Fallout: Equestria - Time Can Bring You Down

I waited for her in Fort Hagen. Chose the most fortified room with the least amount of easy entrances. Shame it didn't do me any good. I could hear the synths being demolished by the minute. Sound travelled easily through old, dusty forts. I stood idle near the center of the room protected by six or seven of the Gen. II synthetics, feigning squeezes on the pressure-sensitive handle of my .44

The mare had it in for me. No matter how many synths I threw at her, no matter how hard they hit, she just wouldn't drop. I felt the pressure sweating me dry. The worst part was not having visual on Pane's mother. Yeah. That's who was charging after me. In some small way, I can admit I wished I had a mom like her. Mine spent her time drinking and beating my ears purple.

Speaking of which, I felt my ears perk up when the explosions grew closer. I figured it was turrets blowing up to bits. Figured she was just throwing grenades. But the sound of it said... the boom was too concentrated for a pineapple. I felt my shoulders tense thinking about how she found me. I'd seen coursers do worse hunting. My nerves, even though I couldn't feel them, were melting in my skin.

While I waited for her to find me, I checked my pack to find my stealthbucks where I left them. They were nothing like Canterlot stealthbucks, but they got the job done. If I'd want to survive Pane's mother, I'd have to be smart about it. When I heard the last turret down the hall blow to bits, I raised my forelegs in a gesture of peace.

We met face-to-face in that cold and musty research room. Only thing louder than the sound of my heartbeat was the sound of her heavy, feral panting. From the way she glared up at me with those hazy blue eyes, I could've sworn she was the reaper herself. I could see a stimpak still stuck in her left forearm, just like the psycho pack right next to it. She spat a combat knife out from between her teeth and let it fall to the ground. The blade was covered in circuits and wire segments, stuck together by blood.

She had that primal look about her, not too different from a rabid dog sizing up it's meal.

"Well, if it isn't the toughest mare in the Commonwealth... thought that title was mine."

Pane's mother wore an old army uniform and nothing but a combat chest piece. No helmet. No boots. No nothing. First thing she did was stick her 10mm right in my face and press the burning barrel against my muzzle.

"Where the hell is my daughter...?"

Stained Glass. That was her name. Couldn't tell why but I knew there was some meaning to it. She came fresh out of that icebox halfway across the wasteland with nothing more than her willpower. In her eyes were the same fire I had when someone took my kid. Only, her's was waiting for her. And deep down, she knew that.

I respected a lot more than her guts. So I kept quiet and didn't make any sudden movements.

"Pane...? Good girl. She's in a safer place. Older than you'd expect, but... still not here. She's in the big leagues now."

Her brow didn't even furrow. Stained Glass didn't show anything.

"I don't care who she's with. Where is she..."

I knew that face anywhere. I went and made her angry. But it wasn't that normal type of anger. No, it wasn't about shooting me, or beating me down. It was about getting me out of the picture. In a way, it felt like looking back at myself, only, a me I could tolerate.

That made me smile.

I had to smile, or I'd start getting weepy.

"What's the cliché...? 'So close yet so far away'? That's Pane right now." I said, doing my best not to choke up.

"Don't worry, she- she's in good hands. She's in a safe place now. The Institute."

Her lip pursed tightly and she bore her fangs with a scowl, letting her eyes fall down

"Canterlot. China. Doesn't matter where. Doesn't matter how. I'll find my daughter."

From that moment on, I realized how badly I wanted her to find Pane. I realized how much I adored her. It wasn't worship, or fandom, but hell, it was eye-opening. I didn't want to lose Pane myself. No matter how hard I tried to annex her from my list of people I cared for, she was always number one.

Pane had the same eyes as my little girl. My Merry.

I felt my shoulders tense as my teeth begged me to clamp down and shoot her.

"Ha... that's the spirit. I'm actually finding myself... liking you."

I tried not to waver when I realized her eyes had softened seeing the water in mine. It was barely noticeable. Bet there wasn't enough light in the room to see it. But the reason ponies like me worked so well in the contract business was our attention to detail. Our perception made sure we knew how to adapt to situations, even before they happened.

"If I could've done things right, maybe we wouldn't have to be here. I think- I think we've talked enough. We both know how this ends. So... let's end this."

I saw her crouch as low as she could.

Then she whispered through her teeth "Let's."

As soon as she reached for her pipbuck, I slammed my hoof down on the nearest stealthbuck and mirrored her stance. Stained Glass didn't even have to aim. Her hazy, glacial eyes never left me. Instead, it was her horn guiding the gun wherever it needed to be. She wasn't using her vision so much as her attention to detail. When all the synths were fried and the bits of shrapnel struck my armor, she found me.

I knew she deserved to live.

I knew my time was over. If I died, she'd get to see Pane again. They might not have been happy at first, but she'd deal with her kid's secret in time. Blood was more than skin deep. Blood was over thousands of years of community and bond. She had every right to shoot me dead and spit on my grave. But I was too selfish. I was too attached.

When she aimed her 10mm right at my snout, I caught myself making eye contact. I was afraid. And Stained Glass? Well. To her, android killing machines were child's play.

I fired two times into her chest. I knew the bullets wouldn't completely go through. It was combat armor. I saw her wince, but all she did was bite down on the cork of a whiskey bottle and down the contents. I wasn't going to lose. My hooves went numb as I fired that last shot into her throat, letting my instincts take over.

I only pulled the trigger thinking about me and Pane. Me and my second chance at a real family.

What could I say. I was desperate. And in the end, I ended up taking someone else's life to make myself happier. My eyes went wide as I saw her struggle and grate her lungs out. She got back on her hooves and just kept walking. I grit my teeth and pistol whipped her. Could've sworn I struck her temple. Could've sworn it tore and the servos in my foreleg were damaged just from hitting so hard.

"Not... today...!" She barked, striking me with her bare hooves.

I felt every, single hit. Every single bludgeon bit me down to the bone. I almost lost grip of my pistol. Mama's old .44 was heavy in my grip as I blocked her hits with my elbows, ducked and rushed her down to the floor.

"Luna damn it...!" I screamed, firing two more shots into her neck.

The pure shock finally shut down her legs. Her limbs went limp as she started getting sloppy and started getting heavy-eyed. Came to when I finally had the gull to look her in the eye, tears streaming down my torn and bloody cheeks. I couldn't feel most of my face. But, everywhere else was just as numb. Everywhere except my chest; right through my armor I could feel her last strike crush my ribs in.

"Pane... Pane, baby I'm- I'm comin' for you, I'm still here- still- breathing..."

The last thing she saw was that white light. That's what I reckon we all see before lights out. I felt my hooves hovering over her face. Then, I starting talking. I didn't even know I was.

"It's alright. Everything's gonna be okay."

Her eyes stayed frozen in time. And I stayed over her, shivering all over, biting down on my lip.

I curled into myself realizing what I'd done. Pane would never see her mother again. Behind me started the hiss and crackle of electron signature. Didn't bother to look back. Didn't have the energy. They reared up with thudding footfalls. Combat boots, by the lack of sharpness their heavy steps carried.

"Comradary Calypso. You are under arrest for disrupting the timeline of Equestria C-3 and general crimes against the Commonwealth. You have the right to not answer any of my questions, do you understand? Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law, do you understand? You have the right to an attorney..."

The rest faded out as I let them cuff me and went where they told me.