Fallout Equestria: Unending Dawn

   “Slipheart!?”

Loli woke up slowly, stretching out and slitting an eye open to see Glass, like always, already awake and caring for his ax. “Do you ever not take care of that thing?” she asked sleepily, sitting up with a yawn.

“When my favorite ax is with me,” he answered, standing up and lifting the ax with his magic.

“I mean, like, when aren't you taking care of your weapon?” Loli corrected, rolling her eyes slightly.

“When I don’t have it or I’m busy doing something else- Really Loli, do you even think?” Glass fought a smirk as he picked some of the fruit from his bag, snacking on it as he stood up.

“I do so think!” Loli protested, making a grumpy face as she stood up, poking Glass’s forearm with a hoof.  “It’s just I hardly ever see you not cleaning or sharpening or polishing that ax.”

“Well I used to build things, but then the balefires dropped and there hasn't been many materials left over, not counting glass bottles.” He tossed a fruit to her as he walked to the door. “I’ll wait out in the main shop for you, but don’t take forever.” Loli caught the fruit and looked at it with slight confusion before sticking her tongue out at him.

“Come on, the ponies I knew who took the longest to get up and ready were stallions,” She sighed, standing up and trotting out after him. She was stopped by Ditzy, who was holding a small bag of armor for Loli, along with a note. She put it down and Loli picked the armor out and put it on, reading the note quietly.

“Sorry if it doesn't fit, it’s the smallest armor I have.” Loli folded the note and put it in her saddle bag, nodding at her with a smile.

“It’s fine Ditzy, it’s a little loose but I can just tie it if I have to.” Loli trotted after Glass, adjusting to the feel of the leather she now wore. It was strange, she was wearing another being’s skin, and it seemed sort of… Barbaric.

“What, it isn't pony.” Glass said, arching a brow slightly at Loli, shaking his head softly. “It’s probably Radhog hide, or something.”

“It still feels… weird.” Loli answered, looking at the sleeves with an unsure gesture. “I mean, cloth is one thing but this is skin…”

“That’ll help protect yours.” Glass stated, starting out the door, holding it open for Loli as she followed. “Now come on, the sooner we hit the road, the sooner we get to my ax.”

“Fine Broken ants-in-his-pants,” Loli teased, sticking her tongue out as Glass just looked at her.

“I think I felt my IQ falling just now.

“Sorry.”

                                                                         - - - - - == == - - - - -

It had been hours since Glass and Loli had set out from New Appleoosa, and Loli’s pace was starting to slow. “Glass, I’m thirsty…” She whined, huffing after him in the dust.

“Fine, we’ll stop. I think my hide’s cooking, anyways.” Glass said, seeking shade, with Loli following. His ears twitched and he started to the nearest tree, pulling out a water bottle and handing it to Loli, who checked it with her Pipbuck and grimacing as it ticked into the Yellow.

“Is there anything like potassium Iodide or something I can take before drinking this so I don’t get sick?”

“No, trust me everypony out here drinks worse than this on a daily basis. You’ll be fine.” He looked at her Pipbuck and nodded as he entered the shade and sat down. “See, it’s just hardly in the yellow.” Loli looked to the pipbuck, then to the container of water and bit her lip softly- she needed to drink something.

“Fine but if I get sick you’re carrying me till we can get something to get me better.”

“Fair enough.” He replied, scanning the horizons quietly from his spot, as Loli opened the container and started to drink. “If you see some water, tell me so I can see about getting so-“

“Red!” Loli hissed, shutting the water as quickly as her magic could, swapping out the machete in her bag for the bottle, holding it in front of her nervously. There was a tense moment of silence, “It’s right on top of us…” she whispered, looking at Glass as he readied his ax, looking around before a gunshot rang through the air. It reflected off of Loli’s machete, and she backed up against the tree, trembling as a Pegasus dove through the branches of the tree, its guns ready as it looked at the two.

“Loli get down,” Glass said, pulling out a pistol and taking aim, starting a showdown with the Pegasus, not sure who’d fire first, if his would bring down the Pegasus or not.

“Hey, Dumbass, Lookie Lookie!” an unseen mare’s voice shouted, catching the Pegasus’s attention. “All this Plot and no one to share it with!”

“Loli Shut the Buck up!”

“It’s not me! “ Loli replied quickly, shutting her eyes as Glass took the distraction as a godsend; firing and hitting the Pegasus in the jaw and causing it to fall, at which point he took his ax and beheaded the thing, then took a single wing off of it. Loli, upon hearing the chops of Glass at work uncovered her eyes and put the machete back, looking to where the familiar voice came from.

“Loli! There you are,” the unseen mare- trotting closer and showing herself to be a red and white-maned Unicorn mare, looking from Loli to the ghoul cutting the Pegasus’s wing off and looting the corpse. She looked at her own E.F.S. on her forehoof and ventured closer nervously and hesitantly.

“Slip?? What the ever loving fuck’re ya doing out here?!” Loli called back, trotting over to her, startled. “Did something happen? Did the security ponies kick you out too?” She looked up at her, hooves dancing on the ground with excitement. Noting Slip’s hesitation of homing closer, she rotted back. “It’s ok slip this is Glass, he’s protecting me since I’m gonna get his prized ax back for him.

“O…’Kay then.” She said, unsure as she came close and looked at the ghoul-acorn, before looking off.

“Loli? Who the hell is this?” He asked gruffly, looking at the new mare coldly.

“I’m SlipHeart, I-I specialize in medicine I came after Loli because the stable started rioting-“

“Wait it what?!” Loli looked to SlipHeart and gasped.

“Yeah, it went on a riot. You’re room’s been trashed; the Overmare’s lost control and locked herself in her office for safety…. It’s fuckin’ crazy in there.” SlipHeart looked to Loli with a frown, but patted her back softly as Loli looked down. “Hey it’s ok, ponies are just overreacting. I bet this’ll all be over in a week.” She said, hoping to comfort Loli.

“Um, hate to interrupt but I only agreed to protect Loli,” Glass interrupted, frowning at the two. “You’re gonna have to fend for yourself, Slip.” He looked at her flatly as her aqua eyes caught onto his skinless patches, glittering with interest.

“Maybe I could provide my services as a doctor? You look like you could use some stitches, some antiseptic and ointment.” She offered, taking a closer look at the ear-nub and the skinless patch below it.

“Oh, oh, yeah, Slip’s the best doctor around! When she gives me a vaccination I don’t get hurt as much, not to mention she pretty much took care of a whole floor of ponies back in the stable!” Loli added, her green orbs turning to Glass and twinkling at the thought of having her friend tag along.

“Already tried stitching, it doesn’t work, but a professional doctor could be useful, because when Loli gets shot the first time I’ll need help holding her down to get the bullet out.”

“I will not get shot-“

“hush, and if I’ve gotten shot, you will too, and if you keep thinking you won’t then I’m going to laugh so hard when reality hits you hard in the chest.” Glass glared at Loli as she fell silent, allowing him to think. “Guess you can come, unless you’re as big a whiner as Loli. I mean really, one tick into the yellow and she flips out…”

“Oh, I don’t whine. Not till it gets up into the middle of the yellow, or until somepony’s down.” She stated, Loli giving a pleading, puppy-dog eye face.

“Oh alright. Loli wipe that look off your face you’re testing my patience.” Glass sighed, shaking his head. “Now come on, we’ve a while more to walk before we can rest.” There was a small groan from Loli but she walked along, pulling out some of her food from her saddlebags and giving it to Slip.

“So, where are we going? And, um, why?” Slip asked, taking the food and setting it in her own saddlebag as she followed closely.

“Friendship City, to spend the night in safety on the way to my ax, which Loli’d agreed to getting back for me in exchange for my protection.” He answered, shaking his head softly, flicking the remains of his mane to the side. “On the way there I’ll be stopping by an old friend of mine, too.”

“Oh…” Slip looked to Loli, and Loli nodded at her with a smile.

“Yep! In exchange for him keeping things from killing me in terrible ways, I’m fishing his ax out of the bottom of a river.” She grinned hopefully at her friend, who raised a brow instead of smiling back.

“Loli you don’t know how to swim. Not to mention it’s highly likely that if the river’s downstream of a major city, then it might be super radiated.”

“Well there’s a chance it’s not, y’know? And, there’s gotta be a way to float over the ax so I can use my magic.”

“Loli I swear to Celestia you’re the most naive pony I’ve ever met.”

“But I’m also the coolest.”

“Good goddess shut up you two; it’s like being too close to teenage school fillies.”

“Well I actually a-“

“You’ve not been in school for almost a year Loli.” Slip interrupted, keeping along next to Loli quietly.

“Oh, right…”

• - - - - == == - - - - -

“Alright, you two keep close, we’re gonna go scavenging in there.” Glass said, looking back at Slip and Loli before nodding towards an old building, on the outskirts of what Loli’s pipbuck called “Manehattan”.

“Glass, how’s my pipbuck picking all this up? It’s weirding me out.” She asked, looking at her pipbuck uneasily.

“I’m not sure; I’ve never got to see one of those up close.” Glass said, sighing as he pulled his ax up to check how it was holding up. “Don’t let anypony take that thing though, 'cause it’s pretty useful. Now, once we’re in there, you take the small spots. Grab any bottle caps, weapons, food, water, bobby pins, anything that looks valuable. As much as you can carry. You see a red dot come to me, machete out. You sure you know how to use that?”

“If it’s anything like a ninja sword then hell yeah.” There was a groan from glass and Loli nudged him cheerfully. “Come on, I can think. You swing it and hit the threat with the sharp end, and even if it’s not in the same style as the cartoons I watched I can still do it.” She arched a brow at him and he face hoofed, wiping his hoof down his face as he looked down at her.

“…Just keep a good hold on that thing and don’t go swinging it near me till I can teach you how to use it properly.” Glass grimaced as he looked to Slip. “You got a weapon?”

“Well, I have this thing I found by the stable, it’s small but it’s worked when I dealt with this weird hovering thing.” Slip said as she slipped some small hoof shackles out of her bag, sticking her tongue out at the stains on its cuffs.

“Those are slaver’s shackles, and I suspect that was a Bloatsprite, Slip.” Glass said, turning his eye to Slip. “But I suppose it’s good you found a use for them. We’ll see if we can sell them in the next town we get to.”

“Wait, so slavers can buy them and get more ponies?” Loli asked, looking at Glass with worry.

“No, to be melted to raw materials now shush I know what I’m doing.” Glass looked sharply at Loli as she looked down and shut up, leaving the larger ponies to speak. “Alright, so if you come across any hostiles smack them with that and run back to me. Anypony get hurt, you heal them, otherwise you keep grabbing all you can get.”

“Got it.” Slip nodded, putting the chains over her neck to hold them until they were needed. Glass nodded and started in, ax at the ready, followed by Loli, her machete hovering by her face as she walked in, starting to look around at the toppled furniture. One look at her pipbuck and she went to Glass and tapped his leg softly, raising her forehoof up to show him all of the red lights in the building.

“Radroaches, I think. We’ll be fine. Just get those buckers in the head and they’ll go down.” He whispered, going about his business, looking in the drawers of a toppled file cabinet. Loli nodded and looked about, finding several bobby pins near a door. She put them in her bag and opened the door slowly, peering in to find the room covered in graffiti and the smell of shit, piss, and decay. She gagged a little, not sure if it was more over the bad attempt at street-art or the smell. She sucked it up however and went in, scavenging some more bobby pins and a few caps along her scanning of the floor of the room. She went to the mattress that was in the corner and forced herself not to gag as she grimaced at the stained thing. God, Shelly would’a loved this place. Just like something out of her paintings… she found herself thinking as she flipped it, finding nothing but a radroach. She let out a small startled squeak, swinging her machete wildly at the thing, hitting it enough to knock it on its back, then stabbing it in the head. With her look of disgust stuck on her face, she walked backwards to the door, finding her rump bumping somepony behind her. Looking up she found a dingy red pony grinning madly down at her, his yellow eyes standing out sharply against his grimy face. Loli screamed and ran under the pony, back to the main room where she went to Glass and hid behind him.

“Glass!” she cried, pointing to the raider in the door way. “Hostile Pony!”

“That’s a raider, Loli.” Glass muttered, raising his ax and reading himself for the Raider’s attack. Some slurred, profane words bubbled from its lips and it charged at him, pulling out a nice looking shotgun from a holster on its side, holding it in his mouth sideways. Glass’s jaw tensed and he lobbed his ax at the raider, hitting it in the side of the head and knocking it to the ground, the gun falling from its mouth. Quickly he stomped on the neck and removed his ax, calling out for Slip.

“Right here,” he said, moving beside him. “What’s a raider, by the way?”

“Not now keep an eye on Loli.” Glass replied, heading back into the room Loli came from, stomping his hooves loudly. Slip looked to Loli and Loli kept down, holding her machete in front of her for safety.

“But seriously what’s a raider? If it’s a pony that raids, then aren’t we raiders?” there was some snapping in the other room, thuds and clatters.

“I’m not sure, Glass told me that they’re ponies with piss-yellow eyes, and that they like to eat other ponies.” Loli answered, putting a hoof on Slip’s forehoof. “Don’t go watch, it’s probably not pretty.” She warned, as some shouts and gunshots came about, some blood sprayed through the doorway. “I learned that the hard way when I saw him chop off a unicorn slavers’ horn. Really messed up stuff.” There was silence in the other room, causing Loli to look at the door quietly.

“Wait- he what?” Slip looked at Loli like she’d just said the sky was on fire. “A unicorn’s horn?”

“Yeah, he has it in his bag. I figured since he was strong enough to do that- and the fact I saw this huge ass thing –a Manticore, I think he called it- he might be strong enough not just to deal with the dangers of the outside, but to get me back into a stable. That and he offered to protect me-“ there was another yell and a pop, this time interrupting Loli, “in exchange for getting his ax.” She smirked up at Slip and got up from cowering, inching to the doorway and peering in. “Damn, Glass, what the hell?” she asked, looking at the blood that now painted the floor, soaked the ceiling and covered some of the graffiti.

“Well they weren’t sane and were gonna kill us so I did what was necessary…” He shrugged, looting the corpses and chopping the horn off of a unicorn raider.

“No, I meant with the blood- how’d so much get on the ceiling… Like, I know some could get up there but that’s just insane.”

“You’re ignoring the corpses again aren’t you.”

“Yep now explain to me how it got all over up there, please.”

“Most of it was there before I dealt with the hostiles.”

“Oh. Lovely.” Loli muttered sarcastically, putting on a disgusted frown and turned out the door, to look at Slip. “Slip you can come in, but be careful it’s worse than looking at Mary Shelly’s paintings.” The pink mare shuttered as the yellow one exited, deciding to go in anyways.

“Oh goddess, Loli was right.” Slip gasped as she looked at the corpses, walking in and biting her lip as she looked at some of the beheaded ponies.

“Who’s Mary Shelly?” Glass asked, arching a brow at Slip as she came in.

“A pony Loli and I knew well. She drew stuff like this all the time. Pleasant filly till she gets to showing you her most recent work. Why’s this one missing a horn?”

“Reasons. Now, help me loot.” Glass muttered as he slipped the guns he’d gotten off of the raiders- a shotgun, semi-automatic gun and a pistol- into his saddlebags, along with the ammo and caps. “Don’t take the food on them, I wouldn’t trust it. Could have the raider bug on it.”

“So, raiders are made by bugs? Like a virus?” Slip asked, arching a brow at Glass as she removed the armor from the raider in front of her.

“I’m not sure the specifics, but it’s something you catch from eating other ponies. Makes your eyes go yellow, your brain go crazy, and you start craving ponies.”

“Oh beautiful,” Slip said sarcastically, looking at the caps she found in the pocket. “You said something about these earlier?”

“Yeah, they’re the currency here. Stupid and insane but it works.”  Glass shrugged as he looked around the room, scanning it quietly. “Get Loli, I think there’s an attic, and I probably won’t fit.” He asked, pulling a chain that was tucked into a crack in the ceiling. Slip left and brought in Loli just as Glass pulled open the door and the steps to the attic.

“You want me to go up there?”

“Yeah, I think you can deal with the Radroaches. If they’re too bad come down and I’ll stomp them.”

“Remember you have S.A.T.S. on your pipbuck, Loli. Sure as hell saved me when I came across the bloatsprite- that’s what it’s called, right? The fat hovering thing that stings?”

“Yeah.” Glass answered, as Loli face-hooved.

“I completely forgot about that.”

“I thought you might’ve. Your fiction episode could’ve been stopped if you’d used it.”

“Please don’t remind me of that,” Loli Groaned, going up the steps, machete in front of her again. “And if I find anything cool I’ll bring it down, though if it’s heavy I’m gonna make you help.”

“Fine.” Glass said, deciding to busy himself with cleaning his ax while Loli shuffled around up in the attic.

“So why’d you send her in?”

“I thought she could use some combat training. Radroaches are some of the easiest things to kill for a beginner. Also I thought there might be something cool up there; you never know what you’ll find hidden.” Glass smirked, listening to the little squeaks and yelps of Loli. “She’s sort of like a foal, isn’t she?”

“Yeah, my coworkers and I were worried she might’ve been mentally stunted too. Turned out, though, that she’s just really immature, like she can understand everything, but she just acts like this for her own reasons. I’ve seen her be mature, like, once, and it was the weirdest thing ever. She didn’t even have her cutie mark yet and she just put on her big-mare pants and walked right up to the Overmare and asked to work on the wallpapers. And you know what, for once she didn’t draw a dick or an ass anywhere, and for her efforts she got her cutiemark.”

“…All I asked was if you thought she was foalish too. Didn’t ask for a life story.” Glass sighed, shaking his head. His ear flicked backwards and he readied his ax again, turning to the door to find a Raider that he’d missed standing there, .22 pistol in mouth. “hold up,” he muttered before the gun went off, hitting his front leg. Without batting his eye he threw his ax and hit the pony square in the head, the corpse falling right to the floor as he lowered his head to his wound. In a swift moment he bit out the bullet and spat it on the ground, looking to Slip like it was the usual. “Mind showing me your famed medical skills?” he asked, and with a nod Slip got to work.

“Sure, and sorry, I’ve not been used to not having a conversation for such a long time.” Slip had a look of disbelief at how Glass had bit his own bullet out. That guy is freaking insane…

“…It’s fine. Mind telling me what S.A.T.S. is?”

“It’s a thingy that stops time and helps me do stuff!” Loli shouted from the attic.

“Loli focus on finding stuff!” Slip shouted back. “He was asking me!”

“Fine, you meanie!” Loli jokingly called back, as more rustling noises came from the attic.

“Anyways, it’s short for Stable-Tec Arcane Targeting Spell. It slows time down on the pony that activated it and allows them to do stuff faster. Usually we use it in the stables for dances, surgeries or medical practices, acting ponies use it for fight scenes, and sometimes artists use it for painting or drawing too.” Slip explained, looking at her EFS quietly. “Loli, how ya holdin’ up?”

“I found a thing!” she replied, followed by a strained grunt. “This box as some cool stuff in it!” she cheered, popping her face out of the attic. “I need help though, it’s heavy.”

“I got it,” glass said, setting down his ax and helping Loli levitate it down the steps, onto the floor.

“See, look, it has this figurine in it and all these cool clothes and a knife!” she beamed as she levitated the little figurine. It was a cute tan pony with a blonde mane and tail with three apples on her rump, upon closer inspection the bottom was engraved with two words. “Be strong” Loli muttered to herself.

Footnote: Level up

Lolipop Splotch: LVL 4. Perks:  Entomologist : You do an additional 50% damage every time you attack a mutated insect.

Broken Glass: LVL 4. Tough Hide: Very low caliber weapons rarely pass farther than skin when wearing medium or heavy armor

Slip Heart: LVL 2 Perks:  Swift Learner: You gain an additional 10% whenever experience points are earned