• Published 16th Jan 2014
  • 1,672 Views, 22 Comments

Fallout Equestria: Broken souls & kindred spirits - Dj Scratchjack



This is the story of Elric Faelan, a Stable 132 resident and the fate that befalls him when his home is destroyed by a unknown force and he uncovers a dark secret that shakes the very foundation of his reality and world.

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Chapter 12: Damnation

Chapter 12: Damnation

”In our Darkest moment is when your greatest Achievement come to fruition”

Lucky left without another word the next morning. Blitz never returned to the room. After Reign gave me my new and improved utility barding with metal inserts on the sides and chest (courtesy of Grey Oak). With preparations done, we set out towards Stables 132. Reign took the lead as red and Grey strayed behind, talking about family business. I could them whispering and chuckling to each other. I turned to see both looking at me. Red caught me staring at her, making her smile at me. I tried to understand how can a pony three days ago goes from trying to put a bullet through your head to happy, friendly, and smiley with you.

Mares are weird….

I caught up with Reign long enough to find him talking himself in deep thought, blocking out the rest of the world. I whinnied softly at the stallion and fell back once again.

I went through the guide Lucky gave me one more time, seeing if I missed anything. (Even if was only 3 chapters). Most of it dealing with the creatures in the Wasteland. The one creature that took me by surprise was the Hellhound. Thank the goddesses that I haven’t ran into one of them yet. I continued to read until I bumped into Reign. I looked up to see one such creature from the guide.

A giant radscorpion sat in the middle of the road, ripping apart a brahmin. Reign turned towards us, motioning for us to go around. “No sense on wasting ammo and energy on the creature.” He whispered. We snuck around the left side, keeping well away from the animal, staying as low as possible and silent as we could. The giant arachnid didn’t notice us at all, which was good for us.

Because his friends did.Three smaller radscorpions broke through the ground around us, whipping their stingers and snapping their claws at us in a ambush. The giant insect threw its food away as the commotion near it drew him towards us, preparing to gather fresher meat.

Reign flipped his rifle off his back and blasted the nearest with two rounds, not fazing the creature one bit. Grey Oak laughed as he drew his sword and slashed at his opponent. Red danced around hers, a pair of pistols firing into the insects tail. I reared up, kicking at the face of the giant. The claws alone were almost the size of me! I flipped around, pulled out my pistol, and targeted the tail three times in S.A.T.S. I released the spell and shot the stinger dead on, watching it explode. A small drop splashed me on my hoof, making it sting slightly. I slipped out of the targeting spell, watching the creature foam at the mouth with murderous rage. Grey Oak slammed the tip of his sword through the back of his enemy. I turned to see Red’s as she pumped two more into the goop that was the scorpion’s mashed face. Reign was cursing up a storm, trying to rack the bolt of his rifle without being skewered by the stinger. But I needed to focus. The arachnid snapped its giant claw at me, barely missing my torso. I aimed at one of the black, soulless eyes and fired. A sickening pop, the creature reeled back. Oak jumped onto it back, swinging his giant blade at the tail, cleaving it off completely. It tried to buck off the big stallion, but without success. It stopped wriggling after a few more slashes and bullets from various guns, and bled out onto the dirt. I turned to see Reign buttstocking the radscorpion in the face.

“Ah shit…” Grey oak muttered. Red galloped up to Reign, flipped onto his back, put the barrels of her pistols into the insects face, and letting loose all the remaining ammo in the magazines. Reign flattened his ears to his head as hot brass rained onto his head. The scorpion’s torso became a pile of goop.

After breaking out some gauze and antivenom for all of us, we turned to each other.

“So much for not wasting time and ammunition, huh?” Red remarked. Reign shot her a dirty glare, making the mare snicker more.

"Well, where to now?" Grey Oak asked, wiping off his blade. I looked around, trying to get my bearings. I pulled up the local map on my Pip-Buck.

"We seem to be right next to it. At least here on the map..." I responded. I continued to look around for the clearing that surrounded the old Stable. The others patched themselves up and scavenged what they could get off of the Radscorpions.

"Damnit, Elric. The stingers were the best part..." I heard Oak grumble as he picked apart our kills.

There was no clearing around us. No bushes or anything resembling the area into the Stable. "Elric... take a look at this." I turned to see Reign staring down the other side of the road, down into a river bank. when I trotted up to him, all I saw was a river of red.

The clearing I found myself waking up in was now more, flooded out by rainfall. A broken down house sat next to the clearing, hidden behind a cluster of dead trees. The tunnel that lead down to the massive steel, gear-shaped door sat on the other side of the flood off river. And somepony cleaned house.

Piles of rotting corpses laid along the riverbed, stripped clean and thrown out nonchalantly like rubbish. My blood boiled as I stared down at my once thriving community. My Friends... Family... thrown out like...like...

I grinded my teeth and stomped towards the atrocity I saw, only to feel something grab my tail. "Oh no, I've seen how this goes before." Reign gritted through his teeth, holding my tail in his mouth. Red threw her legs around my torso as Grey Oak grabbed me by my scarf. I flailed and screamed as I watched all the ponies I loved lay out in the open to be carrion for the animals. I felt all three pulling me back. I fought to get out of their embrace, but to no avail. So I did the next best thing.

I let it finally hit me. I fell limp and cried. I screamed at the ground until my voice rattled and turned course.

"Shh... we will find out who did this. come on, big guy. Shh..." Red petted my head as I buried my head into her chest.

"Stay here with Red and Faelan, Grey. I'll go scout it out." Reign whispered. I felt a pat on my back, and he galloped off. I took me several minutes to regain my composure. I sniffled as in held my held in Red's chest fluff.

"I'm sorry..." I sniffed, feeling Red stroke my mane.

"It's okay. I understand. We went through the same thing not too long ago." Red replied. I looked up to see Reds teary eyes. " It was 8 months ago. Grey and I were out scavenging and we came back to our entire settlement burned and killed off by a crazed cyberpony. Later we found out it was slavers sent from Fillydelphia. We tried to get back the survivors. Well... Let's just say they weren't alive to toil in the Pit..." She wiped away her tears and smiled. Grey oak came over and patted my head like a young colt. I really couldn't do much about it... "Unfortunately, things like this happen everywhere now, and if what Reign says is true, we are going to need you to put yourself back together. There are other settlements that needs your help." He growled, never looking away from the tunnel. The sudden speech snapped me out of my trance. I looked back to Red and smiled back.

"Thank you."

Red smiled brightly and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, making me blush a small bit. She helped me up from the ground as Grey Oak just rolled his eyes and shook his head. At that moment, Reign came back up the hill, sliding to a stop.

"So?" Oak asked, pulling out a snack cake. Reign turned to me with a grim expression.

"There is nothing."

"Nothing?" Red replied.

"Nothing. It looks abandoned, as much as it should be." Reign kept his gaze on me with solace. "Whenever you're ready, Sir."

I looked up to the elder stallion. Hell no, I wasn't ready... But I didn't have much of a choice in the matter. I came for answers, and Goddesses be damned if I didn't get any. I turned to Grey Oak and Red silently seething at each other for who ate the last of the snack cakes. I turned back to Reign, the stallion clicking through his own Pip-buck. I let out a sigh and proceeded towards the tunnel, Reign picking up the rear. As I entered the tunnel, I clicked on my Pip-Buck lamp. casting an eerie amber light around us. I opened the boarded up door leading into the tunnel. I could still see the blood trail on the wall and floor as we continued to the door.

The stable door was blasted apart, leaving a hole the size of a giant scorpion, exposing the interior of the old shelter. The dark atrium beyond gave little comfort as I stood in the doorway and gazed into my old home. Images began to replay in my mind. I began to shake in place, but I felt Reign place his hoof on my shoulder.

"Come on, hold it together. Let's look for what we came for and get out of here." Reign walked ahead of me, looking around at the damage that Kalem's entourage left behind. I swallowed my fear and panic and hesitantly took a step forward. then another. then another.

The atrium lit up as we passed the threshold of the atrium, causing Reign to jump a little. I saw the blood smears from where Gasket's head was crushed, the dried puddle of blood from Blitz when he was shot. The second floor walkway had collapsed, making a ramp to the second floor. I looked up to see the Overstallions' office window blown out.

"So where would be the most secure area in..." was all I heard as I drowned out my friend, taking in everything that transpired. I started towards the west wing, my body going through the motions once again. I trotted through the door that the rocket stallion destroyed when I locked him in, now a once smoldering hole. A few bodies laid among the hallway, untouched by the unknown grave robbers. Radroaches skittered about the decrepit passageways, darting about as I continued forward.

I stopped in front of the door to my parents makeshift tomb. I turned to Reign trotting up to me. He shot a quick glance at the door, and back to me with a slight look of worry.

"Is this...?" Reign asked, pointing a hoof at the door. I just nodded in response. I lifted my hoof to push the button to the door, but Reign stopped me. " Are you sure you want to do this?"

The question caught me off guard. Was I ready? The answer wasn't as I expected. The door slid open to find the living area picked clean, along with the bodies of my parents. I stood there, looking at the two most wonderful ponies laying in each others hooves. Reign took off his hat and bowed his head, placing it on his chest.

"I'm sorry, Elric. I can only imagine..."

"I want them buried." I interrupted. I turned to him with teary eyes. "I want them all buried." Reign just nodded his head.

"We will get on it as soon as we are done 'ere. let's go find that lifepod." Reign turned away and walked out into the hall. I too one last look at my parents, said a prayer for them and trotted back towards the atrium, my head hung low...

**********

"So the most secured area that can only be accessed by the Overstallion?" I asked in a shaky voice.

"Yes. More specifically, Where the Maintenance head could not enter." Reign looked at me, stooping in the middle of the atrium. I looked around, rubbing my chin in thought.

"Well, I had access to every space in the Stable, so can't tell you where this lifepod could possibly be at."

"hmm... Well, what IS the most secure space in here then?" Reign asked, looking around himself.

"That would be Maintenance One. That's where the databases are that keep all the documents and procedures for the entire Stable," I replied. "But it was corrupted when I messed with it for..." The pain in my chest worsened as I kept remembering that all this was my fault.

"Was it before or after you accessed it?" Reign asked. I looked at him in confusion.

"m-most of it was before, but I don't see how-" I stammered, but Reign's toothy smile stopped me.

"Show me."

*********

I pushed the console button to the door, sliding back the door to Maintenance One. Three huge server banks stood side-by-side to each other, leaving a small walkway in-between. two of the three still flashed red and green lights through dust covered frames. The furthest, however, lay dead and torn apart.

"The third server was damaged a few years after the lockdown. we never had the resources to repair it to full function." I explained. I trotted over to the broken database and looked through it. Reign circled around it, inspecting it on every angle. My mind was still plagued by the images from that morning we opened the Stable to those damned thugs. The guilt weighed on me heavily everyday since. Now... I stood once again in the place I killed. My parents, my brother and sister, my nephew and niece. The weight of the world I felt on my shoulders. I've heard stories about The Stable Dweller in Manehattan, saving the lives of many ponies in their wake. The Security Mare from Stable 99, traveling through Hoofington, delivering righteousness on the evil that cursed the land, and several others all around, doing their part. Heroes.... something I clearly wasn't. In no way, shape, or form was I a hero. I was useless to everyone.

A single tear fell from my eye, bringing me back into reality. I glanced over to my friend, seeing him quickly look away without a word. I looked back through all the code and options that the server drive displayed, but nothing stood out.

"What are we looking for again?" I asked, looking at my pacing companion.

"There's got to be a bloody way in, but where...?"

Alrighty then...

I turned back to see a pair of goggle connected to a upside-down stallion's face staring at me. I let out a small yelp, falling back to draw my weapon. The stallion disappeared back into the darkness above us. in a flash. Reign flipped around, looking at me wide-eyed.

"What the fuck was that about?"

"Did you see that?! T-There was a pony right there!" I pointed a hoof at the server computer. Reign looked between me and the computer.

"In the computer?" he questioned with a cocked brow.

I shook my head and stood back up, realizing that he didn't see it. "It must have been my imagination..." I mumbled to myself.

A loud pop rang out from behind the server frames, almost like a gunshot. Reign flipped his rifle off his back, pointing it down the space in-between the servers. I readied myself for a fight.

"Hey, L... Was that always on?" Reign asked, not taking his eyes off the space. I leaned around the corner to see a terminal In the back flickering on.

"No... that has not been on for... forever." I whispered in reply.

"Does that happen often?" Reign asked, standing beside me. I shook my head.

"That terminal hasn't turned on since the lockdown." I said softly.

Reign and I pushed forward, checking everything around the computer, cautious of it being trapped. On the dusty screen read:

[Enter Stable-Tec or M.W.T. passcode, followed by voice recognition...]

I looked over to Reign, who wore the expression of somepony receiving grave news.

"What's that mean?" I asked. The computer beeped with a error message and returned to its original statement. Reign glanced over to me, sat down in front of the computer. He proceeded to plug in his Pip-Buck and punched in a series of numbers, then spoke into the computer's microphone port.

"Captain Reign Augustiine, 2nd Recon Battalion, 8th Sniper Division."

The terminal flashed once more, but instead with a profile of the red unicorn, complete with a mug shot with a grim expression and unbroken horn:

[Augustiine, Broken Reign]
[Captain, Designation: "War" (F.H.A)]
[2nd Reconnaissance, 8th sniper Div., Camp Luna Det.]
[P.O.B: New Haven, Pastureland]
[D.O.B: Error!]
[Status: DECEASED]
[L.O.C: Secret(Error!)]

A bunch of other subjects came up, but what caught my eye was the statement that followed it all:

"Capt. Broken Reign Augustiine, Along with LT. Buttercup and Doctor Kleen, presumed dead or deserted after battle of Sawhorse Gulch (once found, we will decide on which on is the truth). Given involvement of The F.H.A project, (including the Mortuus Equus, may he forever burn in Hell), we assume the latter. Due to the excess of radiation at Camp Luna, the search was called off, deemed a lost cause..."

Reign clicked a button before I could finish reading the passage, bringing up the main screen, with the same demand. I looked to my companion with new found astonishment and mystery. My respect for the stallion broadened as I thought about what the information presented. Reign had fought in the worst, most bloodiest battles in Equestrian history. He stood again the worst the Zebra had to offer and survived! But is the sorrowful look on the Old-Equestrian officer worsened, he still remembers it like it was yesterday, it seemed. I was my turn to comfort my friend, so I did the best thing i could think of. I wrapped my forelegs around him in a hug. He sat there in silence for a moment, let out a deep sigh, and patted me.

"I'm okay. Just old news to me..." Reign stood up from the floor and went back to searching the servers. It seems I would have to ask him about the Four Horses deal at a later time.

Curiosity would be my downfall. It was going to kill me or get me into trouble that I wouldn't be able to overcome. I trotted over to the terminal, wondering what else was on it. I plugged in my own Pip-Buck, selected my bypass command, and tried to find the pass code to override the damned thing, but to no avail. The thing was locked tighter than Roseberry's teacake drawers.

"Hey, Reign. What's the M.W.T?" I yelled out to my friend.

"The Ministry of Wartime Technology. The Leader in the finest earth-pony tech and beyond." He replied, almost sounding like it was rehearsed. " It was more commonly known just as the Ministry of Technology, but it went by both equally."

Sable 132 was supposedly built specifically for historians and professors of the old Equestria (Or that's what the directive from Stable-Tec recited Blitz and Dad once said). The purpose was to teach and preserve the history of the world, which they did by writing it all down in large, gaudy textbooks, and then jamming that knowledge down everyponies throat that came after. So, in point, I already know about the M.W.T and the other ministries, but to hear it from Reign made it more realistic. The six ministries were commissioned by Princess Luna herself during her short time as ruler, all ran by the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. as memory serves, the M.W.T was ran by Applejack, the Element of Honesty. Reign talked about the advances of weaponry and technological development, Including the armor Lucky and Polaris's group uses, that helped everypony on the homefront and battlefield equally.

I turned back to the terminal, reinvigorated to find the secrets it kept from me. What laid in wait this long to be found?

"Uh, Reign? Last thing. Do you know where DJ last worked?" I looked over my shoulder to see him headfirst in the machinery. Reign poked his head out, knife in his teeth. What was he doing with that?

"Last station, you mean? I believe it was the War Affairs in Canterlot. Why?" he responded.

I nodded and took a shot in the dark. I imputed Reign's pass code (Isn't hard to memorize five numbers.) and spoke clearly into the microphone.

"Captain DJ Harmony, Office of War Affairs, Canterlot." I announced into the device. Reign curiously trotted over to me. nothing happened for a moment. Not even a flash or the screen changing. then a notice popped onto the screen, stating in bold lettering that accessing this file without proper authorization was against the law and punishable by death and blah blah blah. An empty threat from a dead age. I reached over a pushed the "Y" key. The screen pulled up a similar list as Reign's, But this one had a big red X over the picture. A picture of me... smiling that goofy smile of mine. All clean and happy...

[Harmony, DJ]
[Captain (Revoked) Designation: "Mortuus Equus" (F.H.A)]
[Office of War Affairs, Canterlot Branch]
[1st Lunar Guard, Guard Captain, 2nd Command]
[P.O.B: Unknown (Revoked)]
[D.O.B: Unknown (Revoked)]
[Status: (Error!!! Contact Joint Chief for status!)]
[L.O.C: Celestia-Tier ( Revoked)]

No statement was posted on the profile, but it didn't matter to me at the moment. It all hit me like a brick wall. It was confirmed... I was DJ Harmony! A ancient, Old-Equestrian Guard captain! Reign was right all along... but for some reason, i didn't feel different. I felt...disappointed? I didn't FEEL different.

I noticed amidst the streams of code in the system, a old password came up. The same password that ended a entire Stable living.

"Scathefire"

I cautiously clicked it on my Pip-Buck. A Loud click and clank resounded through the room, earning a yelp from Reign as the Broken down mainframe rumbled. The server slid up into the ceiling on four hydraulic pistons, revealing a staircase leading further down. Reign let out a loud yell.

"Yee-haw! I bloody knew it was 'ere!" Reign hooped and hollered.

A blast of stale air blew up into us, followed by a lone radroach. Paying the insect little mind, Reign and I slowly trotted down into the unknown tunnel. Reign took the lead as we clicked on our lights, spotting nothing out of the ordinary. After a brief time, a dark green light shown through the blackness ahead. We picked up the pace to what was the source. The eerie green light was shining from underneath a metal door. Reign pushed open the door to find the second biggest discovery of Stable 132.

The door opened to small room. Dead center was a pony-sized, egg-shaped pod, opened and contents strewn around it. Two lockers stood side-by-side on the left wall, neither of them locked it looked like. A lone terminal sat on the nearest table, giving off the glow. I Reached over, looking for a light switch. *click*. Fluorescent light fixtures stayed dead above us. Reign let out a small "hmph" as he continued into the room. Medical equipment and gurneys were pushed to the opposite wall, giving off the impression that this room was once a clinic of sorts. A lone skeleton laid beside the pod, its skull broken apart from a hole through its temple. I slowly walked to the computer, surprised by the fact it still had power after all this time. and double-the-fun, it was unlocked!

There were four entries, the first dating just days after the megaspells destroyed everything.

"I was given the order to destroy the specimen today if nopony came to retrieve him. Why the stable was tasked with safekeeping this ass, I will never understand. But, you know what? I never much cared about following orders from ponies who fucked our world, even if it wasn't their fault. Fuck 'em. This pegasus stayed down here, so he can't be that special... Can he? He looks normal enough at least."

The second entry, weeks after the first was written, read as such:

"Nothing.... no word has been sent from the outside. The soldier that was guarding the pegasus defected and killed himself from fear. The other residents are getting restless about the pegasus, saying thing like that he was the cause of all this. They are calling for his head. They are saying he is a traitor. If that's true, Luna herself wouldn't have him stuffed in here with us. I decided to lock the entrance above and also the storeroom itself. No pony is getting down here. If the princess herself wanted him down here, then he shall remain. May Celestia and Luna forgive us for our transgressions."

Luna? What did she have to do with this? Why did she defy her sister's orders?

The third entry came years after, almost 25 years ago.

"I found the specimen "DJ" and this terminal, along with the Overstallion Dead-shot's body. Must have locked himself in here or killed himself, but no evidence supports either. The pegasus still remains alive and stable, hasn't even aged a lot. I, Overstallion Crimson Rose, Have put it to a vote with the populace to either euthanize the pegasus or set him free. We will find out tomorrow if the pony will be saved or not. NOTE: If it comes to it, his memory will be wiped and replaced with a colt's memories. Please let the goddesses guide us through this difficult decision."

The fourth was put in two days after:

"The vote came to a tie. Honeycomb Insisted that we remove him from incubation and allow him to live with us. I can't argue with a mare like that...
LATE ENTRY: "Elric Faelan" will be his name. As soon as he came to, DJ became violent and feral as we tried to sedate him.
He continued to scream 'I'm not a traitor, Celestia has betrayed us! Let her be damned!'. We used a memory transfer, but it corrupted during the process. I fear that means he will remember certain events if triggered. May the Goddesses forgive us for this. After the procedure, he woke up to the sight of his 'Siblings' in our home. Kris and Melody didn't take to him right away, not as much as Blitz did. (He wasn't the youngest anymore, relatively speaking, of course.) The plan went without too much problems and after a few weeks, no one even questioned it anymore. The old-war veteran will live out his life happier now after all..."

A mixture of emotions flowed through me like sewage, rough and nasty. I was angry and sad at the same time. But I couldn't do anything at this point. I turned to Reign rummaging through the bins in the back. I slowly let my feeling brew inside my stomach, making it churn. The little ponies in my head was holding back a wall of imminent rage and sadness and they were losing the battle. I clicked back to the main page, noticing a new entry showing below the last one, reading {Elric...}, I curiously clicked on it:

"Elric, or DJ... my son. I have tried and failed countless times in the position of Overstallion. When I opened that chamber with you in it, I expected a quiet, peaceful life with you and your siblings. I have noticed slight changes in your behavior, which frankly, sparks trouble. I will step down from overstallion soon, and having Blitz take the mantle instead of you. I fudged the test to make it so. (Can't have you finding out you weren't supposed to be alive in the first place. not until you need to). Elric, just know that we, your mother and I, truly loved you as our son. One day, you'll come to realize that this isn't... wasn't your life. When that happens, I hope and pray for your understanding and forgiveness.

To preserve your place In stable 132, I have left the Stable-Tec Directive in your old Pip-Buck, the one Melody has stashed around her room. (Like she can hide anything from me). To unlock it, you'll need to input "LAZARUS0132" into the Overseer computer. This will also give you access to dismantle the server firewall to destroy the Stable... if it needs to come to that. May the Goddesses guide you on your difficult path.

Your faithful friend and father,

Crimson Rose."

That wall back my emotions of rage? Reinforced with Stable-Tec steel. I'm not breaking down right now, not until I figure out what "Father" wanted from me. One last look at the letter, I saved it into my device, And set my sights on the lockers. I put in my bypass code into the terminal, heard the solid click, and marched straight to the units. Reign watched me without a word. I reached in, pulling out the closest box marked "First briefing". I looked over my shoulder to my companion.

"I got your back, DJ. No worries. Good luck." Reign popped a salute at me, but I didn't return the gesture. I wasn't in the mood right now.

It was time to put all this to rest. To finally know what was going on, why I was placed into Stable 132 for the first place. Why I was sentenced to death by the same Ponies I defended, and directed from our own monarch. I opened the box, revealing a solid blue sphere on crushed black velvet. The buzzing in my head came without warning, growing louder as i drew closer to the orb with my hoof. I halted as I hovered over the memory.

" Well... here we go again..." I swallowed what little doubt I had left and touched to orb. my world became a flash of black and white, turning my world inside out.

Level up!: Camaraderie lvl 1- Your knowledge if your companions grant them a 15% damage boost when they are in your party. Hooray for Friendship!

Author's Note:

finally done! It was rough going through this chapter, alot of mixups and different opinions going into the chapter. thank you for the support and hopefully the next chapter will be up alot faster then this one.

--DJ