STABLE PERSONAL FILE
Name: Hail "Ricochet" Storm.
Age: 21.
Gender: Male.
Race: Pony. Unicorn.
Occupation: Stable security guard.
Stable number: 31.
Cutie Mark: A small stone ricochet between larger rocks. (large rocks spilting.)
Hi there, names Hail Storm, I'm just your average stallion trying to make a life in this life less shit-hole we call EQUESTRIA! (sort of)from guard-pony to gun-for-hire in my struggle for survival (does this sound dramatic enough?) I invite you to listen to my tales so sit back, grab a cola and relax as I share with you the good times and the bad, This is my story.
Many during the war feared the idea that their life and everything they strived to achieved could be wiped out in a instant from the war they had created and when Stable-tec revealed the under ground stables guaranteed to survive the doomsday many knew was coming ponies flocked to them in droves and many (if not all of them) survived untouched for two centuries just like good old stable 31, where the rich arrogant live in luxury and the commoners wanna crack the formers skulls in with a rusty pipe and can make the best drinks in the shittiest of dumps.
For me ~~most~~ every morning starts with that piercing screech of Stable-tec's worst crime, alarm clocks, reaching my hoof out I flailed half-heartedly trying whack the clock and after a few tries it worked, opening my eyes I turned to see the time it was 5:25 am and I had just over and hour before my shift started rollling out of bed I landed firmly on my hooves with a triumphant smile (given that usually I land less gracefully) as I reached the closest a satisfied moan broke to the morning silence. "Heyyy... Come back to bed." I turned floating out a clean uniform behind me as I smiled at the mare still half asleep in my bed.
"Sorry Prim shift starts in an hour so does your daughter's and your filly and that pig husband of yours get up in an another two." She pouted teasingly as climbed out of bed shaking her purple mane before she tied it back.
"Mind if I grab some coffee and a bite before we leave?" I smiled moving over to a mirror on the wall beside the bed.
"Sure thing Prim grab whatever you want," she smirked at me. "Oh but you said you didn't have time." She walked out humming to herself meanwhile I turned back to the mirror pulling the zip down on my stable jumpsuit sliding my fore-hooves through the sleeves then zipping up the jumpsuit, standing there I just stared at the stallion looking back at me lifting black hoof to a to scratch a yellow mane.
"What are you doin' Hail?" The double questioned "she's married with children one of whom is your supervisor." This wasn't the first time this reflection had asked me this but still we did this (Yeah... It's been like this for a few years I should mention that I'm kinda fucked up after a gas pipe went ka-boom in my face while on patrol... Now I have conversations with myself or more accurately lectures from myself) my hoof reached up to my eye gently running down the pink scars which webbed a round it. "She's sweet and she makes me feel normal again not like some frail egg about to shatter." The stallion just rolled his eyes. "You know this only gonna hurt everypony when ponies find out what about her family? What about their feelings?" I groaned at the mirror I knew it wasn't right and I shouldn't be having an affair with Prim Rosé but she was hurt by her husband's cheating and she talked to me about it and no this wasn't the way I thought it should go but we just clicked and BAM! the next thing I know we're spending any time me can together nothing else mattered not her husband, her being more than ten years my senior (she was still fun, free spirited and hotter than the sun... I mean thirty-five is nothing) hell even her eighteen year old daughter being my C.O didn't bother me. But inside I knew it wasn't fair and my bitch of a conscience spent every morning reminding me, finally dressed I did my equipment check flak jacket check, baton check, flashlights check and Pip-buck check finally dressed I trotted in to the main room.
Prim Rosé was dancing around with a cup floating behind her as music was filling the room after a few more minutes the song ended and a blushing Prim had realised I'd been watching. "That Mix Beat might be a common pony but that music is amazing." She giggled dusting toast crums from her wrinkled uniform as a always happy voice chimed in.
"Yes she has quite the talent... Ah! Master Hail." Turning I spotted Digi, my Ms helpful robot, spinning an arm to me holding a plate with a bowl of fruit salad on it.
"What no coffee?" Floating the bowl over to the table in the middle of the room.
"Good Heavens! After the report Dr. Brittle gave you mother we'd both be SCRAPPED!" Digi floated off to the kitchen meanwhile I was getting the look from Prim Rosé.
"Brittle snitched me out cause I arrested her buck for possession.... I've got P.T.S.D and she told the ovemare that I stopped taking the pills." Prim's look turned in one of boiling anger (and she was about to blow, she hates when ponies keeping something this important from her).
"Prim Rosé darling those pills were going to kill him..." Digi chimed from across the room with an eye on each of us, Prim froze then turned to Digi, "If that HACK of doctor knew anything she'd have known those pills were A. Nearly TWO CENTURIES out of date B. Are short-term use ONLY! And C. Long-term use leads to SUICIDAL! FUCKING! DEPRESSION! So if you want to tear anypony a new asshole it would be that doctor or MYSELF not the stallion whom was almost hung himself." Digi's voice and personality shifted back to her normal nonchalance as I looked down into my fruit salad with flattened ears trying to avoid eye contact with Prim.
"Is that true?" She asked, I nodded slightly when gentle warmth wrapped around me, "Hail why didn't you say anything?" I could feel the tears forming in her eyes.
"The overmare can't afford it... I make her... Weak and the stable nobility would use it to kick her from the position." She pulled back with tears running down her cheeks.
"Wh-what does it matter? You nearly died so what if you aren't some robot..." She paused quickly turning to Digi, "urm... No offence." She sat down looking at the table.
"Politics... This whole stable runs on it... Anypony can be overseer if they have enough ponies voting for them so having enough dirt saves time it's why we're all guards keeps nobles at a distance and the guards loyal with connections and more importantly... Strong", I stood up and scratched the back of my head and gave a weak smile, "I'm okay really it's just a lot of pressure at times noble want rid of the overmare, overmare want total domination over the stable and Sub-City wants every noble up here... You know." I turned to leave giving a wave to Prim.
"Well just be careful ok?" Prim called I nodded and trotted off.
As I walked down the empty corridors my mind began to wander off (yay depressed thinking time, can't have enough of that!) the stable was originally meant to be shared control between commoners and nobility but early on power shifted to the nobles but given their rules about relationships and child birth commoners out numbered them with there being roughly 300 commoners but 200 noble. The stable was only designed for only 200 however when it opened they let in double that knowing it was over populated everpony caught on pretty quickly however and plans began immediately to counteract it thus began Sub-City everypony dug out under the stable clearing massive caverns out and began building a city which given the support of the first overstallion a noble named Fancy Pants established a massive farm which under a strict ‘no ownership’ law meant that all crops were kept under strong unbias control so everypony was kept fed but beyond that noble seemed to do whatever they wanted ( regardless of how illegal it was) which was left unchecked for 200 years and meant everypony in Sub-City would gut a noble in a heartbeat before they'd helped them and vice-versa, so being a commoner who was the step-son of the overmare and one of the highest ranking security ponies in the stable left me in a rather unpleasant position (given that, with the exception of Prim Rosé and her youngest, every noble needs a long overdue bludgeoning, but not being allowed to means a lot of stressful days) finally I made it to the office and was greeted by a jumpy dispatcher.
"What are you doing in... Y-your early?" Quickly checking my Pip-buck, nope definitely Half-six.
"You know if you'd stop reading porn at work you'd stop being so jumpy." The mares face turn red as she tried to think of a lie.
"Just t-t-take your g-gear and go!" At this point I just laughed and walked to my locker and retrieved my gun clicking the holster in place and left for Sub-City as I turned the corner I spotted a blue buck half-stuck in a locker and ran over to help.
"Hey buddy need a hoof?" After A few moments the buck was free but had started to brake down crying, "hey hey it's ok who did this?" And then began even more crying (Oh come I had a gas pipeline blow up in my face and I didn't cry THIS MUCH!!) I sat down putting on his shoulder and he finally stopped.
"It was B-bl-blue Ribbon and her thugs they wanted chems a-and I couldn't..." He turned his head and cuts and scars cluttered his neck and shoulder "They said if I don't have them soon my sister is gonna pay!!!" He laided down his hooves covering his face.
"Where did they go?" He shifted a leg and looked at me with a scared eye.
"S-she said something about making a Mud-Sucker give them crystals or something I don't know..." Resisting the urge to beat him for that last comment I sent him off to the clinic to get treated (thank the goddess they never closed) and began a anger fueled march to Sub-City, somepony needs a beating right now, after about ten minutes I was at the lift that would lower me to Sub-City and with little more than a nod of recognition and a swipe of a badge the cage began its slow decent.
Slowly the steel wall of the stable were replaced with stone and mud and as my decent continued the bright lights were gone and a warm blue light wash over the cage in their place, turning around I smiled at the source, in the centre of the cavern was a enormous cluster of glowing crystals (with smaller clusters scattered around the city) lit up everything, I always got a warm feeling of nostalgia coming down here (whats born from the earth shall return to the earth... Or something like that) all across the cavern walls the shadows danced shifting from wall to wall, suddenly a klang snapped me from my trance looking up I saw a pissed off looking pink pegasus.
"What's a BASTARD like you doing here?" He snarled.
"You know what they say ‘bastards are better when we flock together’ I'm just here so you don't shit on ponies... Again." He hopped into the cage and smiled before jumping on me and ruffling my mane.
"Oh mister funny buck are we?" After a little wrestling he let go.
"Sooo... Cotton what brings you here?" I questioned while straightening my uniform, he scratched his mane.
"What? Can't I say hi to my buddy or something?" He smiled innocently (he looked like a filly caught in the cookie jar.)
"Nope" I replied flatly "you ALWAYS have a angle for whatever you do so what is it" He started to open his mouth and hesitated.
"Oh fuck it! Mix Beat wants to speak with you and before you ask NO I don't know why... Now I leave." And instantly shot out through the clear roof of the cage, quickly I shouted.
"Hey! Cotton if you spot that BLUE BITCH Ribbon let me know!" He waved a hoof in reply and a moment later the lift touched down.
Stepping out I was greeted by two uniformed (and by that I mean they were wearing matching shirts) ponies, a scrawny mare with bulky stallion, grunted in acknowledgement of me. "Hey either of you know where MB is?" The stallion just stared at me like his brain couldn't process the question, the mare beside him sighed.
"Don't mind Lead he's thicker than the stable door... I think she's hangin' out at 'Six Feet Under'." We both groaned at the name ,it was the only bar in the stable but it was still a cheesy name, with that mind I began my patrol as I walked into the streets the sound of life washed over me the sound of ponies trading make-shift cart pulling along, a complete opposite of its stable counterpart, with only (technically) a single patrol officer (yay me) thankfully the Keepers, the group in charge of the farms, acts as a policing force without the nobility's support (dispite their numbers they lack any actual authority outside of the farms... So yeah SCOREBOARD!) life here never stops and after weaving through the crowds of Main Street I reached the road leading to the bar, wandering down the street at a more leisurely pace, taking a quick glance at each stall as I passed eventually reaching the largest building with a bright crooked sign ‘we'll put you SIX FEET UNDER’, with the last three word enlarged, as I walked towards the door I could already hear the music blasting at max volume gently pushing against the door hopefully I can get in without making a scene.
As I stepped a hoof inside the door the music cut dead and a dozen faces all turned to me(you just couldn't cut me a break could ya Celestia, fuck my life sideways,) as the door agonisingly crept shut behind me several earth ponies stepped forwards. "Oh lookie what here... B-osss." As a final mare stepped out in fact the very mare I was looking for, Blue Ribbon, now surrounded by her thugs began a slurred speech.
"What-s a blue BASTARD doin 'ere?", She started waving her hoof around mockingly, "We're Ssssoo fucking scared... Have 'im!" And with they all charged towards me (so hoof in the air who ACTUALLY though this was gonna work? Huh no pony? Ok BEATINGS for EVERYPONY!) time slowed to a crawl as my S.A.T(Stable-tec Arcane Targeting) switched on and I began picking through my options, as the green light highlighted Ribbon's head I instantly selected it (twice), once each attacker was targeted at least once time began to speed up and my barrage of unicorn furry and Pip-buck know-how commenced immediately my baton launched from its holster striking Ribbon straight in the throat launching itself into a upwards spin, gasping for air she started to stagger, my magic wrapped around the batons handle mid-spin and swung downwards striking Ribbon on the back of her skull instantly she collapsed and with that I moved onto the other, who seemed barely able to stand never mind fight, which was proven when after a few sidesteps and cracks to the head they were little more than a mound of groaning ponies suddenly a muffled growl brought my attention back to Ribbon, she stood there clenching a switchblade in her teeth and screamed something intangible before rushing forwards I let out a sigh before smashing the baton into her throat again and then grabbed her mane with magic for a moment she struggled as I walked up to her, at which point she made the mistake of spitting on me and I proceeded to introduce her face to the wall (multiple times) afterwards lifting the bloody mares head and whispering ine her.
"The next time you threaten anypony I'm going to personally round your WHOLE family up and torture them in front of you, your mum, your dad and especially your SISTER and then I'm going to kill all of you..." Her eyes widened as looked back at me "Oh yes I know all about and you should know that EVERY. SINGLE. GUARD. Answers to me." And with that she began shaking and once my magic faded Ribbon and her thugs bolted out the door, earning a cheer from the remaining patrons, finally a mares voice called out to me.
"Nice job Hail, that'sss 'ell of a beating, nice to see Stable side ain't softened you up." I spotted the voices owner, a pegasus mare flicking a red and black mane to the side of her face with a matching short curl cut tail, she began walking, or more accurately staggered over to the bar her neon green coat stood out almost as much as the fabric bandaging and plasters wrapped around most of her body, by the time I joined her at the bar she was already downing glasses of whiskey.
"Mix what happened to you?" She paused then turned to me with a warm (or drunken its hard to tell with her) smile before pulling me into a kiss (Hello prenchy!) after cheering from the crowd she finally let go.
"Hey you wanna... Have a little fun..." She said licking her lips, getting even more cheers from the rest of the crowd, meanwhile I turned to the bartender.
"How much has she had?" He shrugged pointing at the mound of empty whiskey bottles lying in a recycling bin then he turned bright red, turning my focus back to Mix Beat (CELESTIA fuck Luna how can anypony be THAT flexible!)
"OK! Time for you to go missy!" I floated Mix on to my back where she immediately puke up what must have been a weeks worth of alcohol and then passed out.
"She lives in Old Quarter now with some mare..." The bartender moaned dragging a bucket and mop to what smelled like the sixth puking of the day "AND she needs to PAY-UP!" Angrily point a hoof at the snoring mare on my back (well mostly on my back) quickly searching my pockets for bit and floating them onto the bar top.
"Thats a hundred aaaaand forty-nine plus a pack of gum okay?" He nodded and proceeded out the door.
"Sooooo.... What's the plan now then? Whisk the drunken maiden home wake her then maybe ravish her a little." (Ok why does my conscience get to be an asshole?) "Becaaause I AM you dumbie so Ha your an asshole!" The double trotted casually beside me looking around after deciding to ignore my duche bag of a companion I made it to Old Quarter and after dealing with even more duche bags I finally found where Mix Beat actually lived which unsurprisingly only was three buildings down from where I'd been asking for directions. I poked the door and to my surprise it opened. "Hellooooo... Stable security anypony hooome." Slowly inching further in the room when a mares voice call back.
"Just be a minute!" And a moment later a mare happily trotted into to the room, at least till she saw Mix and her entire mood shifted "Oh! No! What has she done nopony's hurt are they?" Without getting a chance to actually answer she ushered me in and watched in filly like glee as I floated Mix onto sofa. "Nothing major just made everypony happy hour over at Six Feet Under and owes me 150 bits but I've cleaned worst messes... Ummm Miss?" The realisation dawned on me; I'd never seen this mare before and I knew everypony, by face at least, in Sub-City.
"Oh my names Daisy Cutter." I nodded.
"Right I just need you Pip-buck tag for the paperwork of course." Noticing the poorly disguised panic.
"Oh urm... It's broken I-it out of power so I can't...", "Oh now that is straight up bullshit let me see that thing!" proclaimed my mental companion (well go check for me then) and off my double went in search of the supposed Pip-buck meanwhile I casually eyed the mare noticing her lack of anger and resentment both social classes had (especially against security ponies) but there was something about a vibe of some kind that told me she'd live a hard life just like the commoners in Stable 31 "The BUCKING hell is this SHIT? It's not even a real fucking Pip-buck!!!" Meanwhile I casually started flicking through my own. "Well good new I can still retrieve your tag just need to connect and I can go from there." I smiled as the mare panic more with each second.
"Owww my fucking head waaaaait the fuck am I doin- Oh Celestia fucks me sideways..." Mix Beat lying half of the sofa.
"Mix would you care to explain this?" She stared for a moment and shrugged.
"I think she's from up there... But she can't remember anything I found her after the cave in over at expansion tunnel sparkle..." She pointed a hoof to the ceiling "Hail you helped that Wrench fella with the reactor right? And all those test with the soil thingys." My eyes widened as the direction of this conversation became crystal clear.
"Nonononono you are not going to the surface!"she looked at with confusion and she was about to ask why when I cut her off "And NOPONY finds out about any of this got it?" She was still confused but nodded none the less, I turned to Daisy cutter "the SECOND day-shift end YOUR OUT." Pointing a hoof at the door for empathise which lead Mix Beat leaping in front of me millimetres from my face and growled.
"NO SHE ISN'T!!!" She shifted into a fighting stance.
"Unless she want you both sharing a shallow grave courtesy of the FUCKING overmare she is!", Both of them froze at that, "YES that right the overmare would have you both killed to keep this quiet okay? It's the same FUCKING reason Wrench died because out there fucks over the nobility in here.... Everything the nobles have even down to the fucking title come from what they control and with Stable 31 that very little it's drugs, food anything that they can use they will... Wrench told the overmare and she had him killed because everything they have he could free ponies from... food from the surface, drug from the surface anything we needed we could get without nobles it would destroy everything they fight to hold and they killed him to stop that, though at the time the only known way was through the door, now if there's another way out you'll be dead in the hour if anypony finds out." Silence filled the room Mix struggled to comprehend what I had just said. "Oh Goddesses DANGER! DANGER! Asshole alert!" My mental double squeaked bouncing up and down with a hoof pointing outside and my ears perked up at shouting outside and motioned for the others to stay inside.
Peeking through a crack in the door I spotted the worst possible kind of trouble, the soon to be brother-in-law(in-law) kind, Platinum Star, a Pegasus with a blue coat and mane was stood behind a group of ponies as they tore through Old Quarter grabbing mares and pulverising anypony who wasn't quick enough as I walked out of the house a faint click came from my gun holster (Celestia why do you have to fuck with me so fucking much?). Walking into the street is probably the simplest thing anypony could in Sub-City two steps out the door and done but for me it wasn't so easy trying march through ten degenerate thugs while being menacing and not being jumped was nerve wracking. Platinum was wearing his usual self-righteous smugness (goddesses give me strength not kill this arrogant prick).
"Oh Storm so good to see you, what are you doing here?" Given that he had ten retards behind me some diplomacy might be a smoother approach.
"MY job and WHAT are you doing here Platinum? You know nobles AREN'T allowed down here GET out." He replied with a nerve grinding high-pitched laugh, spit spraying over my face in the process (DIPLOMACY over in... 3... 2...).
"And what pray tell are you GOING t-" (ONE!!!) I launched forward headbutting Platinum in the nose quickly followed by a spinning buck into the side of his head meanwhile triggering S.A.T on his thugs, with my pistol drawn, while time slowed down I scanned the group not for target but civilians, thankfully they were clear of any targets but a new problem accrued to me after cycling through limbs none had higher than a thirty percent chance to and I only had tens shots (Cutie-Mark power work you magic) after I selected the leading ones on each side, I felt a warm tingle as time caught up, a bright flash burst from my gun matched with a loud bang instantly the first stallion collapsed grinding to a face first stop a few metres away meanwhile a second shot fired tearing clean through the second stallions right legs moments later bullets began a almost rhythmic song as bullets began striking metal scattered around the street each time slashing attackers hind legs until finally biting into the last pony's flanks causing her to drop screaming in agony. "YOU BASTARD I'LL KILL YOU!!!" Screamed Platinum from behind causing me to spin on the spot to witness him turning to face me with a gun clench in his mouth and like a scene from an old western we fired over and over, my whole body began to burn as the world around us slowly blurred a instant later both guns clicked dry, Platinum eyes turn life fading from them completely in mere seconds he collapsed on the floor blood streaming down his body from several bullet hole puncturing his body with two planted straight in his heart, as the adrenaline faded my strength shattered from pain as I started coughing blood as my body came crashing to the ground there was faint shouting but it was too muffled to make out (so sleepy I think I'm gonna take a nap now.().
The next few days past by at a crawl, I had awakened to find my self in the Stable-side prison ( which was really a bunch of empty maintenance supply rooms with a mattress thrown in the corner and a barred window cut into the wall next to the doors.) My sole visitor during this time had been Prim Rosé crying asking me things like what had happened and why I had done them but more importantly that my punishment would be... Public execution, honestly the words had little impact on me, I loathe this place and everything it stood for and the fact I'd pissed the overmare off enough to have a public example made out of me did give me a small measure of satisfaction. After trying to comfort Prim I asked her to move to Sub-City and after a brief explanation over my concern that commoners retaliation by food cut off she agreed to move with her filly down there, (we were bastards but commoner had heart enough to allow refugees and ponies seeking protection and Prim was a good guard and a great pony, somepony would take her in), finally the day arrived and in the restless early morning hours I slipped a ear bud from my Pip-buck in and switched on the radio.
"HHEEEELLLOOO SUB-CITY HOW YOU DOIN?!! It's you jockey on the disc's MIX BEEAAAT and I'm about lay down some music for you all out there but let's get the news. Now I'm bettin' most y'all heard bout the gunfight down in the Ol'Quater the one resulting in the death in everyponies FAVOURITE scumbag, you know the one PLATINUM STAR!!!, I know I know who could do such a thing well it's our hometown buck who don't give a fuck Hail Storm. The security pony was on duty when Platinum's mob squad attacked resulting in one death and Hail's execution take place later today, Celestia be with him, right onto our next bit of news several families from Stabie-side have fled down to here, turns out the overmare is ABSOLUTELY bucking crazy but hey if it took ordering the death of her stepson for hoof-full of them to realise that gotta wonder what it'll take for rest."
"And finally... The Keepers have refused all demands from the Nobility to return refugees and have seized complete control over the lift and are now claiming not only independence but that any attempts to force refugees back will be met with force, now ain't that the magic of friendship courtesy of a good old .308 to the motherbucking face and if you thought the mess they make of roaches was bad you do not want to see the real thing. Now let's get you folk some tunes."
Hours passed by as reality finally started to set in and I began playing out escape scenarios in my mind. "Ah so it begins... So how do we do it then. Hmm we can't get out the Stable door would take too long... " Scratching the back of my mane with a hoof I let out a small sigh. "The expansion tunnels... " The double gave a subtle nod "but security will be ready to kill when we run." The echoing sound of hooves off the steel floor caused my imaginary accomplice's ear to perk up scanning every which way. "one pony inbound, mare... Not security." the hoof-steps stopped at the cell door. After a moment the door opened whining in protest at its own compliance; in walked a single unicorn (the last pony in this whole damn Stable I wanted to see) Starlight Night walked in front of me tears welling in the corners of her silver eyes. My whole body tensed for what was probably the most deserved back-hoof in the history of back-hooves. (So you can imagine my surprise when she wrapped her hooves around my neck to hug me) my double's mouth hung open a moment before he began mouthing silently (what the fuck indeed... ).
"S-sorry I'm so so sorry..." Without any clue as to what to do I hugged back trying to comfort her(I'm pretty sure this backwards aren't I meant to apologise to her?) "I should have stopped him or d-done..." She choked up on the words struggling to form in her head.
"Ssshhh.... It's not your fault you couldn't know he'd do something like this you can't blame yourse-." She looked up at me, her face streaked with tears, her mouth opened slightly confused by something.
"HOW ARE YOU CALM? YOUR OWN MOTHER IS GONNA MURDER YOU!!! BE SAD BE ANGRY OR SOMETHING DON'T JUST SIT THERE LIKE ITS SOME CASUAL MEETING! MY BRO-." (Ahhh so that why she's... Oh goddesses she crying again!) I brought her back into a hug again. Starlight was nothing like Platinum dispite being his twin sister, she'd often been bullied for it and I had stepped in a countless number of times and was probably the closest thing to an actual friend she had. It was at that moment I felt like I had an actual idea as to why she was crying, she'd lost her brother her family rarely even spoke to her and now her friend was going to be executed in less then an hour leaving alone again.
"Starlight it's okay... I've got a plan but I need your help can you pass a message to Digi for me?" She looked up wiping tears from her eyes, she gave a slight nod "tell her lights out for the show." With that she galloped off and afterwards the door whined as it closed again. (interesting... Mental note made)
After twenty minutes two guards showed up. "Come on." Grunted one of the guards and we marched towards the atrium, the biggest room in the Stable, after five minutes we reached it. The crowd of ponies was so thick it blocked out virtually every direction but up and even the second floor was crowded but the thing that stood out more than the crowd or the noise but the noose swaying at the far of the room leaving a lingering itch around my neck even as my attention shifted away. After a minute I was stood on a crate with thnoose swaying between the guards and my self. One piece of my plan was needed and that was Digi's distraction (fun fact Digi saw this very thing coming and had demanded an escape plan... 71 specifically though only a couple actually centred around a noose most just based around the overmares insanity.) one of the guards prodded me to the edge of the crate shifting the weight over the railing untill he stood on the other side.
Suddenly the lights went off and the entire room was blacked out with Pip-buck lights running everywhere. The cries of the crowd silenced by the sound of music and mares moaning (ahhhh plan 69 priceless). "Hey you inbreed whore... Take THIS!!!" Clenching the noose in my teeth I jumped kicking the guard in the throat as he turned to me, thankfully this launched us different directions, letting go of the rope I turned into a roll clearing the atrium door before it shut behind me and with that the chase was on.
Racing through the corridors two things were clear to me A. That most of security was now locked back in the atrium leaving only a few in the corridors and B. Despite being corrupt pricks they were either extremely embarrassed or extremely aroused (goddesses bless the horny pervert who smuggled it in and uploaded to the maneframe) eventually I reached the doors in front of the lift however my hopes were dashed when it wouldn't open. In a desperate attempt to continue I grasped the bottom of the door in my magic and began pulling; I poured more magic into forcing the door open, with screeching and wailling I knew it was working, once the door reached halfway I started inching through; desperately fighting the heavy pain pressing into my shoulders as my magic pinned the door up just long enough for me to barely make it through before slamming down. Sitting on my haunches I rubbed the sore muscles in my fore-legs. dad had once told me that magic (or at least levitation) was like an extension of our bodies drawing energy from our bodies for pushing and pulling things as well as most heavy floating and that once a limit was reach we would feel the pain as exhaustion would set in (leading to collapsing or even magical burn outs in extreme case). After a minute or two I stood back up, a smile creeping across my face as the sound of hooves and desperate guards echoed through the door.
Peering over the edge of where the lift should be I realised the sheer enormity of the drop. "Well FUCK me sideways Celestia." As I walked back a few steps a familiar voice called to me.
"Does a certain bastard need some assistance?" Cotton floated up from the hole, wear a smug smile on his face, looking at the pegasus I noticed his all pink look was broken up with chunks of polished metal formed into armour.
"Planning on a war or something?" He smiled at me.
"Your lookin at the newest member of the Peace Keepers." Despite all efforts (which was very little to begin with) I fell backwards laughing hysterically causing him to lose his smug composure.
"Peace Keepers REALLY!!! Nothing else came to mind..." I slowly got back up regaining some of my composure "Cotton I need your help I-" he cut me off with a hoof.
"Your robot and MB gave me the details. One fly-by express to expansion Sparkle comin' up." He jumped into a hovering position above me and locked his legs around me and we flew out the hole just in time to hear the pained opening of the door behind us.
Several blue blurs shot from the hole behind us and instantly the air erupted in gunfire with none of it aimed at us. Looking back I saw a dozen shadow had dropped from the ceiling ambushing the security guards meanwhile sparks came from the lift shaft as ponies on the ground laid down suppressing fire stopping others chasing us; within seconds all the guards had fled back into the Stable and we were just touching down at the tunnel. "Thanks Cotton... Hey could you pass a message to everypony..." He nodded, still trying to gather his breath, "tell them I'm sorry that things have to be this way and that I'm gonna be fine out there and PLEASE for the love of the goddesses don't try and follow me their homes are here." He was almost gone when I shouted one last thing to him "THANKS FOR EVERYTHING YA BASTARD!!!" He turned around with a huge smile and waved back to me. As the sound of more gunfire in the distance reminded me of why I needed to leave I gave one last glance at the place which had been my home for so long and with a heavy sigh I walk into the dark tunnel to the outside world.
Thankfully the tunnel of the expansion were all relatively short which meant finding the way out was pretty easy (not that finding a gigantic hole in the ceiling is particularly difficult) the real challenge was actually getting out said hole and after four failed attempts I had managed escape thankfully the exit was just across the room. As I got closer a feeling of excitement started growing inside me and I wonder what lay beyond this pony-sized hole.
LEVEL UP!!!
FIGHT THE POWER (1): You've always fought for the little pony and now it paying off you now deal 25% more damage to the gangs and raiders of the wasteland and take 10% less damage from all factions.
POWER OF MA CUTIE-MARK(1): Your cutie-mark ain't just for show your S.A.T criticals now do RICOCHET damaging other enemies as well.
I don't want to set the world on fire... Just you, your friends and your camp.
"A smile will get you far in life. But a smile and a gun will get you farther."
Al Capone
It turns out the first thing outside the cave was a rotten corpse of a very unlucky pony and after heaving my stomach contents (which for some reason contains a lot of carrots) I forced myself to look at the body. Two things stood out the first being that he had been gutted with what I could only assume was an extremely sharp blade and the secondly was that he had been decapitated with a blunter knife and more concerning was that it seemed to have been done very recently. As I finished my inspection a voice caused me to drop onto the floor as my double crawled up to the edge of the rock to investigate meanwhile I checked the body for supplies or a weapon. Unfortunately the only thing that was of any use was the pocket-belt which I was going to keep given my lack of saddlebags it would be my only means to carry supplies. Thankfully the blood had long since dried leaving a dark crimson colour to the belt and there wasn't any foul smell so I slid the belt on and continued my search after a minute or so I found a small switchblade lodged into... A sensitive stallion area. As I turned my double returned looking both scared and mentally scarred. "W-we got a problem there's some kind of slavery camp down there and its pretty big... And I know what happened to his head." he raised a hoof pointing to a small slope leading down to the camp.
With switchblade at the ready I crept as low as possible towards the camp... And immediately wished I hadn't turns out double had found a 'guard' (and I use that term in the LOOSEST possible term) having adult fun time with the prior mentioned head and enjoying himself so much he hadn't realised I was there until my switchblade had thoroughly ended it and I had pulled him back up the hill with the head in tow. I decided to give my deceased new friend a search and thank Celestia he had supplies on him. As I looked over my pickings and made a mental list he had several bobby pins which I slid on to my belt and a screwdriver that I put into the closest pocket (growing up in Sub-City I'd learned the fine art of lock-picking at a young age) two heal potions which I stored in opposite pockets and finally a length of small steel cable, just enough to keep another 'guard' quiet if the need arises. Sneaking back into the camp I spotted several ponies walking into a large tent in the upper part of the camp. Nopony had seemed to notice the guard missing fro his little outhouse post or didn't really care, which made spying into the tent alot easier.
Gathered on a long table sat a dozen green boxes with open lids and what had to be a least thirty grenades scattered about the table but one stood out in particular it looked like a giant egg and had a weird glow coming from it. "Come on they have prisoners this way." my double began leading me through the quietest part of the camp, we searched through some tents most only had bedrolls but one had a hoof-locker which was amazingly was unlocked. Inside was two notes and a small pouch I quickly read the first note.
Hi bro it's Mirror Shine.
Listen I don't trust this Griffin ya hangin' with she bad news I tell ya BAD NEWS listen come back ta the family ma's worries bout ya there's change comin' to the yard and ya can be apart of it just come home.
The second note contained sketches and calculations as well as reminders apparently this stallion was smart enough to get out of dodge with his mare-friend and forgot this pouch I slipped it tightly into a pocket my Pip-buck classified it was holding some sort of currency and after a moment though I pocketed the notes as well (no need for this to come back on him later). After a few close shaves we reached the building my double saw the prisoners in; I could hear voices inside. "GET THE FUCK OFF HER YOU FREAK!" Yelled a mare inside only to be responded with a laugh and disgusting snort.
"Oh don't worry sweetheart got plenty left for you too." I crept to the other side of the door and banged on it as I got the cable ready.
"OI!!! ARSEHOLE BOSS WANTS YA! NOOOOOW!!!" The door flung open.
"WHA- ARRGH." The stallion flailed his fore-legs around as the cable tightened around his neck meanwhile I dragged him back in by his tail. Suddenly he started rearing up on his hind-legs trying to force the cable from my magic, clenching the cable in my teeth I spun trying to knock him off balance; as we turned a hoof shot out of a cage striking the slaver in the groin causing his hooves to drop to his crutch as we hit the floor after a minute he stopped struggling and his body went limp and his head hit the floor with a soft thud. After catching my breath I finally looked around the room; in it were three cages and a desk with a moldy chair and little else. I turned to look at the cages one was occupied by a gagged griffin (which look just like the picture in the old books said) and the other by the mare responsible for the shot at the slaver, who was looking very smug at his corpse. After a quick search of the slaver's body I found a key which fit the locks and quickly unlocked her cage.
Which turned out to be a BIG mistake as she tackled me to the floor pinning me down. "WHAT THE FUCK!?!" I blurted fighting the pain in my head.
"The FUCK are you? Slavers don't free slaves." Moving her hind-leg over my stallion-hood with a wicked smile; quickly I pushed her off with my magic.
"Do I LOOK like a fucking slaver!" I growled waving my Pip-buck at her before dropping my magic and moving on to the next cage. As I stepped closer I started noticing more about the griffin like the odd crimson body and blackening head feathers and the large scar down it's chest resembling a lightning bolt. After a few minutes and resorting to my switchblade I finally managed to cut the gag free I was caught off guard by a surprisingly feminine voice.
"Thank you that pig has no idea how to treat a girl... Erm could you?" She nodded to her bound legs and wings with a smile. Finally freed of her imprisonment she jumped and scooped me up into a crushing hug. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Oh we are gonna be besties for life..." She looked down and realised she was suffocating me and quickly let go. Finally with everyone freed I started searching the room starting with the desk; I quickly pulled out draws searching for anything which would help and in the first was a dusty mouth held double barrel shotgun and a grand total of eight shell not counting the two already loaded, setting it on the desk I saw the other mare much clearer now my valuables weren't at risk she was a copper earth pony with a pink mane and tail with cracked skull as her cutie-mark. The next draw contained a somewhat rusted revolver and a box of ammo to match the last draw however had a two lone grenades in it (huh looks kinda like a metal apple) I decided to pocket those for later. With little else here I decided to give the weapons to the others.
"Here erm..." It took them a minute to realise none of us had introduced ourselves the griffin was the first.
"Oh I'm Sparrow Hawk but Hawks fine." She turned expectantly to the mare, who looked like she wasn't going to say anything but caved with a sigh.
"Its Buster but don't bother learning it, I ain't stay around once that bitch Fang's dead." Hawk didn't seem too pleased by that comment.
"Ricochet... Firstly no shooting each other cause there about twenty assholes up that hill and we're gonna need those bullets. Secondly you two stay here I'LL kill the bos-".
"WHAT!!"
"WHAT!!"
They shouted in unison before remembering where we were.
"I'm going to do it because YOU..." I said pointing a hoof at Buster "don't think before you act and will get us all killed and Hawk is injured." Now pointing at Hawk's wing, which had a least a dozen feathers ripped out and was covered in burn marks. Buster didn't say anything instead started ripping the slaver's shirt and wrapping Hawk's wing.
"Fine just make it quick... She's family... Blue tent just over a bit." Hawk sighed and with that I snuck back outside.
Outside fortunately hadn't changed with the exception of more noise coming from the large tent's direction. So sticking as close to the shadows I made my way to the blue tent, which thank the goddesses was surrounded by rock large enough to give cover from any direction, drawing near a loud shrieking voice pierced the night quiet. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEIR GONE!!!" Diving amongst the rocks silhouettes appeared on the wall.
"T-they disappeared boss nopony know when or where, their tents been cleaned out there's no clues or anything." Said the smaller pony shape silhouette while a little round shape seemed to fly up from the other.
"WELL GET HUNTER AND FIND THEM... STOP FUCKING WITH THAT GRENADE OR I'LL SHOVE IT SO FAR UP YOUR ASS!!!" Roared the much larger shadow as the others disappeared.
Spotting a small hole in the tent wall I inched up to it to spy in the tent. A quick glance inside showed my target a massive griffin, almost identical to Hawk but a white body, slamming a black handgun on a table next to a ammo box. "Fuckin' cunt he's gonna get us all killed." The grumbling voices made me dive back into cover. The ponies didn't seem to notice me and I quickly readied my switchblade only to realise they were wearing nearly full armour (although it was it very crappy) however all the crappy patchwork armour in Equestria wouldn't stop a grenade at point blank. A smile crossed my face when I spotted the grenade belt and with a small tug of my magic the night lit up and moments later all that was left was a bloody mess.
Immediately Fang rushed over to the mess and thank Celesstia without the gun; quickly cutting the tent open I turned and brought S.A.Ts up just as Fang had spotted me time returned to normal and the switchblade flew towards her plunging deep into her throat and she fell without a sound. Dashing through the tent and grabbing the gun and ammo box I emerged from the other side to the sound of a guard.
"BOSS!!!" Spinning around I aim the gun and fired two shot at him; his head jerked back and he fell to the side as one of my grenade arched into the tent behind him with a heavy clank and in a instant I was thrown backwards by a world shattering blast (well if THAT didn't kill them nothing will... Discord shits balefire, those eggs are cool). As I staggered back onto my hooves the world was a ringing blur, distorted crys whipsered through the noise fortunately my sight cleared enough to see Hawk running towards me. That moment of relief was short lived as red blips appeared on my E.F.S (Eyes Forward Sparkle) and after straining my eyes I spotted them, two mares running with mouth guns desperately I grabbed my gun while pushing Hawk down; I fired off a volley of shots at the two slavers one dived towards the prison as her companion toppled over. The wall of the prison exploded showering slaver's head with splinters as she went limb on the floor.
As the ringing finally faded in time to catch Hawk whistle. "DAAYYUMNN! Fucking wrecked, you know when I said make it quick I didn't mean that quick." I turned to see her smiling with her head slightly cocked.
"All I said was pull my hoof." I joked watching her fall back in a laughing fit. My mood however took a downwards nosedive when I felt the barrels from a shotgun pressed into my skull and the click as a hammer locked back; All I heard was a pained whimper as the gun clattered on the ground. When I turned I was surprised by the sight, Buster lay on her back eyes staring at Hawk in disbelief as blood pouring out of her throat from three deep cuts through it, nearly decapitating the mare and above stood Hawk blood dripping from her talons with a look of rage too deep and far too powerful to simply be anger or hate, no this was something borderline demonic. The bloody claw clenched and began driving itself into the mare's face over and over until the face couldn't even pretend to have once been Buster; there was a cruel irony in her cracked skull cutie-mark. Hawk stood there for awhile in her own little world, just her and the corpse and it was a world I had no right to intrude upon.
Instead I searched what had been left of the camp which unsurprisingly was very little but nevertheless using the hoof-locker as a carrying box I when through any intact boxes or bodies and decided to give the centre of my massacre a wide berth. There wasn't much left in the way of weapons or ammo, (thank Celestia they kept the food separate) however one thing struck me as odd everybody and and most of the boxes had bottle-caps sometimes a hoof-full sometimes fifty or seventy, so on a whim I collected them with everything else.
Finally I returned to see Hawk had moved away from the body and had only just noticed I had actually moved; Spotting the redness of her eyes I pulled a Sparkle-Cola from the locker and passed it to her without a word. "Your probably wondering what that was about, right?" She asked taking a drink of the cola before looking expectantly at me.
"Nope..." Her look shifted to one of confusion.
"Nope that it!?!" I sat down setting the locker beside me.
"Hawk I've been out here... 5 minutes and already committed mass murder... I don't know much about the world out here", I waved a hoof around me, "but I know a thing or two bout the world in here", this time tapping my chest, "and there's two things I know are the same for both and that's 1. This is an ugly world and inside us there ugly things, emotions and parts we'd like to pretend don't exist like we hold no evil within our hearts but we have no right to judge other for their evils till we truly know our own. 2. What I saw wasn't evil or madness... It was pain, beyond a physical wound, a pain I couldn't even pretend to understand but It's also a pain I think will heal with time... And ONLY when you feel you can talk about it will it need to be brought up." I gave a comforting smile as she gave a relieved sigh and I decided to change the topic "Sooo... What's with the bottle-caps? I found a fuck load while I was picking through the place." She cocked her head slightly.
"We use it as money duh, it been like that since like forever." Quickly checking the small pouch my Pip-buck had marked as holding money confirmed this as well (what does it say when a two hundred year old piece of tech is more clued in on surviving on the surface then you are? I mean it does make sense practically; I mean they are small, light-weight and make by the MEGA-load so fuck it why not).
"Oh well I got ermm... Two thousand or so from a sack in a tent with a bunch of shackles." Pointing at a plump sack resting at the end of the locker, noting the perk up in Hawk's mood.
"T-t-wo th-th-thousand!!!" She started licking her beak, which made me start laughing.
"Well we need some saddlebags if we're gonna split this lot up." In a flash Hawk dove into Fang's tent and returned rummaging through a duffle-bag; After a a moment she triumphantly pulled a dark brown saddlebag. After we split everything between us only one question remained. "So which direction we headed then?" Hawk paused staring into the cloudy Sky.
"Wellll... I did see a small town an hour or two to the east when I flew over oooooorrrr... Its a month or more to New Appleloosa so I say... East." As we began to walk out the camp I face-hoofed so hard it could have drawn blood; grabbing one of my two health potions I passed it to Hawk for her wing and watched as all of the feathers grew back and the burn marks slowly faded back to red and with that we set off to begin (sort of) our GRAND ADVENTURE.
(Dear princess Celestia or who ever it is fucking me over at every turn, today I learned a valuable lesson NEVER GET DIRECTIONS from a FUCKING GRIFFIN!!!) apparently Hawks hour or two only applied to airb travel not walking so after working out the sheer difference in time we came to the safe conclusion that it would be nightfall before we'd reach it and with our only companion being silence I had started asking about particularly dangerous things in the wasteland which was rather large list though the three that had me worried in particular was the Steel Rangers, Unity and Hellhounds which had all been appropriately classed as psycho cults with equally concerning 'fetishes' as Hawk described them 'Rangers had extreme tech boners to the degree that they would and easily could obliterate whole towns for a single water talisman. Unity had an army for Alicorns (FUCKING ALICORNS!!) who enslaved and assimilated anypony unlucky enough not to die and Hellhound's were damn near 'UN-FUCKING-KILLABLE' and these were just the top three. Eventually we just ended up talking about random little things and the such until a gunshot rang out from over the hill in front of us but strangely neither of us ducked of ran instead we both charged the hill weapons drawn and didn't stop till we reached to top.
A choir of bangs sang out as a battle raged on below us as couple of wagons were being attacked by a group of raiders and from up here it was a battle the wagons were losing. "Hawk we need to help them, don't suppose you have a rifle or something in that duffle-bag?" She nodded pulling a scoped hunting rifle out followed by a bunch of ammo clips I grabbed them and laid flat, picking through potential targets.
"You snipe I'll break them from cover." She said and with a burst of unreal power launched herself upwards and so we threw our hats into the ring. Shifting through targets I settled on a unicorn mare wearing a grenades around her waist with one in her hoof and with a pull of the trigger the rifle kicked with a roar.
BOOM
Looking down the scope time seemed to slow as I watched the mares head explode as the bullet punched through her skull. Others began to realise what was happening but not before I fired another round at a behemoth of a earth pony stallion, packing a evil looking flamethrower on a battle saddle, stood just across from the dead mare however this wasn't aimed for his head; There was a single spark from a tank on his back before he burst into flames distracting the others enough, the ground shot puffs of dirt into the air around me causing me to reconsider my location and rush down the hill for a old sky-wagon wreckage. The rifle fired over and over each time responded with a few rounds inkind but as I drew near to cover a sharp pain tore through my hind-leg and sent my tumbling behind the wreck, just managing to avoid some extra ones as well.
Desperately fighting through the pain I pulled the handgun out (one day I'll have to learn what kind of gun this is.) a raider jumped around the corner only to be greeted the twined roar of my guns leaving everything from the chest up a chunky mess. At this point the raiders gunfire had dropped down to about half of it's original number but judging from all the pinging coming from the sky-wagon they were all aiming me and there was no sign of my supposed back up and apparently the wagons had decided to stop shooting; Just me the raiders and the bullet lodged in my flank (Ohhh... Yeah that.) and with that remembrance came a wagon load of pain. Desperately shuffling to the middle of the cover I floated both guns over the top and fired blindly; Not to actually hit the raiders but simply to distract them for a moment as I began the painful process of extracting the bullet from my flank, a process which was finished rather abruptly when both guns started trying to click the raiders to death and in a panic I rip the bullet out through flesh instead of its entry point unfortunately for the raiders I still had a health potion one I wasted no time in devouring and in moments the flesh mended and any trace of the wound was gone.
I had just finished reloading when a piercing screech silenced the battlefield, the raiders had even stopped using EVERY curse under Luna's blue moon, as I (and probably everypony else) turned to the source of the screech and to my surprise it was Hawk along with a dozen ponies all with rifles and all aimed at the remaining raiders (eyup... Those SEVEN raiders left don't stand a chance) turning to see the raiders left was quite a surprise in spite of the obvious way this was going to end they turned to face the new attack head on and without the slightest trace of fear or hesitation and as the click of firing hammers echoed over the silent plains every raider wore a smile charging to a bloody and cold end.
BOOM
As I walked out from the wagon I saw that every raider was wearing that same smile. "Fighters to the bloody end." A weary movement caught my eye and as I drew near I realised that a raider was still clutching to hope still struggling for their life, it was a unicorn young mare maybe a year younger than myself, three bullet wounds bloodied her pink coat with crimson pools and dirt began to devour her mane. Finally our eyes met and she began to cry.
"P-pl-ease don't ki-ki-" she began coughing as blood crept from her mouth "Mo-mma i-i'm so-rry I'm so sorr-" she began coughing more violently this and I found myself looking at the one thing I didn't think would happen after the camp I was frozen and I couldn't pull the trigger. Sitting the guns in my belt I looked at wagons all the ponies were treating their own or praising Hawk; I quickly searched the other raiders and thankfully found a health potion. Like a ninja I moved the mare behind the wagon opened the potion and feed it to her (thank the goddesses those were through and through wound) slowly her breathing steadied and the hole mended but this didn't solve the problem, I look at the mare.
"Ok stay low till they leave and you shou-" I was interrupted when she wrapped her hooves around me and locked us in a intense kiss which seemed endless (Aaand I'm not gonna lie it was a amazing kiss... WHAT don't hate the stallion for being a stallion) finally she broke away, hope burning in her eye like balefire.
"Thank you stranger a thousand times thank you! I am indebted to you forever..." (Okay there is so many many MANY things wrong here and I don't even know where to start!!!) I quickly backpedaled.
"What the hell are you talking about? Wait I really don't care! You stay here until those ponies leave and go a different or they will shoot you again." The mare pouted and turned away as I walked away from her and started searching the other raiders bodies for supplies. The walk to the wagons was one of frustrated defeat tge only thing those raiders had worth taking was a single Sparkle-Cola (19 bloody raiders and all they had was a FUCKING cola not even bottle caps just a single Sparkle-cola I couldn't even find that grenade belt) my little tantrum was interrupted however when Hawk landed inches from my face.
"Sooo.... Anything good over here?" I responded with a moody look then answered.
"19 Raiders and EVERYTHING is bucked. Weapons rusted or smashed beyond repair. Armour non-existent and their sad excuse for saddlebags are filled with CUPS all of them with FUCKING CUPS!!!" I passed the only prize from my search.
"Oh but what about that cutie you dragged behind the wreckage? The one who's spying on you like a filly with a crush", (so maybe not like a ninja) a smug smile covered her face, "hey I get it, you saw a cutie and wanted to play hero... Though raider might have been a bad choice." With her smugness reaching unbearable I quickly tried retorting.
"Oh you mean like you did with those wagon 'you snipe I'll break them from cover' that was the plan right? Cause the 9mm round I pulled out of my ass seems to disagree." the smug smile instantly disappeared from her face.
"Hey that's not fair!!! They had ponies dying I had to help them! And at least these ponies won't shoot you."
*CLICK*
"Sooo... Do you want a sarcastic comment now or later" I looked at Hawk not actually expecting a reply but to simply stop the stallion in front of me jabbing me in the nose with his rifle a second time.
"Hey! Ah said geet we don't want yer kind near us!" Just as Hawk was about ask what he meant a voice shouted over the crowd now watching the earth pony hold me at gunpoint.
"DUSTY RACK!!!" SMACK a purple unicorn mare charged from the crowd and began beating the stallion with a rolling pin "YOU. SMACK DIRTY. SMACK STINKING. SMACK PERVERTED. SMACK ASSHOLE!!!" The mare assault continued uninterrupted as every mare in the group shot accusing glares at the stallions "First! You drag us to Celestia know where. Second! You start hitting on a girl with YOUR WIFE NEARBY! Third! You point that piece of crap at the pony whose the reason we're ALIVE!!!" Suddenly the mare stopped beating the now whimpering stallion and with a flip of a switch her entire demeanour changed as she turned to face us. The mare gave an quick glare to Hawk before smiling at me.
"Sooo we aren't getting shot then?" It was about all my brain could produce given what I had just watched.
"At least not again today?" Snickered Hawk only to be glared at again.
"Well ah can't make any promises about YOU... But this fella 'ill be just fine" she turned smiling at me "name's Lavender Blossom real pleased to meet ya." Trying to ignore the glare burning into the back of my head from thirty metres away I smiled.
"Ricochet Storm and the pleasure is all mine." Unfortunately this triggered the stallion off again.
"HEY STAY AWAY FROM MA WIFE YOU CURS-THWACK AAAAAH MARE WHAT IN TARNATI-THWACK" Blossom kept whacking the stallion without even breaking from our conversation until eventually the stallion ran away hiding in one of the wagons.
"Now how bout we get you introduced this here's Apple Sauce, Apple Pie, Apple Fritter, Apple Juice, Apple Slice, Candy Apple, Zap Apple..." This carried on for nearly an hour (SOOO many apples... And that was just the mares (apparently all sisters)) thankfully they had rewarded my with fresh ammo and invited to stay the night with them. Later that night once everypony (and Griffin) had gone to sleep; I simply laid staring at the lightless night sky trying to enjoy this momentary peace but importantly trying to figure out my future unfortunately this proved easier said than done; Eventually giving up entirely I decided to go for a stroll through the camp since I couldn't get to sleep.
Passing through the camp everything seemed from another world; All the wagons seemed abandoned all the carving and details lost in the darkness, the tents showed not even the slightest hint of life I would've mistaken the entire camp for being abandoned if it wasn't for my E.F.S being covered with white dots but something seemed odd; A single green dot was moving across the camp to a white dot and after a few seconds the white dot dropped out whilst the green continued repeating the cycle as more white dots started dropping off I drew my handgun and began chasing it. As I rounded a wagon I spotted who was the owner of the green dot and began mentally face-hoofing myself; I slowly crept closer and levelled gun to her head before I spoke. "WHAT the FUCK are doing you here? I TOLD to leave the OTHER way." The pink mare jumped cursing under her breath before realising it was me and immediately relaxed (which wasn't what was supposed to happen).
"Oh it's just you..." She began to turn back to whatever she was doing *CLICK* that drew the mare's attention back to the rather pissed off stallion who just asked her a question (a.k.a me).
"Let's try this again... Give me one GOOD reason why I SHOULDN'T paint those wagons a chunky shade of red?" I still had my gun aimed on her head as she slowly looked me up and down.
"They've got kidnapped foals in one of the wagons" She whispered now giving me her full attention (that IS a good reason... If she's telling the truth) "they should be in the end wagon." She raised a hoof to one wagon which I hadn't noticed when the camp was being made; Unlike the other wagons this one's it had wooden planks fixed up the sides with padlocked doors on the only ways in or out and a extremely armoured guard carrying a nasty looking sniper rifle (if I ever needed something suspicious... That will do it) a notice appeared in my view (see this nifty chunk pre-war wonder has the delightful trick of displaying new 'tasks' were assigned like searching for missing colts or stolen drugs into our eyesight without any inconveniences beyond a little eye ache).
A WAGON RIDE TO FREEDOM.
•Investigate suspicious wagon for signs of slaves.
•(optional) Turn in the intruder to Lavender Blossom.
•(optional) Ask Hawk for help.
It wasn't much in the way of options but it was all I had really. "Okay we'll go check it out.... WITHOUT killing anypony" we began sneaking around some connected wagons which would take straight into the guards blind-spot "sooo... Why exactly do you care about enslaved foals? I mean raiders aren't known for being anything other than... Well monsters no offence." I asked while trying to stay as quiet as possible.
"Hey we aren't raiders we were A GANG... Even if we weren't, the worst I am is a delinquent... Besides some pony hired us to rescue and for 1500 caps... And a sack full of chems" she avoided eye contact with that last bit, her voice drenched with shame, "T-toaster agreed for the chem... The rest didn't care as for me I-i-i...." She started tearing up as the words failed to form "NO, I'm not going there, they need to be saved now that's all that matters now if you please." She pointed to the locked door followed by an expectant stare.
"Fine... Keep watch while I pick this lazy bitch." I grumbled as I began the delicate process of picking the lock. After a few abandoned attempts for the sake of keeping in stealth and a broken bobby pin the lock submitted with a soft click. After taking a moment to make sure the guard was watching I slipped inside; Gently closing the door behind me I turned and was greeted by a pair of terrified eyes shining in the pitch black of the wagon, I quickly switched on my Pip-buck's light to illuminate inside. The owner of those eyes turned out to be a small brown colt in cage, a colt surrounded by at least ten foals who were starting to awaken. "Shush it's okay I'm gonna get you all out of here... Just stay low." Just as I turned to leave a tapping drew my attention back to the cage; The brown colt was tapping a hoof on a plank on the floor while looking between me and the plank, after a few more taps my curiosity got the better of me and I moved over to tge plank, slowly I pressed down on it and noticed it was loose and offered little resistance against my magic and yielded an anarchist wet dream. Inside the hidden compartment was an small crate crammed full of TNT with seven other grenades, long white ones with a yellow band, I looked to the colt with a smile and he smiled right back and after clipping the strange ones on to my belt I made my way back outside.
Once outside I discovered the mare had wondered off at some point and was now staring down the business end of the guards rifle; With and aggravated sigh I wrapped around the guard's head with my magic and with a wet crunch he fell dead without more than a dry thud, I quickly trotted over to the mare. "You okay?" I asked giving a quick glance around to be sure it was clear. She didn't answer instead she just nodded staring at the dead guard; I simply turned around and made my way back to Hawk, nothing had changed in the camp Hawk was still sleeping. I crept over to the sleeping griffin and whispered in her ear "Hawk... Hawk there's a sack of caps about roll off the cliff quick stop it." Immediately Hawk jumped to her hoofs (...erm talons... Oh buck it, it's feet there sorted) and spun around like a filly on a sugar rush immediately followed by a scowl upon the realisation of what had happened.
"Why did you wake me up at fuck knows when?" She groaned, rubbing her eyes with a talon.
"Because we have a not so tiny problem... Remember that two thousand caps from the slaver camp the ones I said were next to a bunch of shackles, I know what they were for... A wagons worth of foals" her look changed into one of growing rage as the pieces started to click in place "so I plan to go and take it and waste any fucker who tries to stop me; But I need your help pulling it givin' you got the stronger can you pull it?" Wite a disappointed sigh she nodded and grabbed her duffle-bag and we made our way back to the wagon.
"So what's the deal those grenades they are like normal ones?" One of Hawk eyes scanned the grenades meanwhile I remembered the most basic of the features on my Pip-buck and lifted my Pip-buck leg, flicked it to the inventory menu.
"Oh WOW!!" Hawk looked at me with a curious sparkle in her eye "oh right you can't see the screen... What we have here is a Incendiary grenade" Hawk gave me a blank stare "they are FIRE GRENADES and we have seven of 'em so I have a fun idea on how to give us an edge." After a minute we reached the wagon and the mystery mare was stood there stomping a hoof impatiently I also noticed that she had touched the guard's body while I was gone or his rifle.
As I walked over to the body Hawk and the stranger glared at each other; I looked over the guard's armour it was a collection of different kinds of armour ranging from a leg guards made form rusty scrap and old tin cans shaped around the guards hind-legs and glued together to a beat up chest plate which judging from all the dents and scratches hadn't seen any repairs since the great war and was made for a pony the size of it's current wearer, sadly the only useful piece was a leather fore-leg breacer (which thankfully was adjustable to fit my left fore-leg, fortunately my right was guarded by my near invincible Pip-buck) as I looked of the freshly equipped bracer it was easy to see that whoever had made this had clearly put a tremendous effort into it all of the stitching was flawless, there was two kinds of leather (a softer one on the inside to prevent mobility restriction and harder patches on the outside which looked hard enough to stop knifes and even small caliber firearms) but the most note part was a black patch with a shield with a heart and halo engraved into it which looked more like it was a cutie-mark than some kind of brand logo but it also looked nothing like it previous owner's mark (which is a whiskey bottle incase you were wondering).
I bag the chest plate, it was banged up but somepony would pay for it; I aslo took his cap but that was more for the fact I needed a hat. Next I gave the rifle an inspection and it was strange to say the least; The trigger unlike my weapons or any weapon I had ever seen in my life in Stable 31(which admittedly was a very short selection, mostly 10mm's or the occasional jury-rigged rifle) it was a drop down trigger bit which had a slot that sat just behind the scope, it had two different ammo clip one which held 5.56 rounds (which was fairly normal) but the second held some kind of shotgun rounds and had a gem stone instead of a trigger (which wasn't normal, it even had a separate barrel) in addition to the list of strange designs put on gun was a strange folding bar attached to the body of the rifle instead of a butt which seem to clip on a belt (though it didn't seem like it mattered about which kind as it is currently clipped on to a piece of electrical cord tied around the guard's waist).
It seemed a lot like a battle saddle but with a simpler design to it and finally was the guns body it self, it seemed to have a white and black striped design to it though somepony had coloured the white with more black (poorly judging from all the white showing through) so it was now black with a lighter shade of black striped, in the end however I took it as well, (it never hurts to have an extra gun right?) after clipping it to my own belt and figuring out how 'draw and holster' the rifle (which was actually a small button on the side). I finally started searching his saddlebags which held very little in the way of supplies beyond a small ammo box with a note sat beside it.
Note to buyer.(that's you dumb fuck)
This is a rifle and battle saddle from Mareran back during great war so it's gonna be different from that crap ya were running round with most of all will that secondary weapon bit now it ain't got no trigger so ta get it ta fire ya gotta call out SWITCH GUN its not that complicated and the crystal will do the rest.
P.S DON'T FORGET TA CALL OUT SWITCH GUN TA GO BACK TO MAIN!!!
Part of me was curious so I whispered it as opposed to shouting. "Switch gun." Several soft clicks emitted from the gun and then a voice came out of nowhere matching my whisper with its own.
"Command complete shotgun armed, cryo slugs primed and ready for use." I stared in marvel at the gun and (if these slugs were the kind of 'cryo' I think they are then this just got so much cooler... Oh goddess not the puns) .
After loading the ammo in to my saddlebags it took me nearly five minutes to get bitch A (Hawk) and bitch B (the non-raider mare) to cooperate if only for the sake of the foal we were trying to rescue; Then it only took us a few minutes to ready the wagon, mostly unscrewing the back doors and re-screwing them so that they would give us cover and still leave the foals protected, as what little supplies we did have were loaded I was getting part a of my 'plan' ready when I heard the hard click of a rifle behind me. "Ah really wished ya hadn't done that Ricochet now I got to kill you which is a waste of good stallion..." I turned around slowly to face Lavender Blossom levitating a hunting rifle in front of her; She had a dead look in her eyes and seemed unfazed by the grenades now floating between us "what gives you the right to do this? I welcomed you gqve you food and ammo and this is what I get in return my ponies killed my livelihood stolen fro-."
"Are you FUCKING kidding me you are going a morality lecture GO FUCK YOURSELF you bitch!" I growled trying to find a opening in what seemed like a flawless guard.
"And what you think you can burn all the world's problem set all the bad ponies on fire and everything will be sunshine and rainbows, well guess you can't set the whole world on fire." The rifle started to waver and a opening appeared.
"Well it's a good thing I don't want to set the world on fire... Just you, your friends and your camp... But I'll settle for FREEZE instead." I squeezed the bit on my new rifle with my magic and the heavy kick shook my whole body as a burst of blue flame erupted from the lower barrel with a roar and a spray of tiny crystals hurled towards Lavender Blossom with a icey vapor trail followed in their wake; As the crystals pierce Lavender's body, she rapidly started freezing up and within seconds became completely frozen with a look of terror on her face when suddenly she shattered leaving nothing behind but a scattered blue dust and a rifle in the aftermath.
In a flash the camp was in uproar as ponies scrambled to figure out what was going on; As time slowed I could see their faces the anger, the fear, the confusion each face flowing with so much emotion I could feel them but I couldn't feel anything from myself but a cold numbness; I felt it when I targeted three of the dozens of clusters, I felt it when the grenades flew through the air and I felt it when I saw ponies screaming through the fire as they flailed helplessly and deep in my gut I felt something I shouldn't... Pride.
Shots fired pass as I rushed back to the wagon I nodded to Hawk, who started running with surprising speed, as I jumped on to the wagon and ducked in behind the makeshift cover as we rounded the corner I started shooting at the guards who chased after us; After getting a feel for the kick of the assault rifle my shots fell into rhythmic patterns while still being able to balance despite Hawk's unpredictable swerving. Eventually our pursuers eventually start falling behind us as Hawk's speed increase until they were all gone; As I put a fresh ammo clip in my new rifle I let out a sigh of relief as I turned to check on the foals and spotted the newest edition to our group was cowering behind their cage and with that it became a sigh of embarrassment.
"OH SHHIIIIIT!!! LOOK OUT!!!" Hawk's voice pierced the night before wagon screeched to a halt throwing me off the cage (Oh this had better be goood...).
LEVEL UP!!!
NEW PERKS UNLOCKED!!!
STAND OFF STALLION: your the high-noon stallion (even if it night) now you can start a stand off giving you unique dialogue options when you hold your gun on an opponent. +1 charisma(temp) hen using Handguns and +2 charisma(temp) when using rifles or shotguns.
AIN'T NO I IN TEAM(1): You can do anything when you do it with a friend! Each companion gives you a bonus in their special stats.
