Fallout Equestria: Desperados V3 (Bonds of Platinum)

Fallout: Equestria

Desperado’s V3: Bonds of Platinum

Ch 2, The Warband Camp, Part 2.

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I had patiently listened to Arras's stories as he effectively fead his herd, along with many of Swift's own as well. Much of it was stories about the friends he knew long ago, and how so many of them sacrificed their lives so that the Desperados could live. Some went out in a blaze of glory, others fell into a nightmare situation.

The story of Brainless Bark itself was a depressing one, as Tree Bark was a stallion who took the fall for a crime that never happened, as Arras had explained. Power tripping Ministry ponies, he blamed. As it turned out, criminals with long records didn't have many rights, and because of Tree Bark being not very smart, he was easily tricked. The last trick being that he unknowingly took part in some brain experiment. Where Arras found him after the war with his brain replaced by arcano tech, lobotomized as he described his friend. His actual brain was used to make a robo brain robot, though Arras never found the robot with his friend's brain, and doubted he could have ever fixed his friend.

As Arras put it, if Tree Bark had not taken the fall, it was possible that Arras himself, along with several others of the Desperados leader would have been taken and lobotomized. An act that might as well have destroyed the Desperados, and insured that many ponies here would never have been born.

Watching the ponies as they came to listen, or just get a skewer, I got a good feel for the difference between the two herds of Desperados. Arras's herd was mostly made up of families, from the elderly to the infant. Though most of them were the rough and tumble types, they were also responsible, honorable, and cared deeply for their kin. Swift's herd on the other hoof was made up of mostly young stallions, all well built and ready for a fight. With that was a lot of bravado and showmanship. There were mares too, but only a few looked like fighters, the rest didn't seem to be Desperados, and we're only here for domestic work, or for night time entertainment.

"Oh the wenches, ya, they're not Desperados, but mares from our tributaries, the settlements and towns under our protection along route 50." A Desperado mare answered a question of mine. "Herds like Swift's are horrible at taking care of themselves, and they can get downright raider-ish at times in terms of stench. So tributarie mares who join herds like the warband are treated quite well, and sometimes they get a Desperado husband out of the deal."

Right, that made a lot of sense. Likely their lives improved if they become a wife of a Desperado, even if they are not one themselves. "And what if they become pregnant, but not yet a husband?"

The mare rolled her eyes. "Hope ya have not been whoring about, if that's why you're asking?” I quickly shook my head at that, clearing the misunderstanding. “Well assuming the stallion didn't get themselves killed, and we know the kids are theirs, he’ll be a husband soon enough or get his shit kicked in. We don't tolerate a stallion who fucks and runs you see, family is important after all, and if he does that to a tributarie, he'll do it to one of our girls. Well, there are a few herds that'll pull such shit, but their bearly Desperados. So ya, if one of our stallions gose and knocks up a mare, he's best to take responsibility, even if it's at the barrier of a shotgun."

With my curiosity sated, I thanked the mare for her time and trotted off. I still hadn't gotten a good look around the camp, and needed to know where anything was. "Order, any points of interest you can point out for me?" My pipbuck buzzed for a moment before my drone responded through it, showing me a green, but detailed image from above.

A photo of where all the vehicles were parked appeared on my screen. "It seems that the Desperados set up camp next to an old parking lot. you might find it interesting to see what vehicles the other Desperados herd uses. If not, there is also an old gift shop down there. No idea if it's still a gift shop or not."

Next was a large ring in the center of the camp. "The Desperados also have an arena, though it seems it is mostly used for exercise and training."

My pipbuck flickered, now showing me Platinum Hill. The photo focuses on a dirty shanty town along the outer edge of the hill. "There is a bustling market not far outside the camp. It is quite full of ponies that look like they're from both east and west Equestria."

The screen shifted, and now I was looking at a cleaner part of Platinum Hill, with the main focus on a rather ancient looking building with a very large garden around it. It looked far too familiar, but I couldn't put my hoof on it. "This part of this place looks a lot better maintained, with proper buildings and walls. But this one building stands out as it seems to be made of stone and not brick, along with a flourishing amount of greenery surrounding it."

Then an image of a diner appeared, in which power armored ponies stood around it. "Nere the top is a diner, my lady. Likely from the wartime, and seems rather well maintained."

Just past the diner was a ruin, it was made of stone, and likely far older than anything here. What I guessed was flowers were everywhere around it, with what I presumed were robbed ponies tending to them and the same power armor ponies guarding the entrance. "Lastly is an ancient ruin, tightly secured by more power around ponies."

I was curious. "Order, can you get a closer look at the power armored ponies, just zoom, not physically."

The screen flickered and became a video feed, showing me a closer, if a bit grainy look at the power armor.

"That's Steel Rangers right there." Star said as she looked over my shoulder, a skewer in her mouth.

I nearly jumped in fright. "Seriously, please don't do that." I said, then returned my attention to my pipbuck. "What are Rangers doing here?"

Star quickly finished off her skewer, washing it down with a bottle of beer. "Oh, Thunder Crack told me about them. Turns out that Platinum Hill is one of their bases, like where they actually raise families and such. It's why the Desperados don't run the whole city, just the outer city. Oh, and then there's this Platinum Guard, who are like Steel Ranger, but not."

"Wait, back up, this is a city?" I then asked.

"It happened in the last few years after the Enclave fell." Spoke the Desperados pegasus mare, Thunder Crack, as she trotted over. A young foal hung off a hammock across her chest, and several others followed her. Thunder gently pointed over at Arras, where a line of foals had already formed. "Go, eat!" She told her children, who quickly rushed off to join the others.

"So, like how New Appaloosa grew after the day of Sunshine and Rainbows?" I said questioningly.

Thunder Crack nodded. "Once things settled down and ponies stopped trying to kill each other so much, trade began to flourish. Now this started before the Gardens of Equestria open up new trade routes, but even after that-”

"Raider and mutants were still a problem." I said, finishing what she was about to say.

The mare shrugged. "Yes and no. The raiders were mostly crippled at the time with everypony wanting to be heros and all, so there weren't not enough chemmed out ponies around yet to be a major problem for traders. The real big problem was all the Enclave Remnants in the mountains and other old places. And after the radiation was gone, it was first come first serve for anypony who can reach the now radiation free zones. Oh which, the Reminiants were quick to grab whatever they could get. This also meant killing any would-be pathfinder that even came nere their new hidden bases, or clearing out those already there. As much as waste ponies creep me out, I do feel sorry for them. The day we became free of the radiation was the day they were thrown into chaos and death."

That would be a major problem for travelers, since pegasus could strike from anywhere. "But not here, since there's no mountains or anything?"

"E'yep. Though there were a few times they tried by cloud. But since the skies are commonly clear here, and the clouds here like to go fast, it makes any attempt to invade easy to spot." Thunder explained. "It's also why route 50 is still the best road to take going between Manehattan and Vanhoover, since it's just long flat land. Platinum Hill is more or less a stopping point for anypony traveling along route 50, as most ponies don't go further south from here since the ruins of Cloudail and Canterlot are still very dangerous. It's also why the Enclave tried to take this place, as it's a fortification and the best place to set up a logistics hub if you're planning to take over Equestria.”

“Right, the map Arras gave us made sure we stayed as far from Cloudail as possible before reaching the mountain range.” Percussion Cap's farm had fortunately been along one of those safe routes, but took us far from the main route through the mountains.

“And it's those mountain ranges why ponies rather pay us to use our road, then risk running into the Enclave. Add Platinum Hill having a road connecting it to Route 50, and it’s easy to imagine this place becoming wealthy from all merchants passing through, and why ponies have started setting down roots here. Not to mention the ponies already here keeping this place one of the most civilized settlements in the wasteland. So naturally, Platinum Hill exploded into a trade city, despite the Steel Rangers objection. But they can go fuck themselves"

"About them?" I then inquired.

Thunder dismissively shrugged. "Not much to say about them, they're only here because of the Platinum Guard, and from what I know, they also send their older elders here to retire. Now the Platinum Guard on the other hoof, their something else. The Grand Pegasus Enclave would have taken this place if not for them."

"Really now?" I said, cocking an eyebrow.

"Let me?" Thunder as she reached for my pipbuck. Letting her, the mare spoke into my pipbuck. "Order, focus on the two ponies guarding the big ruins at the top of the hill."

Watching the screen of my pipbuck, I saw two power armored ponies standing vigilantly. But unlike the Steel Ranger power armor, the armor here had bulbous protrusions on the side and a horn on the helmet. I then saw a spark of magic jump between them, vaguely reminding me of something that didn't sit well with me..

"That's Tesla Armor!" Star exclaimed. "I'm sure of it."

Thunder's eyes opened up in surprise. "Didn't think you would know of Tesla Armor? Even the Enclave didn't know about it, or at least the higher up didn't tell anypony."

"Well back on the Blackwater, when I was a foal, there was an old templar acting as an advisor for Captain Black Powder. He loved to knock others around while in his holy armor." Star explained.

"And they had tesla armor? I can't see how a gang of sea raiders could even maintain such sophisticated technology. My own power armor had to be shelved just to prevent it from wearing out." Thunder said skeptically.

Star only shrugged as she said. "Hay now, I only knew how the Blackwater worked, not anything else."

"I think I know." I piped up. "Before I ended up in the wasteland I was aboard a ship called the Weeping Pegasus. The ship itself was a hybrid battleship carrier that had to be between forty to fifty years old." Thunder raised an eyebrow at that. "I got to talk with some of the crew, ones not related to the Corps Bridge, and they told me about a floating city called Avalon, where they make most of their tech. Ships, vertibucks, guns, and even power armor. Though none of it in great numbers."

For the first time, Thunder showed concern on her face. "If they have access to a factory and tools, then I can see them maintaining power armor. That's how Redeye managed to expand as far as he had, and all he was doing was making guns and ammo."

"You think the Platinum Guard are connected to the pirates?" Star asked.

"Oh, no way!" Thunder said dismissively. "From what I know, they've always had that armor. Mark 2 Tesla armor I remember them calling it. Fancy stuff too, and probably the most expensive armor from the war I bet."

Now that sounded strange, unless the name of their group was related to it. "Sounds like they're connected to the Equestria royal family in some way. But then why here?"

"Wait, you don't know?" Thunder asked, and I shook my head. "Seriously, Elder Big Papa told us he wasn't going senile, and he forgot to tell you of all ponies this. The reason why the name Platinum is thrown around all over the place here is because on top of that hill is the tomb of Princess Platinum."

I took a moment to just process, my mind racing at the implications of it. The tomb of my ancestors, and from what our history books read, it is a repository of historical artifacts kept safe behind layers and layers of ancient magic. A place where only the royals can freely go.

The voice of a stallion spoke up from behind us, causing me to breathe in an involuntary gasp. "The Princesses tomb? But isn't that on Clover Hill? Same for the Platinum Guard." Slowtrot said.

Thunder shrugged. "How should I know, maybe they moved the tomb."

A gravely chuckled came as Arras trotted over. "Right, the tomb, I must be going senile if I forgot about that." Thunder was about to say something, but the old ghoul just shot her an annoyed glare. "But no, it wasn't moved. Ponies just started calling this place Platinum Hill because of the Guard, to the annoyance of the guard themselves. Sadly, most ponies don't remember Princess Platinum anymore, same for Clover the Clever or the other founders. Even now Celestia and Luna have become more legends than historic figures." He then looked over at Slowtrot, "how about you son, were you ever here before, well, all this?"

"A few times when I was a foal." Slowtrot answered. "Both my grandfathers were Equestria military, with one as part of the Trottingham Guard, and the other was a Royal guard. So my family would go see the Platinum Guard parade once a year."

Arras nodded with a smile. "Right, my family would as well when I was a foal. Even had an uncle that joined the Platinum Guard. So I do my best to show em respect, and make sure the Desperados don't cause em much trouble."

"Not the Steel Ranger though." Thunder said with a chuckle.

The old ghoul chuckled as well. "Naw, those fools lost their way long ago. The Applejack Rangers though, I can respect them, even if they're a bit too soft." His milky white eyes then drifted towards me. "If you want to visit the tomb, the Platinum Guard still offers tours to those interested. But since more of the Steel Rangers permanently moved in here, they've been trying to keep outsiders out when possible. If it wasn't for the Coven of Clovers and the Guard, the inner city would be locked out to everypony not a Ranger."

I raised an eyebrow. “Coven of Clovers?”

"Right. As Slowtrot said, this place was originally called Clover Hill, since Clover the Clever lived here long ago. So naturally, many gifted Unicorns would gather here to visit her teahouse and learn from the past. School trips, university students, independent academics, those types. So you can imagine that quite a few of them were here when the bombs dropped, along with plenty of other tourists. Those academics would then take shelter inside the teahouse, and eventually become the Coven of Clovers, and the founders of the inner city."

"Right, other than the Platinum Guard, there were several hooded ponies that knocked us around magicly. Expecaky that mare, the one in the big floppy hat." Thunder commented.

Arras nodded. "The Tea Witch Magnificence, she's certainly a scary one. I'm sure you'll be seeing her soon, Harp. That old mare loves to keep track of all the important ponies that pass through here, and I bet she's already taken notice of you."

"I'll keep all that in mind." I told him. "Anything I should know about her when I do see her?"

"Just mind your manners and you'll be fine. The old mare is a dangerous and cunning sort, but clings to the old world ideal of civilization, keeping all the dirty dealings out of sight." Arras informed me. "Oh, and if you're planning on going into the city, take any of my Desperados with you. I know you can handle your own, but I'd rather you be safer when possible."

More and more, Arras felt like what a grandfather might have been like if I had one. Which made sense since he was practically all Desperado's grandfather in some way.

"She can just join us." Live Axle spoke up, now joined by her friend's, Transmission, the slightly more level headed mare with major bad luck with stallions, and Suspension, a termily masochistic lesbian who likes to be taken by stallions, to the frustration of her wife. The main reason Live was traveling with us now, other than her marrying Slowtrot, was to keep her away from those two. Without her sister, Dead Axle, around to keep an eye on them, Live would be at the mercy of the two idiot's influences.

"I'm… not sure." I said, unable to force myself to put my hoof down.

"Oh come on Harp'y!" Suspension practically wined out. "It be fun, unless you want to spend some time with me, alone?"

Ew no. I may like mares, but I do have standards.

"Shut it Susy!" Transmission grumbled. "She already has her own problems, she doesn't need you adding to them. Anyways, finding a new partner is why we're even heading out, there must be a decent stallion or two in the market."

My hopes for them to be normal were up for a moment, then came crashing down. Looking to Live for help, she just shrugged back at me.

"Well, we'll meet you at the gate, unless there's a stallion here you like." Transmission said with a laugh, leaving before I could try and protest.

A nervous chuckle came from Live. "Sorry about them, Suspension got kicked out of her hut by her wife, again, and Transmission is well, feeling lonely."

I watched as Live then quickly trotted off to catch up to her friends.

"I guess without Dead Axle around, those two have been a bit worse lately." Slowtrot suggested.

This got a sigh from Arras's. "A fool she might have been, but Dead Axle did know how to keep others steady. The longer she's not around, the more I feel I should have listened to her more. Especially after seeing what Swift became."

"She's not dead yet." Star added. "When we bring her back, then you should at least offer your ear to her."

"Perhaps," Arras said with a hint of melancholy that I knew all too well. He then looked at Slowtrot, his thin brow raised a little. "And you son, you sure you should be just standing here. Last I heard, Rack End was putting you through the drills."

Nervously, Slowtrot chuckled. "Ya, you're probably right. But how'd you know?"

The old ghoul smiled. "Rack End is one of our combat trainers, and I just saw her with Tartarus in her eyes. Didn't take me more than that to know you must have slipped away from her. Speaking of which, you got like… ten seconds before she finds you."

Panic erupted in Slowtrot's eyes as he ducked down. "Harp, help me!"

I immediately knew what he was asking for, and no, I wasn't activating that magic attached to him. "I umm…"

"Please!" He begged.

Looking around I saw the mare, Live Axle's mother, and she had a very pissed off look to her.

My mind then swirled, usable to think of a good solution, or if I did do something, what if it went bad again. It wasn't like anything good ever happened because of me.

I then felt a slap on my flank, the surprise causing me to spurt out magic as I collided into Slowtrot. In less than a second, Slowtrot vanished and I hit the ground. Looking back, Star stood there with a mischievous smile on her face.

Before any of us could say a word, Rack End stormed into our circle with fire in her eyes. "Now where is that no good layabout!" Rack end growled, her eyes darting between Star and I.

"Girl, relax!" Thunder Crack said as she trotted up to the aggressive mare. "That Stallion isn't a born and raised Desperados. You need to slow down."

Rack End got muzzle to muzzle with the Pegasus. "I aint no way taking advice from an Enclave whore!"

Thunder's eyes became very serious as she stared Rack End down. "I'll pretend you didn't just say that, and we can go to the watering hole to cool our heads. Anyways, maybe you should go easy on that stallion, unless you want him to be more like Swift."

Rack End snarled, but then with a deep breath she finally calmed down. "Fine, I'll let him go for now, but that stallion needs more muscle on his bones. Can't have him stay weak if he's marrying into the family."

Giving me a wink, Thunder led Rack end away. "Oh tell me about it, before y'all shot me out of the sky, I was about to marry some government pencil pusher. It's for the Enclave my father told me, but I knew he just wanted the security of our family being attached to a bureaucrat."

Brushing myself off, I shot Star a dirty look. "Why the fuck did you do that? We don't know where he's going, or if it's safe there?"

Star rolled her eyes at me. "Maybe you should stop hesitating Harp. You're the leader here, so stop it with the Err's and Umm's, okay."

"I'm not!" I protested.

"Sure you are." Star said with a huff. "I'm going to the gate, come with us or not, but when you're ready to talk about it, I'll listen. It's the least I can do." Letting out a sharp whistle, Cavall appeared from nowhere to join Stars side, where the two then trotted off.

After a long moment, Arras spoke up. "You got some good friends, maybe not the brightest, but I'd take a good friend over a smart one anyday. Treasure them."

"I know, I know." I said as I lightly kicked the dirt, feeling shitty about everything. "It's just that, sometimes I feel that I'm not a good friend. I mean, if I was a good friend, there'd be ponies still alive."

Arras gently patted me on the shoulder, a genuine concern and understanding in his eyes. "Hardly a day goes by that I don't think of the same thing. From the war to the wasteland, so many better ponies than I should have been standing here in my place. Now go, the worst thing you can do is do nothing at all."

With a sigh, I nodded my head and trotted off, a marker appearing on my E.F.S. along with a note from Order. "Star and the others are this way. If you become separated from Star, just look for the blue marker." The note was accompanied by a cartoon version of his drone body, reminding me a lot of the Stable Colt cartoons that played all the time back home.

On my own, I still got some looks from the Desperados, with most busy with whatever they were up to. Arras's herd had already gotten used to me, and after some of the shit Star and the other mares got up to, they saw me as the one to least worry about. Still, my outfit likely didn't help, as what was clearly mares from Swift's herd looked at me with noses slightly turned up. Not the Desperados, but the tribute mares, either thinking I was some whore trying to steal a stallion, or actually competition. Either way, they were wrong, but trying to prove it would be a fool's errand.

"Hay, isn't that Arras's new favorite." A stallion spoke up.

"Ya, and look at her, all weird and small." Another said.

Shooting an annoyed glare at the two, they were rather muscular stallions with painted helmets and armor on that looked like they were stripped straight from a Steel Ranger. Not fully covering them, but enough that I could tell that the plates had once been part of power armor. On their backs, they both had a fairly heavy looking rifle, more a cannon than anything, and across their chest was a banollear with some serious large bullets on them.

"Oh, I think we made her mad." The first said as he trotted into my path.

The second then laughed as he blocked the path behind me. "You maybe, but she's giving me those dick sucking eyes."

Great, two bravado filled stallions lacking any manners, they're probably why so many ponies call the Desperados raiders. "Listen here. If you two even try anything, it will be the last thing you will ever do."

Stopping his laughing, the second stallion grinned. "Oh, they all say that, then its all, harder, fuck me harder."

"Missy, do you know who we are?" The first said, puffing out his chest. "We're Swift's personal heavy troopers. This armor, we earned it ourselves, strate from the tin cans."

I wanted to say that I wasn't impressed or intimidated by the statement, but after my own fight with a Steel Ranger, Spritz Cookie, I knew that trotting around with the carved out armor of a Steel Ranger was no idol statement. That mad Steel Ranger nearly killed me and everypony, and she didn't even have her armor. Actually, her not having her armor was probably the only reason we were even able to kill her.

Even still, not like I was going to let two lug heads intimate me like this. "Impressive as that might be, I advise you to shut your traps and get out of my way. Or do you want to embarrass Swift more than you already are?"

"Swift's got our backs, what do you have, some old ghoul." The second mocked, but something seemed off, as the first stalion seemed to have straightened up very stiffly. "And don't think we haven't seen that whore house of yours." The second clicked his tongue. "I know your type, thinking you can get it easy by just fluttering your eyes and lifting your tail. Well, trust me when I say, we'll make ya work for that, long and hard."

He looked over at the first stallion, who was now saluting. Turning himself, he straightened up and saluted.

"Seriously, Reeds, Platinum Hill does have a brothel if you're so hard up." Swift Firemane said disapprovingly. "And Slick, save the intimidation tactics for the tin cans. Were all Desperados here," his eyes then drifted down at me, "even if some are less Desperados than others." Swift then slapped Reeds on the side, making a loud clunk sound. "Now both of you go to the arena if you have energy to be a nuisance."

Both stallions again saluted Swift and trotted off.

"Charming duo. Reminds me of two stallions I had the displeasure of suffering." I told the Warchief.

"And which one did you fuck, or was it both?" The asshole asked.

"Neather, but one did impregnate a zebra I know." I told him, my mind now wondering if Bitter Tea was doing alright. "Now if you could so kindly fuck off. I have places to be."

The big stallion let out a huff. "Not even a thank you, ungrateful sow."

I glared at Swift, my magic flaring up, causing me to shimmer. "Oh sorry, I didn't know you have no responsibility over the ponies following you. Here I thought you were a leader, a pony who stands as an example to others. Not some oversized colt playing frontier ponies and buffaloes!"

"And you, what gives you the right to call yourself a leader? All I see is some fucked up small zony, with nothing to her name." Swift snorted out, a smirk across his muzzle. "Look at those legs, can you even fight on your own with them noodles? A pony like you and all those others with you are a disgrace to the Desperados, and Arras is a fool for bringing any of you into our family."

I laughed, I couldn't help but laugh. His words, I heard them all before. Members of my own family mocking my horn, calling my existence a disgrace. The look in his eyes, the tone of his voice, and the feeling of arrogant bravado. But he wasn't from my family, he was just some wasteland barbarian, thinking I would be insulted by his claim that I didn't belong.

I didn't belong anywhere, and never did.

And I didn't care.

"Oh, what's so funny?" Swift asked in annoyance.

I looked the stallion in the eyes, not flinching at his glare as I said, "What's funny is your failed attempts to intimate me. Beat your chest all you like, and have those mares inflate your ego. But when we meet the enemy, the ponies they will fear and send assassins out for won't be you, it will be ponies like Arras and ponies like me. You are just some savage, and will remain until you start listening to your betters and civilize yourself."

A snort came from Swift, blowing his hot air in my face. "Just another highborn that thinks you're better than everypony else. I'll enjoy seeing you sing another tune when the wasteland comes crashing down on your head. Maybe I'll even show you pity and share my bed with you."

Rolling my eyes at that, I let out a long sigh. "Sorry to tell you this, but you're far too late to see that, and even further from my type. Now go back to your wives, and have those mares lie to you and stroke your ego. Since you clearly need it.

"Watch your tongue, bitch!" He growled.

Laughing, I turned away and began trotting off. "Try and make me, and see what happens."

If Swift said anything more, I wasn't listening, I didn't care to. It was probably better that I get away from all this for now, maybe do some therapeutic shopping. It had been too long since I last got to go shopping.

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