//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Liar's Dice // Story: Fallout Equestria: Devil's Luck // by Chokfi //------------------------------// Chapter 5: Liar's Dice The hardest tumble a man can make is to fall over his own bluff. After a couple minutes of standing next to the glowing ghoul I was extremely happy to vacate his vacinity. And I was even happier to try and deal with his 'demon' problem. I wasn't sure weather the 'invisible creatures' were real or imagined, especially since I was just then using a stealthbuck to get me through. I jumped down from the high grating to get to the ground, moving silently and invisibly through the hallways with my stealthbuck obscuring everything.it wasn't long before I managed to make it to the basement door, key in magic, and I was able to unlock it. Past the door was a collection of hallways, vuegely simular to the vault I spent my first few years in, that had survived 200 years without any issues. I couldn't see the demons, but I could hear them. And, with a bit of staring off in the same place, I was able to see the telltale shimmer of an invisible pony. Well, it could have been something else, but the sounds it made seemed like those of a four legged creature. Not knowing where to go from here I went left, which ended up being a mistake. Instead of a leader or some information on these demons, I found a narrow figure 8 that had a locked door at the end of it. I couldn't get through that door, so I turned around, only to find my way patrolled by an invisible demon. This creature was one I could see, because I could tell where it was by the glow of it's weapon. Somehow the invisible creature could keep the flamethrower invisible with it, but the lit end of thing seemed to be spewing small Sparks at all times leading to the fact that the invisible creature was completely easy to spot. Of course, I just got out of it's way. Unlike the other creatures I had had a hard time avoiding, this one was extremely easy and undercomplicated. I took it and explored the rest of the place for another few minutes, finding 'empty' room upon room. Each one mocked me with it's absence of anything I could see. My stealthbuck was about to run out when I tumbled into a room and saw... It. The tall blue creature looked like a goddess for a second, especially because of how powerful it's stance was, and I was tempted to bow to it like Luna. However, as my invisibility fell from me, I found myself unable to do anything... In reverance or in mocking anger. Instead I simply stood there and, dispute being peralized by fear, I stared calmly at the demon and spoke. "Hello. I am called Lucky Devil. I am here on behalf of the ghouls upstairs and in turn the folk of Paleo." I tried to smile, despite the fact that the creature was giving me the greatest amount of a death glare I had ever seen. "They want me to try and get you out of here for... whatever reason. Honestly, I just want both you and the ghouls to vacate the property, but you understand. Is there any way I can get you out properly?" For a second I thought that the creature would attack me, it being so silent and unresponsive, however it actually surprised me. "Pony." It said, somehow invading my mind with an echoing and powerful effect. "We do not wish harm on towns ponies. We do not wish harm on ghouls. We only wish for our goals to be realized..." I stepped back for a second, but nodded for... them to continue. "We... only wish to find the shipment. S-stealthbucks. The feeling of the goddess once more. We have searched and searched, but there is only one room that we've not seen. A ghoul protects it. We wish them no harm, but they have killed our troops. Get. Rid. Of. It." I nodded, understanding the annoyingly repetitive, and probably poignant, tree of ponies wanting other ponies to leave so that they could get what they wanted. "I will remove him. But if I can, I will not kill him. Where is he?" The creature pointed outside of the door, and to the right. There was something about it that was obviously not violent, but it did stop me before I left. "If you see another of my... troops. Hide, run, whatever you can. For, unless I am there to stop them,they are violent." And thinking for a moment. "I am... Shadow leader... Please, call me this." I nodded once more, and left. to the right of the door there were several of the creatures, each dead and littering the way. I didn't bother to care as I looted each and took the stealthbuck they seemed to all have. --- After finally picking my way through the hall and, thankfully, not running into any of the demons on the way I was standing at a door. With a knock I moved in, before being shot at. I froze as the glowing red splotch of energy-shot slowly faded from right beside my head. "The next one won't miss, mutated scum!" Came the gravely voice of a ghoul shouting down at me. "I thought you learned not to encroach on my positio- oh..." "Yeah, oh is right." I said, completely deadpan. "I'm here to 'get rid' of you for those mutated creatures. But I certainly don't deserve to be shot in the head. I intend to try and solve this entire thing peacefully. But if you force my hoof..." I raised fortune and pointed it at him, cocking it's firing mechanism. "Ha! Peacefully. That's a lark coming from smooth-coat like you. But no, it's OK, I won't force you to do anything." He grinned a gap-toothed grin. "Yeah, well, two things. I ain't willing to go anywhere without knowing what happened to my friend. And he second, well, I need to be promised my safety." I sighed and nodded at the insane ghoul. "I think I know the best way to get you fucking out of here." I used my levitation to send a stealthbuck up to him. "Use this and you can get out or this hellhole without a hitch." "Uhuh, now go find my friend fucker." He yelled. At me, catching it in his dessicated mouth. With an exasperated sigh I walked out and right over to the aggressive leader of the deamons. "Shadow." I said, trying to use their name and placate them. "It won't be hard for me, but I thought I should let you know. I am in the middle of trying to get rid of your... Little problem." "Ah yes, it has agreed to parley?" Shadow said, their booming voice making my brain quiver. "Good, we do not care to harm it. Our breatherin will attack it if they see it, but other wise... I can keep them from killing you at least. Just don't... Provoke them." "What I'm looking for is his friend, I need to see her fate." I stared right into the dark blue and oddly scared deamon. "Tell me where she is. I will go find her. Bring her back." "She is dead. In cage." The creature laughed, making me doubt their equinity. "If you wish to see the corpse you may, the cages are down in the deepest part I'd this area. The most defendable. The one with only a single entrance." I knew before they pointed where they meant. I sighed, knowing full well that I couldn't trust the demon at their word. So I walked around to the place. Thankfully the invisible demons ignored me as I walked up to look around. I was sure there had to be a key to the 'cage' somewhere, and sure enough I found it. It was sitting in the next room, not even guarded by anyone... The fools. After unlocking the door I had been unable to mess with before, I walked down a long winding staircase into what appeared to be a generator room. Nothing was about but dust and... A single dead ghoul. That would be enough. I walked back the way I came and informed then ghoul of his friend's confirmed fate. Obligingly holding up his half, he left, and I was able to search for the stealthbuck. Unfortunately, after trying to read a couple computers that exploded when I touched them, I found a single one that wouldn't. On that we're tons of messages, including a shingle shipping order. It told me exactly which Caledonian base had gotten the supplies. I returned to Shadow and, while they were angry enough to crush a table under their hoof, they relented. "If you are lieing, little pony, we will find you. And the goddess help us, we will hurt you." After that dramatasism they walked out and left the underground. --- "Perfect!" The glowing ghoul said to me, hugging me in excitement. "The preparations are nearly complete. Please, we must go to the ships!" And without a second look he, and all the other ghouls, marched through the Halls down to where the demons had set up base. Pressing a hidden button within the room where Shadow leader had stood they made their way down the steps to a section I had not seen. That section culminated I'm a large room, separated from another by glass. We we're in the smaller of the two rooms, and the ghouls piled up down into the larger. Inside that room were rockets, not the system to deliver megaspells but instead the rounder ones made to deliver ponies... Somewhere. "Here we are, in the precepit of our journey my breatherin. And this, all thanks to the Devil wanderer who joined us in our hour of need. At this point little is needed but hours of work. We are nearly to our destination." --- After being so uplifting with the speech, I was surprised when the glowing ghoul asked me for one last favor. "I know I said that our journey was almost up, but if you want us truly out of here there is actually one thing you need to get." I frowned at him but nodded. "Good, yes, we need a vertibird engine. I'd say we also need the fuel, but after doing hours for tests we found that we could power it with s combination of the unicorn's magic and these little toys!" He pointed at a pile of toys Shaped like rockets, which were built to... Fly slightly?" "Fine! But that's IT right?" I asked, frowning down at him. He nodded and I sighed. "I think I know where there might be a crashed vertibird." Honestly, I did. There was a scrapyard across town that had tons of bits and bobs. The thing was run by an old earth pony mare, and was partially owned by the NCA (but they preferred to keep it hush hush.) Once I got to the shop I saw the old mare and with a wink, I grinned my trademark grin. "Watchtower!" I said, acting like an excited little foal. To be honest, I wasn't really that excited, but I knew how to charm my way into a bit of a discount. "How are the kids?" "Oh, devil!" She grinned, patting a dog with care. "Their playing soldier as usual. But stop buttering me up, what do you want." She had a certain twinkle of intelligence in her eyes, and she knew what I was doing. Damn her. "Fine, I'm on another little.... 'mission' for the town. I'm trying to free up the testing site of ghouls. But I need a part from here. Vertibird engine." My eyes grew wide and pleading, but she slammed her hoof down and broke my dreams. "Oh come now sweetie, don't give me those eyes. I know you have the money for it, 500 caps." She then softened a bit. "Oooor, hmm, how about a game. We can see if you still remember how." So she and I set up a game of caravan. She had taught me the rules of the unfamiliar wasteland game when I was only thirteen. Young enough that I had only been out of the stable for less than a year. It was one of only a couple games of chance that I didn't already know, due to it's wasteland creation. I won the first and third game out of three, because frankly it's hard for me to loose. The decks always seemed stacked in my favor. To make up for it though, I kissed the old lady on the cheek and hoofed over 150 caps for compensation, then began to levetate the large engine to the base. I was FINALLY done when I handed the engine over to the glowing ghoul and he called out to his followers. They were aperently on the way to the moon. I was the one who pulled their lever to set the launch in motion, as I listened to another long winded speech that I certainly don't want to retell here, and watched as the fat rocket flew into the sky. --- Finally, after a day of working on this, I made it home. My day was wasted, but I was being payed well enough in my opinion, so I was at least a little happy as I slumped against my door. I was started, however, to see who was on my bed. "Whiskey!" I called out, finally remembering the name of the stallion. Whiskey Dick, and trust me he liked to tease. "What are you doing here?!" I frowned at him, before laughing slightly and walking over. "Isn't it obvious you little Devil? I'm here to make you relax a little." He pulled me up onto the bed, not letting me protest that he had already made me waste a whole day of time I should be delivering stuff, and... Well he certainly made me relax. Level Up! New Perk: Barndoor Bandit: Well, the cats out of the bag. You like big quivering... colts. +10% dammage against the same sex and you get noticed by the stallions a bit more. Use it wisely.