Fallout Equestria: On Rust Red Shores

The sound of gunfire hit our ears long before we got to the top deck, the look of fear was on every pony we saw. Ponies rushed back and forth across the top deck, carrying supplies to where it was needed.

Optical met us almost as soon as we stepped out into the sunlight. “Prism, thanks for helping out the first line. Sorry we didn’t spot the snipers.”

“How did that happen when you had eyes from above?” We inquired as calmly as we could.

“Glare from the sun, camouflage, and them simply knowing this damned town far better than us.” She stopped to growl, gritting her teeth as she did. “Were trained for air to air combat, not spotting targets in siege warfare. Goes to show the brilliant Enclave strategy of hiding away from everything. Operation cauterize was always going to be a long term disaster, even without the cloud layer falling apart.”

We stomped our hoof on the ground as hard as we could, making the sergeant jump a little. “Then simply change strategies.” We took a deep breath, trying not to get ourself even more stressed out. “So what’s going wrong now?”

Optical took a moment to collect herself. “Shields, they have magical shields.” We can’t even hurt them, but they keep sticking their guns through it, and shooting back at us. At first I figured the shields would break after a few good shots, and when that didn’t happen, we figured that few explosives would fix the problem. But then those two green Alicorns showed up. Now we can’t even make a crack in it.”

“Shit” We should have known this would happen. “We could go down and try to take them out.”

She shook her head. “No, if anything, I bet they're expecting you to try that. Twice now they have countered our moves. You're more useful here, use your magic to throw any raider overboard.”

“Anything else?” We asked. Surely there must be more we could do to help.

“I have something you can do.” Mhambi trotted out onto the deck. “ Luckily the ship's radio was still in good condition, and I was able to get in contact with other members of Celestia Angels.

“Did they have anything useful to say, or something that can help us?” Optical said. “Perhaps some reinforcements?”

“I told them our situation and asked about dealing with an Alicorn threat. It seems that if anypony has a memory orb, it’s a good way to get them to drop their guard. Other than that, keep hitting them with high explosives, I guess?” We and Optical looked at each other, and shook our heads. “Thought so, this part of Equestria was not known for major conflict like the bigger cities were, so our options are limited. However, I have some good news. We put out a distress call, and an enclave squad out west of here responded. They main concern was that there were enclave’s civilians and soldiers in need of help, and they seemed almost too excited about helping us. I don’t know how long it will take them to get here, but there are coming by vertibuck.”

“The energy cannon on a Vertibuck should be enough to break the bitch’s shields, so long as they get here in time that is.” Optical gave out a deep sigh of relief. “Anything else?”

Mhambi nodded. “I got a message to the Road Sign Gang, but it will take them at least a half a day’s travel to get here, and a whole day’s travel to bring enough ponies and weapons to do any real damage. The stable down south answered my calls as well, but they just went about thanking us for the warning, and that they were going into lockdown.”

“So just the one vertibuck then.” Optical sighed.

“Not every pony has the advantage of flight.” Mhambi added.

“And none of us can teleport, but one of them does.” We spoke up. “Worst of all, Razorstorm was one of their old leaders.”

“Great, an Alicorn raider warlord.” Mhambi groaned. “As if the normal ones weren’t bad enough.”

“Nothing we can do about that now.” Optical said sternly. “Mhambi, you need to get back up there, and keep in contact with the other groups. If we can actually hold out for a day, then any help we can get will be invaluable. I’ll send a few ponies up there to protect the radio, as well as a sharpshooter.” Mhambi nodded, and made her way back to the tower. Optical then looked over at us. “Your telekinesis is what we need right now. The houses up here aren’t welded down, so we figured that we can push them to more advantageous position. Can you help with that?”

“Yes.” We nodded. “We have the energy to do something like that.”

“Good, start on the north side. And... thanks.” The sergeant trotted off, her attention now going to barking orders at some of the ponies standing around unsure of what to do in the fight.

We trotted over to a group of ponies trying to move one of the houses, while only making minimal progress.

“We are here to help.” We announced. One of the ponies fell over their own hooves when they saw us approach. Reaching out with our magic, the cargo container house was considerably heavy, and looked ready to fall apart as we gripped around it. “I’ll lift it, you all push forward.” With a long screech, the house moved in our magic as they pushed, making far more progress in moments than it had before we arrived.

We had to open another bottle of the tainted cider, drinking half of it before we were done. In the end, the houses from both sides were moved, and now the only places the raiders could climb up from, were the narrow spots on either side of the center building at the front of the ship. Optical had also managed to make a few firing lines for the militia to stay behind. Among the barricades was the container we had dropped in before, now empty of its contents.

There were still ponies shooting down at the raiders, but now most of them had repositioned themselves behind the defensive lines. It looked like we have chosen where we were going to fight, and we're going to let the raiders run right into it.

We had taken position behind the food container, as it was big enough to cover us even when standing. A few ponies had taken position inside, using the thick swinging doors to peek out without exposing themselves too much.

*Boom!*

An explosion. Looking out from behind the container, we saw smoke coming off on one of the cargo container homes. One of the few enclave soldiers still at the edge of the ship flew over to us, and a bit further back. He looked singed at the edges, and left a trail of smoke. The pony was lucky to not be dead, though how he held one of his eyes, and how one of his legs just dangled below him, he was likely hurt very badly.

It didn’t take long for it to start. First it was the sound of the raider cackling. Next was them climbing onto the deck. The first few went down easily, but then the alicorn empowered shields came up. It was all too surreal, raiders standing behind a wall of green light, waiting to rush in. As the alicorns stepped forward, keeping a bubble of green light around them, a few raiders joined them, the unicorns among them adding their own magical power to the shield. We knew what they were planning. Not the smartest tactic, but with the numbers, they could do it. We all braced for the raiders to rush.

*Clang*

A canister was thrown out between us from the raiders.

*Fwoosh*

Smoke bellowed from it, creating a haze on the soon to be battlefield. A few more canisters were thrown out, each one immediately bellowing smoke.

“TAKE THEIR SKULLS” The battle cry was followed with the sounds of elated howls and hooves hitting metal.

Gunshots soon rang out after, but with the thick haze, we could not tell if any of the raiders had been shot. A yelp and a scream from our side was us all we needed to know. We put away the rust gun, and drew the cutlass from our bags. Scanning through the smoke and haze, a faint light could be seen getting closer. The light quickly became that from a flame with how it shifted and flickered. Bracing our self, we hefted the sword up, ready to swing. The torch pony came into view like some specter, the haze making him look like she was almost on fire himself.

The bone covered unicorn raider was armed with a spear that had already coated in blood. Hanging off its sides were two more canisters, both billowing thick smoke from their tops. A crude metal helmet was home to a long spike that had a flaming skull impaled on it. Overall, it gave the raider an unnerving feel to it, like some monster from an enchant book. Our eyes locked, and with a gut wrenching scream, the raider charged.

Using the sword to deflect the spear, we managed to avoided being jabbed in the neck. But in return, our downward strike was knocked to the side with a clang. The raider giving us a grin full of sharpened teeth. We met his grin with another swing of the sword, but the raider jumped back out of its range. Out from the haze, three more raiders appeared. They however held no weapons, and were covered in dozens of smaller spikes. A clear compromise to the fact that they had no weapons on them. They charged at us without hesitation, and full of murderous intent.

*Tat tat tat tat tat tat tat tat tat*

The three raiders fell as the ponies from inside the container rattled them with bullets. The one raider with the spear stepped backwards and vanished into the haze, throwing her flaming skull at us. But even if we could no longer see her, we could feel her hateful gaze upon us still.

*Thwomp*

We turned to the sound and found one of the ponies from the container with the raider’s spear in her neck. The pony mouthed the word ‘help’ right before she was then dragged off. We didn’t have time to think about how smart or stupid our action was when we galloped after the mare.

We attempted to turn invisible, but we quickly realized that the haze surrounding us made it impossible. At least the haze worked on both ends, or so we hoped. As we galloped, we trampled over another raider right as we found the spear wielding raider. The poor mare had already had her head decapitated, and placed upon the raiders helmet.

“I will enjoy wearing your bones.” The raider smiled with his sharpened teeth on display. “It’s going to get me all the bitches. So many that I might not even have to chain down a few whores to satisfy me.” he jabbed with the spear, and we used the cutlass to parry it to the side.

Jabbing at our face again, we quickly knocked it away for a second time. As we did, pain erupted from our leg. We looked down to find that the raider had thrown a dagger into it. In the moment we’d looked, the raider was already running around us to our side. Quickly, we removed the dagger as we did our best to heft the cutlass and keep the raider from attacking again. Our efforts proved futile as the raider jabbed again with the spear. We moved to parry again, but the raider had anticipated that. They slid in close on their hooves when we attempted to swipe it away, and two more daggers sliced at our belly as he slid under us.

“This is too easy.” The raider jeered as he spat on the ground, waiting for us to turn and face him again. “And here I this was going to be a challenge.”

We locked eyes with him. “We are more than a challenge.”

The raider laughed. “You’re nothing more than a whelp with power. Maybe once I’m finished bleaching your skull, I use your bones to train that filly of yours cause my dick is a bit big for her.”

“Oh,” Our heart stopped pounding, and our breath became calm. “Is that so?” Something within us just stopped. It might have been fear, or worry, but it stopped with his words. He also looked much smaller than before, making his threat seem comical due to how pathetic it was. “Because to me, you’re looking quite small.”

The raider sneered, and charged. His moved his spear to jab at our chest again, but we didn’t care now. Dropping the sword, we grabbed at the raider with our magic, opting to take the hit from the spear. It was painful as the heavy piece of metal pushed inside is. But it slowly slide out of us as it’s surprised master lost his focus and grasp on it. Pulling the raider up into the air, we locked eyes with it, seeing the raider for what it was. Nothing more than a drug addicted piece of trash.

It was almost so pathetic that I had to laugh. “You know, when I was just another wasteland pony, I let ponies like you fuck me for a few caps. Sometimes even for chems.” The raider opened his mouth, but I squeezed him so hard that only a whimpering breath came out. “I wanted to be a painter, to make the world a brighter place. But all I became thanks to ponies like you was a two cap whore.” Something within me burned, like hot liquid bubbling out from my chest. “I even told myself I would do better after having a foal, and make sure he could be proud of his momma.”

The raider struggled in my grasp, but I was not going to let him go. The look in his eyes, the bloodshot look, it was the same as that other stallion, that raider, the one that took the only good thing I ever had.

“But I couldn’t change, I still wanted the chems, and I didn’t know how to make caps other than selling myself.” The raider’s horn glowed, pulling up two knives, but we squeezed even harder, feeling his organs starting to burst under the pressure. His focus died as the pain hit him, and the knives dropped to the ground. “In the end I got him killed, my precious little colt. I though my love was strong enough to be better, to protect him. But no.” Blood formed from the raiders mouth, and he’d begun to slump, having given up struggling to get away. “The one stallion may have stomped him to death, but I fucked that stallion first, and why?” The raider only gurgled at our words, his eyes rolling back into his head. “For fucking Dash, I fucked a raider for dash, and he killed my son!” Like the bubbling heat within me, blood burst from the raiders mouth like a fountain, and rained down upon me and him as what was left of his life slipped away into nothingness.

Looking to the side, we spotted a raider just looking at me, mouth hanging open. Perfect. With a smile, we raised the spear raider up high as the other raider slowly started to back away. But it was not fast enough. With a sickening crunch, we slammed the spear raider down onto the new raider, making a wet snapping sound as the other raider cried out in pain. The other raider tried to crawl out from the first raider. We grabbed the spear in our magic, and with a quick downward thrust, pinned the two raiders together onto the metal deck.

Two more spike covered raiders joined in, charging at me through the smoke. They both made the mistake of leaping at me, one which they would regret. I simply grabbed both of them in mid jump, and slammed them into the other. I noticed one was noticeably heavier in my magic, and proceeded to kill the smaller raider with their heavier friend. Again and again I slammed her into the other. Even when the lighter one was nothing, I kept slamming until they were both nothing but well tenderized dead meat.

Another raider came into view, this time armed with an SMG. As they opened fire, I used the two pulverized raider mares as a shield, and got up close the SMG raider. Grabbing the raider by the tail, I began to swing him around in my magic, twirling the fucker until they puked. When another raider came charging at me, we knew what to do. We twirled and swung our improvised raider-flail at the charging raider. Our flail made a satisfying crack as the charging raider did cartwheels out of view.

I had to admit it, this was fun.

Letting the weaponized raider go, I could see now that much of his head was now missing, and his guts were hanging out of what was left of his throat. This power we felt coursing through us, it was better than Dash. Better than Mint-als, or buck. I could kill them all. I wanted to kill them all.

Wrenching the SMG from the dead raider, we found some more ammo on what was left of their body, and loaded it into the gun. Along with the rust gun we pulled back out of our bags, we were going to have some fun.

Trotting forward, we eventually found one of the shield bubbles the raiders were protecting themselves with. It was as simple as sticking the guns into it. It resisted me at first, but it was mostly projected with alicorn magic, so it didn’t take me long. I pushed the guns through, and as their horrified cries inside met my ears, I unloaded on. I couldn’t see them, but I knew I had hit what I wanted as seen as the shields faded.

“Now for the next…” Something hit me like a wall and I went down hard. Collecting myself, I found that I was on the ground, next to the smashed body of a raider. Getting to my hooves, I quickly finished off the bottle of taint wine I had drank before. “Who did that!?”

The Haze began to clear as the pegasi from above created a gust of wind to push it away. A Green Alicorn stood before us, the bodies of raiders and militia scattered all-around. She looked behind me, and cocked an eyebrow. “You sure you were not a raider before joining mother?” She shook her head and sighed. “I am Blood Ink, Slaver of Philadelphia, from before Red Eye. Stop this nonsense and join us. With your help, we could bring about a new future!”

I found the sword we had dropped before, and well as the rust gun laying on the deck near me. Picking them up in my magic, I sneered at Blood Ink. “Come make me!”

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Footnote:

-New Quest: Line in the sand.