Fallout Equestria: Desperados V2 (of Blood and Dirt)

Desperado’s V2, Chapter 16

The Cold Below (Part 1)

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I surfaced from the water to be greeted by the taste of salt and the glaring sun. Confusing enwrapped me as I failed, my world having turned backwards, upside-down, and inside-out. I was sure of it, I was dead, I know I had just drowned.

"Ahoy! We got one in the water!" I heard a mare yell.

Then with a splash, I felt hooves grab me and pull me up and out.

I tried to speak, but only water spewed out, causing me to squirm as I realized I couldn't breath.

"Easy their lassy, just calm down and take a deep breath." The stallion holding said.

I glared up at the stallion, only to be rather shocked with how handsome he was. He had a well groomed short beard and several scars on his face, along with a long mane decorated with gold rings.

Before I had released, I had been pulled up to the ships deck, then dropped. The impact caused more water to spurt out.

"Star, you need to just breathe, trust me. You're fine, and all you need to do is breathe." He told me.

Somehow, I believed him.

Taking in a deep breath, I could feel the water in my lungs… and I was… fine?

Letting out the breath, the water came out of me as though naturally purging. Nothing like violently puking up my guts after having too much to drink. This was far less uncomfortable.

I reached for my sword, but remembered that Quicktrot took my gear, which meant that if I needed to fight, I was doing it the old fashioned way. So I stammered out, "H… how am I… I thought I was dead." I stammered out.

"Well, about that, Star." The stallion sounded nervous, as though about to give me some really bad news.

Wait, again he said my name!

I glared at the stallion. "How do you know my name? Where the fuck am I? And who are you?"

"You're aboard the ship Arion's First Born, which sails along the river Styx." Spoke a regal sounding mare. As I looked over, I saw an older blue on blue mare in a tattered, yet beautiful captain's jacket, her bicorn hat decorated with blue and black feathers. Her face was marred by a claw-like scar, crossing one eye, which was covered by a finely decorated eyepatch depicting a skull.

She was the coolest mare I had ever seen.

Then I recognized her, from Quicktrot's memory fragment. The mare facing down the black dragon.

She then smiled, showing off several golden teeth among a few less than white teeth. "It's a ship with a very exclusive list of sailors. The first born of a certain family line. Ain't that right, Dead Reckoning."

"Th… that is correct, great, great, great…" he paused as she glared daggers at him. "grandmother." The stallion somberly said.

I looked over at him, and I could fully see it. The vaug bit of my oldest memory, yet it was him. The same blue coat as me, the same grean mane as me. It had to be, but… "how?"

He placed a hoof on my shoulder, giving me an apologetic look. "The same way every pony arrived in the land of the dead."

A cold shiver ran up my spine. "So… I did."

My father nodded. "I'm afraid so."

Another blue mare laned nere us, this one a pegasus with a red and yellow mane. She wore a toga with a gold leaf crown, along with a heavy iron collar around her neck that was attached to a short broken chain. "Ahh, good to see another of my descents here. Always worry the next is the last. That said, you ain't the last are ya? It be a right shame."

"Salt Squall, ancestor. Get back to the crows nest!" The mare in the captain's uniform said coldly.

Salt Squall tutted at the other mare, then smiled wide like a mad mare. "Back in my day, talking back to your elders would get ya a hundred lashes!" She said in an 9ff toned sing son voice as she flew back up.

"Sorry about her, ponies of mixed blood were not treated well in her time. The mental scars sadly persist even after death." The captain said before reaching out her hoof. "You must be, Star Charter, I'm Captain Alginate, progenitor of the Alginate family."

I shook the mares hoof, having no clue to who or what the Alginate family was.

I looked over at Dead Reckoning as he looked at my own confused face and then sighed. "She's a founding Privateer, and the current Alginate family resides in the holy city of Avalon."

"Wait, as in like a noble family?" I asked as realization hit me.

Alginate huffed in annoyance. "Ain't nothing noble about any of that shit. The damn Redrums always find a way to ruin everything. Both in life and after death they be a pain in my flank. When I found out about that damn religion and shitty excuse of an empire, I'd have had a heart attack if I weren't already dead."

"Redrum? Wait, you mean Thorn, right?" I asked them.

Dead Reckoning's eyes open wide with shock. "So you know?"

I shrugged. "Weird shit started happening to me not long ago, including a stallion that sometimes bounces around in time. Turns out he's met Thorn Roseland before, even ran into her again in some underwater city called-"

"Despoina." Dead Reckoning said, finishing what I was going to say. "I see, fate is quite cruel. And I guess you died looking for that place?"

"What… well kinda, I guess." I answered before explaining, "Heading to Despoina was the plan, since it's where Victoria is planning on going, and we have a map. But before we even started, I got shot in the legs and thrown into the water to drown."

"A map? Seriously, there's a map and you have it?" My father asked as though dumbstruck.

"Sort-of, more like… how should I say it? Some weird twins gave my friend the location on where to find it. Crazy really." I further explained.

My father then face hoofed. "The Lutece twins I'm guessing."

The name sounded familiar. "I think my friend mentioned them."

"Ya, a strange pair. Don't ask me what they are, nopony here knows. But they were there when I found Despoina, and there when I died. Did a job for them, and as payment, made sure my gear got its way to you." He explained.

"Well… that explains that… I guess." I said, now having confirmation that my fathers tools did get to me by magic… though what magic it was I clearly could not say.

Alginate then cleared her throat. "Putting the catching up aside for now, dear Star, did you say you died from drowning. As in from breathing in water?"

A bit confused as to why she even needed to ask that, I nodded. "Ya, and I rather not talk about how I died anymore."

She rolled her one good eye. "You're not dead!"

"What?" Both Dead Reckoning and I said.

Sighing, Alginate trotted closer and with a cloven hoof, placed it on my cheek as she pushed her forehead to my own. "Yes, it's faint, but you're still warm." She then backed off. "Anyways, the first born of Arion cannot drown, it is impossible for us to drown."

I became even more confused, then asked. "Arion, as in the ship?"

"As in the ship my cunt!" A raggety and thin stallion cackled. His green and gray mane looked just like seaweed, and along his green coat was shimmering green scales. "The ships named after the god Arion, son of Poseidon, younger brother to the dread mare herself."

"And our direct ancestor, along with being the first true pony." A beautiful marble white mare said, her body similar to that of the older stallion, just more well groomed.

Alginate nodded. "Yes we know ancestors, now go back to knitting and the like." She then huffed. "Always overly excited to meet new crew and tell them our history. But yes, as it turns out, every first born in our line is related to some god called Poseidon, and because of it, no matter our race, we all can breathe underwater. Isn't that right, Dead Reckoning?"

My father nodded. "It's true, since I didn't think I possessed the magic of a kelpie, I never tested if I could breath water. But when I asked too many questions looking for the Leviathan, they went and sent me to the ship. Unfortunately it was by tieing me to a rock and throwing me overboard. Though I was going to die, then I found myself not. And that's how I found Despoina, and the Leviathan."

A sense of relief washed over me, but so many questions still burned in me. Among them, "then why am I here?"

Alginate sighed as she looked behind her. "Dear mother, care to explain."

"It happens from time to time." Another mare trotted over speaking in a smooth and regal tone, she was dressed in exotic clothing that obscured her body and face. "When one's life is pushed to an extreme, when the line of the living and dread is blurred." She then pulled out a deck of cards, shuffling them and drawing one. The one card depicts a shadow like mare holding a cracked jar, which she sat under a big black dragon, both having golden eyes. "Or when one has a runin with the mother of necromancers."

A concerned look crossed Alginate's face. "Mother, are you saying she ran into that bitch? But she's dead now. We dragged her corps to Tartarus. "

The mysterious mare chuckled. "She is of ancient magics my dear daughter. Death is not an absolute, not unless even the memories of her are slain will she be truly gone. And despite the reapers work, some peace of her still yet exist."

I looked at the card for a long moment, and I slowly remembered. "Quicktrot… that thing appeared when Quicktrot tried to invade my memory's. But… I saw it from both views, from Alginate and from the dragon." I pointed at the captain. "You were fighting, and lost your eye, right?"

"This is true." Alginate admitted. "A cult was trying to free an ancient nightmare, of which my mother foresaw in her fortune tellings."

"Unfortunately, few listened to me, and the cult made their move to silence me. The governor made a show of it, where I was made to publicly drink poison." The other mare said.

"I avenged my mother and stopped Phobetor from being freed from the Tartarus prison. Though I lost many I cared about and was listed as an outlaw." Alginate told me. She then patted me on the shoulder and smiled. "Well, it does my cold heart good to know that our family is not yet lost, and still enemies to the nightmares. But, now that we know you don't have an eternity to talk, maybe you should look around before the ferrymare comes."

"The ferrymare?" I asked.

"Ay, you will see her soon." The mysterious mare said mischievously. "It be a waste to leave you here after the effort to bring this to you." She said as she reached out and tapped the Oracle's Eye.

It was then and there I realized that I didn't have anything on, not my weapons or clothes, just this magical magnifying lens.

"Did you know this was made by me? Even has my name on it" The mare said, a slight chuckle in her voice.

"Right…" Dead Reckoning then said, scratching his head nervously. "Star Charter, this is your ancestor, Star Charter."

I sighed as I looked at the mare with my name.

Alginate let out a bellowing laugh. "Oh don't be that way, I knew an other Alginate in my time alone, and a few others named after me."

"My sister was always gripped by jealousy, and even demanded I change my daughter's name." Ancestor Star Charter said in an amused tone. "But leaving history to the side for now, I must talk with the captain, and prepare a few rituals."

"Ay, there's work to be done, so best leve ya two be. Let you do so e catching up." Alginate said with a wink, and my two ancestors trotted off.

Dead Reckoning sighed as they left. "When I was but a colt, I always imagined Alginate to be a vicious and cold monster, much like my father." A cold expression then formed on his face. "When that bastard finally shows up here, I'll make him wish for the torment of Tartarus."

"So grandpa sucks, good to know." I said jokingly. "Anything else you can tell me about you?"

He nodded as he began to trot. "Fortunately I wasn't raised like an Avalon noble due to being the bastard son, so no golden spoon in my mouth. The best day of my life was when my family sold me off to some rag of a fleet as some noble gesture. Flintlock Hoof was a harsh mistress, but respected, competent and loyal."

My ears shot up, and eyes opened wide. "You mean thee admiral Flintlock Hoof! I always dreamed about joining her fleet! even have her song memorized."

My father stopped at the bow of the ship, where a decorated and rather massive cannon rested, it having a large harpoon sticking out of it. "Well, since you were raised on the Blackwater, it's only natural you'd idolize her. I imagine your mother was also preparing you for it at least. Considering her personality."

I ran my hoof along the cannon, feeling a lump in my throat. "About that." I said as I looked back down at the deck, now properly able to see the ship. All of it was made from a dark ebony wood, smooth and glistening with care. The sail was of a black canvas, torn in some spots, but had no holes, as though layered. Brass was used to hold some of the ship together, or just decorating the wood, all of it polished to a shine. And from the crows nest a massive flag, depicting a skull and hourglass. I could tell this was a beautifly dark ship, like out of a storybook.

Taking a deep breath, I then told him. "Mother… was training me to be a whore, and abandoned me at nine years old. She even sold off your things, defaced your jornal and smashed the Oracle's Eye."

Dead Reckoning grimaced. "I… see. Sorry for leaving you with her, I hoped she would at least try."

"Try, that woman cared nothing for me. My oldest memory was of you hitting her and giving me a name. You knew she was shit, and you left me with her." I growled at him, but then calmed down. "You could have taken me with you."

But he shook his head. "No, as bad as Setting Sun was, Your grandmother would have been worse."

I raised an eyebrow at that. "Grandmother?"

He nodded. "Setting Sun's mother. I wouldn't have slept with your mother if given the choice, she reminded me too much of my own family. But Flintlock was animated about it, wanting her bloodline mixed with that of a noble family's."

I rolled my eyes in annoyance. "Grate, my grandmother is another Bishop Purity Spiral." Then I froze as I realized what he just said. "Wait, Flintlock, as in Grand Admiral Flintlock Hoof?"

Again he nodded. "The deal was that I prove myself and earn the right to be a captain of a major ship, The Queen of Knives, then take Setting Sun as my wife. It would gain Flintlock legitimacy among the nobility, so long as they recognize my promotion that is. Well, as you already know, it never happened. And I'm sorry for that, sorry that I could never be there for you."

Even though now knowing that I was related to the Flintlock Hoof, in the end I was sure it changed nothing. I was the bastard daughter of a bastard, otherwise known as a twice whore born. But it did explain why Bishops Purity Spiral wanted me so much.

"Don't apologize." I grumbled at him. "Ain't like it was your fault, ain't like we ever had the choice. Just shit luck I guess."

"Ya, that shit happens a lot with our family!" Another mare said from behind the cannon. She looked almost exactly like an older version of my Bridget, even having the griffin talons and wings. "Fuck me, I only exited because two bandit kingdoms needed an exues to stop killing each other. Didn't last long, but long enough for me to be given as a hostage of the pegasus kingdom." Looking up at the crow's nest, she sighed. "All we really can do is try our best for our children, even if we stumble and fall, or are cruelly separated from them."

She then pulled out a rag and started polishing the already well polished cannon. "I never got to know my family much, or my children. But at least here some of us can catch up on lost time, and heal old wounds that in life could never truly heal."

I looked at my father, then out at the expanded dark waters. "I… guess I understand. Life's not fair, so we must do what we can with it." A smile then crept on my face. "It's actually nice knowing that something like this awaits me. That I know that one day, even if I never live to see it, I'll still get to see my Bridget again. But I pray it's a long time from now before I see her here, a very long time."

Looking back, both my father and ancestor had a knowing look on their faces, along with another, and large stallion, covered in scars.

The newcomer then laughed. "Now that's the spirit, death isn't so bad when you have family." The big and scared stallion then hopped onto the cannon, getting a scowl from my other ancestor. "Though I wish all my sons and daughters could be here with me. It be glorious! "

My part griffin ancestor wiped her rag at him, getting the big stallion off the cannon. "Like fuck can we fit over forty of your spawn here, ya barbarian. Anyways, all they'd ever do is fish!"

I let out a sigh, having almost all the tension I had been feeling drained from me with each new pony. "Our family line is really weird." I then commented.

Dead Reckoning shrugged. "Well, it goes back several thousand years, so we're going to pick up a few crazys along the way. Anyways, the worst of them do end up in Tartarus, so it's not like anypony truly evil is here. And those good ponies who don't have the spine to sail, or feel it's time to move on, do have the option of porting at Elysium to stay."

Leaning on the smooth ebony railing, and watching the odd collection of ponies move about, knowing that all of them were my direct ancestors. It still felt strange, strange yet comforting. Though many of them were different shapes, sizes, and kinds of ponies, the most common were the ones with seaweed like manes and cloven like hooves. It reminded me of one of the problems my mother had with me.

"Say… father." Calling him that felt hard then it should, but also felt nice. "What would have happened if I had been a Bicorn or Kelpie?"

He joined me in leaning onto the railing of the ship. "Truthfully, not that much. Knowing Setting Sun, she'd probably treat you better, but only because you'd be useful for attracting welther sailors." He then sighed, the sound of disgust in his breath. "Just like Flintlock, I have no doubt Setting Sun would have no qualms in selling off her own children for power. But unlike Flintlock, Setting Sun was too vain and cowardly to risk the danger of being a sailor. Maybe her abandoning you was the best thing that could have happened to you. I mean, you look beautiful, healthy, and not crazy."

"All thanks to mom… the mare who saved me I mean. She showed me what a mother really is, the exact opposite of Setting Sun." I said with a smile. "I'm sure you would have liked her."

He smiled back. "Maybe, can you tell me about her?"

I don't know how much time passed, since there's no day or night in the land of the dead, only a dim blue sun. But I just told him everything, both the good and the bad, all of it. It was like a damn bursting as my mouth got moving, as I finally felt I was with somepony who could truly understand me, no, I knew he could. Even in the darkness part of my memories with Setting Sun, he never looked like he judged me, only lissiend. When I talked about Prism and Bridget, he genuinely looked happy, and shared my anger of what happened to Hardballer and Prism. At a few points I had to stop and cry, and he lent me his shoulder, in which I felt safer than I had ever been since mom died.

I even shared a few of my more embarrassing moments, and he with me. Weirdly, or maybe it ran in the family, but we had the same taste in mares and stallions.

After a fairly long moment, the heavy trotting of gold on wood came close to us, and I looked around to see Alginate. The captain of this ship looked so dashingly rough, that if she wasn't my ancestor, and dead, I would have hit her right there. "Ahoy cap'n, are ye lookin' mighty tasty!"

Fuck!

Alginate smirked at me as she got muzzle to muzzle. "And ye be quite bold. If I had a mast, maybe I'd be flattered too." She dropped the amused look, her face turning serious, and her voice becoming very stern. "But I be no fairy, nor a foal fooler of my own family."

Ashamed, I looked away. "S… sorry."

"No… it's alright. You're still new to this, and not yet part of my crew." She said almost apologetically. "That said, unfortunately there's work to be done before the ferrymare comes, and as a first born, even not dead, you're required to join us."

Dead Reckoning straightened up. "You don't mean… not now of all times?"

"What's going on?" I asked as I also straightened up.

Alginate hoofed me a beautiful brass spyglass and pointed to a speck just off the horizon. "As a first born, it's our duty to prevent damned souls from crossing over the river Styx, no matter which side they come from."

Cocking an eyebrow, I had to ask, "that can happen."

She nodded. "Lord Hades isn't omnipotent and has duties outside of Tartarus. So, when his attention is elsewhere, the damned get daring. Worse is when necromancers get involved, since they know the tricks to navigating the land of the dead and avoiding its guardians. Among them, us."

Pulling the spyglass to its full length, I looked through it, finding it able to see much further than it should, and with crystal clarity. But what I saw through it filled me with dread.

Caressing over the horizon was a bone white ship… because made of fucking bones! The sails seem to be skin, and the crew were skeletons with scraps of flesh hanging off them. Two figures caught my eye. One a larger skeletal stallion in a ragged captain's jacket and hat, who still had a wild gray beard and a mouth full of gold teeth. The other was a hooded figure that irradiated an aura of malice and contempt.

"Captain Grapeshot Redrum, and his new necromancer friend." Alginate said as she took her spyglass back. "He's been a flight risk for over two hundred years now, but only recently been a real problem."

"Redrum, so he's related to Thorn?" I asked. "And what changed?"

"Aye, he be her father actually. Was killed in that pirate raid that started that mess of a war that Equestria's still recovering from." Alginate clarified. "As for what changed, it's the necromancer. Some ancient and powerful one finally got sent here a good forty, fifty years or more back. The bastard was kept in a nice tight box since necromancers are dangerous even after death. Well, when Phobetor finally fell about a year or so back, all eyes were set on making sure she stayed dead, and still are. So, the cruel and cunning old Grapeshot made his move to free the necromancer."

"Necromancer, you mean those with the magic to control the dead?" I asked.

"In a way." Alginate answered with disgust in her voice. "I don't know much about it, nor do I want to."

"It's the art of controlling souls." Ancestor Star Charter spoke up, getting an annoyed glare from Alginate. "Though not inherently evil, since one can make requests of souls and help them pass on. Unfortunately, most that are drawn to the art are the corrupt and nihilistic. Holding no respect for the sanctity of the mortal soul and using them as tools. A sin greater than all things, and always wrapped in the ideals of the greater good. Because their ability to enslaved souls, no practioner of necromancy, even one's pure of soul, are permitted into Elysium, or any form of paradise."

Alginate clicked her tongue in disgust. "Their souls should be ripped asunder I say. The damned can do nothing but fight each other, or slave away to work off their sins. But a necromancer can force them to work together, or to abandon their punishment, and charge the river Styx to escape. And that is what is happening now."

Now understanding the situation, a bit, I then asked the captain, "And what do I need to do to help?"

She looked over at my father and smiled. "You can shadow your old man and provide assistance wherever it's needed. This is a good ship with a trustworthy and tight crew, so don't expect anypony needing much help for long, if at all. But once the real fighting gets started, it's all hooves on deck, so ya better arm up."

I salute Alginate. "Aya aya captain!"

She nodded and trotted away.

"I guess we're going to the armory, Star." My father said as he trotted to the door leading to the lower deck.

As I followed, the darkness of the ships inside was only held back by lanterns housing blue flames. The soft blue light filling me with unease. And bathed in that light I could see ancient cannons, all finely engraved with writing I didn't recognize, and depicting many different creatures. One larger cannon in the middle of the gun deck looked ready to be pulled up top, it connects to pulleys and ropes. The thing was a beauty on its own, but also had engraved on it what was clearly an image of Celestia in battle, which almost had me think this was from the holy fleet. Then I saw who she was fighting, in that same outfit she still had on was Alginate, standing in defiance of Celestia, and being struck down.

"Like it." Another one of my ancestors said, this one a rugged old, and thin stallion. "Was made in celebration of Celestia's defeat of the pirate lord Alginate. Felt it was just right to steal it and use it to sink Celestia's gallon as revenge for killing my mother. Died too, but it was worth it to see the look on her face." He then patted it like a beloved pet. "Mother was both impressed and annoyed when I arrived, still holding onto this cannon. Turns out you can take it with you." He laughed as though it was the world's funniest joke.

"Can I take it back with me?" I had to ask; a bit awe struck by the beauty of the cannon.

"No, it's a one-way deal." My father said, "What is of the land of the dead, stays in the land of the dead. It is a rule that must never be broken, for only the gods can cheat death."

"A shame, all these cannons are absolutely beautiful?" I said as I further followed my father deeper into the ship.

Entering the armory, it was filled wall to wall with beautifully engraved guns and blades. All having a dark, almost pure black, metallic shine to them. The blades were just a chaotic mix of different swords, axes, knives, and clubs. Though unsurprisingly most were cutlasses. Disappointingly, the guns were almost all ancient muskets, with a few revolvers here and there.

Checking myself, I was still naked, other than the Oracle's Eye hanging around my neck. "If only I had my own kit." I said with a sigh.

"Wouldn't work if you did." My father said as he pulled a cutlass off the wall. "Mortal tools have no effect on the dead." He then trotted over to a brazier at the end of the armor, in which burned a fierce blue flame. "You need to borrow the magic of the dead to harm the dead, in which will send them back to Tartarus."

He then stuck the sword in the brazier for a long moment before pulling it out. The sword now had a blue ghostly glow to it, which gave me the same uneasy feeling as the blue flames.

Tossing me the blade, it felt cold to the touch, even the fire was more freezing than burning. The sword itself was beautiful, engraved with gold inlay of ships sailing, which popped out on the black pattern welded steel, looking as if it was on the waters itself.

"Marvelous." Was the only thing I could say as I ran my hoof along this masterpiece of a sword.

"I know, right." Dead Reckoning said as he grabbed a musket. "The advantage of the dead you can say. Many master artists have passed by this ship, and sometimes they make us a few things.

Recently there was a gunsmith we were transporting that was adamant he made us something to add alongside ones made by his ancestors. I couldn't help but respect the old buzzard, even if he was heading to Tartarus" he tossed me the musket. "Though he's a hundred years too early to make a gun comparable to most guns found here. But I do wish him the best of luck, since even though damned, he seemed more than ready to work off his sins. Still, you might appreciate this gun over any other."

The musket was rather average looking compared to what was on display. A fine-looking gun to be sure and felt… familiar. I then saw it on the side, the Gunrunners logo etched on, along with a small "H.B." next to it.

Tears welled up in my eyes and a smile formed on my muzzle as I hugged the musket. "Of course, that's the first thing he'd do, that ornery bastard. That… Marvelous fool." Even now, from the land of the dead, Hardballer still found a way to be there for me.

Dead Reckoning placed a hoof on my shoulder as he let me cry, all my emotions flowing out like a flood.

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