Fallout Equestria: Dracony Chronicles

The sound of hooves clopping against the hard floor echoed through the computer room. Lazuli staggered towards the screen, almost dumbfounded by the sight in front of her. Fizzlepop Berrytwist, a mare whom she had assumed to be dead for almost two centuries now, was staring back at her with an almost equal amount of bewilderment. Lazuli slowly put her front hooves up on the panel in front of the monitor, staring at the projection in front of her.

“I-…” She began, her mouth suddenly feeling as dry as the desert outside. “F-Fizzle…is…a-are you…really…”

“I-I am.” Fizzlepop replied, her semi-static projection occasionally changing in facial expression, but her voice was all Lazuli needed. “I…I can’t believe you’re…you’re still alive…”

“How-“ Lazuli’s voice cracked. “How are you still alive?! I haven’t seen you in- s-sweet Celestia…it’s been…two hundred years, right?”

Fizzlepop paused for a second. “I…hold on. I’ve got something that might be a bit easier to talk to.”

“Wh-…” Lazuli winced as the screen flicked off. A split second passed where she thought it might have just been a figment of her imagination, but then a mechanical hissss and a few loud clanging and whirring noises caught her attention off to the side of the room.

A container slowly slid open, a bit of steam pouring out with it. What looked to be a mechanical pony stepped out, a robotic unicorn body that sported the same mohawk and armour that Lazuli had gotten so accustomed to seeing Fizzlepop in…hundreds of years ago. Her voice was slightly more synthetic when she spoke, bouncing off the metal walls of her ‘throat’, but clearly a physical body was better. The robotic body moved a bit more stiffly than a real pony’s would, but she wasn’t surprised to find it was so accurate. After all, she had just found out that the filly she had saved was a robot herself…

Fizzlepop stopped a foot away from Lazuli. Even though her eyes were more like camera lenses than proper equine eyes, the Dracony couldn’t look away. “…I…I c-…I…” Lazuli started to stammer.

“I know…I can’t really wrap my head around it either.” Fizzlepop shook her head slowly, the metal plates on her body shifting with each movement. “I…I really can’t believe you’re- oof!”

There was a loud CLANG as Fizzle was tackled, knocked onto her rump and sliding across the floor a bit. A pair of strong forelegs grasped Fizzle’s upper body, and she looked down to see Lazuli’s face buries in her metallic chest. “I…o-oh…” Fizzle cracked a smile, gently returning Lazuli’s hug and pulling her closer. “I…I missed you, Laz…”

Lazuli was shaking. While Fizzle’s robotic body couldn’t feel it, she could definitely tell, and she had to admit that she probably would be if she was capable of doing it without rattling some screws loose. “I…F-Fizz…” Lazuli felt tears rolling down her cheeks, dripping onto the metal surface of her old friend’s chest and falling to the ground after that. “Y-you’re…you’re…still here…” She choked up, her voice struggling to sound normal.

Fizzle calmed down much easier than Lazuli, her voice much steadier. She could only imagine how Laz had been living this whole time…

“It’s okay, Laz. It’s okay…” She gently nuzzled her metal snout into Lazuli’s mane. “We’re okay.”

“I-I can’t…I can’t believe…” Lazuli said, then trailed off, sniffling gently and letting more tears drip down Fizzle’s chest.

Fizzle sighed gently and stroked Lazuli’s mane, running her hoof through its surface. She would give anything to be able to actually feel it, but just knowing that she was there was enough. She suddenly hugged Lazuli much closer to herself, her eyes sliding shut as she rested her chin on top of the Dracony’s head, between her ears.

Lazuli sniffled and tightened her own grip, her whole body shaking as she embraced her friend of…well, she had to say over 200 years.

Fizzle sat there for what felt like only a minute, but ended up being well over 10. Neither of them said anything, the two simply sharing a tight and loving embrace…until the door slid open.

The cream-coloured unicorn that had been standing outside poked his head in, looking around. “Erm, Commander Tempe-…” He started, then paused and stared at the two of them for a second. “…Er…is this a bad time, ma’am?” He asked, watching the commander’s head slowly raise up.

“Hm? Oh…apologies, Lieutenant Bronze.” She had a smile on her face, one that was much more easily expressed by her robotic form. “What is it?”

“Uh…” The unicorn shook his head to clear it. “Right. Well…the scouts to the East have come back. No casualties. You said you wanted to speak to them when they returned.”

“Oh, right.” Fizzle slowly nodded. “I’ll be there in a bit, alright, Lieutenant?” She paused, then waved to him. “Actually, Lieutenant…do you remember the stories I used to tell about a Dracony named ‘Lazuli’?”

The stallion took a second to register what she had said, and when it clicked in his mind his expression changed entirely. His pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks, his ears folded back against his head and his mouth fell slightly agape. “Th-that…is…is that…”

Fizzle just nodded in affirmation. Bronze made a tiny squee noise that was unbefitting of a high-ranking guard like him, but quickly stood himself tall and tried to regain his composure. “Er, yes, of course, ma’am. I uh…I’ll inform them you’re meeting with someone…” squeeeeee. “Extremely important.”

Lazuli’s ears twitched a little and she slowly turned her head up, her nose pressed against the bottom of Fizzle’s chin. “…Wh-what did you tell them about me…?”

“Just a few of the things you’ve done for Equestria, Laz. Nothing much.” Fizzle ran her hoof up and down Lazuli’s mane, ruffling it a bit.

“Y-you…you told them about…”

“Where do you think I got the name ‘Riders of the Dusk’, Laz?” Fizzle smiled, giggling and giving the Dracony another nuzzle. “…Obviously we both need to catch up, but you heard him. I’ve got some stuff I need to do. You’re coming with me.” She gently tapped her hoof against Lazuli’s nose.

Lazuli swallowed, tears still rolling down her cheeks. “I-I swear on Celestia’s grave, I’m not letting you out of my sight…”

“You think I’d let you out of mine?” Fizzle smiled. “Now come on. We can’t catch up if you’re crying like this, can we…?”

Lazuli slowly straightened up, managing to pry herself away from Fizzle and wipe her eyes clean with her hoof. She sniffled softly, a small giggle escaping her. “S-sorry…I just…gods, it’s been…so long…”

“C’mere.” Fizzle pulled Lazuli in again, pressing her metallic cheek into the Dracony’s. “We’ve got a lot to talk about, right?”

“…Y-yeah.” Lazuli nodded enthusiastically, standing up as Fizzle did.

G.O.M. OS V 1.2 Booting up.

Running Diagnostic Scan.

System Integrity: OK!

Memory Bank: OK!

External Layer: Consider Repair.

Internal Functions: OK!

Running Secondary Diagnostic.

…

…

…

Data Integrity: 96% Complete. Corruption Detected.

Diagnostic Repair Sequence Running (Admin)…

…

…..

…..

Done!

Booting Up Synthetic

G.O.M Model: 2

Designation:

Whatever the fuck I tell you.

Loading done!

Awaken, [LEAD LINED].

The boot-up screen went from black with green text to a full optical projection of what Lead Lined was looking at. His eyes clicked and whirred, taking a few seconds to properly fixate themselves on what was within his line of sight. The glass covering slowly hissed open in front of him, and he stepped forward.

In physical appearance, he wasn’t very dissimilar from a zebra. His fur was the standard greyish off-white, and his stripes were an equally standard darker grey. His eyes, which had visible signs of being artificial, were blue. His mane was slicked to one side of his face.

The only real sign that Lead Lined was artificial from a distance were the two large, metal wings stuck to his back. It was an obvious fact that zebras were not winged creatures, but his creator had seen it fit to make him as mobile as possible. When he spoke, his voice was quite audibly metalling and synthesized, for he didn’t possess the same organs as a normal zebra. Each movement he made was precise and calculated, making them almost look abrupt and jerky whenever he stopped moving.

His ear twitched with a gentle click as he heard the tapping of a hoof against the floor. His head gently turned to face his left side, where he saw another zebra standing.

The zebra in question was a mare, one with a similar disposition to his own. While he showed very little emotion simply due to his synthetic nature, the mare staring at him was a different story. Her mane was styled in a mohawk, with a braid of her hair flopped against the back of her neck to maintain any excess. Her eyes were a bright, steely blue, and her body was currently covered by a long black coat that had sheets of metal on some parts – namely her shoulders – as armour. Underneath was a combat vest.

The most noticeable feature about this zebra, however, was her right foreleg. It was very clearly made entirely of metal, and was about as bulky and equal in shape to its left counterpart.

He stayed quiet, allowing her to speak first. One didn’t simply address the leader before she addressed you, in most cases.

“It’s about time.” She spoke, her voice low, but stern. “How do you feel?”

Lead Lined slowly blinked, an action that was understood by him to be normal for a pony. “I feel…fine, creator.” He replied.

The zebra rolled her eyes. “Just call me Ayize, how many times have I told you this?”

“Right. I feel fine, Ayize.”

The leader slowly began walking in a circle around her artificial creation, a frown crossing her face. “Mmh…are you sure? No sparking, no optical glitches?”

Lead tilted his head and blinked a few more times, focusing in and out on objects that were further away. The laboratory was nice and clean, with bright white lights shining down on the equally bright and white tiles and walls. In the middle of the room was a work table, as well as a few others dotted around the walls, and several storage units. Behind him were three large pods, each meant to house a synthetic like himself. He noted that the one to his left was empty, while the one to his right was glazed over with a metal covering to hide its contents from view. “Yes, I am sure.” He said finally.

Ayize circled around to his front, tilting her head as she examined his eyes. “Hm…I suppose.” She frowned and took a few steps back. “Alright. Come on out then.”

Lead stepped forward as requested. When he moved, his hooves clankedagainst the floor, his joints giving off quiet but noticeable clicks and whirrs with each step. “What do you require me for, Ayize?”

The look on her face was one that he couldn’t quite decipher, though he was fairly sure it was either anger or disappointment. “Well, your previous unit ran into some…issues.” She said, nodding towards the pod that sat empty beside him.

“Issues, ma’am?”

“One issue, specifically. Your databanks have our files on Lazuli Cutter, right?”

Lead closed his eyes, images flashing across his vision of a Dracony dressed in a black outfit and wielding a sharp blade on her tail. “Hired gun and contract killer, proficient with close quarters combat an-“

“I know who she is.” Ayize inhaled, then sighed. “Deadeye ran into her while trying to get that filly back. It didn’t end well for him.”

“My records show that Lazuli should not be a match for one of us, Ayize. Are you certain that she was alone-“

“If I wasn’t certain, I would be telling you more.” Ayize snorted. “All you need to know is, your last model fucked up.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And while I don’t really care as much about getting the filly back now, I do want something else from you.”

The synthetic nodded slowly. “Of course, ma’am. Whatever you require.”

Ayize snorted and shook her mane a bit. “You’re equipped with internal weaponry, a semi-bulletproof chassis and advanced optical drives. You’re superior to Deadeye in a lot of ways, but Lazuli isn’t somepony I want running around my Wasteland. I need you to get rid of her.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And don’t hesitate, when you see her. Kill her as soon as possible, while maintaining your own safety.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Don’t let that…thing mess up my plans, got it? The Gifts can’t be pushed back.”

“…Gifts, ma’am?”

Ayize groaned and rolled her eyes. “Gifts of Mutation. Our group. Our logo’s on your wings, you dolt.”

“Ah. Right. My apologies.” Lead nodded, spreading out one of his wings to inspect them. The emblem was certainly there – the black and white, low-detail image of a zebra in between a unicorn and what seemed to be a completely robotic pony. The words ‘Gifts of Mutation’ were emblazoned beneath. “I’ll leave as soon as you wish, ma’am.”

She stared at him for a minute, then tapped her chin with her metal hoof. “Hrm…don’t leave just yet. I need to run some tests on the efficiency of your power supply.”

“Of course, ma’am.” Lead nodded and stood still as Ayize walked over to the bench, picking up a few tools with special grabbing mechanisms attached to her hoof that allowed her to manipulate objects with a level of finesse beyond a simple zebra’s, but nowhere near a unicorn’s.

The metal door to the laboratory slid open, revealing another zebra. Based upon statistics alone, Lead knew that approximately 60% of the GOM was made up of zebras, much like their leader. The other 40% were recruits from the Wasteland or purchased slaves. Ayize liked to boast the largest and most substantial pseudo-military organization in the Northeast part of the Equestrian Wasteland.

The zebra at the door stepped in slowly, her gait somewhat timid. She was different from many zebras – her stripes, instead of the expected grey or black, were a bright and stunning golden blonde. Her eyes were bright blue to match, and her mane was in a mohawk similar to Ayize’s.

“Er, ma’am?” The zebra spoke, and even a synthetic creation like Lead felt a bit calmed by it. Imani was known around the compound as the kindest and most friendly mare in the GOM, and this reputation was clearly not unwarranted based on her voice. She could sing like an angel, or at least this was the phrase Lead had logged in his memory, and her kindness knew no bounds. One would be hard pressed to find a pony who could bring themselves to dislike her.

Ayize turned her head to the door with an annoyed expression. “Yes, Imani? What is it?”

“We uh-“ Imani squeaked slightly as her leader’s eyes met her own, and nervously cleared her throat. “We’ve found nothing on patrol, ma’am. As far as we can tell, Lazuli is back in hiding again.”

“Well, Unit 4 is damaged, right?” Ayize moved closer to Imani. The golden zebra was slightly shorter and much less athletic than her commander, so she shrunk back slightly.

“…Y-yes, ma’am.” She nodded.

“And her tracker is damaged by extension?”

Imani swallowed, and nodded again. “…Y-…yes, ma’am.”

“So…” Ayize put a hoof to her forehead, sighing. “You’re telling me…that we can’t find her?”

“I-I put out an order to double patrols, I know this is quite important to y-“

Suddenly, Ayize slammed her metal hoof into the wall right next to Imani’s head, her cold blue eyes glaring into the other mare’s and their foreheads nearly touching. “And when, exactly, did I give you the order to do that?”

“N-…y-you-…you didn’t, but- I just thought-“

“Don’t think.” Ayize growled, her voice growing quieter and darker. “Don’t ever think. You’re not very good at it.” She shoved herself off the wall, and Imani nervously swallowed again.

“M-my apologies, ma’am. I…would you like me to recall the-“

“No!” Ayize banged her hoof against the ground, her sharp inhales of breath making Imani wince. “More patrols is exactly what we need.”

“B-but you just said-“

“I said I didn’t want you making the decisions, butter-ball.” Ayize snorted, prodding a hoof into Imani’s side. It was true, the mare was a bit chubby, but the remark clearly stung.

Imani cleared her throat and just nodded. “Er…y-yes, ma’am. My apologies.”

“No no, I don’t think you get it.” Ayize stepped forward, backing her subordinate against the door. “I don’t want you making decisions at all. You’re an idiot.”

“…Y-ye…yes…ma’am…”

“You make horrible decisions. You’re a singer, you’re a medic, you’re a cleaner. That’s what you do. You go on patrol when I tell you, and the rest of the time, you’re what I’ve told you to be.”

“I-I understand, there’s no need to-“

Ayize’s hoof suddenly pushed into Imani’s chest, pinning her up against the door and holding her there. The golden zebra’s ribs creaked under the force. “You work for me. I’m the boss. I don’t give a shit how much the other troops like your pretty smile or your singing. You’re not the one in charge. That’s me.”

This time, Imani was silent. Ayize spoke again. “What, no ‘Yes miss’ this time?” She waited for a response.

“Y-yes…m-ma’am…”

Ayize let go. Imani dropped to her rump, then quickly stood back up, her body trembling very slightly. “Now get out.” Ayize said sternly, and Imani immediately nodded and slid the door open, exiting the room. Ayize slowly turned back to Lead, who had stood still the entire time. “And you, she said, stepping towards him, her frown turning into a gentle smile. “You always know how to follow orders, don’t you?”

“Whatever you require, yes.”

“Good boy.” She gave him a gentle pat on the head and reached up behind his mane, pulling open a flap of fur and synthetic flesh to reveal an access port. “Now, this might hurt…or maybe not, if your pain receptors aren’t working. Might be better if they’re not…either way, stay quiet.”

Lead simply nodded his head, folding his wings and widening his stance to allow her to lean on his back while she worked.