Fallout: Equestria - Star Blessed
Chapter One: Prologue
“Life is forever fleeting. You can shackle it, break it, and trap it. But it will always continue on in time, with or without you my little pony.” - starkatteri mother to her daughter
The sun danced in the sky, high above my mother and I as we trekked through the western border of Equestria through an expansive jungle full of beauty and death at the same time. My mother, a Starkatteri Zebra, taught me many things about life, one being that it was forever fleeting from us and that we should make the most of it however we see fit. She saw her enjoyment in passing along her beliefs and teachings to me. We often spent many hours speaking in the native Zebrican tongue, she taught me the glyphs in writing the language as well so that one day I could pass it on to a foal of my own. Being raised by a bilingual zebra was weird after my biological mother passed me on to her, but I had soon grown to like the zebra and her stories of the stars both helping and guiding zebras and ponies alike. Whenever I acted out though she gave me the horrifying stories of how misled creatures abused the stars and how the stars gave them nothing but cruelty and retribution for their idiocracies.
She looked back at me, speaking. “Do you smell that scent on the air, Clashing Stars?” I paused and sniffed at the air, a revolting and disgusting smell assaulted my nostrils. I held a hoof to my nose, complaining to her. “Eeeww! Momma what is that?” I asked, and by her grim expression and small but serious frown I knew it couldn’t be good. “That, my dear daughter, is the smell of death and decay, we must tread lightly now, come climb onto my back small one.” I did as she ordered, wrapping my forehooves around her as best I could. Usually piggy back rides on my adopted mother were times of joy, but now it was a time to be quiet and remain still.
We moved along the jungle floor silently, the common commotion of the jungle having all but muted itself. My instincts told me something was very wrong, and I could tell my adopted mother knew what it was. Never before had we moved as quickly as we did this day in the jungle, she moved with grace and elegance, no amount of energy wasted on false movements or second thoughts. She was like a machine built solely for movement and fluidity. I hoped that one day I too could move like this.
After awhile of the fluid and forceful movements we slowed to a soft trot. I was amazed at my mothers ability to stay freakishly quiet on her hooves while moving so quick. A distant roar sounded behind us and a terrified scream along with gunshots filled the air for only a moment before the jungle settled into a somber silence. My mother motioned for me to climb down and I did, sweating with both anxiety and fear of what I had just heard, her gentle nuzzling and soft loving kisses on my head doing wonders for my nerves. After a few minutes I was calm and we resumed our walk through the jungle to the western Equestrian border, this time with me hiding under my mother as she kept her ears on a swivel listening for anything at all.
While we walked the jungle picked back up with its gentle comotion of buzzing insects, chirping birds and distant howls and whoops of the local animals. I was still nervous, but I wanted my mother to think that I was the strong and fearless little filly she was raising me to be, so I kept my walk as even as I could.
Soon she broke the tense silence between us. “It is okay to be afraid my child.” She spoke softly while we walked. “Here is something to keep your mind off of what has occured, did you notice how the jungle went quiet as that predator drew near? And how even the smallest of insects would not appear?” She didn’t speak with the rhyming scheme as some zebras did, but she certainly kept a rhythmic flow. Gently I nodded my head. “Yes momma, the birdies stopped chirping when I got scared.” She smiled and looked down at me between her fore hooves. “Good little one. Remember this one thing about the jungles of the world, they are living organisms that are both dangerous and warning of the dangers in them. Always keep an ear out for any changes.” Nodding, I kept my pace with my mother as we walked. The sun kept in place over the course of these events. Eventually night settled into the world, and I fell asleep wrapped in my mothers stripped hooves.
Groaning, I opened my eyes slowly, the dusty air showing by the light that filtered in through the holes in the wall, the hangover from last nights pity party hitting me hard. Rising, I rubbed my eyes, my blood pressure shooting up as my vision blackened and I lost my sense of balance. Breathing hard as my vision cleared, I steadied myself on the wall. After a few moments of standing and living through my bodies reaction and retaliation, I moved forward opening the door to my room. The room that I called home was bare, but intact to an extent, only a few holes in the ceiling. My room and bedroom were separated by a single concrete wall and simple wooden door. It had become highly familiar and a normalcy to wake up like this, a fact of which, I am not happy about, nor proud to admit. But in my line of work, sometimes...well, a lot of the times, things like addiction or dependencies happen all too often.
The room smelled heavy with alcohol, cheap Stalliongrad Vodka, a few unopened bottles of Wild Pegasus Whiskey, and some unmarked wine could be found on the ground next to the armor that I wore on a daily. I sat in front of it, looking over the zebra glyphs of ‘power’ and ‘domination’ surrounded by crumpled bullets, light gouges filled with weld, scratch marks from when some poor bastard tried to take me in hoof to hoof combat, and the small dents that peppered the armor. My homemade metal gas mask helmet sat next to the heavy metal armor, bearing similar wounds of battle. My life had taken a long fucked course so far, the few good things I had learned along the way was how to carve metal to produce words, phrases, designs, etc. This skill was promptly put to work with the gas mask helmet, the words Slaver, Lover, and Killer written from right to left, Slaver being on the right jawline and Killer the other; Lover sat in the middle of the menacing mask, above my center filter piece.
These words held little meaning to others, well, except maybe killer and slaver. I could see those holding significance to anyone not behind me, or in my posession. The gas mask helmet itself was a weapon, an armored horn piece to accommodate my own horn and provide a viable close range weapon. It was a bit thick all around and heavy, but it had kept my head connected to my neck for a long time now, so it worked for me. The glass eye pieces, that had been painstakingly filed out of a large glass piece, had three thick metal bars covering them, both to protect my eyes from any lucky stray bullets and to protect the glass pieces themselves.
Running a hoof over the armor, I stood up, climbing into the armor, and sliding the helmet on. I fixed the pins into the bearing that would connect my helmet to the rest of the armor. My muscles gave pained protest as I stood. Looking through the barred window ports, I found the mirror I liked to often stand in front of and reminisce about when my Starkatteri zebra mom was alive.
I was easily the biggest mare I myself had ever seen, and that’s impressive considering I see a lot of ponies daily, being a slave master of the local area and all. I considered myself quite lucky to be the mountain of a mare that I am, it allowed me to start this slaver operation, allowed me this power, and more importantly, made me a mare you didn’t want to fuck with. I was a good five to six inches taller than even a Steel Ranger when they had their armor on, and even to them I could be a high priority danger. My eyes lingered on the zebra glyphs.
I sighed, the sound echoing inside the helmet, fuck I miss her. A single barreled pump action shotgun, with her name scratched menacingly into the barrel, was sitting next to the mirror. I lifted it up in my red aura, looking over it. It was easily the most prized possession I had to my name and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Slipping the leather harness strap over my head and letting the gun rest against my chest. “Well mom...You always told me to make the most of life, no matter what. The stars above only know if you approve of how i’m going about that.”
Taking a deep breath I opened the door that led out of the room and into the compound outside. The site was the usual, my workers watching outward and inward. The slaves were all still asleep in their designated areas, but that would all be changing soon. Unlike most slave masters, I understood that the slaves were by far my greatest assets to a means of making caps. I made sure everypony else knew it too.
The compound was a small one, four almost large buildings, each having no less than two stories, mine having three which connected to the hanging scrap metal catwalk that allowed movement quickly across the compound. The slaves were held in the building across the compound from mine. If one were to look at it in a diamond formation it would be straight down from top to bottom. The other two buildings held supplies, and a few other guards, but mostly they held supplies. The top and ground floors held the guards, the second floor, my floor, held me and a balcony, alongside my room and and bedroom.
The entirety of the compound was surrounded by a concrete wall that had existed before the day the war ended. It was in a state of slight disrepair, mostly it was just dirty from two hundred years of being exposed to the elements. It made a good covering for us and the slaves inside my compound.
Walking back into my room and down to the first floor I was greeted by my guards in the same fashion they greeted me every morning. “Morning Momma Stars!” One mare called out to me, I grunted in response, she sat with three other guards. They were playing a game of blackjack and placing bets. The best of us that could cook was doing just that, even my armor couldn’t keep out the alluring smell of grilled radroach. Taking a seat the large table that would accommodate the sixteen of us, myself included, I moved the pins into their releases and pulled the helmet off.
Everypony in the room had quieted down, it wasn’t hard to tell that I was tired, hungover, and easily irritable. A bottle of dirty water was slid in front of me and the pony who had placed it there spoke up. “Hungover again Momma Stars? Shits bad for you y’know.” I glanced up and glared at the pony who simply smiled back. “Go fuck yourself Swirls. I’ll kill myself however I want.”
“Sure you will. Nopony in this room could stop you if you wanted to bite the bullet. Even if we tried.” He said, as I gulped the water down.
Chocolate “Swirls” Swirling. Bartender, cook, slave guard, sometimes, and more importantly one of the only stallions that could keep up with me in bed after a long day. Swirls was a brown coated stallion with an unkept light brown mane and tail, even his eyes were brown. His cutie mark? A ladle and a cooking pot. Not common but not a rare special skill to have.
“Fucking right you couldn’t. It would probably take all of you to even have a chance at taking me. A small one mind you, but a chance nonetheless.” I said as I set the water bottle down, my headache starting to filter out, only it was taking longer than I would have liked.
“Hey, I’ll take a chance over no chance.” Swirls said as he walked away, going back to the cooking station.
Again I grunted in response. Our newest member to the operation bust in the front door of the building, a smile plastered on her face. It was annoying me. It annoyed me even more when she started talking loudly. She had only been with us for a day and I was about to kill her.
“Good morning everypony!” She received a good morning from the blackjack group and the cooks, but not from me. It was way too early for her to be this happy. “Morning Stars!”
Everyone stopped and stared at me, waiting for me to do something. So I did. Finishing the bottle and crushing it in my hooves I got out of the seat. My metal armor making heavy thumps on the concrete floor, the new mare turned and came face to face with a very pissed off Momma Stars.
“What the fuck did you just call me runt?” I asked “Because last time I checked, I don’t know a ‘Stars’. Now, I know a Momma Stars around here, and she is pissed, hungover, hungry, and in no mood to deal with your shit. So, what the fuck is my name runt?” My eyes had formed into glaring daggers and everypony else knew that you didn’t fuck with Momma Stars.
The mare gulped and stared back into my eyes, she has courage I’ll give her that. “I-I said Momma Stars!”
I reached up and ruffled her mane. “And don’t go forgetting it. Momma doesn’t play nice with rule breakers.” I gave her a sadistic grin and returned back to my seat, as soon as I did another pony trotted in, from the sound of the clopping of hooves they were headed for me. I groaned softly and looked up.
“Morning Momma Stars.” Ugh, finally a pony I could at least deal with this morning!
“Morning Crusher. Sleep well?” I asked him and he took the seat opposite of mine setting his rifle on the table.
“Well enough I suppose. Got a report in from Rusty last night. She said that there could be a new rival gang in the area, looked armed to the teeth and didn’t look all to polite. They were seen headed towards Vanhoover.” He said as he started to clean the barrel.
See? This is what I like, no bullshit greetings, no ‘Oh, I’ve got this report for you, but I’m gonna make you ask for it!’ bullshit. “Hmph. New gang huh? Everypony from here to Los Pegasus knows I’m the fucking boss around here. Guess they’ll be getting the memo soon.” I stroked the left jawline of my helmet, smiling now. I always loved a good fight.
“Suppose they will be. I was putting together a team to head to Los Pegasus today, heard a lot of ponies have been going there recently, mostly Steel Rangers, but a lot of scavvers and wandering traders too. Plus it’s time to buy new supplies for the slaves.” He finished and set the gun aside, leaning it against the table.
I nodded softly, “Good, also get a scouting party out toward Vanhoover, I’m thinking it’s time to expand this operation. I’ll be joining you on that team Crusher, Daggers can take care of the place while we’re gone today. Keep me updated on what Rusty finds out.” I finished and he nodded, going to the bar to get some food.
“Now...let’s go wake up the slaves for the day.” I slid my helmet back on slipping the pins back into place and headed out the front door, heading towards the slave building. On my way there I saw the guards on the catwalk staring out over the wastes, one mare that held a beauty of a sniper occasionally scoped it down and swiveled back and forth slowly. Daggers was a hell of a sniper and a bit of a bitch, but she got the job done. I’d talk with her later before we left.
Pushing open the door to the slaves building, I was met with a site that would have disgusted me once upon a time, but not anymore. Twenty ponies were all laying about, their sides rising and falling gently. These were precious ponies to me, not because I legitimately cared about them, no that wasn’t affordable for me. They are precious to me because of what they bring me. Caps. All throughout the region I rented slaves out to anyone who may need them, Steel Rangers, settlements, raiders, etc. Anyone who needs bodies comes to me. It is for this reason that I keep them safe, insured, and fed.
If I keep them healthy and to an extent of happy, then they will perform better in the wasteland, and once the ‘rent’ is up, they come back here, heal up, I get paid for every day or hour depending on the length of the rental, and then the process repeats. I’ve made sure I’m the only slaver master that ponies come to for extra hooves. Either by enslaving the rivals, killing them off, or making them work for me. Swirls for example, former slave that knew hardship and earned my trust by helping me take out the gang that owned him.
I have a zero killing policy when it comes to the slaves, because they make me caps, and caps are the only things that matter to me, Friendship and Loyalty have nearly gotten me killed, so fuck that. Everyone knows the rules around the compound, it’s fairly simple. One, don’t on any circumstance interrupt sexy time for Momma Stars or she’ll sacrifice you to the stars for good luck. Two, never, ever, ever, mess with Momma Stars’ caps or you’ll wind up on the business end of a slug shotgun. And Three, don’t piss me off.
A few of the slaves stirred as my heavy hooves clad in armor stomped the ground, a soft ‘thump’ reverberating through the concrete floor. I banged a few times on a piece of metal that had been set up as a form of alarm clock, a few eyes opened in panic and then the looks relaxed.
A small mare nearest to me groaned and rolled over, ignoring the wake up call. “Five more minutes…” I smirked under the helmet and trotted close to her head. “You sleep another five minutes and you’ll miss breakfast. And it’ll be replaced with you eating me out till I’m satisfied.”
The mare’s eyes opened wide and she stared into the barred glass visors of my gas mask. “M-Momma Stars…” Her voice trembled as she spoke.
“Who else but me Buttercup? Now…” I rubbed her belly gently. “I know you have a foal on the way so why don’t you get up and not miss breakfast the third day in a row?” I leaned close and let the cold metal of my muzzle touch hers. “Or do I have to put another one in you right here?”
She shook her head and scrambled to get up, even standing she only came up to about chest level. “I-I’ll get up now, thank you Momma Stars.” She walked off to wake everypony else up and I eyed her rump. Too bad she was so small, I’d probably break her.
With the morning routine of waking the slaves up one way or another out of the way, I decided it would be a good time to to go talk with Daggers. It would be a little while till everyone was ready, and I still needed to eat. Trotting back out of the slaves building I made my way to the guards building and made my way up to the catwalk. As I walked I received the same old ‘Good morning Momma Stars’ A few of the guards offering up tribute in the form of alcohol, which I gladly took. Trotting up the stairs a few more greetings and a few chems were offered, of which I also took.
I had thought about getting into the chem trade, but after watching how ponies turn on each other for the next big score? I was perfectly content with not sleeping with one eye open every night, thanks. For now we sold what chems we didn’t need or didn’t use to any wandering traders we didn’t take as slaves.
A while back, we were settled in someplace called ‘The Hoof’. I met a few characters there, Caprice, The Crusaders, who in turn introduced me to the Finders at a place called Megamart, it was good, but...something was off about that place. It didn’t sit right that our medical supplies would be good one hour and be bleach white the next. So I moved out here, positioned between Vanhoover and Los Pegasus. Then I started this slaver operation and we’ve had it good for a long while now.
Getting up to the catwalk, I walked up to the mare I had come to love and hate at the same time. She was the only one with the balls to stick me up on the name ‘Momma Stars’. “Daggers!” I yelled out to her.
She turned after doing one more sweep across the wastes, turning to me. “What do you want Stars?” I chuckled at her straight forwardness.
“You’re in charge while me and Crusher are out to Vanhoover today. You know the rules, do good and you can have a long night of sexy time and flank spank when I get back.” I said, watching as she leaned forward to my exposed ear.
“You know I don’t have to do a good job for that, just a moderate one. And we both know it’s you who likes the spanking, hun.” She patted my right metal cheek and ran a hoof over my muzzle.
“Lover, huh? Well, we’ll see about that when you get back.”
She walked past me and I have to admit her boldness and courage were a big turn on, and I found myself staring at her flanks as they had an added sway. She knew I was watching.
Funny things happen around here, and I shook my head. Clear of the previous one, continuing back toward the larger building, I looked around the compound. From this birds eye view, I felt a soft twinge of pride. I had built this, all of this. I had enslaved ponies, yes, but I had also given them a guaranteed tomorrow. They didn’t have to worry about hellhounds, raiders, other slavers, and the nasty local Vanhoover and Los Pegasus wild life. Not as dangerous as Splendid Valley mind you, but still dangerous enough to worry about your life on the daily.
Nor did they have to worry about food, or the Steel Rangers in this region. Or water. Like I said, the only things that matter to me are caps. They make me the caps, I keep them fed, insured, and safe.
Looking out over the wastes, I gave a soft sigh. My mother had tried to teach me to be a good pony, at least I would like to think that, after all, why else would she teach me how to make the growth potions that got me to how I am today? Or did she just want me to be big and strong so I would have a chance at surviving out here? I wish she was here so I could ask her myself...actually, no, no I don’t want her to see what I have become. I think she would be disgusted, the both of them.
Truth be told I never actually knew my biological mother, I only know what my adopted zebra mother told me about her. It was the usual, in all honesty, she said she was a great friend and would have been a great mother. I didn’t like being lied to when she told me that, but I guess it was for the best. I know she was lying when she said that because of the look she got in her eyes, they would darken and she would always have a little bit of venom in her voice.
But anyways, I looked back to the large three story building and kept heading for it. A cold wind blew across the catwalk and it shook slightly, based on the chills I got from the wind I knew it was going to be a hard and long winter. As I approached the building the door opened and the mare from earlier this morning stepped out, pausing when she saw me. I kept walking however, giving her a soft metal hoofed pat on the head as I passed. “Morning again runt.”
She remained there, probably trying to contemplate how she is still alive. I, on the other hoof, headed down stairs, passing the third floor guard room I went down to my room. Entering it I found it as it had been left, messy, controlled chaos. I walked back over to the mirror, and gave the armor one last look over. Yep, I still looked menacing and badass. Looking behind me I found my black saddle bags, complete with metal plates wonder glued on the inside.
Checking them I found everything as it should be. I found my slug shots, and my scattershot, twenty-five shots of both for a total of fifty. It sounds like a lot but trust me, it isn’t really. Not when you have so many things inside and outside of Los Pegasus and Vanhoover, I had only ever heard stories of Vanhoover but, they almost scared me. Almost. Los Pegasus is where we mainly picked up supplies and every so often slaves. Usually scavengers with nothing more than pipe built weapons and blunt force weapons as well. It was sad honestly. Of course, raiders in the area also made for good slaves, especially the ones that knew how to fight, those were my cap makers right there.
Pulling on the saddle bags I heard the clinking of the explosive slave collars I carried with me whenever I would go out on an expedition like this. The metal plates didn’t seem so stupid now did they? Working with explosives and electronics over the years I learned to set frequencies for the collars. They worked in groups of two, two collars having different frequencies than the rest of them. Each group also had a designated detenater, I do this as a fail safe, if anypony were to get an upper hoof on me and tried to use it as leverage, they would only have a portion of my profits.
Of course I would fight tooth and nail to reclaim such monetary valuables, but if it came down to it they could keep the collars and slaves, or blow them up. It didn’t matter to me.
Overall I was ready to go, just one last thing to do...the armored compartments and a few explosives. My armored compartments held my medical supplies and drugs, they were detachable incase I ever needed an impromptu shrapnel box. Picking them out from a drawer, I attached them in their respective spots, two large thick slender boxes would attach to my hind legs. Healing potions would be stored in these, alongside Med-X and other pain killers. My front chest compartments would hold stimulants and other zebra mixes taught to me by my Starkatteri mother. One of the ways I kept her memory alive was by making the mixes she taught me...stars above, I hope she’s in a better place…
Sighing and shaking myself of the somber attitude, I walked down stairs back to the first floor, everyone had quieted the talking when I entered. Sitting at the bar and taking off my helmet, I was once again met with the tantalizing smell of grilled radroach, even more so as a big one was pushed in front of me, I looked to Swirls who merely nodded and went back to grilling.
Digging in to the roach I was met with a small bundle of flavors, tender and slightly crunchy meat, and juices that were bland. It may have smelled good, but I could care less for the overall flavor. Wolfing it down quickly I threw my helmet back on and hopped away from the bar, with helmet back in place, shotgun hanging from my neck and a kill first attitude, I was ready.
Crusher looked up from his rifle and nodded, four other ponies making for a total of six made up our little group due for Los Pegasus. Crusher spoke up without looking at me. “Ready boss mare?” The racking of a shotgun shell and an empty shell casing hitting the floor with a repeated clinking answered him. “Hm, right. Alright everypony, let’s get a move on, Light, you’re on map duty and navigation, Momma Stars you’ll bring up the front, I’ll be in back, everypony else? Follow in a diamond formation. Light, you’re to mine and Momma Stars’ right, in the front. You other three can fill the holes. Lets go.”
If there was one thing I had to like about Crusher, it would be his attitude and no shits given way of doing things. He didn’t care that he just gave me an order, he was the expedition master, he was always thinking about the what if’s and what could be. It meant he was better at leading things than I was, it’s why he was my second and Daggers my third. He was smart, and she was...something close to smart. But anyways. With the set order we left, waving goodbye to everyone as we left under the watchful eye of our resident sniper and marksponies. Next stop, Los Pegasus and Sin City. Little did we know those would be our last waves shared.
Author's Note
First and foremost thank you to Kkat for making the wonderful world of Fallout Equestria, It was hidden gem I didn't know I needed.
Thank you to Somber for FoE: Project Horizons, it inspired me to make this story shortly after completely reading it all.
and last but not least, Thank you to my new friend, editor, and proofreader, Thermic. Would be a lot of errors and other things without 'em. And lastly thank you, the reader, for giving this a chance and not just blowing it off as some authors wannabe spotlight in the fame.
Me and Thermic have crafted this story through many idea's and many scenarios so it means quite a bit to the both of us, more so to me, because I want to live up this story to be a great one filled with emotion, action and adventure, and over all, lovable characters that you'll miss when the story is over. Thank you again for reading, commenting, and just viewing the story in general.
