Fallout Equestria: Cloudfall

Chapter 3

Grave looked at the sign that reads ‘Drunken Crayfish’, the bar the Doctor told him about. As Grave enters the place he sees the commotions for the patrons enjoying each other's company. Grave head to the bar where a light blue pegasus with a white fluffy mane is cleaning a mug. The mare looked up to see Grave heading toward her.

“Well you’re new, what brings you to my neck of the woods.” The mare put down the mug and grabbed another one to clean.

Grave pulls out a drawing of a chest hidden behind a bush to show to the mare. “Have you seen a stallion named Hidden Treasure; this is his cutie mark?”

The mare looks at the drawing before shaking her head. Grave let out a sigh before putting away the drawings. “Hey I may not see him, but I’m sure someone here may have.”

The mare clear her trough, “Listen up everyone!” The whole bar went silent before she continued, “This stallion is looking for a pony named Hidden Treasure; have anyone seen him come up and tell this pony where you last saw him.”

It didn’t take long before someone shouted ‘fuck those cultist’ follow a roaring sound of laughter and cheer as everyone go back to what they where doing. “Look like no one has seen him; so what can I get you?”

“What do you have to offer for food?” Ask Grave as he pull out the bag of fish skulls

“Well we got some pre-war food and whatever the locals bring for the chef to cook,” The mare grabbed something under the bar with her wing and pulled out a strange cake. “This mirelurk cake might be something you’ll like; It would be 15 fish skulls if you want it.”

“Sure, I’ll try it out,” Grave puts the skulls on the counter and takes the mirelurk cake. Grave goes to an empty table and he carefully avoids bumping into the other patrons. Before Grave could sit down to enjoy his meal, he felt someone tapping on his side.

“Hey buddy, I got to ask you something?” Grave turns to see a brown griffon with a white head talking to him with two other gryphons sitting with him who are light brown and grey. “Would you sleep with a griffon, zebra, pony, ghouls, or alicorn?”

Grave was confused by the question before replying. “Um… pony; what is this for?”

“Clearance here just wants to know what the most preferred creature that most would go for.” the grey griffon drink from the mug before putting back down. “So far most creatures have picked griffons, but Geral here think most pick that to not seem racist to us.”

“Can you blame me; there are not a lot of griffon or zebras around here then in Equestria Wastelands.”
“That’s because most of them are likely dead on this Celestia forsaken land.”

Grave heads back to his table as Clearance waves him away as the other two bicker. Grave began to eat the mirelurk cake that tasted bland to him. Grave hears some of the harsh whisper that seems to be about him as he sees some glaring toward his direction. As he looks back at the bar, he sees a light grey mare with dark red mane in armour with a faded writing ‘security’ of the chest walking toward him.

“So you're the cultist who is asking about a missing pony?” Grave nods as the mare seems to look him over. “No saddlebag or armour yet you look more competent than most creatures I saw coming here.”

Grave looked at her in confusion, “Thank you?”

“There is a report of fighting at the lumber camp that is not far from here and I want you to come with me.”

“Why are you choosing me over anyone else?”

“Look if you want everyone not to see you as a problem, you got to help around and I want to give you a bit of a head start.”

“Alright, lead the way.” Grave finishes the last of his meal before following the strange mare.

“Can I get your name as we head to the place?” Ask Grave.

“Steel Rose, a guard of Port Frolic.”

“Empty Grave, travelling Doctor.”

Rose looks around before whispering to Grave. “You don’t have to hide your group with me Soulweaver.”

“How did you know?” Grave was shocked at Rose's comment.

“I dealt with your group a couple of years ago, so I know a thing or two with those cultists.” Both of the ponies prosed to head out of town and toward the lumber camp.
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Grave is observing his surroundings as he walks with Steel Rose to the Lumber camp. Rose looks at Grave seeing him all tensed up. “You got to relax, there are not a lot of creatures that travel through here.”

Grave tries to relax only to hear a rustling of a bush causing him to ready his spear and look toward the direction of the sound only for a rabbit to come out. “I remember some of the Soulweavers claiming to be able to see where anyone is; can’t you do that?”

“I can only do it while I’m relaxed, so I can’t rely on it all the time.” Grave puts away his spear as they continue their way to the Lumber camp.

“Well you better work on that if you’re planning to search for that pony elsewhere.”

As the fog begins to clear they see a red building with a bunch of logs stacked close to it.

“So this is the Lumber camp we are checking out?” asked Grave.

“Yeah and there is one of the recent outsiders over there.” Rose points at a pony corpse that is in clothing that Grave never saw before. As they get closer, they see another corpse in the same clothing missing a limb.

Grave sees Rose grab a strange weapon off the dead bodies, “What are you collecting there Rose?”

“They called them Energy weapons,” Rose points the weapon at a log and pulls the trigger. Grave watches a red beam shoot out and hit a log leaving a burnt spot on it. “They require these batteries to use them; I’m going to see how much Coin Shot will buy for them.”

Grave walks toward the corpse of the clothed pony in a pool of blood he notices a large gashes across in their chest. “They may have encountered a coral bear.” Grave checked the body and found a necklace with two metal strips connected to it.

“Not likely, this fella over there bragged about his armour being impenetrable to a lot of stuff; they unfortunately likely encountered the Fog Demon.” Grave feels a shiver run down his spine when hearing that creature name as he looks to where Rose is pointing at: a corpse in strange armour missing a head that is just beside it.

“Help me round up the corpses and put them in a pile, I want to make a head count if there is anyone from their group who ran away.” Grave nods and he grabs the body and drags it to an open area. They found two more corpses of Headcases with burn marks all over their armour and bodies.

As Grave put the last body nearby, Rose spoke up. “Looks like two of them managed to run away.”

“Should I check if they are still around here?”

Rose lifts her hoof before muttering something to herself. “You know what, go ahead.”

Grave nods and closes his eyes and begins to relax. He sees Rose’s soul close by and notices another soul near the building underground. “There is one here but he seems to be buried underground.”

“No he’s not, this place has a cellar with… interesting decor; if you go there make sure you don’t take anything.”

“Alight? I’ll go get him then.” Grave began to head toward where he saw the soul. It didn’t take long for him to find the cellar door. Grave checks if the pony moved or not and notices a smaller soul in front of him. As Grave enters the cellar, he notices what appears to be a shrine to a white unicorn mare with purple mane and a three diamond cutie mark. The centre of it is a small statue of said mare.

As Grave reaches to touch the statue he hears a small buzzing noise behind him. “D-d-don’t move, I know how to use this and I d-d-don’t want to hurt you.” Grave turns around and sees a blue unicorn with black mane hiding behind a toppled table, pointing an energy weapon at him.

“I’m here to get you, just put down the weapon.” Grave watches the stallion step away from his hiding place revealing his red robes and a pipbuck on his wrist while keeping the weapon on him.

“Who are you and did anyone from my platoon survive?”

“Empty Grave Sou- travelling doctor, only one survived but they're not around.” The stallion lowered his weapon as his ears dropped.

“Oh… Save File, Scribe of the Steel Ranger; Is it safe to leave this place?”

“It is safe, it’s only me and Steel Rose.” Save File just nod and head out of the cellar. Before Grave follows Save File out he takes the small statue of the white mare and notices a writing at the base of it saying ‘Be Unwavering.’ As they head back, they see Rose sitting by the body messing with an energy weapon, there is a sack beside her with one of the long energy weapons sticking out of it.

Rose turns around and sees both pony heading toward her. “Well isn't the pony who asks a lot of questions, good to see you still alive.”

“Thanks, before we go I need to collect my comrades’ dog tags.” Save File head to the corpse picking up the dog tag off the body.

“So what are we going to do to the bodies?” ask Grave.

“We are going to leave them there, no point in burying them when the wildlife is just going to dig them up and eat them,” said Rose.

“We could to use some of the logs and set the corpse of fire after-”

“No.” Rose interrupts Grave. “I don't want File to smell his friends burning corpses.”

Rose turns to see File coming back to them, “Need to grab anything else?”

“Yeah, do you have any energy cells you may have collected; they look like this.” File pulled out his energy weapon and took out the energy cells and showed it to Rose. “I need them for my laser pistol.”

Rose nods and opens the sack and pulls out the energy cells and hands them to File. “If that's everything I would like to head back before the fog starts to cover the place.”

File nods and they begin to head back to the town, Grave begins to observe the surroundings before a chough catches his attention. “Hey, um… back at the cellar you almost said something before telling me you’re a travelling doctor; What are you really?

Before Grave can answer him, Rose speaks up. “He’s part of a group called Follower of Death and I suggest you keep any question you’re going to ask him about his group away from the town.”

Grave sees File awestruck from hearing his group name. “Really! Who are they? Who do they worship? Why can’t I ask about it in Port Frolic?” File just starts asking Grave a bunch of questions before Grave boops File causing him to stop.

“Look, I’ll answer your question, just keep them one at a time,” File nods his head as he brings his pipbuck close to him. “The Follower of Death worships a Goddess of Death named Necramaceus, so we are just a religious group.”

“Is there any prerequisite for joining this group?”
“yeah you have to read and follow the scripture, then you need to show your devotion to Necramaceus and then the priest will give you her blessing and you’re part of the Follower of Death; hold on for a sec.”

Grave turns to Rose as he pulls out the drawing. “Hey Rose, can you check amongst the guards if any of them see a pony with this soul- cutie mark.

Rose grabbed the drawing and put it into her pocket, “Alright, just need the name and a description of the pony.”

“Its Hidden Treasure, he has a brown coat and wears tattered rodes and leather armour.”

“So he's here and you’re looking for him,” said File.

Grave looked at File who took out a strange paper from his robe. “Yeah, he hasn't come back for 6 months; are you looking for him too?”

Grave was shocked when File brings the strange paper in front of him where he sees a black and white photo of Hidden Treasure holding a foal and a colt beside him, both pony are in strange clothing. “Sort of, my family had not seen him for years since I was a colt.”

“Well he took care of me with a mare named Bone Marrow, if that gives you some closure of his whereabouts.” Grave pats File back as the photo is grabbed by Rose magic.

“I’m going to need this if anyone actually saw this pony,” Rose looked at the photo “Has he always been bald?”

“It’s a medical condition, he was born with no mane or tail,” said File

Grave just nods as Rose puts away the photo. “Alright, I’ll give you an update if anyone has seen him.”

“So anything else you want to know about the Follower of Death?” ask Grave. Grave looked at File and noticed him lost in thought. Grave goes back observing his surroundings as they head back to town.