//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Twisted game // Story: Fall Out Equestria: The Centurion // by Equine Nigma //------------------------------// Twisted Game "You're kidding right?" Was all I could say. "Why would I joke with a fun toy? I told you you're challenge is to wipe out a slaver camp." Astaroth replied. "Okay then what's the catch?" I said in reply a bit suspicious that he'd call this a harder challenge than finding my name from a descendent of Sky Piercer in Stable 12. "Oh? Why does there have to be a catch I just said wipe it out." Astaroth replied. "Well this challenge will be easier than I thought!" I said in reply and I swear I heard the bastard chuckle. "Well let Celestia's sun guide your journey bye now!" He hung up... on me. After all the hell he gave me he was the one who got to hang up? * * * "It's the rabid dog of the land run!" I heard some slavers shout. Not like it mattered to me anymore I had nothing left in me that cared for these slavers anymore. I brought a hoof down onto the one I dropped on and felt a crunch as his skull was crushed underhoof blood drenching my sky blue hoof. If they were so eager to call me a rabid dog I'd have to show them the difference between a dog and a wolf. One popped out from behind with a gun I bucked him in the gut and knocked the wind out of him and turned to deliver a strong kick that knocked his head off. How many had they enslaved and killed? How many suffered because of them? They didn't deserve anything but the end I gave them. The last of the slavers begged for his life. "Please I'll never do it again I swear!" I looked at him and I swear he wet himself, "Your mistakes have been made your punishment will be death." "But I have a family to take care of!" Normally that would have struck a chord with me but I only laughed in this cyan colt's face. "How many families have your actions torn apart? How many times do you think you've sold a pony to a gruesome death at the hands of their 'master'?" I spat acidically remembering who it was that pulled the trigger on the closest thing I had to family since I'd woken up to this bleak world. Slavers deserved no sympathy no matter their reasons they all deserved the same atonement for the deaths their actions caused, they all deserved to meet their end at my hooves, and I'd stack their bodies as high as it took for me to get to Astaroth and wring his neck so he could find his atonement to. He looked at me fearfully and blasted my head with a revolver, he was pretty good, if I was alive I'd have been dead but since I no longer was I stared at him the side of my face scorched from the bullets entry, I'm sure I looked like death to him, how suiting since I would be the cause of his death. "Say your prayers." "Luna, Celestia, anypony sa-" I cut him off by stomping through his torso through his heart. "Too long." I didn't feel bad about doing it, he'd been in the wrong. "Bravo bravo Storm Chaser, I loved every second of it, you really are a fun little toy!" Astaroth's voice came on, "Oh right, I thought I'd mention something, you missed one." I looked around. "What the hay are you talki-" Then I saw a foal going to the colt I just killed. "Daddy? Get up... please... get up don't leave me all alone!" Oh for the love of Luna... Astaroth wanted me to kill a child. "What's the matter he has every reason to hate you and he'll keep trying to kill you! After all your more of a monster than me now aren't you?" I began to protest then I thought about what I'd done, I hadn't known these slavers, they weren't the ones who killed Rosalin and Merry. I looked at the foal he looked back with a gaze filled with hatred and fear. Fear of the monster that wrecked his life, hatred of the mare he'd try to kill. "Well finish the job. If you don't I won't answer any more questions and Merry and Rosalin never get avenged. Don't you want to make me atone for being a monster? Or maybe you don't want to be a monster to kill a monster? Well here's your chance, are you going to give up revenge and let this foal kill you taking the easy way out and embracing the utter nothingness of death? Or are you going to take his life and make sure he doesn't have to suffer the world without his father that you so cruelly took?" Astaroth cackled, that bucking lunatic was getting off on this! That soulless creature was enjoying the thought of me killing a foal! He knew how to play me... I had to... I had to what? Give up? Lose my one chance at letting Rosalin and Merry's lives have meant something? Lose my chance to give them a monument they deserved? Lose my chance to take the head of the lunatic who would continue to spread chaos to the Wastelands until everypony was dead? I... Was my hoof this bloody before? I looked down. In my thought my body reacted when the foal took his father's gun. I had caved in his ribs with a forehoof and as he lay coughing up blood from his lungs being punctured I smashed his skull. Celestia help me I was a monster... Just like Astaroth had wanted. "That's a good toy! Well I'm satisfied for now... Let's just say your day isn't done yet though Chaser, you've got a lot more of my game to play before you get to see me, but I'll let you ask a question now." Astaroth said cackling like a mad pony, probably because he was a mad pony. "Why are you doing this?" I found myself asking before I could stop myself to ask something that'd help me figure out his location. "Why does anyone do anything? Is it because it's the right thing to do? Well it's helping millions by killing a few so that's possible. Is it because I want the same in return? I clearly don't because I'm enjoying myself far to much to crave death especially from a toy like you. Is it because I feel I have to? Like I said I enjoy it and no pony enjoys being told what to do so clearly that's not it. Maybe it's because I like it so much." Astaroth replied. "I want an actual answer that isn't wrapped in enigmatic horse apples!" I yelled. "Oh? Well why didn't you say that? Oh right, I just have to refer to my previous answer to see why. Hm let's see... oh yes that's why, as I've said before you're by far one of the dumbest toys I've ever encountered!" Astaroth cackled with glee. "Oh and that's it for questions right now, I'm going to grab some lunch, can I get you anything? Maybe some pony flesh, I'm certain these two little fillies meat is quite good!" He cackled again and I stood frozen. "You... bought and killed... Merry and Rosalin to eat?" I said not believing it even after I said it. "Whatever gave you that impression? Maybe I've just found some carcasses that I'm eating since beggers can't be choosers." Astaroth replied, I could hear the smugness in his voice knowing he had managed to trick me. I really really hated him. "Tata for now. Oh and one more thing you have... fifteen seconds to run." Astarroth began. "Wait wha-?" I began before a slam sent debris flying at me and cutting into my body before falling off the metal body underneath and some punching through. "Target spotted." Began a rather gleeful voice. Target spotted? What the hay was this crazy thing talking about? There wasn't a target within miles I mean the only pony here was me... oh. "Stand still and I'll make sure to make it slow and painful!" The voice practically dripped with madness and pleasure all at once. "Don't you mean quick and painless?" I said and was rewarded with a forehoof slamming into my face at high enough speeds to dent it a little. "I know what I said you little insect!" The voice replied as my vision swam I was sure I saw wings, but that was impossible right? There weren't any other pegasi around... right? I didn't have time to think as a shot gun barrel got pointed directly at my face and I dodged to the side as the blast went off tearing away the synthetic flesh along the right side of my face. "Ooooh a little robot toy! I used to have one when I was just a filly!" The mare said a crazed look in her eye and a creepy smile making her seem menacing even to me. "So you'll let me go?" I said hopefully. "I loved breaking that toy! I never thought I'd have a chance to break a life sized one!" She finished. Well there goes my hopefulness, I'd have to remember that the Wastelands had a way of making your life hell when you decided to hope for something. Wait was this crazy mare still talking? Why did she seem upset? I suppose I should have the courtesy to listen instead of thinking. "I said what do you think about that you little undead Dashite filly fooler?!" She screamed. "I'm sorry what? I was just thinking about how much your parents must be crying knowing they forgot they needed to spank psychotic brats like you." I replied and she screamed again punching into my torso and removing a few wires as pain shot up my body. Great she found the nerve suppressors that kept me from feeling pain. I really needed to remember that I should never taunt an opponent until I've beaten them. "IT. IS. ON! I WILL BUCKING MURDER YOU!" She yelled again. "How about a little louder, I think Fillydelphia didn't quite hear you!" I yelled socking her in the mouth and chipping her teeth. Blood poured from the chipped teeth, I guess her gum line absorbed a lot of the shock from my hit. "You... made me bleed." "Yeah, we're fighting did you think you wouldn't get hurt?" I said in a tone that told her just how stupid I thought her comment was. "NOBODY HAS EVER MADE ME BLEED AND LIVED!" She yelled and I swear I could see the muscles in her body tense up. Oh great, I'd gone from fightin a raving psychopathic pony to fighting a raving psychopathic pony fueled by rage and hatred, my odds were sure looking up! She took out a grenade and tossed it at me and I ducked for cover. Right into the line of fire of her back mounted sub machine gun. "Why do the psychopaths get the best bucking weapons?! What sense does it bucking make to let a psycho have access to this kind of stuff?!" I said as my body got riddled with holes I'm pretty sure one of them nicked my lungs, it was for show anyways but still internal bleeding hurt. Okay I have to kill her it'll be simple I mean I had Sheila on my si-... oh right. Did I mention I really hate Astaroth yet? I don't think it can be said enough. I mean I can make a game out of seeing how many times I can say that before I'm sick of it! Well at least this mare seemed to be an idiot... well, a bigger one than me anyways. "Hey look a group of ponies in pain!" I yelled and pointed down the road. She looked like she filled with glee or was about to get off on the thought. "I should have brought popcorn where are they!" She turned and I took my chance and knocked her out. I should have killed her but something about a psychotic kill first ask questions never pegasus on my side when I fought Astaroth seemed like a good idea. I just had to figure out how I'd go about wording the question for her. So instead of killing her the same as she'd kill me I found a length of chain and tied her up then began to carry her all the way to New Appleloosa so I could get repaired. * * * "You know I never took you for that kind of mare." The mayor said seeing me walk into town with the pegasus chained up, it's not my fault it looked like some kind of fetish job! I'd skipped my military classes on the days they taught about how to bind POWs. Well more accurately I was puking my guts out from the rigorous training and the fact that a few of my fellow trainees thought it'd be funny to put some broth into my food that made you nauseous when ingested, they got sent ot the Ministry of Morale for that but came back the same. I knew Pinkie was a trickster so it didn't surprise me when I found her picture on the cannister of broth. "Har har. Nice one Mr. Mayor how about next you make a joke about me having inadequate wing size?" I said making clear I was annoyed by his childish jest. "Geez lighten up I was kidding, anyways just don't go around with her like that in public. " He replied. "Oh my you're right! Here I was planning to get her a little leather collar that said 'mistress' little slut toy' and showing her off! How foolish of me I am so glad you told me not to do that!" I said sarcasm dripping from every syllable. "You were really going to..." The mayor began, honestly colts and their minds sometimes, I shot him a glare that said finishing that thought would be a bad idea, "Erm... right anyways just uh... nevermind just go do whatever it is you need to do in private..." I went to my house unlocked it and tossed my captive on the bed. I left and locked my house up then walked to Ditzy Doo's shop. "Hey Ditzy i need repair work done!" I said and the ghoul came out then looked at me and her jaw dropped. She began to write when I cut her off anticipating her question. "Big fight, there were slavers and a surprise for me, we'll talk about it later I'd appreciate those repairs now, and about payment I found you some muffins and a few bottle caps, also a recipe for muffins, I don't need it since I can't taste but you might like it." I brought out 700 bottle caps, essentially all I had in terms of finances, two boxes of muffins and the recipe. She looked at the bottle caps and wrote. I read slowly, I never learned to read in my head glad Ditzy didn't mind. "Okay let's see... 'Keep the caps the muffins and recipe are worth a whole lot more to me.'" I swear I could see a bit of a sadness in her eyes but she quickly erased her writing from the black board and continued, "I'll do the repairs as quick as I can, but don't you have a program for this kind of thing?" I looked at her and shook my head, "It got disabled, I'd rather not talk about it now." She nodded and motioned to the table where I lied down waiting for her to cut me open and start using the parts she had to fix me up where I needed it. * * * "Thanks Ditzy." I began as I walked out of her store and towards my house, so I wasn't as seamless a pony as I was before and a bit of my coat was gone showing off some of the metal beneath, it was better than nothing, and Ditzy even offered to give me some light armoring to make up for the lack of a repair function, not that I took it, seeing her shop as much as I had made me realize she probably needed caps a lot more than I did, especially when she was taking care of Silver Belle. Now that just left the question of how to get the psycho pegasus on my side. Then it hit me. I knew just what to say and I smiled. I got to the door unlocked it and went in to see the pegasus struggling with the chains, apparently she wasn't good at picking locks, good news for me since I wasn't that good at placing them. "Hey you're up." I said and she spat at me. Okay I had expected her to try and chew my head off so things were already going better than I had planned! "Anyways I've been thinking, maybe you should come with me." "Why should I?!" She yelled. I looked at her, "You like breaking ponies right?" I replied looking directly in her eyes. She nodded, "good well see, down here the ratio of good ponies to bad ponies seems to be 1 to 15 and growing. Stick with me and you'll get to break a lot more." Her eyes lit up, "I get to break thousands of toys?" She asked. It was creepy how she thought, but also very useful. "Yes, if you come with me." I said. She nodded and I removed the chains then she smacked me in the eye with a forehoof, unfortunately for me Ditzy didn't have the wires needed to replace the ones this pegasus had ripped out so it actually registered as pain. "That's for tying me up you buck wit!" She spat. Okay she didn't kill me, admitedly she didn't like me but hey I was alive right? Then she tore something off of her mane that I hadn't noticed before and stomped it to pieces, it looked like a tiny camera was inside. "Uh what was that?" I asked, she instantly spat, "Our ponies watching over us" and began to laugh crazily. * * * "Sir the tracking device has been smashed." A sigh resounded, "Of course it did, because nothing can ever go right for me can it?" A dull gray commander with a mark of a black cat on his flank said. "Fine... I guess we just have to try something else. Can we send the Wonderbolts?" "Negative sir they're dealing with Dead Eye Calamity." He sighed again, "Right, of course they are, fantastic... how about the Shadowbolts." "Considering the mare we sent was locked up for killing twenty five of them by 'playing with them' as she put it, I don't think that'll work." A silence fell, "Okay then I give up somepony else can deal with this!" A smack was heard, "Ow okay okay honey! Geez let me take a break some time!" Another sigh marked his frustration, "Okay I guess we could always send down that new project the higher ups have been working on. What was it again? A pegasi hybrid?" * * * "So you're telling me. Our ponies the loyal protectors of this land.... sealed up the clouds and haven't done a bucking thing to help the ponies living down here." I said when the pegasi from earlier finished explaining what happened while I was asleep, "Did I ever mention I really really hate this?" She shook her head, "Good, well get used to me saying that." "Falling Star." Okay I hadn't expected her to speak, or at least not in anything that didn't have a curse word in it. "Okay Falling Star, I'm Storm Chaser and I think we can work together and get along just fine." She rolled her eyes, "yeah yeah yeah, friendship and togetherness and all that bucking nonsense who do I get to kill." She was surprisingly straightforward, "Well no pony here, I'd rather not have a house in a ghost town." She growled, "We'll go when you think you have enough supplies. I'm going to sell all my scrap metal, you should follow me and familiarize yourself with the area in case we're ever attacked." She nodded and we walked to Ditzy's store I could already tell the mayor was starting rumors because all over I heard whispers, "I can't believe she's that kind of mare." "I heard she came in with that pegasus all chained up." "I heard she's buying a collar and leash to put on the pegasus." "I heard that she's a pretty cool girl, she fights bad ponies and doesn't afraid of anything!... What? It was a joke. Oh fine I heard she enjoys tying up ponies. There happy I gave into talking about her liking bondage?" We got into the shop and I took out all the scraps I wanted, "I'm selling these I'd like to stock up on healing potions, food, water, rad away, and anything else that can help my Star keep up." Star glared at me, "If anyone's going to slow anyone down it's going to be you slowing me down you stupid bucket of bolts!" Ditzy for her part looked surprised at the attitude of the company I kept, "Uh don't mind her she's just upset because she has uh..." Come on think brain think, what kind of excuses did I use at school to get out of things? "Really bad diarrhea!"... well that kind of explained it brain, but now I have to make sure not to get to close to Star for a while if I didn't want to have to explain a knife in my back as a work related accident next time I needed to get repaired. "Yeah she's upset because uh... her... you know hurts... because of all the diarrhea..." Wow I was just painting a big sign that said stab me before I say something else stupid for Star wasn't I? Ditzy nodded she probably knew I lied but got the supplies I asked for some vitamins and a few drugs I really didn't want to know about. She wrote down the total and how many caps I had and I sighed and sold her the ammunition for Merry and Rosalin's weapons, I didn't let them sleep with them since I didn't want them doing anything drastic. Great call on my part, my decision almost certainly meant when I was forced away from them that they died, truly I was a genius for not letting them have the means to protect themselves! I really needed to stop talking down on myself before I tried to figure out where my shut down button was or I wouldn't get my revenge. We went outside and Star immediately slapped me, "YOU BUCKING FOAL I OUGHTA KILL YOU, YOU PATHETIC BOLTED TOGETHER PLATE METAL PLOT FREAK!" Oh great, now more rumors were going to start about who wore the pants in our non-existent relationship. Just what I need! Ponies who assume I'm some kind of sexual deviant, hooray could my life get any better? Hey I didn't know I could think in sarcasm! "Would you like a whip miss?" Oh joy oh rapture someone made a joke and brought a whip now my heaven is complete and I can die and be disatisfied with the real heaven! "Thank you young colt!" She grabbed it. Oh crap she actually was going to! Wonderful now I get to never show my face in town without being laughed at! Celestia could you please kiss me? I mean I'd like to be kissed and know I'm loved before you ram your horn right up my plot until I scream in agony and pleasure until you lose interest! I didn't even care that I was dishonoring a goddess right now by saying that! I was about to get whipped. In public by a mare I just let stay out of prison when at this point she clearly needed to go in one. Then the stinging started, and the ponies just watched wide eyed. "Ow Star quit it! Please stop!" She grinned wildly, "Nuh uh! You're going to feel just how bad you made me feel you bucking bucket of bolts!" A few ponies giggled, "Oh my I didn't know she was a glutton for punishment!" "She's so cute when she's not a harbinger of the end times for other ponies!" "I wonder if she left anything in my house when she helped fix it, I don't want anything kinky around my kids." Okay I was seriously considering finding out where my shut down switch was since I don't think I can live this down. Well it can't get any worse right? Star produced a branding iron with the word idiot on it. I really need to learn to shut the buck up and not think about this kind of crap. "Is she getting branded?" "Oh dear cover the kids eyes!" "Now hold up!" The mayor to the rescue woo! "I can't let you do that! I mean think of the children watching. If you're going to do something like that then I must ask you to do it at your home." I really hate the Wastelands. "Fine I'll stop here." Star at least didn't try to hit the mayor and she was giving up one of the Goddesses liked me! Or just enjoyed seeing how scared I got. "However, I do plan on riding you harder than ever you stupid bolt head." Celestia do you enjoy bucking me? I'd enjoy it a whole lot more if you didn't RAM YOUR HORN IN EVERY SECOND SO THE PAIN NEVER STOPS. Yep I was mad, are you saying you wouldn't be in my situation? I just got whipped in public by an escaped prisoner I had helped escape and given freedom because I wasn't able to have a good enough excuse on the fly. To make matters worse now I'm talking to myself! Great I'm going crazy is this what it feels like to be Astaroth? * * * "Why did you do that?" I asked as we flew towards a new game location, we got to destroy a town of slavers. I really wonder why Astaroth is making me kill ponies that I probably wouldn't mind killing anyways. "Are you ever going to do anything as stupid as that around me again?" She asked briskly probably anticipating ways to torture her prey before she killed them. "No... what's your... oh. You're forcing me to act the way you want or get hurt aren't you..." I said "Wow you are a smart pony want a cookie?" She said mockingly. I really wanted to punch her but the repair bill for my body wouldn't be worth it. "Target's coming in sight don't slow me down you automotronic oaf!" She flew down towards the camp. I wondered if I should mention I was the one carrying the bulk of our healing potions and they'd all be armed wiith guns. I decided not to since she decided it was wise to whip me for not being able to think of an excuse on demand. Maybe a few bullet wounds would make her think before acting. "Run she's got a freaking Rpg!" Wait that wasn't Star. Okay that stung that really really stun a psychopath was doing a better job at protecting the innocent by smiting evil... than I was... that just hurts. Celestia if you're listening to me from somewhere I'd really advice you invest in lube... BECAUSE IT BUCKING HUTS WHEN YOU BUCK ME THIS HARD. I flew down after her and saw two slaves in collars one a unicorn with turquoise eyes a red mane and an alabaster coat the other a unicorn with blue eyes a magenta mane and a white coat staring at me with pain in their eyes. "You left us to die... why would you do that?" They asked. Rosalin and Merry were alive? Sure they hated me but they were alive that's what mattered. I ran to hug them and saw them explode into bloody chunks before my eyes there wasn't an explosion though and I looked around and saw them again. "You left us to die! You lied to our mother! You wanted us gone you thought we slowed you down! You wished for us to just die!" What was going on my head was screaming at me tears tinged in my eyes. Where they ghosts haunting me for leaving? "Well I gave you your wish! They're gone they're dead!" A cackling came and a hooded figure stood in their place demonic wings jutting from it's back. "They're gone and it's all your fault!" I recognized the voice... it was Astaroth. "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!" I yelled and he vanished and I was staring at Star, "I want you to bucking move you foalish loaf You're standing on the perfect vantage point to pick off the slavers who decided to run." Wait slavers running? "What about the slaves?" I asked, "What about them they were helping slavers I did what you asked and killed the bad ponies it was quite fun how they screamed!" If I wasn't in such disbelief that I was frozen in place I'd have facehooved, "THEY WERE FORCED TO HELP THEY ARE SLAVES!" I yelled, "They still could have chosen to die I'm sure some of them wanted to." I really really wanted to slap her as hard as I could. "What I can't joke?" She said growling at me. Wait joke... "You mean you didn't kill the slaves?" She looked at me, "In my experience a collar makes you one of the good guys." Oh right... she was a prisoner of course they had some way to keep them from leaving. "Look that's not a subject to bucking joke about." She rolled her eyes, "Don't make me brand you you Luna forsaken abomination to all things magic." Did I mention that the Wasteleand sucks yet? I swear I could write a bucking poem about it at this point. In fact I may as well try while Star picks off survivors. This little poem is entitled I hate you wastelands. How do you suck Wastelands let me count the ways, You give hope ficklely then you take it so icily, you tear apart family and make us all wearily run to the deaths in our future with utmost certainty. Hey I was good at poems maybe my cutie mark should be a quill and paper with the words buck you wastelands on it, at least then it would represent what I felt instead of what I had proven a failure at doing. ---- Footnote Level up! New Perk: Intense training: Through rigorous training you have become smarter! Miracles happen hallelujah! +1 to intelligence