Fallout Equestria: Wanderers

by Mach Speed

Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Renegade and The Nurse
“I am myself!”

“Hey Clear? Can… can we stop for a rest?” Bolts asked, panting slightly as he sat on the ground. It was the second day after we had left the town of Merry Burrows and we had been walking since dawn.

“Okay.” I said, stopping to let Bolts rest. “We’ve been walking for a while, so I guess a rest won’t hurt.” After taking my saddlebags off, I planted myself down on the ground as well. It was just after noon and even if the sun was high in the sky, a thick layer of clouds covered it, giving little light to the area. We really were in the middle of no-where. All I could see around me was open wasteland with a few hills and rock formations in the far distance. Or what I should say is it was all I could BARELY see. The weather was acting strangely today and it wasn’t just the clouds. Yes, there were thick clouds in the sky, signalling rain in the next couple of days, but there were also clouds on the ground. A light fog had set in making visibility scarce. I could still see rather well, but the range was limited, making my long range specialty useless. Luckily, there was nothing around however. The land was pretty barren and not many creatures ventured out this way. As I rested my tired hooves, I heard a static sound burst to life. As I spun my head around, I could see Bolts playing with the knobs on his pipbuck again.

“You’re not going to get anything, you idiot.” We had gotten out of range of DJ Pon3’s broadcasting signals late yesterday afternoon. The music had been fading and fading until we heard nothing but static. (I guess he doesn’t have the range that I thought he did.)

“I may not get that DJ from before, but maybe there’s another radio station out there to listen to.” I felt kind of bad for Bolts as the music had been the one thing keeping us sane on this long trip.

“I wouldn’t count on it. We’re in the middle of nowhere, and even if there is another station, I doubt they’d have a tower out this far.”

“It can’t hurt to try, can it?” Just as Bolts finished speaking, the sound from his pipbuck turned from static to a high pitched noise. The best way I could describe it was an electronic scream. The sound was loud and really high pitched and caused me to throw my hooves to my ears to try and stop it from further damaging my ear drums. Gritting my teeth and closing one eye I looked to Bolts who had the same idea as me but as he put his hooves to his ears, all he got was a much louder wail. Finally I raised my voice above the sound of a thousand screaming circuits.

“Turn that damn thing off!” I called out to which Bolts quickly turned the dials on his pipbuck until the screaming turned back to static, then completely off. When I couldn’t hear any more noise (except for the minor ringing in my ears.) I pulled my hooves away from my head. With the noise gone, the silence was almost deafening, and it would have been if I couldn’t still hear the now distant screams.

“Wait… do you hear that?” Bolts asked, lifting his pipbuck to his ear.

“What? The screaming? That bloody paperweight of yours is probably broken.” I snapped at Bolts, my ears still hurting.

“It’s not a paperweight! …and no, it’s not coming from my pipbuck.” Bolts replied in a snide tone.

“Wait… it’s NOT coming from your pipbuck?” It was then that I noticed that the sound was getting louder. No longer did the scream sound electronic but now more like the scream of a pony and it was getting louder. One constant scream echoed around us as we searched for the source and soon the scream only came from one direction. As I spun around to see the screaming pony, I was met with two mares. An earth pony and a pegasus both running and flying, respectively, towards us at top speed. As the earth pony passed between us, the pegasus stopped for a split second to look at Bolts and myself.

“Don’t stand. RUN!” And with that, she flew off.

“What are they running from?”

“No clue.” I said. We both turned to look the other way, and I saw them. Running through the fog was a small pack of feral ghouls. “Oh fu-!” I didn’t have time to finish my curse as my brain snapped into panic mode. Jumping to my hooves, I flared my magic and grabbed both my saddlebags and Bolts’ collar, pulling him to his hooves and starting him on his run. Not even bothering to put my saddlebags on my back, I began to run as fast as I could.

“What are those things!?” Bolts shouted from just behind me.

“Ghouls!”

“What?!”

“I’ll explain later!” As we ran through the wasteland, Bolts slowly came more into line with me but even though he was by my side, I didn’t feel safer. We were tired and didn’t have much strength. Ghouls could run forever and I was sure they were right on our tails. We couldn’t outrun them so our only option was to fight. “On three, spin and shoot, aim for the head.”

“But my S.A.T.S doesn’t work!”

“Just spin, aim and fire! One, two.” In unison, we gripped our respective weapons in our magical grasps. For Bolts it was his laser pistol, for me it was the revolver Barley gave me. “Three!” As the shout left my mouth I pulled my revolver from its holster and spun around to face the undead hoard behind us. There were six that were no more than a few metres behind us. Quickly I brought my revolver up and took aim but as I did, it felt like time had slowed a little, allowing me to aim better.

With my sights set on the head of the first ghoul on my side I squeezed the trigger with my magic. BANG! The high calibre round went flying and passed right through the ghoul’s head, killing it instantly. With the momentum of its run carrying its body, it flew towards and passed me, the dead body hitting and rolling along the ground. With the first dealt with I quickly moved onto the next one. BANG! The next round passed right between the next ghoul’s eyes, again the dead body flying passed me. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Bolts’ second ghoul glow a bright purple before bursting into ash in mid-air, his first already lying dead on the ground, half of its jaw missing. With only my final ghoul left I took aim and fired. BANG! With the first two dead, I must have gotten cocky because my shot missed, only just scraping the side of the ghoul’s head and blowing its ear off. My eyes went wide when I saw it didn’t stop and quickly fired another round in a panic. BANG! The bullet hit its mark this time and killed the ghoul but as it fell to the ground it must have hit something and bounced weird, sending the body flying not past me, but into me, knocking me down and pinning me. As I tried to get up, I heard Bolts cry out and as I looked over, my heart shrunk.

Bolts wasn’t firing at his last ghoul. (What’s wrong? Is his gun jammed? Did the gem run out?) The thoughts raced through my mind as I prayed that he’d move, but he didn’t. Bolts stood there, frozen with fear. As the ghoul got close, it leapt at him, jaw wide, ready to bite down on my companion and rip his flesh away. I couldn’t do anything… My revolver was stuck under the ghoul with me and my rifle was still on my back. (Celestia, Luna, anypony. Please, save him, don’t take another pony away from me. PLEASE!) As I finished my silent prayer, and as the ghoul reached Bolts, I heard a shot ring out through the wasteland. A bullet passed through the ghoul’s brain, killing it, but sending it flying into Bolts at the same time.

A few seconds passed before I breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed my body “Thank the Goddesses. Bolts, you dead?” I called over, it was a few seconds before I got a reply.

“Yeah, asshole.” I had a light chuckle to myself as I heard him call back.

“Hey, are you two alright?” I stopped my laughing and leaned my head back so it was upside down and saw the pegasus from before, slowly flapping her wings to stay in place in mid-air while the earth pony slowly moved towards us as well.

“Umm… yeah… was that last shot from you?”

“Yeah, it was.”

“Why didn’t you shoot them before?”

“My gun was jammed, I fixed it while you two were distracting the ghouls. As the old saying goes, I don’t have to be faster than the ghouls. I just have to be faster than you.” The mare said pointing a hoof at me and grinning. It was only then that I noticed she had an assault rifle battle saddle (or at least half of one.) The one rifle she did have was tucked just under her wing. Scowling at her, I struggled but lifted the dead ghoul off of my body and slowly stood up. She floated down to the ground and that’s when it hit me. It was a pegasus standing in front of me when they were usually above the clouds.

“A little help would be nice.” Bolts hollered from under the dead ghoul. As I got over my shock and surprise to see a pegasus, I flared my magic and helped Bolts lift the dead weight from his body. “Thanks, thought I was dead there for a moment.”

“What happened? It looked like you were doing fine up until that last one.” The pegasus asked. With the surprise passed I began to examine the young mare. She couldn’t have been much older than Bolts or I and her coat was the colour of the sky just after sunset, a deep blue to match the night sky. Her mane was rough and ragged, the same as her tail.

“I don’t know, my pistol just stopped working, the cartridge shouldn’t be spent... wait… are you a pegasus?” Bolts began to walk around walk around her examining every part in detail, or at least as much detail before she’d be forced to slap him.

“Umm… I was the last time I checked. What haven’t you ever seen one before?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Bolt’s here spent his life underground. I’m from the surface and even I’ve only seen one or two in the past.”

“Oh… well I guess that doesn’t surprise me… not many of us are exactly allowed to ‘leave’ the clouds.”

“St-Starry…” The earth pony mare had finally trudged back to the small group. She looks exhausted, her brown mane was a complete mess and her coat had tuffs of fur sticking up everywhere.

“Oh, hey Minty. Glad you could finally join us.” As the pegasus turned around that’s when I saw it. On her flank, where I expected the mark of a Dashite, the pegasi who had left the clouds and marked for abandoning their kind by The Enclave, there sat a normal cutie mark. The mark was five small stars in a pattern and then it hit me. The only pegasi that could keep their mark while still on the surface were the pegasi that were part of The Enclave. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.” she said turning back around to me but she stopped when she saw the look of distrust on my face.

“So when were you going to tell us you were with The Enclave?”

“The Enclave?!” Bolts immediately jumped back and raised his pistol, his look turning from curious, to furious in a split second.

“Whoa! Whoa whoa whoa. L-let’s just calm down now.” The pegasus pleaded as she slowly backed up, the orange earth pony hiding behind her.

“As a member of the Steel Rangers, I place you under arrest!” Bolts yelled out.

“Under arrest? For what!? Wait, you’re a Steel Ranger? Where’s your armour?”

“Where’s yours, feather brain!? You’re part of The Enclave, right?”

“NO, I’M NOT!” The pegasus yelled over Bolts with a voice so loud that it echoed around us. What followed the outburst was even more surprising, absolute silence. Bolts seemed to back up a little.

“You aren’t?” We both answered in unison.

“No, I’m not. At least not anymore…” I could see Bolts lowering his pistol away from her face.

“Anymore?” I asked, I was intrigued. “But wouldn’t that make you a Dashite?”

“Normally, it would. But I never got the brand. I’m a renegade.” She seemed to puff out her chest at the last part.

“I thought Dashites wore the mark like a badge of honour?”

“Well I don’t. I don’t care about them or that stupid war from years ago. I just want to be me. Is that too much to ask for?” I could hear the twinge of sorrow in the mare’s voice. While she was proud to be herself and that she left The Enclave, she was upset that it seemed like she had to be titled in some way.

“I must be missing something here, what’s a Dashite?” Bolts piped up again.

“It’s a pegasus who left The Enclave to come back down to the ground.” The young mare answered before I could speak up. “It goes all the way back to Rainbow Dash herself. The Enclave see these pegasi as ones that abandoned them, when in reality, The Enclave had abandoned everypony else long ago. I left because I was sick of being cooped up, up there. I’m a pegasus for Celestia’s sake, I need to fly, spread my wings and see the world, including what lies below the clouds. So one night, I just left. They didn’t notice at first but I feel like they’re after me sometimes, like they need to put this stupid mark on my flanks.” Bolts looked down and clipped his pistol to his barding. It seemed as if he saw much of himself in the mare before him.

“Umm… about before… I’m sorry” Bolts mumbled the last words but the message still got across.

“It’s fine.” The mare said, turning away not looking at him. Not wanting the meeting to turn more sour than it had already, I held out my hoof.

“I’m sorry we got off on the wrong hoof. My name’s Clear Shot and this is Bolts. Was your name Starry?”

“Yes, Starry Skies.” She said turning back to me. “And this is Minty.” She added, stepping aside to show the orange mare hiding behind her, Minty’s long, brown mane covering her face slightly.

“Uhh… n-nice to meet you…” She said slowly standing up and shaking my hoof.

“Minty? You mean like candy mints?” Bolts commented

“Well, actually her full name is Mintals, her parents weren’t exactly creative with her naming.” Starry Skies snickered in.

“St-Starry! Why did you have to tell them that?” Even as she yelled, Mintals’ voice was really soft. “Please, just call me Minty.” She gave off a small smile as she finished her statement which seemed to warm me.

“It’s fine, and you can just call me Clear. So where are you two headed?”

“Nowhere really.” Starry replied. “I just want to see the world and Minty here just wanted to leave The Hoof. We don’t know where to go or even where we are…”

“You’re from The Hoof?” I asked surprised. (How could a pony who looks so innocent come from The Hoof?) As I thought about the mare before me, I got a nod in return.

“It’s a long story.”

“Why don’t you come with us?” Bolts blurted out. “We’re traveling around Hoofstralia taking care of slavers and raiders.”

“What are you two? Some kind of freedom fighters?” Starry asked, looking bewildered.

“No, nothing like that.” I shook my head. “I… I just have a promise to keep and Bolts is helping.” I looked at the two before me. Sure, Starry could probably hold her own in a fight, she was part of The Enclave after all. But Minty… she looked way too innocent to bring along. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you two to come with us.”

“Aww, why not?” Bolts asked, sounding disappointed.

“Because, I don’t want anypony getting hurt. What we’re doing is dangerous. Hell, I had half a mind to leave you back in Dusty Docks when we first met. This was supposed to be my journey, my promise to keep.”

“And what about at The Box, huh? Or Stable 50, Merry Burrows ring a bell too? You would have died on three separate occasions if I wasn’t there to help.” I blushed and looked away, Bolts had saved me all those times he mentioned. “Besides, Starry was in The Enclave, she can handle herself.” (Bolts… if you can read my mind, please stay out of it.)

“It’s not her I’m worried about…” I looked out the corner of my eye at the petite orange pony.

“Oh… you mean me… don’t you?”

“Well… can you fight?”

“Heavens no! I hate fighting”

“Then I can’t in good conscience bring you with us if you’re going to get hurt.”

“You didn’t let me finish.” I quickly closed my mouth and allowed her to continue. “I hate fighting, but I can help with what comes after.” Both Bolts and I raised an eyebrow wondering what she meant. “I can make chems. Buck, Hydra, rad-away, and with the right equipment I can even make some healing potions.”

“Minty here was a nurse back in her home before she left.” Starry added with a matter-of-fact tone. My jaw seemed to come unhinged from my skull as it dropped slightly.

“See, I told you, Clear” Bolts nudged me in the ribs to try get his message across. “Besides, we can’t leave them out here by themselves. If there’s something the old geezer back in the bunker had taught me it’s that there’s survival in numbers.”

“Old geezer?”

“The Elder.” Bolts replied in a snarky tone.

I looked from Bolts to the two mares in front of me. Before was a former member of The Enclave so she was sure to be a relatively good fighter. The other was a nurse, how good of one I am not sure. But a medic is a medic and they were in high demand in the wasteland. There was one thing I was positive about. This opportunity would never present itself again. I gave a low sigh and stared at the two in front of me.

“This sort of opportinuity doesn’t present itself every day. To have a pony trained in combat, a pony from The Pegasus Enclave no less, and a pony who knows how to make chems, and not just for recreational use either. To have them show up out of the blue like this...”

“More like out of the mist.” Bolts joked

“Basically what I’m getting at is that I’d be stupid not to extend the offer. Even if I am putting you two in danger, I have to go with my gut on this one. So what do you say?” I held out my hoof again. “Did you two want to come with us?”

“Well… to tell the truth we really had no plans with where we went. Minty wanted to get away from The Hoof and I wanted to see the world. But we can’t keep walking forever. We don’t know the land or what to look out for. Plus, I can’t rely on my weapon alone to protect us. Sooo…” Starry held out her hoof and shook mine. “A mutual partnership sounds like the best plan.” My smile grew as she shook my hoof before she turned to Minty. “So what do you think Minty? You don’t mind traveling with these two?” Minty seemed to examine us more. She moved up close and looked at my face, or more specifically, the scars around it.

“I think it’s a good idea. Just so they don’t get hurt anymore.” (I don’t know if I should laugh or not. Was that even a joke?) The four just smiled at each other before Starry Skies spoke up again.

“So where are you two headed anyway?”

“Well we were headed for Brismane and the East coast before those ghouls… FUCK!” I cursed at the top of my lungs, I just realised how far the ghouls had chased us back. My shout scared Minty as she hid behind Starry again. “Bolts, quick, where are we?” I pleaded with Bolts to quickly check the map on his pipbuck. As he brought up his pipbuck, Bolts began to tap away at it, causing our new friends to become curious and look more closely.

“Well, do you want the good news or the bad news?” Bolts asked, as he finished looking at his map.

“Good news to soften the blow.”

“Well, the good news is they didn’t chase us that far. It was only about six hundred metres.”

“Well that’s something, I guess. What’s the bad news?”

“We’re all tired, need a rest and the sun is setting soon. Meaning we’ve just added more time to our trip.” The news wasn’t really that bad, just the thought of more time in the middle of nowhere made me annoyed. I looked up at Starry and Mintals. “Well, we should at least make some more ground before setting up camp. You two don’t mind a little bit more of a walk, do you?”

“Yes, I do.” Starry said before flapping her wings and hovering in the air. (Why do I feel like she just wanted to show off the fact that she can fly?)

“I’m fine with walking. It’s the least I can do after throwing you two off course.” Mintals added. As I turned around and started walking, Bolts followed close beside me and our new companions followed a few steps behind.

“So, do you think we can trust them?” Bolts whispered to me without moving his head.

“I’m not sure. Minty seems too innocent to be a danger, but she did come from The Hoof.”

“And Starry came from the Enclave and didn’t have the brand put on her mark.” We both fell completely silent, thinking about just who we had invited to travel with us.

“I trust them. After all, they could have just left us as ghoul bait and came back for our stuff once we were dead.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I just have that feeling, you know?”

“Yeah, I know. Just let it go for now and let’s focus on getting somewhere first.” As the final whisper left my mouth, I set my sights on the horizon and continued heading East. With my new companions in tow, I felt torn: more secure, but also worried to get too close, lest I lose them…

---

Footnote: Level Up! Level milestone achieved, Level 5 reached!

New Perk: Quick Draw: Your speed with handguns has increased and allows you to lock onto targets faster and easier. Aim speed and initial accuracy with pistols and revolvers increase by 20%!

New Companions Acquired! Starry Skies The Renegade & Mintals/Minty The Nurse.

Author's Note:

A/N: Sorry about the shorter chapter this time. I made the hard decision to cut something from this chapter that will be the start of the next chapter as I don’t want the next one to be excessively shorter than the others. As always, many thanks to Kkat, Somber, No One and Mimezinga for giving me the inspiration to write this side story. This chapter of Fallout Equestria: Wanderers was written by Mach Speed, edited by Shika of the Song and edited for continuity by Sirhcx. Likes and favourites are always appreciated to help get the fic out there and constructive criticism is always welcome.

Comments

[Deathpony]

Oh a pegasus without a Dashite brand below the clouds that left the Enclave. I like it.

[Mach Speed]

3050990 Thanks I thought it would be something interesting to add. But what plans will it bring her in the future?