Fallout Equestria: Black Cat

by Rixizu

Chapter 12

Break laid the last of the dirt on the mound and put a piece of scrap metal as a tombstone. She wiped the sweat off her brow. She painstakingly scratched Gladys’s name on it with a rock. She could hear the filly trying her best not cry. Break put a comforting hoof around her.

“Thanks for doing this for Gladys.” The filly said sniffing.

“I don’t mind. She was your friend.” Break gave a sad smile. The two walked away from the grave.

“I’m Breezy.” The filly said.

“Break Point.” Break replied. Break looked her PipBuck and opened her map. Breezy looked over her shoulder at it.

"You going somewhere?" Breezy asked.

Break nodded. “I need to get to Cypress. I have a friend that lives there.”

“Why would he live there? There is nothing out there.” Breezy asked. It was a desolate place to be sure, but it suited Scavenger.

“True, but it was a big city at one point, and he loves finding useful junk." The old city wasn't on the map, but Break had a pretty good idea where it was. She'd been there a few times during the times she left Primrose.

“Do you need some protection? I have friends that could help you!” Breezy said enthusiastically.

Break thought about it. She knew that they would be some strange and monstrous creature. “Um, no thanks. I think I want to keep a low profile.”

Breezy looked disappointed but nodded. "Oh well. I had some Yao Guai friends that could help.”

“I-I see.” Break knew that would be an interesting thought having those mutated bear things watching over her. Could this filly befriend any creature?

“But, I have to help somehow!” Breezy complained. She suddenly brightened. “I have it!” She rushed away and Break tried her best to follow. Breezy came to an entrance of a cave and darted inside. It was small and very dark, almost pitch black. Break decided to wait outside as it was far too small for her to fit through. The filly emerged with an old PipBuck. It was seriously damaged and was missing the strap that connected it to a hoof.

Breezy presented it. “Here! I found it a few weeks ago, it still works! It has some data on it and a detailed map of the surrounding area!”

Break nodded her thanks and connect her own PipBuck to it. Breezy was right. She downloaded several audio files and it provided her with several map waypoints for at least a few miles. “This is perfect. Thanks.”

Breezy beamed. “Ah shucks.”

---

Breezy and a few of her arachne wasp friends waved Break goodbye. Break waved back and promised to visit again someday. She hated leaving the filly behind but thought it was too dangerous for Breezy to come with her. She went on her way to Cypress which wasn’t hard thanks to her new map data which had the exact location. She traveled in silence alert for any danger. As much as she would like to listen to her radio or those new audio files she found, she feared it would only provide a distraction. Thankfully, she was able to avoid anything too dangerous besides some giant ants. Break made sure to stay clear of their territory and they left her alone. She briefly wondered if they were friends of Breezy.

In a few hours, she came to her destination. It hadn’t really changed from the last time she was here. It was eerily quiet. There wasn’t hide or hair of anypony amongst the destroyed or toppled buildings. Maybe calling it a city was a bit of an exaggeration. It didn’t have any skyscrapers or anything, but it was rather large.

Break kept her guard up as she trotted through the city. Cypress was known to have some dangerous creatures and sometimes raiders hid out here. An action that was actually pretty suicidal considering it was so near to Cosas territory. Any raider that tried to live here soon found out how bad of an idea that was. Break didn’t think she was in that much danger being here, but she wasn’t going to take any chances.

Break soon found herself at an old laundromat. She knew that this was one of the places Scavenger liked to live. He had at least ten different hideouts. He did this for safety, just in case of dangerous creatures or raiders. Break peeked inside.

“Scavenger?” Break cried out peeking her head inside. A figure jumped from the second floor behind Break and she jumped in surprise.

“B-Break! T-thank dear Celestia almighty!” The figure said pulling Break into a rather painful bearhug. He was so excited he started shaking.

"Hey, Scavenger." Break said in strangled tone. The hug was painful. She was let go and gave a sigh of relief.

Scavenger was a short unicorn with a blue mane and a violet coat. He was covered almost head to hoof in light brown rags. His torso was covered in belts. They had all manner of tools on them. Break knew under all that was a cutie mark of a nut and bolt. His special talent was finding and taking apart anything. He was able to make a nice sum selling whatever he could find. He was also unfortunately not so great around ponies and had trouble speaking to them.

“C-come in.” Break followed Scavenger inside the laundromat and he closed the door behind him. He used his magic to grab a nice looking blue la-z-colt and Break sat on it. He grabbed another one and planted himself on it. He placed table between them. “T-t-tea?”

“Sure.” Break said getting comfortable. The chair was a wonder to sit on. It didn’t look all that worse for wear after all these years. The same with the table, the teapot, and the tea cups Scavenger produced. It was amazing what Scavenger could find. No wonder ponies paid him handsomely for what he found.

“T-thank the p-p-princesses you are here!” Scavenger exclaimed. “I-I thought you were d-dead!”

Break sighed. “Sorry to worry you, but...you know...I thought it would be better for everypony if I was thought to be dead.

Scavenger nodded. “So… I-is it true about the slave camp?”

Break rubbed the back of her head. “Well...kinda?”

Scavenger tilted his head back and forth. “I-I see. I’ve heard crazy rumors about it.”

Break sighed. “Yeah, but it's gotten me into a lot of trouble. I’m worried now that the Cosas know I am alive, that they might do something to Green Mile. Is she ok?”

Scavenger looked nervous. He started tracing his hoof along the ground. “W-well you s-see about t-th-that.”

Break stood up heart starting to race in panic and worry. “Is she ok?”

“P-p-p-probably?” Scavenger barely got the word out.

“What do you mean?” Break asked perplexed.

Scavenger became silent and turned his head away. “Vanished.”

“What?” That was all Break could say.

“T-the day a-after we all thought you died, s-she just vanished off the face of Equestria. I l-looked for her, but c-c-couldn’t find any sign of her.” Scavenger’s ears drooped.

Break sat back down heart sinking. “Oh.”

Scavenger started rubbing his hooves across the ground in a nervous gesture. “D-don’t know w-what to d-do. Fraid s-she might do s-something crazy!”

Break did know. Green Mile was a very emotional pony and could hold a very strong grudge. But she wouldn't try to get revenge, would she? Break knew her to not be a violent pony. Hopefully, she just went somewhere to cool off. She should be fine hopefully.

“I see.” That was all Break could say.

“N-no idea w-where she could have gone.”

Break grunted in annoyance. How was she to find her cousin now? She couldn’t just leave her cousin alone and she needed to apologize for making Green Mile think she was dead. In retrospect, that was a horrible idea.

Break spent the next hour just chatting with Scavenger. It felt good to talk with an old friend. She talked about the real events of her adventures and he listened with interest. It seemed to calm him down a little.

Break scratched her head. “I am still at a loss about how we are to find Green Mile.”

Scavenger suddenly brightened. “I-I think I might know somepony that could help us. B-bit of a longshot, but s-she might have spotted something.”

Break nodded and followed Scavenger outside. He led her to a road and Break saw a caravan in the distance. They ran to catch up to it. It was led by an earth pony mare with green mane and jasmine coat. She was dressed in a gray traveling cloak. Her Brahmin companion was a light brown color and was carrying bags full of various tools, supplies, and whatever else one might find in the wastelands.

Scavenger waved to the mare and she waved back. "Hey, Scavy. Long time no see.” The mare greeted.

“D-d-daisies! H-hi” Scavenger waved back.

They caught up to Daisies and her Brahmin. “Ah! I found something you might like!” Daisies pulled something out of one of her packs. It was an old machine part. “Nice, right? It’s perfect for a generator.”

Scavenger nodded in approval and grabbed the part and examined it carefully. “G-good work. P-P-Primrose w-will p-p-pay nicely f-for it.”

Break coughed. Scavenger straightened. “B-Break a friend of mine.”

“Nice to meet you.” Daisies said.

“Charmed deary.” One of the Brahmin heads said. Brahmins were two-headed creatures once said to be something called a cow. Despite being mutated, they were friendly enough.

“Say, I was wondering. Did you see a green earth pony mare walk by here recently? It would be about two days ago?” Break asked. Knowing it would be easier if she asked.

Daisies thought on this. “I don’t know. I don’t think so? How about you Betty?”

“Actually, now I think I did. Give me a moment. What do you think Letty?” Betty turned towards her other head.

“Oh yes, I definitely remember her Betty. She had an orange mane, right?” Letty said.

Break nodded fiercely. “Yes, that would be her.”

“I saw her head towards Forks with a sickly-looking colt," Betty replied.

“He looked like he was going to fall down dead right there the poor thing," Letty said sympathetically.

Break jaw dropped. “Forks. You have got to be kidding me.” Scavenger raised an eyebrow at this.

“I’m not very popular there right now. It’s a long story.” Break explained.

“Y-you are very good at making enemies Break. I h-have no idea how you do it.” Scavenger pointed out.

Break nodded gloomily. “So, about this colt. What was he like?”

“He was very white. Pure white even and had a black mane. And he was a unicorn I think. I didn’t get a good look at his horn.” Betty said while tapping her chin.

“No, no! He was a pegasus. I’m sure of it!” Letty argued. “He definitely had wings!”

“You are just being daft. No, he didn’t.” Betty shot back.

“You’re the…” Letty was about to say but Break interrupted her.

“I think I have it. Thanks.” Break said not wanting to be here all day.

“Sure, thing love. Always here to help.” Betty said graciously.

Break and Scavenger left the caravan and the Daisies gave a friendly farewell. “S-so w-w-why do the S-Stones hate you?” Scavenger asked.

Break scratched her head. “I... may have killed their top champion and completely ruined their designs to take over the region from the Cosas.”

“O-oh.” Scavenger’s ears drooped. “I-I guess I w-will just h-have to go in and s-see what I c-can find out.”

Break brightened up. “Will you really?”

Scavenger nodded. “I-I know a p-place you c-can h-hide out in w-while I look. There i-is a-a gas station n-nearby you c-can use.”

“Okay, sounds like a plan.” Break said nodding.

Scavenger scratched his head. “I-I k-know some p-ponies i-in F-Forks that can h-help me. I-I don’t think a-anypony will bother me.”

“That’s good.” Break felt that even if she went in with the most perfect disguise ever it would somehow enviably end in disaster. Know her, somehow, she would trip and ruin her disguise and at that moment Tack Coat would just happen to be walking by and recognize her and then send the whole town after her. Or some nonsense like that. This seemed way safer.

---

Robin directed his group to a small cabin by a lake. It was a very small one that was made of scrap pieces of wood. It looked sturdy and well-built however and Robin saw it had weathered many bad storms with ease over the years. He walked up to the door and knocked on it.

"So, you really think that this guy can help us find that filly. I figure she must be long gone by now." Nightingale asked. He has a plain brown unicorn with a red mane. He was a little new to the Cosas but was a good reliable pony. He also, unfortunately, had a habit of asking questions. Often too many.

"He is the best tracker in the wastelands," Ray said gruffly.

“You should see him in action Night. He can find anything! You’re in for a treat!” Rock Guard, a gray-maned unicorn mare with a darker gray mane, said cheerfully.

"Yes, he's good," Robin said simply, "just watch and see."

A few minutes later the door opened. The pony that answered was a white unicorn with a burnt orange mane. He had a dusty brown cowboy hat on well-worn with age and simple tan duster.

“So, it’s you Robin? What do you need this time? Got another beasty causing you problems again?” The stallion asked in a southern accent.

“No Spitzer. We are here for you to help us find a pony.” Robin explained.

Spitzer raised an eyebrow. “Ya know I don’t hunt ponies right? It’s boring. Get lost. Not interested.”

“What! How dare you? We’re the Cosas! Show some respect!” Nightingale challenged. He seethed when he saw Spitzer was more amused than threatened.

Spitzer snorted. “Indeed? I don’t waste my time with foals.”

“Easy.” Robin put a reassuring hoof on Nightingale’s shoulder. “We will make it worth your time.”

Spitzer sighed and opened the door wide. “Come in. I see you are going be persistent on this one.”

The Cosas entered the shack and found a surprisingly clean and tidy living area. It was simple, but functional. Nightingale gasped when he saw the number of trophies on the walls. Heads of many different dangerous creatures of the wasteland could be seen wall to wall leaving almost no empty space. Robin could see a deathclaw as one of the trophies.

"I'll bite. Who is the pony?" The hunter asked.

Robin took out a plastic bag out of his saddlebags and presented it to Spitzer. It was full of strands of hair.

Spitzer grabbed the bag with a hoof. He turned and started tapping parts of his left front leg as if it were a keyboard. He looked up and down as if reading something that wasn’t there. Nightingale stared in bafflement.

“I see. Not much to look at. Really, this lass is giving you trouble? Only a few minor scrapes, no major injuries, and has a black eye.” Spitzer turned towards Robin. “You are really after this one?”

Robin nodded. “Yes.” Spitzer turned back to staring in at the air and tapped his leg several more times.

“Is he nuts?” Nightingale whispered to Ray.

“Don’t ask me how it works, but Spitzer learn anything about a creature or pony if he has a piece of it. Appearance, location, strengths, weaknesses, you name it. It doesn’t matter how far away they are.” Ray explained.

“Truly?” Nightingale asked amazed and full of wonder sounding like he didn’t quite believe it.

"Very well, you have me interested,” Spitzer said.

“Really?” Robin raised an eyebrow.

“This one has spunk.” Spitzer grinned. “She has a rare resilience I think.” He used his magic to pull out several things off of a desk and put them in a saddlebag. He opened an ammo box and put some rifle ammo into his armor's pockets.

"She's south of Forks, about a mile and a half," Spitzer said.

“What?” Nightingale asked perplexed. “I thought she would be several miles past Forks by now.”

Spitzer looked at his leg again looking at whatever he thought was there. “I know the area well. Hmm, in fact. I think I got an idea where’s she’s going.”

---

Break and Scavenger approached the old diner warily. It seemed like it used to be a stop for ponies traveling by car. In the front of the building was a pump for gas. It was made of brick with ‘Travel Guide’s Pit Stop’ writing in big letters at the top. Break could see seats and tables for dining through its wide windows. They entered and thankfully there was no sign of anypony intruding since Scavenger had last been there. Scavenger had set small thin almost completely invisible strings throughout the building. The intruder would break them unknowingly notifying Scavenger of their intrusion.

Scavenger led Break to a trap door that was underneath one of the diner’s booster seats revealing a hidden bunker that was larger than Break expected. It lit up when Scavenger hit a button near the door. There were shelves of ammo, knickknacks, food, and whatever else Scavenger found. She could also see a small kitchen, a bed, and a living area. It also had some monitors linked to secret cameras that showed various locations around and inside the dinner just in case somepony came around looking. A perfect little getaway for a few days. It looked like the diner had a basement for storage and Scavenger expanded it, block the old entrance with rubble, and created the new secret entrance. It must have been quite the undertaking to make and that isn’t even including the cameras.

“S-stay here.” Scavenger said before closing the entrance.

Break nodded and Scavenger left. Break sat on the bed. It was a surprisingly comfortable bed and was very clean. The basement was a little dank, but Break didn’t mind. The room was lit by old lamps that sat on various shelves haphazardly in a random manner. It was a nice change of pace compared to the other places she slept in the last couple of days. She decided to lay down.

It reminded her of her home in Primrose. She lived in a small old storage room for years and though it was small, it was comfortable to her. It had a real bed and everything. It pained her to be away from home. Despite being run by bloodthirsty criminals, she loved that little town of hers. She wondered if she would ever see it again. If she would ever see her precious bowling alley again. It was her home.

Break could still remember when she was eight and her father showed it to her for the first time. It was in complete ruin and looked completely run down. Its front sign had collapsed, an entire wall was missing, and all the windows were either broken or gone. She said as much and called it worthless, but her father just laughed and said they would make this into home. And they did, she remembered working her little flank off trying to fix up the place. Cleaning up the trash and rubble inside, painting the walls, and helping her dad fix the electricity. Somehow, their work paid off and Stars & Strikes was up and running and even serving customers. She remembered the look of pride and accomplishment when she and her parents looked on their finished masterpiece for the first time.

She had been so busy running and being scared to get homesick, but now it hit her like an avalanche. She suppressed a tear. She had to put Primrose behind her. She would find Green Mile and they could start a new bowling alley somewhere else. Her father won’t want her to dwell on the past. He would tell her to make a new place for herself and not to mourn too much over what was lost. They were all just things after all. Ponies are more important. As Break felt herself fall asleep, she prayed to Celestia that Scavenger would find her cousin soon so she could put all the horribleness behind her and live a normal and peaceful life.

---

Break awoke to an alarm. She held her eyes in irritation. “Alright alright.” She looked around and found the button on the controls that turned off the alarm.

“What is it now?” Break asked half asleep. She looked over the monitors for anything amiss.

“No.” Break could not believe it. It couldn’t be possible. How did they find her? In the top left monitor was Robin of the Cosas, their head enforcer and one of their lieutenants. He was well known for his ruthlessness and ponies called him the “Raider Slayer” for his fearsome body count of raiders over the years. He hunted them with a singled minded determination so they said to almost fanatical levels. Behind him were other Cosas members she recognized and there was also a pony with a cowboy hat. They were heading this way and talking to each other. To Break’s horror, the pony in the cowboy hat was pointing towards the diner’s basement.

Comments

[firehawk732]

In the beginning there's a spelling mastake I think you were trying to spell brow and not blow. Also how many chapter s well it take until ponies call her black cat. Last thing nice cliff hanger

[Rixizu]

7831154

Thanks for finding that spelling error.

Hopefully, it will only be about 3-4 chapters until ponies start calling Break 'Black Cat'. Break is going to become infamous pretty soon.

[firehawk732]

Also if you are looking for an editor still I would love to do it

[Rixizu]

7834101

Sure. An extra eye never hurts. I will PM you when I finish the next chapter.

[firehawk732]

Can you send me a message telling me when you think the next one well come so I know to check that day