.

"Good. Now tell me, what scattered your little band of thieves anyways?" Her answer came abruptly as a harrowing warcry shattered the stillness, followed by what sounded like a huge explosion in the distance.

The raider mare visibly shook as she stared at the direction the noise had come from. "That- that sounded like it was from our camp. That monster found us... It found us! We have to go right now!" She frantically shouted and pulled her friend away from the Steel Ranger's medic, his wounds already expertly treated.

"Calm down!" The paladin mare tried to reassert control over the situation. "What monster? I'm sure it's nothing our squad can't handle." Rhythmic tremors shot through the ground and disoriented the gathered rangers, many turning their attention to their paladin for an explanation.

An unearthly shout turned their blood to ice as the tremors grew. “NOTHING WILL STOP ME!”

“MOVE!” The paladin screamed as the brick building next to them collapsed into the street, dust and debris showering them. The majority of the gathered ponies were able to avoid the worst of it, but Knight Soy was not so lucky. The giant emerged from the collapsing building in a blur of speed, stopping only when he crushed the small knight. Nopony could see what happened through the dust, but seeing what was done to the building left little room for doubt.

"Fire!"

The eight Rangers unloaded their weapons into the street; the noisy light show would have made even wartime Equestria proud. A mix of rapid fire grenades and missiles, hails of minigun fire, and one Ranger even had a magical energy battle-saddle. All in an attempt to stop the behemoth who so easily trampled their comrade. After firing what ammo they could, most waited breathlessly as their power armor started the automatic reloading process.

The world fell silent.

"BLOOD! I REMEMBER!" The giant impossibly rose to his feet, charging the Rangers far too quickly for them to react. There was a flurry of violence, the giant crushed the soldiers with brutal blows causing far worse injuries than their armor could sustain. Steel-clad ponies were sent flying into buildings and sprawling across the street. They fought back as hard as they could, but the giant continued unhindered. Oblivious or uncaring of the injuries he received.

"IS THIS WHAT PASSES FOR WAR?"

"Die!" The last Ranger standing was the paladin mare, blood seeping from the joints in her armor as she planted herself to fire a missile at the giant. The point blank explosion sent the mare tumbling backwards, collapsing on top of a nearby pile of rubble.

She struggled to stand, to keep fighting or run, but her body was far past it's limit and even the pride of the Ministry of Wartime Technology had been pushed to it's limit. She settled for rolling onto her back and removing her helmet to look at the grey sky one last time. Locks of red hair covered much of her face, and much of her orange coat was stained crimson.

"You are small and weak, but you fight with courage. Worthy of being called a warrior. What is your name?" The giant spoke slowly, walking towards the fallen paladin while dragging his axe behind him.

She coughed as much as laughed, pulling a cigarette from behind her ear with no way to actually light it. "Sunrise, like the sarsaparilla."

The giant was covered in innumerous wounds, but he showed no difficulty in lifting his weapon. "Now you die!" He lifted the axe high above his head, ready to drop it on his latest victim. And then it fell, harmlessly at his feet.

"I... I remember..."

The raider mare stood over the fallen paladin, a knife held in her mouth and a look of defiance in her eyes.

"This memory... What is this memory!?" The giant shouted as he fell to his knees, both hands on his head. "WHY DO I REMEMBER?!"

The red mare looked horrified but quickly turned her attention to Sunrise. "Quickly before he unfucks himself! We need to move, can you walk?"

She groaned and rose to her hooves, putting the cigarette back behind her ear. "Not like I got anything better to do. What about that buck of yours?"

The raider mare let the ranger lean into her as they hurried down an alley. "My brother didn't survive the fight."

"I'm sorry."

^^^

"These memories... They are not mine. They cannot be mine. But..."

The giant sat alone, the collapsed house outside of the city giving him a 'scenic view' of the city's ruins. His axe lay beside him, long forgotten amidst his quiet contemplation.

"Poor forgotten general. There was a time when your name was shouted from the rooftops. And now you have been forgotten, just another body on the battlefield. You're leader thought to keep you as his pet, but no one can keep you from me."

The sound of chains clattered in the night.

"Who are you?"

"Names are meaningless, forgotten. Names cause only pain, do they not? And who knows pain more than you, great warrior?"

The chains grew louder.

"I can give you rest. I can make all the questions and painful memories go away. I can make you whole again."

The chains could be heard all around him now.

"Just... Let go."