Fallout Equestria: Voyage Of The Exiles

by StereoNote

An Alarming Note

I felt a lukewarm sensation lay on my forehead gently, and it immediately raised me from unconsciousness. I was lying in a makeshift divan, with a lantern to my side, which gave a dim glow; not enough to see the entire extent of the room though.

“Oh! You’re awake!” a voice squealed. When I looked to my side, I had noticed Flare Heart leaning beside me.

I asked the first question anypony would say when they had just woken from a gashing wound.

“How long was I out?” I inquired groaning.

She pointed her muzzle to the ceiling and counted in her head. “Two days, maybe?”

When I heard the digit, I scrambled out of the blanket that enveloped me and leaped to my hooves, and surprisingly…no pain. I stretched my crackling spine and gave a sigh.

“Well, you sure do recover quick hmm?” she announced befuddled.

“Yeah thanks to you.” I opened my duster with my left hoof and noticed there was a scar and it was treated carefully with stitches.

“Didn’t know you could stitch.” she blushed and trotted to the wall where a portrait hung by a single tack.

“My mother, Nurse Red Heart taught me a few tricks before she passed away…” there was a feeling of deep melancholy filling the room. I could feel her pain...After all my parents are gone too.

“I’m sorry for your loss…” I hadn’t realized that my seemingly comforting statement sounded quite unemotional and boring. She twisted her head and smiled at me, even though we both knew that the comment was completely cliché.

I could hear a faint thump approach. The stairs above us creaked and groaned, and a faint mumble could be heard. The inn manager Silver leaf presented himself as he trotted downstairs with his lengthy, grey mane following behind him.

“Hey! Flare Heart we need more tow-.” He seemed surprised to notice that I was ok, and I knew that he wasn’t very fond of me.
“Good to see you alive and well Brimstone.” He muttered nonchalantly, he flashed his eyes to Flare Heart.

“Room seven needs more towels.” He then twisted his orders from her to me. “Brimstone, now that you’re in good health, why don’t you take a stroll around Appaloosa, im sure you’ve missed a bundle of excitement around town.” he proposed with no sentiment in his voice. He trotted up the stairs with Flare Heart she gave a calming exhale; and I shortly tagged along behind them.

“Why is Silver Leaf so jumpy?” I queried giving Flare Heart another clean towel. The smell of the linen filled the room with an intoxicating aroma.

“Oh he’s just expecting somepony from the commonwealth is all.” She responded merrily. Now I could comprehend why Silver Leaf was so uppity, but why would somepony from the commonwealth make their way down here, near the badlands more importantly? It didn’t set well with my intuition.

“Brimstone? I need to see you in my office.” A crackling voice demanded from the intercom. I sited my hoof gently upon it.

“Yes Silver Leaf, I’ll be right there.” I replied lazily, even though I didn’t work here, I liked helping around with the inn to pass time.

“What’s a matter Brimstone?” Flare Heart inquired alarmed.

“Just bossy ol’ Silver Leaf, probably wants some coffee to help him focus.” Flare heart giggled and turned to watch me trot out of the room.

I slowly opened Silver Leaf’s broken glass door, which should be torn down in my opinion, he constantly refuses though, telling me that it offers him privacy. Bookshelves aligned the perimeter in his cluttered mess of an office, and even the ones off the shelves climbed to the ceiling. Scrolls stacked upon his desk made it almost impossible for me to observe him. He apparently liked to study ancient times, before that night…

“Brimstone, I received a letter from the commonwealth, and this pony is traveling south and needs a place to rest on his way to the griffon kingdom.” Silver leaf proclaimed with a proud and noble voice. I guess that explained the pony from the commonwealth.

“And I don’t want you to screw things up today.” His voice became harshly serious, as if he were my superior.

“I do need to get a drink so I promise I wont be a nuisance.” it was not because I am intimidated by him, but because of the enormous respect I had for Flare Heart. If he hadn’t have taken her as his own daughter two years ago…he would be dead by my hooves right now.

“Good, the bar is right down the street” Silver Leaf gave a shooing notion with his hoof, addressing me out of his office like some mutt. I slammed the door after me and the rest of the glass fell.

The saloon was badly lit and filled with passed out, intoxicated, ponies and griffons. The only creature awake was Joe; he was rubbing the shot glasses with a dirty rag as usual. I trampled on a few ponies’ skulls trying to make my way to the barstools. I caught his awareness after he stared through a shot glass he was chafing.

“Hey, hey, hey, smoothskin’s living after all, how about a drink…its Five o’ clock somewhere right?” He giggled to himself as he skimmed the shot glass to my left hoof, only this time I didn’t consume it, I just slapped my face in-between my hooves.

“Ya alright champ?” He asked with a concerned quality.

His voice seemed to stand out from the stifled groans that filled the tavern and I raised my head instantly.
“Yeah, yeah just…waiting for the pain killers to kick into my system.” I pulled out that corroded Pip Buck and began toggling the switches with my hooves, to look amused.

“Well just remember I got the best pain killers right behind me, ya got that?” I nodded my head and gave a faint smirk; He provided a pleasant chuckle until he glared at my full shot, untouched by anypony but him.

“You’re not drinkin…don’t tell me ya got mare problems kid? You’re too young-” I gulped the glass hastily as he threw me a shocked expression. A moan cut off the short conversation.

“POnY JoE…!” A wasted voice screamed. “ThAt WAs ThE BeSt NIghT EvaR!!”

I recognized that accent, but I didn’t want to believe he was here. The Griffon slammed his front claw onto the barstool next to where I was seated, and he pulled his entire weight using his other claw until his face slammed on the faulted countertop.

“Gideon, my main griffon!” They looked as if they were doing some strange sort of hoof bump; except the griffon missed poorly.

Gideon shouted directly into my left ear “WhO IS ThiS PonY?!” I gave a tight winced expression as the sound echoed through my eardrums. Joe hoofed me another shot.

“Who, Brimstone? He’s only the toughest pony in town!” Pony Joe smacked my back causing me to choke on the apple cider I just placed in my throat.

“THiS Pony IS NoT hiccup Tou-.” The griffon plopped unto the cinnamon coated floor just below me. “Good riddance…” I assured myself relieved.

It had been a good hour or so talking to Pony Joe and catching up on the latest news, he had told me that there was some sort of outbreak in the number of ghouls traveling by in the past day or two; but nothing out of the ordinary besides that.

“So, ya hook up with her yet kid?” I leaned my head and gave a questioned look with one eyebrow raised.

“Who?”

“You know…the redhead…” He elbowed me in my shoulder. At first I was confused, then I felt a blush run over my light grey skin; he was talking about Flare Heart…

“Are you crazy? She’s like ten years older than me!” and I wasn’t fibbing either, I didn’t have any interest in love or intimate relationships, especially with a rugged innkeeper.

“Yeah…OKAY.” He extended his speech making it sound even more sardonic.

“I swear Joe, you never grow up.” We both giggled in unison.

“Who needs to?” We both struck our glasses mutually, and gulped the liquid.

I had recognized that the clock hanging behind Joe attained a four mark, “Sorry Joe, I gotta bounce…I promised Silver Leaf that I would clean the lobby.” He shattered his glass on the counter accidentally and cursed his head off; blood was seeping down his hooves, not too bad of a wound though. He reached the first aid kit behind him.

“Yeah, Alright go ahead…Ill see ya later Brimstone.” He muttered wrapping a bind around his hoof. I left a few caps on the counter.

I had made my way out of the tavern not treading on anypony this time. The town was bustling once again, and the markets lined the main street, selling fresh produce and goods, but I didn’t have time to stop and idly browse, so I galloped my way across the market and back to the inn.

When I rang the bell, nopony answered; which raised my suspicion drastically. Usually Silver Leaf would be standing at the reception desk two seconds after rapidly tapping the signal.

I tilted my head slightly to get a glimpse of his office, but the piled books made it unfeasible to peek through. I trotted quietly around the desk and levitated my knife with an amber aura. I pushed myself to the wall and peeked slowly into his office.

“Silver Leaf?” I commented…but no response. When I gained courage, I jumped in front of his door and immediately noticed nothing out place. Silver Leaf sat as his desk gazing at me with his eyes extensively open. I floated my knife back in its holster and gave a huge exhale.

“Jeez Silver Leaf…don’t scare me like that…” he just kept staring at me, with no expression on his visage.
I trotted to him carefully, being cautious with each step, but he still did not move, or give any notifications he was still conscious. I kept trotting until I was two feet from his face.

“C’mon Leaf, don’t play any-.” When I gave him a shoulder hoof, he fell to the ground and I swiftly galloped to his cadaver.
I turned his head slightly to discover a knife deeply wedged into his neck. I began to shiver and panic, my body was coming into reality…Silver Leaf, is dead… what would Flare Heart do? Oh no is Flare Heart gone too?!

“Flare Heart, Flare Heart Please answer me, please!” I could hear hooves gallop atop of me and doors slam shut, my heart stopped pumping as drastically as it was and it was good to see another pony alive. Flare Heart dashed inside the room I was in and gave a crashing halt, seeing me tend to his carcass. She instantly fell to the ground and began weeping and begging for Silver Leaf.

“Daddy! Please don’t die, please!” she shrieked. I kneeled and rubbed her back slowly with my hoof.

I observed the knife closer, and noticed that a letter was attached to the hilt. I let go of Flare Heart and lifted Silver Leaf’s back until I ripped the note off.

“Chaos invenit viam per ordinem et unitatem…sulphur.” Or t least that’s what I thought it said, I folded the note and shifted my attention back to comforting Flare Heart.

“Why? Why?” she asked herself, I felt my heart drop as far down as hers, even though I didn’t like him, he always kind of seemed like a father to me too, he ways always so picky and liked things in order, he even kept an eye on me and Flare Heart. I guess you don’t know who you have until they’re gone.

“Flare Heart, listen to me.” I pulled her face up with my hooves and noticed her cherry swelled eyes.
“I’m gonna find who did this, and I am going to make sure they get the same death he did.” I was confident; I mean how many creatures are in Appaloosa? Wait. It occurred to me…that note…was old Equestrian language…no one uses that language, it died off; and I couldn’t read it…so who could?

“Really? You promise?” she pleaded with a breaking voice.

“Umm…well…the uh note says…” I looked into her deep blue eyes and instantly melted into her hooves.

“I promise” she hugged me tightly and I could feel her hot breath run across my torso. “WOW! Nice job showing off Brimstone, very well done. Now you have to go all over Equestria to find someone who can translate a stupid piece of paper in hopes that it isn’t an I.O.U,” I scolded at myself mordantly.

“You did what?!” Pony Joe questioned alarmingly and not as lightly as I expected.

“I said I would find out who did it…that’s it…” He rubbed his hooves on his eyes and looked up at the roof.

“Kid, I’m only giving you some advice and watching out for ya, because I don’t want you to end up like me…married…”

I gave a look of disgust, since when did marriage pop up into the conversation? I was talking about the dead inn manager, Where was his mind? All I knew is that her father just died and I don’t want her to end up like me…lonely.

“You wouldn’t understand.” I turned around in my barstool and chugged the shot he had just poured for me.

“Wouldn’t understand what?” A familiar voice implied.

Who was it? None other than the gum at the bottom of my hooves; Gideon. He spun around in his stool like a foal and began laughing.

“None of your business Gideon.” I snarled angrily.

“Oh, come on! Maybe I could help?” he stated while chuckling to himself.

“Can you read old Equestrian? I didn’t think so!” I turned my barstool with my back pointing at him and I gave Joe the notion for another shot, and instead he presented me with three.

“Trust me, you’re gonna need it with this griffon.” Joe winked and rotated back to his shelves.

“Actually, I can…” the cider in my mouth instantly turned sour and I spit it directly onto his face, he winced at the cold liquid touching his beak; Joe cracked and a burst of laughter erupted from him.

“Sure, although I am a little rusty.” He blushed and rubbed his face with a towel Joe had provided. He held out his talon, and I took a second to respond.

I levitated the note onto his talon with an amber aura. He seemed puzzled and interested judging by his ominous expressions.

“Okay, it says here on the first line “Chaos always finds-.” He paused and gave a confused look.

“Chaos always finds a way through order and unity…Brimstone.” He looked surprised, “Brimstone, this is a letter for you, derived from Canterlot, the commonwealth.”

Author's Note:

Commonwealth= Canterlot.

Divan= bed (just fancy talk)

sorry about the long wait but here it is!
chapter two as promised.

Chapter 3 is a go!
I'm pretty sure its gonna be freaking long...