Fallout: Equestria - Blood and Flowers

CHAPTER FIVE

Besides having no Violet over for the morning, to which Lilac was expecting as she had been notified by a town guard, it was just a regular Saturday back in New Appleloosa for the pastel doctor. Lilac was up early in the morning for a quick trip to Ditzy Doo’s Absolutely Everything to restock on medical supplies, purchasing the usual amount of needed Radaways, gauze, herbs, ointments, drugs and such for another week.

While Lilac had never been much use to the townsfolk themselves, she had become well-off in New Appleloosan society for being paid to treat the everyday travelers that would pass by, although most of them would only need some medicine for cuts or burns here and there. The worst she had ever treated had been a broken leg, even if she had the skill of pre-war doctors, despite the fact that she didn’t have as much machinery or medicine as them.

So she was definitely surprised to have this happen.

Shouts and the stomping of hooves were heard outside her cottage door right before the multiple desperate knocks on her door. “Lilac! Open up! Please, you’ve got to open up,” pleaded a familiar, panting voice.

Lilac placed the medical supplies on the shelf above her bed before opening the door. “Alright, alright. What’s the ermergen-”

Bloodshot stood at the front door, his dull, rustic coat matted with dried blood, while carrying Violet Lace. The said unicorn was unconscious, her body bruised and partially swollen, and a large, crooked gash crossed her right eye, thought the cut wasn’t deep enough to slice through her eyelid. Many of the residents, too, had gathered around the small shack.

“Bloodshot! Violet! Oh mah Celestia! Get inside!” Lilac instructed.

Bloodshot crouched down next to Lilac’s bed. The unicorn doctor lifted Violet’s body and, as gently as possible, lay the badly injured mare onto the mattress and began to treat the visible wounds. “What happened?!” She questioned worriedly.

“Slavers. Slavers happened. A little more than a dozen. One of them recognized me from when I had saved Violet all those years ago… Damn it. It’s my fault Violet nearly died!” He accused himself, stomping on the floor angrily.

“Nah, Bloodshot... It wasn’t your fault. Besides, the deed was already done. Can’t go back now,” Lilac said in her soft accent, hoping to calm down the stallion as she continued to make the best out of her skills.

Bloodshot glared at the ground. “Look, just… W-will she be alright? How long will she be out?”

Lilac sighed at the quick change of topic but did nothing to go back to the previous one, as there was no use in doing so. “She’ll be fine, but how long she’ll be out depends on te’ way she passed out. The cut on her left eye…”

“One of the Slavers bashed her head into a wall. It wasn’t too hard, but she must’ve already been exhausted by the time the son of a bitch did so,” Bloodshot muttered quickly. “A severe, and I mean severe concussion.”

“Then, just a few hours at best ta’ about a month at worst.”

The door to the large shed was still open, and many residents had seen what was going on, starting from Bloodshot and Violet’s arrival at the settlement. The audience was confused, astounded, even, that Slavers -- most of whom had worked for Red-Eye -- had done this to such a sweet, kind mare. They had known nothing of Violet’s past.

“Slavers?!” A pony piped up within the crowd, their voice loud and clear over the mumbling of the group. “This settlement has never had any conflict with Slavers. Aren’t we on friendly terms with them?”

“Aye. But doesn’t mean they aren’t violent folk,” said another voice. “Kinda shaky, those ‘friendly’ terms.”

“If the former stable dweller is wanted by Slavers, we can’t have him stay here,” screamed someone else, referring to Bloodshot.

The ponies’ arguments grew louder, each voicing their own opinion on the matter and what to do. After all, what is logical, what is allowed and what is right are completely different things.

The doctor had enough and went outside for a moment. “Can ya’ll please move ta’ debate somewhere else?!” Lilac screamed louder than any of the others, frustrated. “I’m tryin’ to treat mah patient here!”

In a collection of mutters and half-finished retorts, to which Lilac responded to with a death glare, the arguing crowd left. Slamming the door and locking it to make sure that everyone else not involved in the immediate matter was shut out, Lilac continued on with her work. In less than an hour, Violet had been properly treated to the extent of Lilac’s skill.

“Bloodshot,” Lilac finally spoke after a few minutes of silence, “there’s blood on your coat.”

“It isn’t mine. It’s theirs. But a few of them escaped.”

Lilacs’ eyes widened. “Ya… Ya killed them? Y-you said there was more than a dozen!”

He looked to the side apathetically. “Yeah. I know.”

Bloodshot. Kind, caring, albeit rough-when-you-first-meet-him Bloodshot… Slaughtered a dozen ponies… In a single moment?

“I’m guessing you now consider me a monster, huh?” Bloodshot chuckled in a broken manner, interruption Lilacs’ thoughts.

“N-nah! That’s n-not -- Ah was just surprised! Tha’s all!” The doctor stuttered, forcing herself to smile for her friend.

Bloodshot sighed and stopped laughing, feeling his heart drop to his stomach. “Look, whoever the hell said that line was is right -- I’m endangering the town by being here. I need to leave New Appleloosa before someone else gets hurt.”

“But what abou’ Violet? She’s needs ya! She loves ya, Bloodshot… Doncha love her back…?”

“Exactly why I can’t put her in any more danger.” Lilac reached out to pat his back, but Bloodshot immediately flinched at her touch. “I can’t forgive Slavers. I can’t forgive anyone who will ever bring harm to those I care about. Especially anyone who hurts Violet,” he huffed, gathering his things. “I’ll come back when I find and kill that stallion. Don’t look for me. Take care of her, please,” Bloodshot requested of Lilac, but his tone sounded more like an order.

“Bloodshot, ya can’t just leave!” Lilac exclaimed, jumping to his side. “What if something happens and ah can’t tell ya?!”

“You’ll have to deal with it yourself. Look, I’m sorry that I’m not sorry. I have to do this. Goodbye, Lilac.” His gaze moved from the doctor to the mare on the bed. “Goodbye… Violet.”

For one last time, he kissed the purple mare on the lips and placed the special silver ring necklace, which he had fixed, back onto her neck.

So Bloodshot left New Appleloosa to find solace in revenge…

… And he wouldn’t return for five long years.

** *** * *** **

The world around her a never-ending void of nothingness.

It felt strange.

Like it was wrong.

Like it wasn’t supposed to be empty.

Like it was supposed to be filled and satisfied by something other than ‘nothing.’

But that thing that wasn’t nothing, but was meant to be something, just wasn’t a thing that existed here.

And nothing could be done about that.

So she continued to fall, having no sense of time or space in this mysterious, never-ending void of nothingness.

** *** * *** *

The mare’s eyes opened to see a small room, pictures posted on the walls and medical supplies displayed on a shelf above her. A pastel yellow unicorn with green highlights in her nearly-white hair noticed the mare wake up and hurried to the bedside with a large smile.

“Oh mah Celestia! Praise the goddesses!” The unicorn exclaimed happily. “Ya finally decided to wake up after these three tirin’ weeks.”

But the unicorn’s smile didn’t last for long.

“I’m sorry,” the mare replied. “But…”

“... Who are you? And where am I?”