Fallout Equestria: Inertia

Fallout Equestria

Inertia

Badlands

“It was here you were born, and it is here you will die.”

        A sprite-bot floated over the road, a lone reminder of days past. On either side of it, the scorched husks of houses loomed over the small machine with their shadows draped over it like a blanket. The lone robot softly played music, penetrating the desolate quiet of the wastes. Double Action and I walked along the same road. The robot and us are one in the same, I suppose.

        The Badlands had begun to let up; the arid and dusty plains devoid of life gave way to suburbs. My Pipbuck pinged. “Wooltown” appeared on the map, a decent distance from Two Note. Double Action cast a curious glance. I tilted my arm so the screen was directed at her. She let out a huff and looked ahead.

        The sprite-bot had wandered it’s own way, leaving us alone on the abandoned road. I had to admit, I kind of missed “March of the Parasprites” being played on repeat. I had lost DJ-Pon3’s signal an hour ago, and conversation between Double Action and I was concise at best. We were both tired, but the sun was still high in the sky. We continued to walk, the road becoming less craggy and shattered by the moment.

        “Okay, so when are we getting to where we wanna go?” Double Action asked. “And why aren’t we flying?”

        “I don’t know when we’re getting to The Hoof, and we aren’t flying because we’ll be easy targets.” I replied, rolling my eyes.

        Double huffed. Were all teenagers like this? I shook it off. We just had to keep walking, and we’d get there eventually. The suburbs were starting to end, with houses becoming infrequent. I reached for a bottle of water. Nothing. I forgot I had given it all to Double Action.

        “Hey Double, you got an-” I was cut off by a hoof wrapped around my mouth.

        I struggled against the unknown attacker, trying to find Double Action. I writhed in the mystery pony’s grasp. The pony grunted, and I threw my head back, hoping to strike something. The pony holding cursed in a mare’s voice, but her grip did not falter. She dragged me across the ground, myself still struggling. Where the hell was Double Action?

        I thrashed about, hoping be released from the grip of the mare strangling me. I fought and fought, vision growing darker by the moment. My body screamed for oxygen as I bucked. My kicks faltered into nothing but petty taps. My eyes rolled back into their sockets, and my body lost consciousness.

        It smelled awful in here. My eyes fluttered open, letting the light filter in. I layed there for a second before realized why I was asleep. I shot up, slamming my head against... something. I groaned and looked up. It was a metal ceiling thing, with multiple metal bars... on all sides. So I was in a cage. I rubbed my head, or at least attempted to. To my chagrin, my legs were bound above the knee.

        It took me a moment to realize what situation I was in.

Chains? Cages? Horrible odors? Fuck. I thought. Slavers or raiders.

        I blinked a few times. Around me, ponies bound in chains slept. Permanently, I couldn’t tell. It smelled bad enough. It was late at night, as far as I could tell. Moonlight distorted by clouds flowed through the cage bars, illuminating the cage. Outside of the cage, firelight softly glowed, ponies huddled around it’s warmth. It was pretty cold, now that I had thought about it.

        I let a sigh of relief, muffled by an incredibly inconvenient gag, out as I found my barding and jacket still on my body. Judicis was nowhere to be found, and that made me slightly agitated. I liked that gun. Around me, ponies of all ages lay down, shivering. I pondered trying to climb to my hooves. Making that much noise wouldn’t be smart.

        There were other cages next to mine, each with helpless ponies in chains. I craned my neck, trying to see if Double Action was in one of these cages. It was too dark to see, and Double Action’s pelt and mane didn’t help me out. Turning on my Pipbuck light on could result in a missing leg. I was lucky they hadn’t removed it already. I slumped against the cage bars, a slight thump reverberating through the metal structure. A frown hung on my muzzle, defeat ostracizing me incessantly.

I had about drifted off to sleep, when something plinked against my barding. I looked up, a scowl plastered on my face. In the cage to my right, a teenage mare with a dull green coat threw pebbles at me. Double Action beckoned me to approach her. I carefully rolled over a stallion next to me, who just grunted.

“Thank Luna. I didn’t know if you were okay.” I whispered.

“Yea, same here. They got me as I was checking out a mail box. Any ideas on how to get outta this mess?”

“No clue. You?”

The filly flashed an evil grin.

“I might.”

I shot a smirk back. I think I could get used to her comedic relief. I rolled my hoof, signaling her to go on. The plan was to wait. Learn about the ponies who captured and embarrassed us, or at least me. I checked my Pipbuck. Just after one in the morning. Seeing the time kicked my brain into sleep mode. I let out a quiet yawn and wriggled into a the corner of the cage, with Double Action just next to me in the other cage.

I sat on my haunches for awhile, watching the ponies at the campfire. Their silhouettes moved against the flickering fire every once in awhile. As time wore on, ponies stood up and stumbled over to what I presumed was their sleeping arrangements. The fire died down, and a small pile of embers illuminated the darkness. I checked my clock one more time. Half an hour after one. My eyes closed and I drifted off to sleep.

“Wake up, cunts!”

Something struck the cage bars, sending a high-pitched ring and a head-rattling vibration throughout the cell. I sat up and rubbed my head. The ponies around me stirred, gradually waking up to their dreary existence. In the light, they looked more pathetic than I had thought. Dirt filled cuts covered their bodies, some looking seriously infected.

I got up on my hooves, stretching. I had somehow shifted in my sleep so that my neck was craned down, leaving it incredibly sore. I rolled it a few times, muscles loosening and bones cracking. A unicorn holding a key in her telekinetic grip made rounds to each cage, unlocking them. Her mane was crudely braided, draped around her shoulders, which were also incredibly filthy.

A whip cracked, and somewhere around me a pony yelped in pain. I winced. This might be a bit painful. Ponies filed out of the cages, one by one. I walked in formation out of the cell, taking the chance to breathe some air that wasn’t putrid. Whips cracked and cries of pain sounded as ponies were lined up. I looked over at Double Action, who gave a slight nod.

A deep blue mare leapt up upon one of the cages and stomped her hoof.

“Attention, whelps! We’ve got a ways ‘till the Hoof. Once there... well, we’ll let your new master decide.”

A couple of ponies gasped in horror, and one colt begin to bawl.

“Ringer!” A light velvet mare perked up at her name’s mention. “Is the merchandise ready to ship?”

“Everyli- ponies ready, Saph!” The mare replied, saluting.

Saph turned to us.

“Let’s go! Oh, and if you try anything, we’ll shoot ya dead.” She said with a grin.

We began to walked, chains rustling as we travelled. The first thing I had noticed was the lack of bomb collars. Slavers didn’t like having slaves attempt to escape, so they ended up employing explosive accessories. However, there were none to be seen. Either way, slavers were slavers and the only good ones are dead ones. I huffed, pushing back the urge to up and slap Saph. My hooves were still bound, so I doubt I’d be able to raise my leg anyways.

Of course, attempting to harm one of these ponies would result in a most painful demise. I shook the thought from my head and looked around. The slavers were actually considerably organized. Captives were split into ranks; two columns of five, with a guard on each side. There were more guards than I had thought, too. A griffon flew overhead, a high powered rifle nestled in the crook of her arm.

I looked ahead. My view was blocked by a stallion with an unkempt brown mane. This was going to be a while, but we were going to the Hoof, or so Saph had said. I don’t really know if I can trust her. Either way, I’m stuck until we arrive. On second thought, the stallion in front of me does have a nice flank...

        I hadn’t noticed the griffon begin to plummet until he had slammed into ground, claws unintentionally opening a gash in my face. The chains binding me were broken, although the shackles themselves wouldn’t come off. I looked around, shock still gripping me as I processed the recent events. An explosion decimated a group of slavers, sending a shower of viscera over nearby slaves. Bullets whizzed by my head, and I dove to the ground, not wanting to relive my intimate moments with the screwdriver.

        The slavers were still confused as to where their attackers were. It wasn’t until a... thing barreled into a group of guards, sending them sprawling.

        “Cuuuuunts!” The monster yelled.

A small gap in the panicking slaves allowed me a small glimpse. My eyes widened. The Reapers were here. You could tell they were Reapers by the absolutely terrifying augmentations they had installed. The monster pony let loose a barrage of incredibly loud shots. The calibre of that bullet had to be massive.

I frantically searched for Double Action amidst the chaos, but the dull green filly was nowhere to be seen. I swung around and came face to face with the exact pony I was looking for.

“We gotta go!” She yelled over the chaos. Her chains were also broken.

“We have to get our gear!” I replied.

Her eyes widened and she galloped off. I scrambled to my hooves and chased after her. The filly darted in between captives and slavers, with agility that I could only parallel. More Reapers had appeared, charging with no apparent survival instinct. I had almost run into a strange striped mare with an evil set of armor and a ripper. Double Action and I slid into cover behind a cart. She pried open the cart, revealing a cache of weapons, armor, and other gear.

Near the top of the heap was my belongings. I put on my barding, jacket, and saddlebags, slinging Judicis over my shoulder last. Double Action had her gear ready too. The battle was raging around us, with Reapers and slavers spraying into the fray. The Reapers would win, but at a cost.

“Let’s go!” I yelled.

The two of us bolted away from the cart. My face slammed into concrete, and the taste of blood flooded my mouth. I whipped around to see what had tripped me. On the ground lay a light velvet mare, blood pouring from a laceration on her back. It was Ringer, one of Saph’s lackeys. The petrified pony looked up at me desperately.

“H- help!” She cried, her voice gravelly and dry.

Double Action gave me a look that told me she had no idea what to do. As much as I hated slavers, I didn’t want more ponies dying. I galloped over to the limp form of Ringer.

“Double! I need your help!” I cried to the green mare.

Double Action galloped over to me, ducking as bullets zipped by. Double and I lifted Ringer onto my back. The weight was immense, and it took a moment for me to get used to it. Double Action propped herself under my cargos back legs, taking some of the weight off. We galloped as quick as we could, temporarily disregarding the mare on my back. We just had to get clear from the fight.

A mare screamed behind us. I cringed, hoping it wasn’t a captive. It had started pouring, with thunder booming. It became difficult to tell gunshot from thunder, but I knew we were making distance. There was an abandoned rest stop ahead. I looked at Double Action, who had her eyes set on the same place. I stole a glance behind me. Ponies were still fighting, and I was glad to not be in that mess. Especially glad that nopony decided to come after us.

The rest stop was approaching fast. Torn posters of a creepily smiling pink mare peered into my soul. I could barely make out the words, -inki -ie is watchi- yo-. I could decipher ‘watching’, and ‘you’, but -inkie -ie baffled me. I walked into the abandoned rest stop, Ringer still on my back. Double Action had dropped the weight of Ringer she was relieving me of and went in to scope the place out.

I pushed the door open, my knees beginning to wobble from the weight. The inside of the store had been picked clean, leaving nothing but empty shelves. My legs buckled and I flopped on the floor, the velvet mare tumbling with me. I groaned and heaved the mare off of me. Double Action snorted and began sifting through her bags. She pulled out a healing potion, and tossed it to me. I pried the cork from the top, and brought Ringer’s head close. The purple liquid flowed down her throat, and some color returned to her face.

Ringer stood up, her legs still wobbly. She shook her head, mane flopping against her head. She walked over to a shattered piece of glass, staring at her reflection. I figured now was the time to make ourselves known. That notion was thrown out as a plume of green fire engulfed the mare from hoof to head. Double and I looked on in awe and horror as the mare was burnt alive. She didn't even scream. As Double Action and I walked out to investigate the remains, the fire cleared.

In Ringer's place, a black insectoid… pony stood. It's black carapace shone, illuminating two bug-like wings.  Double Action's jaw dropped at the same time as mine. Our eyes were about ready to burst from their sockets.

"Ah. Much better." The insect-pony-thing said in a buzzy voice, apparently relieved.

It turned around and came face to face with a still awestruck Double Action and I.

The insect's eyes widened, and a sheepish grin crossed it's face.

"W-what? You never s-seen a ch-changeling before?" It asked with a nervous chuckle.

I shook my head,  mouth still agape.

"Well… Yea. I'm a changeling. The name's Ringer." She continued, sticking a hoof-like thing out. It was full of holes.

I reluctantly bumped my hoof with hers, still slightly amazed.

"What in Celestia's name is a Chongelang?" Double Action.

I facehoofed. You don't just ask people what their species is.

"Disregard that, please. She's a teenager." I apologized.

Double Action shot me an annoyed look, and I returned with a scowl. She got the message.

"Uh, sorry, Ringer. Please, uh, sit down. I'll get you some water, hehe." The filly said.

I sat down across from Ringer, and rolled my eyes.

"Kids, huh?" Ringer said sarcastically.

I snorted.

"We were all like that at one point." I replied.

Ringer shrugged. There was a long silence, thankfully broken by Double Action returning with some consumables.

"I hope I didn't weird you out with the whole transformation bit, there." She said sheepishly.

"Well, you could at least explain it." Double Action blurted before I could talk.

I mouthed an apology to Ringer. She shrugged indifferently.

"I suppose that'd be in order. Anyways, the changelings are a species of shape shifters. We live, or used to live in hives, governed by a queen. After the war, and the queen's breaking of the hive mind, changelings began to spread out. There aren't many of us left, since we can't take care of the eggs that easily."

She paused, allowing this to sink in. Double Action offered her some granola, which I have no recollection of owning. Ringer shook her head.

"Changelings feed on love, not pony food."

Double Action spat out her mouthful of granola… into my mane. Of course.

“Really, Double? We’re gonna have to talk about manners some time.” I said, grooming my granola mane.

“Jeez, sorry Dad.” The filly retorted, rolling her eyes.

Ringer began to laugh as I strained to get the oats from my hair. I sat up once this grueling task was complete.

“Continue.”

“So anyways, changelings feed on love.”

“Then how are you alive now? There isn’t much love today.”

“One would think that, but love exists in all kinds of forms. Friendship, passion for hobbies, lust, platonic relationships, etcetera. Before the armageddon, changelings had learned how to harness these kinds of love. While they may not be as, um, filling as true love, they still sustain us.”

I nodded. Time to ask my question.

“So. What were you doing with slavers?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

She rubbed the back of her head, chuckling nervously.

“Well, I needed a safe ride to the Hoof. Slaver caravans are generally left alone.” She explained.

“Trust me, I hate the business just as much as you do. Probably.”

Double Action gave me a look that said she didn’t trust Ringer. I couldn’t disagree.

“It ain’t a business.” Double Action scoffed.

Ringer shrugged.

“If you can make a profit, it’s a business. Not a very nice one, though.”

I felt anger boil in my stomach. Apparently morality didn’t mean a thing. An awkward silence came over the three of us. Ringer could obviously tell that we didn’t trust and or like her. I didn’t want anything to do with her. It’d be better she leaves so Double and I can keep going.

“I see... So, when will you be leaving?” I asked, a slight edge to my voice.

“Um, I gues-”

“Come with us.” Double Action interrupted.

“What?!” Ringer and I exclaimed simultaneously.

“She is not coming with us!” I yelled.

Double Action’s face turned angry.

“And why not?!”

“Because Ringer’s a good-for-nothing slaver! Her value as a person is nothing!”

Ringer looked hurt.

“Well she’s going to the Hoof, too! Besides, two ponies and one changeling is safer than just the two of us!” She retorted. “It’d be damn harder to get the jump on us, and if you don’t remember, that just happened!”

I bit my lip. She had a point. Double Action’s eyes shot daggers at me. They were a deep emerald that could bore into your soul. Her glare softened into a disappointed gaze.

“And here I was thinking you were the mature one.” She said, shaking her head.

I raised a hoof in objection but lowered it immediately.

“Ringer, you can come with us.” Double Action said, looking at Ringer.

“Really? But you-”

“No, you can come with us. He’s just being a baby.”

Ringer beamed. I put a hoof on my cheek, a pout on my face. A sharp pain shot from under my eye. I winced and looked at my hoof. Blood dripped from the keratin. I had forgotten that the griffon guard had slashed my face. I stuck my snout into my saddlebags. Bandages, bandages, wherefore art thou?

My muzzle brushed up against something soft. I pulled it out, and to my luck it was a roll of gauze. Now I needed an actual bandage. My nose dove into my belongings once again. A round bandage was plucked from the mess of items and placed under my left eye. I pressed a strip of gauze on the dressing to hold it in place and began to wrap the gauze around my head. The bandage wrapped all the way around my head, going inside of my ear and around my neck. I looked my reflection. My mouth was slightly covered by the bandage, but it left enough room for coherent speech.

“Hey, Sir Pouts-A-Lot! You ready to go?” Double Action called from the other side of the room.

“Yea! Lemme get my things.” I replied.

I trotted over to the door, gear on my back. Ringer looked at me with perplexion. I returned with an icy glare. She rubs me the wrong way. I don’t know how Double Action can trust her, let alone want her to tag along with us. She’ll probably end up flip flopping and sell us. Of course, I’d put a bullet in her skull if she tried.

My eyes widened as I realized that I had just thought that. I shuddered, shoving that thought out of my brain. Double trotted up next to me. Her eyes widened and she tried to suppress a giggle.

“You look like a wannabe badass.” She choked, barely containing her laughter.

I rolled my eyes.

“Are you all ready?” I asked, ignoring Double’s quip.

“Yea.” said Double Action and Ringer.

I poked my head through the door, looking around. For all I knew, there could’ve been enemies. I stepped outside, the musty and stale air replaced by a cool breeze. I cracked my neck, bones popping in a slightly gruesome yet satisfying way. My eyes caught sight of my Pipbuck compass. I groaned in frustration. Red is dead, white’s alright.

“I really should pay attention to that.” I muttered.

An old road sign lay on the ground, it’s iron supports corroded. In bold white against green, “Hoofington, 4.5 Miles”. I sighed with relief. We were getting closer to the Hoof, and to Scoutwing.