Fallout Equestria: A Wastelander Tale

Fallout Equestria: A Wastelander’s Tale, Chapter One.

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A dry breeze brushed over the land, sending up a blanket of dust that slowly raced along the ground, swirling when it hit the crumbling old walls of the long dead town. Nestled in between a dead bush and that old crumbling wall was a rusty spring trap cage, and inside laid a carrot. A creature crawled out from a nearby hole in the ground that served as its hiding spot, sniffing the air as it detected the food. It had patchy black and gray fur that exposed its rough boiled covered skin, and one of its eyes was bigger than the other.

I held my breath as I watched the mangy raider of an animal slowly flop its body to the cage, stopping to look around. Unfortunately for it, I had dragged an old dumpster over here to give myself a hiding place it would never expect. Keeping a low profile, I managed to not be seen by the critter as it returned its attention to the carrot.

Rolling along the ground, it stopped in front of the cage and then stood up on its two hind legs to look around. Feeling sure it was safe, the little raider reached in to grab the carrot while doing it’s best to not go in the cage, only to find that the shriveled up root vegetable was too far in for it’s little claws to just grab and run. Seeing that there was no other way to get it, and that the area was seemingly safe, the little fuzzy raider became committed to the act of theft and crawled into the cage.

*Clunk*

The cage door slammed shut on the beast, and it gave a loud squealing scream that was music to my ears.

“Lottery, you finally caught that little fucker!” I said to myself as I got out of the dumpster.

Trotting over to the trap, the mutant raccoon hissed and growled at me as it ate my lunch. I was sad to let the carrot go, but the fucker had been harassing my family for weeks now, and it had to be stopped. Biting onto the handle of the cage, the raccoon continued to thrash about as I carried it back home. It’s screams echoing into the dry and empty wasteland, so far from anypony that none would ever hear it.

It took an hour of trotting, but I managed to make it home, dropping the now exhausted raccoon in front of the gate. It was not a big place, but Ma and Pa had spent years making it into a home. They had found a small bunker in the middle of a small valley, so far from anything that no raider or slaver would ever come out this far. Old world motor wagons were used to help make up the walls that blocked both sides of the valley to protect the bunkers entrance, along with wire fencing and other sturdy stuff that could keep out most large creatures. We would add to it every now and then whenever we go out salvaging.

Salvaging has been a rare occasion lately, as Pa would scout an area first, and only take me out if nopony was in the area. Other than the nearby ruins, I have never been far from Home without Pa with me.

Taking a deep breath, I unlocked the gate and pushed on it with my hooves, slowly opening the thing, making a loud creek. It was a pain in the neck to open or close, but Pa always said that if it was easy for us to do, it would be easy for bad ponies to do too.

Trotting through with the raccoon, the dry browns and grays of the land were replaced by the greens of plant life. This little patch of paradise was carefully crafted by my parents, using only good old-fashioned earth pony hard work.

I was then met by my little brothers, whose eyes lit up with the sight of the critter.

“Ya caught the raider, sis!” Raffle exclaimed.

“You're like a hero!” Venture said giddily.

They both had dusty light green coats speckled with golden brown freckles just like myself and the rest of our family, but Raffle had a light brown mane, and Venture a rust red mane. I myself had a more carrot orange main, and unlike them, I had grown mine out, where they both had theirs cut short.

Passing Raffle the caged raccoon, as he was less likely to start shaking the damn thing. Now with my mouth free, I then told them, “Go put this bastard someplace where it can't get out, Pa will know what to do with it later.”

The two quickly sped off, likely to dutifully torment the thing. Not that I'd blame them.

Looking around, I saw Ma working in the field, waving me over. In a basket next to her was my baby sis, still too young to be moving about on her own. So trotting over, being careful to not step on the carrot and potato plants we grew here, and gave my Ma a hug.

She accepted the hug, but I knew I could feel her frowning. “Why did you go out alone again? We told you so many times how dangerous it is out there.”

Gently breaking off the hug, I looked away, avoiding eye contact. Looking in the distance at Pa’s long-cared for project of growing some lime trees. The four trees had been planted here from seeds, and had been fiercely protected. They only have been producing the fruit for the last few years now, which has been a nice treat. Not far from it was the chicken coop, of which has been a lot quieter due to the racoon having killed half of the birds. Now that the little raider has been captured, we can finally let them out to properly graze.

“Lottery! Look at me.” Ma demanded as she forcefully turned my head to her. She was a good-looking mare for her age, with an orange mane much like my own, but under her well maintained fur I could see several scars along her body. “The wasteland will not play fair. As soon as you let your guard down, it will fuck you! So why did you go out there without telling us?”

I held back a groan, not wanting Ma to start beating me with her brush. “Because Pa takes forever to get going. By the time he is ready to go, the raccoon will already have killed another chicken. Without the chicken eggs, how are we supposed to make fertilizer for the crops!”

My Ma sighed. “I know, I know. But there's a reason for that. You've never seen real raiders, or slavers. You have not had to hide as a Yougui eats your neighbor, or have to run away from feral ghouls. It may be safe out here, but you don’t have to go far for trouble to find you.”

Ma and Pa were always like this, never wanting me to venture out far, and never alone. “Ma, I’m already nineteen years old, an adult. I know all about surviving out there, and can be as quiet as a mouse. I’ve also gotten a hold on making those traps, like the one I used to capture that raccoon. I’ll be fine if I go a little out there, I mean, we're literally in the middle of nowhere.”

She looked me in the eyes, her gaze was warm, but filled with irritation and worry. “Lottery, that kind of thinking is what’s going to get you in trouble, or worse, killed. I mean, the raiders alone will-”

I cut her off and explained, “The raiders are dead Ma, haven't you heard the radio, the Lightbringer got 'em, along with the slavers. She even gave us back the sky, I mean have you ever seen this place so green before she did that? The wasteland is a lot safer now, so why can’t I go further out?”

“There will always be more raiders.” the voice of my Pa spoke up as he trotted out from our bunker. He was a lean stallion with a dark brown mane and hard golden yellow eyes, the same color as my own eyes. Just like Ma, he had scars along his body, though they were deeper and more prominent than Ma’s. “Anyway, that DJ lives in Tenpony Tower, like fuck is he going to know how any of us live, or the dangers we deal with out there every day.” Pa finished by spitting on the ground.

I did my best to not roll my eyes at him, but couldn't help but say. “You never go that far out there, Pa, you can’t know how things could have changed. There are good ponies out there fighting the good fight, making things better.”

Pa then sighed. “There have always been good ponies out there, fighting the good fight as the DJ says. But there are also bad ponies waiting for some idiot they can use or rob. I've seen good ponies be tricked by the bad time and time again, and if they didn't end up dead, the bad ponies currently made sure they were left broken. Just because things might be better doesn't mean that things are good or even safe now.” He then bent down and pulled a carrot from our garden, tossing it in a nearby basket. “We're safe here, and have a stable food supply, something most ponies have neither of out there, so you should feel blessed and not want to venture out there. Now help your Ma with this harvest like ya promised to do yesterday. She has enough troubles keeping an eye on your brothers.”

“Fine!” I told my Pa before grabbing a basket, placing it by a patch of ripped carrot stocks.

Ma waited for Pa to trot off to where my brothers were before telling me. “He worries because he knows how dangerous it can be out there. We just don’t want you to go through the same pain we had to, that's all.”

“I know, you both told me about it like a hundred and one times now” I said before pulling out a carrot and dropping it in the basket. “But what harm can it be to go out for even a little. I can’t just stay here my whole life and pretend like this is all there is. I want to go on an adventure, do some good, maybe even find a stallion of my own.”

There was a pause as a look of resignation crossed Ma’s face, she's taking the moment to pull out another carrot. “I… I understand Lottery, and maybe it is time we start reconnecting with the rest of Equestria. But you have to understand, it’s not just dangerous to you if you go out there, but to everypony here. What we have here... I’m not exaggerating when I say that ponies would kill for it, and have. I've seen it first hoof… and have done things that we've regretted. So please just give us some time, that’s all we ask.”

This time I sighed. “You said that last year, and the year before that. By the time you're ready, I’ll be an old mare myself… I… I’m sorry.”

Ma smiled. “No, no, you're right, Lottery, we can’t keep you here forever. But we also don’t want to let you go, not alone into the wasteland. You're… just too innocent to how dangerous it is, and I don't mean just the raiders and slavers. But with how you are, even the average wastelander can take advantage of you. With all we have tried in teaching you how to read and..." she paused as I tried to suppress a glare, a look of guilt forming on her face. "Here, just let me talk with Pa about it, I mean, you did catch that dastardly raccoon. I'm sure we can work something out.”

I didn't have confidence that much would change, but I at least trusted Ma. Though she was less than happy whenever my brothers and I got out of line, she did listen to us when we wanted to do something new. So I nodded and helped harvest the rest of the carrots.

The day rolled on and the hot sun began to set, bathing the sky in an orange and red haze. Checking on the chickens, I noticed they were setting down for the night. Silk, one of our only birds with a mostly intact plumage, had become the boss hen after the raccoon killed Magg. Not far was our rooster, Jonny, who had several scars from fighting that same raccoon, having almost died from his injuries.

Because of that raccoon, we had stopped harvesting the eggs, letting the hens care for them. It was annoying not being able to have eggs for breakfast, but the chicken came first.

Checking the coop itself, everything looked in place. Well, as in place as a scrap built chicken coop could be. Pa and I had reinforced it with some of the scrap we had in storage, including some spikes to help ward off any other critters that wanted to break in. Testing one spot, I found a loose board that could become a problem later, and moved some scrap to help keep it in place. One day, maybe, we will get what was called a chicken fence, and then have a proper chicken coop.

Next I checked on the gates, making sure the barricades were properly in place, and our warning system was not slacked. All it was, was several lines of rope with strings of cans hanging off them. If anypony tried to climb over, they would make such a racket that even Nightmare Moon would wake up.

Unless they were a raccoon.

I didn't get why we needed all this, as nopony ever came out this far. Though we did see the odd beast, they never got as far as scratching at the wall before moving on. One time I did spot a Yougui in the distance, but the mutant bear never came close.

With the last of my chores done, I trotted back inside our home. The bunker wasn't that big, if what Pa said about other places like this was true. It is just a room with two other rooms further in, one on each side. Ma and Pa told us that it was once a Ministry of Moral bunker or something, made to spy on the ruined town an hour away. Once, it had a bunch of tech that they traded off to buy seeds and other more useful stuff. Now it was home, with one room we used to store all the food we grow, the other was Ma and Pa's bedroom. The main room was for everything else.

Closing the door, I turned the bar lock, ensuring that nopony could get in, even with a bomb. There, everypony was at the dinner table, each with a plate of carrots and potatoes. It was all we ever ate, but I was still grateful.

"All good Lottery?" My Pa asked.

I nodded. "Chickens are safe, gates are locked, and the can traps are tight."

He nodded back at me and then motioned for me to join them.

Sitting at the table, we held our hooves together, closed our eyes and said a prayer. "Oh, we thank Celestia for this bounty for which we shall eat, remembering the times of plenty she had once given to our ancestors. Oh, we thank Luna for protecting our ancestors though a time of strife, for which we live as proof of her diligence. And we thank our ancestors, who struggled through these troubling times, sacrificing their bodies for those who follow."

We remain silent for several seconds to quietly honor the dead, and to give our own quiet prayer. I prayed to see the world and not be trapped here.

After that, we dug in. The one carrot and single potato was not much, but they still tasted good for being fresh from the ground. My mind still wondered what kind of foods could be out there, what I could be missing by staying here.

I wanted to wear a dress like in the old world magazine and have a fancy dinner with a handsome stallion. Or uncover some lost tech with a dashing adventure, keeping it out of the hooves of a vile villain just like Daring Do. Maybe be like the Lightbringer from the radio, and slay a villain that threatened all of Equestria.

My Pa cleared his throat, getting my attention. "Lottery, elbows off the table."

I quickly straighten myself out and finished my dinner.

"Lottery…." My Pa said slowly, which didn't bold well for anything. "Your Ma and I have been talking about you going out into the wasteland."

My ears perked up.

"And we agree that maybe it's soon time we let you have some more freedom." He said with care.

"So, you're going to let me head out, go scavenge some ruins, or help some village nearby?" I asked excitedly.

My Ma and Pa looked at each other with an unsure look on their faces before looking back at me, my Ma telling me. "Well, not exactly."

Hearing that caused my ears to droop.

Pa then continued. "I know of a place where honest ponies gather, if Redeye is really gone, I'm sure ponies I know will return there. So I'll go and see them, possibly see if there's anything worth trading and what new faces might be there. If it's all good, you can come back there with me, see if there's a nice stallion we can bring back."

I raised an eyebrow. "That's it? You want me to go out once, just to bring home the first decent stallion who wants to come back with us?"

Ma reached out and placed a hoof on my shoulder. "Honey, we know you have been lonely, but because of the Redeye situation it was too dangerous to go out and find a stallion for you. Most mares your age would have a foal or two, and happily settled down."

I huffed at her as I gently pushed her hoof off me. "I don't want to settle down and have a bunch of foals, I want to go explore Equestria, to see the world. Have an adventure!"

"Stop this nonsense, Lottery!" Pa said sternly.

I glared at him with annoyance. "It's not nonsense, Pa! I want to go out there, help ponies like the Lightbringer did, you know, be a hero."

"If you go out there, you will die!" Pa said coldly.

His voice caused me to shrink back, and I was unable to talk back.

He took a deep breath. Exhaling slowly as he calmed down. "Lottery, trust your Ma and Pa, the wasteland eats up ponies like you. We both saw it plenty of times, and to ponies we cared about. We even did bad things just to survive, and made terrible enemies. So this conversation is over. After I return, and it's safe, I'll take you out there. You will stay here until then, and you will stay close to me when we head out. This is final!"

I nodded, knowing that there would be no use arguing with him.

"Good!" Pa said sternly before his eyes softened. "You have to trust us, there are only bad things out there. We do this for your own good because we love you."

I simply looked away, not wanting to acknowledge his words. If they really loved me, they set me free.

Everpony continued their meal in silence before leaving to do their own little project. Ma was nursing my baby sis as she whittled a toy from a plank of wood we recovered long ago. Pa was helping my brothers make a knife from scrap metal, it being a slow process of grinding it on a rock. I didn't want to do anything, so I trotted over to the vanity before I settled down.

The vanity was one of the few nice things Ma and Pa recovered from the ruined town nearby. It clearly saw better days, but miraculously the mirror was still intact, only having three cracks along one side. Inside the drawers were combos and bruises Ma had made over the years, the few things available to us to help keep ourselves clean. We also keep several old magazines in one drawer my mother collected, my only peek at the outside world, even if it's over two hundred years old.

Untying the red scarfs that used to keep my mane and tail from going all over the place, and carefully putting them to the side. I then removed my last scarf around my neck, putting it with the others. The thing for blocking the dust whenever it kicked up. It was all I really had that was close to a sense of fashion, a splash of color within all this dullness.

Pulling out an old fashion magazine and a brush, I flipped to a page showing several mares with long stylish manes. The pages were faded and a bit torn, but their beauty still showed through. The mares were famous ponies from long ago, I only knew their names from when Ma read the articles to me. The photos were for something called a movie, with a mare in charge called Rarity, having photos taken with an actor called Lilac Lace. They both were stylish beyond belief.

I spent some time trying to imitate the mane styles I saw in the magazine. But, as always, I never could quite get anything to stick. But for just a brief moment, I could imagine myself being one of those mares.

It was something I wanted, even though it would never happen. But I could at least take care of my looks, no matter how plain I was. If a dashing stallion did come along, I at least wanted to look good when he did.

After I finished grooming my main and tail, along with brushing some dirt out of my coat, I left to curl up on our bed and turned on the radio, keeping the volume low to not bother my family.

A song from Sweetie Bell was coming to a close, fading before the smooth deep voice of DJ Pon3 spoke up.

"Hello my fellow Wastelanders, this is your ever vigilant DJ Pon3, bringing you the honest news, no matter how much it hurts. It's been over a month since the Day of Sunshine and Rainbows, and by Celestia does the sun feel good. But the old saying about too much of a good thing even applies here. That's right, this is a public health announcement, going out to all you Wastelanders. Turns out there's a thing called heatstroke, which happens when you get too much sun and not enough water. I know right, before there was just too much water, it rained every day, but now we're not getting enough! Well my little Wastelanders, if you're planning to go out into that bad wasteland, make sure to pack plenty of water, drink it when you feel hot, and refill when you can. Also make sure the water is clean by boiling it first, there's more than just radiation out there to worry about."

I took that advice to memory. Pack plenty of clean water, and boil any new water before rebottling. I already knew most of this from what Pa taught me, but this heat stroke was new to me.

"Now for the news, and it is good news at that." The DJ continued. "The siege on Fillydelphia being led by Gawdia Grimfeathers has made a break in the lines as more ponies rally to the banner of the New Canterlot Republic. Though the slavers show no signs of surrendering any time soon, the loss of ground has allowed the rescue of more slaves and the capture of a vital industrial zone. Already, members of the Followers of the Apocalypse are tending to the recently freed ponies, ensuring they will make a quick recovery from their time in bondage. Furthermore, reports on Redeye holdouts outside the Fillydelphia area being struck by vigilante militias are coming in almost daily, further dismantling the slave trade routs across Equestria.”

It filled me with joy to know so many ponies were working together to end such a horrible practice, and frustrated me to no end that I could not go out and join them.

A quiet horn-like instrument played in the background as the DJ changed his tune. “Now I know that you dear listeners are likely wondering: “How can I help?” Well, there are many ways. For one, you can join the NCR or the Followers, recruiters can be found all over, but mainly in Friendship City, Junction Town, New Appaloosa, and outside Fillydelphia. If joining up is not your thing, simply helping your fellow pony in need is more than enough. What is most important is that you do the best to make Equestria a better place by fighting the good fight, so never lose hope, because... I believe in you.”

It was simple, but made me want to go out there even more. I may not be much of a fighter, but I was sure I could do some good out there, all I needed to do was try.

“One last thing before I go good listeners, my dear friend the Stable Dweller, or the Lightbringer as some of you out there have started calling her, she is doing her best to make sure we can all move forward. She could have struck the pegasi down with storms unending, but she chose not to, because they, like every creature in Equestria, deserve a chance. Not every pegasi was a part of the Enclave, and not every member of the Enclave knew what they were doing, so I ask you all, my little wastelanders, please put your hatred aside and give them a chance. We're all at our best when we work together, and we get there by having love and tolerance in our hearts. So even if you can’t forgive what the Enclave did, I ask you to at least give them a chance.”

I nodded vigorously at that. No group of ponies should be hated for the action of a few.

The music on the radio shifted to something with more of a beat to it, getting a bit louder as the DJ talked. “Now, with that all said, I think it’s time for some music. This is a classic party mix recovered by the Stable Dweller herself, so any of you who like to let loose and dance, this is for you.”

I turned down the radio more, the music was too fast and hard for me to simply enjoy. Rolling over, I just layed in the large bed, making sure to take the good spot before my brothers finished making their new knives and jumped over to sleep. My mind filled with the things I could do out in the wasteland, how I could help make things better.

But more importantly, I quietly plotted how I was getting out of here without Pa chasing after me.

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A few days had passed and life went on as usual; helping Ma with the crops, keeping an eye on the chickens, and watching from our walls for any other critters that might be a problem.

It was all so boring.

But today was different, as Pa had packed up more than he ever had before. With large and stuffed saddlebags, with the caged raccoon hanging off the side.

He wore a very old duster that covered equally as old leather armor, which held sheaths for several knives and holsters for revolvers which had no ammunition. Though he was still Pa, he now looked very dangerous, like some pony who let his actions speak for him. In contrast to his duster, was a black and red checkered scarf, and a stylish wide brim hat that had four playing cards attached to it, all aces. It gave him a charismatic look, the look ruined by him being the gruff looking Pa we know.

He also took the only gun we had, his Martini-Breech rifle. A single shot black powder rifle that Pa said was older than the Great War that made this wasteland itself. Pa had shown me how it worked, inside and out, even how to make new bullets for it. It was the gun Pa taught me how to shoot. So even if it was ancient, I knew it would never fail Pa, ever.

"Remember, if you see any pony that's not me, lock everything up. Don't go fighting a pony that could be a killer." Pa told my brothers before eying me. "And you Lottery, stay close to home."

I gave a long huff as I said. "Yes Pa." And he just shook his head before giving Ma a hug and trotting off.

Pa had said it would take him several days to get where other ponies were, and several more days to find the gathering spot his friend might be. I guess that gave me two weeks or more before he got back. It was more than enough time for me to get ready myself

Ma had been vigilant for the last few days, but the more she kept her eyes on me, the less she watched my brothers. Lately, Raffle and Venture had found some new stupid game to play, and it was ramping up to usual stupidity. Which meant that Ma would soon have to divide her attention to maintain order without Pa to step in.

Trotting over to our little well, I poured myself a bit of water into our bucket to drink. Now that I thought about it, with the clouds gone it had gotten hotter, not to say it never gotten hot before, but it was always a damp heat, and this was a dry heat. Between that and what DJ Pon3 had told everypony, making sure I had enough water made sense in a way.

This is why I had been quietly filling and hiding old world bottles with water. The old ruins of the town were full of them, so finding them and finding a hiding spot for them was easy. It was something I had started doing for a month now, because of the sun making me more thirsty when I did go out.

I actually had everything ready for well over a week now, but I knew Pa would find me if I left before he had. Now I just needed to wait for the best time.

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As the day rolled on, the night fell, and morning was creeping in, I had woken up early, as I had been doing for days now. It was all part of my plan, and that I didn't want to bother Ma by skipping out on my morning chores. So while everypony slept, I checked the walls, traps, and chickens. I even filled a few watering cans for Ma, since she already had enough trouble dealing with my little brothers and sister.

Once it was all done, I carefully left through the gate, making sure it closed completely before trotting away.

After an hour, I had made my way to the ruins, the old town had only a few roads crossing through it and only collapsed and rotting houses as landmarks. Pa didn't want to rebuild here, as he said it was a cursed place. Also, because there were a lot of radroaches and other big bugs around here. But it didn't stop him from scavenging everything he could from this place years ago.

Now the place was my personal wasteland practice ground, though my brothers come here occasionally, it was mostly mine. From hunting some bugs as combat practice, to putting my survival knowledge to work, it had been perfect to prepare me for what was going to be out there.

Ma and Pa hated that I came out here, and I had gotten a few beatings for it when I was younger. Now they just lecture me whenever I come back.

Trotting around a little clearing behind one of the ruined houses, I found my private garden. It was one of a few I had planted around here, and the most successful, though pathetic compared to what was grown back home. There were just a few scrawny potatoes and carrots, enough to live off of for a while if I needed to.

Not far was a hiding hole that I covered with some rubble and other trash. Inside I kept an old box, which contained my water bottle and other supplies I had slowly collected, patched up, and modified over the years.

It wasn't much, but I was proud of it. Inside was a dry grass hat and blue tarp cloak I made, and a saddlebag I fixed up with what cloth I could find. But the crown jewels of my collection were my weapons. One tire iron that I attached a slab of scrap metal to and sharpened into an axe. The other was a flare gun I had found, and reinforced into a proper gun. Its ammo was some simple black powder charges I put in the dead shells, and used rocks as bullets. Not all that accurate at any range, but works well enough on radroaches.

Trotting to another hidden hole, where a metal box was kept, it had a cross with several butterflies on it. In it, I was keeping numerous bandages, the materials for making more bullets, and a map I copied long ago. The map was crude, only showing the roads and the landmarks that the original mad had on it. Everything else I had left out, mostly because it was all words, of which I couldn't read. Not that I needed to read, the symbols Pa drew were good enough.

Looking at the map, I first positioned it on the ground so that it was pointing north, easy enough. Then plotting my course, and making sure it was not the same direction as Pa, the plan was coming together.

If I head east by northeast, towards Fillydelphia, I should be able to avoid some big dangers marked on the map. South was the sign of radiation, and north was some sort of monster with big claws. But east had the symbol of a collar and chain, which had to mean slavers. But with Redeye gone, that was not going to be a problem, though it was a bit odd it was just east, and not pointed where Fillydelphia was.

Satisfied with my direction, I threw on my patchwork saddlebags, and loaded one side with food and water, then everything else on the other side. To complete my wasteland look, I put on my hat to help block the sun, then stretched my legs.

"Lookout wasteland, here I come!" I shouted as I trotted into the sunrises, the start of my adventure.

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