Fallout Equestria: Frozen Clock

I stood in front of the elder of the zebra community in my armor. Leaning on my bloody hammer. Blood splattered all over my armor. Standing beside me was the ghoul mare Story. I look around seeing the wide eyes and the horror on their faces.

“I was starting to worry when you didn’t return. It’s been almost at least four days. Rose, maybe you can explain to me what happened?”

I take my helm offsetting it down looking at the elder and the other zebras around me. I take a deep breath. The smell of sweat and blood doesn’t mix well. I feel my heart beating slowly unlike the last few days.

“I will first introduce my friend here. Her name is Story, one of the zebras from the military years ago. Who came to destroy ponies in the name of Caesar. I met a group of zebra ghouls and pony ghouls living in harmony.”

I stare at the anti pony zebras.

“Get it harmony dumb asses?”

I snort at the anti pony zebras who look away from me. I look back to Story nodding to her then looking back to the Elder. I take a deep breath again feeling more sweat falling down my body from the armor.

“They offered to help me and I gathered ore from them and they gave me space junk. Touched by the stars and the moon. Using it I made this hammer the wrath of the stars. During all this in the factory was a former candle factory and a ghoul pony took up lighting all the candles.”

I went silent for a moment. I still feel bad for the poor ghoul. He had to live with all the deaths he caused and still has the screams and nightmares. It’s gotten to the point I worry it’s what caused him to snap.

“He lit every candle on every pony and zebra death he caused during the war. Two of the candles were the princess themselves and he asked them for forgiveness for everything he did and every time he killed a ghoul he added to the choir of screams and voices in his head.”

I go silent again waiting for the elder to speak.

“I see so you did something most zebras don’t wish to do. You do what you can to bring the land together. Before I say the words hero don’t worry I don’t consider you a hero. I consider you a mare with common sense. I can tell in the look of your eyes you want nothing to do with praise and fame.”

I nod that she is correct. I don't want the praise being a hero brings. I just want to be part of a community and do what I can for all those around me. If I can be a part of a community then I will do everything.

“I have a question though: what happened to the ghoul?”

I look back in my memory.

__________________

The candle factory

The ghoul and I charged quickly at each other and he climbed a ladder with the lights getting brighter from the rush. My eyes went hazy from the rush of the battle. I smashed the hilt of my harm hard into the stomach of the ghoul and I was able to toss him over me to the ground where he lay there in a heap. I turn back staring down at the poor ghoul feeling the rush leave my body. He had tears streaming down his face.

“Please end it. I deserve everything I did. I deserve to follow the path of those who came before me. The candles scream at me, they laugh at me. I can’t stand it any longer and scream in pain, please!!”

I remove my helm, putting it down on the ground with sweat pouring down my face. I lean down to the poor ghoul and stare into his eyes. I see he is so lost and broken. I wish I could help him. I can’t do anything but pity him.

“Killing you won’t bring any of those lives back. I know you find it hard to cope with what you did. But you have lived for many years and you still can’t get over it? The past is the past. I am sure it will take you more time to free yourself from this pain.”

I pull the ghoul into a hug. The ghoul shakes, wrapping his hooves around my head shivering in pain and crying loudly. He screams over and over he is sorry for all he did. I feel bad for this poor ghoul. I hope one day he will be able to finally forgive himself.

I sat with him for at least a few hours as he cried. Story didn’t say a word. She watched all this unfold as I did my best to talk to the poor stallion. After everything, I put my helmet back on looking back down at the ghoul.

“I need to do one last thing before I head back. Will you be alright on your own?”

Ghoul stood on his hooves sighing and nodding.

“I will reach out to the community in the mine. Maybe they can help me get this factory back up and running to make weapons and candles again for everything else. I know there is another war on and I know I may fail with my mind. But if I have others with me to help me then I know I will fulfill the task.”

I nod looking towards Story. I smile at her.

“Can I count on you to come with me and we can fulfill the next thing I was asked to do?”

Story smirks.

“I would be honored to.”

______________

Zebra community

“Well, that is the full story. I did what I could. I am sure he will do what he can. But he will always feel the guilt. Guilt is big for those who lived for a long time. I know many won’t be happy I helped ghouls regain some control of the factories to make weapons. They wish to fight back to take out the raiders and slavers.”

The elder nods listening as she looks at the zebras around her. She strokes her chin with her golden endowed hoof. She looks back at me after a second and then chuckles weakly.

“I see what the ghouls take on our community here?”

I shrug my shoulders.

“I don’t know, I didn't ask. I did tell them about the anti pony zebras here. Story used to be the same way. Then she lived with them over the years. She started to see we are all the same and thinks any zebra who thinks this way needs to be exiled.”

Story nods.

“I feel there is no room for this type of weakness.”

The elder smirks looking at the anti-pony group again. Her eyes are full of hate for them. I think she knows though but she can’t toss them out. They will have to learn to live with the ponies or die.

“Now your name is Story?”

Story nods.

“Tell me about yourself.”

Story turns her head to look at me. I nod to her to go ahead.

“As Rose said, I am of a former invasion who came to destroy everything pony because it was war. I was raised and trained to kill ponies. I hated ponies and then I watched how they treated their little ones. Many of those with me didn’t want to harm ponies after learning to live with them for so long. We infiltrated and we were meant to kill as many as we could and then destroy their ability to make war.”

The mare sighs looking down. I can tell she has regret and she is never going to be able to forgive herself. She looks back up to the elder, a weak smile forming on her face. She looks over at the anti pony zebras.

“It was time for us to kill and I did the unthinkable: I killed a foal and a mother. I had the thought that they were all evil. Every single one of them is unholy but after I did the deed I watched their blood leak from their wounds. We all have blood going through us and we all have thoughts and dreams.”

Story sighs looking away.

“So then after all this, the bombs fell. I learned who sent them and the ponies sent them. So I and others of those who survived attacked the ponies. Ran into the mines with ponies from the mines and we watched the world end.”

Story goes silent for a moment before taking a deep breath.

“We were there, they knew what we did. They had every right to kill us and a stallion came up to me. He started so much and hated wanting to kill me for what I did. The tension was bad enough to cut it with a knife. A large black mare blocked us from killing each other.”

A large black mare I had never seen. Maybe she didn’t survive. It wouldn't surprise me if she didn’t survive at all.

“She called herself Black Nova. During the many years, she helped us find food and whatever else we could get ahold of and worked to make our community work. She died and didn’t turn into a ghoul and we buried her and after that we became ghouls and she did everything for us. Her last wish was for us to live together as one.”

Story went silent after telling her story. I remember the name, Black Nova. I have seen the name from old wanted posters. I remember reading she was wanted for being a zebra lover and respect zebras. It’s just something I picked up and I feel bad she didn’t become a ghoul like the others.

“Impressive I am learning more about the past than most ever would. A pony mare wishing a pony and zebra ghoul community to live as one. How well has it worked over the years?”

Story looks up to the elder.

“To be honest it wasn’t easy the first few years. But we learned how to work and live together. We have fought and we argue but that is normal for every family. We have become one and we do everything we can to work together.”

The elder gets off her chair to come down to me looking at my armor and weapon. She didn’t even ask about the blood.

“My next question is, why are you covered in so much blood?”

A weak smile forms across my face. I didn’t want to go into this part of what happened. I just feel the only way to finally get it off my chest. I feel what I did was awful even if the raiders required a good beating.

“Well like I told you I was asked by a ghoul to help empty a factory of raiders. I didn’t know it at the time but they also had prisoners.”

_______________

The old wagon creation factory.

Story positioned herself with a sniper rifle she had with her since the early days. I hid with her while she fired on the raider's ponies standing guard outside. Each time she fires it makes a sort of sound that makes the raiders look around and each one she picks off. I stood on my hooves. I am sure she missed some.

“Do you always have a sniper rifle with you?”

Story stands up on her hooves and the sniper rifle folds into itself so she can place it into her bag and she shrugs her shoulders.

“Heh really Rose if this world was peaceful I wouldn’t have to carry it everywhere I go. Now come on, let's see if we can clear this place out.”

We both head inside and Story holds a sword in her mouth. I hold my hammer in my hooves. I feel being able to fight as I did in the past makes it easier for me. Story charges in first we go other ways and raiders are screaming and cussing.

“A ghoul has broken GAH!!”

I go the other way deeper above to get to the area which normally controls the factory itself. When I open the door I see cages of many mares and fillies, even some old ponies. I stare at all the ponies. I see a pregnant mare chained to the wall. She is covard in various juices I am sure she was used as a sex toy.

I stare at all the cage ponies. There are even some zebras here. I hear large hooves come down the stairs and a dark chuckle.

“So what do we have here? Are you hearing of heroes like Security the wolf or the toaster pony?”

Hero? Security the wolf? Toaster pony? Are there heroes out there trying to help? I don’t see myself as a hero. I am just doing what comes naturally helping a community live. If what I do makes me a hero to others I will tell them the truth I don’t want fame I don’t want glory. Everyone should do what I am doing and fight for what is right.

“I am no hero. I have been asked to clear this place out. So we can fight to bring civilization back to this city.”

The raider stares at me like I have a mole on my head. I have a feeling what I said hit the raider hard. The large stallion comes down, sighing, shaking his head and his horn glows as he lifts a large hammer.

“Noble I haven’t heard those words since I was a colt. I have seen so many just showing up for fame. When my family was killed I was on the run and raiders chased me. I remember seeing a Silver pony saving me. He said these words. ‘What is the core value of friendship?’ I didn’t answer him and he went off fighting for others. I never saw him again after that.”

I take my helm off holding it in my hoof.

“I have never had to deal with a world such as this. I come from the world before the war. I was frozen with three others for crimes we never committed because those who had a stake of money in the war used me and my family. So here I am doing what should be right not in the name of a hero not for glory but for what is right.”

The stallion sighs looking at everything he has done. For I can tell the words are affecting him but he has gone down too many dark paths to lead this way. I doubt he could ever be free from his sins.

“I will not see this future you want to make. I and others who do what we have done don’t deserve to live for all our sins. The only way to free those I have fucked destroyed their lives and broke them in the name of power over them means death. I have rapped I have murdered.”

He looks at the mare chained to the wall; she looks scared of him and does not even wish to look into his eyes. He gets ready to lift his weapon. I put my helm back on holding the hammer and we circle each other.

“Fight me like a zebra warrior of old. Fight me for our fight should be worthy of the song. I am not worthy of those songs of old. Remember me for who I was and not for who I became. I grew to become a worker and a blacksmith. Then I fell into hell and felt the only way to win was chems and battle. Then raider life. For the final battle, I shall.”

I watch him force many chems into his body and his eyes turn bloodshot. The speaker worth a song is now gone. I feel drums beating humming and our hooves stomping like drums as I hear his heart with my own.

“Swing the hammer right boom boom.”

I swing my hammer right and he swings it left and our hammers clash. The hammers swing right twice and smash again.

“Our hearts sing within the battle of blood. Boom Boom our hearts sing in the battle of strife. The hearts of old become the drums. We sing as the lust flies from our movement in the dirty ground of dust.”

In each step we make the dust fly and flow from the air. The sand and hair from the various ponies in here fly all over. Our hammers smash into each other harder making sparks not enough to cause fires.

“There is a battle worth a song. Blood gore within our hearts. If a soul could be lost within the battle of life. Bring forth the sword brings forth the screams. The battle shall never end, be it worth a song. Dance like the drums and sing like the rocks.”

Our hooves heavily stomp adding to the music. His heart beats harder like a drum. My heart drums quickly with the magic music which fills the air. Our hammers keep smashing into each other and I take my hilt smashing into his gut and he backs up into the room he came from.

A group of raiders comes out the door charging at me with him stomping his hooves and he sings while I fight his minions

“This battle is worth a song. Fight for your life, fight for the dream fight to bring forth the ending of this hopeless world. Never break a promise, always break a sweat within the ending night. If the moon shall shine it shall shine in the night.”

A mare raider before she charges at me sings.

“A mare of hope, a mare of dreams. Can you keep that promise, can you bring that hope? Hope without the song of a hero to back you. You hold you down within the want of glory, the want of a home.”

I swing my hammer before she swings her sword and with one swoop I break her head open and blood splatters all over my hammer and my armor. The next raider, a stallion, comes with many swords floating beside him.

“Never trust a pony with empty eyes. Always show the song within a dream of life. Bring forth the ending night. Bring for the sun. Let it shine in our eyes so we can dream again. Bring us the dream. Bring us the heart so we can dream and shine again.”

The sword is my armor and I feel a sword break through the armor just a bit to stab me in my side. I swing my hammer down on him and he screams as I break through his chest with a loud squish. Blood splattering all over my hammer and me.

“Free us from this moon. Free us from this hell.”

I look over at the slaves and those in cages. While they sing to me and I look back at the remaining pony about to attack me. I suddenly charged before she could do anything and stabbed the hilt of my hammer into the mare's stomach.

“Free us, save us.”

They all sing and I leave the mare to die from her wound and I head to take on the leader. He smirks, his eyes heavily bloodshot and he laughs.

“The drums have sounded to us all. Do you forgive the heart that comes? For the god of war is here. He has sung to us. Discord himself is using us as puppets for his amusement. We are chaos, We have our songs. You’re order I am of the house of chaos and fight for either.”

I feel myself gaining the desire to sing.

“I will not build this house of chaos. I will not build this house of order. I will free those from the house of order. I am beholden to neither of these houses. I am a zebra of the past. I am Desert Rose. I am neither a hero nor one who wants glory. I do what is right, come bring the drums, sing the drums.”

The stallion stops singing and the song ends as we both charge at each other and our hammers smash into each other again and he uses his magic to take a knife and try to stab in my leg and the knife breaks and I quickly turn using my metal hooves to smash right into his face and he stands there his face caved in and I turn smashing him with his hammer hard.

He falls to the ground, his skull crushed and he tries to see me so he could speak. His pants are having trouble breathing and I take off my helm, setting it aside as I hold his hoof. He smirks weakly about to see me in his good eye.

“Such beauty who beat me. I wish I could have seen you before I went down this path. I made this…”

He coughs up blood.

“Gang to protect the weak and then it went the wrong path. I met a mare from an order called the order of Mimic. She told me I need to be ready for the return.”

I lean to the stallion.

“What do you mean whose return?”

He leans up to whisper.

“Grogar.”

He falls back down as he slowly dies from his wounds. I know the name Grogar but it means nothing to me at the moment. I grab the keys and go to the cages opening them up and they look at me scared.

“You’re free..”

I go to the pregnant mare freeing her from the wall.

“Thank you…”

I smile watching the others leave looking at the mare. She quickly trots out following the others. Story finally comes into the room, her sword is stained with the blood of the raiders and I look down at the raider.

“Come let's go tell them it’s done and then I can go back.”

__________

Zebra community.

I finished my story.

“That is the entire story, did I pass the test?”

The elder chuckles.

“You never really had a test, you just had to prove yourself you’re able to become part of this community. You have done the right thing and now it’s time for you to meet up with your friends again.”

I could tell though this angered some of the zebras.

“She didn’t prove herself from killing a manticore or anything or bringing the meat or the heart.”

The elder glares at the zebra who spoke it was the leader of the anti ponies she lifts her hoof to silence him.

“I am the elder here and I say she has proven herself enough. Now please go meet with your friends.”

I nod, putting my helm back on and attaching the hammer to my armor. I head back to the main area of the community connected with the others. Waiting for me are my friends. Drift is wearing blade wings on her wings and has a visor on her face that glows now and then.

June is waiting with the others. She has no armor and is pretty much the same but has a red bandana I am sure that means something. Bowser is wearing a leather suit with one eye covered by a scope and he leans on a strange sniper rifle.

“What is with the sniper rifle?”

Bowser shrugs.

“I had to save a group of hellhounds and they gave me this after all that. June had to beat the shit out of a manticore. Drift proved herself from what she said by doing odd jobs and then saving a village from a slaver attack.”

Each leader of the community stands waiting while the elder of the zebras stands by them.

“Now we shall pass our judgment.”

The first to come forward is the hellhound leader.

“I Saw Tooth saw Bowser do everything he was asked of. He didn’t only prove himself in the matter of a diamond dog but he proved himself to be a hell hound. He shall be allowed to live where he wishes and any female he wishes to bed.”

He backs up a female buffalo wearing a strange headdress.

“I Soft Breeze watched June with every cuss word in the book kill and defend. She is one of us and she is strong. She shall become part of us with no issue and she shall walk our roads but she shall live with who she wishes.”

The next is a white pegasus mare she has a strange rainbow dash cutie mark burned into her hip. She looks at Drift.

“Drift wasn’t easy to get along with at first. She didn’t always listen to the chain of command. But we tended to forget she wasn’t part of the enclave at all. But she showed herself strong in the field of battle. She was given the weapons of a warrior of the sky and she shall stay with her friends.”

The elder comes up with a Golden Heart standing beside her.

“I Umphuphi”

Her name is Dreamer? Huh, I am impressed. I take a deep breath waiting to see what she saids.

“She has redeemed herself from her past. Giving herself to a stallion wasn’t what she was put to the task for. She didn’t act like a normal zebra. But everything she did for those in this area and even the community she now is part of us and we shall sing for her. We shall let her marry the mare Hops and then they can choose a stallion to herd with.”

I take a deep breath, I look at my friends and everyone around us cheers for us and the crowd disperses, and everything with our bodies we are tired very tired. I take a deep breath looking towards the crowd and seeing Dunewlker watching us.

I don’t know what is ahead but we have a journey ahead. We got to find out what Maria is, we got to find out who this Grogar is. I have never heard of the order of Mimic before and I look to the side to see a camel wearing a strange outfit and she has a small golden horseshoe around her neck.

It’s time to rest then it will be time to dance to the song of life.

Arc one complete.