Fallout: Equestria Swift Tale

Chapter Four: The Ballet Of Stardust

"Please sir...don't hurt...me."

"Okay...easy their swift...lets take this nice and slow."

I said softly as I looked around at the bridge. I was surprised that it could hold my weight. (Not calling me well..."fat" just my new wings added like 2 pounds to my back). I watched every hoof step carefully as a continued my ascent up the bridge. Each sound would put me on edge but I had to stay cool. At this point, I was almost to the top half way there. I passed the train car that was hanging off the edge. It was an old caboose, the red paint faded and wood was rotting away. The old bridge cables were hanging down holding the train car in place as well as some of the bridge.

"You are all most there, you're doing great"

Sarah's voice rang in my head as she was guiding my hoof placements. I looked into the caboose, there were skeletons and other junk that wouldn't be of value. For example bent tin cans and empty glass bottles. Just your average junk that is everywhere for some reason. Maybe if you did find a need for them they would be of use. It was then that I made the wrong move and fell. I was so focused on the stupidest things and didn't realize that there was nothing for me to step on.

"Fuck me sideways with Lyra!"

I yelled as I fell I got tangled in the cables that were hanging down, they were warping around my body. My stuff fell out of my saddlebags as the cables got caught in my wings and started to dig into my skin. I was suspended about 30-feet in the air upside down. I yelled in pain as I was swinging from side to side, my fear of heights was bad and I was freaking out. All the blood was rushing to my head mixed in with all the adrenaline. I started to get motion sickness from everything that was happing. The bridge was creaking and struggling to hold my weight. I was going to die here, whether it was the fact I was hanging upside down or...

"Well well well...I never thought I would see you hanging around here."

Her voice shot out through the air like a gun. It was the same light green earth pony mare I or "Other Me" whose life we spared, sitting on an old mining hopper with a smug look on her raider face. (That joke wasn't funny either damn it!) She was taunting me, basically pointing and laughing at my predicament.

"DAMN IT WOODEN LADLE!"

I yelled at her but that wasn't any use. She began to walk under me to where my stuff was and started to dig around in it. She pocketed the Chems, the caps, and my only other working gun. She tossed the Buck Shot meat away in disgust. As much as I wanted to go down there and teach her a lesson I couldn't for obvious reasons. She lifted her head and looked straight into my face.

"Nice to see you again swift, Thank you for the free stuff you're such a gentle-colt." She said with sarcasm and a snort.

"Hey help me out, will you?" I asked with a worried voice creak.

"Nope...after all it's kill or be killed world, so I'm doing you a favor by not killing you."

"And just taking my stuff!, What type of logic is that?"

"Hey, it Works for me and finders keepers."

"Can you help me out?"

I asked in hope that there was any way she could indeed help me. I was really tied up. (Damn it now I am doing it.) I couldn't concentrate on my magic because all the blood was going to my head. Making it harder for me to even try to move. Not to forget each movement could mean death. Blood was running down my face and ruining my suit.

"Well I got to cut this talk short, It's getting dark and I got to go."

She started to trot away from the bridge maybe to find another way out of the gorge. My eyes Lit up (From trying to repress the anger from her stupid jokes) and I tried to talk to her again. I had forgotten to ask her why she was in the stable. The sun was on the horizon and I didn't want to hang here all night. With one sharp whistle, I got her attention again and she ran back.

"Yes, something on your mind?"

"Why were you in the stable, and why did you want to kill me?"

She looked confused for a minute even she answered quickly.

"We were paid to go in there to scout it out, however, are employer hid her face well."

She sighed hard and continued to answer my question as the sun began to set and the moon rise. The darkness soon fell over the land.

"She was a griffon from her front talons, maybe from one of the Talon Corp. mercenary camps I am not sure."

"Anything else Wooden Ladle, anything to help me find out who wants me dead?"

"Look I can't be out here for long, just go to new Appaloosa its after Ponyville maybe they can help you."

She began to take off running till I couldn't see her anymore. I was left all alone, my eyes started to close from the pain and blood loss as well from being exhausted. My wounds started to stop dripping cake up as I began to take a quick power nap. No dreams this time only loud and music...

MUSIC!

My eyes opened and my ears started to follow the music. It was pitch black outside and I was asleep for four hours. Where was that music coming from and why? The sound of trumpets and drums along with a flute solo was moving somewhere on the ground. I scanned the landscape and saw a dust cloud being kicked up from the ground. The music was getting louder and the dust cloud stopped. (The song flight of the pegasi was playing). It was coming from a small rusted robot with four small wings and antennas poking out of it. It looked like it was just looking around minding its own business when it came up to me.

"What are you doing here, you bucket of bolts?"

The robot didn't answer me all it just did was float there under me, still playing the same song over and over. It started to get annoying and I tried to make it go float away somewhere else.

"Hey robot please leave, your song is going to make me go bonkers."

"Sorry about that."

My jaw dropped when I got a response The robot just apologized for being so annoying. Not only that but it talked normally like somepony was controlling it. Not wanting to let this chance slip by I asked if it could cut me loose from the cables.

"Uh...robot...could you shoot the cables off my body?"

"Well...I could but you are going to blast me out of the air like all the rest of you alicorns."

"What there are more?"

"You didn't know? you're a real Filly in the dragon's den if you will."

"I am a truly sorry robot for insulting you, I just want to move on with my life."

"Well because you apologized I guess I could help you out, Just I don't have much control for long so give me a clear shot."

I smiled and tried to move the cables around for the shot. Even if the robot hit it dead on I was still going to fall and break my face into the ground. Maybe if I was lucky if I could manage to open my wings I could glide down at the last minute. The bridge was creaking and parts of it were falling off.

"Ready when you are robot, she ain't going to hold much longer!"

A blast of magical energy shot past my face, I felt the heat from the beam and the smell of burning metal. I looked up top and saw the cable halfway melted. The rest started to loosing up and I could move my wings and hoofs a little.

"Get out of there!"

The Sprit-Bot yelled as the supports were coming out of the cliff face. The bridge was collapsing and I got loose. Using the force and gravity I shut my eyes and forced my wings open to catch the wind just as the caboose fell with a loud crash and another train car fell with it. I opened my eyes and saw the damage as the whole thing caved in on its self. I was flying (Even if I was hurt to move and flap my wings I was truly flying). After I circled back and landed next to it.

"Thank you whoever is on the other side of the bot."

"No problem it's rare that someone would thank me for anything, and that coming from an alicorn well it's bizarre."

"I'm guessing "other alicorns" aren't friendly out here?"

"Not at all they are hostile to everypony."

Well, so that's why the Raiders in the stable were scared of me then. I dug around looking for my stuff, luckily the control visor didn't fall out of my saddlebags. I didn't get all my stuff as it was taken off my hooves (Thanks to Wooden Ladle) And she only left me...

The SMG that was empty and was in disrepair.

3 bobby pins and a screwdriver.

One health potion.

The water canteen.

My machete.

I chugged the potion down my throat and all my wounds started to close up like magic. It had no taste at all but I felt better. After I found my stuff, I turned to respond to the sprite-bot but it was already gone and the music was fading away. In no time at all, I packed up everything and leaped into the air. I wasn't scared of highs anymore, in fact, With my new ability travel was going to be much easier. Even with a fight, I could just fly away and come back later. I landed on the edge of the gorge and sat down. I had made a big mess and the sound might have been heard from miles.

I went to "My" PipBuck and added the new intelligence I got from Wooden Ladle to my main quest.

Quest Name: Who wants me dead?
Quest Info: Now after hanging around the bridge, I bumped into the raider mare.
Who told me that there might be somepony to help me in new Appaloosa.

"Well...now that I'm here might as well log as I walk."

I turned on "My" PipBuck's voice recording spell on and started to record as I followed the track to Ponyville.

"This is log three of Swift McGlides, bringing you or my self some advice. Note to self-do not try to walk on anything without checking if it can hold your weight. Becuase of this I was caught in some cables and hurt my self, to make matters worse my stuff fell out of my saddle bags and were swiped by that one raider mare. Thankfully a user-controlled sprit-bot cut me loose before I was crushed by a train car. I managed to get over my fear of heights and fly because of this although I do not recommend it. I'm starting on my way to Ponyville to stop for some supplies and to make it to new Appaloosa to find out why someone wants me dead. Well...I need to find a place to rest for awhile and tomorrow I will make it to my old house."

There wasn't much to see on my way to Ponyville as everywhere I Looked was more of the same thing dark, gray and flat. The cold crisp nighttime air was blowing on my face and I kept an eye on my E.F.S so cheek for anything that wanted to eat me or blast me to bits. It was very lonely and being very tired didn't help at all but I pressed on. I kept my self-awake by talking with my self. It was around midnight as I was in a heated argument with my self over "Does princess Luna like pineapples?" (Hey it worked for me).

The moon was overhead and there was an old station house up ahead. A place where I could rest maybe I could for a bit. I could take a nap and do some repairs maybe even find something useful. I stopped and looked around the building, making sure there was no one else was occupying the station. There was smoke coming out of the chimney so there was a low chance of the owner letting me rest there. I didn't have anything to trade and my wings may get me shot at. There were some train cars that might have something to help me and I sunk around them to look inside.

Most of them were empty or just full of useless crap. However, there was an old tarp neatly folded in an old cardboard box. It was dusty and ripped with wear and tear but it was there. I took off my suit and put it in my bag as I unfolded the tarp and dusted it off. The dust tickled my nose and the smell was musty. It was a purple cloth and it wasn't too bad as I wrapped it around my body. Nice use of a tarp and it was just right for some sort of cloak/cape thing over my wings.

Once it looked clear I started my way to the door, the wooden steps creaked as I stepped onto the station platform. There was a strange smell almost like something was cooking. I Knocked on the door and waited for about three minutes then let my self into the station. Inside was some benches and the ticket booth around next to it there was the fireplace. A table and some chairs were set up to make the station house more homelike.

"Hello anyone home?"

I asked as I went to the fireplace where a cast-iron pot was cooking something that smelled like chocolate cake. After opening the lid, it was indeed a chocolate cake type mush. Maybe it was a bread pudding made from the cake mix...Where would you even get chocolate cake mix at this time? It didn't smell too bad and I tried a little, it was great for being 200-years-old. After helping my self to some I sat down and began to eat but I felt like it was too easy. After I finished I put the bowl away and made my way to the door when I heard a thump upstairs.

I jumped in surprise and pulled out my machete and looked around. This place was getting creepy and slowly I made my way up the stairs. There were two bedrooms and one bathroom and one of the doors was open a crack. As I walked into one room it looked like a children's room. With a bed and some old and rusted toys on the floor and some old comic books, I was in a little filly's room so this felt awkward. I walked all the way in and lowered my machete. On my way out there was some muffled whimpering was coming out from the closet.

"Hello...Is somepony there?"

I said in a soft and caring voice as I opened the closet with my magic.

BANG!

A muzzle flash and pain in my shoulder followed by a small dark blue blur running out of the closet. I laid on the floor bleeding out and stunned. The bullet went right through the muscle and hurt badly. "My" PipBuck was beeping notifying me of my injury as it wasn't obvious enough. Even though I was shot the E.F.S was telling me it was non-hostel. I groaned as I tried to get up, it was hard at first but I managed a little magic to numb it but even then I needed normal healing. Limping downstairs I tried to find who shot me. I turned the corner there was another shot, this time it missed and the culprit was behind a overturned table. With no time at all, I jumped over and landed over to the makeshift barricade only to come face to face with a small dark blue unicorn filly with her gun pointed at my forehead.

She yipped in surprise and almost dropped her weapon from her magic aura. Her light blue eyes were red like she has been crying a lot and she had some brushes to cuts here and there. Her mane was a slightly lighter darker blue. With a quick gasp, I quickly opened my wings and launched my self back before she could fire the next shot. From the force of me launching my self, I hit a wall with a loud thump as the filly fired off another shot from her strange weapon.

"No M-more!"

She cried as she struggled to reload her weapon. I got up and magically ripped the weapon out of her magic aura. The filly curled up in a little ball on the floor and started to cry knowing she had lost. The weapon looked like it was a bolt action hunting rifle with a sawed off barrel and with mouth held pistol stock. The clip was a standard 5 bullet clip and from the looks of it this was supposed to be the poor filly's "Magnum". I turned back at the crying filly and just watched her not knowing what else to do.

"It's Okay...I won't hurt you."

I got close to her and she looked at me with her tears running down her cheek as she backed her self into a corner.

"P-Please s-s-sir...Don't...h-hurt me mister a-alicorn."

"I am not going to hurt you...Even if you shot me with a rifle."

"Y-your...not?"

"Nope, I am not...If I may ask...Do you have any bandages?"

She smiled weakly but was careful when she left to the bathroom to get a bandage. I took off my cloak and tried to move my shoulder. The filly came back and gave me the bandages and went to the cooking fire to check on her cake. I tried to make some small talk with her as I wrapped up my shoulder.

"So...whats you name miss?"

She looked back with not knowing what I might do as she ate some of her cake mush.

"Stardust mister..."

"My name is Swift, nice to meet you Stardust."

Some thoughts when through my head as I tried to think of more to talk about with her. She was the first filly I have met ever since I was De-frosted and I wasn't sure how to talk to her. I wasn't the most social pony back in my day and even when I first came out I killed a bunch of ponies. (Not a lot of social skills) I thought about what I should ask her then decided to ask her about her parents as every concerned adult should.

"Where are your parents Stardust?"

I should not have said that as she stopped eating and burst into tears. It turns out her mother was taken away by raiders and her father was killed by the same group that would come to visit Stardust. And...well...let's just say they forced her to do stuff no filly should ever have to do. I went up and to comfort her I opened my wings and wrapped them around her (She needed a hug.), she didn't mind and buried her head into my chest and whimpered softly. The things this little filly had to do and had seen was too much for her.

"Mister...Swift?"

"Yes, Stardust?"

"C-Can you...P-protect me...F-from the...Raiders?"

"Stardust yes...I will...I promise."

At this point, I realized just how sick and twisted the raiders can be. I wanted to kill them all as they were the scum of the wasteland. I wanted to make sure this little filly was safe and have somepony to look up to. She gave me the details of what time they come to the house and it was up to me to make a plan. I started to play out what she said in my head. First, About five raiders would come in un-invited, next they would find Stardust and hold her down and then... (I stopped it there.) I let her go and she sat down on the floor looking at me with a smile. She hasn't seen this much kindness in forever and she was eager to help me with anything.

"So Stardust do you have any more weapons and ammo?"

"The Raiders...Took most of the things...But Pa had some stuff hidden under a floorboard."

"Could you give me the stuff please?"

"Sure mister swift."

We didn't have much time and the raiders would be coming soon. Stardust ran upstairs only to return with the following and well it was a surprise. The father of the filly kept a nice little stash of stuff that where going to be very useful.

A box of two hunting rifle clips. (Ten bullets plus one extra clip she had for 15 bullets)

50 bottle caps.

Some bandages.

One grenade.

Apon looking at this I was thinking of what I could do with it. Then it struck me and I needed Stardust for it. The plan was that with the grenade and Stardust's tail, the only problem was would Stardust be okay with it. I found her upstairs playing with an old toy when I took out the machete. She flinched and looked at me with a confused look.

"Stardust can I...well...I need your...tail."

"What for Mister Swift?"

"Well...it's for a trap...so can I cut some of it off?"

It was very awkward for the both of us, but after explaining it the best I could to a child she agreed on one condition. I had to find or buy her more of that chocolate cake mix she loves. After agreeing she bent over and with a quick swipe from the machete I had a nice long tuft of her tail hair. After tieing it to pin of the grenade I tied it to the underside of the bed and left the new "tail" out. After that, I took all the knives from the kitchen and told Stardust to hide in the bathroom as I locked her in there. I hid the knives under the bed to act as a shrapnel for extra damage.

I loaded the hunting "pistol", put on the visor and hid in the closet hoping the element of surprise would aid me. And as if it was like clockwork. The door opened downstairs and the sound of hooves was getting louder as they trotted upstairs.

"Hey hey hey where is the filly hiding?" A deep sickly voice said.

"I think she is under the bed It's time to play again Stardust!" another voice said.

I was in the room with two perverts and they were going to have a blast.

Click

"What the!?..."

KABOOM!

The explosion shook the whole place as it exploded and I heard Stardust scream. I jumped out of the closet and it was a sight to behold as there was a huge hole in the wall and floor as bits and pieces of burnt dead raiders were stuck to the remaining ceiling. Some of the raiders downstairs where hurt and slowly got up. Swiftly I aimed the "pistol" at them and targeted their heads with "My" PipBuck's targeting spell the link to the visor made it a perfect shot for one. But the others were getting away as I reloaded.

"He's over here!"

One yelled as he fired an automatic machine gun from the bottom of the stairs. With a quick dive into cover, I just missed the shower of his bullets. I felt the same feeling I felt at the vault but this time I was fighting it. I didn't want to turn into a flesh-eating monster again. (And the fact that eating them was not good because I could get high from the chems in their blood or worse.) Once it was clear and the targeting spell refreshed I turned the corner and shot the raider in the face.

"I Got him in front up there!"

"Where the fuck do you ponies come from!"

I screamed in frustration as I got back into cover due to a bolt jam in the "pistol" This wasted time I didn't have. Suddenly one of them chucked a strange grenade inside from the massive hole in the wall. I didn't have time to react and it flashed me. Blinded and deafened by it I couldn't see or hear and the floor below gave way as I slid down to the outside. I think they stopped shooting and there was muffled laughter and the raider was just moving blobs. I felt a sharp pain as it struck my front leg causing the bone to break. No matter how much I tried to do it hurt worse than anything I could think of. The ringing in my ears was leading to the evil laughter from the group.

"Leave him alone!"

The filly shrieked angrily as she started to fire at the raiders. One by one a rain of bullets penetrated the remaining two dropped dead right in front of me. She had managed to flank them and had caught them by surprise. The once shy and scared little filly just killed two raiders by herself. I was losing blood fast as she ran up to me tears running down her face as she pulled out a needle and stabbed it into the crippled leg. The last thing I remember was the ground moving under me as she dragged me back inside.

About some hours later I woke up on the floor next to a fire. The filly was sleeping on my chest as if she was protecting me. I tried to move without disturbing her but I didn't have much choice. She shot up with a start and backed off awkwardly. Even if she is a filly she is pretty smart as in she gave my front leg the works when it comes to healing. I managed to get up and limp to her.

"Thank you, Stardust for helping me."

She ran up and gave me a loving hug.

"I wasn't sure if you would wake up or if I did it right I...I..."

She said with the worry in her voice disappearing as she continued to hug me tightly. She looked up and smiled as I wrapped my wings around her. (She said I was really fluffy). After a while, she broke it off and walked to a pile of stuff she got from the raiders and put them in my saddle bags. Everything was nice and tidy as she put them next to me.

"It's ya stuff mister swift."

"Thank you Stardust."

She skipped around and did what little fillies do as I put the saddlebags on. It was really heavy and the PipBuck said I was over encumbered. It was best if I traveled light so I started to organize and repair some of the things but then I felt her poke my wing. When I looked back I saw that Stardust had her own saddlebags and was wearing a bandana on her head.

"Mister Swift are you...going to leave me...here?"

My heart sank as what she was asking. She wanted to come with me, My mind started to do loops as I tried to think what to say. She is just a child in a dangerous world, Its, even more, dangerous with me. What if she gets filly napped or killed? I can't provide for a child. I didn't know what to say, I couldn't just leave her all alone.

"Pa said if he is dead find a caring and nice pony that will keep you safe."

"But...I"

"And I feel safe with you..."

"I'm not sure...I."

She looked up at me with her beautiful light blue eyes as they shined off the rising sun. I decided it was best I keep her safe.

"Are you sure you want to travel with me?"

"I can help you with stuff and maybe fight I'm a big mare now!"

"All right let's go."

She smiled and for once I felt like the world wasn't so bad like everything was back to when it was again. Having her by my side meant that I had promised to raise her as my own. I can't explain how much kindness and love I felt that day as doing so might ruin the moment we had together. After some time we were about to get moving when Stardust asked me to help her put the rifle barrel and scope back on the "pistol".

"So to ponyville then?"

"That place is full of raiders and I HATE raiders."

She said with an angry tone as she looked down the sight of her father's old sniper rifle. I took a mental note that if ponyville is raider occupied then maybe that is where Wooden ladle came from. And maybe it was best to avoid there at all cost. But I had to ask least check it out first.

"Hey, are you any good with that?"

"Well...It might take awhile for me to fully line up my shots but I will try."

"You sound different Stardust what happened to the shy and scared filly?"

"Well killing the Raiders made me realize that...you would do anything to protect the ones you care about."

"I see...That's very deep coming from the filly that made swiss cheese out of the raiders."

"What is swiss cheese?"

I laughed and started limping with her beside me talking about everything from the past. She was amazed at what I had to say. Sometimes she would say I was pulling her tail and didn't believe me. Then she would tell me all about her life and other useful tips on how to survive in the wasteland, hell she had a book about it. It was fun and kind of relaxing to have somepony to talk to. The sun started to rise and the two of us made our way to new Applelosa.

Footnote: Level Up.
New Perk: Guns, guns and more guns. (Did I forget to say guns?) -- You are a crack shot and can use many firearms to the fullest. You do 5% more damage with any type of gun and reloading is much faster in S.A.T.S.

Companion perk: Bites The Dust. (Stardust)
With Stardust's hatred to raiders, you do bonus damage to anypony that is menacing. You also gain the chance for Stardust to aid you in combat from afar.