• Published 10th Aug 2016
  • 1,112 Views, 17 Comments

Fallout Equestria: Silver Lining - diiscord



Control Oscura's destiny in this Voting based Fallout Equestria book. Oscura is quite the smart pony already, but with the help of you as the reader, she might just survive the wasteland long enough to rescue her sister.

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Chapter 2

I slowly rolled back into consciousness and opened my eyes, taking a moment to collect my thoughts. I suppose I finally accepted I was in “the future.” The dead baby sealed the deal(Along with several destroyed and abandoned homes). There wasn’t anything I could do to deny that fact anymore. I groaned then turned my head, and as I lifted myself up from the ground I noticed a little booklet under the baby crib. The word “Special” was on the cover. I levitated it to me flipped through the pages, after reading each one carefully I felt my strength return to me.

I trotted into the kitchen and rummaged through the fridge as I read through the booklet. It talked about the importance of strength, perception and some other aspects of a pony. At the end of the book there was a little area that had words highlighted, “Do you know what makes you SPECIAL?” Under the words was a little envelope taped to the back cover. Inside was a pamphlet that I tucked into my jacket pocket for later reading.

[Strength +1]

I turned my attention back to the fridge that I was absentmindedly searching as I read a moment before. I pulled out a couple bottles of what appeared to be clean water and I left a sandwich with some kind of meat in it. Meat was gross. I mean, why did anyone even have a meat sandwich in their house at all. I closed the door to the fridge and turned away from it.

Grrrr

I clutched my stomach and turned back, swiping the sandwich and eating it in one bite, not even thinking about how old it might be. I instantly regretted that as I spit it all up over the floor, shivering. The meat had been rotten and when and the bread was moldy. Now I was even hungrier so I turned around and took a little sweep around the house, checking for any canned food or something that wasn’t able to actually go bad. I managed to find a leather saddle pack that fit perfectly, pulling my jacket to my sides, keeping me warm. I slipped the canned beans I found a few moments after into the pack, opening one up and pouring them into a relatively clean pot I picked up in the kitchen. While the stove didn’t work, I did know a spell to summon fire, so I cooked the beans and ate them from the pot. My pipbuck started to tick slowly as I ate the beans, indicating the trace amounts of radiation in the food. But I didn’t care, as long as I found enough canned food, I wouldn’t have to eat that meat ever again.

When I finished I wandered out into the garage, if you could even call it that. It was more like an awning you put a car under. I managed to pick up a pack of bobby pins and a screwdriver from a toolbox. Bobby pins seemed incredibly useful for not only keeping my large mane at bay, but being able to crack open safes. Though when dad taught me how to crack safes as a time passing hobby. I assume he didn’t think I would actually USE that skill.

--- 0 ---

I trotted through the rest of the neighborhood, picking up random junk that I assumed you could use for SOMETHING. I mean seriously, an electric clothing Iron has to have some use besides taking wrinkles out of clothes. I even found a safe in one of the houses that I managed to crack with my top notch skills…. It actually took approximately 4 attempts, but was worth it because it contained rounds for my 10mm pistol along with a combat knife. It also contained a lunchbox full of bottle caps. Which I figured was ridiculous since petty collections have no use in a survival situation. But then again I was carrying a 5 pound clothing Iron. I shrugged and took the lunchbox.

I walked out the back door and moved through the bushes, towards the far end of the neighborhood and my hoof hit something hard. At first I thought it was a rock but upon inspection I found a metal door. It must’ve been a bunker built by one of those doomsday preachers dad tried to steer me clear of when I was little. I shrugged and weighed the option of not having enough supplies against that of looting a well equipped bunker and chose the latter.

A moment later I was inside and searched it. I came up with a scoped rifle made from pipes and a box of .38 rounds. I swung the rifle across my shoulder and loaded the .38 rounds into my pack as I looked around. I guess you could call this bunker more of a hole in the ground. It definitely was not a Stable, with its dirt walls and wooden supports. I found a broken radio on a little table by a mattress and exactly at the moment I saw it, a box reading “133 Distress signal found” flashed in the corner of my vision.

“Is this thing working.. Oh good. Hello? Is anyone out there, I need water and aid. There are raiders outside the house. I’m trapped and need help!” The mare’s voice went quiet as the radio cut out for a moment then restarted, “I’m in new concord just west of the downtown ruins!” Then there was nothing but static after that. I switched off the pipbuck’s radio afterwards, thinking about what I just heard. I had some extra water I could share so I suppose I could go do what I can to help. I checked the pipbuck map and it had created a marker labeled “New Concord.” Right over the place where concord district was before the bombs. How my pipbuck would know what the name of the place afterwards was beyond me, but I didn’t really care either, it just made my life easier.

[Quest Started: “A Friend in Need”]

--- 0 ---

I started out of the neighborhood on the main road. I had been munching on a snack-cake I looted from an old gas magical energy station(It was 91 years old but I didn’t really care). The naturally chilly winter air make me grateful to be moving and using my muscles. It definitely kept me warm as I trotted at a brisk pace so I could make it to the mare on the radio in time. As I approached New Concord I ran into two giant looking mosquitoes feasting on a dead cow. They didn’t seem to have noticed me as I hid behind a rusted car. I supposed I would have to find a way around and begun sneaking around the far edge of the road. As I walked quietly, I suddenly became not so quiet. I had broken a branch and the mosquitos started buzzing to me. I opened my eyes wide and started running as they chased me, “What the fuck is it with the this wasteland and giant goddess’ damn insects!” Apparently my scream alerted a swarm of giant mutated parasprites. Dammit.

I picked up the pace as they gained on me, only to get my mane caught under my hooves, sending me sprawling face first onto the concrete road. I flipped over and pulled my 10mm pistol and in my mind I willed myself to slow down and aim. And time actually slowed, yes, really. A prompt popped up. “Welcome to S.A.T.S.! Your Stable-tec Assisted Targeting System! We will help you take time to aim and pinpoint your enemies weakness.” It highlighted a body part on each of the insects and then time began to flow again. I couldn’t control my magic levitation spell anymore as S.A.T.S took control, wiping out half the swarm, but a few got through. One of the giant mosquito- bloodbug things bit my chest before I pistol whipped its head clean off. I ripped what was left of the head off my chest and shot the two remaining parasprites. I got up and scratched my chest lightly. Ow.

Though I didn’t have time to think about it, I had to keep moving. I started running again, since I lost time fighting those insects and New Concord was just in view down the road. As I drew nearer I noticed two bucks outside a home with boarded up windows. They were shouting quite vulgar things into the house that I’d rather not repeat. But at first glance they didn’t particularly seem harmful. Just very rude and inappropriate. Inside I could hear there was a mare that shouted for them to go away. The same mare from the broadcast. I assumed these were raiders outside.

I trotted right up to the two ponies and waved a hoof, “Um, hi? You two should leave her alone. It’s not exactly mannerly to say those things about a mare.” What? I didn’t have any other plans.

“Well, you are quite a bold one.” He snarled from between his teeth as he started pulling a pistol made of pipe from his pack and it became very clear very fast that this wasn’t going to be settled civilly. I entered S.A.T.S. and pulled my 10mm, making two highlighted zones on the raiders heads. The zones read 95% accuracy. I took it, I didn’t think I’d get a better option. In the next few moments, time returned to normal speed and the ‘raiders’ no longer had heads.

I shivered at the sight of their skulls strewn about on the ground. Then I puked. Everywhere. I wasn’t exactly a killer and I had never killed a pony before. I got dizzy and started to sway with the breeze then fell against the house wall. It took me several moments to recover but I picked up their .38 bullets and one had a glowing magic potion with a label for health. I took that too. “Who are you??” The mare called out from inside the house.

“I’m a friend, I heard your broadcast and I have some food and water for you. I-I just killed two ponies..,” I called out back, still in shock at what I just did. “Sure ya did, what of it?” I could tell this mare was weighing if I was legit or not. When in the casino business you tend to pick it up if people think you are lying. “Well.. I’ve never killed anyone before..” I yelled through the door and it got quiet. I waited for a moment outside and could hear gunshots somewhere across town. I pulled my body in towards the doorway to make sure nobody shot me or could see me in the door’s alcove.

The door unlocked a moment later and the mare pulled me inside, disarming me in a split second, then closing and locking the door behind her. She pointed my pistol at me and nodded to me, “at least you don't look like a raider.. Go on, take out the water and set it on the floor then we will talk. Try anything funny and you’ll find out exactly what it felt like to be those two bucks outside.” She was rather intimidating, so I did as she said.

As I got the water out, I got my first good look at her. She was a stone blue mare with a teil mane and had some ?leather armor? On. But it looked more like wire-reinforced hoofball gear. Upon further inspection I found out that it was. She also had some light blue eyes and her cutie mark was a Red Cross. “Here you go, what about the aid you need? You seem pretty healthy to me.” As I sat back and waited for her response I saw the radio she must’ve used to make the broadcast. It was pretty old and I wondered where she got the power since everything seems broken to bits, but that was a question for another time.

“I was in a group led by a buck named Marcus. Yes I know, not a pony like name. But he's a good leader, so I don’t question it. Anyways no doubt you've heard the shots across town. It’s probably highly likely those shots are from the raiders who attacked us. I got separated from the group about an hour ago and I couldn't get back because the two raiders you shot broke off from the main group to do whatever they wanted to me. But one of my people got shot and they need medical assistance. That's why I needed aid. I don't know why I'm telling you this though, I doubt you care or that you plan on helping. Either way, thanks for saving me, and I’m sorry about the rough introduction. I had to make sure you didn’t just put two rounds in the dirt and were waiting for me to open the door. Here's your pistol. You can go do whatever you want. I'm going to save my friends.” She handed me my pistol and went over to pick up some tools she must’ve used to fix the radio.

I thought about this for a moment while she packed up her stuff. As much as I didn't want to fight more raiders, I imagined this mare wouldn't stand a chance on her own. And me? I still have a sister to find, I’d need to have some help if I expect to do that. Even still, I really needed to think about this. It's likely that helping her will prove much more difficult than fighting just two raiders… I finished thinking quite abruptly. “Wait, I'm Oscura, what's your name?” I stopped her before she left.

“Aurora, but most ponies call me Doc.”

“Well Aurora, I'm coming with you. I figure you won't stand a chance on your own against a group of raiders that's so large. And you won't do that hurt pony any good if you're dead.” She turned to me and she smiled.

“Let's go,” and we walked out the house towards the center of New Concord.

--- 0 ---

We approached what appeared to be the State museum from before the war but it was quite destroyed. On the upper floor balcony a maroon buck with a navy blue mane was shooting some type of laser rifle at raiders gathering outside. He was not making much progress in the destruction of their ranks but he had an admirable determination. The buck had a heavy relaxed military uniform from what looked like the beginning of Equestria in the War of Freedom.

“That's Marcus. He's the Leader. If we can just push through the old museum then I think he will have a plan to take out the rest of the raiders and get the group to safety. He always has a plan so we can safely assume he has one this time as well.” I nodded and showed her my scoped pipe rifle and we made a plan.

A little bit later we were in position and I started sniping them. I took maybe 3 raiders out before they figured out what was going on and shot at us. We were in an old bar a little ways down the street so It would take them a moment to get here. This gave us time to get downstairs. They charged into the bar as we ran into the main lobby. I ducked behind a counter as one unloaded on me with some type of auto pistol, all the rounds tearing up the hard oak counter. I pulled out my pistol and waited a moment, making sure I was fully loaded. I could hear them approaching cautiously. “Aurora, I want you to throw one of these beer bottles to the other side of the room to distract them. Then I will take as many out as I can while they are reacting.” She looked confused, “Nobody is that fast, you can’t do it.” I shook my head, we were running out of time, “You’re gonna have to trust me. She still looked unsure but nodded and I noticed she was an earth pony for the first time, since she picked up a bottle with her teeth. She tossed the bottle well despite this and it shattered against the wall.

I jumped up from behind the counter and engaged S.A.T.S. I counted 5 ponies as they were turning towards the bottle, that was all that was left from outside. I highlighted each of their heads one time and fired. Just as they all started to notice me and turn, the first went down, then the second, and third. But the fourth and fifth shot missed and I got hit in the shoulder as they turned back to face me, but the bullet didn't pierce my leather jacket, it only knocked me back onto the floor in pain. I put my hoof on my shoulder and winced. While I laid on the ground one of the remaining two jumped up onto the counter and tackled Aurora as she screamed in surprise.

I pushed through the pain and stood up then opened my pack as fast as I can and pulled the knife I got from the safe. I threw it with my magic as hard as I could and it lodged itself in the side of the pony's skull, killing him and dripping blood onto Aurora's face. As I turned back the other jumped me.

As he came down I bucked his gun from his grip in his mouth, shattering his jaw then I pistol whipped him across the face. I jumped onto him as he laid on the floor moaning. I thought about not killing him because he was defenseless but he kicked me between my back hooves right in the spot. I winced again and stumbled, but I levitated the knife back to me and stabbed it deep into his chest. He went limp and his breathing slowed then I rolled off and took a breather.

Aurora walked over to me and put some water up to my mouth. “Here, drink. Thank you for saving me for the second time today.” All I did in return was smile and nod then I drank without arguing and sat up. “Well, are there more inside the state museum?” I turned to her and shuddered when she said, “it's likely.”

As we moved up to the building, I noticed Marcus had disappeared from the balcony. I shrugged and assumed it was because the raiders outside were gone, then we walked inside. We heard raider shouts all around the museum but there was no clear path to them. It seemed like the main floor was collapsed down into the basement and we would have to detour down there to get to the stairs. And Marcus was up the stairs. Not only was the floor collapsed, but there was a large gate in front of the way towards the stairs. I took a look around and noticed a small side hallway. We took the side hall through an old museum exhibit about the old rule of Discord and Equestria taking our freedom. It wasn’t as interesting to me as it seemed to be to Aurora, since I’d been to the museum several times while it was still open and was a filly. Though still, walking through the halls made me have a dizzy ‘out of time’ feeling. But I tried to walk it off as we moved onward in the exhibit.

As we made our way through we passed mannequin ponies in outfits like Marcus’. A plaque read ‘The Minutebucks’. I knew that this was the Goddesses militia army that was formed to fight Discord. “Is this where Marcus got his outfit Aurora?”

“More or less. He actually made his outfit himself. But inspiration came from here, yes.” She looked respectively at one of the fake ponies with their rifles. “He's part of a relic of the Neighvada Commonwealth. The last of the Minutebucks.”

“Minutebucks?”

“What do you mean? You haven't heard of the Minutebucks? The only respectable faction in the Los Pegasus area.” She whispered as we moved into the basement, we didn't know if there were raiders down here. “Have you been sleeping the past 91 years or something??”

“Actually yes.” This got a funny look out of her, “don't worry, I'll explain sometime-” we forgot what we were talking about in a snap as a large attack dog jumped from another hall that wasn’t lit so well and latched onto my back, tangling it's claws in my mane. I screamed and Aurora shouted, “Oscura!” I just noticed she had a gun when she pulled it out and aimed it at me! (Well the dog.. But I didn't know how good of an aim she had) “NO! Wait!! Don't shoot!” I waved my hooves like a maniac, trying to keep her from firing.


“I can do this! Trust me!” I saw the confidence in her eyes and remembered me asking her to ‘trust me’ back at the bar, so I put my hooves down and attempted to give her a free shot as the dog snarled in my ear, rearing up to bite my neck. She fired and the dog fell off my back, tearing out some of my hair. I yelped and rubbed the back of my head. My mane had begun to really inhibit my ability to stay safe. It was useful for getting boys to flirt with me back before the war but being alive is far more important now so I will need to cut my mane as soon as I can. “Thanks. I could’ve died.” I smiled at and turned back to the hall the dog came from, maybe expecting more. But when I looked back there, I noticed a caged in area in the hall that the dog had come down. It was barely illuminated by a light green aura and I felt drawn to it like a moth.

I trotted towards it, “Oscura.. What are you doing..?” I looked down the hall and saw a much older Gris cross a room in the dim light. After that I got this eerie feeling that it was my destiny to go down and open the cage. However stupid that sounded. Maybe it would have something inside that would help me and Aurora get to Marcus. Plus there was the added bonus of seeing my sister, though since she looks older I am seriously doubting I actually saw her, since she was taken just a little bit ago and she was my age. But something wasn’t exactly right either way, so I didn’t call out to her even if it would’ve been a normal reaction. I instead turned back to Aurora as I walked, “I’m following the glow.”

“What glow, there is nothing back there..” She looked confused and I turned back to the caged area. It wasn’t illuminated anymore, just dark and grim. “Huh... Let’s check it out anyway.” I switched on the pipbuck light and walked to the cage. Beside the door was a terminal. I opened the terminal and noticed it was locked. “You have any experience hacking terminals?” She shook her head no and I frowned. I took a long look around but we were in a tiny room. My sister was nowhere to be found. It just reinforced the fact that I hadn’t actually seen her in the first place. Although it was disappointing, I turned my attention back to my other objective. I examined the door and managed to find a lock in the dark. “Aha.” I got on with picking it.

“So uh, why are we doing this instead of helping Marcus?” She seemed a little concerned.

“Well, if I told you this could help us help him?” I cracked the lock and pushed open the gate.

“Probably not, but explain yourself, how will this help?”

“Well, I think I saw my sister down this hall, so I wanted to find out if she was here. And it seems like she isn’t. But when I saw her, there was a glow coming from within this cage, and I got this feeling it might be something helpful. It was like a feeling you get when you know it’s your destiny to go this way. I don’t really know how to explain it, but according to my dad, the natural ‘luck’ of always being right when I have a hunch has run in the family for generations.” I found out that the cage was quite large and wasn’t completely illuminated till I got inside. Towards the back was a generator with a note and a red button on the side. I walked up to the note and it read, “I’m here to help.” It also had an arrow pointing to the red button. I turned back to Aurora and smiled, “I think I’m just lucky.” Without thinking I quickly pushed the button and a little cartridge popped out of the generator. I dove to catch it and it landed in my hooves without a scratch on it. I lifted the object to my face so I could get a better look at it. As I inspected it I found it to be a glass tube with a gem floating inside in between the two yellow end caps. On the top read “Magic Fusion Core: MFC.”

“Oscura, what is that thing?” Aurora was probably nervous to trust a pony she just met with their so called luck. For all we knew this thing could be related to a balefire bomb.

I shook my head. “I don’t know. But it seems important..” I inspected the gem inside and it seemed to pulse. “I think someone wanted me to take it though, hence the note... Anyway I think I’ve wasted enough of our valuable time.” I slipped it into my pack and quickly looked around for any clues as to who wrote the note but turned up nothing. I guess it would remain a mystery for now.

--- 0 ---

After we left the side hall we found the stairs rather quickly, though they looked incredibly unsafe. Since I put one hoof on a step and it creaked loudly, making me unsure of the decision to ascend the stairs. “I wonder if there is another way up.” I turned to Aurora. She shrugged, “I have no clue but we are running out of time” We could hear the raiders break through a door upstairs, hopefully not the door Marcus and the group was behind. “Yep, we gotta go now.” I nodded then took each step as slowly as I can without wasting time, Aurora following closely behind. “Okay, I don’t know what we will find past this point. Much of your group could be dead. I doubt you haven’t thought that out, but I figured I should just warn you.” I said back to Aurora as we kept moving.

“Yeah, I thought about it. But I doubt Marcus failed to protect them, he’s not gonna give up that easy.” I nodded and took it in. We’d made it to the floor Marcus was on and we were very close to our goal.

We walked along the side of the wall, as far from the edge of the broken floor that had fallen on the lobby. A good bonus effect is that it provided cover if the raiders but it also made me nervous. I didn’t particularly like heights. We could hear the raiders shouting and pounding in the room ahead and I silently sent a prayer to Celestia that they didn’t notice us. Luckily they didn’t while we were moving along the wall, since we got up to the doorway and got a good look at them from our hidden position. It turned out it was only four raiders trying to get to Marcus inside the building.

“Aurora,” I whispered, “How many raiders were there when they chased you into town?”

“I don’t know.. Maybe 30 or so..” I counted eleven that we’ve seen so far, including the four at the door in front of us, “Why did ya wanna know?”

“Looks like we aren’t exactly done after we take out these four.” I pulled out my 10mm, “Be ready to take out any I can’t get with that pistol of yours. Don’t clip me while you shoot.” I engaged S.A.T.S. and highlighted any of the raiders I could get from my position, then executed it. Two went down immediately while the other two dove for cover, getting behind turned over tables.

I frowned and ducked back behind the wall, knowing this made my job a whole new level of difficult. “Oscura, look.” I turned to her and saw she was pointing with a hoof. I followed the tip of her hoof and saw what she was pointing to. It was an ammo box a little further ahead by the wall. “Aurora, we are in a fight to out maneuver the other team, I don’t see how more bullets will do anything but draw out the battle.”

She shook her head, “That’s not any ammo box! Look, it’s got a red stripe around it. That means it is a grenade box.” My eyes opened wide. I turned back to it, that could totally help our side of the battle. But I frowned when I saw I’d have to cross the doorway to get to the box. “Got a plan to get over there without becoming swiss cheese?”

“Yep!” She nodded towards the broken bottom half of a door just inside the room the raiders were in. It must’ve been the door we heard the raiders break down on our way up the stairs. I guessed she wanted me to use the door as cover so I used my magic and lifted the hardwood door. I had begun to sweat from strain to levitate such a heavy object just as I got it into place. I need to work out my magic more.

“Hey! That’s cheating!” One of the raiders yelled as I snuck across the doorway below their fire. I pried open the box with my knife since it was rusted shut and found two metal apples inside. One had a yellow stripe around it and the other had a green stripe. I did a little dance and clopped my hooves together then chose the yellow one. I pulled the pin and tossed it in the room.

“Oh Fuc-” BLAM. There was no more shooting from the doorway and I pushed the broken door I used for cover onto the floor, giving us access to the room. I saw the raiders had become pulp on the wall and proceeded to throw up the rest of my beans from this morning. I clutched my stomach and tried to not think about the blood dripping from the ceiling as I walked up and knocked on the door. “It’s okay Marc-” I gagged again but held in my stomach. “Marcus.. My name is Oscura and I’m here with Aurora, or Doc.” On the other side of the door I heard some shuffling and the door was unlocked.

Marcus stood in the doorway after the door was opened and waved us in, “Howdy Doc, I was beginning to think you weren’t kicking anymore, but I sure am glad to see you in one piece.” Then he turned to me, “And I assume you’re the one who led her up here all by yourself.”

“Yeah, more or less. But Aurora fought some too, so I didn’t do it ALL by myself.” I smiled and closed the door behind us as me and Aurora walked in. “Even still you really seem to be quite selfless. Going out of your way to save a pony you don’t even know, thats Minutebuck material. “Though, sorry to say, but most of your progress has been for nothing at the moment. It would seem that the raiders have re-grouped outside and are planning on starving us out this time around. We can’t get out and our group has elderly and injured ponies.” He gestured to the rest of the group. One buck appeared to be injured as well as an older mare who had a grey mane and grey eyes. There was three other ponies but they all seemed okay. Aurora frowned, “You have a plan right? I mean, we can’t stay up here for the rest of our lives.”

“Actually yes. Well, not my plan, it’s her’s,” Marcus stepped out of the way of a mare who was looking out of the window. “Curie, mind explaining the plan to Aurora and our friend?” She turned around and leaned against the wall, she looked pretty smug but I got the impression she was smarter than she let on to most ponies. She also looked like she recognized me, but I didn’t know her.

“Well up on the roof there,” She poked her hoof up towards the roof, “There happens to be an old suit of t-45 power armor with a minigun battle saddle. It’s right beside a crashed vertibuck up there. Ya can’t miss it.” I nodded. “Only there is one slight problem. We are missing a Magic Fusion Core. The old one ran dry years ago. There should be one in this building somewhere, but since we were stuck up here, we weren’t really in a position to go get it.”

“Actually, you don’t have to worry. I picked it up on my way up.” I smiled. “How do I get up there and I’ll finish off the raiders while you get your group to safety?”

“You don’t have to risk your life for us more than you already have, Oscura, right? I’m sure we can get out of this one.” She smiled at my offer but also seemed to draw a response.

“Well I wouldn’t exactly be ‘Minutebuck material’ if I gave up and went home now. Plus we are all stuck in here together. You work on getting your people to the bottom floor and I’ll clear the way outside.”

--- 0 ---

I shoved the MFC into the back of the power armor and it slowly opened up. I stepped inside and it closed around me, fitting snugly. A HUD appeared in my vision showing me my ammo levels and my health. “I can do this.”

I moved up to the edge of the building and a raider shouted to the others that they knew where I was. The raider was in a sniper nest on an adjacent rooftop, target practice. He got a few shots off on me but none pieced as I revved up the miniguns and opened fire, tearing through the concrete blockers he was using for cover and then tearing through his flesh, rendering him into pulp. Dang, these sure were big guns.

I heard more shouts and gunfire from street level and turned my attention downwards. There was a group of about 20 raiders massed down there fully concentrated on me, easy prey for the minigun. Though there was one problem, I was up here, and they were down there. But I noticed something as I walked, then I got a plan. I reared up and landed my hooves on the roof, testing the shock absorbers. They proved adequate for my plan, though I was still nervous. “Welp, it’s all or nothing.” and I charged to the edge of the roof, leaping off, regretting my life choices.

I landed on the asphalt with a resounding clang of the inner workings of the power armor compensating for the fall. As I slowly rose from my fall, I felt a little pain in my legs, most likely just bruises from the old power armor not staying up to standard but I still needed to be careful. I turned to the approaching wave of raiders and revved my my minigun battle saddle up, opening fire. I tore through most everything, taking out the bulk of the crowd in one mere turn of my body. The rest dove for cover when they saw what was coming.

“Come on out guys!” I shouted to the hidden group of raiders. I noticed some movement in the corner of my eye and engaged S.A.T.S, turning to the raider and sending several shots through the wall he was hiding behind, rendering him dead. I slowly picked out the rest of the spots as I advanced down the street. My slow but sure gait must’ve been quite nerve racking to the raiders from their positions. I put an end to their nerves quickly though with a hail of -.. Dear Celestia, what am I even saying, I shouldn’t be enjoying killing ponies, no matter how evil they seem..

As I took out the last raider I sent up a quick prayer for their souls. “That’s the last of them..” I turned back towards the Museum and called out, “Hey! It’s all clear!!” I sat and took all the carnage I created in. I felt horrible. I still looked up when the group opened the front door of the museum. Marcus was about halfway out when he pointed a hoof and shouted for me to look out. Huh?

I barely turned just as a giant claw swiped my side, sending me flying through a wall of an building along the street. I groaned because there was now a massive dent in the side of my power armor and it was jabbing my side. I lifted myself up from the rubble of the wall I came through and turned back where I came from. I saw a giant white wolf-looking creature charging at the hole in the wall, charging at me!

I dodged it just in time for it to fly right past me and into a wall on the other side of this building, which looked like it was a comic book store. I quickly unloaded as many bullets as I could into the creature but they were all ricocheting off. Its hide was invincible! I could try to figure out another plan but I needed to think first. I remembered I had one grenade left but I was wary to use it because it was marked with a green stripe instead of the yellow which marked a regular explosive.. I had little choice though because the thing had pulled itself up from the wall and had come back to finish the job. And I knew that if I got another full swipe like before, I’d be done for.

I ended up going with the grenade since I had no other choice. But the dog was so fast, there was no way it would be within the blast radius of the grenade before it blew. I needed to immobilize it like before when it crashed into the wall. I frowned at the difficulty of this since it was unlikely that it would fall for that twice,

I looked around as I dodged swipes and saw a wall in an alley that had little space to turn or slow down. But that also meant I would have no room to get out of the way. I supposed I would have to come up with a plan on the fly, since I charged the alley. The beast only meters behind me. I saw my escape and sped up. As I reached the wall I kicked off the ground, turning around and leaping over the top of the hound as it flew past into the wall. I tossed the primed grenade after it. It got really quiet then a bubble of air seemed to appear from the grenade. It expanded slowly but literally shredded the hounds flesh and shattered the stability of the walls beside it. I ran as fast as the armor could take me as the expanding blast wave began to gain on me. I dove into an open ponyhole in the street and landed in a sewer as the blast wave cracked the street and collapsed the tunnel on me before dissipating. All the concrete and rebar fell on me and everything went black.

[Quest Completed: “A Friend in Need” +800 xp]

I woke up a few moments later and used the extra power armor strength to push my way out from under the rubble, and once I got out, I opened up the armor and slinked out, falling into the dust at the bottom of the collapsed tunnel. I blinked slightly and I could see all the ponies from Marcus’ and Aurora’s group, alive and well, lining the edge of the hole. They could’ve been glowing they looked so happy. I just laid down caked in sweat and dirt as a few came down to help me out of the hole. They helped me limp out and then we all sat on the road.

“That was the most impressive thing I’d ever seen from any wastelander. You were so brave and how you threw that Air Pulse Grenade(APG, for future reference) to take out that Hellhound... wow.” Marcus smiled brightly, “Of course you don’t have to accept my offer, but seeing as I am the last of my people, I suppose I would be fit to give the offer. Would you like to be the General of the Minutebucks?” I could see in his eyes he was totally serious so I would have to consider this offer carefully. “You don’t have to decide right away. We are on our way to find a settlement to call our home you can come with us or move on, but the Minutebucks sure could use a pony like you.”

[Quest Started: “General: Deal or No Deal”]

“Thank you Marcus. I really appreciate it, I’ll think about your offer.” I smiled at him and unzipped the top of my Stable jumpsuit, trying to air out my coat.

“What the hell!” Marcus pointed to my chest. I laughed at his ridiculous reaction to me unzipping my suit and turned to look at… the giant red and black wound on my chest where that giant mosquito had bit me.. Are wounds supposed to be caked with that black stuff..?





Voting:

A - Oscura goes with Marcus and stays at their settlement

B - Oscura tries to heal herself and leaves in search of a doctor

C - Oscura becomes the General and leaves for Marcus’ settlement

D - She passes out like in chapter 1

(HAPPY VOTING)

(Authors note: Oh my dear Luna this chapter took 3 whole days of writing from the moment I got home from school till the moment I went to bed. That isn’t to say it wasn’t fun to writ it, but it was just so very long. I hope y’all read to the end and tell me what you liked or didn’t like about the chapter.

Also, in other news, I have changed the voting system to a more paraphrased system. since I was so burnt out after writing this chapter, I couldn’t come up with a TON of ideas for voting like the last chapter. Of course I will return to the original system asap, but it will have to be like this for now.

And finally, special thanks to PonyDragon on Fimfic for giving me some lovely advice on this chapter. I don’t know if I followed that advice well but I sure hope I did.

Thank you for reading and please don’t forget to vote! **voting over for chapter 2**).

Author's Note:

Character Sheet
Name: Oscura Silver
Species: Unicorn
Age: 20
Cutie mark: Symbol of Ace of Spades
Faction: Pre-War/Minutebucks
Karma: 20%
<Evil----------|-0--------Good>
Level 2
Level progress: [----------------|----]

S.P.E.C.I.A.L
Strength
1 2 3 (4) 5 6 7 8 9 10
Perception
1 2 3 (4) 5 6 7 8 9 10
Endurance
1 2 3 (4) 5 6 7 8 9 10
Charisma
1 2 3 4 5 (6) 7 8 9 10
Intelligence
1 2 3 4 5 (6) 7 8 9 10
Agility
1 2 3 4 5 (6) 7 8 9 10
Luck
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (8) 9 10


Skills:

*Barter
38/100
Energy Weapons
19/100
Explosives
+3 22/100
Guns
25/100
Lockpick
25/100
Medicine
23/100
Melee Weapons
19/100
Repair
23/100
Science
25/100
*Sneak
38/100
*Speech
38/100
Survival
+9 30/100
Unarmed
19/100

Traits:
Four Eyes - You gain a plus 2 to perception when wearing glasses

Skilled - You gain plus 5 points to every skill, yet lose 10% experience gained every level.

Perks:
{NEW}
Hunter - 75% more base damage against all animals and mutated animals

Apparel:
-Stable jumpsuit(under armor) DT+2
-Heavy leather Coat DT+15

Weapons:
-Scoped Pipe Rifle
-79 .38 rounds
-combat knife
-10mm pistol
-35 10mm rounds

Items:
-buck pills
-2 med-x
-healing potion
-2 snack cakes
-3 canned beans
-2 purified water
-MFC(6%)

{Sick}