Fallout Equestria: The Tale of the Soldier

Chapter 5: What Do You Mean, 'Not Here'?

“Missed opportunities, life is full of them. It’s what you make of them that makes a difference.”

I woke to find myself in a dark room. Well, I didn’t really ‘wake’ as in I was suddenly up and ready to go, I mean a slow re-entrance into the world, that likely took awhile to occur. I guess you can say the moment I ‘woke’ was when I regained my sight and ability to interact with the world, but I wasn’t about to be doing somersaults into the sunset to fight some raider or other freck of the Wastelands any time soon, or that how I at least felt.

“Oh good, you’re finally awake.” remarked an unfamiliar voice, “You got hit with a pretty good amount of shrapnel, damned well near bled out before your friends brought you to me.”

I looked to the owner of the voice, vision still blurry, “Who are you?” I asked, “Where am I?”

“That doesn’t matter right now, what matters is that you are alive and well.” the voice said, my hearing still a little too dull to tell if it belonged to a mare or stallion. As it turns out, my vision would beat my hearing to the punch.

I realized I actually wasn’t in a dark room, that was just from my eyes being closed for so long, the walls were grey with medical boxes and old propaganda posters everywhere. As it even later turns out, I was in the same bed that Littlepip had been in after Calamity shot her, yet another of those coincidences that happened in my hunt for Calamity.

“When do you think I will be able to leave?” I asked the pony, that I found was a grey stallion.

“Soon, you’ll feel pain, but you can walk. Healing potions are a miracle.” the stallion said, “Now, I’ll leave you to the attendance of Candi.” and with that, he walked out, leaving me alone, but not for long.

“Oh it’s so good to see you’re...awake!” said the white mare with a mane reminiscent of cotton candy. I knew she was about to say alive but that was understandable.

I put on a forced grin and said, “Yea, that’s what I get for not wearing my armor out there.” I said, “Would you mind telling me where I am, and how long I’ve been out?”

“Of course! You’re in New Appleloosa, and you were brought in by your friends I would say 3 or 4 days ago.” she replied happily, “Why?”

I’m in New Appleloosa, but if I’m here, why didn’t Calamity shoot me and the others on sight? I thought, “Um, would you mind telling me what all’s happened recently?”

“Hm, let’s see here, about 5 days ago, a small little unicorn named Littlepip came in here, she had been shot up by Calamity, then very quickly after that she went out, got a cure for chimeras from Stable 24, cleared old Appleloosa of slavers and rescued a bunch of slaves. Calamity went with her I believe, and I’ve even heard the DJ talking about her in Shattered Hoof...hey where you going?”

I booked it out of there faster than anypony who had just gotten up from nearly dieing has any right to go. Quickly finding my way to the tavern, where I figured correctly the others would be. “Oh hey!” Bloody 2 called after seeing me barge in, “Look who’s back from the dead!”

“No time for talk, we are LEAVING!” I said hurriedly.

“Geez, slow it down. Take a seat!” Snipes jokingly said to me.

“NO! We are going now!” the entire bar was now watching the altercation, but even with the current situation, we were being very careful with names, because if any of the ponies who were here 4 years ago and remembered what happened would most definitely freak out on hearing “The Soldier” or “Bloody 2”

“Okay, okay, fine, have it your way.” Bloody 2 said, dropping several bottlecaps on the bar for their drinks and made their way to me, from there, we made our way to Shattered Hoof.

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

The place looked deserted, not even a body showed that there had been any kind of inhabitation here other than the other obvious signs, such as purposely placed ruined railroad cars. Junction R-7, the place Littlepip had been left with in thanks for her commitment in the most recent Battle of Shattered Hoof, but I did not know that. Well, other than the battle part, thanks to DJ-Pon3, who seemed more than a little willing to spare time on the air to sing praises about this ‘Stable Dweller’.

“Come on out!” I called to the empty place, “I know you are hiding in there somewhere! Your turret is down by the way, so don’t expect that to help you!” Nothing.

“Soldier...” Snipes started.

“Sush.” I interrupted her, “Now, I am going to give you about ten seconds before I have my good friend her start blowing things up, if you come on out and give us the information we need, there will be no harm, if not...” two rockets popped out of Heavy Stomp’s armor, “Take a guess!” Nothing.

“Your choice, 10...9...8...7...6.” I began counting down, “5...4...3...2...” and right as I got to one, and singular pony came out from one of the improvised buildings.

“Wait! We will tell you, just don’t blow us up!” the pony pleaded.

I smiled smugly at Snipes before turning to the pony, “What can you tell us about one Calamity, he is reportedly in the company of a Stable Dweller?”

“They, they went to Manehatten, to see DJ Pon3, that’s all we know, I promise!” the pony said shakingly.

“Thank you  for your cooperation.” I said menacingly before motioning to the others to follow me out of town.

⇐=========Present Day=========>

“Hey! Don’t look at me that way!” I told the crowd that had gathered before me to her my story, “Okay, so I once held this town ransom for information to hunt down Calamity, so what. The past is the past, now may I go on with the story?”

“Um, can we get a little break, this is a bit much to take in one dose.” I heard a pony say.

“Ug, fine. I shall rest for an hour and then we can begin again. When I start again, I’m going to be starting in Tenpony Tower and be getting to my encounter with Calamity so you better be here.” I said, getting up from the shaded spot I had sat to tell the story from.