Fallout Equestria: Angels Feather

"Wrath is no vice when inflicted upon the deserving."

I stretched as the sun rose, filtering through the window and waking me from my sleep.  I stood and extended my wings with a content sigh, looking around for Gear.  She leaned next to the door, waiting for me.  “It’s about damn time.  Let’s get a move on!”  She called with a grin.

I chuckled and tossed my armor back on and put my shotgun into its holster.  “Fine then.  Where’s Frosty?”

“I’m right here!”  The colt said as he scrambled from the next room.  “Miss Bee gave me some things to bring with us.”  He said, pulling a small bag from his side and handing it to me.  A collection of Stimpacks and Radaway.

“Well then.  Let’s head out.  You ready to go home, Frosty?”

He nodded excitedly and followed Gear out the door.  From Mercenary to Babysitter in one night...  This should be an interesting day...

As we walked through the town, ponies waved happily as they went about fixing up houses and expanding their small, makeshift farms.

“I didn’t think that small bit of money would help that much... but everypony seems to be enjoying it.”  I said as I waved back.

“You gave them Thirty GRAND...  That’s enough for people in Fillydelphia to improve their lives...”  Gear said as she looked toward me.  “Around here, that’s enough to build several small towns.”  I nodded, stopping for a moment as one of the Pegasi that I had helped yesterday walked up to us.

“I just wanted to thank you again...”  He said quietly, looking toward the two foals.  “They’re still young... try to keep them safe?”

“Of course.  Frosty will be back with his parents in just a few hours.  And Gear seems like she can take care of herself.”

“She was just as timid as the other foals were when we were first brought in.  She wouldn’t talk to anypony and kept quiet.  The brief time she was in with Red Mane... it changed her.”

I nodded.  “Don’t worry.  They’ll be safe.  Just worry about yourself.”  He nodded slowly and returned to his hovel.

“GWYN! COME ON!”  Gear called from up ahead.  I nodded and rushed to catch up to the two.

Halfway to Shanty, where the road made its way through a small valley with a booth set up, blocking the roadway.  I looked at Gear and told her to stay back with Frosty as I moved forward.  “Why, hello there!”  Called a pony from inside.  “If you wanna get through, it’ll be one hundred Caps.”  He said with a grin, looking down at me.

I looked up at him with a glare before grinning.  “Or, you can let me and my friends pass, and you keep your life.”  I growled the last few words which cause him to recoil a bit.

“Sorry, Ma’am.  Company policy states Everypony has to pay a toll.”

I flew up to his level, hovering in the air in front of him with narrow eyes.  “Does your little policy have stipulations for when you have your throat torn out by Griffons?”

He recoiled a bit and I landed in front of him.  “N..No?”

“Well, maybe after this, they will.”

“WAIT! No, please.  You can go... Just don’t hurt me!”  He cowered back.

“That’s what I thought... Who do you work for?”  I asked with a raised eyebrow.

“His... His name is Silver Tongue.”  He muttered, catching my surprised expression.  “Wh...What?”

“Nothing.  You’re letting us through, yes?”  he nodded.  “Can you give Silver a message next time you see him?”  he nodded again.  “Tell him...  If I find out he’s as much of a bandit as Red Mane was... I’ll rip his throat out myself.”

“Who... Who are you?”

“Doesn’t matter.  He’ll know who it is if you just tell him it was a Griffin, I’m sure.”  And with that, I hopped down from the building and led the two foals forward.

A few minutes later, Gear caught my scowl.  “Awe, the Griffin is pissy that the person that hired her set up a little toll road?” She asked with a grin, which was quickly removed from her face as I glared at her.

“I... Don’t know.”  I sighed, shaking my head.  “It’s just, it seems like something a bandit would do, and I hate bandits with a fiery passion.  They’re worthless scum, hurting innocent ponies...”

“There’s more to this story, right... A reason you don’t like them?”  Frosty asked, getting a surprised look from Gear.  “Sorry... I’ll be quiet.”

“No, it’s true.  When I first started out, I’d work for anyone who would pay.  I’ve been hired by raiders, just to terrorize villages.  After a few years of that, I realized how much I was hurting ponies and I started to think about my contracts before accepting them.”  I said with a nod.

“So...   you hate bandits because you kinda were one?”  Frosty asked quietly.

“I guess you could put it that way.”  I said, looking toward the foal who was now quiet.

The three of us made it into Shanty as the sun was starting to set.  Frosty gave me the description of his parents to keep an eye out for before I hoisted him up onto my back to ride out the rest of the journey.  He was tired from the walk, and didn’t mind carrying him.

It took about five minutes of asking around but we found the right house.  I woke Frosty up, and tapped on the door lightly.  A mare opened the door with sad eyes.  “He-hello... What can I do for you?”  She asked, seeming slightly put off by my presence.

“Momma?”  Frosty asked, poking his head around mine to look into the door.

The mares eyes instantly widened. “F...Frosty!  What... What are you doing with this griffin?”

“She saved me, Momma...”  He said as he hopped down and rushed to his mother, who instantly wrapped him in a tight hug.

“Is this true?”

I nodded with a soft smile.  “Yeah... I got hired to find another ponies daughter, and I happened upon this little guy locked up in a cage...  I couldn’t leave him behind.”  The mare looked at me as if judging me.  I smiled and nodded to her real quick.  “I should be going.  Got a lot to do and whatnot.”

“Thank you... for saving my son.”  She said, walking out and handing me a small sack with a few caps in it.

I handed it back to her with a slight grin.  “You keep the money.  I couldn’t leave him behind and I was headed this way anyway.”  I said, ruffling Frostys hair with my talon.  “And you, stay away from Slavers.  I may not be able to save you next time.”

Frosty nodded, batting away my talon and grinned.  “I will!”  He said happily, following his mother back into the house.

Gear looked at me questioningly.  “Gave the caps back?”  She asked.  I nodded.  “Why?  We could’ve used them to help with our search.”

“I’ve got enough on me currently to keep me going for a long while, plus the payout of this contract is a million, minus the cost of fixing up Wellspring.”  I said, looking to the mare, who still looked at me questioningly.  “And I’ve got the benefit of being able to score some free drinks and a free room at the tavern.”

“And how do you plan on doing that?”

“Batting my eyelashes and flaunting my girlish charm.”  I said sarcastically as we entered the tavern and made our way to the bar for a drink.

“What can I get you?”  The barkeep asked.  The small pink mare looked up from the glass she was cleaning for a moment, looking at myself and Gear before returning to cleaning.

“I’ll take a glass of Wild Pegasus.  And my friend here will have-”

“I’ll have an Applejack Daniels.”  Gear interrupted.  I looked at her with a bored gaze.  “What?  I’m old enough... Sorta...”  She muttered, not meeting my gaze.

I chuckled and looked at the bartender.  “Clawdia around anywhere?”

“She’s in the back.”  The bartender gestured toward a door on the other side of the tavern.

“I’ll be right back.”  I looked toward Gear.  “Stay here.  This could get a little messy.”  I said, walking toward the room in question.

I knocked, and a perturbed sigh left the room.  “What?”  The voice inside sounded angry.

“I’d like to talk to the manager.”

“Sorry, complaint department is closed.”

I opened the door slowly.  “Even to family?”  The griffin inside turned with a raised eyebrow at the comment.

“Gwyn?  The hell are you doing here?”

“Good to see you too, Clawdia...  I’m passing through.  Got a good paying job and was hoping for a place to stay.”

She rolled her eyes.  “Why shouldn’t I make you pay for a room like everypony else?”

I shrugged.  “Because I’m your favorite daughter?”

“No... You’re not.”

“But, I’m your only daughter, right?”

“Your point?  I know Raspberry out there more than I know you anymore...”

I chuckled at that.  “Awe, how sweet.  Fine, how much for a room?”

“Just... Take room two...”

I grinned.  “Thanks, Mom.”  I muttered, walking back toward the bar and sitting down with my drink.

Gear looked at the empty glass in front of her, as I stared down at the empty glass infront of me.  “Did you drink both of these?”  She nodded, almost falling from her chair.  “Are you insane?”

“It... Tashted good. -hic-”  I caught her as she started to fall again.

“Raspberry, is it?”  I asked as I looked at the bartender.  She nodded.  “Clawdia said I could take room two... Can I get a key?”

“Hundred caps.”  She said flatly.

I sighed.  “Clawdia is comping it to me, the family discount or whatever.”  Raspberry regarded me for a moment and tossed me the key.  I hoisted the filly onto my back and looked at her.  “If you puke on me, I’m going to kill you.”

“Yes ma’am...”  She slurred, barely conscious at this point.

I opened the door to Room 2, and set the filly in one of the two beds, covering her up as she mumbled incoherently at the wall.

I layed down in the other bed to rest my legs, and quickly fell asleep as well.

I snapped awake at the sound of shattering glass downstairs, and rushed out of the room, looking down at the bar down below.  I saw Claudia, pulling a bottle of Applejack Daniels from the back and tearing it open, taking a long draw from the bottle.

I walked down and sat at the bar, chuckling slightly.  “I knew you liked to drink, but I thought you were Civil about it...”

“Shut the hell up.”  She said, glaring at me.  After a few intense minutes, she poured me a glass and slid it to me.

“So, what’s the occasion?”  I asked as I took a drink.

She glared at me.  “Felix is dead.”  My blood chilled as the words hit me.  “He was killed by some asshole bandits not too far from here... to the south.  An outcast Steel Ranger...”  She muttered, taking another long draw from the bottle.

“When.... When did this happen?”  I asked quietly as I took another drink.

“A week ago...  He came in here all high and mighty, demanding shit from me.  I told him to go fuck himself.  When He attacked me, Felix stepped in and got his brain splattered all over the wall...  Then ,the piece of shit just left.”

I finished my glass silently, the blood in my veins going from chilled to boiled.  I stood, walking toward the door. “Hey.  Where are you going?” She called to me angrily.

“I need some fresh air.”  I snapped back at her.

“Fine...  Leave like you did four years ago...” She muttered, and I was splashed by some of the liquid as the bottle shattered against the doorframe.  I shook my head and slammed the door shut as I left.

It didn’t take me long to find the camp the raiders had set up.  Six of them in total.  One in power armor with a grenade launcher and a larger assault rifle.  This was going to be fun.

I walked into the center of the camp and pulled my shotgun, whirling on the first one and blowing his head off without a warning.  The gun swiveled to the second, drooping him as well.  My claw tore out the throat of one that charged with a knife, and I glared at the other two, who open fired with their assault rifles.  The rounds hit the armor of my chest as I blew their heads off.  I looked toward the Ranger and narrowed my eyes.  “YOU.”

“Die, Bandit scum.”  He growled as his weapons open fired.  I avoided the explosions of the grenade launcher as I neared him, and grabbed him tightly as I flew upward.  He was heavy, but I was strong enough.

“You killed my brother.  Because he tried to save a barkeep you were demanding shit from?”  I dropped him, listening to him scream as he fell to the ground with a thud.  I dove down as he tried to stand back up and slammed him into the ground again.  “Did it make you feel big.  Killing a little griffin, barely older than a fledgeling?”

“You don’t understand...”

“NO.  You don’t understand.  When you mess with a griffin, you’re liable to get your throat ripped out.”

“You filthy bandits are all the same.”

“Yeah, because I’m the bandit here.”  I growled, slamming his head into the ground again.  “You’re the one terrorizing Shanty.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”  He asked, trying to struggle.

“You terrorized Shanty and killed my brother no more than a week ago.”

“Your brother was shot by the griffin barkeep for interrupting our business.”  The ranger said, causing me to glare at him again.

“Why would she kill her own son?”  I asked, slamming his head into the ground once again.

He stopped struggling and grumbled.  “We were passing through Shanty on business.  Selling wares.  That young griffin got high and mighty, telling us to get out of shanty and whatnot.  When he was about to attack us, the other griffin shot him, saving us.”

“Why would he want you out of Shanty?”  I asked, stepping off of him and allowing him to get up.

“They’re merchants, and they deal with anyone that has caps.  Bandit or otherwise.  Your brother didn’t like that.”  He said, checking his weapons to make sure they were undamaged.

I looked around, just now noticing the caravans of various goods.  “So... they were merchants, with a Steel Ranger escort?”

“Not a Steel Ranger.  We bumped into one a few months back that taught me how to use the power armor, and sold it to us for next to nothing.  He said he was running from something.  I didn’t question it, and I threw it on so I could protect the caravan...”  He sighed, looking around at his fallen allies.  “But you fucked that up.”  I heard his weapons start back up.

I barely avoided a grenade as it blasted behind me.  I swapped out the rounds in my shotgun and whirled, firing at him once.  Blue sparks of electricity arced over his body as he stood still as a statue.

“Look... I’m sorry.”  I started, walking toward him.  “I was told you were bandits that killed family.  I expected my mother to tell the truth about something like this...”  I looked back toward Shanty.  “I know.... there’s no reconciliation here, but I dont want to kill you, so please... just don’t shoot at me?”

“You have until my suit boots back up, Raider, until I start shooting.  If you’re not gone by then, I wont be so nice.”  I nodded and made my way back toward Shanty without another word.

I walked back into the tavern slowly, hearing Clawdia grumbling to herself behind the bar.  I listened to her for a few moments before slamming my clenched fists on the bar, causing her to jump.  “The hell do you want?”  She asked angrily as she stood back up, glaring at me.

“Answers.”  I growled, grabbing her by the collar of her shirt and pulling her face to face with me.  “Did those ponies that I just shot up REALLY shoot Felix... Or did you do it to secure a god damned trade?”

“You shot them?  THEY WERE SOME OF MY BEST CUSTOMERS!”  My eyes widened in surprise.  She actually shot him, and LIED TO ME about it?  I opened my mouth to say something as a clawed hand tore three deep gashes in the side of my face.  “You shouldn’t have attacked them, Gwyn.  Even if the DID kill Felix, he isn’t worth killing for.”

I glared at her, blood oozing down the left side of my face.  “He was your son... and you killed him.”  I growled at her, my eyes narrowing.

“He was a burden, hurting sales.  I did what I needed to so I could survive.”

“And killing family is the right way to go?  That’s a load of shit.”

“Hey.  Both of you were burdens that i dealt with after your father left.  He didn’t leave me shit to help.”

“HE DIED SAVING YOUR LIFE!”  I growled at her, lunging forward and pinning her to the wall by the throat.  “He should have just let you die you worthless bitch.”  She clawed at my arm, making me drop her as she lashed out at me with her claws.

After a few slashes I reared forward with a headbutt that caused us both to reel for a moment.  It was at this time I realized just how good my mother could fight while drunk...  As she charged me again, I grabbed her and hefted her up, dropping her through one of the tables.  It shattered under the force and she fell to the ground with a growl of pain, her right wing twisting oddly with a sickening pop.

I pinned her once again, and put my claw to her throat, applying pressure.  “I should do the world a favor and take your life right now.”  I growled at her as she stared up at me with scared eyes.  “You’re a pathetic excuse for a mother...”  I grumbled, letting her up.  I turned to see Gear looking toward us with a fearful gaze.  “Get your stuff, Gear.  We’re leaving.”

She nodded and scrambled back up the steps, gathering her things quickly and following me out of the building.

It was a silent walk in the night as we left shanty, headed eastward toward whatever we ran into.  After a long hour, Gear finally broke the silence.  “What was all that about?”

A low growl rumbled from my throat, and Gear took a few steps away from me.  “Don’t worry... I’m not going to hurt you...”  I sighed, shaking my head.  “She killed my brother, and told me raiders did it.  Turns out, the Raiders were merchants, and I slaughtered them in cold blood...”

“Wow... Harsh...  I don’t know where my parents are, and you wanted to kill yours.”  She said with a slight chuckle.  “So... Your father is dead, and your mother is a bitch.”  I glared at her.  “Hey, you’re the one that described her as one...  We’re not all that different, I guess...”  She hopped up onto my back and Yawned.  “You woke me up, so I think it’s only fair that I don’t have to walk?”

I looked over my shoulder at her with a glare, but she had already fallen back asleep.  I chuckled lightly to myself and continued walking, my mind jumping between everything that’s going on currently.

Footnote: Level Up

New Perk:  Friend of the Night -- Your Eagle Eyes work almost as good at night, allowing your eyes to adapt to low light quickly!