//------------------------------// // Alicorns // Story: Fallout: Equestria- Chasing Stars // by not_me //------------------------------// Alicorns. Alicorns were supposed to be the combination of earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi. They were said to be immensely powerful. The two goddesses that other ponies deified were a pair of alicorns sisters that had ruled the Equestria for thousands of years before their untimely death with the rest of the world. The last two to live, so the stories went. They were creatures of myth, yet here standing before me was a dark green alicorn staring me down. I wasn’t met by awe or wonder, nor fear. The only thing I could think was that she was as tall as the chief. She looked between me and Lightning, taking us both in. ‘What are you doing here?’ I heard her inside my head, her lips did not move. I looked to Lightning hoping she knew what was going on. She didn’t. She did however regain her composure before I did and answered first. “My name is Lighting Strike, and this here is my brother Star Chaser. We came from the Bison Tribe to the west. My tribe and this town have a peace treaty going back over two hundred years with the very founders of this here town during the first year of its creation. We came to trade and spend the night. Were planning on being off in the morning. Excuse me if I am being forward, but what are you doing here?” The alicorn stepped away ignoring us. After a while it walked back to us and spoke, or telepathied (yes it is a word, you haven’t heard cause I just invented it is all). ‘We find your answer acceptable. We are now in charge of this town and all its commerce in Red Eyes and the Goddesses stead. We were not aware of such a treaty, but one of us knows about it. We did not know it was still in affect. You and your ‘brother’ may trade here without fear of the slavers. Just don’t interfere with our trade and you may come and go freely.’ She, or rather it, stepped back and flew into the sky towards the center of town. The Eyes Forward Sparkle on my pipbuck switched from a sea of red markers to a bunch of green markers as all the ponies dropped their guard. I realized red was a threat and green meant friendly. A new marker appeared on my map showing the location of the town. I saw a scroll appear that said ‘quest complete: On the Road to Apple.’ It was almost as if I could hear triumphant music in my head. I looked under quests and saw it still showed one active quest: Chasing the Stars. This thing really needed a manual. I turned to Lightning. “What was that about?” “I have no clue. Never seen one of them before. Apparently she’s the new sheriff or something. Was it just I or was she like inside your head. It just don’t seem right. At least she’s keeping the treaty going though, I was afraid there for just a second.” At that she turned and made her way towards a big red barn. I turned and followed after her. The town consisted of ponies in cowboy hats and ponies wearing collars rigged to explode. I assumed they were slaves, unless it was suddenly high fashion to wear bombs around your neck. The few slaves that weren’t wearing the chokers were in cages. They didn’t even look up at me. I saw a sign in front of an empty part of town that just read ‘Mines.’ This town made me sick, no wonder no bison ever told me about it. I was starting to see why the tribe was weary around us ponies. The fact I was technically one of them made me angry. The sun was just barely dipping below the sky by the time we got to the barn. As we walked the slavers gave us a wide berth, nothing different from what I experienced back in the village. “This is the saloon and general store. It’s also the inn too so we’ll be holing up here for the night. I’ll get the room for us so don’t go spending all your caps.” “Caps, like bottle caps.” “Yeah they use them as money to buy stuff.” “That is stupid how is a cap worth anything?” “Don’t make no sense to me either. Crazy pony logic.” We walked inside. On one side there was bar and a stage. On it was a beautiful grey unicorn with a white mane streaked with red and orange producing music from her horn and singing a sorrowful song, on the other side were tables. In the back was a poker game and further back were some doors to some rooms. “I’ll settle the rooms with the bartender. You talk to the mare running the store,” she said pointing at the only corner I didn’t look at. There was a small stand with some goods on a shelf behind the unicorn mare. She was a slave but had a smile on her face. She had white fur and a pink mane and a horseshoe for her cutie mark. She was my age, maybe younger unlike the mare singing on the stage. I walked up; she turned to me losing her smile. She looked timid. “Welcome to the general store, my name is Lucky, how can I help you today, sir,” she said almost robotically. “Name is Star Chaser. You guys buy guns and ammo?” She nodded her head once. I traded in the shotgun and revolver as well as all my ammo. I had no need for guns, only used one once and never planned on using one again. I kept the knife and traded the few pieces of meat I was holding; I knew they wouldn’t last long on the road. However, she refused to buy the gas mask or the strange orb so I kept them. Altogether I brought in a few hundred caps on top of the bunch I found earlier. I bought all the old preserved food (if it hasn’t gone bad in two hundred years it won’t go bad in another few weeks) and health supplies I could get. I ended up buying the store clean out and still had two hundred caps left to my name. “It’s a shame. If you can wait til tomorrow we are set to get some more supplies from New Appleloosa.” She didn’t seem too happy about that thought though. “I can’t. I have to leave in the morning.” “Oh, I see well take care.” I walked away. Lightning came up to me and handed me a beer. “Best to fit in. We’re sharing a room. Second door to the left. Apparently the mare on stage, Velvet something, is staying in the first. How did you do?” “Alright. I sold all the guns for food and medicine. Bought the place up.” “You sold the guns.” “Yep I can handle myself,” gesturing towards my horn. She rolled her eyes. “I am going to bed. Be careful out here.” At that she went to the room. Did I say something wrong? I sipped my beer and made my way to the game. They were playing Texas hold ‘em. (What the hay was a Texas? I don’t know) I finished my beer and got dealt in. I was winning but not by too much. I was always a perceptive sort and all the other players had too many tells to not read. The bar mare came by, not a slave. I got myself some whiskey. It burnt my throat. After a while the place started clearing out. Velvet Remedy, as I learned her name to be, just kept on singing as though it was full house. The mare slave running the store came up to one of the players looking at her hooves. She handed him some caps and asked if she could be excused. He shook his head so she sat down besides him. Apparently he was her owner. “So an alicorn runs this town? I thought they were all killed off.” “She came and took over for old Red Eyes in Fillydalphia. She runs a much tighter ship, but profits been up. Them alicorns started appearing some ten years ago though. Where the hell you been. You one of those Stable Dwellers?” He pointed at my arm. “Nothing like that. This was just a gift. I am part of the herd out west. That bison girl is my adopted sister. She practically raised me.” I was met with only a nod. “Does Velvet Remedy sing here every night?” “Nah, she’s new to town. Came out here a little less than a week ago. Believe it or not she isn’t actually a singer. She’s a healer, go figure.” She certainly seemed a singer to me, her cutie mark was even a songbird. I guess my trade was a scout; well it used to be anyways. It ain’t got much to do with the stars and moon though. I was dealt two queens. I was waiting for a hand like this all night. The slaver smiled giving away his good hand. I decided I wanted to beat him more than I wanted to keep my caps so I started high. The first three cards revealed an ace, ten and four. Another pony raised it. It was a quarter of all my caps. I called. There were only four of us left. The next card was a deuce, I had this! However, the slaver pony threw in a piece of paper. The slave looked concerned. “Too rich for my blood,” said one pony dropping out. The other one smiled looking at the slave mare. “All in.” She looked scared for a second, before returning her eyes to the ground. Screw it, what were caps but scrap metal. “Me too!” I said throwing it all on the table. The Slaver had an ace four, shit! The other pony had a king and a queen. My pair high wasn’t looking good. The dealer flipped the last card. A queen! I jumped up and scooped all the caps and the piece of paper into my saddlebag. The other two looked pissed, like they wanted to do something about it. “Next round is on my me I called out. Whiskey for everypony!” The two quickly sat in resigned silence as the rest of the bar cheered. Two whiskeys turned into four and five. I was feeling it. Velvet called it a night as the rest of the ponies filed out drunk. They’d be feeling it all day tomorrow. The slaver was still angry. He grabbed Lucky by the hair and walked out. “But, wait,” she called out; he didn’t care. I wanted to stop him. I couldn’t with out starting shit for my tribe. Actually, I didn’t care about the tribe, but what affects the tribe affects my sister. I grabbed my bag and went to the room. Lightning was taking up three quarters of the only bed snoring heavily. I shrugged and got in the bed with her, my back to hers. I was drunk and not quite tired. I got up and went to my bag and placed my jacket and hat in there. I was going to go back, but I saw the orb. I am unsure why, but I levitated it up to my eye to inspect it only to find the world fading away. I lost my sense of self for the briefest second. Suddenly my senses came back but I couldn’t control anything. I was a passenger along for the ride. I was flying. Flying through the air with my own wings. Despite having no control I felt free. The sky was clear and blue, no clouds in site. Celestia’s sun was bright, brighter than I had ever seen it. Below me was my home. The Bison lands of the west, an endless red plain met by jutting peaks and hills in sharp relief. It looked bright red back than, today the desert was mostly grey. The wind licked my entire body. Outstretched in front of me were light blue arms as a rainbow mane flapped in front of my eyes, and I was… I was a girl?! It was a memory, not mine, but a memory non-the less. I saw before me a bison village. It was four times larger than the one I grew up in. Similar in almost every way though. I swooped down towards a large herd. I did a quick back flip before landing and folding in my wings in one fluid movement. She, my host trotted up to what had to be the chief wearing the largest war bonnet I had ever seen. Standing besides him just a horn shorter was a yellow bison girl wearing a beaded head strip with a feather in it. I felt a smile form on my lips, as my host got closer. She didn’t follow any protocol and by the way she held herself I could feel how confident and cocky she was. The two bison were not smiling. The chief stepped foreword speaking in a deep booming voice, “Welcome, Rainbow Dash. It is always a pleasure to be visited by the Element of Loyalty. I heard you are in service of her Princess’ army now, and are to be acting as their official representative to the Sun Princess’ treaty renegotiations.” “Oh, yeah I guess.” Her brashness made me cringe. “Look I think you guys have it wrong. I am not here for any negotiations. I am just here to talk Chief Thunderhooves.” The yellow female stepped foreword. “So you were not sent by Celestia, Dash. This just a social visit.” She was one of the ponies who formed the treaty and knew Celestia personally. How did I find myself in the memory of a historic figure? “Well not exactly Little Strongheart.” Dash said scratching the back of her head looking to the left of them. She spread out her wings and hovered in front of the two pulling her body to rear on her back legs at full height. “I don’t know what this is. I don’t understand the Princess. I should be on the front lines, but she wants you guys to join us. So here I am talking to you to see if you want to join us. I think you should, too. The zebras attacked us and you guys are apart of Equestria. A war against one part of us is a war against all of us. Still I understand though.” At that she landed and kicked the ground. “Rainbow Dash, what has happened to you? Was it not you who on the eve of war against Appleloosa urged me to consider peace? Cannot pony and zebra just bury the hatchet and make peace? Adding bison to the slaughter will not solve anything. Sure we can kill, but we do not use weapons. On your battlefield all we can do is die or break our honor and take up arms. No lasting peace will ever come from battle. So no, we will not reconsider,” said the chief. Why the hell could we not have a leader like this now a days? Why was neither the ponies nor zebras able to see the truth! “See I knew you guys wouldn’t change your mind. I am not good at this. I should be fighting where I can make a difference. The others do not see it. I am not a clever pony. I can’t make peace. All I can do is make it as deadly against zebras as possible and let the pieces fall where they may. I don’t suppose access to the new vault or whatever they are building out here will do anything?” Little Strongheart spoke up this time. “No it won’t Dash. We’re stampeders. When the day comes we will go further west deeper into the desert for safety. We have no problem with this Stable 77 being built so close, but we will not go underground even if it was made for us. Tell Applejack’s little sister to stop sending these representatives of hers here too. Tell her to fill it with ponies, or crates, or hell even just one pony!” “Alright. I’ll pass the message along to Celestia and Applebloom. However, I cannot go back so quickly. They think if I stay out here long enough I could change your minds or something. They just don’t understand you guys! Heck if anything you guys need to go talk some sense into them. So, if you don’t mind can I stay here for a few days?” “That will be fine,” replied the wise Chief I felt myself fly to the Little Strongheart and wrap my arm around her. “So what’s this I hear about you getting married? And so young too!” “I am the perfect age to be married, shouldn’t you have been married ages ago. Besides it is more than that. I am pregnant too.” “Congratulations! To think there might be a little Little Strongheart running around.” I came to on the floor where I was before. This Rainbow Dash was one of the Elements of Harmony. She helped stop a war between the bison and pony, and fought in the Pony Zebra War. She understood the bison’s ways and they accepted her. She also knew who built Stable 77. If the raiders saw this too than this was how they found where we had hidden. I returned the memory gently into my bag. I suddenly felt a kinship to this blue pegasus. The next morning Lightning woke me up just before sunrise. She kissed me on the cheek. “I have to go home Black Horse. I wish you luck on your journey. I would go, but I know this is a voyage for you alone. Remember your promise to me Star Chaser.” She left the room before I was fully awake. Like that I was alone, I had no one left in my life. Not knowing what to do, and well aware that their were two very pissed ponies possibly after me I made my way out of town towards the east. As I approached the edge of town I heard in my head, ‘Wait, stop right there. We need to speak about last night.’ I saw the alicorn barreling down on me. She landed in front of me, cutting off my exit. Behind me was the slaver pony from last night and his slave Lucky. ‘We honor our debts here and you two still need to settle out. We know you were drunk but that does not change a thing. Honor your word!’ I was confused. I was quite drunk last night, but I made no deals. I was about to speak up when the slaver behind me said, “Fine take the dumb bitch.” He threw towards me a detonator and a key before storming off leaving Lucky behind. I turned to the alicorn in confusion. ‘This town was quite lawless before we came. We are sorry he tried to cheat you. Slavers like you are always welcome here in Appleloosa, Star Chaser. Come back when ever you want to trade.’ At that she trotted off. I looked into my saddlebag. It was a title of ownership to one female unicorn slave bearing a horseshoe mark. Shit I was now officially a slave owner in the eyes of the sheriff, and how could I argue that since bowing before me was my very own slave. “I promise to serve you dutifully master.” She said avoiding looking me in the face. “No, just no. Stand up and look me in the face when you talk to me.” She obeyed, but somehow looked even more scared. “Look the only reason I don’t just start some shit right now in this town is because the treaty between them and my tribe prevent me. I hate slavery, I hate slavers. From this day on you are free. Now come here and let me take off that collar.” “Please don’t do that. If you take it off here I am open game. The only reason I am not captured, killed, or raped on the spot is this collar. If you were to take it off I will be dead.” Fuck, she couldn’t be serious could she? I was trying to set her free and here she is trying to convince me to keep her a slave. “Fine than.” I just walked out of town. She stood there confused before running after me. She kept trying to get my attention but I ignored her. Two miles out of town I turned to her. “Good were out of town. Now let me get that off.” She looked at me like she was trying to say something but just fell silent. I removed the collar, but it left a mark. It incised into her neck leaving behind a cut lacking any fur around her neck where it chaffed her. She had been wearing it for a while. “There now you are free and don’t need to worry about the towns people. Do as you wish.” I threw the collar into my bag and went on my way. “No don’t leave me,” she screamed. “I’ll be good. Don’t abandon me to the wasteland.” She grabbed me and hugged my back leg. I looked at her and she gave me big puppy dog eyes on the brink of tears. “I am going northeast from here. Where? I do not know. I am on a quest, most likely into raider territory. You would probably be safer by yourself, but you are welcome to join me if you wish. I won’t tell you what to do. Your fate is your own choice from here on out Lucky.” She let go of my leg and stood up. “What are we on a quest for?” I continued walking explaining my upbringing and the vision I was given. “So you are actually chasing after a fallen star. Here I thought my name was the most literal.” “Lucky how is being a slave lucky?” “Well when I was a filly raiders killed my village. I was the only survivor. I escaped and a slaver group picked me up. Cause they did I wasn’t left alone to the elements. I was shipped here from New Appleloosa and instead of being sold off I was picked up to work the stalls. The day after I started though the old mare that ran the general store died so I was picked out to run it. It is only the easiest job in all of Appleloosa. Sure sometimes I have to service my owner, but it was few and far between, his wife doesn’t like it when he did. Last night he got drunk and bet me. I think he thought he could bluff everpony into quitting the hand. It worked before, but that other pony has been trying to buy me for years. Now you own me and I am free. All in all I am pretty lucky.” Her definition of luck was fucked up, but it gets her through the day. She just talked on and on about her past, customers, shipping schedules… All I could do was keep on trotting and listening, nodding my head every once in a while. “The train comes weekly, in fact it was supposed to arrive this evening, but I already told you that.” Then I saw it, a cluster of red on the EFS. I held my arm up to stop her; she fell silent. It was bandits. “This must be the camp of the slavers that were driven out of town by the new sheriff.” “Stay here Lucky I‘ll signal you after I clear it out.” “Wait though you aren’t armed. They’ll kill you.” “I don’t like guns besides I’ll be fine,” I said pointing to my horn. She just rolled her eyes. “I have one too and I still say use a gun.” I ignored that and snuck up to the camp. I counted seven on the EFS. I approached into the wind so they couldn’t smell or hear me. I circled around and found one bandit by them self. I floated my knife out and slit his throat before he could make a noise. I came up a group of three, two unicorns and an earth pony. I teleported between the three and unleashed a flash of bright lights taking out there site. I reared up and came down on the horn of the first unicorn taking out his magic. I bucked the second one in the face with my back hooves. The earth pony got its gun out so I flashed him again. He shoot wildly nicking my on the side. I drove my pipbuck into his face breaking his jaw. Try firing at my now. The first unicorn made to get up, but I came down on his head and felt it crush under my hooves, Lightning would be proud. The second unicorn was getting up but I entered SATs and hit him as hard as I could. It took me a second to realize by the fifth hit that I was beating a dead horse. The earth pony with the broken jaw managed to tackle me. I teleported ten yards away, instead of trying to stand up. He was still on the ground trying to figure out where I went. I lifted him by his neck with my magic choking him. Two ponies ran at me. One had a magnum the other a lance. Magnum opened fire, but I used the dead pony as a shield before throwing it at him. He dodged but lance got knocked down. I ripped the magnum out of his mouth and threw it away. I closed the distance on the now unarmed pony rushing to attack him. He blocked my first hit and than my second. For the third I pulled out his eye with magic causing him to fall onto the ground, hooves to his face in agony. Mean while lance got up and I saw him attacking, giving me just enough time to enter SATs. I was fucked! The lance was frozen in time, mere inches away from my neck. I readied a teleportation spell behind him but it was taking to long. Out of nowhere I saw two magnum bullets tear into his face turning it into pulp. It was Lucky. That’s when I saw the yet unseen third attacker behind me on my EFS. I readied a teleportation spell behind him instead, rearing up and coming down on his back. Somehow even though I was in VATs I could see Lucky move towards him killing him with one shot well my attack landed its blow. The only bandit left was the pony with a missing eye. I could only imagine what the two seconds of carnage looked from his vantage point. I moved towards him but Lucky was quicker. “This was your gun wasn’t it? I’ll give you a chance but I am warning you I am Lucky.” She opened the magnum to reveal one bullet. She spinned it before slamming it shut. She pointed it at his remaining eye and pulled the trigger killing him. “Snake eyes you lose,” she said to the double blind dead pony. She turned to me grinning ear to ear. “Oh my Celestia! You were so awesome, you took out five ponies unarmed and managed half blind and disarm a sixth.” When I killed my first pony (or three, wait how many died in the cave in?) two days ago it took me a while to recover. Maybe this wasn’t her first kill. “I take it back, you are lucky.” She started to mill through their materials. She found amongst their ill-gotten goods a red and black dress and a saddlebag. She put both on and proceeded to fill her new bag with everything that wasn’t strapped down. She ran out of room and started putting stuff in my bags. I didn’t fight her, not after seeing how she fought. Meanwhile I took out some medical tape and covered up the nasty scratch the bullet gave me. Lucky l said I was overreacting. As I finished I saw her sitting on her hunches humming one of Velvet Remedies songs swishing her tail back and forth. “You ready to go?” She closed her eyes and nodded with a grin. “Why are you so happy?” “Cause I was useful. I think I am starting to get the hang of this being free stuff. If somebody tells me to do something, I can just ignore them and do whatever I want.” I laughed at her. “Hey! I was being serious.” “I know you were. I just thought you looked cute.” She blushed and turned away. The rest of the day was uneventful. After sundown we set up camp. I managed to use my flash spell to start us a fire. As I laid down, I turned and saw Lucky looking at me, thinking about something. She walked up to me and before I could say anything she kissed me on the lips. She pulled away her face inches away from mine, expecting, waiting. I kissed her back. After a while she slipped her dress off. “You don’t have to do this, you know?” “I know. I want to though,” she said. “You are the most kindest and strongest pony I’ve ever met. You gave me my freedom and since I can do whatever I want now I want to do this.” She kissed me again this time slipping her tongue in my mouth. I turned and took my jacket and barding off. We climbed into bed together and kept on kissing. She was my first. Footnote: Level up! Level 3 New Perk: Mare Killer: In combat, you do +10% damage against mare opponents. Outside of combat, you'll sometimes have access to unique dialogue options when dealing with the opposite sex.