Fallout Equestria: Falling Ashes

Ash and Cinder followed the map down an old dirt road,keeping an even pace, a product of their training. The marker turned into a ‘100 meters’ and started slowly ticking down as they got closer.

Ash turned to Cinder. “You ready for this?”

Cinder turned to look into Ash’s black tinted visor. “No, but we shouldn't let this sit too long or it might get snatched, I doubt he just had one map and you pissed him off.”

Ash scoffed and turned her head to look forward. “Maybe he shouldn’t have been a bitch then.

There was a clang to the back of her head. “Ash! That’s mean!”

“Well he was! Trying to fucking extort more caps out of us.”

As they got down to 30 meters away from the convoy Ash spun up her minigun and dropped her rangefinder over her right eye. She watched several ticks on her compass turn red and start moving. “Hostiles at twelve.”

“Draw them out and I’ll get them at the same time.” The covers over the front of her missile launchers popped open.

“Got it, I’ll head off to the side and peek over the hill.” She said before running up the hill covered in patches of radgrass to the right of the pathway.

Cinder watched her run to the top and let out a short burst from her minigun before running back to Cinder. A missile soared directly where Ash was, while Cinder readied herself.

Sliding to a stop at the bottom of the hill, she spun to point back at the top, minigun still spinning. A large, three wheeled robot rolled on top of the hill, it stopped to level it’s gatling laser at the two ponies. A barrage of red lasers began pouring out from the robot’s weapon, the majority reflecting harmlessly off into the distance. Shooting Ash a quick glance, Cinder let loose a pair of missiles, the warheads rocketing towards the exposed metal underbelly of the machine.

The first missile impacted it’s arm, the explosion shearing off the metal with a shower of fire and shrapnel. The second missile went low, smashing into the leg and crippling the bot with a flash of light and sound. The robot toppled forward, erratic lasers being fired into whatever was unlucky enough to be in the way as it crashed down the hill. Ash scrambled back to Cinder to get out of the crashing bot’s way. Coming to a final stop, the robot sat still for only a moment before it’s internal workings detonated, a small fireball marking it’s demise. Seeing the smoking wreckage, the two ponies bolted up the hill.

Upon reaching the top they both dropped as low as their armor would allow them, just peeking up to their visors over the crest.

Down below them were some Equestrian Military wagons, three large, empty cages laid at the rear of the convoy, a fourth in the middle had three dead Gutsy bots, two more wagons in front were closed, armored boxes.

Ash saw a flash of green followed by a burning spot on her helmet, letting off a burst of 5mm in retaliation. She watched sparks fly off one of the armored, floating robots. After a couple seconds of firing it fell to the ground in an explosion of sparks. A second came from behind an armored carriage and took the fallen’s place, she held the trigger till it too exploded in sparks.

As the barrels slowed her head was jolted to the right, a hot spot near her ear. Spinning the barrels back up, Ash turned to spot two more bots next to one of the cage wagons The rangefinder dropped over her right eye and quick adjustments they were met with a 40mm explosion.

“Cinder, that’s all the marks. Think you can get the armored wagons open?” Ash started down the hill with Cinder following closely behind her.

“If it’s locked I might have to blow it, I can’t pick well.” Cinder started to head to the front of the convoy as Ash started picking through a robot’s burnt frame.

A few quiet moments of looting were only interrupted by a shot echoing through the hills. Ash spun to see Cinder diving behind a wagon, a large hole ripped through her right flank. “CINDER! Cinder, are you alright?”

Cinder got back to her hooves and paused. “Repair unit is down, but I’m fine!”

Ash ran to her, a shot hitting the dirt beside her as dirt kicked up. “I think they have an AMR, so we can’t get out of here unless we take them out. I can spray grenades and bullets to distract so you can fire off a volley at them.”

“I don’t know, your armor’s weaker and you’ll be exposed.” Cinder glanced at the destroyed repair unit.

“I know, but I don't have any other ideas.” Ash started checking her compass for ticks, finding none. “They’re outside my perception.”

“What if you just spray grenades along the hills? Suppress them so I can get ready.” Cinder checked her compass as well.

Ash saw a white glow behind Cinder and pointed. “GET DOWN!”

Cinder turned and there was another shot, her other flank exploded knocking her down, shrapnel pelted Ash. Furious, she angled her launcher and began raining explosive shells along the hills, the tick mark disappearing before the rounds could impact. The distant thumps marked only by a puff of dirt and smoke.

Ash backed up to Cinder while scanning the hilltop. “Cinder?”

Cinder glanced at her display before responding. “Medical unit is down, we need to leave. Now!”

Seeing a flash of magic to her right, Ash, turned and fired over the hill. Glancing down she saw the red tick appear on her compass. When she looked back to the hill she saw an orange flash followed by the roar of the Anti-Machine Rifle floating over the ridgeline.

The world seemed to slow as she watched the rifle lower back down, still held in its owner’s magic. She heard the ping of the round hitting steel as she turned to Cinder, anexplosion kicked up a cloud of dust behind her. Ignoring it she ran to the fallen Ranger, dropping down and holding Cinder in her hooves. Rolling her over and placing her head in her lap, she gently tried to shake her wife awake.

“C-Cinder?” After no response she shook harder. “CINDER!” Ripping her helmet off as quick as she could, she wiped the tears from her eyes and found a horn-sized hole in Cinder’s chest, red pouring from it and covering the symbol of the Ministry of Wartime Technology.

The tears poured faster as she pushed her forehead to the front of Cinders helmet. “Why, why wouldn't you stay in Filly? It was safer for you.”

She pulled Cinder closer and pushed her head harder against her helmet and just held her, letting herself cry for hours.

Wiping off her tears again, Ash set Cinder down as gently as she could and put her helmet on. Putting her muzzle into the dirt, she pushed her head and neck under Cinder and lifted her onto her back. With a final adjustment of her wife’s corpse, she began her long walk back, alone and numb to the world.

Following the road around the hill she found the crater she made, finding a blood trail that cut off into nothing.

“Fuckin teleporting horned cunts.”

After what felt like a week of walking, Ash set Cinder’s body down next to a hole. Her weapons were removed from her armor. Ash glanced at her and started crying again, hugging Cinder's armored body again for the last time