Fallout New Vegas: A New Road

The stars above lit up the train station as Derpy sat there, waiting and looking out at the tracks and the rolling hills beyond Ponyville. Canterlot was illuminated high above, many miles away. It was as glorious as always. Currently, she was on a waiting bench, with a certain mailman and little gray unicorn next to her.

The mailmare let loose a grunt of discomfort, stretching her neck out and rubbing the back of it with one of her forehooves. However, she didn’t quite get the tenseness out. Soon Derpy felt immense relief as a palm pressed into her tender muscles, massaging them gently. The pegasus let loose a thankful purr of satisfaction almost like a cat as the Courier rubbed the soreness out of her spine.

“Your muscles are tense as hell,” he said. In one hand he held a large, fizzy, sarsaparilla float, with the icecream staying relatively cool due to the night air.

“I’ve just been a bit stressed, worrying about the Doc and my deliveries and all,” she sighed with a frown.

“Chin up, he should be back soon, like you said,” he nodded, removing his hand from her back to adjust his mask a bit, letting him enjoy his sugary drink. Already her neck felt better, as the human’s knowledge of muscular anatomy and pressure points helped ease her pain.

“Woah, your hand thingies are like magic!” sighed Derpy. “You should work at the massage parlor!”

“Eh, I’m needed on the mail runs more,” he offered, sipping at his float.

“Thanks for waiting with me and Dinky, Six,” she said with a genuine smile. “It’s nice having a friend here, for both of us.”

“Ah it’s nothing,” he shrugged, soon sitting aside his half-finished drink. Dinky herself was sitting to the right of the Courier, slurping on her own fizzy drink as well, giving a few satisfied sighs at the delicious taste of the beverage. He’d bought it for her on their way over, with her holding it in her magic and slurping on it the whole trek to the station.

“Now careful my little muffin,” Derpy said matronly, “you don’t wanna get a brain freeze!”

“Now there’s an uncommon affliction, at least where I’m from,” added the human.

“I’m fine, mom!” asserted the filly, though the two adults gave minor chuckles at that.

From there, it was just a waiting game. About half an hour of sitting and checking his Pip-Boy occasionally out of instinct, the Courier and the others heard a loud train horn. Soon enough, it pulled into the station, and about a dozen late-night riders began to depart from the numerous carriages.

The trio stood up by now, with Dinky trailing a bit behind as Six and Derpy examined the crowd. While the groups dispersed about, dragging their luggage behind them, the mailmare’s crossed eyes straightened up a bit as she looked around for one stallion in particular. Six kept himself keen too, eyeing around and using his reflexes to help him quickly find Whooves; he was getting off three carts down, about thirtyish feet from the group.

“Ah, there he is,” the human tapped Derpy, pointing to the brown stallion.

Moments later, the Doc began approaching with a wave of a forehoof. Numerous saddlebags slung over his back clattered about as he trotted along.

“Oh Doc!” shouted Derpy, and immediately the pegasus mare bolted right at him, leaving both Dinky and Six in the dust.

The human watched as she practically slammed into the Doctor, almost knocking him over as she embraced him deeply in her forehooves… And then came the kissing. He scrunched his face behind the mask as the two basically began sucking face. And- yeah? Yep! There was definitely tongue in there!

“Jesus…” the human said.

He could practically feel Derpy’s love and passion from here, but damn they were just going right at it. As the two embraced deeply, the Doctor’s hooves even began trailing down Derpy’s back, rubbing against her wings for a few seconds before continuing towards her flank.

Upon seeing this, the Courier took action and bent down a bit. Immediately Dinky’s gaze was obstructed by a large, gloved hand, thoroughly blocking her sight.

“I think they used to do this in old holotapes,” the mailman smirked.

“Thanks…” the unicorn filly stated, finally turning around, so she was facing away from the whole ordeal, “...not like I’ve seen it a million times before...”

The human just managed a small “heh” in response as the filly began slurping down her partly melted float.

As he watched the two ponies swap spit, he couldn’t help but imagine this was what the hundreds, thousands of WW1, 2 and NCR veterans did the second they arrived back home. No wonder the baby boom happened… He soon blinked, reminding himself he was in Equestria, as the hardcore kissing session seemingly came to an end, with the two finally pulling away to get some air.

“Jesus, you can cut the pent-up sexual desires with a knife,” the human muttered to himself.

“Huh?” Dinky squeaked, pausing her slurps to look up at him.

“Nothing,” grunted the mailman.

Both Whooves and Derpy were blushing by this point, though the duo gave faces of relief as they realized basically nopony was around to see their public display of affection. Well, no pony at least.

“Ahem,” the Doctor managed, before waving to the Courier. “How are you, Mr. Six?”

“I was a lot better five minutes ago,” he snarked.

The two just blushed deeper, with them looking away and scratching the back of their heads in embarrassment.

“Well yes… it’s been a while,” admitted the Doc with a cough. “I know that was very ungentlecoltly of me, so you have my sincerest apologies!”

“I think the kid needs it more than me,” he looked down.

However, Dinky was too busy slurping her float to notice, as if the mixed flavors of ice-cream and soda had stolen all of her attention away. That was possibly for the best all things considered!

Whatever, he just shrugged it off.

“Listen, I’d love to stick around and watch you two suck faces with each other-” he cut himself off, blinking in realization at what the hell he had just said. “Actually, NO, no I would not!”

The two continued to look sheepish around the human, though Derpy managed a small giggle.

“Look, I have mail to deliver tomorrow, and since I don’t need to be an insomniac anymore, I’m gonna go get some rest,” he pointed behind his shoulder with a thumb. “I’ll catch up tomorrow when you’re less ho-... that.”

“Do you really have to phrase it like that?” huffed Derpy, rolling her eyes.

Dinky took an extra deep sip, still not paying attention to the “boring adult stuff” as she’d say. Her sucking the soda and icecream through the straw even made loud suction noises, covering up the conversation as is.

“Probably not. Either way though, I’m outta here,” the Courier said, turning and swishing his duster as he walked away, he brought up two fingers over his back as he left. “Peace.”

The two waved him off as he left and collected Dinky before long. Within the next hour, the human was flat on his back, asleep in his tiny wooden shit-shack.

Tonight was a dream night, but not a typical fun one with the Brain. Instead, something dark bubbled up into his mind. Most would call it a nightmare, or even some type of symptom of a mental disorder…

For the Courier, it was just fun and games.

Ahhh the moon. Yeah, that was familiar and ohhh yeah, the Lucky 38 in the distance. Mhm, never seen that before. Oh yeah, uh huh, and there’s the Khans and then there’s Benny. He felt the dirt under his knees, and the uncomfortable pebbles pressing into his shins as he was still forced down into the same kneeling position he’d had his brain blown apart in.

He wasn’t even listening to what the suited asshole had to say anymore. It was all a repeat. A memory that he’d seen and witnessed what felt like a thousand times. Too ingrained in his mind for it to ever dull or vanish, truthfully.

However, it did get a lot less threatening with each repeat. Sometimes he did it when he slept, in the rare dreams he did have, others he’d just drift off mentally, with the scenario forcing itself into his brain.

Sometimes... sometimes he’d even use lucid dreaming to cause the Tops chairman to say something else. Something goofy. It was almost tarnishing such an important moment in a way, but he was the one who got shot by the prick! As far as he was concerned, this fake dreamscape version of Benny would say whatever the Courier damn well pleased!

“Did I fire five shots or six?”

“Hope this doesn’t cause a Fallout between us!”

“You got too close, Shamus!”

And so on, and so forth…

The Courier sighed, his voice muffled by his mask as he looked up at the tribal with a sense of boredom of all things. This time, making Benny say something goofy didn't seem to work. Guess he wasn't lucid enough for the dream.

“Let’s get this over with,” he growled.

Through all of his repeated dreams, he couldn’t ever break the damn cuffs. Doomed to get shot in the head over and over and over again.

Fine! It was a part of him now anyways.

However, as Benny leveled his pistol at the Courier’s skull… Something strange happened. It was as if the dream itself took on a different air. It was hard to explain, but the world around him felt heavy. It felt more grounded and yet also slightly floaty at the same time. It was utterly bizarre.

The landscape around the Courier and Benny began to morph, became blurry, as if he'd gotten water in his eyes. Of course, the mailman blinked to clear his eyes. However, when they opened the Khans were... gone. Just disappeared from his vision within an instant. Even when he looked around, they didn't wander off or anything, they just weren't there.

He was a bit unsure of what to do or say from there. Eventually though, the blurriness came back, and he blinked again. He was quick though, jerking his eyes open in an instant. Yet that didn't fix anything...

Now the background was gone. New Vegas, Goodsprings, nothing but the cemetery and the hill and himself and… Benny, of course.

Six went to speak, to say something, insult the tribal, or shout a swear, (or likely some combination of them all) however, he just wound up coughing a choked gasp, as smoke billowed from his mouth and out the filters of his mask. The Courier began to cough, almost gagging as his lungs began to burn a bit. He tried shaking it off, tried getting up, tried growing fucking wings and flying away but as with every other time he tried escaping his fate...

It didn't.

Fucking.

Work!

After Six's failed escapes, Benny leaned in, looking into the Courier’s eye lenses. He cracked a smirk, though it wasn’t devious, like one would expect. It was a strange emotion to describe. Felt partly sad, even. It was as if Benny was as resigned to shooting the Courier as the mailman himself was to taking the bullet.

Moments later, everything slowed, as if he’d overdosed on Turbo. The wind, the chill, the dust, all of it just paused. Even particles of dirt hung in midair as Benny leaned further in.

And then, he spoke.

Not like a dream or a memory replaying itself to him. No, this was far, faaar different. Six felt as if he was listening to a real, thinking, breathing human being speak.

…

“You know… I don’t think that blue horse is gonna be anywhere around here to give you a therapy session this time,” Benny sighed. "Shame... I kinda liked her."

There was a click of the fated 9mm round entering Maria’s barrel.

The Courier was so stunned, even with his mask on, Benny felt his shock.

“What, you thought you were the only one knocking around up here?”

He didn’t even get a chance to reply befor-

BANG!

Two eyes shot open, and a bulky body jolted up, his chest heaved, and he grabbed at it, growling and grunting all the while. He even tugged off the mask to let himself chug a good portion of the contents of his flask, but the dryness of his mouth remained as he wiped his brow with a cloth.

“Fuck,” the Courier grunted through chapped lips. “What the fuck!”

He felt sick, partly like he needed to vomit. Checked the Pip-Boy, only a bit past four. Ah hell, He had another four hours until his shift! Didn’t feel like sleeping again and thus just rubbed his eyelids with his gloved fingers.

He soon shoved on the helmet and was outside, brewing more coyote chew into strong coffee. He checked his clock again as the minutes passed, and as he sat there on a stump, he soon felt something crawling against his right leg.

Six looked down to find a large spider scuttling up his pants. Was quite large, easily the size of a small tarantula, as long as his pointer finger. Hmmm.

He reached down, grabbing it with his large palm, the creature’s eight legs grasping at nothing as he adjusted his helmet and brought it up to his mouth…

Crunch!

He felt its legs get caught in his teeth as he snapped his jaws down on it. He rolled around the chunks of the arachnid in his maw with his tongue, nodding in satisfaction. He soon pulled a small salt packet from his satchel, sprinkling the twitching, oozing corpse of the creature with it.

From there he took a second chomp, fully biting off the front portion of the eight legged freak, and leaving only its thorax. He felt the juices of it dance on his tongue, the poison and the guts of the arachnid.

He just shrugged and finished it with a third bite, with another wet crunch! ringing out as he then washed down the creepy crawly with a long sip from his coffee. From there, he was honestly feeling a lot better. He had a minor meal in him and half a cup of boiling hot coffee. Made the fact he’d been insulted by a somehow sentient Benny easier!...

Okay, it didn’t, but still.

Maybe he could get to feeling better soon. Maybe. Possibly…

Ugh fuck! Just focus on the mail route first!

And thus, he did. For the rest of the early morning, he focused on his upcoming shift, and when he was needed, he arrived almost a full hour early at the post office! He wasn’t exactly as exhausted as he had been in the past, but he was slightly groggy. Was getting too sloppy, had been having too much sleep recently.

Gah, always something!

As he sat waiting in front of his locker for his shift to begin, he noted Derpy hadn’t come in. Right, day off, Doc fucking, probably. Yeah. Anyways, tasks at hand, focus on them. From there, he had his saddlebags, his route, and he clocked in, and he was gone.

The town of Ponyville rushed by him in a blur, with him delivering the same old mail. Magazine subscriptions, Wonderbolts adverts, the occasional brochure and retirement letter, and so on, and so forth.

No Roseluck or Carrot Top today. Probably for the best. No freaking out or bad puns. However, he did soon take note of a particular occurrence as he stumbled through his deliveries.

As he walked towards a house on the edge of town, he saw a deep purplish mare standing outside of her front door. She swayed two and fro, and he could see a variety of berries adorning her flank. He checked his list as he advanced, looking for her assumed name.

“Uh… Berry Punch?” he offered.

She turned, a drunken blush adorning her muzzle.

“Who wants ta kno?” she slurred.

“Your mailman,” Six replied, making her perk up, offering her a package.

She blinked a few times, and finally took it, speaking as she did.

“Yer that ah… thingie that did the thing!” the mare nodded.

He was silent for a few seconds.

“...yes. I am the thingie that did the thing,” he flatly replied.

“Yeah uh, thanks for that and stuff,” she managed.

There was a pause between the two. If it wasn’t for the mask, he would’ve smelt the alcohol wafting off of her breath. Even still, he knew she definitely wouldn’t pass a sobriety test. Jesus, it was only about one thirty or so by this point.

“You alright?” he offered.

“I’m fit as a-” she hiccuped, “-ahem, fit as a fiddle!”

“So why are you just standing outside?” the human asked, motioning to the front door.

“I uh, forgot my keys again,” the mare grunted.

He let loose an annoyed, disappointed sigh.

“Step aside, wine-hound,” he grunted, pulling out a screwdriver and bobby pin from his satchels. Before long, he was on his knees, fidgeting with the lock.

“Oh thanks a bunch mistah,” she slurred. “Yer a kind uh… thingie.”

“Thank me by going to a sobriety clinic,” he grunted, popping one of the tumblers inside, moving to the next.

“Hey, I don’t have a problem!” she defended.

“You locked yourself out of your own house an hour past noon and now you’re having what amounts to an alien acting as your locksmith,” the human pointed out.

She was silent at that, giving a deep frown.

“I-I’m sorry ‘bout that,” she replied softly after a few seconds of silence.

He sighed again, popping another tumbler as he looked back towards her. Through the booze he could see her genuineness. Seemed embarrassed, unsure, and thankful, all in one. Had seen stuff like it before, especially in Freeside. Though she wasn't nearly as bad off as your typical junkie there. Thank God for that... even if he wasn't exactly religious.

“Just… work on yourself,” he replied, his tone softer as he went back to fidgeting with the lock. “Not for me, but for yourself.”

Berry Punch nodded once more at that.

He contemplated offering a Fixer, but he didn’t think it’d be a good idea. Besides, maybe the mare could curb it herself. Didn't seem that bad off- Gah fuck! This began as a mailrun!...

Guess the packages could wait a little bit.

He finished up the lock, opening the door for the mare. She looked up at him with awe as he removed his makeshift lockpicking tools and slid them back into his satchels.

“I’m not an adick- addict you know,” she assured. He believed it, as she sounded honest, though she continued. “I just… go a bit too far sometimes.”

“Lay off that for a bit,” he assured, his tone almost like a doctor soothing a patient.

She nodded, fidgeting a bit, with her hoof gently kicking up a cloud of dirt. She honestly looked cute, just needed less booze in her. After a few more moments, he shook himself back to the task at hand.

“Look, I’d hang around for a bit longer, but I’ve gotta finish my mailrun,” he explained.

“W-wait! Uh, look, would you wanna swing by sometime in the future for a uh…” she paused, forgetting the word, before clicking her hoof on the ground, further knocking aside some dirt and pebbles, “...a reasonable amount a’ drinking?”

“Maybe,” he shrugged.

She nodded once more at that, giving a small, thankful smile. From there, she soon went inside, turning just one last time to give the human a small wave as he left. He returned it as he walked away.

Another hour or so of mailrunning later, and he soon found himself with only a small handful of deliveries left to make. He crossed off the name Noteworthy from his list, and then checked the next stop. He himself ceased walking for just a second, giving a sigh as he looked over the name.

Lyra Heartstrings.

Right, had been a bit since he’d seen her and Bon Bon. He continued on from there…

The house looked nice, was more towards the center of town, but overall, a decent two storey home to raise a family in. Either way, as he walked up to the mailbox, the front door shot open, revealing the minty mare.

“Six!” Lyra shouted.

He nodded, giving a bit of a courteous wave back, though didn't say anything.

“This is the first time you’re seeing our place!” Lyra mused happily.

“Yeah, and I won’t be here for long,” he chuckled back, opening their mailbox and stuffing in a bundle of letters. “Deliveries first, friendships later.”

“Lame!” huffed the mare, trotting over to get her letters and packages.

“Well maybe next time you should…” he paused for a moment at that, his voice going a little groggy, “fuck!”

“Who?” she snarked back, however the snarkiness quickly left her as she watched him lean down with a hiss of genuine agitation.

The Courier lurched forwards, grunting as his hands grabbed harshly at the mare’s mailbox. He growled once more. Fucking hell! Felt as if he’d suddenly gotten a strong headache. The world around him looked strange, the colors blurred together as he tried to blink it off, having no luck at the moment. It almost reminded him of the dream he'd had last night...

“Woah, you alright Six?” asked the unicorn, concern evident in her voice.

He didn’t respond right away, as he reached up one of his palms to his head, grabbing the upper portion of his helmet, as if that would somehow ease the sudden uncomfortableness. He was a master of powering through bullshit, so he was putting his concentration into that, at least long enough to finish his shift, anyways.

“I’m fine, just a little tired,” he paused, straining and then shaking it off, forcing himself back to normal as best he could. The spinning, hyper-colorful brightness around him seemed to fade.

She didn't buy it, obviously.

“I’m fine!” he repeated.

Lyra frowned at that.

“Come on, I’m your friend, I’m not just gonna let you sit here and suffer!” she replied stubbornly. “Now do you need some tea or something?”

He stood back up straight, looking around. The headache and symptoms were gone. He honestly felt perfectl- well, decently fine now! Of course, getting her to believe it was the harder part. And even still, he pondered to himself just what the hell happened.

“No!” he grunted. “I’m alright now. I have to finish the mail rou-”

“Forget the route!” she spat back.

“You wouldn’t understand,” he shook his head, turning away.

“Come on Six, don’t be like that!” she called after him as he walked away.

His gait was straight and determined, he just waved at her over his shoulder, heading onwards to finish his deliveries, leaving a worried unicorn behind him. From then on, it was strange. He felt much better now. No headaches, and no dread over his dreams. It was as if all the negative emotions and sensations had just poofed out of existence, for lack of a better term.

A bit later, he was basically at the end of the route for the day, and as he checked over the names one last time, he saw two. He recognized Fluttershy but… Discord?

Who in the hell was that? Gah, nevermind, he’d find out later, when he finished his delivery!

The delivery addresses were both to Fluttershy’s cottage anyways, maybe it was a boy(or girl)friend or someone close to the cream-yellow pegasus? The human just shrugged, continuing onwards towards her cottage, package in hand.

As he walked on, he felt as if something strange was going to happen.

Could even describe it as Chaotic sensation bubbling up deep in his stomach...