Fallout: Equestria - All Roads Lead Home

Chapter 2: Sea Mist

“I think your destiny brought you here...”

The open red canyons that ran all across the mare’s body were cleaned and bandaged. Now a calamity of blood and towels lie scattered around the room. After concluding my small amount of medical assistance to her, I looked over myself. I slowly removed the weathered armor rig that wrapped around my body and rested it on the side of a faded flower green chair in the room. It squeaked and sighed as the iron plates pressed into it’s soft fabric.

I began painfully removing my shirt and duster as I glanced over at the mare that lied unconscious on the living room’s wooden coffee table. She was slightly smaller than most ponies, with a cutie mark of a film reel, and actually looked somewhat well fed. Clearly, the little pony had only recently left her underground prison before she was kidnapped by the rotting worm-food in the hallway. My mind pushed away the incoming ‘what if…’ thought. What was important is that she was safe now.

After a short review of my injuries, it was clear that most of the pellets would need to come out or the mushroom of infection would run through my aged body. I sifted through my saddlebags until locating a small orange container with a painted cross on it’s extender. This beauty was a medical kit given to me a long time ago. Opening the case revealed five white syringes, all neatly lined up. They all contained the same painkilling drug, morphine. Also, it was very easy to use, simply grab and inject the liquid directly into the bloodstream. The effect occurs shortly after and lasts for up to four hours. Or at least that’s what the chemist who made them said.

I carefully removed a single dose out of it’s protective strap and proceeded to roll it in my hoof. I fucking hate needles. Just the feeling of it penetrating through the skin silently makes my skin crawl. It’s unnerving.

With another hesitant second gone by, I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth as I injected myself with the needle. My ears sprang to life as I moaned out in pain, “Fuck…”

Wasting no time, I quickly removed a bottle of Applejack’s Crispy Apple Whiskey from my dusty bags and poured the liquid over my wound. My nerves began to dance as the drink made contact. I felt my ears drop down as I started to remove each pellet I could find out of my skin with my knife slowly. Each steel pellet hit the floor with a cheery little thunk. The wound was then bandaged using the clothes of the dead ponies in the house. It was kind of them to lend me a hoof like that.

The cornflower color mare groaned as she arose from her short nap.

“Goddesses my head hurts.” She held a hoof up to her head. Her body was swayed side to side as she looked blindly around the room.

“That’s good. Means you’re still alive.”

The mare’s head snapped in my direction and she violently jumped off the table, grabbing a knife off the ground. A small growl came from her as she began to shakingly try to defend herself.

I simply raised a hoof to try to calm her fiery nerves. “Relax. I’m the one that was killing the raiders, remember? Oh yeah, by the way, I fixed your suit. It’s on the chair to your right, along with your pipbuck.”

The white freckles on her muzzle started to soften as she looked around the room. The fresh corpses were visible just outside the room. She stood there silently as though she didn’t know how to reply. Then the unicorn started to put on her gear as I finished reapplying my own armor and clothing. I looked out the boarded windows and saw a clear sky. Well, as clear as the Wasteland let it be.

“The storm cleared up, so I’m heading out now. I’ll be wishing you safe travels.” I changed the filters on my respirator and set my watch for their usage.

The mare finally managed to squeeze out a small response. “Wait! Why did you do this? I mean, why did you save me?”

“Old habits die hard I guess. Well, to be honest, you could just say I was in the right place at the right time, stable dweller.”

“I seem to be getting that a lot up here. How about we restart? My name is Sea Mist. What’s your name?” She extended out a hoof to me.

Giving her a prolonged stare, I took her hoof and shook.

“Wildcard.”

“Nice to meet you, and thank you for saving me. That was mighty fine of you.”

She gave me a cheery pat on the back with a wide toothy smile. The cold casing of her pipbuck tickled my spine. This was a strange pony even compared to the ones I knew and that was saying something. Then Sea Mist did something I didn’t understand. The mare paused for a moment as she touched me. Her horn and amaranth eyes began to glow a brilliant shade of crimson.

I hesitated reaching for my gun asking, “What did you just do?”

“Now listen, Wildcard, would you mind if I traveled with you? It seems like you’re a decent pony and I feel like spending time with you would be a great benefit to both of our survival.”

“That still doesn’t answer my question. Just who are you?” This is why I rarely trust unicorns. They’re always up to something.

“Who am I? You already know who I am.” She stared at me with a big fake smile.

“You know what I meant. Before I travel with anyone I want to know everything about them. At least, enough to know that they won’t stab me in the back.”

“How to explain this? You know how Stable Tech built the stables and ran experiments in them, right? Well, I was born in Stable 11, an underground shelter with only unicorns. There, they were testing new and dangerous spells. The one that myself and quite a few others were a part of was nicknamed ‘chrono-vision’. The ability to see the past and the future. After centuries of failure, the spell itself was sadly highly successful, and it caused good ponies to turn on one another. All claiming to have seen the others cheat, steal, and even murder them. Chaos ensued as the overseer was murdered in the middle of night. There was so much noise. So much blood. I survived because I saw it coming and hid. The aftermath of the carnage was unspeakable. I-I just couldn’t stay there.” She brushed the floor with her hoof, shying away from me.

‘What do I say? Do I pity her or tell her, good job surviving?’ I stirred at the thought. Finally, I spoke. “Well, what did your spell tell you about me?”

“That you’re a stallion unable to control his...uh...feelings. A pony that wants to simply go home, but can’t. I-I can’t see why not. That you hope, upon enacting out your vengeance, that the feelings of failure and sorrow will release their choke hold on you. It’s so dark.”

“And what of the future, Sea Mist?” I asked quietly, almost hoping not to get an answer.

“I see you wearing a shattered mask while laying the mark of the old world to rest. At the end, you stand with the...um...rats, united. You filled them with hope. But in taking that one more step, they’ll never know your...um...sacrifice as you begin your travel on the eternal voyage. From there i-it’s all foggy. I’m sorry.”

We stood in a thick silence for what seemed like forever. Our gazes locked as if destiny itself came down and chained our two souls together. To be honest, I didn’t know what I expected when I asked her the question.

I quietly gestured for her to follow me out the door, and we walked in step with each other as we headed out towards the ruins of Canterlot.

*** *** ***

We had been traveling the wastes for a few days in silence except for the odd talks of where to set up camp and about supplies. As we approached the base of Cantorlot’s mountain, finally I found the courage to break the ice as we began our ascent to the ruins of the pre-war city.

“So, what’s it really like to live in one of those fancy stables? Must have been amazing having running water and clean food to eat.”

Sea Mist’s facial expression didn’t fade. ‘Come on Wildcard you can think of something! Anything will do really.’ Lost in thought, my gaze wandered to the castle atop the mountain of pink mist.

“You know, I’ve always enjoyed the stories of the past. The ideals of the two princesses and the legend of the Elements of Harmony. Sometimes I really find it hard to believe a world like that existed. A world filled with friendship wrapped around every being and endless horizon. Maybe one day the world can be warm again. . .one day.” I was studying the clouds through my monologue, hoping to find even the smallest crack in it’s never-ending grey gate, but it was as useless as trying to win zebra roulette with a loaded gun. Small tears formed in my eyes, which I swiftly wiped away with a hoof.

“I want to believe there’s a better future too. I want to dream. That’s why I’m traveling with you.” Sea Mist gestured with her hoof. “Because if you put your heart into it, your dream can’t fail.”

I gave the mare a soft smile. Sea Mist was smart, if not overly optimistic. She truly was one of a kind. Maybe I could share just the tiniest drop of her vast idealism in the future. One day. It’s nice to dream every once in a while.

My thoughts were stopped by the sound of music playing from my partner’s pipbuck. It was a country song from before the war that ended the world. I had never heard pre-war music before I came to Manehattan. Most of the music I grew up with was classic folk songs played on the guitar of an old trader. I tried to play once myself, but never really got into it. I leaned in closer to listen to the smooth voice on the radio.

"Well, princess, princess please come quick.
Cause I got something to admit.
Somewhere in dark I meet a pair strips out in the sticks,
The dark old sticks.
They approached with a devilish smile that stretched across their lips.
Don’t you know that,
The Zebras wear their stripes with pride?
As they march ever closer to taking our lives.
Crazed as a manticore as they walked through night.
I heard them howling as they passed me by."

The guitar riff of the song continued to play as I quickly put out a hoof to stop Sea Mist. She gave me a puzzling look.

“From here on out I need you to follow my exact movements. When the bombs fell on Canterlot, the zebra’s released a toxic pink gas here. It is extremely lethal.” I put extra emphasis on the final sentence.

“Why do you need to go to these ruins?”

“I thought you saw why with your spell.” I asked with a long questioning look.

Sea Mist facehoofed and advised me, “The spell only searches for what the user wants to see and is very cryptic about it. Magic isn’t this all powerful force, you know.”

I let an angry sigh release from my lips. “I’m looking for information on the only item that my ever-so-friendly miscreant took from me. The shipping manifesto I got stated that the object came out of the Canterlot ruins, so that’s why we’re here.”

Sea Mist gave an understanding nod and started to sharpen her blade with a rock from the earth.

“Is there a way to get through it without dying?” She asked.

“The only safe time to travel through is when it’s raining, so it looks like we’re gonna have to wait until the next rainfall. Shame we don’t have a pegasus around to schedule that for us, eh?”

The cornflower mare gave out a cute chuckle and grinned. “You’re right about that,” she replied.

My facial expression darkened as I thought once again about what Sea Mist told me. About my future. Was that really gonna be the end of my journey? Am I nothing more than a puppet controlled by some other pony’s strings? I continued to think about the seer’s words as I set up camp for the night.

Footnote: Level up.

New Perk: Daddy’s Colt -- Just like dear old father, you’ve devoted your time to patch up other creatures in need. You gain an additional 10 points to both the Science and Medicine skills.