Fallout Equestria: After Burn
Chapter 3 - Ashes to Ashes

My mind races and my body aches, the feeling of anxiety pumps through my thoughts as I try and decode whatever sanity I have left after what I just did. I look down to my bonesaw, it’s streaked with the Overstallion’s gore, the blood shines in the light as I quickly shove it in my bag and close the door. What did I just do? Why did I do it? Oh Celestia I'm not making it out of here alive, especially if I don't have the c-.. the code! I rush to the Overstallion’s terminal and open up his recent files. I sort through the many journal entries but find the code nonetheless. I hear various ponies shuffling through the halls of the Stable, my heart races and I slowly open the door to the main hallway and peek my head around the corner. Nobody is here, perfect. I slip out of the room and quietly close it behind me, I wince as it shuts rather loudly.

Slipping away from the door, I wander down the hallway, code in hand as I make my way to the Stable door’s main room. As I wandered down the seemingly empty and quiet hallway, my heart skips several thousand beats as I lock eyes with one of the residents of the stable. At first I was wondering why they'd look at me with such horror, then it dawned on me as I looked down, my coat splattered with whatever was left of the Overstallion. I didn't think to wash it off, or at least change until now. Before I can say anything the resident runs off, trying to scream but with nothing coming out. I quickly bolt down the hallway and to the Stable's main door. Two supposedly and conveniently distracted guards stand up near the control panels. Managing to convince either of them to both not worry about my blood stained clothes and open the one thing in this Stable that isn't allowed to be open at any point, no matter what will definitely not work. This certainly will not be a trot in the park, but more of a gallop into death.

I wander closer to the guards, who luckily aren't looking in my direction. I'm about to speak when I'm cut off by the sound of ear piercing ringing from the Stable alarm. After a few seconds of eardrum destroying noises, I look back up to the guards, which of course now notice me and my clothes which aren't what you'd call clean. Plan A is no longer in use, and Plan B through Z never existed at all. I quickly use my magic and wrap the two guards in my aura, throwing them a few meters away and into a large metal cabinet, knocking both of them out. I almost collapse at the magical strength needed to push the two. I quickly and tiredly wander over to the control panel, fumbling to get the code out and dialing the unnecessarily long code into the keypad. I wince as I dial in the final number, the room shaking and rumbling with a thunderous clank as the large metal door to the Stable is slowly slid open. I dash through the entrance and out into the unforgivable land that will most likely shatter my dreams with nightmares.

Darkness. Darkness was the only thing I saw, or at least think I saw. Darkness in the vault wasn't foreign, but it was never as brutal and as terrifying this. My Pipbuck clicks and I bring it to view, the amber light covering my face as I stare at the map. I was currently near Stable 63, the Manehattan stable. I look back up, my eyes adjusting to the dark as I see buildings crumbled and broken scattered throughout the streets. A large tower, several times larger than anything I've seen slowly shifts and moves as I see it slide off its only means of balance and crush whatever is underneath it as the noise of it booms throughout the land, the earth shaking and rumbling. I gather my bearings and begin making my way through the streets, or at least I think they're streets. I walk through the rubble of what probably used to be a wonderful place, a place full of ponies and beautiful landscaping, now turned into a desolate wasteland with nothing more than dust and rubble. I shuffle through and make my way a decent amount into the street before peering into the nearest structure. An apartment building by the looks of it, or at least that’s what it seems considering the large lobby I squeezed into.

I shut the door behind me, broken glass falling off and cracking on the floor as I wince and slightly jump. I’ve really got a poor reaction time. I slowly walk into the main lobby, the flooring kicking up dust with every step. I stare at something that was once home to many, now broken and disfigured. The walls are falling apart with moldy residue and dust as well as anything that was once on the ceiling, now crumbling onto the floor. The building creaks with an unholy growl and rumbles. Considering this place is an apartment building, it will definitely have somewhere I can camp out for the night. Although this place looks like the biggest shithole, it’ll do. I make my way to what I suppose is the lobby counter as I jump over it and take a gander at whatever is left. If I were collecting dust, I would have hit the jackpot. I disregard the horrid amount of uselessness and hop over the counter again, making my way to the side hallway where I hope there’s at least a staircase or elevator, not that I would think that an elevator would even work here. Besides, the building itself seems as if it’s about to fall over by the slightest touch so going on the highest point is probably the worst thing somepony could do in this situation. I trot down the hallway and almost trip over half the furniture that’s corroded and broken down in the middle of the hallway. Hard to imagine a world that was normal, a world where this building was actually used and operated normally.

I make my way to the end of the hallway and check for anything that would get me any higher if needed. I spot a staircase just to the left of where I am and mentally note it. I head back and start rummaging through the hotel rooms, hopefully finding something of value here. I lean into the wooden door as it slowly creaks open, bone saw ready at my side just in case, you can never be too sure. First room I walk into is a decently large room, simple bed and wardrobe with the pounds of dust that fills the room. I grab a couple of the cleaner sheets I could find and stuff them in my saddle bag, they could be useful later. I close the door with a click and move to the next one, opening it and peering inside to find the same layout as before. I assume all of these rooms are going to be the same throughout, but it could be someone was still living in one and left some things. I continue looking and end up making my way to the end of the hallway next to the wooden and horrifyingly unstable staircase. Well, one floor down, who knows how many are still ready for looting. I take careful steps up the staircase and nearly lose my footing and accidentally pop a hole in the middle of one of the steps, a loud crunch echoing the hallway. I stand still for only a second before heading back up, hearing rustling on the next floor. With a place like this I would expect rats littering every square inch. I make my way up to the top and take a look down the hallway, seeing a similar layout from before. I wander down the hallway and casually start up my routine of checking the doors.

“What the fuck?!” A stallion barks as he sits at the end of the hallway peering down in my direction “Who the fuck do you think you are?”

I hold my breath and stare at him, he stares back only fiercer and bloodthirsty. He shuffles and I see something wrap in a magical aura that isn't mine but rather his, a handgun. He quickly lifts it and points it in my direction.

“All of your shit, NOW.”