Fallout: Equestria - Group Anthology - 2016

It's Always Sunny In Fillydelphia

by weaponsprime

“Pliers? Pliers?! Shit, he’s gone.”

Wait… I can hear you...

“C’mon! We need to get back in the fight!”

What? No…

“But-”

“Leave him! He’s a corpse!”

I’m not! I’m alive! I’m-

Pain.

His world was pain.

And screaming.

And Blood.

The beige stallion lay slumped against the myriad rubble that comprised most of the city. His eyes shot open and he sucked in air as though he’d been drowning only moments before. The sudden movement sent agony coursing through his body. He screamed and clutched at his side.

“W-what?” he gasped. He raised a hoof and stared in terror at the blood coating it. He risked a glance down. A jagged hole was punched in his side, liberally dribbling that oh-so-important red fluid.

“NO… No… Oh Goddesses... ” He whimpered as he clamped his hooves tightly over the wound torn in his belly and looked around in a panic for… someone. Anyone who could save him. His rust coated steel armor lay discarded next to him, a rough hole punched clean through it.

All around him was chaos shrouded in smoke and ash. Red Eye’s army of slaves and mercenaries fought hoof and claw against the Enclave and their war machines. The whine of bullets, the whip-crack of magical energy weapons and the screams of the wounded and dying.

Fillydelphia was once more a warzone.

The city reeked of death. The sickly smell of burning flesh intermixed with the tang of ozone. Thick black smoke billowed from the battlefield and added to the cloud cover overhead. His breathing came in ragged gasps. He looked around, hoping, praying for someone to help him but dared not move less more than blood spill out of him.

Through the pall of smoke and ash scrambled three ponies clad in Red Eye’s regalia. They looked around at the fallen like a pack of hungry dogs. One quickly snatched up a fallen pistol and charged off back into the smoke bellowing a warcry around the mouth grip.

“H-hey! Hellp me! Please!” Pliers called out. He reached out with a hoof at the remaining two, his blood dripping off it. The lead stallion stopped short and eyed him up and down.

“Where’s your gun?” he asked. Pliers gave him a strange look and then weakly gestured towards his armor.

“O-over there. Please. I n-need a potion. Help me…” he breathed. The stallion trotted over to the armor. He brushed it aside with casual disregard and smiled as he uncovered a rifle. He bent down and bit down on the grip and turned to walk away. Pliers’ eyes widened. “W-wait! I need help!” he cried. The two ponies looked at him as if he were worth less than the radioactive sludge that made up the moat around the compound.

“Help yourself,” the stallion called as he turned and galloped off into the smoke. The last pony, a thin purple mare looked at him, a frown on her face.

“I’m sorry.” she said and turned and galloped away as well. Pliers stared after them and slowly lowered his hoof back over his wound.

“I… I just…” he muttered, tears welling up in eyes as he stared at the cracked pavement.

“Don’t move!”

Pliers lifted his head and stared at the figure before him. The shiny black carapace and tail reminded him of a radscorpion, but the soft feathered wings and the eyes half hidden behind goggles were definitely pony in origin. Well, wing. The other was reduced to little more than a stump.

“C-can’t move,” he muttered. As if to lend credence to his statement, pain lanced through his side causing him to cry out. He swore the blood flowing from him quickened his pace and he pressed his hooves over the wound a little tighter.

The pegasus mare relaxed and limped closer to inspect him, scanning her eyes over him.

“Are you armed?” she asked. Pliers wanted to laugh, but couldn’t find the strength. He settled for a nod to the side.

“They… they took it… left me to die…” he said, tears cutting through the grime on his face.

The pegasus relaxed further and moved closer still. As she did Pliers could make out small holes in the softer portions of her armor. She turned, settled herself to the ground next to him with a pained grunt and looked at the stump where her wing had been.

“I’m not much better off…” she mumbled. Pliers looked at her weakly and then looked forward.

“Name’s… Pliers…” he wheezed. Each breath he took required a concerted effort. The pegasus looked at him and then glanced off at nothing in particular.

“Solar Wind…” she replied.

“Solar? Like the sun?” he asked, looking sidelong at her. She nodded quietly, warnings flashing on her HUD about her blood pressure and limb status.

“Huh… never seen… the sun. Bet… it’s nice…” he muttered.

There was a bright flash overhead and the both of them turned their heads skyward. The clouds parted in a radiating yellow and green glow that stretched further and further across the sky. Beyond the clouds was a beautiful blue sky and even as the life flowed slowly from his body, Pliers smiled.

“Its… its so pretty…” he muttered, the tears flowing freely from his eyes. He closed his eyes, feeling the sun’s warmth for the first time in his life. Solar Wind raised her remaining wing and shielded her eyes. The light grew brighter and brighter, and then Celestia One fired.