Fallout:The Valley

Chapter 3

Wilson shut his eyes once again. His hand stopped moving and fell knocking onto Rainbow Dash’s head waking her up. Her eyes fluttered open and when she saw only black and smelt the familiar smell of the coat she pulled herself to the edge of the bed. Her face was a bright red, “Shh…It’s ok Claire…Daddy’s here…” Rainbow Dash shook Wilson wondering who he was talking about. “Huh? What is it Rainbow Dash?” He rolled over and looked at her.

“Who’s Claire?” His face went white. His eyes dilated and became glazed. He swallowed a knot that quickly formed in his throat, “She…was…my daughter.” The word was made Rainbow Dash’s heart sink. “Raiders killed her mother and took her away while I was gone…I came back to find my wife’s mutilated body and my daughter nowhere to be seen.”

“How long ago was it?”

“Eight months ago…” Tears were already starting streaming down his cheeks; he made no sound just tears falling from his eyes… Rainbow Dash couldn’t take it…She wrapped her forelegs around him and hugged him tightly. He sat stunned… She whispered into his ear, “It’s ok to cry…”

Fuck crying I stopped crying years ago…

Wilson returned the hug a smile cut across his face even though he still made no sound. He released her from the hug and stood grabbing his shotgun and starting to pack his gear. “Come on we need to get moving…”

“Why the rush?”

“I never stay in one place for too long when I’m traveling…” He finished packing and hefted the backpack over his shoulder. He walked out of the room and Rainbow Dash followed.

After a few hours of silent walking, Rainbow Dash broke the silence. “So you wanted to know what it’s like to fly?” She looked over to Wilson who gave her a smile and a nod. “Well it’s exhilarating to say the least. Imagine being high above everyone else just watching the ground move below being. It’s so much freedom…” Pomf! The both of them froze as Rainbow Dash’s wings extended. She looked at her wings and instantly screamed in pain… She fell to the dirt writhing in pain. Wilson rushed over already reaching into his pack for his med kit. He pulled out the small box and opened it grabbing a small syringe. He grabbed Rainbow Dash’s leg and held it; he found a vein and injected the Med-X. It took a few moments but she stopped writhing and sighed in relief. “What the hell was that!?” His expression showed only concern she didn’t answer her face was red, she didn’t want to tell him. “Come on I would like to know…” When she told him what it was he stared at her blankly then looked away his face turning a dull red. Once she was back up on her feet and the ordeal with her wings out of the way they pushed on.

“So I guess now I have to tell you what happened…”

“Yes please!” She said excitedly.

“Ok but I must warn you if you want to stop at anytime just say so.” She nodded and he proceeded to tell the tale of the Great War. “In the year 2077 two of the world’s biggest powers China and the US went to war…It escalated into a full blown nuclear war. Now nuclear weapons are big bombs that can easily destroy entire cities and the land beyond that. They were only used once before to end the Second World War decades before and they destroyed two entire cities and those were the first one’s…The new ones could do more than destroy two cities. So the entire world went into a nuclear war and become the Wasteland. The state were in now is called Oregon and it didn’t get hit by too many nukes I think there are only three confirmed sites…” His voice droned on and Rainbow Dash listened carefully. She had a question that would make any one slap themselves out of its stupidity, “So what do these nuclear weapons do?” He face palmed and then proceeded to explain what they did, “Ok so say you had a city full of hundreds of thousands of people. Now imagine a nuke went off once that’s done everyone’s gone.”

“What?”

“That’s it the cities gone…That’s what a nuke does…destroys entire cities and kills millions.” They kept walking but they both fell silent. The day ended with them making camp behind an old billboard on the side of the road. It was the only thing for miles…Wilson found it odd but what the hell was he supposed to know about the Old World besides the nukes. As night fell Rainbow Dash went to sleep and Wilson sat with his back to the billboard watching out into the darkness. He hated having to do this...No sleep for him well for tonight… He looked down to Rainbow Dash and smiled, she looked so peaceful.

You know you can’t keep her right?

I know…

Then why are you taking care of her? Just let her die and go on with your life. No need for this stupid adventure.

No fuck you…

Oh look at that you growing some balls?

Shut the fuck up!

Wilson shook his head and the voice cleared. He refocused his view on the darkness when he heard the howl of coyotes his right hand went to the shotgun. His other hand smacking Rainbow Dash’s head as he brought to the shotgun’s pump; she stirred and looked at him half asleep and confused. “It’s ok just go back to sleep…” She laid her head on his thigh and quickly fell back asleep. He smiled once again…

You still have to leave her…

Things change…You should know that…

Things never change for us…Everywhere we go everyone we come into close contact with…They always die…Just end it here…All you have to do is pull the trigger…

Wilson shook his head more vigorously. He didn’t need to sit and argue with himself. He placed his hand on Rainbow Dash’s head and started to scratch behind her ear. He didn’t know why he felt as if he should but he did anyway. She stretched at the feeling of his scratching…So damn cute…She really doesn’t belong here…What am I going to do with you?

Wilson’s eyes cracked open and it was daylight…Wait when did it…FUCK…He quickly stood up and looked to where he last saw Rainbow Dash sleeping. Empty; “God dammit!” He started to franticly search around the billboard his mind racing. What could have happened? She could be dead…She could be in the hands of salvers…Even worse the hands of raiders… Horrific images flashed into his mind with each thought. “No…Nononono…NO!” He couldn’t find her. He punched the billboard in its age it just crumpled under his punch leaving a hole. He punched the billboard again and again leaving multiple holes. “WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS FUCKING HAPPEN? HMM!? WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU HAVE AGAINST ME!?”

He yelled to the sky above him. “I FINALLY FOUND SOMEONE TO CARE FOR AND YOU TAKE HER AWAY! FUCK YOU!” He shook violently as he yelled his vision going into a blind rage. He saw the shotgun and his eyes narrowed. End it all with a bang...

Shut up voice…

End it all with a bang…

SHUT UP!

Bang…Bang…BANG!

“SHUT UP YOU MOTHERFUCKER!” He spun and saw a blotch of cyan. His vision cleared…Rainbow Dash was standing a few feet away her eyes wide with fear. He ran up to her, his face a mix between anger and fear. “Where the hell were you!?”

“I was…Doing something…”

“Like what!? What is so important that you had to leave me!?”

“I was thinking…” His face twitched.

“You left me alone without any way of knowing you left…I thought I fell asleep and the raiders or something else got you Rainbow Dash! You can’t just do that!”

“But…”

“NO! No buts’” He knelt down to her height and looked her right in her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her. “Please don’t do that again…You scared me…” At first Rainbow Dash was stunned then she returned the hug. “I’m sorry…I just needed to think and be alone for awhile.” He let go of her and stood.

“Home?”

“Yeah among other things…” He walked back over to the dead fire and started to pack his gear. Rainbow Dash walked over to the belt and holster that lay where she left it. “You didn’t even take your gun…?”

“No…”Her ears dropped again but he just shook his head. “It’s ok…Your ok and that’s all that matters right now.” Her face turned red and she looked away trying to hide it from Wilson. He didn’t seem to notice.

They walked down the road further into raider territory. "We need to get off this road..."

"Why?" Rainbow Dash looked around, nothing... "There's nothing out ther--" A gunshot wrang out and smacked into the ground infront of her. Wilson looked up and saw the raider who fired the shot and soon they were coming out of the rocks above. "Shit!" He rolled to his left behind the cover of some rocks. Rainbow Dash's body was frozen in fear but her mind willed it to move behind the rocks to her right. Rapid gunfire wrang out through as bullets pounded into the rocks spraying shrapnel and pieces of rock everywhere. She blindly fired the pistol. Even her mind was scared at this point. "RAINBOW!"

BOOM!

"I COULD USE SOME HELP!"

She looked to Wilson who was bleeding, she could see it from across the road. The large red spot easy to see amongst the brown of his coat. She could feel a fire building up in her stomach. He coughed and blood splattered the rock infront of him. He just sat back waiting for his fate. She stood gripping the pistol in her forehooves. She could barely see over the rocks so she leaned to the left. She spotted two of the raiders moving forward and she fired hitting the two of them, one in the chest and the other in the throat. She readjusted herself and saw two more coming but they were looking backwards. What the hell? Oh well. She dropped them and ran over to Wilson. She placed her hooves on the wound, trying to hold the blood back. She heard footsteps and quickly turned her hooves still on the wound, she waited for a raider to come around the corner but was greeted by a different man. He was in an armor she hadn't seen before well from what Wilson has told her about. "Allen! I got a live one here!"

"Really!?"

A hulking indivdual entered her view. His armor was a dull cast of gray. His helmet looked menacing, as it did practical. "What the hell? Greens? This is a pony..."

"Allen there is a human just laying there..."

"Huh? Oh shit! I didn't see him... Fuck get a bandage on that wound and let's get him back to Salem..." Salem? These guys are from Salem? The armored one knelt down and took his helmet off putting his hand out. "It's ok were not going to hurt you..." She took the hand knowing who they were. They were the Brotherhood of Steel.

A scribe walked down the halls lined with office doors towards a set of double doors guarded by two paladins in full power armor. The guards nodded as he entered the room. "Elder Forrester?" The Elder looked up from his desk.

"Yes?"

"He's awake."

"And?"

"He's in a blind rage calling for Rainbow Dash." The Elder grabbed his brow with his middle finger and thumb. "And you didn't let her see him why?"

"Well he just woke up sir!" Forrester couldn't stand this scribes imcompentance.

"Go get her and take her to the room! I'll try and calm him down." The scribe ran off to get Rainbow Dash while Elder Forrester came the way the scribe did entering the medical hall a few moments later. He heard shouts and something hitting the floor. A paladin was standing at the door and the Elder nodded as he stepped to the side. Forrester entered the room Wilson was in the middle of the room breathing hard, the room in utter chaos. "It's alright Wilson...Your fine don't go making an ass out of yourself already..."

"Forrester?"

"Yeah?"

"Your Elder now what happended to...um..."

"Pilskin?"

"Yeah what happended to him?"

"He's dead...Why else would I be Elder?" The mood in the room was calmer than before but he could tell Wilson was on edge, Forrester was about to open his mouth and say something more but Rainbow Dash interrupted him. "Wilson?"

He knelt down as she ran into his arms. She buried her face in his shoulder. "Thank Celestia your alive! They told me you were in a coma...and that you might not wake up." Wilson looked to Forrester with a raised brow. He just shrugged, "Well I'm awake now aren't I?" She leaned back and smiled. "Yep!" Wilson broke into a coughing fit and she stepped back confused. "Wilson? You ok?" He smacked his chest with his fist and cleared his throat. "I'm fine..." His voice was hoarse barely audible. Rainbow Dash was reminded of her friend Fluttershy and tried to stifle her laughter. The Elder looked at the pony with a confused face then to Wilson who just smiled and laughed meekly. "It's ok Forrester...It has something to do with someone from her home..." He noticed how his voice was similar to the quietness of Fluttershy, but more male of course. "Alright well...Wilson you still need rest not everyday you wake up from a gunshot to the lung." He started to walk out of the room and Wilson followed, Rainbow Dash lagged behind. "So...How did you find her?"

"In a basement she was being held by a slaver..."

"A slaver? How'd you pass through--"

"I wasn't near Portland...The slaver was south of here in Millersburg. He owned the town's bar and I guess he was running as a scout."

"Dammit...How do they keep getting past us?"

"Money...Not all your men are that loyal...No offense."

"None taken...I'm working on that...Anyway I wish we could help her more...I saw that her err...wings were broken."

"Yeah I know it's kinda hard to fix only time can heal that one even with all our tech."

"Alright so why are you and her headed north?"

"I'm headed to Portland I have somethings to take care of."

"Wilson...You have to stop this. You already got your revenege for your wife and daughter. You just go back to Millersburg and live the rest of your life..."

"No...I won't be going back I'm going to get that fucker out of Portland bring him here and then...well...I don't know." The two of them stopped at a door.

"Alright here's your room now get some rest Wilson..." He walked off and Wilson sat on the bed inside. He noticed his coat laying over the pillow on the bed. He removed it from the pillow setting it next to him and he laid his head down. Rainbow Dash climbed onto the bed and laid next to him using the coat as a blanket and instead of a pillow used his chest. "Dammit that is so cute..." He whispered to himself, and she looked up at him. "What?"

"Nothing..." He let his eyes shut once again and enter the realm of sleep.

Wilson's eyes opened to the stark grayness of a room. He sat up and looked around. The room was empty void of everything just him and the room. He stood and looked around he examined the walls. Etched into them were small writings each one made Wilson's heart sink. Then he came to one that didn't fit with all the others, it made his heart rise he started to feel less sad. He felt as if he had someone who would just listen to his troubles and pass little judgement.

He walked across the room still reading every single etched word. He came to another anoamly, he felt knowledgeable but he knew that he still had much to learn.

He touched the word and it started to glow, a faint lavender. He quickly walked back and pressed the first one which glowed a very faint yellow. His mind started to make the connection, Kindness and Magic. Rainbow Dash had told him about the Elements and what they stood for, but why are they showing up in his dreams? Was this some kind of sign? He continued to read finding Honesty, Laughter, and Generosity, but he couldm't find one word, Loyalty.

He searched the walls. It had to be on the walls somewhere...Soon he gave up on the walls and looked to the ceiling. Nothing there...He looked to the floor, nothing there either. Where is it? He ran his hands through his hair. He saw an odd color on his chest and quickly took off the shirt. Etched into his bare chest was the word Loyalty. He heard scratching sounds and looked to the wall. A new message had been written.

Choose another...

The five elements were inscribed under those words. He stood shocked that he had to drag one of them away from there home and bring them into this mess. He thought long and hard about his choice...After a few minutes he discarded three choices...Fluttershy was out due to the obvious. Rarity due to the fact that he did not want anything snooty near him. Pinkie was out because he really did not need comic relief. The only two left, Twilight or Applejack. He couldn't decide he just stared at the wall trying to figure out which was the better choice. He finally decided and touched one of the words.