Fallout Equestria: Ballad of a Rogue Ranger

Chapter thirty-four: Picking up the pieces

“Top of the mornin… ahh, afternoon to ya’ll wastelanders!” I don’t think I was ever going to get used to that cheer attitude from the DJ, “and a fine morning it is to be alive… better than I could say for some that is…”

Our looting of the prison yielded enough for us to at least make a dent in what had to be repaired at our own settlement. I would have liked to hang out a bit longer, see what might be hidden behind some of those locked doors, but after that fight pretty much every one of us just wanted to get home.

That, and somepony wanted to start her repairs.

While hauling extra siding in for the walls around this place, having the tunes playing in the background was something to lift the spirits. Even if it felt like me and Riff were turning out to be a pair of pack mules. Though it was Alimites’ call at the proverbial whip that had me tune over to the station and see what's new on the radio waves. I just knew in time the DJ was going to have their own news story about what went down.

“If you’ve swung by After Party Correctional Facility, you might have noticed it’s a bit more hospitable than in previous visits… and if you knew who called it home, you might also be able to guess who came a knocking,” my ego wasn’t the largest, but somehow this colt could stroke it through a microphone. “Rogue paid a visit to dear old Lock after a game of tag, and by my reports bucked her right off the hill.”

Or out a window… but those details could get a bit fuzzy. Seriously? It’d only been a few days; how did this pony already have reports on it? “With herself and those siblings of her riding the next train to Tartarus most of the gunners in the area have gone into hiding, or at the very least will be keeping their logo hidden for a bit,” hard to talk tough when you didn’t have a tank of a mare backing you… but was I really one to talk on that? “Rogue, if you’re hearing this and you find yourself in Manehatten anytime soon, let me get an interview… or buy ya a drink, whichever comes first.”

I think I’ll stick to running around western Equestria for now, going out east might get me in more trouble. Just how many more groups could I piss off if I made the trip? “Until next time then fillies and gentlecolts! Keep your rifle by your side, and your spirits high, you ain’t snuffed out yet.”

I’ll keep trying to put off that yet then for a bit longer. For now, all this armor made for a good building brace. One of the sections Stock had torn apart was already back in one piece, now all that was needed was for the reinforcing posts to be nailed in. Now that we weren’t prepping for a fight, I got to see the damage this place took.

Without any light to guide him, the colt and his bots did a number on what defenses it did have. Some of those turrets might never move again, but I knew one mare that could get a few shooting. I wasn’t in that field of repair, but there were plenty of sections to the perimeter that needed re-erecting.

I’m just glad I didn’t have medicine in my background… I hadn’t seen Deacon or Tumble all day, besides the occasional passing by to where the graves were. We’d taken back many injured, but thanks to Luster and the gryphon, those meeting the dirt for a long nap were dwindling. I’ll stick to acting as a support beam, I didn’t need to think about how many less there were of us here now.

A tap to my shoulder from a mare told me this section was good to go, and as I peeled off it the structure stood under its own weight. ‘Next section,’ I reminded myself, and like clockwork I went with the hound to hoist it up along the new struts for support. The same thing we’d been doing since the morning began. Time flies when you’re having fun, right?

Eh, to an extent. The sun wasn’t out presa, but that heat could still be felt kicking up. Me walking around in an oven wasn’t any better, only the tiny fan this thing had across my face was my saving grace. As for Riff… well I’d never seen her pant before, probably the closest thing to acting like a dog they did, besides all the digging.

“Water!” I heard another yell out, and there stood Spade waving her hoof.

It wasn’t before long till her little pack did as they were commanded, and made their way with a few buckets not only to the hound, but the rest of us as well. If the Hellhound was getting a workout, it was a fair bet all of us were.

Ting.

Looking down garnished me a muzzle full of water, “You need to lift your visor there, Wild,” thank you for the tip Spade.

“Much appreciated,” I returned her eye roll with one of my own, and after a few sips pointed her off to the others, “though they’ll need it more than me.”

All she did was press the bucket further into my chest, “Nope… keep drinking, I don’t give a damn what kinda armored-macho-pride ya got going on,” yeah that look was familiar. Same one I got when trying to convince another mare…

“You been taking lessons from Alimite?”

“No,” oh… that grin wasn’t good, “but I’ll have her sort you out if you won’t drink.”

Give me that bucket! Half of its contents going down my throat was enough to satisfy her, and good thing too. Last thing I needed was that mare putting a shell in my side instead of a wrench. With me taken care of, the young filly worked her way down the line of workers, and I finally took note of the bandage across her hind leg. A filly this young took a round all for the safety of her own home, I’m just glad she was with the right gryphon to ensure she stayed this side of the ground.

With a whistle my head jerked up, and above on one of the sections Alimite leaned down to me. Besides coordinating the repairs, she’d been doing more than her own part when it came to her pets, “Good I got your attention,” she smiled, as if I would ignore it? “They did a number on our guns during that fight, think you can haul a few back here to replace em?”

“Certainly,” … don’t bow you idiot, “any in particular you had in mind?”

She started to muse over that broad list. They didn’t call them gunners for nothing after all, half of what we got were their arms alone it felt like, “Something that will make retaliation a very stupid idea…”

Now you’re talking my language. A hop skip and jump later had me on my heels into town. Riff would be fine without me for a bit, I had a shopping list to take care of. Though as I walked it wasn’t just my legs that began to wander. All around the area the town folk were repairing what had been broken from Stocks’ bombardment, or by other means from the gunners.

It’d probably taken years for some of these ponies to build this place up, and a night to destroy some of that work. Several of the shacks that had stood for decades now remained with holes in their roof, or even entire walls missing.

Yet all the same, living out here for that long made many good at keeping things running. A few unicorns were hoisting roughly patched sections to plug holes in the overhead, and every which way and that earth ponies were pulling sheets of metal siding to give some of the structures literal closure. If it wasn’t for the fact we were centuries past the founding of Equestria, you’d have thought all of them were prospectors founding this town for the first time.

But you’d be wrong, they were all just trying to survive out here… even tucked away in the back mountains of the country, they weren’t completely hidden away from trouble. Luckily, we had even better means to keep that trouble at bay now.

Might need to invest in deeper cellars in the future… “What can I do for ya?” Butter Crisp asked as I came off the bottom step, a pen and parchment floating around in her horns’ grasp.

She sounded a bit solemner than I was used to… then again, having that lever action over her back must have weighed heavily on the mare. To me it was just a reminder of another face I wouldn’t see around here anymore.

Luckily at least, there was a pony ready to step into those shoes, “Alimite needs some guns to ramp up the defenses,” there were enough of them down here now to choose from after all, “Big guns.”

“Hmm…” she flipped through the clipboard, and a wave of her hoof shooed me off, “take your pick, I’ll have the guards bring her some ammunition for em later.”

Oh this was my kind of shopping market! Mini guns for days, launchers of all shapes and sizes, and enough energy weapons to make the strips wet their pants… if they wore those. I could get lost down here thinking of how to outfit the suit in new and likely more dangerous ways. Alas, I wasn’t the one that needed them. Besides, I had my work cut out for me when I finally kicked my hooves up for the night.

My horn jerked on a few that would make Riff start to drool, and nestled them along my back as best I could. A few grenade launchers and an AER-15 would be a start, at least enough to give any on the receiving end second thoughts.

Butter hadn’t so much as even batted an eye as I walked past with this load, and the guards bringing more down the stairs told me why. Those here hadn’t gotten to plunder the prison for very long before we headed back, but when wastelanders plundered, they plundered hard and fast.

Maybe I could go back there… you know, just to see what else I could pull up for the place. I’d love to put up some of the guns Lock had working for her, I wonder if the badges would still- Stop. That’s a project for another day, you have a mare to help right now.

As I approached the wall, said mare almost unhinged her jaw at seeing what I brought back. “What?” oh, don’t give me that look, “I took ‘retaliation being a stupid idea’ as ‘turn them into mist.’” Or I guess dust would be more appropriate for the AER.

Her hoof raised up as if to rebuttal that, but quickly found its way back to the gun she was working on. Guess I won that round, and as she went about her job, I laid the guns nearby. It didn’t take her much longer to pull out the machine gun barrel for it, leaving behind an open shell for her to work off of.

“Well, I still have a fair amount of work to do,” between this gun and the others damaged, yeah, I could believe that, “Want to pitch in?”

Do you really think I could turn down that smile? With the visor popped for some fresh air, I slid the rest of the helmet off. Working without it was always so much more comfortable. As she prepped the gun, I went to town on the space left behind. The IF-92 was a tad bigger than what was in there prior, and a bigger kick for sure. Last thing we wanted was them taking a few shots and shooting out the back.

Extra scrap metal she had around did the job well, and I thanked my lucky stars I picked up this spell at work. Besides swapping out the munitions, the machinery all remained the same. Hopefully if any of the gunners were watching over this out there it’d give them second thoughts on attacking the place again.

While I finished up, the gun laden in her aura rose up to meet me, and together we both lowered it into place. Not quite like trying on the perfect pair of shoes, but nothing a little horn work couldn’t- clank! Fix? Just like that the launcher fell into place, I suppose you could just hit it with a hammer a few times. If it worked for her, it was good enough for me. Now all that’s left was putting some bolts in to secure it.

A task that needed a bit finer tuning, and I reached out for the hoof drill, “I’ve been doing some thinking…”

“That’s kinda scary,” she snickered at me while working on her own hole.

Hey now! I had a good idea every once in a while, “well it’d put both of us to work for quite a bit…” that earned me some curiosity, “if we get the chance to go back to the prison, I was thinking on how to put something like their guard turrets to use.”

Now the gears in her head started turning, and I could see the cogs spinning before my very eyes. How did the system work? Hadn’t a clue, but if the gunners could get it to do their bidding. I didn’t see why we couldn’t as well.

“We’d need to figure out how they knew who to target,” Ha! I know something you don’t! “but it’d be a project that I wouldn’t mind losing sleep-”

Something out the corner of my eye caused my head to jerk. What I thought was a flash from a muzzle at first, turned out to be further than I thought. It wasn’t quite a second sun, not even a fire work display from this distance. Though whatever it was still took up half my hoofs width on the horizon, and lit up that part of the nearly dusk sky… I’d hate to see what that was up close.

I half expected to hear a shockwave, but little less than a peep reached us from out here. It was still enough to grab the mares’ attention it seemed, and her eyes looked over the flash with the same intrigue as my own.

Alimite just recovered from it before I did, “As I was saying… I’ll help ya work on it, if you can figure out how they did it,” a last turn on both out parts put the finishing touches to the gun, and like that she called upon it with a flip. The motor kicked on, and instantly the barrel went purring around in a steady fashion looking for trouble. Ahh, I love it when a plan comes together, “that said, there’s still plenty to do here.”

Together we looked down the line at the wall team buttoning up what had been destroyed. Even a few of the guard towers were resurrected with Riffs’ help. I’d already seen what work was being done further in town, but this was the buffer to that getting torn apart again. Would it be nice to have specialized turrets capable of targeting enemies literally a muzzles length away, and not have to worry about getting shot yourself? That questions a no brainer, but there were other priorities right now. A colt can dream, but it was a dream for the back burner.

One down, two more to go… for now. I had a feeling the mare was going to have me running back and forth for more guns, but in the long run, I wasn’t going to complain. “Butter give you any fuss about letting them go?” she watched as I picked up the other two and we went on our way to the next one.

“Not really, said she’d have a few guards bring the ammo later on,” I’d have carted it here myself, but the mare did have some shelving to take care of.

“Until then the guards would have to rove, even after we get these ones patched up,” Alimite knew the defenses better than any pony here, and she probably already knew where the weak points were.

I might have had my own project waiting on me, but… eh what the hell, “I could always help out with that ya know,” her ears perked up, “still would give some big guns watching the line.”

The wink was a bit much to throw into that proclamation, but she didn’t seem to mind, “after what you pulled off at the prison, you might be a bigger warning to them than any turret.”

And now my pride was swelling inside the suit… Not that pride! Still, with the helmet riding along on my flank beside the guns, I couldn’t hide some blood flushing my cheeks. Taking out Barrel had been dumb luck, Stock was kinda shot from the hip… I hadn’t exactly intended on pulling his grenades. Lock on the other hoof we went out of our way to attack, and she drew the short straw on that bid.

If that wasn’t a strike to their ego, I don’t know what was.

“I’ll talk to Butter when we’re through here, let her know you’re in for a patrol…” or two, maybe three… but I doubted this mare was gonna let me have all the fun tonight.

***

It always had to be the last one, didn’t it? The first two guns were a relatively quick swap, the third on the other hoof had a real number done to it. Apparently .45 wasn’t recommended for small motors. Who knew? After fishing it out from the gear box however, it took both of our horns to put the cogs back into place. Tiring work for sure, but I wasn’t out of the woods just yet.

Back at the shop I had a few minutes before my patrol partner was to arrive. That gave me enough time to wipe the grit away from my face, splash it down with some mildly ticking water, and relieve myself with what I’ve been holding all day.

What? I was busy.

Another look in the cracked mirror showed the same face I’d seen once in a dream, and for a moment there I had to stop myself from jumping back through the door. “Easy there, Wild,” deep breaths, come on now, “just your reflection…”

A reflection that could use probably a weeks’ worth of sleep, and a stay in the hospital. Locks’ beating had left its mark, and those bruises would stay for another few days for sure. Though it wasn’t the dream that got me, it was what capped it off.

Winters’ words, telling me I’d failed. My eye lids clenched shut once again, I didn’t want to look at myself. All the trouble I went through to get here, and for what? To lead the gunners straight to the town, and Winter to an early-

“No…” I whispered, and between both lobes of my brain I could feel the argument raging. Stock might have fired the shell, and I might have brought them to the doorstep, but the mare knew what was going on with her. Suffice it to say, Winny was a ticking timebomb. As my head rose up, the clenching in my eyes lessened, and I looked at me again, “keep your head above water now… there are ponies that need you.”

Right, like a whole town. No time to drowned yourself in- wait… ‘Keep your head above water…’ her words resonated again like she was lying on that bed. That’ll give you a smack to the face. Sorrows aside, there was something the mare had in store for me, and I wasn’t about to keep her waiting.

‘Nightstand…’ I reminded myself as I pushed the door open to what she called her bedroom. Just as messy as I would have expected her to keep it, kinda reminded me of that teenager way back when. Though I couldn’t blame her in this world, the mare had a lot bigger priorities on her plate than a clean floor.

The drawer went smoothly, and I felt my chest go from pounding to a grinding halt once it opened up. A pistol for good measure in the wastes, even a healing potion, some caps to spare as well. All largely ignored for what rested on a cloth nest. Years had faded the purple along its outside, but the emblem of the M.A.S. on the bottom was a clear as day. Just like the lettering along its sides.

B.B.B.F.F.

After a nearly world ending war, almost two hundred years, looting raiders, and the general need for junk… she managed to keep this mug intact. Armor wasn’t very flexible or tender for that matter, but I still found my flank on the floor and cradling the ceramic as if it was a newborn child. How she kept it hidden from the Slavers after getting out into the wastes, I didn’t know, but I’m so glad she- What's this…? The parchment inside fell to my lap, and with a careful hoof I raised it up.

‘Dear Wild,

I wasn’t clever enough to write this all out before your arrival, but seeing you back now had made the years in the waste worth it all… and let me finally put quill to paper. Truth be told, I don’t know how I kept this safe from the slavers when I first made it out, but if they managed to break it. Then that would have been the last straw for me, after all these years of waiting, having it so close by was the closest thing to having you around. Any time it got difficult out here, or I just wanted to talk to somepony… out of all things, I found myself talking to this mug. Silly, and maybe a little crazy I know…’

It wasn’t, not at all.

‘… but it helped keep me sane for just a bit longer, long enough for Alimite to join in my life, and you to finally get out here and find me… Just like you said you would. I knew things hadn’t been right with me for the last few years, I’m just glad I managed to hang in there for a bit longer so Alimite would have a good teacher, and now I know she’ll have somepony watching her back while I’m gone.’

I watched as a few drops from my eyes started to splatter across the page, but I couldn’t bring myself to wipe them away. So instead, I just let the water works do their thing.

‘If you’re reading this, then that time has come and gone… take care of yourself Wildfire, and those who care about you as well. If not for yourself, then do it for me at least. I’ll be waiting to see you again, when your own time comes.

With all the love a sister could have,

Winny.’

And I thought Lock could deliver a swift punch… just like that I had to take a gasp as I’d forgotten to breath while going through her note. The second time reading it was a bit easier, and the third was just pure wistfulness.

I doubted Alimite had seen the note, otherwise she would have smacked me with it after I woke up from that little rampage. No… this was something Winter intended for my eyes only. Something I could keep it as, for now. It took more of the servos working than my own limbs to pick me back up off the ground, and getting me down the flight of stairs to the shop was another feat in of itself. I managed to get to my own cot with some more luck, and in my footlocker there the mug found its new home, nestled in the same cloth Winter had kept it safe on. Would I ever need it for coffee again? No, but here just like she had it, it’d be a way to keep her close.

“Ahh… Wild?” I head a familiar voice behind me, and the ruffling of feathers with it, “you alright?”

Now I could wipe away those tears, “Yeah… I’m good,” I answered Deacon. I would have expected a bit more prying, but something on my face told him my answer was truthful enough.

“If that’s the case… ready for patrol?”

Huh? Guess when you’ve been in a medical hut all day, strolling the perimeter really was like a walk in the park. With a nod to him we made our way to the stairs, and I took one more glance at my footlocker… I would meet her again one day, but it just wasn’t that day yet.

***

I don’t know quite know what I expected out here really… walk around the town, make sure none of the turrets were faulty, and ensure the guards at the towers were still awake. The latter wasn’t all the difficult, we’d come under attack recently so if anything, they were more on their hooves than we were.

At least I had somepo- err, gryphon to talk with, “Luster will make a doctor out of you yet it seems,” I tried chuckle, lighten the mood with everything Deacon rattled off with having to repair on a pony in one day.

Pretty sure he covered the entire Equestrian Medical Journal from front to back, “I’ll take getting shot at any day,” he wiped his talon down across his beak, “So much easier putting holes in ponies than trying to patch them up.”

I was just glad he could do both, and then some. The guy managed to configure parts of power armor without even touching it before, if that wasn’t impressive, I didn’t know what was. Plus, he managed to save my ass on a few occasions, and depending how long my lifespan was. Would likely continue to do so.

Beep.

My limbs froze in place, and as my neck craned down, I was waiting for the blast of a landmine or something to go off… Celestia the gunners had made me paranoid. No mine, still had all my limbs. So, what could that have-

Beep.

Oh! The sprite bot hovered a few yards away from us, and Deacon brough his carbine up along his shoulder. He looked at me a bit weird as I lowered it, but if one of these bots were all the way out here… I had an idea who it could have been.

“Watcher? Is that you?” I waited as the bot bobbed up and down off the ground. Before finally the crackling of the speaker broke through.

“That it is, Wildfire,” my it felt like its been ages since I heard that colt! “Quite the journey you’ve been having, and I see friend might be more suitable now,” wha- oh right.

Deacon looked as confused as ever, but I had an entire patrol to fill him in, “Very suitable… it’s been a while.”

“Well, you’re not exactly easy to find out here, then again that was one hell of a beacon you let off at the prison… so I had a good place to start,” oh don’t get me… beacon? “Seriously, did you have to blow the entire place to Tartarus?”

Both me and Deacon looked at one another, and back to the sprite. I know we did a number on the prison, and the gunners in general, but what was he talking about? “We… didn’t? Got there, cleaned the place out, killed their leader… but it was still standing when we left.”

“Humph, somepony finished the job then…” that was, odd? Who would blow the place up outright? “Looks like they sent a balefire bomb straight down its throat.”

Now who the hell would have one of- “Oh… fuck,” if only I could have had a light bulb above my head, regardless I had a lot more to fill Deacon in on during our patrol. At least a theory, a very, very, possible, shitty, theory.

My turn to be stared at I guess, “In… any case…” Watcher said slowly, and he must have been able to tell I wanted this subject changed fast, “How goes your search?”

Not the subject I had in mind… but never the less, I filled the stranger in on what he’d missed. Getting new leads, meeting Alimite, killing Barrel and that whole conundrum, to winding up here. Helping out a settlement was always a welcome thing in the wastes, and he applauded me for that, especially after just showing up.

I noticed myself choking a bit less as we got closer to the most recent events, even getting the news about Tungsten and Winter out without swallowing my tongue. Was that acceptance? I sure hope so. Still, that didn’t keep my teeth from grinding away at the thought. Watcher was impressed that such Rangers still existed, it was just a shame his flame was snuffed out too soon.

“I’m sorry to hear that… truly,” in his words, I could hear the loss. The colt had probably experienced it enough out here, who knows how long he’s been in the wastes, “I only knew what I heard from the DJ, but I didn’t know what it all cost.”

A whole hell of a lot, but not everything.

“Thank you, Watcher,” I nodded to him in solace. It hadn’t cost all I had, but there was something building up in my gut that was telling me it wasn’t quite over just yet. Not after what he told me, “Do you know anything on the Rangers? Or heard anything new?”

“Not… lately,” well that was a surprise, “They’ve been quiet, almost unheard of I know, but there hasn’t been so much as a-”

A crackle to his comms left the bot floating up and down there, before the music started playing and it bobbed off. He has impeccable timing with that thing, or still doesn’t have full control. Maybe I’ll get to speak to him again soon, or it might take another month or so… something like that.

In any case, I learned enough, and this patrol couldn’t go by fast enough.