Fallout: Equestria - Blood and Flowers

CHAPTER FOUR

Over the course of the week, Violet learned how to use the PipBuck. Despite being such a technological achievement, it was quite simple to use.

“Hey, Bloodshot,” Violet addressed her fiance as she played around with the PipBuck on the couch. “When are you going to teach me to protect myself?”

Bloodshot, who had been sorting through his findings of the morning, looked up at Violet. “Huh?”

“You know -- when are you gonna teach me defense. I mean, you’re not always around.”

“But it’s not like you’re going to be in danger…”

Violet sighed. ”What if I need to protect myself? What if some Raiders manage to break into New Appleloosa? What if someone in this town suddenly becomes hostile? What if I actually go outside one day? I can’t always just use magic because I’m not even that good at using my own powers,” she reasoned.

Bloodshots’ examined Violet, traveling up and down her body. She was indeed small and skinny, definitely not fit for a fight or any physical confrontation. “Eh, sure. Why not?” He picked himself up. “For now, seen as you’re not too fit -- which I’ll help you physically train later -- I’ll teach you how to use guns and knives.” Bloodshot had Violet stand as far as she could from the far side of the train car. On the far side -- opposite of where Violet was -- he set up three empty soda cans that he had gathered from the outside as metal to be melted down. Pulling out a pistol from his jacket’s side-pocket (which he had purchased from Ditzy Doo’s Absolutely Everything ‘general’ store), Bloodshot walked over and gave the weapon to Violet.

“I guess it’ll be easier for you to aim compared to me since you can levitate the gun,” he explained. “Make sure the pistol is lined up to your eye-level. Use your dominant eye to aim. See these marks?” He pointed at three small tabs sticking out from the top. “When you line them up, your target should be right above the middle mark and between the two outer ones. That’s when you pull the trigger. Try it. Your targets are the cans.”

Violet nodded and squinted, doing as she was instructed, and used her magic to pull the trigger.

BANG!

The middle can flew backwards, hitting the train car’s wall. Violet smiled in glee, observing that the bullet had hit its target on her first try.

BANG! BANG!

The echoes of the bullets’ releases bounced back and forth between the metal walls. Both of the shots had taken out the remaining cans. None of the bullets were wasted.

“Damn. Right off the bat,” Bloodshot exclaimed in surprise. It was definitely better than his first time using a gun. “Well, you already have that down, and I guess you can just use your magic to levitate throwing knives anyways.” Violet lifted her head triumphantly, a large, proud smile on her face. “Buuuut,” Bloodshot began, “you still have to learn physical combat.”

Still, the smiled didn’t fade. “I’ll learn in time.”

A flash of light caught Bloodshot’s eye. “Oh, and, Violet?”

“Yep? What is it?”

“Check your flank.”

Violet turned her head to glance at her flank. And there it was -- her cutie mark -- a silver dagger wrapped loosely in a ribbon of light purple lace. She squealed in excitement and started jumping around the room. “O-M-C! I got my cutie mark! I finally, finally got my cutie mark!” Violet kissed Bloodshot briefly before continuing her celebration. “Thank Luna! After all these years!”

Bloodshot, too, was happy for Violet, but something else kept him from congratulating her with all his heart. Something that he knew all too well.

The fact being that her talent meant fighting…

… and that her destiny…

… included death.

** *** * *** **

The following morning, Bloodshot left both the bed and Violet’s side for another lonely adventure.

Or so he thought.

As he started packing his supplies, a sleepy voice called out to him. “Can I go with you for once?” He turned round to see a bedhead Violet Lace, rubbing her eyes lightly and sitting up in bed. “My talent is defense. I have a PipBuck. You have more than enough weapons for one,” she added. “And I can carry my own supplies.”

“No. You should stay in New Applelo-”

Violet wrinkled her muzzle and got out of bed. “Bloodshot… I’ve been stuck inside these walls for the past three years. And yeah, I know. You care about me and want to protect me, but please, I also need some freedom. New Appleloosa is an amazing place, but there’s more to the world than just a small settlement in the middle of nowhere.”

“But-”

“Please,” Violet interrupted. “I don’t want to just be a burden on you anymore. I want to help.” Her eyes were pleading, set on reaching her goal.

Bloodshot though a moment, going back to the time when she asked him to teach her defense. “You were planning this all along, huh?”

Violet gave off a sheepish smile before nodding.

Bloodshot bit the side of his cheek before complying with a reluctant yes. In turn, the mare hugged him tightly. “Thank you,” she whispered.

** *** * *** **

While she had been outside of New Appleloosa before, within hours of Violet’s first real adventure (as all other travels prior to her release had been as a slave), the mare had already been fascinated by the alien look of rural ruins. While the surroundings they had come to were already familiar to Bloodshot, he had yet to scavenge the entirety of the area.

Violet took in the openness of the land, not only seeing it in Lilacs’ old pictures, but through reality. It was strange, seeing something new -- different from both Fillydelphia, the Cathedral and New Appleloosa.

Too interested in the environment around them, the couple never noticed the red points closing in on them, as shown on their PipBucks.

As Violet unwittingly wandered into an empty alleyway, someone grabbed her from behind. “Well, lookie here. Got ourselves a fair maiden,” a deep voice whispered in her ear, followed by the sickening chuckles of multiple ponies. Slavers -- obvious from the fact that they didn’t plan on killing unless she resisted. She felt the cold metal of a pistol barrel at her cheek, obviously hinting that any move she made would be seen, and if such a move was made, she’d be shot. She’d be killed. “Shouldn’t have strayed from your damned coltfriend, missy.”

Violet was yanked to turn around violently, forcing her to face the group of Slavers, only to see that Bloodshot had been surrounded and captured by the rogue ponies as well.

“Two new additions to the collection in the span of one minute!” A Slaver exclaimed.

“Hey, boss... That’s ta’ bastard who shot Crimson!” One of the male Slavers pointed out, looking at Bloodshot.

Shit, Bloodshot thought as his maroon eyes widened. So he had missed a Slaver -- a witness -- on that afternoon, three years ago? Big mistake...

“So you’re the piece of shit that’s been setting our merchandise free!” The leader growled aggressively, dropping his smug look. “Red-Eye has taken the loss of some of his prized possessions out on his own fucking allies,” he huffed aggressively before smiling sadistically and turning to face Violet. “And ‘cause of such, how about we hurt your own precious mare?”

The stallion swiftly pulled the engagement necklace from around her neck, breaking the black string and throwing the precious jewelry to the ground. Violet shut her eyes tightly and grit her teeth together as another Slaver slammed her entire body into a nearby building’s wall, emitting loud screams from the helpless mare.

“Don’t worry, miss!” The leader chuckled loudly, looking at Violet but taunting Bloodshot. “You won’t die! We still have to play with you more!”

“Shut up!” Bloodshot tried to lunge forward but was held back by a unicorn Slaver’s magic. “Stop it! Don’t you fucking touch her, Celestia damn it!” Violet coughed up blood as the Slaver continued to beat her down in an endless array of kicks and throws.

One kick.

Then two.

Three.

Four.

Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten blows to her body.

Definitely a few broken ribs.

“Aw, come on, kid!” Another Slaver began. “Aren’t you supposed to be the hero? You know, get the fillyfriend, happily ever after and all that crap?”

But no matter how much he thrashed around, Bloodshot couldn’t get out of the predicament. Two of the Slavers held down a struggling Bloodshot before a Slaver held a knife to his throat -- rendering Bloodshot still, yet gritting his teeth in anger. “Stop it. Hurt her one more time, and I’ll murder you all,” he threatened in a deep growl, a newfound darkness in his eyes.

The Slaver leader paid no mind to the threat and looked at Violet and her assaulter -- a move soon proving to be a foolish one. Never do you hurt the one a person loves. “Continue on,” he ordered.

Violet’s mane was pulled back, the Slaver soon bashing her head into the cement wall, and the last thing she heard before total darkness consumed her was the sound of her name.

“VIOLET!!!”