//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Kindness' price // Story: Fall Out Equestria: The Centurion // by Equine Nigma //------------------------------// Kindness' Price "Thank you for bringing your my sister back!" Ganya was being hugged by her older sister her face seemed to be going turning a bluer than the Rainbow Dash doll between them. "Gardenia you're choking me!" Ganya was coughing, "Excuse me, much as I enjoy this display of sisterly love." I looked over at Rosalin and Merry snuggled up to each other, "Think you can point me in the direction of a bed for those two?" Gardenia pointed me towards the main keep, "You'll have to ask the guards if you can have a bed for the night." I grinned, "Think you could put in a good word for me? I don't think many people like me here." She nodded, "I do owe you for my sister... um... do you think your kids will like her?" I looked over, "Her?" She was holding out her plushie. "It's the most valuable thing I have other than my sister... please take it." I tried to avoid it but then finally I took it, "I'm sure Merry will love it, and make sure to keep an eye on your sister." I waited for her to give her word to the guards and walked in after her. * * * It was about night and I had made camp for the three of us outside of the forest. Things were looking up, after we left Shattered Hooves, Merry and Rosalin were a bit more chipper and Rosalin was being more open with me. Things seemed like they were never going to get any better and it was the best time. It's funny how looking on a past that should make you mad only makes you sad. That night was when the last vestiges of the pony I was died, we were ambushed by slavers one of them had a rocket launcher and they had the advantage of surprise a rocket shot out towards Rosalin and Merry my first move was to get in front of it despite knowing I'd be torn to pieces. I knew they'd probably suffer without me but their lives had made me feel so great, like my past and all the things I'd done wrong all the things I had to atone for were just minor inconveniences instead of mountainous problems. It's funny looking back, I knew they'd suffer but all that mattered to me was that they lived, even if they had to be slaves they'd be free, some hero like the Stable Dweller would free them, someone who was actually worth the title of hero, the opposite of me. "Afraid you're not allowed to die yet." A voice began to chime in my head and my mechanics forced me to move without my input, "you're one of the best toys I've ever gotten to see in action. I'm afraid you'll be playing my game a little longer." What?! Some sick twisted pony thought this was a game? "Let me go! I have to save them!" I began to protest against the voice and whatever was behind it that was controlling me. "Sorry but every game's got a price. You get to lose what you hold dearest! If you win the game though... you can do whatever you want after. You win the game and you win your freedom." What did he mean I win my freedom? Wasn't I already free? More importantly what was this sick freak talking about game's having a price and how could he or she think that the life of a pony was a price! "I'm not going to forgive you...I'll play your game but my prize will be your head, and I intend to collect it the second we're done!" I wouldn't let this freak live not after Merry and Rose were gone... they were what I had left... they were what made me better. This monster, they couldn't be called a pony after what they'd done, had made me break my word, a guard could never break their word, and I would have my revenge, for the honor of the guards, for myself, and for Merry and Rosalin. "So your wish is my head? Well then that'll be your prize. Though a good player should know there past. You have 24 hours to get to the location I marked on your body's E.F.S. system. You fail and the game ends. Oh and you know a protagonist who can heal themselves so easily is boring so I'm turning off the auto repair function and your AI. This is a single player game. You'll dance to my tune or you'll lose your chance at revenge." The voice cackled. "Fine... but at least tell me what the name of the monster I'm going to kill is." I said in as menacing a voice as I could muster between all of my pain. A cackle responded, "Oh you ponies are too much. Monster? How is me killing somepony anymore monstrous than you killing somepony? Do you remember those slavers and raiders? Did they deserve to die or be pitied?" I was quieted, "And you have the gall to need a name? Do the many wasteland rivers have names? Do the clouds have names? Fine I'll sate your curiosity. You can call me Astaroth it's an old name from another world and it was the name of a harbinger of death. I really love to break my toys, I wonder how long it'll take you." I didn't chuckle I didn't grimace I knew what I had to do to find peace. Astaroth would die or I would, one of us would remain standing and the other would fall. "Anyways tick tock you better get going. You might just find a legacy when you get there. That is if those stable-tec dim wits did anything right." Astaroth cackled. * * * A big metal gate. I had had the closest things to my daughters since I set my priorities wrong for a big metal gate. I had lost my entire reason for clinging to my pony-ness... for a closed metal gate with the number 12 on it. Now I was really going to kill Astaroth. "Okay what the hay Astaroth! I'm at the location the door's locked!" I yelled "Have you tried knocking?" Astaroth cackled, "Okay fine I'll open it up but you get a time penalty of an hour you've got about 1 hour and 30 minutes left to find out your name." "Well I guess I just need to find a pony who has family that knew m-." A seagreen mare in a suit with the number 12 walked by I'm not sure why I felt I needed to ask her but I did. "Ma'am! May I ask if you know who I am?" She looked me over after I asked, "Well clearly you can't be alive, a ghost come to haunt my family for my great great great great grandmother's mistakes?" Mistakes? Are you trying to tell me I had found someone who'd wronged me? "Come to finish the job Sky Piercer gave you? Come to claim your revenge for the procedure she talked you into not working? Well have you Storm Chaser?" I don't know, I don't know who she means I get vague blurs of a crimson unicorn mare. "Storm Chaser?" I asked. "Yes you, why did you decide to come here, did Sky's message enrage you so much you've come to seek revenge for her lying and not letting you die? For not giving you peace?" I didn't know would I seek revenge? Was that who I was as a pony? "No, I'm not claiming revenge but thank you." I called Astaroth, "Storm Chaser." There was silence, "Very good you found your name, I suppose you want a reward, I've got a suitable one how about a sound file?" "How about nothi-" I began to say but it started playing, "Dammit she's crashing! Somepony we have to stabilize her! Start a reboot! We are not losing her! Project Rebirth can't be set back she's the first pony test subject! Every pony move move!" a silence as a life support machine started beeping again, "She's stable... I don't know when her reboot will complete all her systems were down. I'm sorry Storm Chaser... I'm so sorry... please forgive me, I'll visit you when I can... for now we have to report that we succeeded in bringing life back." * * * Where had I heard that voice before? I played it back in my head. Sky Piercer was the one who left for the stable. She performed the experiment? Why me? What was she to me? Did I have a marefriend? Was I a filly fooler, ugh this stupid game was making me look back on my life. I hate looking back on my life all that's there is pain and numbed pain. "So back from your trip?" Astaroth's voice again I guess I'd gone catatonic because the seagreen mare I talked to earlier had come back with a gun probably thinking I was after her for revenge. "Oh and it might be best to not get shot with your repair function off. It doesn't let you handle well with bullet holes in your chassis." "Then why did you turn it off?" I practically screamed as I bolted out the door I came through to the wastes and flew off before she could shoot. "How do you value a toy that doesn't break? If you think it'll last forever what keeps you from mistreating it?" Astaroth responded. Astaroth had a point, a terrible point given we were talking about a pony's life but still a point, "I hope you know I hate you." "I know you do, but you know something else all games and no work makes you a bit boring, why not take a load off and do some good for the Wasteland? Maybe save some slaves, or kill the slavers who killed your replacement kids." Astaroth said I didn't think you could freeze in midair but I did for a few minutes before falling, "YOU ARE NEVER ALLOWED TO BRING THEM UP AGAIN DO YOU HEAR ME?!" I yelled. "Oh would you rather they suffer for the rest of their lives in slavery because you died protecting them? Would you rather they die in fear rather than in comfort since they didn't see it coming? Am I the monster here for letting them die or are you for trying to save them for a life of terror?" Astaroth responded coldly. How did Astaroth know just where to hit me? Why me? Surely others deserved this more! Wait did I really just wish this torture on another pony? Was I turning into a monster? "Fine! I'm playing your game answer my questions!" I yelled wanting something out of this. "For that challenge? That was the easiest one and you still nearly failed. So here's an answer to a question you haven't asked yet but I wish you would. You are the biggest idiot I've ever seen in the Wastelands." "Hey that's uncalled for!" I yelled in reply "No uncalled for would be me telling you that you didn't realize that for every good deed you do you may be hurting someone else! Ever wonder why slavers turn to slaving? Did you ever think that maybe they had families?" "They shouldn't have done it it's wrong..." I started to doubt myself. "So it's wrong to be willing to sacrifice your morality to save the life of your children? Interesting answer. I'll be sure to let the starving filly of that slaver you killed when you first got here that it was wrong of her mom to care enough to do anything to feed her." Astaroth replied in a dark seductive voice. "She had a filly...?" I began to hate myself wondering what I'd have done if my child had ever needed me. Considering I picked wrong I probably wouldn't have. I decided to put my country first and my child second... I had to face it I only kept Merry and Rosalin around when we got the house because I needed to atone for my failure as a parent. What's worse even when I tried my best I still failed. Why wasn't I mad? It wasn't my choice to fly away this time! Why was it that all I could feel was sadness?! I needed to win I needed to kill Astaroth for everything that was so messed up about what he did! Why couldn't I stay mad! "yeah and it's time for me to go, playing with such a fun toy has made me quite tired, see you in the morning! Or more than likely I'll play with you again, you're going to be such a fun toy!" Astaroth said happily. "Go buck yourself with Luna's horn you sick freak!" I yelled in response, I had known Luna and sure I felt bad about using her name in an insult but even she'd have to agree that this Astaroth deserved any insult he got. "Good night, oh and one more thing your repair function was bugging me so if you try to reactivate it you'll self destruct. Oh and I deleted your AI the thing wouldn't shut up, you should thank me it'd have talked your ears off!" Astaroth cackled and the call went dead. * * * "Good morning Equestria! DJ P0n-3 here talking, now I decided to talk about heroism today. What makes a hero? Is it a mask? is it a costume? Is it blood? Is it an urge to wear underwear in front of everyone? If you said yes to any of these questions, you've been reading way to many vintage comic books. See a hero is someone who sacrifices of themselves for the good of every pony else. They put themselves last to protect everyone else, That's why ponies like the Centurion who willingly throw themselves in danger because it's the right thing to do are heroes to me. Now little ponies you might be saying 'but we can't all throw our lives away Dj P0n-3 we have people we have to live for!' Did I say throw your lives away? No I didn't well except saying that... say no one's going to edit this to make me sound like I said throw your lives away right? 'Cause that'd be really dumb I mean why would I even say that? Oh right going on a tangent, sorry about that, but what I said is heroes make sacrifices. So all I'm asking all of you to do my loyal listeners is when you can afford it do the right thing, Centurion and the Stable Dweller may be trying to help but they can only do so much so let's show our support by telling them they're not alone!" "Hey why haven't you called recently Centurion?" Homage called me again... I shouldn't have answered, "Storm Chaser..." She seemed confused, "What exactly?" I repeated, "I said Storm Chaser... that's my name. It's who I am and what I am. I chase trouble I'm not a hero those who get involved in me sink or swim, and the storms I chase wear you down every step of the way." I said I must have sounded depressed, "Are you feeling okay Chaser?" Homage asked. "Tell me... if you had a kid and you messed up and you got a chance to start over and to make things right... and you still messed up how would you feel?" "... Pretty bad I suppose, but what does that have to do with anything?" Homage asked, I sighed, "Do you notice the lack of noise and the lack of a harness on me..." She gasped, "They aren't... please tell me they didn't." I nodded, "They did. I'll never live down my failure... I know I won't... but I'll avenge them... the monster who caused it won't be satisfied with this. He turned off my auto-repair function and can control my body, my AI is gone and I'm dancing to his tune. I'll find the killer... and I'll kill him so that I can have some peace before I go myself." "You're going to kill yourself?!" Homage practically yelled. "No... I'm going to do all I can for the Wastes until my broken body is consumed beneath it. I won't stop or get repaired I have to face my penance with Celestia and Luna in the clouds or with Discord below. There's nothing left for me here but revenge and after I get that... I'll do as much as I can before it's the end." Homage looked at me teary eyed, "Please the wastes need ponies like you please reconsider!" "I ABANDONED MY DAUGHTER TO SERVE MY COUNTRY! THE TWO GIRL'S WHO I PROMISED TO KEEP SAFE DIED BECAUSE I COULDN'T STOP SOMEPONY FROM INTERFERING WITH MY SYSTEMS! I AM NOT A HERO LIKE YOU SAY I AM! I AM A SCARED PONY RUNNING FROM THE PAST SO IT CAN'T CATCH ME!" I wasn't aware I could cry, but I guess it was a day of firsts I never told anypony that much about me before, "And... it's finally catching up... I can't hide from it anymore. The Wastes need somepony better than me. I'll try... I'll bucking try to make it a better place but I won't let myself be repaired I'll keep going until I break." Homage was crying, "I'm hanging up now... cheer up you still have one hero to look up to... that Stable Dweller. I'm nothing to her, just a scared little filly who never wants to stop running. I've slowed with age, I can't keep evading my past forever. I've got nothing left and I'm going to be eaten alive by the emptiness. All I can do is improve what we have until I kill the monster responsible for Merry and Rosalin dying and then until I die myself. Nothing you can say will stop me... be glad you still have one hero. Something that's worth facing the cruelty of the world for... but what do I have? Nothing... I'm at my limit I can't go further so don't try to tell me not to die." I hung up, it'd sting her for sure, she might be emotionally reeling for a while, but I felt a bit better letting somepony know. I sighed and waited for Astaroth's call. "Oh you're still up? Well not that that's surprising or anything it's not like you need sleep. Well are you ready for today's game Storm Chaser? I have a lot of things planned for you and when you reach the top of this mountainous journey I'm sure we'll be able to talk before you claim your prize. Maybe I can get you to break yourself before you try to break me!" Astaroth cackled, "Anyways let's get down to business." ---- Footnote: level up! New perk: Thief: Hey it's not stealing if they're dead it's treasure hunting! Gain 5 points in sneak and lock picking. Quest perk: Avenger's fury: Your shield has cracked and broken and those you wished to protect are gone. Permanent + 1 to strength and 5% resistance to all damage types. Speech: 25