Ch. 5 Sneak Peek · 4:18am Jun 6th, 2020
Hello all! I hope you are safe and well during this troubling times. Things are pretty chaotic here in the states as I am sure many of you know. Keep your chins up and know that we will get through this!
I figured I'd share a small, sneak peek at Ch. 5 of Fallout: Equestria - Wild Chains. I have been making my way through it slowly but now that I am back to work I am able to write much more than before. Anyways, please enjoy!
Dr. Willow pulled the bloodstained rag away from my nose. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pony face hoof so hard…”
“Vagabond, you can’t be serious,” I groaned, waving a hoof to shoo the old mare away.
“I’m quite serious,” he said, flashing that obnoxious grin. “Not only do I get to help the ponies of this town, but you can get the healing you need free of charge.”
“I don’t think you understand what ‘free’ means.”
He simply winked in reply and returned his attention to the doctor. “I’m going to need a few things before I can go. I’m assuming you have a pipbuck that can open the door?”
“If this is what you really want to do then we can discuss the details tomorrow. It’s late and I’m tired,” she said, waving a dismissive hoof. “You can get a bite to eat and a bed to sleep in over at the inn. Just tell Clover that I sent you. She’s my granddaughter, she’ll take care of you.”
“Thank you. I can’t tell you how many moons it’s been since I’ve slept in an actual bed. You get some rest too, Wild. I’ll be back to check on you in the morning.”
The pale unicorn nodded in my direction before leaving. The mention of food caused my own stomach to grumble. How long had it been since I’d eaten? A warm meal sounded too good to be true. Turns out it was. Upon hearing the ravenous growls, Dr. Willow ducked her head inside a cabinet and pulled out an old, dusty can of peaches. “Eat this,” she said, popping the lid off and practically tossing it into my lap.
I glared at the aged food then back up at the doctor. “I was hoping for something a little fresher.”
“You’re about two hundred years late for that,” she said then turned and trotted out of the room.
Sighing, I grimaced before slurping the preserved fruit down. I had to admit the sweet taste was still refreshing. For a brief moment I found myself wishing for some of Tato’s infamous Mystery Soup. I heard Dr. Willow lock the door into the clinic before turning off the lights and leaving me in darkness. The only sounds came from the hum of the medical equipment surrounding me. It was strange how peaceful I felt. Even back at the dilapidated school building the nights were filled with the howls of wild animals or the constant chatter of laughter of drunk, hyper kids. We always had to stay on guard for the inevitable raids or random looters.
Strange how I had complained about it back then. There were nights I was so exhausted from work or coming off a rough Buck high that I just wanted to sleep for days. I would have given anything to have one night, alone, to just sleep. Now that I finally had that chance all I could do was sob quietly into the pillow. I missed them. I missed Ash Blossom and her kind heart. I missed Lug Nut and Razz and their annoying arguments. I… I even missed Rusty Blade. I bit the pillow to stop myself from screaming as silent tears soaked the fabric. Why? Why would I long for the ponies who had betrayed me? The night wore on as I continued to cry. All the hurt I’d felt over the last few days came out of my eyes until they ran dry. Then, they grew heavy and, at long last, I fell into a deep sleep.
When I awoke, I felt better than I had in a very long time. Stretching my forehooves above my head, I let out a satisfied sigh at the distinct lack of pain. Beside the bed was a bowl of cold oatmeal that I scarfed down without hesitation. The food seemed to give me the strength I needed to get out of bed. Though it was the best bed I’d ever slept in I felt restless. I started to make my way towards the front of the clinic when a familiar green mare barred my way.
“And where do you think you’re going?” Dr. Willow demanded sternly.
“Come on, doc, I just wanted to stretch my legs a bit.”
“If you think I’m going to let a patient leave my clinic looking like that, you have another thing coming. There is a bathroom over there with a shower. For the love of the goddesses, use it!”
A shower? Without thinking, I turned and gave myself a sniff. Damn! In the dusty wasteland and surrounded by other filthy ponies I had never noticed how badly I smelled. Come to think of it I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had a bath. There was that rainstorm a few weeks ago. Did that count? Apparently not from the look Dr. Willow gave me as I gagged at my own stench. Following her directions, I found a small room behind a curtain just on the other side of the clinic. Inside was what I would assume was a normal looking bathroom. There was a toilet, sink, shower, and even a mirror. Had they just dragged this room directly out of the stable? I didn’t think too hard about it as I hopped in the shower and turned on the water. At once a stream of cold water crashed onto me and I yelped in surprise. Then, it warmed, and I could have purred with delight as it washed away months of grime from my body.
“Make sure to use the soap,” Dr. Willow called from behind the curtain.
What the hell was soap? Looking around, I saw a small bottle filled with a clear liquid. Opening it I was greeted with a pleasant smell. Pouring it on my coat I watched as it bubbled up the more I rubbed it in. I could have stayed in there forever but eventually the water began to turn cold again, so I quickly rinsed the remaining soup and turned the faucet off.
“Here, use these to dry off,” Dr. Willow said, pushing a pile of cleaned rags under the curtain.
After several minutes of rubbing myself I finally managed to get somewhat dry. It was then that I looked at myself in the mirror. What the hell did they put in soap to change a pony so drastically? My tan coat seemed to shine in the light and my mane was a much lighter shade of brown now that the dirt was gone. It was then that I noticed the sheer number of scars that littered my body. Many were old and faded, but several were still new and pink. One rested just above my left eye where Ash Blossom had kicked me to put me out of my misery. I touched it gingerly and let out a sigh. Then I saw the bullet hole just below my cutie mark. It was an ugly thing, a large purple scar that would always be a reminder of the betrayal at the hooves of my so-called family.
I suddenly didn’t want to look at myself anymore. Dr. Willow was waiting for me as I left the bathroom. She gazed me up and down with a critical eye spending a bit more time on my healed wounds before nodded. “You clean up nicely despite your scars.”
I just grunted not really feeling like arguing. “Can I go now? It’s stuffy in here.” My expression told her it wasn’t the smell of chemicals I was referring to.
She glared daggers at me before turning her nose up and pointing towards the door. “Don’t forget your bags on your way out. I don’t want to see you back in here unless you’re dying. And maybe not even then.”
A memory flashed in my mind of me pointing a gun at an old buck many years ago. He had been travelling with a caravan with several other families. Rusty had almost let him go, if we hadn’t watched that geezer proceed to shout and hit a young colt. I remembered how satisfying it had been to drag him away from the safety of the caravan (no pony had even tried to stop us) and blown his brains out. I wondered if I would get the same satisfaction from seeing the look of fear in Dr. Willow’s eyes too. Turning, I left the old hag and picked up my saddlebags before slamming the door as hard as I could behind me.
Your Chapter 5 tease is awesome!
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Thank you! I hope the rest of it will be up to your liking as well