Fallout Equestria: Blood and Steel

I lost what I defined myself to be.

I woke up to the sound of gunfire, it was close. I jumped out of bed and looked around. The room hadn't been touched since I went to sleep. I approached my armor. It was muddy, covered with grim and riddled with dents and scrapes. I opened the rear panel and ran a diagnostic. My magical battery was at 91.4%, I had 3 healing potions left and about 5 mags of ammunition for my anti-material rifle and 2500 rounds for the gatling cannon. I closed the panel and entered the suit. The gun shots sounded like they were getting closer. I put my helmet on and went downstairs. Star Charm and Rori were peeking out the window.

"What's going on?" I asked. I proceeded to walk down, I heard faint yelling.

"Open ta door!" I looked out the window and saw Apple Fritter, covered in mud and blood with a bunch of saddle bags slung over her back. Star charmed hastily opened the door and Rori spit out a barrage of gunfire from her battle saddle. As Apple Fritter slid underneath Rori to dodge the gunfire.

"Sweet Celestia! That's a lot of zebra's!" Rori yelled pulling away from the door. Star Charm kicked the door close and began to fire out the windows at our attackers.

"Yeehaaw!" Apple Fritter yelled in delight, dropping 9 pairs of saddle bags on the ground.

"I know I should ask how you were able to carry that many saddle bags but just-" a door came flying straight into me knocking me off my hooves. Sending me tumbling down the remaining stairs. "Son of a whore! I never get to finish my damn sentence."

"Ah guess their mad ah stole their food and ammo," Apple Fritter then took off into the other room. Presumably to retrieve her power armor.

"I'm heading to the roof to get a better vantage point, can you hold them off?" I asked as I recovered from my fall.

"We'll be fine! Now head up the stairs and leave us behind!" Star Charm replied.

Did she rhyme? No time to think about that. I ran upstairs, to the second floor kicking open a door to the balcony in the master bedroom. I saw about 10 zebra's scattered about the front of the house. I locked onto my target zooming in on them for a clean shot. I noticed that a few of the zebras had masks on. They were made of wood and were painted in strange colors and each mask varied in shape, design and size. I exhaled aiming right for the head. I pulled the trigger. My anti-machine rifle let out of thunderous roar, the recoil sent me sliding back a few inches. The bullet tore through the air until it bounced off the mask landing a few feet away from the zebra.

"What the fuck?" I fired another round at the zebra, then another, and then another. He seemed virtually unfazed and unaware that a bullet had even hit him. I turn on my ear-bloom. "Apple Fritter, who are these zebra's? I keep shooting at the ones with masks on but they don't even flinch when I hit them. Over?"

"Ah reckin' it's some new fangled magical shield. If Ah knew they were this strong I would had stolen some. Try using the gatling cannon. Ah doubt it could take more than few bullets from it. Over," Apple Fritter replied. I took another long look at the zebra's mask. It seems the third bullet put a small dent in the mask. I began the warming up the gatling cannon and opened fire at the wave of zebra's below. I could see the tracers occasionally bounce off the masked zebras.

"For Celestia's sake why won't you just die!" I yelled continuing to saturate the zebras in a bullet storm. Then the whistle of multiple grenades whooshed past me as Apple Fritter walked up next to me, grenade machine gun attached to her battle saddle roaring as it continued to spew out magical apples at a rapid rate.

"If this don't stop em', nothin' will," the whistle coming from each grenade as it flew threw the air was a sharp ring almost akin to an artillery shell. A sound of a whistle pierce the air blowing multiple times. The zebra's began to retreat, Apple Fritter began opening fire with her gatling gun trying to gun down the routing zebras.

"Cease fire!" I yelled, "Everypony regroup at the front door," I sighed in relief. I walk back inside Sugar Belle's Mansion to find the place full of bullet holes. The once big picture of Sugar Belle that hung above the stairs was shredded like Swiss cheese. I walked down the stairs to meet up with the rest of my team.

"Well, that was ah mighty fine mess," Apple Fritter chuckles. I laugh with her.

"I think we are all just lucky to be alive," Rori chimed in. I look over to Star Charm who had a rather stern look on her face.

"Now is not the time to be messing around, the masked will soon be inbound," Star Charm's voice cut like an ax and ended our laughter. Did she just rhymed again? "My grandmother once told me the story of when the first Caesar united the zebra lands. He had by his side an army of masked guards who fought fiercely and were unmatched on any battlefield. They fought the most in the war and suffered no casualties."

"So what your saying is that story is more than just a tall tale," I asked. Star Charm nodded and walked outside straight to one of the dead masked zebras. We followed closely and noticed the mask was completely shattered.

"I assume the Caesar uses the masked guard as his personal bodyguards but with the war turning south he must not have much of a choice in deploying them," Rori stated.

"Yes, but there is more to the legend, the mask is past down from generation to generation and can not be received until the current owner passes. Once the owner passes the mask seals a piece of the of the former wielders soul. The more its passed down, the stronger it becomes. However should the owner die with no foal to receive it, the mask becomes a curse. It's immense power comes at a price. If the mask is destroyed, the entire family is claimed by the mask and ceases to be and turn to dusk," I took a step back after hearing that. "That is why I believe it was an old foals tale.."

I took a closer look at the body and grabbed his hoof. It broke off with an audible snap; the hoof began to crumble into dust and was blown away by the wind. The body began to turn an ashy grey loosing any semblance of color a zebra might have had.

"It reminds me of the ponies in Ponipeii. The ponies were buried in ash and all that was left was the shell of the ponies who once lived there," Rori stated over the coms. I heard Star Charm whispering a prayer over the dead zebras. Apple Fritter stomped the head of the dead zebra. The rest of its body turned to a pile of ash.

"Let's go. We got ta keep moving," Apple Fritter's accent made her sound like even more of a battlefield veteran than she actually was.

"Right..." I sighed. "Check you maps, we are meeting at Stalliongrad City Mall. If you are separated we will wait there for approximately two hours. If you aren't there we will presume you were killed and move on with the mission," I commanded. I was nervous. We were on the outskirts of town and the mall was 3 hours trot with out fighting. I saw Star Charm pull out of map and start plotting points. I walked up to her and lowered her map. "Here take this, it will make interfacing with the nav points easier," I levitated out a Pip-Buck 2000. Standard issue for officers but since my power armor, I haven't much use for it.

"Are you sure you wish to give this to me? Most ponies don't trust the zebra folk even after we bleach our coats," Star Cham was shocked at the gift.

"You'll need it. We are all stuck in here. You had a chance to kill us and return with the zebras and instead you helped drive them off. Just because you have stripes doesn't make you any less of a pony," I used my magic to clip it to her fore-hoof. "There that map will be connected to the teams navigation. You'll also have use of the EFS and SATs."

"What is an EFS and what is SATs," she questioned.

"Well an EFS is a magical spell matrix that helps you detect hostile forces in front of you even if you cant see them and SATs...," Rori was interrupted by Apple Fritter.

"And SATs was developed by mah younger cousin Apple Bloom and her friends, it will help you shoot at multiple targets more accurately," Apple Fritter Interjected.

"By Celestia you ponies are so complex, is it that hard to aim your gun at your target?" Star Charm looked down at the Pip-Buck. She sighed and said "Thank you. This will be of great aid," Star Charm smiled at me.

"Oh I almost forgot. I levitated a small earpiece out of my bag and put it in Star Charms ear. This is the earbloom. You'll be able to hear us on the coms but you won't be able to talk to us. You can also listen to the radio on it if you like. It's what I used it for mainly," I turned around and looked off into the distance. Only 9:00am and it feels like we've been up for days. "All ponies, wedge formation, forward march!" I yelled. We began our walk towards the city.

*******************************************************

As we marched closer to the city the sounds of gunfire seemed ever closer yet ever so distant. We walked through miles of cratered and trenched earth. Combat grew scarce since this morning. Few stragglers here and there but nothing major. We entered a large trench network. This was the quickest way to get into the city. Before the shield we were stuck in a stalemate near the mall. If we are lucky we take the trenches all the way there.

"Fire team file. I'll take point, Rori take the rear," I said. We all moved into position and began to slowly walk through the trenches. Bodies of ponies and zebras were strewn randomly about the trenches. They were all in several states of decomposition. They have been dead long before shield. Have the zebras pushed us this far back...

"Sir, the Pip-Buck picked up a distress beacon. Frequency 184," Star Charm looked around. I tuned my radio and honed in on the distress beacon. A slow beep played over the air.

"Let's go find the beacon, they could be in trouble," I said. We began to walk a bit faster. A roll of haze began to cloud the trenches making our EFS our only source of guidance. The beep began to pick up the pace as we inched along and we arrived at a square junction. One path lead south east while the other led west. "Which way should we go?" I muttered aloud. After juggling my options I decided on West.

The radio began to beep faster. The corpses disappeared... I was feeling worried at the signs of the abandoned trench. We entered a small junction with, it was a command post, the stairs were still intact and the lights were still on inside the command room.

"Set up a perimeter. Silent Night, take up a sniper position and keep your ear bloom in, I don't want any surprises," She nodded and ran off down one of the trenches. "Make sure no one comes in or out, I walked down the stairs and what I saw made me throw up in my mouth. I swallowed the disgusting vomit back down and began to cough. I ran back up the stairs throwing my helmet off with my hooves and began to violently throw up.

"Sir, are you ok!?" Rori walked over to me. "What happened you were barely down there two minutes."

"Let me take a gander," Apple Fritter began to walk down the stairs. "Sweet Celestia!" she screamed. I levitated my helmet back on and wiped away the mud on the lenses. Rori, Star Charm and I descended the stairs into the command room. The room was covered in blood. Several Steel Rangers... or what's left of them littered the floor. Guts and body parts littered the floor. I began to examine their armor. It looks like something was bursting out from the inside. I walked farther into the command post down a narrow hallway. It was an officers quarter and it was full of maps and papers. There was a bed in the corner next to a locker.

"It doesn't look like Zebra's did this," I approached the locker and I punched the lock, bending door. I pulled the door off with my magic. Inside was a number of assorted items. There was a laser pistol on the top shelf. I levitated a small picture of a gray mare with a silver mane standing next to a taller, pink unicorn with a two tone mane. All of a sudden I heard a whimper from the corner of the room. I jumped back. My heart was racing, I looked around the room scanning my EFS, I noticed a small blip over the bed, I had originally ignored it because I thought it must had been one of my squad mates in the other room. "Show yourself!" I yelled, I walked towards the bed. "Don't make me shoot you!" I screamed. My heart was racing, its beat was that of a machine gun firing.

"Wait! Please don't shoot," a soft voice yelled from under the bed. A gray earth pony mare with big blue glasses and a silver mane. She was wearing a black skin tight stealth suit with a subdued gold bar on the sleeve.

I removed my helmet. I took a better look at her and that suit fits her curves nicely. I quickly shook my head and returned to reality "What happened here?" tears began to well up in her eyes.

"They killed everypony, without warning," she sat down as tears rolled down her cheek. "One of my school mates was in my platoon, I watched as they cut his head clean off his armor."

"Who?"

"The Griffons. The Griffon Mercenaries that were hired betrayed us as soon as the shield went up... they killed everypony, they sabotaged all the power armor with explosives and... and... I ran away! I was so scared," she was crying hysterically. I climbed out of my armor and wrapped my hooves around her.

"Don't worry you're safe now. My name is 1st Lt Napoleon Cake, I'm with the 332nd Expeditionary Battalion, 3rd Company. As soon as the shield went up half of my company was blown up and now there are only four of us including me," I consoled her. I tried to sooth the pains of war.

"My name is Silver Spoon, I'm a 2nd Lt. I was in charge of the 9th Recon company with a detachment of griffons but they are all dead and the Griffons are gone."

"Well Silver Spoon, we plan on heading to the center of the city to force the zebra commanders to surrender so we can lower the shield. Do you know where the other ponies who were occupying the trenches before the shield?" I asked. "I noticed a lack of pony bodies in some places and more zebras in others."

"Well once the shield went up, the zebra's launched a massive assault to try to take our trenches. After a day of fighting they retreated. Then the griffons attacked my team. I've been hiding in the bunker for who knows how long. I've been to scared to leave the room."

"Silver Spoon, I suggest you come with us, it's probably safer in numbers than alone in the trenches," I said looking at her.

"No, I need to find a way to escape, I'm going to die here if I don't do anything.

"Silver Spoon, there is no way out. The base is destroyed, this trench system was one of the last battalions spared from the destruction and now they are all missing. Plus I'm pretty sure General Rainbow Dash escaped before the shield went up so there is no reason for it to be opened. We have to destroy the zebra's. It's the only way to survive."

"But... I don't want to die," tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Silver Spoon, look at me. I'm going to make sure you survive this. I'll protect you, I'll never let any thing harm you," I tried to look as heroic as possible. She wrapped her hooves around my neck crying.

"Thank you..." she whispered into my ear. She wiped the tears from her eyes and took deep breathe. "Thank you, let me gather my things, I'll meet you outside when I'm ready. I nodded and made my way back outside.

"Give me a sit rep," I said over the coms as I walked up the stairs.

"Well, we found some scrap metal, healing bandages and three healing potions, over," Apple Fritter said over the coms.

"I've got some ammunition for energy weapons, over," Rori said.

"Nothing on my end, its quiet from my position, just smoke and gunfire in the far trenches," Silent Night reported.

"I haven't found any survivors, I am heading back to the junction,” Star Charm replied.

“Roger that, I’m waiting at the junction. Silent Night head back to the junction we are moving out,” I walked over to the side of the trench and peaked over. Fire and smoke was were bellowing into the sky. Craters were scattered throughout the field. Body parts and war machines were strewn in bits and pieces. I turned my head back to the trenches to see my squad.

“Y’all ready time move?” Apple Fritter sounded worried.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

“No, but y’all might want to prepare yourself for what comes next.”

“Alright, I’m ready,” Silver Spoon exited the bunker, she now had saddle bags on and several pouches lined with magazines with a laser pistol in her holster and a PipBuck on her left hoof. She had taken off her glasses. I was able to see her eyes much more clearly. A beautiful deep purple and her silver mane was tied back into a pony tail. I couldn’t help but admire her. Then I felt a sharp punch to the head.

“Son of a bitch,” I felt my head ring like a bell. I look up and saw Silver Spoon look at me puzzled.

“Alright lover-boy, you can ogle her later, “ Apple Fritter scoffed.

“R-right, team this is 2nd Lt Silver Spoon, she was with the 9th Recon Company, she is the only survivor. Treat her kindly and please show her the proper respect,” I said stoically trying to sound cool. I sound like such a loser. My team started exchanging greeting and I started heading towards the trench that leads into the city.

“So what’s the game plan?” Silver Spoon asked.

“We are heading to the Stalliongrad City Mall to retake the forward outpost. Let’s go. I’ll take point,” I began to march down the narrow trench. Body parts, blood, shell casings and boxes were scattered all throughout the walls and floor. I continued and entered another junction full of artillery shells. We continued moving.

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It was quiet, the gunfire halted and the fires continued to burn. That was a bad sign. We made it to the end of the Equestrian trenches. I stuck my head over looking into no pony’s land. Craters, mud and the remains of ponies and zebras. littered the ground. We had to clear 100 yards of open field to make it to enemy trenches. We all looked over the trench wall, it was extremely muddy and a low fog rolled in.

"Silent Night, can you check the enemy trenches for activity," I tried to look as close as I could, but the fog was obscuring my view.

"I can't see any movement, wait a minute..." she turned a bit to the left, I lifted my head a bit higher. I felt a bullet hit me right in the left ear and a second on hit me in the chest piercing my armor, knocking me down to the muddy trench below. My EFS showed my head and body was crippled and that I was losing blood. A healing potion was then administered to me through my power armor. I opened my eyes to see my squad returning fire while Silver Spoon had her PipBuck plugged into me. I saw her lips move but I couldn't hear. My ears were ringing. I tried to stand up, my hooves felt heavy. Silver Spoon helped me up. I still couldn't hear her. I climbed out of the trench, my power armor was still repairing the damaged armor and my ear hadn't fully healed back yet. I saw a zebra fall out of a tree, probably the one who shot me. Bullets from the enemy machine gun began to hit me, bouncing off and leaving dents in my armor. They hurt, but I can take it. I spun up my gattling cannon and opened fire at the enemy trench.

"You dumb motherfuckers!" I yelled. I still couldn't hear, but I assumed it came out something like that. I watched my cannon tear through their trench. My squad stopped firing at them and began to slowly turn left and right to keep them down. Suddenly a massive fireball erupted in the zebra trench. I stopped shooting to see zebras scrambling throughout the trench. Most of them seemed to be on fire. I chuckled and the fell over. I felt my armor slightly sink into the mud. I exhaled and blacked out.

Footnote: Level Up!
Perk added: Concentrated Fire: When firing big guns, you no longer suffer from a accuracy reduction while firing for an extended period of time.