Fallout Equestria – Clear Sky
“Is every pony in this town are crazy?”
Hugging the warm body of my sleeping husband, I found myself a little focused on my headache. Having no sleep the entire night did cause some problems, my day was ruined. Sunflower was sleeping perfectly, but I was not able to fall asleep so easily. The morning was close, which means Frost will go away for the entire day, and we still didn`t get any money from him for lunch.
I was almost dozed off at the moment when he was getting away, so I called out
“Who is my best man?” Frost Flower didnt reply. I watched from his back how he placed his saddlebags on his rump, and toke his rifle at his back. “Ok, listen, I know you dont wanna play, but we are hungry. What if you could give us a few bits for dinner?”
He smiled back weakly. “Sorry sweat, Ive got no money yet” He gave me a short kiss on the cheek, then jumped from the bed and walked out of sight. *Dont worry darling, we will get money somewhere.*
Four hours later…
“Listen, girls, I can make this bullsheet from scratch for no bits, and you saying you want 10 bits for each shell?”
“But they are pre-war maiden, original design and they never fail”
“2 bits for the shell, that is my final decision”
“5 bits!” – I yelled.
“2 bits!”
“Fi-ive!”
“Ok, live me alone please”
“Wait what? No, ok, I`ll sell you one for 2 bits, is it ok for you?
“No, I don`t want one bullet! I want them all”
“But we are hungry, we need at least something” – Sunflower said sadly with her childish nativity.
“Ok, here, take two bits. I don`t want your bullets”
“Thanks!” – Sunflower smiled at him taking the money in her yellow magical field.
I was stunned. Wait what was it? We just robbed someone. Oh no! I need to change something! Now! but the wanderer already went away. More or less, but it was our success. The money – two gold tiny things were here.
Ok, now we just needed to find someplace to spend them.
Ten minutes later…
“Just one carrot for two bits? Are you insane?” The green-haired mare looked at me from the window of her home with a bad impression. “Couldn`t you at least wash it from the brood?”
The mare vanished for a moment, then appeared with a rifle in her teeth. “Say more and I`ll wash the ground with your brains”
“Ok, thanks, no worries, cheers!” said Sunflower getting away fast, grabbing me for the shoulder and forcing me to follow her. We got our carrot, yeah.
We went to the river, stepping carefully through the grassy hill. There were some the brahmins, eating these always regrowing plants. When I put our carrot into the water I enjoyed seeing how it began to be white-orange color.
I looked at the most beautiful mare in the world. Her golden mane shined in the light of the sun, her blue eyes watched me with a mournful wish for food. My girl is hungry. I gave her the carrot leaving nothing for myself. Ok, I ate the salad. This green tail of carrot was not very tasty but definitely good.
I spent two more minutes watching fluffy clouds speed across the azure sky. Suddenly, I heard the scream: “Somebody help!”
The voice was from brahmin. We ran to her to see what is going on. There were several wild dogs around her, trying to bite her throat. One of the dogs already took a deep bite into brahmin`s hind leg.
I rushed forward kicking one of the dogs with my forehooves, immediately the five dogs turned to attack me. While I pushed one of them to the ground by the leg, I sent a telekinetic punch to the next one, who was about to bite my ass. Not this time boy!
“Mooom, what to do??” Sunflower watched me in horror.
“Use your magic, dammit”, I was not ready to get eaten by dogs so I ran, sending blind magical punches to prevent these ones from approaching. I had ammo in my saddlebag, but why did I leave my guns at home?
Brahmin seemed to defend herself from the one who had her blood taste in her mouth, Sunflower got the attention of one beast, grabbing his hind leg by magic. I still had three wild dogs jumping on me in rage, but suddenly the gunshot sliced the air. One creature dropped dead, making immediate changes in the faces of the others. One of the dogs took their fallen brother in her teeth and they ran away with insane speed.
There was a buck with a rifle.
“My poor milk wagon, do they hurt you?”
“Yes! Cant you see the blood? You supposed to protect me, arent you?”
“I supposed to protect the herd, do you see here at least one more of your kind? Why are you going on your own?”
“Well, the rest of the brahmins do not want to see me close, they said I`m talking too much” Yeah, she does. “These fillies saved me”
The stallion with the rifle looked at us. “It is not my business, but the owner of this milk wagon may want to give you something for your help, anyway her wound has to be mended, so, could you please follow her to her home?”
I walked slowly, carrying my stomach like a baby. When they said that we are free to drink as much as we can, I didn`t expect such results from myself. Now I was more like a milk balloon. Sunflower, happily for her, was clever enough to drink just one cap and say that she is not hungry. Now we have permission to come each day and have some milk, but “not that much! Are you mad? You going to kill yourself with the milk!!” said farmer mare when I finished the whole bucket.
“Thank you, very tasty,” said Sunflower.
“Im glad you dont ask for money because I don`t have any. Please come back tomorrow”
Ooh, that was amazing! I stepped outside and started my final mission.
Get. Home. Alive.
I awake in my bed home. From the open window, there was a quite nice view of the upcoming evening, the Sun was going down and the sky was covered with red colors. The Sunflower was not around.
Immediately I imagined her surrounded by boys, dancing at the table. Oh, no-no-no, she is a good girl, she would not do so… would she?
I got up massaging my face with my magic, grabbing my main and trying to make it stay low and not touch my eyes. My saddlebag disappeared from where I left it. My shotgun shells were carefully collected in the corner of the room.
I stepped outside, still trying to make my main look normal. I watched the stars slowly covering the sky, and darkness falling at Ponyville. Some kids were playing in the street, but I didn`t want to speak to them. I waited for my filly. There were no signs of her on the whole street! I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to feel her, somehow using my magic. She was right behind me!
“Surprise!” Sunflower talked from my back. “Moom! I`ve earned some money! Look!”
She pushed a small leather thing to my chest. I took it and opened it. There were like two dozens of golden bits. I had no words to say to make her understand that Im proud of her. Instead, I just hugged my mare. Good girl. “Ive sold the rest of the milk”
Is every pony in this town crazy?
No, I don`t think so. My girl is smart.
Note: You may want to see a usual way of leveling and some perks because you definitely got some experience.. but-but-but! But! You haven`t killed anypony, so.. oh fine, the quests also count.
Next level!
Lead Belly – Your digestive tract has adjusted to the weirdness of your own actions. You can put into yourself anything and have no negative buffs on you.
Chapter 2
What does it mean, to be a raider? It means that you are always getting what you want unless a stronger raider takes it away from you.
“Sweaty, I told you we are going on a very important mission and I may need these money to prepare myself,” My husband told me, smiling at me with his white teeth.
“But dad! I tried so hard to get this money! And actually, I'm still hungry”
“And this is why I`m extre-e-emely proud of you Sunflower,” He ignored her complaining, ok, fine, what can you say to this?
“Darling, and what exactly are you going to buy?”
“That’s enough! I told you to not take into my business, but you won't understand that I`m working hard to keep my reputation high and enemies fucked. This is not for you to ask me”
My heart broke. He has his point, and he was so despairing of Sunflower at the same time. I wanted to give all the money in the world to him but put my innocent child away, and then she stepped forward.
“Dad I love you, of course, you can have the money, just please be all right and come back home again”
My heart broke a second time, now I wanted to cry feeling full of sorrow and love. With tears in my eyes, I hugged them both: our daughter thanking her for being so generous and lovely, and our stallion letting him know that it is not really a matter that he just robbed his own family, we still love him.
“If you are going out of the city for the hunt, please bring us some meat. I`m tired of carrots”
Frost has his hunter mark. Being a hunter means that you have the right to shoot whoever you want and only other hunters can judge your decisions. Hunter should care about the creature's population and not allow dangerous creatures into pony villages.
***
I was carrying a bottle of fresh water for us while Sunflower stayed to clean up the brahmin dung. I don`t like that job but a lot of dung at the farm needed to be cleaned and there was a lunch with vegetables and meat as a reward! I almost made it to the main street of Ponyville and was ready to enter the farm silently as I heard a familiar voice. It came out of a public house with alcohol and games.
“Do not take into my business!” Frost`s words flew through my mind.
I made a brief look through the window and stepped aside closely and fast, didnt want to let him see me. Listening to my husband's poker game. Has he been playing with other hunters? Was it matter for his work? I dont think so. Thanks to Celestia that Sunflower is not here. She doesn`t deserve to see her daddy wasting her money for games and drinks with whoever are those bucks.
I went away, forcing myself not to cry. When I got in between the streets and there was no pony around to see me, I pushed my teeth together and closed my eyes, laid my head on the stone wall.
The bottle of water pushed my foreleg. No matter how bad I was feeling, there are still things that need to be done, so I braced myself with a few light telekinetic punches into my cheeks, strongly enough just to feel that I`m still alive. I wiped out the tears from my face and went to the farm.
Maybe he needs it. Needs some kind of communication, I don`t know. I will ask him later, in private, where no pony else is around, where we will.. oh yeah! There he will have no place to hide from me. Shall I tell Sunflower that I wanna make a little sister for her?
While I was working I felt myself blushing. There was still a lot of dung to clean, we need to hurry or our lunch might get cold!
“Let's make it done,” I said in the air for Sunflower, who was dancing with the shovel behind me.
A dung cleaning was actually not as bad as somepony would think, after all, it is safe and sporty. The smell is also not a problem. Brahmins eating grass, so this is just rooting grass smell. The only problem I`ve noticed, is that we were not able to finish this work!
“Hey girls, this corner is not clean!” The farmer mare said to us.
“Just a moment, it will be done” Sunflower replied.
The farmer mare walked away. I have noticed just why that corner was not clean since we already cleaned it. A few brahmins were still here, wandering around.
“Argh, couldn`t you please stop dunging around here just for a moment?” I told one of the brahmins.
“Nope” she answered with no emotions.
“Then maybe you could just go away or something?”
“We were trying to walk away, but you two were making us scary, we were unable to pass through you”
I wanted to double-face hoof but If I do so right now I will be a very stupid pony – my hooves were not clean at all.
“Now listen to me, go out! Immediately!”
“Fine”
They walked outside slowly, still leaving fresh presents on their path. I shake my head turning around. Now we only needed to remove this left.
***
Tonight, when we were laying on the bed together with Sunflower, I had a feeling that something is wrong. The stars were shining, I was able to see them as usual. I was tired as usual and was ready to fall asleep, but the half of bed where has to be my husband – there was nopony. Why didn`t he come? Is it because he is drunk, or still playing these stupid games, or because he got in trouble?
I got up, and walking around the room, nervously. Can`t he just come back? I will not punish him for drinking and playing games, I just need him back home, I need to see that he is alright.
“Mom, what’s wrong, why aren`t you sleeping?”
“I`m just worried about the dad”
I needed some time to calm myself, but eventually, I returned to my daughter, and, holding her in hugs, I fell asleep.
***
There was a strong crumbling sound from the roof of our house. We woke up together immediately. I`m from a warning, and she just because she felt my shook when I raise. Was it Frost come back? Then why is he on the roof?
I made a warning to Sunflower asking her to be quiet, and I closed the window silently.
From the roof, there was sniffing, and more crumbling steps so heavy that they definitely weren`t pony hooves. I thought about the place we can hide, and eventually, we hide under our bed.
The floor was covered with dust, I decided that I will need to wash it up when we are safe.
Then I heard ground stomp and the sound of our window opening. This thing was feeling where we are – and eventually it is going to find us!
I heard the voices and screams from outside, it was whole a lot of voices. Pony voices! Then mighty light beams got into our home, and I finally saw the thing – when it was turning away. The lion's face was so large that it was unable to come through the window. A manticore!!!
I heard strikes of lashes and no gunfire. I wanted to see what is going on so I sneaked to the window and finally saw the picture of the battle, where two dozens of ponies surrounded the monster, attacking it with wires, making it moveless. Some pony managed to take the lead of the monster`s right foot by his own wire, and in the next second, he flew in the air with a surprised face. Mercifully for him, he landed on our grassy roof.
Many ponies were sending light from their torches at the monster, and a lot more were already holding it with the wires. There were too many wires for the manticore, and too many ponies holding it. Finally, the manticore fell to the ground and roared with powerless anger, when they put the cage onto him. Well, the cage wasn’t the thing holding manticore, it was to release ponies from their wires so they placed wires at the cage.
I returned to Sunflower. She was in the bed. “Don`t you want to see the big and scary monster?”
“No! Mom, please, I`m trying to sleep. And close the window. The night suppose to be quiet!”
There were many ponies around my house now, celebrating victory.
“Who are you?” a mare hunter asked me.
“I`m lining here, this is my home!”
“Oh, in this case, we`re sorry for your roof”
My roof? Was it in that bad shape?
There were like 8 deep holes in it, where a manticore landed and where it turned around before getting to the ground. Oh no! How we will repair it?
“By the way, can you believe it? A manticore! Alive!” a pony watched me with eyes widened with happiness. I need to tell her something good.
“Congratulations, I hope my spouse will be glad to hear about your success”
“Frost? He is here! Hey body, your girl misses you!”
“I`m not missing anyone!”
“Hey sweat, how are you?” It was him! He kissed me on the lips, I felt no signs of alcohol there.
I felt warmness in my heart.
“I`m fine, thank you. I want to share something with you personally, lets go for a walk”
When we went far enough so nobody else was able to hear us, I said.
“I saw you in the bar, playing and drinking. I thought you were wasting the money Sunflower earned”
“My dear, thank you so much for your kindness and for not holding the money of our daughter, I made good use of them. Now you can see that I`m at the big party, and we are going to get a nice reward for this.. thing. We will just need to deliver it to Manhattan, it may take up to a week”
“Who is my best man?” I laid my head on his shoulder, touching his ear with my nose, breathing heavier, feeling that If I going to let him go away for an entire week, I need to be as close to him as possible.
“Good goddess Celestia, I will miss you too, Mary”
***
I woke up in a ruined house with no windows, founding myself in a small bed, covered with a warm leather jacket. Is it his jacked? Did he leave me his jacket? How is he going to warm himself without it?
Frost was not with me when I awake and got up. He always does so – trying to sneak out without waking me. Oh, Sunflower is probably awake too, I need to find her as she's going to miss me. However she is a big girl already, I don`t think that she will have any trouble, she can take care of herself.
I got up massaging my main with magic. If Frost not going to wear his jacket, I`ll take it. It suits me anyway. I walked towards my home slowly, staring around. It was a good morning. I was not the only one who walked out of the home. There were other ponies too.
“I`m asking once again, why the fuck did you steal my gun and ammo?! You were the only pony in my home tonight. Tell me!”
“Nope, it was not me” buck responded with an innocent smile.
“Tell me! Tell-me-tell-me!” as he kept saying no, the mare become crazy and they started to fight each other. Come on, kick him in the face!
“You maybe want to help?” the buck asked as he noticed my look. I said no words just turned around and went away. I didn`t want to get beaten by two of them. When someone is asking you to not interrupt their business, it is in your best interest to just go away.
***
A kitten jumped into my window and stared at me.
“Oh damn you, fuck off! I`m not going to share”
I had a nice meat steak from giant lizard leg. I was going to eat it, why should I share?
“Listen, pal, I don`t need pets or something, whoever you are, do you understand? Leave me alone, please. Thank you very much, bye”
I wanted to close the window and.. a kitten still was there, watching me silently.
“Okay fine, you can have this bone.. come on, take it, have fun”
Zero impression.
I cut a small piece of my meat and threw it to her. She sniffed and started to make the sound of a cat when they are happy. She walked around me, spending some time massaging my legs herself, and then she finally decided to eat my present. Yes, she is nice. I have always loved cats.
***
“Could you possibly wear more?” A stallion wasn’t replied. “Hey, I`m talking to you!”
He walked slowly, carrying around 10 pipbucks, their screens all displayed his health status and inventory capacity. There is a warning. I came closer to read it.
MENTAL DRAIN ALERT!
The warning has refreshed himself each ten seconds, displaying this message again. I wanted to help, so I took like 5 pipbuks with my magic. Immediately my vision got covered with a magical interface displaying my inventory and the leather jacket I was wearing.
Wow, nice.
I followed the buck, hoping that he will awake, but then I felt the coldness. My vision blurred and my body become weak. It was hard to move! And it was with only five of them, what if I wear ten? Ok, that’s enough.
I dropped to the ground these 5 and took from the buck 5 more, dropping them as well.
“Hey, what are you doing? Robber! Somebody help!”
“Are you kidding me? I have just saved you. These things were about to dry your soul empty”
“Oh come on, I know how it works. They do not work if you not wearing them!”
“Yeah? And what is this warning about?” He looked at one of the screens and his face changed. The tool has been displaying a new message..
THE USER IS DEAD
The screen blinked, and a new message appeared.
Thank you for choosing Stableteck! Come again next Apocalypse time.
The buck took two steps away from a bunch of magical energetic computers and looked at me with horror and confusion. “Ok, I will buy some bag from you. Would you sell me this one?”
My bag, with Stable 2 emblem, which I have been wearing for the past 16 years? I don`t think I want to lose it. How could I possibly get some new, and so useful one?
Smiling at the buck, I put my magic into the hills of trash aside from the road and immediately presented him with a nice bag with a long leash.
“You are welcome!”
“Great, thank you!” he gave to me several golden bits. I hide them in my pocket.
He was going away, carrying the bag at distance, by wire, and I received some money for dinner.
***
Gold beer in a glass and a nice lizard steak were worth these 8 bits, I was extremely satisfied watching other ponies eating and having fun, but I had not had the wish to join any company, I was good on my own.
Oh yes, I needed to find Sunflower and clean up some dung!
“Are you sure it is here?”
The old mare stared at me in hope. “If I would remember any place where I have spent my time, it was this building. My ring is there, please find it”
The old scary house (definitely full of ghosts), needed my attention.
***
The wasteland wind sounded like music. He played in between rooted cars and burned and erased buildings, green forests, and grassy fields. The wind jumped into the dark sky, watching Equestrian Wasteland from above the clouds. It wasn`t a wasteland anymore. The life has been resurrected, and now pony villages were like tinny stars, spread across the ground. He flew past the desert, reaching the old city, where the company of hunters was fighting for their lives. He wanted to tell them to be nice, to advise them how to live, but his words would be meaningless anyway.
“I can`t take it anymore!” the buck said in horror. “Tell me we have some water left”
“Oh damn you, I said no!” Oh good goddesses, is he fuking kidding me? “Stand up and lets go or we will leave you here”
I miss you, Marry. You know, somepony can say that we are a normal couple, but I remember everything. The days when we first met. You did everything I wanted. Nopony ever was so kind to me before. I thought I`m in a dream. And then you went away, saying nothing. My life become meaningless. Walking through the wasteland all alone, doing my job. I was a slaver, I have nothing to be ashamed of, but you… you changed my life, and make me care about someone else, not just myself. And then you took it away – took away yourself. There is no more horrifying punishment in the world for me. You can remember, when I went to Ponywille and met you there again, cleaning up the brahmin sheet at the farm.
When I saw you there I felt that there is no prettier woman in the entire world. I understood that I never want to lose you again. You know what, even though we are a few days far from each other, I still feel that you are with me, listening, I can hear your voice talking to me. I love you. Both of you.
I always wondered what is your special talent – a sun, river, hills, and a rainbow - were always mysteries for me, but I know for sure that no matter how fucked the world is, you will make it a better place.
Sincerely yours,
Frost Flower
***
I finished writing the letter. It was time to go.
It would not be delivered right now, but surely, I will come back home and give it to my wife.
Getting up from the ground, I put my armor on myself, following the lines at my skin where armor was all the time. I had scratches on black steel, on my chest, and on my shoulder. If not for this armor I would get badly injured by all the creatures I have met. This is why I become a hunter. Whenever I heard a scary story from anyone or have seen something dangerous by myself, I did whatever it takes to get myself into adventure, and even when I wasn`t searching for adventures, they were coming to find me themselves.
If you want to become a hunter, you should find and fix problems that nobody else can fix.
“Can`t we make this thing move by its legs?”
“If you want it to run away, then let's do so. A manticore will never obey, never accept our will”
Two brahmins were tired from driving a cage with manticore for several days in a row, so they got help from ponies. Now five of us become a driving force to release them.
“Cant our creature die from starving? We havent fed it for days”
I felt a hot breath at my back when a manticore sniffed behind me.
“They are very endurable, even though a manticore is not showing signs of aggression, she is watching us, waiting for the moment to strike us down”
I looked back at the monster. Two harmless eyes were looking at me with no interest. Leather wings were holden at her back, wired well, as well as all the limbs were wired, especially the scorpion tail, which was extremely poisonous I guess.
The sun was driving me crazy, good goddesses that I have a nice hat. What about the monster? Is it ok with this heat, with such massive hair? Ok, doesn`t matter, it's still alive and Tenpony tower is not far so we will finish the job today.
This evening
“Ok, you can come in, but this.. thing.. is staying outside. And leave your weapons here, you know the policy, aren’t you?”
“We are hunters” – I said. “We making all the judgments in the wasteland, and our policy is your policy”
“Listen, pal, I trust you, really, I believe that guys like you would not do anything bad. I know you Frost Flower. Dijay Pon3 was talking on the radio about your bravery when you destroyed those invisible ghouls' swarm cave. Damn it was a good idea to use a flamethrower”
“It was long ago. Also, I was not alone on that mission. Several ponies got their hunter`s mark there with me, but thank you”
“Ok. Once again, I will explain, we cant allow you to carry weapons in Tenpony tower, because all the ponies will know that you did, so they will do the same and then we will get somebody killed in our town. This is what Im talking about.”
“Fine, you have your point” – I gave my assault rifle to the guards, along with ammo.
***
We got a nice reward for an alive and fully healthy manticore, and the strange doctor was happy, dancing around the cage.
“And just what you will be doing with it? I`m just curious, nothing personal”
“It is not your business, man, you have got your money” – a doctor changed his face to happiness again. I was a bit scared of how fast he changed his emotions. Ponies are the most unpredictable, dangerous creatures in the wasteland. “But in addition to your reward, I will show you my first experiment”
***
Horrible. They put a manticore into the very big cage and made it fight pony ghouls. Eventually, a manticore won and devoured a few of them.
Ok, let the doctor do whatever he needs to do with his new toy, do not say anything, let's just go away.
We were on our way back to Ponywille when the wind blew strongly, showing no mercy for us, already tired from the desert`s heat.
***
It was so long ago, when the cold steel was in my magic, being used to kill other ponies. So why do I get this feeling again? Is it – killing - in my blood? Is it necessary to kill others to keep your own life going?
I saw my Stable 45 room. I saw myself getting up from my bed, going to the shower, and stepping on the floor which never gets dirty. Pretty and careless mare.
Then I saw myself chained in heavy armor, along with armed raiders, taking Stable 45 from its previous owners.
Six of us. Our leaders, one in black energy armor, and another in white power armor, with a skull at the back of his helmet, were talking about what we have to do next if we can not find the Overmare as easily as we expected.
I saw a grenade rolling over the floor towards our hooves. I had less than a second to drop to the floor, covering my face with armored legs. One of our leaders in power armor, stepped between us and the explosion, sawing those of us who would be hit by pieces of steel. He had no emotions on his covered by helmet face, said no words, just stepped aside after the smoke fled away, and fired a rocket toward the enemy barricade.
“They not giving up, aren`t they” – I said, getting on my hooves. Power armored stallion turned to me.
“Then we just have to kill em all”
I picked up an assault rifle from the corpse of the stable guard, his magazine was empty. I changed it for new.
I saw myself brushing my teeth peacefully, taking care of my beautiful mane.
Then again, a battlefield inside of 45 Stable. I saw myself firing my dragon-slayer rifle into the armored stable guard at close range, killing him instantly. A large part of his chest disappeared, leaving an explosion of blood and flesh behind him.
I walked past the room which will be mine. I never wanted it to be mine, but I earned it by magic and fire. I waited for others to come to approach me, to go together. Each time the enemy tried something against us, we were one step ahead of them, having something to prevent their success. We were unstoppable, we were invincible.
“Step any closer, and I will kill myself!” - Overmare said. She had a shotgun pointed in her face, full of hate and anger.
Power armored ponies froze for a moment.
“I locked up some of your ponies in their rooms” – I said. “If you disobey our orders, they will die”
“You already have killed too many of us. You will never be forgiven”
“We don`t need your mercy. The Stable 45 is ours now,” – said one of the power armored leaders with a magically changed voice. It felt like his words were from inside of me, touching even my soul, and the Overmare felt the same, I guess. “If you want to die, go on and finish yourself. We will get what we want anyway”
As he talked, Overmare`s strong anger slowly changed to emptiness. Looking around, having nothing to place a look at safely, she screamed mindlessly, pointing the gun at us, firing blindly, just in our direction. One telekinetic punch in her face was enough to stun her for a moment, and then a direct hit with the heavy metal part of a flamethrower.
“It's all over, my girl, have a nice sleep”
“We are not going to kill her after she has killed a lot of our good guys?”
“She will die. In one hundred years long punishment, when we will learn from her how to rule the Stable 45”
***
Ive opened my eyes and turned from one side to another. What was that dream about anyway? I still have these memories of my past, but why is it matter for me right now, when Im living here, in Ponywille, a raiders city? Why still cant I forget my Stable 45 friends?
I got dressed and went out of the home. I looked up at the sky. The dumb thing about the sky was that it literally never changed from azure blue color, and the sun was always wandering around. I don`t want to say anything bad about the sun, but still, I wanted at least some clouds to show up. It looked like someone was managing the weather for his own good, and that person may be very much a fanatic about the Sun.
I went to my work as usual and spend the whole day talking to no one. I didnt like to talk much anyway, maybe, therefore, I was the only worker here at the farm, cleaning dung, because nobody else wanted to do this kind of job. It's not that I like to dirt my hooves in cows sheet, but this work was safe and payable. If you do not force yourself to make heroic actions, maybe you will not have a need for heroes, maybe then you will be just a normal pony.
Maybe this is the kind of life I have wanted after all.
Note: Got a lot of experience, ha?
Next level!
Killer professional - Look here, this is what we call a crap. You must clean it. Did you get it? That’s all, thank you for all the hard work! Here is the money. See ya tomorrow!
Dont forget that you have a quest to do!
Right... I needed to find a ring for that old mare... just wait for me, ghosty house, Im coming.
The right definition for the word "coming" was far better than my real one, as I was still laying on the bed. Frost was out somewhere, as well as Sunflower. She even wasnt home for several days already. The last time I have seen her, she took the dragon-slayer rifle and saying nothing, she went away. I didnt follow her, didn`t ask questions. I was too afraid that I, being fucked up at that time, could spoil everything for my beloved daughter.
The cold realization of something in her eyes, the same azure eyes her father was always watching the wasteland with. What she has seen there? What was her way of thinking? I would not ask that as she didn`t seem to be wanting to talk, instead, I will wait until she gets back home happy, when she speaks to me first.
***
I spent several hours in that house mare pointed at, looking for her ring, going in circles over and over again. I got so pissed off by this.
The entire house started to glow with my white magic. What I was going to do? Torn it apart? No, unlikely I can do that. All I was able to do is to get headaches from even thinking of the possibility of that. However feeling the entire house with my magic has made me understand that there are a lot more places to look at, but I will not want to do so today.
I went through the city fast and dropped my corpse on the bed.
I had pain in my head so I was not able to sleep that easily. And where the hell Frost is? Stayed at night with his new friend-lover? So nice of me to help them meet. No, I don`t think my spouse is gay, most likely no, just to think how he was grinning walking within the group of cool mares... I would kill to get that look of him back at me.
It would not be that bad if I just had some more dash inhalators. I went to the kitchen and looked under the table. There was one, full of liquid joy. I stepped to my knees and spent no more moments before taking a deep breath, kissing the inhalator.
Immediately I felt so powerful I could go around the city and dance. Instead, I went to the meat shops to look for something nice to eat.
"Hey, sis is that true that a dead pony can bite your leg when you walking here?" a young colt asked a filly of the same age.
"Father told me about ghosts moaning in this part of the town, but I think this is some kind of bullshit"
Did I believe in ghosts? I, honestly, was much more afraid of alive ponies who could find you all alone at night... the best thing which could happen to you will cause some of your ghosts to moan though.
I stepped in. "Listen, little fellas, the ghosts are here! Its all true! A long time ago this place was.. well it is still a grave actually, you cant imagine how horrible those dead monsters which rest down there. I was stupid enough to walk by this a month ago. At night. The thing I saw will always follow me in nightmares. The mare, all alone on the street was walking home. Nopony was around to see her, no pony was able to help. When I heard her painful scream it was already too late!" As I kept talking a colt took his sister in hugs with horror in his eyes.
Nopony else was around us so I moved forward. "When I ran to see whats going on.. I saw the ground covered with her flesh and blood, and her bones started to drow into the dirt, like something was forcing it inside until the bones, and all that remained disappeared as if nothing happened. But thats not the end. When I turned around to run back home, I saw... that right in front of me... was standing... a headless horse!!!
The two of them turned around in horror just to see the surprised old stallion.
"Hey, I know I look bad, but how dare you look at me like this, childrens! Go away before I tell your parents that you annoying me!
I pretended to never be talking and galloped to the nearest shop. Honestly, I got afraid of my own story, after all, ghosts do exist. Will they punish me for my disrespect? The pit of dead stable dwellers was a real thing after all.
Gold coins flashed at the table, a large rabbit appeared in my bag and I went home.
***
I was surprised to find Sunflower home.. but what is this in the name of...
She was wearing a pipbuck! The thought of the vision I just saw made me feel like a splash of cold water went over my back.
I touched my leg where my pipbuck was long ago. I even couldn`t remember the reason why I stopped wearing it and sold it.
"Whats wrong, mom?"
"Nothing, I`m just glad you are back"
"What is that in your backpack? Meat? Give it to me! Or rather use your magic and cook it already"
"Oh yeah. Give me a moment"
I am a wizard, but each pony has a few tricks, right? I flew a rabbit out of my bag and started to boil it from inside with sparks of fire. Just a few minutes and it was ready. It smelled good and also the taste! I get a torso while Sunflower asked for all the legs.
"Is daddy home yet?" I closed my eyes. She cant see that I did anyway. "Nah, I dont care. In this case, more meat will be for us"
"I guess father can take care of himself, at least he may be got some reward from that trip" I paused. "You wanna go out with me for tonight?"
"No, mom, Ive got things to do tomorrow, Im going to sleep! And dont try to get me back to work on the farm, it was nice but Im done with it, since we have lots of food anyway"
She was sixteen, cool and independent, I couldn`t judge anything she said.
"Alright, no worries"
***
I finished my rabbit and went outside. The wasteland never was so green. The wind blew my main, touching my head like a loving parent. I liked this feeling. I guess even without raping and killing the day could be wonderful.
Note: Next level!
Gardens of Equestria affection: War does change a lot of things, for example, we can start to enjoy just being alive, handle and love ponies who are close to us with unfaked feelings. With no unnecessary words, it could be called: a Harmony
