Fallout Metro at Dark

My second day in this pony world kept getting weirder and weirder. First I was an alien, yet ponies find it so easy to talk to me and me to them. It was odd at how normal our interactions were.

Making more comrades along the way. Keep in mind I did not really know them. We were not friends by any means. Just simply comrades or acquaintances whichever you prefer. It was obvious I did not belong here getting stared at by the tiny horse populace as well as being a lab experiment, a gun for hire and now a pet.

It was all so strange to hear.

“Can I speak to Bombshell for a moment?” I asked the Nazi leader to which she nodded.

“You may.” She bubbled happily nuzzling her daughter.

“Great,” I stood back up, moving over to Bombshell. “Let’s talk somewhere private, maybe outside?”

The unicorn led me outside telling the nearby guards to leave, which they did. Raising a brow. “What is it?” She asked in her normal voice.

“Pet? I’m a pet? I'm not an animal. You are.” I said pointing an accusing finger at her nose poking it.

The unicorn went cross eyed for a moment. “Well what am I too do? If the Führer wants you as a pet you are a pet. If the Führer wants you as a soldier you’re a soldier. If the Führer wasnts you as a-”

“Alright I get it.” Shaking my head. “Can I just be allowed to leave?”

“And go where? You’ve already seen our home. You could be a spy. You already don’t think so highly of our regime. You could be giving up our location and mapped out our tunnels,” She accused.

The blond unicorn was right. I had no place to go. Perhaps I could travel back up the mountain and return to where I came. Bring some equipment to dig. A possibility I would find my people somewhere deep inside.

“See, there is no place for you. So why not stay? Being the Führer’s pet is like being part of royalty Like a dog being a part of the family.”

“Just doesn’t feel right. I have to be out there. Helping people.”

“People?” She looked confused.

“Ponies! All creatures! The ones that don’t kill you for merely existing!” I clarified so she’d understand what I was saying.

“Why? Not all people deserve saving.” The blond unicorn looked harsh and cold with the expression she wore.

“Evil people, no. But just because there are a lot of bad ones out there doesn’t mean it's okay to punish the minority of good.”

“You will only get more ponies killed along the way.”

“Isn’t the good of mankind/ponykind worth fighting for?”

“What good? There is no good. They are simply stranglers using up the resources we need to survive. Just like those communits pigs. The less ponies that live in the metro the more resources we will have.”

“What good are all those resources when you don’t have the manpower to defend yourselves from the mutant creatures above? What will you do when they overpopulate and overwhelm you with sheer force and numbers?”

She understood my meaning as she answered with, “We have magic.” as if it was the go to answer.

I dropped my rucksack right in front of her. “Open it.” I said in a commanding voice crossing my arms across my chest.

“Why?” She gave me a confused look.

“Just open it.” I wanted to prove a point.

The mare cautiously opened the to flap peeking inside to see the horns I had collected from the Nazis I had killed at the first pony station I had first visited..

Her eyes widened as saucers as she was at a total loss for words. “These… these.”

“Horns. Unicorn horns to be exact. Nazi horns. Still think magic can save your people? Because the magic wasn’t enough to save them from me.”

The mare suddenly backed up from me in shock. “You monster.” She looked terrified of me. It was the same look the checkpoint guard wore when he witnessed the horns. It was the equivalent to seeing body parts. Mutilated and stored in my bag in a neat collection of assorted horns in all types of shapes and colors.

“I’m not a pet. I’m a Spartan. No affiliation with the pony group. A stalker on the surface and a ranger in the metro. I do what I have to, to defend myself and others. Those Nazis I killed are sick for taking ponies against their will. They could have left the ponies alone but they didn’t so I had to take things into my own two hands.”

“How many?” Bombshell asked walking backwards until she bumped into a wall.

“I’ve lost count.” I shrugged, preparing myself for an attack from the unicorn. She seemed to sense the tension in the air as she smiled awkwardly standing up on her two hindlegs pressing her back against the wall, creating as much distance as she could from me. Sensing a predator and herself the prey.

“We’re friends right?” She asked nervously. The once strong and commanding mare was gone and left in its place was a frightened girl. Seeing my hand work was enough to make her second guess her approach, wondering what else I was hiding from her. If I could have taken down so many unicorns she wondered how she would be able to evade the same fate as the others before her.

“What will ponies with ‘magic’ do? I did all that without it. I simply used a knife. Sliced their throats and sawed off their horns to be used as trophies. Though I did wonder if I could somehow use them for magic myself but that seems worthless now. Nothing but the pride of fallen unicorns now.” I finished kneeling down as I picked up the rucksack, throwing it over my shoulders. “Not friends. Just allies. Which makes me wonder why you wanted me to get rid of that stallion Jäger, why couldn’t you have done it yourself?” I asked the real questions not wanting to pussy foot around getting straight to the point.

The question seemed to change her mood as she thought about what I had asked. “I needed him out of my way and I did not want him telling the higher ups of my plans to dispose of him. I had to play along until you got rid of him since he’ll come back.”

“For, why would he come back? He’s dead its not possible Blaze crushed his skull its over.”

“Because he’s just a lot smarter than he looks, just trust me on that, he’ll come back and as for removing him out of the equation it's for my career of course and a little peace of mind. He always got in my way when I tried to advance.” She looked upset. “He was always creating things that made the higher ups happy. Getting the spotlight while I was kept static in my position, unmoving up on the social ladder.”

“Higher ups?” I questioned. “Isn’t that one of them?” I pointed to the door that led to the Nazi leader. “I see you already made it this far. You really did not need him to die to get here. You even told her guards to leave.” I raised a brow with suspicion. “How am I supposed to believe that? You appear to have plenty of influence already.”

“That's only because of my family heritage. My family is renowned for being a unicorn of pure blood. I am one if not the strongest unicorn around.” She sounded uncertain of her words. ”Or at least that's what we believe to be true.” She rubbed her blackened boot covered legs together shyly. “Even if those other unicorns couldn’t take you down I surely have a shot.” She smiled halfheartedly.

“So being a pure blooded unicorn huh. Only virgins can ride you or something?” I asked, thinking back to old folklore around the mythical beasts.

“HUh!?” Bombshell looked mortified.

“Nevermind.” I laughed. “Just old stories my people kind of made up or didn’t because you unicorns are surely real. In any case, I should be going, little unicorn.”

“But you can’t. You are the Führer’s pet.” She stomped a hoof down. “She’ll be upset if you leave now. Especially after giving her those little wiggling things.” She scrunched up her nose as she eyed my fingers.

“My fingers? Do you want some too?” I joked wiggling my fingers at her jokingly to which she got into a battle stance, her horn sparkling with magic. “Easy now.” I carefully said slowly, backing my hands away. “I was just playing.”

“You can’t leave.” She said in a dead serious tone. Especially not with me watching you. You’d get me into a hell of a lot of trouble.”

“But what about the communist threat? They are going to come here.”

“They can try but we are the strongest faction in the metro.” A smug look graced her muzzle.

I told her my stone cold thoughts, “With equipment yes, with numbers not so much. They will send as many bodies as they can until you run out of ammunition. War between factions tends to draw creatures near. When you’re weak and exhausted they will come to play. Pride can only get you so far.”

“It has gotten us far enough.” Bombshell looked insulted. “We will hold the reds off and if push comes to shove we will evacuate towards the surface and seal off the tunnel. Trapping them underground.”

“And how would you get everyone out of here?”

“Simple we have trains and not just that but the air is breathable if you go down that way.” She pointed in a direction that meant nothing to me underground. I would not know where I was going. We have a town in progress. Many would have to live on the train until we have suitable living conditions.”

“Breathable air? You’re joking.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

”I’m not. I grew up on the surface.” She frowned suddenly as she remembered something.

I took notice, having to ask, “Are you alright?”

“It’s nothing.” She was dismissive. “Again, you can’t leave.” Her horn powered down as I had not yet moved to attack her. “You are property of the Führer and her family.”

Both of us remained neutral.

“I can’t do that. I have to go.”

“Why? There is no place for you other than here. You can make this place your home. Sounds rather inviting wouldn’t you think? You get to live with a high class family. Being treated like royalty, why would you want to leave that behind?”

“Because I’d rather be out in the dirt helping others than being cowardly taking refuge while others are out there suffering.” I couldn’t bring myself to stay. I would only ever get to see myself as a coward and a traitor if I did that. Turning my back on everyone that needed me.

My mission was to destroy the Dark Ones. To scout them out and report back to Polis. Where the rest of the Rangers could regroup and launch a counter offensive against the dark ones. There was no longer a point in carrying out this mission but it didn’t feel right to sit around and do nothing. I had to be out there in the field and see what I could find. I must have surely fallen into the Dark Ones spell. This must have been a mind boggling illusion. To contain me in my mind making me think I was seeing ponies when I was actually seeing people. But I don’t remember Nazis having so much women fighting for them. Women were often taking care of the stations and the injured.

“I’m sorry Ms Bombshell but I can not.” With a shake of my head I walked past her. “ If anything, tell your leader I left on my own accord.” She didn’t try to stop me, letting me pass.

“This won’t end well for you.”

Leaving her behind I made my way back to the marketplace heading back to the flower merchant. The place where I told Bonesaw where we’d regroup at. The mare was waiting for me with a happy smile.

“Where have you been huh?” The nurse asked with a smirk as she struck a pose giving her rear end a little shake. Her saddlebags jiggled with the sounds of glasses clinking and justling at her sides heavily. Displaying how they had been filled to the brim with supplies.

“Good job. Now, where’s the damn turkey?” I asked her as a pegasus nearby glared at me.

“Hey shut your mouth!”

“Was not referring to you!”

The disgruntled pegasus’ feathers rustled with anger as the pony continued to glare at me muttering under their breath insults.

“Some ponies.” I commented looking down to Bonesaw who was giving me a cheeky look.

“See fit right in you racist.”

“Racist? No, I was referring to the griffon.”

“Exactly! Against flying creatures…” She lowered her voice. “Turkey is a slur…”

“How unfortunate.” I used to describe the griffon as being a large bird-like creature.

“Really? I thought you would be a lot more humble after learning that.”

“Don’t care it's just a word if they get offended so be it. They really have no right living in the world if a glancing remark angers them. There was no malice behind my words so why take offense?”

“Maybe they weren’t paying attention?” Bonesaw shrugged.

“How could ‘them’ not paying attention be my fault?”

“Cause you said the naughty word.” Bonesaw giggled. “You could at least be considerate of the thoughts and feelings of other ponies.”

“They hear what they want to hear.” My attention turned to armored trolleys that were armored with welded metal plates and heavy machine gun turrets, the train vehicles whizzing down a separate track past the train we had come in from. “What are they doing?”

“Hmm, the trolleys? Probably going to support our other checkpoints to keep them from coming here.” Bonesaw shrugged. “We make a lot of things here. We assemble armored carts just a ways down the track. Those are some fresh wheels.” She laughed.

“We? You consider yourself one of them?”

“Yeah.”

“So you’re a Nazi?” I asked with a raised brow.

“Uh-huh.” She nodded her head with a kind smile.

“So what is it to be a Nazi? And I’m just asking about these specific factions' rules. I thought only unicorns were Nazis.”

“Well all of us ponies are Nazis. Forgetting something?” She presented her head to me, wiggling her ears.

“Explain.”

Groaning she retracted her head with a pout, “Our society sees genetic defects as a detriment to our species. We, rather, the military, do the dirty work. Getting rid of the undesirables. We are actually kind of sane. We don’t want to weaken our species. And to circle back to only unicorns being the big bad Nazis. No, they are just our stormtroopers, the best of the best.”

Having taken out a large portion of them I beg to differ.

“The pegasi are used as stalkers on the surface making them a formidable mobile force. The earth ponies do most of the mechanical work like blacksmithing, maintenance and of course nurturing the crops. I was lucky enough to get a job as an assistant to Jäger. In turn being a nurse, not bad since it's how I met you.” She fluttered her eyelashes at me.

I really don’t understand what she saw on me.

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?” She giggled brushing her side against my leg curling her tail around my leg. Getting us a couple stares our way. “This~”

I shoved her back with my leg. “Off.”

“You don’t have to be a dick about it.” She rubbed her side that I shoved.

“Hey Hunter! I got the rifle!” He flew back over to us presenting my rifle back to me with a smug look. “Now my reward.”

Reaching into an ammo pouch I gave him a couple ammo clips. “Here you go.” I snatched my rifle back, checking it over seeing some new metal welded onto it making the weapon look more rustic and worn. “What did they do?”

“Unicorn blacksmith bent it back into shape and reinforced it so it wouldn’t bend again like last time.” Blaze said, eyeing the bullets fondly as he stored them away in his own bags brandishing a new assault rifle himself. “Nothing too special.”

“So it won’t explode as soon as I pull the trigger right?” I asked skeptically examining the refurbished assault rifle.

“I sure hope not.” Blaze laughed. “So where too?”

“Away from here. Let’s go.”

*****

Together our group grabbed some lunch eating a soup of cooked vegetables. I wasn’t complaining, neither was Bonesaw, both happy to get a warm meal. Having proudly paid for the food with just a couple bullets. But when it came to Blaze he looked disappointed playing with his food. Dipping a claw in the vegetable soup.

We sat on a bench nearby from the stand we had bought our food from still in the marketplace.

“Eat your food.” Bonesaw scolded him.

“It’s better when it's hot.” I mused, drinking the broth first only when the bowl was empty did I eat the vegetable using my knife as a skewer. Eating off the blade.

“I can’t eat this… I need meat.” Blaze complained drawing circles in the soup.

“Don’t let any guys hear you say that. They might give you something more than you bargained for,” I joked only to get a glare from the griffon. “Don’t give me that look, I'm not giving you any of my meat.” I let out a gruff laugh.

Bonesaw poked my side with her hoof nudging me. “How about me?” She asked.

“That was a joke.” I flatly told her, going back to eating my dish.

“Doesn’t have to be…” She whined under her breath, her ears pinning back as she lowered her head drinking her soup broth.

Finally the griffon began to eat his food begrudgingly making faces as he ate from his soup.

Peacefully the three of us ate with little conversation as we basked in the lively atmosphere.

*****

Straightening a blackened uniform slicking back his mane, the officer placed his peaked cap above his blond mane. Marching through the marketplace the horn above his head glowed in and out as he followed the trail that only he could see sniffing the air resisting the urge to face plant to the ground to get a better whiff of the scented trail left behind from his prey.

Pushing past ponies, getting gasps and upset insults until the citizens laid their eyes on who it was. Going quiet on the spot seeing the balck nazi uniform.

The unicorn stallion looked to be in a hurry, eager even. When suddenly his eyes fell on his prize.

When suddenly a stallion spoke up from behind the human Hunter making his blood run cold.

“Vee meet again Kreature.”

***Hunter POV***

With my knife still in hand I whipped around swinging my knife for a stab. Only to find myself face first into my food bowl with a forceful thud causing both of my companions to jump in surprise.

“Nein, nein, none of zat.”

“The hell's your problem?!” Blaze jumped out of the bench raising his gun at the stallion only for his mag to slide out and for the bolt to shoot back, sending the bullet out the side harmlessly. “The he-”

He was thrown against the wall.

Bonesaw nervously cringed as she shrank in her seat.

“What do you want?” I growled through clenched teeth upset that this fucker ruined my meal.

“To knov zat I von our little hunt…”

Suddenly I understood what Bombshell meant… he was back with a fresh coat of paint.