Fallout: Equestria - Legends of Stalliongrad

I scream as a large, deformed hoof rises above me, intending to smash me into a bloody pulp. I try to roll away, but the Power Armor I'm encased in is too bulky for me to even throw myself forward. The hoof smashes into my right side, flinging me through a nearby wall. Dazed and in pain, I grunt as I kick the wall debris off myself and stagger to my armored hooves. I look to my left, eyeing the built in anti-tank rifle. The barrel is slightly dented, but it still looks usable. In front of me, a looming form of bloated fur and flesh places its grotesque limbs on the lower part of the hole in the wall and stares at me with hundreds of blank, dead eyes.

I take up a firing stance and kick a new round into the anti-tank rifle as the beast before me lets out a challenging roar.

~ooo000ooo~

Twenty-five minutes earlier...

The armored train speeds out of the dark tunnel and into the dim light of the Northern Tundra. I look at the surrounding landscape in awe and amazement. I've never seen snow before, but I've heard plenty about it. Here, the landscape is practically nothing but snow. It covers the train rails. It covers the land. It covers unidentifiable objects and buildings. It's everywhere!

Soon though, I spot the remains of a train station.  Almost as if on cue, the train begins to apply its brakes as it approaches the station, slowing itself as to not over shoot the platform. Reaver said this was a feature incorporated to make operating the train easier on those who were licensed to do so. He said it worked by the train relaying a signal, then the station bounces it back to the train and that sends a signal to the brakes to start stopping the train. The closer the train got to the station, the harder the brakes were applied until the train came to a complete stop at the platform. When I asked him how he knew this, he simply said that the being stuck in a train station with very little in the ways of reading material, aside from train operator manuals, for two-hundred years taught him a lot about trains.

The train glides into the station and comes to a full stop with a little jerk. Looking out, I can see the ruins of a small port town. A long road connects the town to the train station, and I can see the rusted hulks of tanks and armored wagons scattered about the fields outside of the town. A chill runs down my back as I look over the wrecks. Sights like this are rare in the Equestrian Wasteland, but to see the remnants of a large scale battle just sitting here untouched put some perspective on things. The rusted tanks and equipment were essentially tombstones, marking where brave soldiers fought and died in the final moments of the war.

Sliding out of the operators' seat, I walk over to the cabin door and put a hoof on the tarnished silver handle. As I stand there, I think back to the advice Reaver had given me on the way here.

"Alright kid. The first thing you need to do when you get to the next station is to find a weapon. You'll be coming up on the ruins of Port Novorossiysk. In the final days of the war, the Zebras were attempting to spearhead the defensive line set up outside of the port, so weapons should be plentiful. Finding one in working condition maybe a bit more tricky."

I assured him I knew how to repair and replace parts from other weapons into one.

"Good, because that is an important skill to know. Weapon maintenance is key. Second step is to find a PipBuck if you want to stay in touch with me. Without one, you're as good as dead."

I ask him where I could find one, and why having one is so important.

"Why do you need one? That's easy. There's a spell incorporated into the device that allows you to slow down time and target specific areas of enemies. It's called SATS, and it needs to recharge if you use the whole spell charge in one go. As for where you can find one, that's a bit more tricky. PipBucks only started being delivered to Stalliongrad a month before the bombs fell, and they were a bit pricey for the average pony to buy. However, government officials and those in the military got their hooves on one first. I have my own, but it's broken beyond use. Your best bet is to search around Novorossiysk. I'd look in the town hall."

After asking if there was a third step, he gave me a heavy sigh.

"Yes, there is, and this is the one everypony I've ever come across royally fucks up. SO LISTEN. Port Novorssiysk is...haunted."

I asked him what he meant by 'haunted'.

"I was getting to that! On the day the bombs fell, those who were lucky enough to survive the blast became ghouls. However, two years after the big kaboom, something changed in the necromantic magic that created the ghouls that lived here. The magic killed them again and....and trapped their souls. The ghouls here became, what I like to call them, Shades. As you search the ruins of Port Novorossiysk, don't be surprised if you see dark shadows moving along the streets and such. The Shades are simply living out their final hours on an eternal loop. However, whatever you do, do not stare at a Shade."

I asked why.

"You'll become one of them, but only after you blink. So if you're caught in a Shades' stare, don't blink. Blink, and you're dead; You become one of them. Your soul will be trapped and your body will simply rot away over time. On a positive note, Shades do not pursue anypony caught in their stare. All you need to do is keep them in your sight and move away out of theirs, but don't blink. Like I said; Blink, and you're dead. I've seen too many ponies go out that way. They didn't even get a chance to scream."

Looking to the handle, I take a deep breath and hold it, giving it a count to five before releasing it. "Weapon, PipBuck, and don't blink. Should be simple..." I trail off as my hoof trembles on the door handle, refusing to open it. Squeezing my eyes, I lower the handle and throw the door open, quickly pulling my hoof back. I take another deep sigh and open my eyes, looking out at the ruined station. A few skeletons lay about the station. Some wear ragged civilian clothes, while others are in tattered remains of military uniforms. Stepping out onto the platform, I am greeted by a cold, but gentle breeze. I shiver a bit and immediately become grateful for the flight jacket I found.

Stepping into the station building, I note that it is a three-room building. The first is a decent sitting area, filled by rusted and overturned chairs. A pony's skeleton in a moth-eaten lab coat sits alone. Looking closer, the back of the pony's skull is blown out. I look down at the seat next to the skeleton and spot the weapon the pony had used to commit suicide; A slightly rusted pistol. Levitating it, I eject the clip and count the bullets.

"Six left...one for you..." I look at the skeleton. "But where did the first one go...?" I spot an orange item in the lab coats' front pocket and withdraw it with my magic. "A holotape? Too bad I have nothing to play it with..." I mutter to myself as I pocket the holotape. Sliding the ammo clip back into the pistol, I magically pull the slide back and look down the sights. A bit bent and off center, but they seemed to be okay. The final two rooms are a single-toilet bathroom and the employee work area with a ticket counter. Trotting behind the counter, I see that the few shelves under the counter top were either broken or empty. Damn, I was kind of hoping for some more ammo.

Leaving the station building, I hop over a set of broken wooden stairs that lead up to the platform and look to Port Novorossiysk. What was once a small water front town sat in a decayed and dilapidated state. The buildings' weren't damaged by megaspell blasts, rather the effects of long-term exposure to the harsh elements and lack of maintenance. As I stare, one of the three story buildings in the center of town suddenly collapses with a heavy rumble.

"Well that's comforting..." I say slightly aloud. With a look back at the station and the armored train that delivered me here, I turn my gaze back to the ruined town and steel myself. With a confident hoof forward, I set myself on the cracked cobblestone road that leads to the town. As I walk, silence surrounds me as I walk past the rusted headstones of fallen tank crews and soldiers. A tank with a massive turret and equally massive gun sits toppled over onto its side, the bottom having been torn apart by a violent explosion of some kind. Stopping to take another look, I see that the damage wasn't the result of an explosion, rather the result of something with large claws having torn into the belly of the machine.

Continuing on from the improvised graveyard, I soon begin to enter the outskirts of the town and immediately my mane stands on end. Something in the atmosphere here told me that I should not be here. Of course now that I look ahead of me, I can clearly see the town hall sitting at the far end of the main road, the place I need to go if I want to find a PipBuck! Despite the uneasy feeling that fills my breast, I take a tentative step forward, then another, and another. Soon I'm tip-hoofing through the rubble strewn street, passing by empty buildings and blasted ruins. Strange, most of the windows on the buildings are boarded up...

I walk into the town square and stop to take a look around. Evidence of a previous settlement surrounds me. Vendor stands sit in disrepair, some lop sided, others simply knocked over. Cloth tents show large tears in their fabric, surrounded by a debris field of meager belongings. As I walk, I hear a light 'Momma' and immediately stop. The voice sounded like a ghost from the days before the war. I look around, trying to spot the source of the voice, but see nothing. Then I look down and see that my left hoof had kicked a small filly's toy. The poor thing was nothing but pure patchwork, complete with mismatched button eyes and a stringy mane. I gave it another nudge and the toy let out another 'Momma'.

In a weird way... the doll reminded me of... well, me.

"Did your mommy leave you too little one?" I ask, dipping my head down to pick up the toy. I plop my rear onto the cobblestone and hold the toy in between my hooves. The toy's head flops pathetically to the side as it stares at me with its' button eyes. I give a sad smile and open one of the pockets on the bomber jacket. Placing the patchwork filly in the pocket, I give it a light pat and get back onto my hooves.

"Well don't worry, we'll stick together." I say aloud as I move towards one of the broken weapon vendor stands, sifting through the debris for ammo or something to replace the rusted pistol I found at the station. I manage to find a few bullets, but they don't fit the caliber of the pistol I have. "Better hold onto these." I mutter to myself as I put the ammo into one of the empty jacket pockets. Looking up at the sky, I notice that it has gotten considerably darker since I arrived.

"Why does it look like it's going to-" but at that moment, a large explosion rocks the sky, and fractures of light pierce the sky. The wind immediately begins to howl as a stinging cold lashes at my fur and skin. Snow seems to come out of nowhere as it fills the air in a furious frenzy. Without thinking, I dash for one of the nearby buildings and barrel through the door. With the storm right on my hooves, I brae myself against the door and manage to slam it shut, fighting the strong winds. With a slam and the click of the lock, I stop to catch my breath, brushing the snow off my jacket and out of my mane.

Blinking a bit, I take a look at my new surroundings. This place used to be a small cafe, but it now sits as a tossed mess of broken chairs, shattered plates, and overturned furniture. Power still runs through the area, much to my surprise, given the fact that some of the lamps still shine their lights, giving the small space an eerie feeling. As I stood up, that's when I saw it...

Have you ever seen the reflection of water dancing on the underside of leaves on a really nice day? Well it looked nothing like that. The way this thing moved looked more like a river of sludge in the shape of a pony. A pair of murky white eyes scanned the room as I scrambled for cover. I can hear faint words escaping its' ghostly muzzle, sounding muffled and barely understandable. Peaking over an over turned couch, I watch as the Shade moves towards the cafe bar and stand behind it, looking ready to take a customer's order. At that moment, I hear voices fill the air and turn my head as more and more Shades rise out of the floor. They began to mill about, some going to the counter as others seemed to float where the tables and chairs once stood.

"This is really weird..." I mutter to myself. Another Shade moved about, one of its' murky hooves raised as if it were carrying a food tray to one of the tables. Looking over to the doorway, I remember what Reaver had said about the Shades. Double checking to make sure they were occupied, I slink out of my hiding spot and make a beeline for the doorway.

Just as I step through, I gasp as a Shade walks down the hall towards me. Immediately those murky white eyes lock onto me and begin to glow. My hooves feel as though they were super glued to the floorboards. I can feel those white eyes piercing my soul, waiting for me to blink so that it can force me into their ranks. I slowly begin to approach the Shade, intent on stepping around it while keeping my gaze on it. I manage to skirt around the entity, and as soon as I was behind the Shade, it drops its' stare and resumes its' trot down the hall. Letting out a sigh of major relief and stop to look out a cracked window. From what I could see, the snow storm had calmed down, and snow was gently falling to the ground. Down the hall, I spot a door that leads outside and trot towards it.

~ooo000ooo~

Once outside, I take a moment to let a snowflake fall onto my tongue. I immediately regret the action as a vile taste assaults my tongue. If radiation had a taste, this would be it; Vile, dirty, and wretched. My stomach starts to twist as I  scrape the evil taste off my tongue, gagging on the flavor.

"Well...now I know not to eat the snow..." I say, lightly scolding myself for being stupid. Brushing some of snow flakes off me, I trot down the street and approach an intersection. Sitting in the middle of the intersection, seemingly out of place, is the rusted hull of a tank. The barrel, split and peeled back at the end from a violent explosion, aims towards the town hall, which sits just down the street. Passing the old war relic, I trot down the street and approach the tarnished white building. The town hall is a two-story building with a single floor attachment that was partially blown away, most likely by the tank down the street. Looking back at the blasted ruins, I eye the gaping hole in the wall and approach it. With a hop, I leap through the hole and land in what was once a conference room. Ruined papers and scorched clipboards litter the weathered oak table and cover the floor. Looking up, I see holes in the ceiling, letting in the murky sunlight. The torn remains of jump ropes dangle through the holes, making me wonder what happened here. Moving out of the conference room, I enter the main hall and stop in my tracks as I stare at what occupied the hall.

Standing in the middle of the main hall, on a pile of ceiling rubble and broken concrete, sits a full suit of heavy assault power armor. I cautiously approach the intimidating object, looking over the tarnished armor. Once close enough, I spot a yellowed piece of paper tapped to the left shoulder pad.

"Sprocket, the suit is drained; power core finally hit zero. I need a replacement stat. Come find me in the mayor's office when everything is ready. Oh, and make sure you PROPERLY dispose of this core. I don't need another core breach. - Phalanx"

"Where the hell am I going to get a power core...?" I mutter to myself as I look away from the note, casting my gaze around the room. Power cores, to my knowledge, are extremely rare pieces of equipment; I've only come across one in my whole life. Looking back to the suit, I look it over again and spot the anti-tank rifle built into the suit. Giving a whistle, I give a nod of approval as I spot the mountings for a much larger weapon on the opposite side of the suit.

"Sweet Celestia, what were these ponies packing? Cannons?" I mutter to myself, chuckling at the absurd image of an armored pony carrying a massive cannon on their side with no issue. Moving away from the power armor, I remember about the mayors' office from the note and make my way towards it. Trotting up a set of rickety stairs, I'm greeted by the grim sight of a few skeletons scattered about the upper floor. Some wore pre-war uniforms, others look more recent; Wearing the usual Wasteland style of tattered rags and cobbled together armor. A message was written on the wall in dried, black paint.

"THEY CAN RIP YOUR SOUL OUT"

The body of the 'T' in 'Out' trails down to the skeleton of a Wastelander, their body twisted and bent like an old rag doll.

"Ominous messages, check..." I mumble, swallowing a bit to calm my nerves. Stepping over the piles of bones and rags, I cautiously make my way to the rotten wooden doors that lead into the office behind them. I stop once again to gaze at yet another skeleton pinned to the door frame, a long bayonet rammed into the open maw that was the pony's mouth, the blade sinking deep into the wood.

"Oh...lovely..." I mutter again, my nerves attempting to get the better of me as I side-stepped the macabre scene, reaching a hoof out to turn the tarnished door knob. With a soft click, the door swings open and I step forward...

And nearly fall face first through the floor! Staggering back just in time, my legs tremble as I look at the floor that had given out, having fallen into the offices below. Looking ahead, I see the mayor's desk tilted, looking ready to take a dive into the ruins below.

And sitting right in a document bin, as if it were expecting me, is a power core.

"Of course!" I snap, throwing a hoof out for emphasis. With a small pout of annoyance, I scan around the office, looking for a way to traverse the structural abyss before me. Sharp chunks of the floor sit like jagged outcroppings along the base of the office wall, leading right to the mayor's desk. With a smirk, I give my rear a little shake as I ready myself to jump to the first jagged bit of floor. With a grunt, I throw myself forward and reach my hooves out, hoping to land and not slip to my death. Success! I manage to land with only a minor stagger, but I regain my balance and prepare to hop to the next jutting piece of floor. With a small huff, I jump and land once again. Carrying my momentum, I hop from piece to piece until I finally make my way to the section of floor with the desk.

"So far, so good." I say proudly. However, at that moment, my hoof steps onto something that causes me to almost slip and fall. Stepping back a bit, I kneel down to look at what I had stepped on under the desk. The skeleton of a soldier lays curled up under the desk, the jaw hanging slacken as the eye sockets gaze at me. What my hoof had stepped on however was a round, crystal like object that was clutched in the skeleton's hooves. The moment I flared up my horn to envelope the object, my world fell away from me in a slow smear, my senses becoming dull and sluggish as everything goes to black...