Fallout Equestria : The Stablefilly and The Beast

~~Daisy~~

Daisy was surrounded by darkness. Infinite darkness. She couldn't even see her hooves.

"H-hello!? Anypony?!"

There was no answer. Daisy began hyperventilating. She was fine with darkness, but when it was so dark she couldn't see her own hoof in front of her face, that was a different matter. It was the artificial kind of darkness, where you couldn't even see the light from under a door, that scared her.

At that moment, a light turned on. A single light bulb above her head, flickering constantly. She looked around and saw she was in a deep, narrow chasm. She looked around frantically and galloped forward in the only direction she could.  After a time, she saw a light at the end of the tunnel. It was the shape of a gear. Daisy stopped and realized that it was the door to her Stable. Her fear lifting, she galloped forward towards the entrance.

As she neared it, rocks collapsed from the inside. She did the same, and fell onto her rear in shock. Her fear returned like a kick to the gut, and her eyes widened while her pupils shrank. All of her friends...gone. Out of her reach forever. She continued staring for a while, then struggled to turn around. When she finally managed she saw the silhouette of another pony at the other end of the chasm. She galloped towards it, but suddenly she was being rained on by chocolate milk.

She gasped for air as she woke up and looked frantically around her.

"You were whimpering in your sleep. That, and it's time to head out."

The happenings of the previous day came flooding back to her, and she remembered she was supposed to have taken a shift watching. She looked around and saw the sun barely in the air. She checked her Pipbuck and saw that it was 6:01 AM.

Daisy sighed. "Alright. Where are we headed?"

She once again surveyed her surroundings and noticed a pack of dogs mauling one of their own not very far away. That made her think back to the raiders she had killed the previous day, and she reassured herself that they deserved it. Quilliam then blew some smoke from his cigarette and he looked towards the distant mountains.

"Barkley, West Virwhinnia. My town of birth. My mom was a bitch, literally and figuratively. The town was settled by Diamond Dogs, and still consists of mostly Diamond Dogs. They rebuilt the town after the bombing, and now it's almost a completely civil town. Minus the raids done by raiders, irradiated water, and occasional feral ghoul attacks."

Daisy's eyes widened. "That's so far away," her expression then changed to one of confusion. "What's a ghoul?"

Quilliam chuckled, lifting his head to the air. "I'm one. Ferals are different, though. Eventually all ghouls crack. Their brain rots, and they turn into what is basically a shambling, carnivorous ignoramus."

Daisy's confused look remained. "You sound...much smarter than those other raiders. Smarter than some people from my Stable, even. Why?"

Daisy pulled a bottle of purified water out of her saddlebags as Quilliam sighed again, painful memories that come with the explanation rooting themselves into his mind.

"I was born before the war."

Daisy looked calm for a few moments, swallowed, then capped her bottle. Then she suddenly had a look that could kill. "WHAT!? HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE!? THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"

She continued to scream for almost two minutes, and when she calmed down Quilliam felt it was safe to answer.

"Ghouls are commonly ponies from before the war who survived the drop, but were harmed by radiation. We live this long because we're technically already dead. No more questions!" He added the final part when he saw her mouth open once again. "We have to get moving if we're going to make it in time."

Daisy looked confused again. "In time for wha-"

"I SAID NO MORE QUESTIONS! We're already packed. Let's move."

He set off walking, throwing the butt of his cigarette to the ground as he did, knowing she would catch up.

What a dick...

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~~Quilliam~~

They got back on the road and set off.  Not long after they departed from the remains of their camp, a caravan crossed their path. A two-headed cow slave, and a shifty looking merchant with no guards. The slave was being used to carry the goods, which were currently unknown. She was loaded with saddlebags. She even had bags around her neck. Quilliam approached the merchant, an earth pony stallion.

"Hello. May I ask what it is you sell?"

He really thinks I'm going to buy his goods...He's an idiot if I've ever seen one.

The stallion smiled, revealing rotted teeth. "I come from West Virwhinnia, carrying the goodest stuff. Stuff of all kinds."

Quilliam looked at him with annoyance. Then looked around the environment, making sure this wasn't an ambush of some kind.

"Do you have ammunition? I need some shotgun shells."

The stranger's smile grew. "How many caps do you have?"

"I have more than enough, I assure you."

The stranger's smile grew to the point it almost looked painful. "Good." He twisted his head to his right flank and pulled out a small 9mm pistol that looked to be in terrible condition. He acted as if he had won the lottery, his joyous smile growing with every second with a pistol now in his mouth.

Quilliam looked confused. "You intend to shoot me? ... With that?" Quilliam snickered at the idiotic plan. "The classic 'talon in barrel' trick would work on that piece of shit!"

The stranger's smile faltered. It then grew back larger than ever as he cackled wildly, but they were stifled by the gun. He pulled the trigger...

and the gun exploded in his mouth. Quilliam stared at the headless corpse for a few moments, a smirk growing on his face. He then fell on his back and snort laughed wildly. While he was collecting himself from the comical event, Daisy was staring at her now bloodstained coat in horror. She could swear there was some brain matter on it, as well.

"Di-did he just...kill himself?" She noticed an eyeball that was rolling off of the cracked pavement.

Quilliam managed to end his fit of laughter. "Heh heh...Sort of. His gun was in such bad condition it exploded when he pulled the trigger." Quilliam stifled another laugh. "Alright. Hey, cow, drop the bags." The slave complied and galloped away quickly.

They began to root through the many bags. Quilliam opened a few, and all were filled with tin cans.

"Are you having any luck with yours, Daisy?"

Daisy sighed. "No. It's just tin cans."

Quilliam groaned. "Well, he may be insane and bad at keeping his guns functional, but he isn't stupid. I'll check his body. You check the two saddlebags we haven't opened yet."

Quilliam searched the corpse. He found nothing but five 9mm bullets in his pockets, and a spring lodged into what was left of his neck. He pocketed the bullets and approached Daisy, who had had no luck, either.

"Nothing. Damn it. All right, let's keep going."

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~~Daisy~~

They continued down the road for a ways, and Daisy left to relieve herself. As she returned, however, she saw the cow from before holding up Quilliam with a shotgun. She slowly drew the weak pistol Quilliam had given her to protect herself, and aimed at the cow, hoping she wouldn't have to fire.

She hadn't killed the sniper the previous day. She had only knocked him unconscious and buried his rifle. She still didn't think she had what it took to kill somepony. Quilliam dropped his saddle bags for the cow, but she cocked her shotgun to fire anyway. As soon as Daisy saw this, she fired. Her gunshot rang out across the now silent wasteland, and time seemed to slow as she fully understood what she did. The bullet punctured the cow's heart, and she collapsed.

I...I just killed somepony!

She was about to kill Quilliam.

I killed her!

She was hostile.

I'm a murderer...

Quilliam approached the frozen Daisy.

"Thank you, Daisy. You saved my life. I am in your debt."

She didn't hear him. She didn't hear anything. When she didn't respond, Quilliam prodded her with the butt of the shotgun he had taken from the cow.

"Come back to the land of the living. I command thee."

She stirred when he said that, and looked up at him with horror.

"I killed her."

"Yup. Why's that so bad?"

"I killed her."

"Yeah. We've established that."

"W-why do you act like that's not a big deal!?"

"Because it's not. It's part of the daily grind out here. Get used to it."

He waved for her to follow him, and she shakily got to her hooves.

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They once again got to a good area to camp after sunset. They got to setting up a small camp once again, and Daisy tried to make time go faster by having starting a conversation.

"So you were born before the war?"

"Yes."

"How was it?"

"Good."

"Were you happy?"

"For a time."

"Could you please answer me correctly and stop being so vague?"

"Yes. Ask away. I'll answer anything."

"Where did you live before the war?"

"Ponyville."

"Did you love anypony?"

"Yes."

"Who was it?"

Quilliam froze in the middle of lighting the fire to cook the meat of the cow.

"It would appear I was wrong. I won't answer anything. That's a sore subject with me, even this long after the bombs dropped."

Daisy glared at him. "You said you owed me. Answer the question."

Quilliam met her in kind. "I owe you one life saving. Keep your snout in your own business."

"I'm just trying to get to know you!"

"You will. You will get to know things about me that I don't mind sharing. Give up."

She held her glare, then took his advice. "Fine. I'll find out later, though."

Quilliam snorted. "No. You won't."

They finished setting up their makeshift camp that consisted of a single firepit and a single bed roll.

"I'm staying up again to cook that damned cow. Get some sleep. You'll need it for tomorrow's journey.  We need to be over the border of West Virwhinnia by midnight."

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