Fallout Equestria: Chumming Waters

Chapter 5 - The Feeding Grounds

Do I fear death? Is there life beyond death? Is there a point to life in itself? All questions that I have heard asked time and time again. To put your worries at ease I have an answer to these questions. It is yes. Yes we all fear death, for death is the end of all things. Yes there is life beyond death, for it is where the Goddesses wait for us. And yes, there is a point to life. It is to prove ourselves worthy of the Goddesses.

So I ask you all, do you feel worthy to meet with the Goddesses. For if you are truly worthy then you have no fear of death, for the next life is a life full of rewards under the love of our Goddesses.

This is why I head out into battle with my head held high. The only fear of death I have is the fear that there is still more worth to prove. So hear my words, and be strong. For only in weakness can we fail both ourselves and the Goddesses.

• Thorn Roseland's last speech to the survivor fleet. Year twenty four of the new era.

A .308 rolled into my hoof, taking a small line of blood to me. The guards may have had a bigger numbers and more powerful guns, but we had outmaneuvered them, catching them off guard. The Corps Brigade had only suffered minor casualty's, where the guards near Hull Town had been completely wiped out. There bodies were quickly dragged into the walkways and used as bullet shields while we advanced onto the second team of guards.

One guard, a mare, looked down at me with lifeless eyes as her tongue flopped around from a face missing it's jaw. She made me feel uneasy to use her as cover, but when a few bullets flew my way, I got over it.

"OVER HERE KID!" another Corps Brigadier waved out to me. My role in this fight was to run supply's to those fighting, mainly bullets. Waiting for the gunfire to move away from me, I bolted to the pony. A shot did land near my hooves, but I was under new cover in a short few seconds. The Corps Brigadiers holding down the position took what ammo and explosives was on me. One tried to take my sword, but I bit her leg for even trying.

A pegasus guard tried to attack from above, but the confines of Cargo Town forced him to stick close to the fight, and was driven off before he could hit any pony. Another attack came in the form of a rush, but a well placed grenade killed one of them, and drove the others back.

The worst was when a loyalist got a lucky shot off at us, peppering us with her with her Rust Gun. However, luck was on our side, because she was to drunk to aim straight, and her firing it full auto made all the bullets fly wide. Two of the Brigadiers still got hit, but not anywhere important. For the rest of us, the bullets either missed or harmlessly grazed our armor. The counterattack was quick, and our shots sent most of her skull back onto the wall in her home.

I ran into the cunt's home to recover the gun and ammo, taking only a few seconds to climb up to it. Inside was as ratty as any other place in backwater, though it did have a few things that didn't look over a hundred years old. She must have done a few favors for the captain's ponies to get some of this junk. The rust gun she’d used rested next to her mutilated corpse, along with a bunch of magazines. Jackpot!

The rust gun was one of the few guns made right here in Blackwater, and I was told it got it's name because they used reforged rusted scrap metal for the gun. The guns tend to keep some of the red rust on it, and so the name. Strapping the gun to my back, and stuffing the magazines in my pockets, I quickly scavenged around for anything else useful. Luck was on my side, as I found the source of what made this mare stupid drunk, a bottle of Blackwater rum. I handled it with care, as this shit was flammable as all fuck.

Coming out of the home, the others told me to give them the stuff, but I just stuck my tongue out at them. "You got your own guns, this be all mine! I'm takin' it t' Carvin' Doll." In response, a can was kicked at me, but I dodged it and ran under cover.

Carving Doll was in the center of Cargo Town, were Puppet Strings group had brought up more supply's that they’d taken from deeper inside the city. This also meant that we were now fighting guards from all around, including above and below. Just restocking ammunition was dangerous, and I still had to get to all to the other Corps Brigadiers.

Running off, I could not help but think of Prism Paint, and how mad she must be right now. She would do better helping us kill all these cunt's.

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The center of Cargo Town was covered in the blood of guards and Corps Brigadiers alike. But unlike the guards, we had an advantage. We can heal without healing potions, so there were a lot more body's of them than there were of us. But, it also meant I saw what the hunger could reduce me to if I was not careful.

I ran inside the base, which was just a few cargo homes that were close together. One room had a stack of body's and one Corps Brigadier. The fellow Brigadier was fresh from healing, and was currently stripping the flesh from a dead guards leg. When I first saw it, I thought it made my stomach churn, but I quickly revised that it was hunger that I felt. I didn't like the idea, but Carving Doll told me as long as I kept myself fed, and avoided getting hurt to badly, then I shouldn't worry about the hunger taking me over. But life on this ship, unless we win, it would be impossible to avoid losing myself to the hunger. I had to pull myself away from the sight, just the sound of tearing flesh was making my mouth water.

In the next cargo home was Puppet Strings. She was on the radio giving out commands to each of the small groups spread out all over Cargo Town. She was also sharpening a metal shard on the desk the radio sat on, making a high pitched squeaking sound each time the metal was rubbed across the surface.

"Drummer, take your team t' t' main pathway, t' loyalist be preparin' for a push. Barb's team will be waitin' for you thar." She looked over the metal shard, and had a satisfied look on her face before placing it under her dress.

"I finished with t' resupply." Puppet looked my way. "And I found some good stuff." Shuffling my body, the blackwater rum sloshed from within it's bottle.

With her magic, Puppet Strings lifted the rust gun, it's ammo, and the bottle of rum. "This it very good, and exactly what you need for your next mission. Stay right thar, and I'll get you ready." A saddle bag was levitated over to me and placed onto my back. It's straps were fastened on tight, securing the bag on my left. To my surprise and glee, Puppet did the same with the rust gun on my left. Fuck ya, I just got a battle saddle. Placing the trigger bit in my mouth, everything was tight, yet not uncomfortable. "Looks like it all fits. Can you press t' trigger?"

Using my tongue to press a button, a wire that went from the bit to the gun tightened ever so slightly.

Puppet Strings nodded her head. "Good, good. Now t' load you up and send you out on your next mission." The magazine were levitated into the bag, with one going into the gun. I was also given three more pipe bombs, two in the bag, and one on the outside of the bag. "Due t' your small size, we’ll need you t' get passed t' loyalist line and blow a hole in their barricade on t' main pathway. If you can disorganize them long enough, we can make a push to t' towers. Victoria be already in t' main tower, and will need backup soon." She pushed the one magazine further into the SMG, but didn't chamber a bullet. "You understand?"

"Aye. sneak passed t' guards, throw t' bombs in t' barricade, and run for Victoria."

"Close. After usin' t' bombs, use t' rust gun t' take out any guards you find. Got it?"

"Aye, kill em all!"

Puppet strings chambered the rust gun, I was good to go, and I ran out of the Cargo Home. Carving Doll was outside, giving orders more directly. The mare looked at me and nodded, probably already knowing about the mission I was given.

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We had a huge advantage fighting in Cargo Town, with all the twists and turns forcing most of the fighting to stay restricted to just small arms and melee weapons. Victoria had also manage to disrupted the guards radio signal, making it so that only we were able to organize that way. It was forcing the guards to take up defensive positions, and slowly push out so we could retake the town, which left them even more open for traps.

For me, my advantage was that I could use all the hidden routes that me and the other foals would use to sneak passed the adults. mostly it was little openings that we could get through, but the older ponies could not. Though with the gear I had on, I just barely fit through most of the holes. I was just glad that Puppet Strings made sure it was tight enough that none of the gear made noises when I moved around.

A fight allowed me to sprint across a walkway unseen, but one bullet did ricochet dangerously close to me. I got lucky at another turn, as three guards were too distracted brutalizing a captive to see me run by. Among the three, a mare guard had chosen rape as her form of brutality, I could not tell who it was they were attacking, or even if it was a combatant, but they must have already given up struggling, unless the guard was simply fucking a corpse.

My luck ran thin near my goal, as I was forced to hide under a box. It took only a split second, but if I had taken any longer, I would have been spotted by two guards who had just walked into the alleyway. The worst part was that they had taken a holding position, and were now waiting for a Corps Brigadier like myself to run into the alley. They didn't know I was here, but I couldn't move from my spot without them filling me with bullets.

"For t' last time, If I knew when, I would tell you! So stop your blubberin'." A pony with a deep voices spoke up.

"Easy for you t' say, I can smell t' smokes on you. This migraine be drivin' me insane." another pony with a raspy voice joined in.

"Maybe you will get lucky and one o' these asshole sprogs will have a stick on them. Then you can stop bein' such a scurvey dog all t' time." Deep retorted.

"Fuck waitin' for one o' them t' have a smoke, I'm ready t' bust down a door and find one that way." Raspy wined

"Unless you want some shot to t' face, just stick t' killin' t' brats." Deep nickerd

"Ya, fuck you too." Raspy groaned

This sucked. If I was a unicorn, I could have at least thrown something to get them to look another direction and backed out of the alleyway to find another way to the barricade. Unfortunately,I wasn't one, and they were not going to move any time soon. Thankfully, they still didn't know I was here, or that I was a Corps Brigadier, so I had a stupidly crazy plan.

"If you need smokes, I got smokes t' trade!" It was a fucking stupid as hell plan, but if I could get them close, I could kill them before they could kill me. "Come over here, I got a few sticks t' trade."

"T' fuck, I smell a ship rat." ahhh fuck, Deep was onto me.

"Wait a moment mate, let me check it out." YES! Raspy was an idiot.

I could hear the hoof steps come closer, from both ponies. "Wise pony you are, I got three sticks, not cheap."

"Okay, I'll bite. What do you want for em." Looking through a hole in the box, I could see just Raspy. She had bloodshot eyes, and a twitch. The pony needed more than a smoke.

"Bullets, five per stick, fifteen bullets for three sticks." I just needed to know if the other pony was close enough, then I could use the rust gun to kill em both.

"Fuck that." The Deep spoke up, sounding close. "Just kill t' filly, and take em."

"But what if t' smokes get damaged, or she has them stored somewhere safe?" Wow, this dumb ass was smart. Lucky for me that the dumb ass was also wrong.

I had one more gambit to make, so I hoped that this time the stare would work. "Look me in t' eyes, you can see that this be a good deal."

"Are you seriously buyin' into this?" I could still not see the other pony, but raspy did look me in the left eye.

As she stared, I focuses on getting the stare to work. I forced myself to remember being beaten down, stabbed, shot, drowning, and also the feeling of intense and sudden hunger. My left eye tingled, and the guard seemed to have froze in place, our eyes locked.

"That's it, enough o' this." The box flew up and away, revealing who I was too Deep. "Fuck it's one of th..."

Klack-Klack-Klack

I had moved like it was an instinct, and fired into the smarter pony's face with the rust gun. Up close I didn't have to worry about the bullets going wide, and each one hit their mark. The other pony was still frozen, but was slowly recovering. Quickly I pulled out my cutlass, biting onto the side handle so that I could thrust the sword. As the pony came to realize what had happened, I plunged the sword into their throat. Blood spurted out when I twisted my head, covering my face with the pony's blood.

The blood had the taste of iron to it. Though I didn't know if it was the ponies blood that got into my mouth, or if it was the blood that seeped from my own eye.

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The barricade was mostly a collection of doors collected from Cargo Homes, and had been propped up in a way so that the guards could slowly push foreword. Battle rifles poked out from the gapes in the barricade, and fired off whenever a Corps Brigadier poked their head out from cover. On top of this, it was also being used for a resupply point, and for field medic treatment. They were also periodically throwing out magical balls of light to Illuminate most of the shadow spots as they pushed forward. Due to my size, I was able to get into a spot that still remained just out of sight.

I had one shot at this and three bombs to do it. The barricade could take a hit from the front, but if I could get the bombs behind it, it would knock the doors flat on the ground, and probably kill some of the guards. The problem was that the barricade had some super vigilant guard, whose head seemingly darted around everywhere. I'd be seen as soon as I got in a position to throw even one pipe bomb. Unicorns had it easy.

Pulling out the two other pipe bombs, I had to think of a plan. Just throwing one at a time would get me killed, but throwing all three had a strong risk of me failing the mission. Sneaking up onto the barricade was just stupid to even think about doing, as well as leaving a trap. I could shoot into them before throwing the bombs, but I would probably get shot before getting the bomb flying. Doing what I did to get rid of the two guards was completely out of the question.

Think, think!

The best Idea I could think up was to throw one bomb to distract them, and the other two to knock over the barricade. Using my bandana to tie two of the pipe bombs together, I placed them on the ground where I could easily kick them up and pull the fuses. Taking the first pipe bomb in my mouth, I quickly picked my target.

Pulling the fuse with my teeth, I then chucked the bomb at the medic pony. It became apparent to me that I can’t kick up the pipe bomb if both my front hooves were in the air. So with as little fumbling I could manage, I scooped up the two bombs in my hooves, and did my best to get both fuses into my mouth.

Ka-BOOM

I could feel the pressure wave pushed back my mane as I pulled the fuses of the remaining two bombs, and chucked them at the barricade. The two bombs hit the ground, and slid just short of the target, but luck was on my side as a confused pony accidentally kicked the bomb right under the barricade. But that was were my luck ended as gunfire now came aimed at me, putting a hole through my right hoof as I fell back under cover.

Ka-BOOOM

That blast felt stronger, shaking the hiding hole I was in, and deafening.

My ears were ringing like my head was used to ring the chapel bell, and my hoof was in incredible pain. Looking at it, the hole on the bottom was small, but I could see the other side... "Fuck!" a whole chunk of my leg was missing, and I could see the shattered bone. Looking up. I could see pieces of my leg splattered above me. "GU... GU...GU HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"THE FUCKING SHIP RAT STILL ALIVE, FINISH IT OFF NOW!"

Fucking shit! I had to move, but every time moved my hoof the pain made me collapse. Using my back hooves to push myself, I could still get away, I just had to be quick abou…

The feeling of magic grabbed my mane, dragging me foreword out of the hiding hole. "You're not t' only ship rat t' use these, brin's me back t' when I was a foal." It was a unicorn, with a big bloody cut on it's face. "That was a nasty move you did thar, two o' me patents went t' Pony Jones' locker involuntarily with that bomb." I was lifted up with the unicorns magic, and slammed down hard onto the ground. My mutilated hoof hit the ground fist, making the pain even worse. I tried to scream, but the hit knocked the breath out of me. "Oh, I think I heard a crack thar, as a medical pony, I can honestly say that can't be good... well not for you anyway. Let's try it again!" I was flung into a wall, and slammed onto the floor again. the pain was just too much, and all I could do was cry as everything got darker. "Had enough already? No I don't think you have."

Suddenly my eyes shot open, and I could feel my heart beating heavily in my chest. Everything was clearer than I had ever seen it, more vibrant than it should be, and I could feel, feel everything.

"GUHA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

The damn Unicorn was laughing as I curled up onto the ground. "I'll engrave this pain onto your soul, make it sour enough that you carry that pain straight into the afterlife."

It was strange, I was still in pain, so much pain, but it was quickly becoming a dull pain. The worst of the pain was coming from... from hunger. Shaking still, the unicorn loomed over me to gloat more. I wouldn't be surprised if the asshole started masturbating over me.

"Good, that fear in your eyes, that's how it should be. T' know your place, and die in..."

I lunged! Sinking my teeth into his throat. The unicorn stumbled back, and tried to pull me of with his magic and hooves. It was a fruitless effort, that only resulted in the flesh tearing from his neck. He switched from pulling to attacking, striking at me with his hooves. Yet, each strike became weaker and weaker until the unicorn collapsed. I didn't let go, the sickening taste of iron filling my mouth. I didn't care what it was anymore, I needed to eat something.

Everything went hazy.

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"Think she looks cute, don't you?"

"I think she looks like Victoria at t' end o' a bad day."

Opening my eyes, I saw Carving Doll and Puppet Strings standing over me.

Puppet Strings pulled out a white rag. "Oh good, you're awake. I was worried that were were goin' t' leave you behind." She pressed the rag to my face, and rubbed at me with it. Pulling it back, the rag was now a brownish red. "Now, let's go. Victoria may be able t' kill t' captain on her own, but she was adamant that she wanted witnesses."

I got up, almost stumbling to cradle my hoof. But there was no pain, and it was back in one peace again. The only difference was that it was covered in blood, as was my other hoof, mane, and tail. Looking back, I saw the Unicorn, it's neck was nearly just bone, and the belly split open with gut's everywhere.

"T' liver be t' first thin' you should eat." Carving Doll smiled. She was about as cover in blood as I was. Two rippers were attached to her front legs, held on with leg braces. "It's full o' all that good stuff that keeps us healthy. Well, when it's healthy. If it's all black and oily, just throw it out."

"Carvin', let's give out tips after we take t' city." Puppet Strings quickly trotted off.

Looking down at me, Carving Doll still had a smile on her face. "You did real good Star, real good. Now let's go finish this, then we can have some real good food, like pineapples." she shivered. "I miss pineapples."

Carving Doll trotted off, and I closely followed her. I didn't know what to say, or was there simply nothing to say? All I knew was that the taste of blood and flesh was still on my tongue, and my hunger was finally satiated.

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Author's Note

No song, but I did get a guest editor by the name of Gamma Deekay thanks for the help.