Fallout Equestria: Desperados

Fallout Equestria: Desperados

Nostalgia, Part 1

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"At some point, Star Charter talked a bit about her foalhood and mentioned that she spent the first eleven years of her life in a place called the Blackwater.

Two massive coal hauler ships were welded together. A compact city built onto it. The place sounded like a wonder to behold. From how she described it, the Blackwater was a mobile factory that resupplied other ships with gear, weapons, armor, and recruits when needed. It was a fascinating system that only begged more questions.

One question that I did bring up was where other ships came from. As it turns out, Star was born as part of a nation that existed on the sea called the Oceanic Illuminated Authority. She called them proud pious creatures that served their Goddesses. From how she described them, they sounded more like a horde of fanatical pirates that expanded the globe." ~ Azure Dice

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“I know I’ve said this before, but Star ... thanks for helping me out.” Lucky Shot said before taking a sip of her coffee and whiskey drink. The older unicorn mare was covered in scars from her long time as a wastelander. She was missing a forehoof that was replaced with scrap metal prosthetic. Her horn was also cracked, and one of her eyes had been lost long ago. Overall, she was the coolest looking ponies in town. She was also just as skilled at killing as the sheriff was.

Lucky Shot was also the head mare for the Lightbringer Foundations School for bright foals and was considerably dedicated to her work educating the foals in town. Lucky for me, she didn’t care what the mayor or the sheriff thought. So, when I was looking for work after having Bridget, she took me in as a part-time aid. The pay was not all that much, but I enjoyed looking after the foals.

It also helped that she was with the Lightbringer Foundation, who though are mostly a loose collection of Lightbringer fanatics, they currently held a lot of influence in the wasteland. There was no way anypony was going to stir up trouble over me working here as long as they were flipping part of the bill for the festival.

“It’s no big deal,” I said with a smile. “I love those little psychopaths.”

Lucky chuckled. “Damned straight, they are. Haf’tah keep my eye on them or they get up to something.”

After sharing a laugh, we watched the foals chase each other around the play yard behind the schoolhouse. It was something I could praise the mayor for pushing to get built, though he only did it to inflate his own ego. I’ll take what good I can get out of the bastard.

It was a recreation of a play yard from the old world. The metal pipes that made the swing sets framework had paint to cover the rust. Though they still made a regular, rusty metal grinding sound when the swings were used. Old tires were all over the place as both toys and as linering to make the place safer. There was even a fort made from smoothed scrap wood for them to play on.

We also had several toys we would bring out for them to play with. Kickball and stickball were popular as they all can play together, though I hated having to recover the balls when they would lose them. There were also fake swords and guns they could play with. I even made a few sailor outfits for them to play pirate. Lucky also donated a few BB guns for the school for them to target practice with.

We used to also have lawn darts, but after I got pegged in the leg, we decided to not bring them out anymore.

“Didn’t you say you were the same? A gangger, right?” I checked.

“A crusader,” Luck corrected, “though I guess they were not all that different. Well, except that we were all foals. Still, we killed our fair share of adults together. There was some good times and bad.” Lucky reminisced.

She took a sip of her drink and sighed. “Lost many friends, too.”

“Ay. Life was cheap back home, too. I’m only alive because of Prism. If not for her, I would have been laying at the bottom of the waters as fish food long ago.” I thought back.

A nod of agreement came from Lucky. “Prism is a good mare, though she seems sad whenever you or Bridget’s not around. She throws herself into her work too hard.”

I sighed. “Prism… well, she’s got her own worries, and I know I’m not helping.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Star. I know I’ve had to do things I’m not proud of just to survive,” Lucky announced with a shrug. “Still, maybe it’s time to stop working at that stripjoint. Bridget’s going to find out eventually.”

“I know. I know, but right now the caps are too good to up and quit. Actually, I’m thinking of going back out west to meet up with a few ponies I know out there. Should be able to get decent work if I do that.”

I raised my left fenlock to look at the pipbuck attached to it. Selling it was still an option. Slowtrot didn’t seem all that bothered by me having stolen the thing. He also hasn't said a word about me still having it.

I guess it’s mine now.

Mom was less than happy when I told her the truth about the pipbuck, but was madder about my adventure. Still, she was happy to know that the Gunrunners were going to be just fine. Her and Hardballer may not see eye to eye, but they clearly respect each other.

Maybe we could all leave together and set up in a place where it’s not under full control of some assholes.

Sighing, I put the pipbuck down. “I doubt I can stay even if I wanted to.”

“Sheriff’s got a radroach up her ass again?” Lucky inquired.

“Had two standoffs in a week so far,” I explained

Lucky huffed. “That bitch really needs to learn to calm down. She’d be so much sexier if she’d loosen up.”

I rolled my eyes. “Seriously, are you ever going to tell me how and why you had a relationship with that old sea hag?”

She just chuckled then sipped her drink. “No, I don’t think I will. But I will tell you that, while we were seeing each other, the sex was great.”

“Ya, thanks for that image in my head,” I complained sarcastically while doing my best to not think about it.

“No problem.” Lucky said while raising the remains of her drink to cheer, then finished the drink. After that, she placed the cup on a nearby stool. “Well, I got some papers to look over and a soup to check. So, again, thanks for coming today.”

I waved her off then turned to keep an eye on the foals.

At noon the school gave the foals a good hour to play. Considering how they played, they'd often be too tired to really move around for a few hours after. It was how Lucky liked it since the foals were far less rambunctious when tired. That’s when she decided that she would feed them and start her next lesson. They were fairly easy to teach when they were calm and fed, something I understood from my own foal hood.

Lucky was far less likely to hit a foal with a stick than the nuns back home on the Blackwater would. I still don’t regret killing that bitch! May the goddesses bless her soul.

So it was my job to make sure they spent all their energy before returning to the schoolhouse. I also had to make sure they got proper portions of soup to fill their small bellies.

In addition, I had to make sure none of them snuck off while out here, as sometimes a foal would get the wanderlust and try to explore the town instead of staying in the schoolyard.

It was also my job to make sure that ponies who weren't supposed to be here stay away. It had become an unfortunate fact that, due to how many somewhat wealthy ponies that had moved here, the chances of foal napping was a common worry. Though the uptowners didn’t like me, they also knew I was one of the better bouncers at Ruffled Feathers, so they saw me more as a mercenary of the Lightbringer Foundation who was hired to protect the foals.

It helped that I liked being around the foals and having more time with my daughter. It was a win-win for everypony. Even with how much the Deputies distrusted me, they would still take my warning about strangers seriously. No pony wanted a foal napper in town, and I was glad to help out the town in that regard.

Another perk of this job was that the foals loved to talk about what their parents were up to, as there was normally not much else going on. I’m not a gossiper or a snoop, but the juicy things they told me was more than entertaining. Most of them did not understand what they heard or saw, but I could put the puzzle pieces together easily.

As far as I could tell, several of the mothers in town were actively trying to bed the local artisan Spot Welled, but it seems that one of the widows had managed to snag him privately. It also seemed that two of the fathers had been hanging out more than normal, and in private. I even heard that our water talisman engineer had started up a relationship with an out of towner merchant. The poor stallion clearly needed some love.

It was all fun to hear and even more fun to tease the uptowners about, though I never outright blurt out what I knew.

Unfortunately, not all the foals here were being treated well by their parents. With how alcoholism was quite bad in town, both for the uptowners and downtowers, several of the foals would come in with bruises. Only a few times has the town gotten together to stop it, but some ponies are harder to touch than others. Sometimes they wander into the Ruffled Feathers only to go home with a black eye and a warning.

My ears twitched as the foals began making a louder racket than normal.

On top of the play fort was Bridget and her griffon cousin Pepperbox. Both of them were holding the BB guns meant for target practice. The two fillies seem to be having an argument with three colts below them.

Getting up and trotting over, I saw Pepperbox’s older brother, Lancaster, looking like a smug ass as he watched.

“Whatcha doing?” I asked the colt griffon.

He avoided eye contact as he said indifferently, “Nothing.”

Why must he always be difficult?

“Well, nothing sounds totally boring, and well, not cool,” I said as I scooted up to him.

With his talon, he scratched a small bald spot on his shoulder. He had a bad habit of scratching whenever he was nervous. “Well not nothing. I was just watching, Aunty Star.”

“Well just watching sounds less boring, but what are ya watching?” I probed playfully.

A smug smile formed on his beak. His little chest puffed up a little. “Watching Peppy and Bridgy show up those stupid up townies!”

On the play fort, I could see Bridget mocking the colts below. Pepperbox, on the other hoof, looked nervous. The colts, though not looking happy at what was going on, they seemed content with just mocking Bridget back.

“Nice, but I thought Peppy didn’t like playing talon?” I pointed out.

“Well… I may have betted my soup with Bridgy that Peppy couldn't take the fort and hold it.” Lancaster explained.

I sighed, knowing it had to be something like this. Lancaster always seemed to stir up trouble. Bridget would add fuel to the small fire, and Pepperbox would get dragged along. Luckily, this time, they weren't trying to fly on top of the schoolhouse and give me a heart attack. Still, it was better if I defused this situation before the foals got into a real fight.

Trotting over to the foal's fort, the other foals not involved were sitting and watching the show as Bridget was sharing words with three colts. Light Step looked worried, but Copper Wire and Roger Roger would, now and then, egg them on.

“Flying is cheating ya know!” the head of the three colts, Steel Bramble, shouted up at Bridget.

Bridget just stuck out her tongue. “It ain't cheating! You're just mad because... Be… Because you can't fly!”

I face hoofed. My daughter was not wrong, but it was still a shit argument.

“No way!” Steel faked a calm reaction, but his tapping hoof betrayed his irritation. “Ma n paw says flyers are easier ta shoot cus of no cover. Come down here and I show ya how ponies fight!”

He was not wrong, but my daughter has claws and the BB gun. Even if she didn’t want to hurt him, she could easily give him a nasty cut or two if they did fight. Griffins were not a joke, and Bridget was still enough of a griffin to do damage even at her age.

“Alright, I’ll come down.” Bridget practically squawked.

“Cuss, maybe we should stop,” Pepperbox spoke up just a little.

Bridget just leaned over the edge, ready to jump down.

Now was the time I intervened. I picked up Steel Bramble. “Are ya hitting on me daughter again? How bold of you!”

The colt froze in my hooves as I gave him a snuggle.

“And here I thought ya wanted to marry me! I guess I’m too old for you now,” I teased

Steel struggled at first, but he soon gave up. “I… but… She started it!” He pointed at Bridget accusingly.

“Ohh!” I said looking over at Bridget, who looked very confused. “So you're finally interested in colts?”

Bridget went from confused, to shocked, to disguised, then gagging at the idea of what I suggested. “No way, moma. Colts are… are icky.”

I let go of Steel who then bolted over to his friends to hide behind them.

“Then why are you trying to get their attention? You ain’t causing trouble, are ya?” I again teased.

Bridget scrunched up her nose and looked away. “I’m not.”

I reached out and ruffled her mane “Then what are ya doing?”

She lowered her head to get away from my hoof, but the mess was already made. “I was showing ‘dem I can take the fort. Me and Peppy.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Cuss Lancy said we couldn't,” She said before her eyes lit up with a realization. Her face then scowled. “Lancy!” she yelled.

I glanced back to see the older griffon colt laughing at getting my daughter in trouble.

Still, no foal was hurt, so no need to get mad an anypony.

Reaching out, I dragged Steel Bramble over to me by the tail and pulled both him and Bridget into a hug. Both struggled against me. “Okay, now what do ya both say?”

It took a moment, but they both eventually gave up against me and apologized. to each other. Following that, I let them go. I had Bridget and Pepperbox put back the BB guns before they could fly off and play with the other fillies. Steel Bramble stuck around longer than I was comfortable with. He was eyeing me before he eventually got dragged off by the other colts.

I let them run around, playing games, and messing with each other as they normally do. Most of them had an older brother or sister around, so I never had to worry about any fight getting too bad. One of the older foals would step in if they had to, so I just had to make sure they never got too riled up. They also liked how I was not as uptight as a lot of their parents were or always out of energy like the ponies who worked in the quarries.

If the adults were not too overworked to spend time with their foals, they were too into local politics to understand them. Still, even my job at the Ruffled Feathers was catching up to me. If I didn’t get sleep as soon as I got home, there was no way I could help out here.

I’d love to have worked full time here, but Lucky Shot barely got paid as it was, and that’s between the town's budget and donations from both the town, the Followers, and what the Foundation could spare.

Still, as rough life was for most of the foals here, I couldn't even imagine living as carefree as they are when I was that young. Back on the Blackwater, it was all about surviving until I was old enough to serve the fleet.

Something just caught my eye. It was a pony too bundled up to be normal, standing at the fence separating the schoolyard from the rest of the town. It was never a good sign. Even when it was just a parent watching, it always meant something bad was going to happen or that pony was up to no good.

With a sigh, I trotted over. The foals already knew not to hang out near the fence. We had also planted cactuses along it to further convince them to stay away. As a result, the little ones were not in any danger of being suddenly grabbed. I just hope the pony didn’t have a gun this time.

“Say, I know they're adorable and all, but maybe best to move along before somepony gets the wrong idea.” I openly suggested to the pony.

The pony shifted a little. I could, in that moment, could tell it was a mare. She was smiling with somewhat serrated teeth showing. Seeing it made me feel… nostalgic.

“It’s a big responsibility, looking after foals, not that anypony ever appreciates the pony that does it.” Her voice was familiar, like the wind across the ocean.

A frown formed on the mares muzzle “Ungrateful relay, those parents thinking that you’re taking the foals away from them when-”

“They're barely around to even be a parent.” I finished off her statement.

There was a moment of silence as a smile slowly returned on her face. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it Star?” Victoria took off her oversized hat. This allowed her golden mane fall. Her emerald eyes also lit from its shadow. “Have you been eating well?”

I… I… O My Goddess “VICTORIA !” I squealed, searching out to hug her… getting a belly of cactus for my stupidity.

We backed off for a moment. Victoria trotted around to the gate to get in properly as I pulled out the few cactus needles from my belly.

“I see that you still jump in head first. It’s still adorable,” Victoria said as she pulled out a white parasol and used it to block the sun from her face. “So tell me, why are you here?”

Her eyes became something of a serious glare. It was cold and serious with a hint of bloodlust.

As I looked into her gaze, I recalled the smell and the taste of salt and iron which seemed to fill my nose and dance on my tongue. I swear I could hear the sound of ponies yelling, fighting, and dying. The scar under my coat from where I was stabbed as a filly throbbed. The cold sensation of the sea splashing over me.

For a brief moment… I was back on the Blackwater. I was back home.

I relaxed, breaking eye contact. “Oh, you know, living. We can’t all be famous idols now. And what's with that? Weren't you going to get a ship for the gang?” I asked

She cocked an eyebrow before softening her gaze. “Hmm… fair enough. I guess we're both full of surprises.” She looked over at the schoolhouse as she proposed, “Why don't we have a seat and talk about the last eleven years?”

Her parasol floated above her. From out of nowhere, Puppet Strings had appeared behind Victoria.

I gasped. “Is Carving Doll here too?”

Puppet gave an annoyed sigh. “No, she is not. We suspect she is no longer alive. It’s likely fleet politics that ended her, but nopony has sent a message of her demise.” She sounded far more elegant, yet stiffer than I remember as well as cold and cool.

“Sucks. I really liked Carving. she was a real kill 'em all kind of mare.” I huffed.

The three of us trotted to the porch. The foals watched from a distance. Some got closer, but most went back to their games.

Under some shade, and on a few rusty chairs, Victoria Rosary began to explain about the last eleven years. “Well, after you left on the back of that false goddess, artificial alicorns as they call them here, there was an uproar on the Blackwater. Turns out no pony on the city-ship wanted a teenager to be in charge, even if I had the approval of the church of the Thorny Path on my side. It was still an open power vacuum to them. Blo…” Victoria stopped, seeing several foals gather to listen as she talked.

She continued. “Fighting continued for over two weeks after you left. Nothing as bad as the initial fight. It was just other ponies forming their own little gangs. I had to crush them as soon as they poked their heads up.”

Victoria chuckled. “It wasn't until the fleet finally showed up for a resupply that things calmed down. By the Goddesses, did they have a sight to see when they showed up. So many ponies hooked! We actually ran out of chain and rope to do it. We had to get creative.”

My eyes opened wide at what she had said, though I was not surprised at how much violence must have happened. Even imagining how many dead ponies must have been hanging by hooks was even hard for me to do. “So did the fleet at least accept your authority?”

Victoria smiled. “Of course! A few of the ships that were docking were ones I had Corps Brigaders on. It was why Blackpowder was trying to purge me so hard in the first place. It was why she tried to kill you. She knew I had them go convince a bishop to visit the Blackwater. A gambit, to be sure, but no way they passed up the full control over a city-ship, and the first one established by the prophet Thorn at that. With the church's endorsement, the bishop declared that the Corps Brigade was legitimate, and we were no longer under threat of purging. It’s been rough sailing from there, but we’re sailing into power.”

She leaned back. Puppet levitated over to her a bottle of water to sip. “What did you get up to after you left over the horizon?”

I smiled while pointing to my cutie mare. “Turns out I’m a natural navigator. I got it while helping Prism get back to the mainland. After that, I got caught in some shenanigans with a fight between three ponies tribes. It was a big battle, and there was another...” I stopped for a moment while remembering the sound of the ripper and Prisms muffled screams. “Mom was hurt bad, real bad… she came out the victor, but it was something that couldn't be fixed.”

“Mom?” Victoria said with a raised eyebrow.

“Right. She's the false goddess that saved me from the water. after getting to land, we just kind of stuck together, and she… well, she became my mom. I owe her so much. If not for her, I’d likely have become some savage raider or something.” A calm smile had formed on my face as I remembered the good times with Prism.

“I see… that answers a few questions.” Victoria said calmly. She did appear calm yet also a little annoyed. “Well, being a dumb as those raiders would have been a waste of your talents, but what have you done since then? Any ganggers of your own to give that pompous mare called a sheriff the runaround? You are a Corps Brigadier, afterall!” Victory reminded me.

I chucked. “A little here and there. Before going east, I actually got to go back on the water and helped a crew find some buried treasure. After that, I hung out with some vampires. They liked me. They wanted me to be part of the Family, but I liked being with Prism more. After that, I ended up here in New Appaloosa and haven't been up too much since. Well, I did go out on a little adventure recently.” I raised my pipbuck to show her. “I got me an overmare’s pipbuck. It opens doors and shit.” I then turned the pipbuck’s radio on for a few seconds, but it only had that annoying DJ Pon3 talking. “I can listen to you wherever I am now. I just wish your songs were on more often.”

Victoria looked at me with a blank stare for a moment. “That’s all?”

“That’s about it,” I said while nodding. “So how did you end up an Idol?”

She sighed. “That… It just happened. I’m actually on missionary duty for the Wiled Fleet. Those idiots are too stupid to do nearly anything right. If not for me and the wrench mares, the NCR would have sunk them years back. I took up singing at a bar in Manhattan as a cover. Next thing I knew, they were playing my songs on the radio and ponies wanted more of it. Now singing and dancing is about all I have time to do. Everything else has to be delegated to the gang right now.”

“That sounds like you,” I said with a chuckle. “You always had such a beautiful voice. It was the thing I missed the most when I left the fleet. Prism could sing lullabies, but not like you. She always sounded so sad when she sang.”

“Mama, who dis?” Bridget asked as she poked her head up onto the table.

Victoria raised an eyebrow again. “Mama?”

A wide smile formed on my face as I picked up Bridget. “Honey, this is an old friend of mine, Victoria Rosary. She was like a big sister to me when I was younger. Victoria, this is my daughter, Bridget.”

Bridget waved with her claws. “Vic… tor… are you the mare on the radio?”

Victoria nodded. “Yes. Yes, I am, and aren’t you adorable? You even got the horns from your mother, I see.”

I held Bridget a little tighter as I asked, “Wait, what do you mean?”

She placed her hooves on her head in the same place as Bridget’s horns. “It’s a side effect of becoming an official Corps Brigadier. A lot of the foals born from the gang have had two horns grown on their heads, though only mine have golden horns like Bridget here.”

I again gasped. “You have a foal?! Do you have pictures?”

Victoria rolled her eyes. “Ya. It was part of the deal to become a higher rank in the fleet. I had to take a low nobility priest for a husband and produce an heir for the idiot.” She pulled out a little leather wallet and opened it up which revealed a photo of Victoria with an older stallion, a colt, and a filly. Both foals had two little horns on their heads. “They're on the Blackwater with their father. He is, at least, competent enough to run the city-ship in my stead, so I haven't been worried about their safety.”

“Oh, I’d love to meet them! I know they and Bridget would get along so well.” I said as I gave my daughter a hug. “Though I bet she’s a better crack shot.”

Bridget raised a claw. “I can shoot targets ten yards away.”

“And getting further every time,” I added proudly.

A smile formed on Victoria's face. “That’s good to know. Proper marksmanship is so often forgotten these days. I’m sure she would get along with my children so very well, with how much they would likely have in common.”

At this point, many of the foals had begun to gather. They were wondering who the two beautiful strangers were. They formed a large crowd a short distance away.

I didn’t want them to start touching Victoria with a stick, a habit they had whenever a stranger was in the schoolyard for too long, so It was time for me to distract them. “Say, since you all are gathering around, how about I sing you a song?”

They all murmured among each other. Bridget was the first to speak up with a request. “Sing one of the radio mares songs mama!”

Victoria chuckled. “So you've at least kept up your singing lessons.”

I chucked back, a bit embarrassed. “No, not really. I only started singing again after Bridget was born.”

She nodded. “That’s common. How about I join you? It is what I do.”

My heart skipped a beat. In response, I nod vigorously. “Oh, yes!”

Victoria scratched her chin. A smile formed on her face. “How about… Save the last dance for me?”

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You can dance every dance with the Stallion

Who gives you the eye, let him hold you tight

You can smile every smile for those Stallions

Who held your hoof beneath the pale Luna light

But don't forget who's takin' you home

And in whose hooves you're gonna be

So darling, save the last dance for me

Oh, I know that the music's fine

Like sparklin' wine, go and have your fun

Laugh and sing, but while we're apart

Don't give your heart to anyone

And don't forget who's takin' you home

And in whose hoove you're gonna be

So darling, save the last dance for me

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-Reputation-

-Lightbringer Foundation-

Star has been a reliable helper. If they had the caps to spare, they like to have her around more.

-Corps Brigade-

The wayward sister has been found!