Fallout Equestria: Fallen Fortress

Medic couldn’t see. The snowstorm was sudden and unexpected. He had long since put Archimedes otherwise, the joints would freeze. He knew he was on a road, a very long one, but other than that, nothing was seen. “Brr… Archimedes, we have to find shelter or start digging one out.” Archimedes didn’t respond. “Archimedes?” To save power, Archimedes had shut down.

“Dangit, Archimedes. Vhy so difficult...” Using his bone saw, Medic began cutting away at the frozen earth. Each stroke was a pain, and he was struggling to catch his breath. “Jou know, Archimedes, jou could’ve at least helped vith zis.” No reply. Medic frowns, not liking the silence. Eventually, cold and hungry, Medic manages to dig out a safety pit to protect himself from the storm. A small pile of dirt and snow serving as a windbreaker. With the task done, he crawled into the pit. Medic shivered, he was used to the cold and snow of his home in Germany, but this place and body were new. How could he have the same winter protection when he was like this?

Medic decided to pass the time by examining what his little heat source, the Pip-Buck, could do. The health monitor stated that he was suffering from minor hyperthermia, but with no real way to help him in that department, Medic ignores it. Inventory marked Archimedes in power save mode, treating it like the robo-dove was asleep. The weapons were marked with a percent to tell how good shape they were in. The bone-saw was down to 73% from the actions Medic had taken earlier to protect himself from the cold, “*Sigh* Vithout Engineer, I don’t zink I can repair zis.” Medic mutters. Checking the map function Medic realized that the only locations marked were the Stable and the town that he had left. The town was marked as White Tail Wood Ruins, “So it vasn’t Two Fort… ” Medic sighed again then tries to rest a little.

Medic stirs when he starts hearing music, “Gah. Vhy must Soldier always vake us up at such an early hour?” Wait… That’s not a bugle. Medic’s head shot up from under the light layer of snow he had been buried in. Medic spots a robot of a creature that was about the size of a softball flying by his little pit playing some sort of upbeat tune with an accordion as the main instrument. Medic stares at the robot confused and after a bit, it stares back still playing the tune. Medic pulls out Archimedes who was starting to turn back on as if waking from sleep. “Coo? Vrr.” “I know, it’s annoying, but vat do jou zink it is?” The music it was playing cut off right then, with some fizzing and crackling. Medic covered his ears till all was silent except for the humming of the robot's wings, “Uh… Hallo?” Medic asks the robot skeptically.

“Hi. Did you just talk to that robot dove?” The robot asked.

“Uh… Ja… Who are jou?” Medic responds,

“Wow, and you have a Germane accent. Impressive.” Medic frowns, glaring at the robot,

“First off its German und, again, who are jou? Or better yet, vat are jou?” The robot hoovers in silence as though it’s surprised,

“W-What? Have you never seen a Sprite-bot before?”

“I doubt it. Is zat vat jou are?”

“Uh, ya… That’s what I am… You may call me Watcher.” The robot sounds unsure and Medic continues to stare,

“Jour no robot. Jour voice doesn’t match the robotic tone of ze vons I’ve met.” Medic suddenly grabs his head and groans,

“Hey, are you OK?” Watcher asks and Archimedes coos in concern,

“Not really. I zink I have a minor case of amnesia und, ug, I think I just triggered a memory.”

“By talking about robots you have encountered?” As soon as Watcher states this Medic starts to scream. Flashes of the war games filled his mind. The one who hired him trying to make peace with his brother only to be killed by a previously unknown third brother. Team Vengeance who he worked for, for a time, until Gray Mann killed team Vengeance instead for an obvious betrayal the Vengeance Heavy was planning, the torture by a robot copy of himself, the taste of freedom when his Heavy came for him, and all those robots Gray Mann had built to kill Two Fort’s mercenary team. Then… Nothing.

Medic was breathing heavily as his eyesight returned to the real world. He felt himself wanting to cry, “Hey man… Are you better now?” Watcher asked,

“Nein. Head still hurts, und vat I remembered vasn’t pleasant.” Medic curls up defensively for a little bit and Archimedes rubs his metal head against Medic’s to try and comfort him. Eventually, he sits back up and returns his gaze to Watcher,

“Vatcher, is zis jour robot?” The bot hovers and whirs for a second. The bot seemed to be fighting off playing that absurd music.
“Watcher here. What was that?” The bot responds. “Is zis jour robot?”

“No.” Watcher says, unabashed,

“Oh… vell then… vere am I?”

“What do you mean… Also never got your name.”

“Oh, sorry. Jou may call me Medic or Healing Song. By where ve are, I mean vhat is zis land und vat happened here.”

“You're in the Magical Land of Equestria, Healing Song.” Watcher started using the pony name Medic mentioned, “We were once a land of harmony, ruled by Princess Celestia. Until war broke out with the Zebra’s about trading rights over coal from them and gems from us. Celestia passed the crown to her younger sister, Luna, who formed the 6 ministries run by the 6 heroes of Equestria. Twilight Sparkle ran the Ministry of Arcane Sciences, Apple Jack, War Time Technology, Pinkie Pie, Moral, Rarity, Image, Fluttershy, Peace, and Rainbow Dash, Awesome.” Medic chuckled a little at the silly name, “Over time the war got worse until the Zebra’s launched an all-out bombardment of balefire bombs. We responded the same way, leading the world to what it is now. The reason why there are all these clouds in the sky is because the Pegasi sealed the sky up behind the clouds with assistance from the Single Pony Project towers scattered around the Wasteland. That’s not even including the cloud and bombs that were released in Canterlot, our capital.”

“So… bombs und clouds? Zen vat is ze problem?” The robot emits a sigh.

“Not just any clouds, my new friend. The pink cloud. The deadliest, most corrosive, and strangest cloud to ever exist. And- hold on.” Static fills the sprite-bot. It cuts out, to be replaced by that infernal music.

“Vell, so much for zat.” Medic looks at his robot dove, then at the Sprite-bot. Archimedes coos then taps the Sprite-bot. A metal plate on it blows off, heavy smoke pouring out. The plate clicks as it bounces down the street, then rings as it lands on something else metallic. Medic could now hear the fans inside the bot, whirringheavily to clear the smoke, then something inside the robot caught flame, “Nein! Stop zat burning at once!” Shuddering, the robot begins to crumble to the floor, a booster failing and the other, loose. Old age finally caught up with the Sprite Bot, “Vell. I suppose ve could try to take it apart, ja, Archimedes?” The robo-dove coos in response. Medic pulls out a screwdriver he had grabbed back in the Stable. He then grabs the robot in, to Medic’s surprise, his hooves and starts to take it apart piece by piece. When the process was finished, Medic had an unusable case, two faulty thrusters, a bunch of electronic elements and a strange crystal the Pip-Buck marked as a levitation talismen,

“Vell zen. Zis could be useful.” Medic puts away the tools and pockets the talismen. He then checks his compass to find that the guiding arrow is gone, “It must’ve lost ze trail in ze storm. Is zere a chance I could track zat pony? Probably not… Zat sort of zing was one of Sniper’s skills, not mine…” As soon as these words were spoken Medic feels his horn let out a spark of magic and Medic feels something change. Archimedes coos and Medic looks at his flank. Instead of a tattoo of his violin with healing energy coming from it, it had changed to a literal crosshair that would normally be seen at the end of a sniper scope. Medic blinks in confusion, “Does zis have somezing to do with the fact I have mein teammates souls?” Medic tenses, “I better not have Pyro.” No spark, “Phew, zat must’ve been ze soul I gave away, I guess.” He then looks around with a heightened vision and spots a shack far off in the distance to the west, “I’m now regretting not bringing one of Crosshair’s sniper rifles…” Archimedes giggles at the fact Medic used Sniper’s pony name and Medic growls in response.

The ‘shack’ turns out to be all that’s left of the Whitetail Railway Station according to Medic’s Pip-Buck. There are signs of some pony staying there and a lock of golden hair confirms the probability of said pony being the one Medic was following. The compass arrow returns, now pointing to follow the railroad north. As soon as it returns the spark of magic reignites and Medic’s ‘tattoo’ changes back to the violin, “Fascinating.” He mutters, “Whatever zis zing is it’s tied directly to ze soul! Wish I could’ve asked Watcher. Any ideas, Archimedes?” The robo-dove shrugs, “Zhen I guess ve’ll find out later since zis computer…” Medic shakes the Pip-Buck on his hoof, “doesn’t have an explanation in its data banks. Must expect me to already know... I also gotta stop talking to myself.” With that Medic exits the shack and starts walking alongside the railroad, heading north. Taking a drink of water from a canteen in the process.

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Level Up:

New Perk: Soul Shift: Depending on the skill needed, you will gain effects and abilities from required teammates souls.

Crosshair/Sniper: +2 perception, -2 strength

Crosshair’s Perk:: Hunter: Years of surviving in the outback has taught Crosshair excellent tracking skills. Able to track down large targets.

Spy/Mantis: + 2 to Charisma, -2 Endurance

Demo/Eyelander: + 1 to Luck, + 2 to Intelligence [+1 Explosives skill] -2 to Charisma

Heavy/Big Bear: + 2 to Strength, + 1 Intelligence, -3 Agility

Scout/Wind Runner: + 1 to Agility + 2 to Endurance - 2 to Charisma, -1 Luck

Soldier/Patriot: + 1 to Strength + 1 to Luck

Robot Ally: Robots seem to be nicer than ponies. + 5% damage to opponents when a robot companion is equipped, and a 3% Charisma bonus when talking to a robot.

Robot Enemy: Past experiences taught you the Dangers of robotics. + 3% damage when fighting robotic enemies.