Fallout Equestria: Baltimare Rising
By DarklingRuby and StellaeNocte
Chapter 1: Survivor
“..to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”

War. A cruel and vile creature, a beast that consumes all that it sees. Happiness, comfort, hope. Yet, every creature is so quick to jump to war that it seems we never learn anything from our ancestors.

ooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooo

I remember what life was like before the war. It was stressful, to say the least. Alas, I was a young colt. Only thing I had to worry about was “keepin’ them damn zebras out o’ our land”. The propaganda was everywhere, plastered on every building, every street corner, even every box. “Beware the striped menace”. Yeah. Sure. The only menace to our society were the ponies leading us. It started with our coal reserves dwindling. Our striped neighbors however had an abundance of coal, they were willing to trade for gems.

However, after an incident between ponies and zebras resulted in Wonderbolts dying and the Kaiser being offended. Insulated by Equestria’s perceived attempt at doing his job the Kaiser forcefully took his coal back. Influenced by these actions and the uneducated pleas of nobility, Equestria declared war. War had not been seen in Equestria for more than a millennia but was not too uncommon in zebra tribes. War followed, raged and stole the lives of many. After the school attack Celestia abdicated and Luna ascended to power which caused the Zebras more rage due to her past escapades as Nightmare Moon. Then The Ministry of Arcane Technology created the mega spells, supposed pinnacles of warfare and arcane technology. The magic was supposed to turn the war in our favor, but they ended up being our own downfall. Once the zebras got their hooves on the matrix, they did not shy away from using them to destroy us.

I remember what happened the day the spells detonated, ravaging our lands, destroying our cities, and vaporizing our populace. I sat at the school grounds, happy to finally be done with my classes for the day. My friends jumped around, playful and cheery just like me, not a care in the world. We swung on the swings and spun on the merry-go-round. Soon, before I knew it, my mom was pulling me away so we could go home. Tan and orange mane and tail, with her main spiking off at some points, blue, and butterfly with a red cross for a cutie mark, her calling being a voluntary relief worker. She was a pretty mare, or that's what I was told at least. I thought everypony was beautiful, but that was the inborn kindness and willingness to make friends of a foal, foolish and hopeful. Then the Equestrian Military moved in. They started ushering us towards what they called “Stable 35”, saying it would protect us because they presumed there would be a zebra attack on our city.

“Quickly, ma’am! Up the hill!” A tall pony is scary armor said to my mom with urgency. I had seen that armor before. It was power armor, made by the Ministry of Wartime Technology. Ponies in that armor were the very face of Equestrian morale.

“Wait! Where’s my husband? I can’t go in without him!” My mother pleaded to the armored giant.

“He’s already been taken to the Stable, now you need to go!” We were already running to the safety of the structure. When we arrived to the large pad on top of the hill, various other ponies were already gathering there. Once we stood safely on the platform in the shape of a large cog, soldiers began to rush about as one of the higher ranking ones received a radio report.

“Every pony cover your eyes!” He screamed as a bright flash erupted to the east of the town. Even with my mother’s hoof over my eyes, I could tell the light would have blinded any pony dumb enough to look at it.

“I don't care if they're all not here! Send the damn platform down now!” The pony who I think was the officer from before was shouting at the soldier who was supposed to be operating the controls to the door. The platform suddenly lurched downwards as the sealing doors closed overhead, concealing us in total darkness. As the elevator carrying we few survivors continued to grind, light pierced through a metal grate. By the time we had regained our vision, the Stable’s platform had screeched to a halt as ponies in radiation suits stepped forward, scanning us for any trace of radiation.

“They're clean.” One of them proclaimed. As he said that, a brown earth pony stallion trotted forward to the edge of the catwalk in front of us.

“Greetings, everypony! I'm Paper Clip, Overstallion of Stable 35. Now, I understand that you're all very shaken and I'm sure that you have many questions, but please. For the moment, come up to the catwalk and provide attendance so that we may give you your standard issue Stable barding.” The stallion stood with an air of authority, but he radiated trust and care. There were cries for lost homes and mourns for dead family, but that didn't concern my mother. She just wanted to find dad. We rushed up the platform, frantically scanning every pony standing idly around. He stepped forward from where he was standing in his security armor. The deep red unicorn stallion with dark tan mane and blue eye was hard to miss. He'd lost his other eye in a battle with zebras not long ago. After recovering, he was sent back to spend time with us before being contracted to work security for Stable-Tec.

“Hope!” He called out to us, and my mom ran over to him, embracing and nuzzling him. Despite the attendance pony’s efforts, our family refused to part.

“Mare, stallion, colt. I guess that's them.” The attendance taker seemed to give up on getting our names. Mom didn't care, she was just happy to have our family together again. The annoying Overstallion didn't miss a beat.

“And look! One family, happy to be together within the safety of our fine Stable. I’m certain that the rest of you will adapt to life in your new home fairly well, as we have gone the extra mile to give you all every amenity possible so that you feel happy here!” The few survivors milled about aimlessly. Some putting their new barding immediately, others seeing what 35 had to offer.

Dad took us down to the living level where we put on our Stable bardings. They were blue and yellow, with 35 stitched in big letters on the back and on the collars. The outfits were pretty comfortable, too. I liked them, but mom seemed to disagree with them. She tugged and pulled at the barding, trying to find a spot where it didn't rub wrong.

“Honey, do we have to wear these ridiculous bardings?” She complained fruitlessly.

“Yes, they're part of Stable guidelines. ‘All Stable residents and staff must wear their standard issue barding at all times’. Just give them a chance. I’m sure you’ll like them.” He stated as he kissed her. From there, we traveled to the shower rooms and the rest rooms, then to the cafeteria. The shower rooms didn't offer very much privacy. Just 4 shower heads on one side and 4 more on the other. They were separated with dividers in between and curtains acting as a door, but the issue was that the curtains were partially transparent.
The cafeteria was nice though. An expansive kitchen complemented by large, grey serving counters and 5 table benches.

The next few months went by so slowly that they might as well have been entire years. Mom worked in the doctor’s office. While dad worked as the head of security, not that the security ponies were needed except for the occasional petty thief. The Stable ended up being really boring. Wake up, shower, eat, then go to school. Life did spice up slightly one month when a light yellow filly almost got hurt by a bunch of falling crates. Something in me snapped and I shoved her out of the way so that I got pinned by the crates. It only broke my rear right hoof, but it was enough for security to host a special reward ceremony in my honor. The filly became my friend, Sun Rose was her name. She loved hydroponics and flowers and I thought she was a really big nerd.

And oh if I thought school before the stable was boring, then Stable schooling was torture. The classes wouldn’t have been horrible, and the teacher was really nice. However, every day we had to spend an hour talking about our lives in the Stable and then discuss why the Overstallion was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I didn’t think it was necessary, but apparently it had something to do with the Stable-Tech guidelines. Then again, I hardly focused in the classes. My mind wandered a lot, mainly because math couldn’t hold my attention even if it was offering chocolate treats and juice.

I wondered what happened to the surface, and if any of my friends had survived the bombing. The security ponies said we had to stay underground because outside was completely destroyed by rolling waves of green flame and boiling radiation. It sounded absolutely ridiculous, because if the bombs moved as fast as they said, we would have died outside! I never believed them, I thought they were all liars.
Regardless, life carried on in the Stable, until one very fateful day that changed my life forever.

I was spending time in the auditorium with Sun Rose when a bunch of security ponies rushed past us towards the front entrance and said the Stable was in lockdown until further notice. Mom grabbed Rose and I, then pulled us off to the living level to hide. I struggled to ask mom what was going on over Rose’s whimpers, but she finally answered me after we got to our room.

“Ponies have gotten into the Stable. No pony knows how, but your Dad says we need to stay here where it’s safe while he and the other guards try to contain everything.” She had a look of worry in her eyes and a frightened edge to her voice. Rose asked where her parents were, but I could tell from how long it took mom to respond that it wasn't good.

Then the gunshots started. The pop pop pop resonated through the walls of the Stable like bangs from the world’s biggest and loudest drum. Rose was quivering and shaking, because she had never heard them before, but I had. Only because Dad wanted me to be confident around firearms. I barely finished my thoughts of my gun training when the speaker system crackled to life.

“Attention all Stable 35 residents! Please return to your living quarters immediately. Our home is under attack and you must hide while our security team moves to secure the Stable.” His broadcast was interrupted by a pony shouting something vulgar and then a gunshot.

“Listen up, asshole. You're gonna read what's on this paper, or I'm gonna blow your fucking brains out!” A different voice was being heard now. It was very gruff and unpleasant, he sounded like sandpaper would if it could speak. There was an audible grunt as something hit the desk.

“To all residents of Stable 35.” There's an audible pause. “This is my last act as Overstallion. I will not forsake you. Stay in your rooms. Security teams, protect the residents.” The gruff sounding pony shouts as three gunshots go off.

“Dumb motherfucker. I'm unlocking the doors. Have fun boys.” The sand paper pony’s voice returned over the intercom before the lock on our door unclicked and three ponies that had bits of metal and leather strapped to yellow radiation suits stepped through. Rose screamed as one of them grabbed and another tried to grab me. Unlike Rose, I had gumption to survive.

He held me under his chest with one hoof, so I began to kick and lash out in any way I could. My flailing hoof eventually caught the one thing every stallion can’t bear to lose, and he dropped me. I tried to run to mom, but that same pony pinned me down with his hoof. Thinking quickly, my body turned as my front right hoof swung into his face. He leaned back after I struck him a second time.
“That's it, you little shit! Try and hit me now!” He pinned my right forehoof down and pushed a stick with a chunk of metal on top of it with two holes on the end against my hoof and pulled the trigger with his unicorn magic. I don’t remember much after he did that. There was a lot of screaming, my own mixed with my mother’s, a lot of red stuff on the floor. Then my dad was in the room with us, helping mom up. Then mom was running towards the medical bay, while I saw dad shut the door behind us as bullets started to hit the walls around him, tears streaming down his face. For some reason, the world started to get really dark.

“Stay with me baby, please!” My mother pleaded through sobs of grief. There was a really weird ringing coming from everywhere. Then there were other doctors standing near me. They were doing something to my hoof. Mom was standing over me, tears streaming down her face. I hadn’t noticed it before, but I had been bawling as well. Suddenly, another one of the ponies in the yellow suits burst through the door with a pony in power armor. I thought the ponies in power armor were supposed be on our side, but apparently treachery runs within the hearts of even our greatest heroes. Bullets tore through two of the nurses as three wounded security team members rushed the attackers as mom scooped me into her grasp.

She laid me down in a bed. Oddly not a regular bed, because I had heard mom arguing with a doctor pony over this kind of bed. Stable-Tec wanted to put some new born fillies in these pods so they could study what happened with long term exposure to the talismans in the pods. What was currently happening in the room flooded back to me like a burst dam as mom kissed my cheek and closed the lid on the chamber I now lay in. The bite of cold shook me from my daze as the glass began to frost over.

“Momma..” Was the last word I was able to mutter before the cryogenic talisman overtook my consciousness as I witnessed a bullet pierce my mother’s neck.

Author's Note

I’d like to give huge thanks to Kkat for both inspiring me to write this as well as give me permission to write this story, not to forget my co-author/editor Stellae, since he's been such a monumental help in this writing so far.