Fallout: Equestria - Sands of the Palomino

by chime

Chapter 2 - Escape

Something about living in a desert meant that nothing ever stayed "clean" for long.

This was the case for my job as "chief janitor" aboard the Altonimbus, and today was one of those days where it felt like I was fighting an uphill battle. Diligent as a warrior, however, I continued to stand guard at my post - dusting out the sand just as quickly as it came in. I took a moment of respite to think about how I got where I was today, and how important it was that I continued my dutiful service. It felt like yesterday that Captain Trotter vigilantly awarded me my position after years of "negotiating" a spot within the Expeditionary Force, tasking me with the all-important job of keeping this room - and ONLY this room - spotless as-can-be!

Of course, my grand achievements were occasionally lost to some ponies. Here came some now...

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Crapsody," an unfortunately familiar high-pitched bratty voice announced from behind me. "Slain anything lately? Oh, wait..." She paused, giggling. "That's right, you're just a dust collector."

Hearing her friends giggle and laugh behind me, it took all my resolve not to snap back at her. She was just a dumb filly, after all, she didn't know what she was talking about! Taking a deep breath in, I mercifully allowed her to continue her day without any shame.

"I'm busy, Bubblegum. What do you want?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"Oh, nothing," she responded, flipping her silky golden hair to the side, "I dropped by the market, and I thought I smelled a brahmin in here. Turns out, it's just you." Another chorus of laughter erupted from her backup dancers, her "friends".

I narrowed my eyes, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment. Ever since she turned sixteen, she'd been ruthless towards me. I'd never even done anything to her! Sometimes, it felt like she and her dumb friends picked on me just for the sake of doing it, and it frustrated the hay out of me. In fact, ever since my parents had disappeared, she'd treated me like I was suddenly lesser.

Anger welled up inside of my body upon the tail-end of this series of thoughts, and I snapped, letting go of my previous resolve to let her off easy.

"If you're just going to run your mouth off, go harass somepony else!" I barked, trying my best to tune out their jeers and giggles. In a moment of frustration, I swept my broom towards her, kicking up sand and dirt directly into her pristine coat and hair.

Feeling content, I narrowed my eyes, grinning wryly. Bubblegum hated anything as filthy as I was, and seeing her get put down onto "my level" felt only like karma. The consequences of my actions, of course, did not cross my mind.

Bubblegum gasped loudly, peering down at her now-dirtied fur. "You... Stupid. Dirty. BLANK FLANK!" She yelled, attracting the attention of everypony in the room. Seeing her stomp towards me like this, it felt as if I was staring down the barrel of a gun, her words zipping through me like bullets. I swiftly regretted my choices as she continued to blabber.

"You know what's funny Rhapsody? That every time you come in here and pretend like you're a real member of the Force, everypony knows that you're just a PITY-HIRE." Snarled the bratty pink filly, forcing me further and further back until my flank was at the wall. "My daddy heard from Captain Trotter himself that you kept BEGGING him to be let in, so he made you a FLOOR SWEEPER just so you'd stop annoying him!"

I felt a flurry of emotions hearing that. It was hard to admit, but the other members of the force had a tendency to look down on me or even pity me. I can't remember a day where I didn't catch somepony looking at me with an expression that screamed "I feel sorry for you". Thankfully, before I could make a hastily-worded retort to the pink menace's outburst, my saving grace arrived.

"Bubblegum! That's enough out of you!"

I looked to my side to see an old friend and guardian angel - Lieutenant Sunchaser. He was buddy-buddy with my dad before everything happened, and I've looked up to him as something of a cool uncle ever since I was capable of thinking. He stuck up for me more than anypony else in the entire ship. Finally, I had somepony on my side of the ring! He was like a coach to a boxer, standing right beside me to cheer me on!

Sunchaser's hooves clacked against the steel floors of the raptor, still clad in his suit of pegasus power armor. While not every pegasi still had a working set, the ones who did were considered to be top-of-the-line. Bubblegum looked like she was about to blow a fuse upon getting called out.

"He got his dirt on me! I didn't even do anything to him!" She whined, stomping her hoof down. Sunchaser didn't look convinced, however.

"You came in here with your friends just to berate the poor colt. He could've done much worse. Now scram, before I let your father know that you've been sneaking out again. Last I checked, you were still grounded for that stunt you pulled in the market last week."

I winced at the words "poor colt", further proving Bubblegum's outburst, but I wasn't about to interrupt him. Contrary to my statement about having somepony on my side, it felt like my "coach" had just tripped me with a belt.

Bubblegum looked like she was about to blow a fuse, opening her mouth to retort, but ultimately deciding against it. With a puff from her nostrils, she gave a mean glare back at me before flipping her chin up and trotting out. "Fine! It's too dirty in here for my tastes, anyways."

Watching her and her wordless yet giggling and sneering troop of friends leave, I let out a sigh of equal frustration and relief. It was unfortunately short-lived when I realized the older stallion's gaze turned soft towards me in an all-too-familiar look of pity. I hated that look. I was practically an adult, I didn't need ponies like him to fight my battles for me, and I certainly didn't need him to feel sorry for me.

"Rhapsody, don't take her words to heart," he said, putting a metallic hoof on my shoulder. The cold surface made me shiver. "You're... Doing your part. Alright? I know your mother and father would be proud regardless of what you did."

And there it was: the knockout. Not from Bubblegum, but instead, Sunchaser - storming the ring and deciding to uppercut my psyche himself. It never felt good when I got the "mom and dad would be proud" spiel, but these days it was practically unavoidable.

"Ye-yeah. Thanks, Lieutenant. I'll remember that." I muttered, hiding my true feelings behind an unassuming grin. I felt a bittersweet tightness in my chest.

"There's a good colt. Tell you what, take the day off early. Your grandfather told me that he and your grandmother had a surprise for you when you got back, something about an early birthday present." Sunchaser ruffled my already-messy mane, turning around to go back to whatever business he was in the middle of before coming to my aide.

The prospect of an "early birthday present" lifted my spirits a little, at the very least. Of course, I'd already peeked at most of the ones that Abuela had hidden, but nothing in her stash seemed like it would be special enough to show early.

I watched Sunchaser disappear deeper into the halls of the airship until I couldn't see him anymore, the lingering feeling of shame from him fighting my battle still clinging onto me. Maybe Bubblegum was right. Sighing, I trotted out the door with bitter frustration in my gait, propping my trusty broom in the corner as I left.

The sun setting on the Palomino cast an orange glow across the open sky. With the day turning to night, the air felt slightly cooler, a dry breeze fluttering through and spinning sand around my hooves. Most ponies had left the market by now, and with no more clientele to shake for caps, the diverse group of merchants began to pack their wares and leave. All except the NCR, that is.

The gruff senior mare who pestered me previously was barking orders at her younger-looking griffon companions. She must have been the boss, and she did not look happy. Now without sunglasses, I could see her frustrated expression and sandy-colored eyes more clearly.

"Move! It! Have you two shitheads never replaced a wheel before!?" She barked, standing before their wagon.

Two wheels laid upright against its wooden carapace, one looking newer and overall in better shape than the other. The caravan's absent-minded looking brahmin and its second, sickly head stared blankly ahead, completely unaware of its predicament. I grimaced a little when I noticed a fifth leg jutting out oddly from behind its right foreleg, hanging limply near the ground.

Most merchant caravans liked to get moving before sundown, but the NCR always seemed to hang on until the very last minute, waiting for some officer-looking types to return from talks with Chief Bighoof. I was sure they wouldn't be out until at least an hour after, given the klutziness of the griffons trying to replace the broken wheel.

"We're trying our best here, Sergeant!" The younger-looking of the two squawked, wiping his forehead with a yellow set of claws. His fur was a dark brown, and his feathers looked to be about the same hue.

"Can't get sand out of the bearings, Sergeant!" Said the other, larger of the two. He was similarly-colored, but sported a nasty-looking scar that gashed across his face.

The mare groaned, stomping towards the back of the caravan until she was out of my sight. As I walked past, I got a glimpse of some goods inside of their wagon from a tear in the front, all kinds of junk within. I'd always wanted to climb inside and look around, but every time I tried to work up the courage to ask, all I got were odd looks or scowls. Seeing the sky go from orange to a dark blueish-violet, though, I knew that I needed to quickly hurry back. Abuela would likely have my head if I was late for whatever this surprise was.

Quickly, I made my way home, trotting back through the ravines and ledges of the gulch until I made my way to the cave. I saw Abuela over the fire again, and the smell of cooking meat entered my nose.

"I'm home!" I called out, expectantly.

Abuela, too busy with cooking, uttered an idle greeting towards me without looking away from her pot before I saw Abuelo walk into the room. He gave me a smile and wrapped his foreleg around my neck, bringing me into a deep hug. I got a whiff of tobacco and liquor on his breath, to which I grimaced at.

"Oh, my Rhapsody, almost grown up into a stallion." He cooed as I tried in vain to struggle out of his oddly-firm grip. "You used to be bien pequeño, tiny foal. Look at you now!"

I felt him ruffle my mane before letting me go, to which I'd voiced my displeasure immediately. "Abuelo, I HAVE grown up into a stallion!" I groaned, pushing his hoof away while I walked to our small dining table in the middle of the room. I was already dealing with the stress of having to be treated like I was some poor colt to begin with, and his patronizing didn't help.

From her position in front of the fire, Abuela clasped her hooves together after placing a thick stone lid on the pot she was using. "Ayyy, mi pichuelo, ¡Ya casi eres un adulto!" She'd exclaim, quickly rushing towards me now that her focus was away from her craft. "Recuerdo cuando tu abuelo tenía tu edad. Qué semental tan fuerte. ¡Tu serás igualito!"

I heard Abuelo snicker. Silently, I cursed under my breath while the aged mare fawned over me like I was six. It drove me nuts absolutely nuts sometimes.

"Your Abuela and I have been talking for some time about this, but she couldn't wait another week to tell you." Abuelo said, taking a seat next to me. "I tried to get her to be patient, believe me, but... You know, mares." He smirked, earning a warning glare from Abuela while she hobbled back to the fire.

"I spoke with, ah... A merchant friend of mine. Señor Dune - maybe you've heard of him! He'd been looking for somepony to help him with supplies and unloading. Maybe to, say... Take a very lucky colt in as an apprentice." Abuelo leaned back in his chair with an amused look on his face.

The more he spoke, the more I realized what was being implied. For a moment, there was silence, besides a crackling fire and the rummaging of a stick on stone in the background.

"You mean... He wants me?" I asked, confused. "But- but what about the Altonimbus? I'm so close to getting on that team, Abuelo!"

Abuelo, as if he knew this was coming, sighed. The older stallion leant forward, looking me in the eye. "Nietito, you know your Abuela and I care very, very much about you. But... Capitán Trotter hasn't let up for the past three years. It's time to move on! Feed on greener pastures."

I slowly understood what was happening. They were trying to pull me away from my dream, just because they wanted to keep me here, rotting in this dump. It wasn't fair! "This- that's not fair, Abuelo! I'm so close! I- I can just feel it calling to me!" I exclaimed, standing up from my chair and putting my hooves on the table. "I'm so sick of everypony telling me that I can't do it!"

Abuelo didn't back down, firmly knocking the table. "Rhapsody, that's enough! I'm not going to argue with you. The outside lands are far too dangerous, they-"

"I don't care!" I cut him off, slamming my hooves down in defiance. "You can't just make that decision for me! I have a life too, I have- I have a legacy! I'm not meant to just stand around and kick dirt like everypony else here! Mom and dad-"

"Tu madre y tu padre están muertos por culpa de estas tierras, ¡No voy a dejarte morir también!" He shouted, standing just as I was. His brows furrowed and his mouth curled into a frustrated scowl. I could hear him snort angrily through his nose before sitting himself back down. "I won't let you die like them."

My vision became blurry as tears quickly formed in them. Sniffling, I rubbed a hoof across my face, and got off my chair.

"Rhapsody, you aren't dismissed!" Abuelo sternly commanded, but it didn't stop me as I stomped angrily towards my room. Everything was so unfair. How could any of them understand what I go through on a daily basis? Keeping my head low to the ground, I made my way past the door beads and flung myself towards my bedroll.

Today was awful.

I felt tears course down my cheek and land on my blanket while I stared grimly at my pillow, dim light shining through my window and twinkling against the falling droplets. I buried my face into the old, musty-smelling package of fluff and sobbed quietly, images of days gone by coursing through my head. I missed my parents. I missed when everything was right in the world, when I knew what I was going to be doing with my life.

After a few minutes, I brought my head up, sad strings of snot clinging to the pillow. With a quivering lip and trembling legs, I pushed myself off my bedroll to trot over towards the one window in my room - a hole in the wall. Looking up at the bright moon above, I clenched my eyes shut and said a prayer that Mamá had taught me to do whenever I was feeling down.

"Hermana Luna, Diosa de la Noche,"
Sister Luna, Goddess of the night,

"Líbrame del miedo, líbrame del terror,"
Deliver me from fear, deliver me from fright,

"Sobre una estrella que brilla tan intensamente,"
Upon a star that shines so bright,

"Deseo que mañana todo este bien."
I wish tomorrow will be alright.

Dragging myself away from the window to slink back into bed, I paused, noticing the light shining against my small, deteriorating wooden dresser in a peculiar way. Illuminating the Pip-Buck on top with a gleam, I moved towards it, the tears in my eyes drying. It was the last gift I'd gotten from Mister Snowcone before he passed that same year, only a few weeks after Mamá and Papá disappeared.

It was the last piece of the childhood I had from when I was still blissfully unaware of what had taken place that day. I hadn't touched it much since then.

Taking the device in my hoof, I held it up, blowing a thick blanket of sand off the screen. It was light in my hooves despite its thick stature, a product of the enchantments within. Mister Snowcone had always raved on about the power held in one of these things, but not once did I get to test it out. I never felt like I deserved to - not until I made it onto the Expeditionary Force.

I felt the need to put it on. To feel like an adventurer.

Sitting down on my haunches, I held the Pip-Buck's inner cushioning up against my foreleg, clasping it down. I felt the same sense of awe I did the first time I put it on when the enchantments within magically bound it to my leg. It was as if it were a part of me - near-weightless. Natural. Bright-green text flashed on the screen, lines of linear code coursing up and down as if it were a busy pre-war rail station.

For a moment, the screen went black. When it came back on, I was overwhelmed with information. Bodily health, bone structure condition, any traces of radiation, and a plethora of other things I had no idea about. I scoffed in amusement. Why hadn't I bothered to use this before? It would've caught me all the mares.

I spent the next five minutes scrolling through the Pip-Buck's contents. In the "map" section, I found that "Death Gulch" was oddly called "Agave Canyon", and a brief look in the "Radio" section brought light to several different signals across the Palomino... But they were nothing but static. I was ready to call it a night until I noticed I hadn't touched the "Data" section yet.

Scrolling over, I found a single untouched entry titled: "Adventurer's Log, Entry One"

I pressed play. A faint whirring sound began with a click.

"This iiiiis... Rhapsody Recital, up-and-coming explorer of the Palomino! I'm standing at the mouth of Death Gulch, surrounded by... Uh, sand. Lots of- lots of sand. Uuummm.... I'm twelve years old, and I like to hit things with sticks. Oh! And, it's my birthday."

I stared blankly at the Pip-Buck's verdant glare while I listened to the much younger version of myself prattle on about nonsense. I couldn't help but smile a little. I was happier back then, truly happy. The audio of the recording sounded grainy, gusts of wind carrying sand swishing against the built-in voice recorder.

"I'm waiting for Mamá and Papá to get back from the outer lands. They're on some scavenging mission to the Glasslands, I'm pretty sure. I want to go there someday even though Papá keeps telling me about how dangerous it is. I think it's really, really cool."

"I want to be out there someday, chasing danger, chasing... Anything at all. It's so boring here."

"I know that I'm gonna see it someday. All of it. And nothing's gonna stop me!... Ooh, I think that's them now! Okay, uh... Log over!"

The whirring stopped, silence filling the room again.

I'd amounted to nothing since that day. Every idea that I had of my future since then was swept away like the sand around me, blown into the wind, never to be seen again. I was going to be an eighteen year-old nopony in two weeks.

Frustration quickly welled up inside of me. Why did I accept that fate? Why did I let myself get chained here by two geriatric geezers with no understanding of who I really am? Why haven't I done anything about it?

Turning to the hole in the wall, I rushed back over to gaze at the sky. Stars filled my eyes, and with it, a sense of purpose - a sense of destiny. I belonged out there, wild and free. I wasn't going to let anything get in my way from now on. On my foreleg, I held a tool for adventure: one that I'd sworn never to use until I'd earned it. Today, that changed. I was going to carve my own destiny, without-

My ears shot straight up as I heard a sudden shuffle from the room over. Quickly, I hid myself and the Pip-Buck underneath the covers on my bedroll, pretending to be fast asleep. I heard the sound of beads clacking together, gentle hoofsteps shuffling their way inside my room, and the smell of cooked meat. It was Abuela. Why was she here?

For several moments, I heard nothing, only the sound of an old mare's gentle breathing. She brushed her hoof against my cheek, bringing it up towards my hair, and planted a light kiss on my forehead.

"Yo siempre te amare, no importa lo que hagas, mi conejito." She whispered, nuzzling my face one last time before quietly stepping out of my room, beads clacking together once more to signal her exit.

Ugh. What did she even know? These oldbags have been the bane of my life ever since that fateful day.

Looking over my shoulder to ensure that she was really gone, I pulled my Pip-Buck up to my face, and quickly began to make a new "Quest". I titled it the one thing I could think of at the moment: Escape.

I wasn't going to rot in this sand-crack any longer. Weighing my options, I quickly thought back to the off-schedule NCR caravan from earlier. Maybe they were still here? Looking out into the other room one last time, I swept my thin blanket off my bedroll, fashioning it into a proper poncho before making my way towards the hole in the wall.

It was now or never.

I leapt out of the hole, and into the open air - no longer the same colt as before.

I was free.

_{New Quest: Escape!
Gained Perk: Filly Killer - 10% more damage towards mares!}

Author's Note:

THAT took a while! So much for "two chapters a month", right? I figured it'd be nice to provide a list of translations:

[Abuela] "Ayyy, mi pichuelo, ¡Ya casi eres un adulto!" - My little sugarbun, you're nearly an adult!

[Abuela] "Recuerdo cuando tu abuelo tenía tu edad. Qué semental tan fuerte. ¡Tu serás igualito!" - I remember when your grandfather was your age! Such a strong stallion. You'll be the very same!

[Abuelo] "Tu madre y tu padre están muertos por culpa de estas tierras, ¡No voy a dejarte morir también!" - Your mother and father are dead because of these lands, I won't let you die too!

[Abuela] "Yo siempre te amare, no importa lo que hagas, mi conejito." - I'll always love you no matter what you do, my little bunny."

As always, critique and any edit recommendations are welcome in the comments below. If you'd like to chat about the worldbuilding or have any other advice, contact me on Discord at Scumfiend#1582!