//------------------------------// // Four // Story: Fallout Equestria: Wasteland's Beauty. // by D1scordant //------------------------------// Chapter four To live is to die. Chip had gotten up faster than I though he could at my scream. In a matter of seconds he had the six barrels of his mini-gun spinning up, aimed right at a raider pony. Before he could fire, though, the raider exploded into glowing goo that splashed over the ground. I almost screamed again. “ you three OK?” A young male voice echoed, coming from a pony wearing some kind of armor “Who the hell are ya?” Chip replied, aiming his multi-barreled rifle at the newcomer.” And what the hay are ya doin’ here?” The stranger removed his helmet, and set it next to him. He was a deep blue earth pony with a grey mane. He also had facial hair, I’d never seen a pony like that in my stable, it was kinda weird. “My name’s Steele Sparks, and I was hunting those raiders for a bounty.” he replied coolly. “So yer a bounty hunter, who do ya work for?” Sparks sighed and rolled his eyes “That’s none of your damn business. And besides, why should I tell you anything, you could be raiders for all I know.” Winter stepped up next to Chip and cleared her throat “ Please forgive my friend, Chip, we’ve had a few...” She paused, searching for the right words. “...A few interesting things come up recently, we’re a little on edge.” Sparks grinned slightly “My name is Winter Darling,” she said placing a hoof on her chest,” And these are my friends Chip Boulder...” she nodded toward the gray buck “...And Diamond Sky,” she glanced at me. I was still trying to get the gooifide pony out of my coat. “It’s nice to meet you, now I have to get back to Fillydelphia and get my caps” he said impatiently. He then replaced his helmet turned and began walking off. Boulder started rotating the barrels of his Mini-gun again, still aiming at Sparks “You’re one of Red Eye’s lackeys, ain’t ya,” He growled. “One of y’all murdered my wife!” The armored stallion turned calmly. “I only worked for the bastard because I wanna survive,” Sparks replied, grimly, ”I don’t give a flying feather about his cause. I don’t wanna change the world, and I ain’t bowing to anypony. I just wanna survive as long as I can.” He paused “Not that It matters, to live is to die, after all.” He began walking again. After he had disappeared around a wrecked barn, Chip glanced at me, a bit of fire in is eyes “We best be goin’.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We walked for about half an hour. We were all too absorbed in our thoughts to talk. So we walked in somewhat awkward silence. Winter spoke finally breaking the silence “There’s New Appleloosa,” She said, smiling “It won’t be long, then we can take a nice long break.” I looked over toward the white mare. “So, just out of curiosity, why were you coming here?” I asked. Chip looked over his shoulder “well, we wanted a nice place to stay, we were planin’ on livn’ here,” he replied ”T’ain’t many places as nice as New Appleoosa.” We where almost there, when I saw her. My eyes widened to about the size of my head. “ Ruby!” I called The mauve unicorn turned “Diamond?” I galloped toward her, and threw my fore legs around her neck. Tears started pouring out of my eyes. My big sister was alive! “I thought the raiders had killed you!” “You can’t get rid of me that easy, sis,” she replied, then her smile faded ” Klondike didn’t make it, did he?” Klondike was my sister's boyfriend in the stable, I had seen his body when I left. “No,” shook my head sadly, ”I’m sorry.” Ruby sat down and started crying, I joined her. I had really though about suicide when I saw what had happened. If I had killed myself, I would have never seen my sister again. That realization was a total shock to my system. That combined with Steele’s words from earlier, hit me like a freight train. “To live is to die, after all.” We both wept for about ten minutes before we calmed down. looked towards my sister, ”I-is Mom dead?” Ruby got to her hooves then helped me up. “No, Mom and Cheesecake made it out, but, we got separated a few miles south of here.” I smiled, my mother and best friend forever, were still alive! My sister glanced at Winter and Chip. “So, Diamond, who are your friends?” “This is Winter Darling, and chip boulder, They saved my life.” I turned toward my two friends. “And this is my big sister, Ruby Sky.” Winter nodded,” It’s nice to meet you Ruby.” I glanced at Ruby suddenly, “Sis, remember that time when we where fillies, and we got lost in the maintenance tunnels back in the stable?” she nodded, already thinking the same thing. She frowned. “I almost died when I used that spell.” She replied, “ Though, I was a lot younger then.” “What spell?” Winter asked My sister looked at her. ”A telepathy spell I used on accident, I sent a mental image of where we were to my mother. After that day I could read the minds of animals, but every time I tried on ponies, I’d have a stroke, and end up in the medical wing. other than that, what ever information I was trying to get, stayed with me.” “We need to find mom!” I cried in a sudden outburst of emotion, “ please, Ruby, I know you can do it. You have to try! I started blubbering. My sister sighed, “Well, here goes nothing.’