//------------------------------// // Chapter One // Story: Fallout Equestria: First Responders // by Chokfi //------------------------------// Aspa River Hospital, Arimaspi Territory Tuesday, March 17th, 8:15 AM Final Day minus 4 Hours Askepian Rod “It was a little general Hospital in a little factory town." Aspa River is a small town on the northern edge of the Arimaspi Territory, an ancient name that has been on all the maps but is basically meaningless. Just like most rare and unseen creatures, there may once have been such a thing as the Arimaspi people… But modern sightings are just mythical. Cryptids. Askepian had never seen one, and he’d lived his entire life in the area. Few ever did before the blast. That last day was calm, as if the world itself was waiting for the bombs to fall, for change to come across the little ponies, but this, this was just a small town, and Askepian wasn’t often called into action. He was an ambulance pegasus and so few emergencies happened in town that he would only get called into action four or five times a day. It could be forgiven that he had taken to sleeping on his landing pad as he waited in between calls on his twelve hour shift. You might think it would be dangerous for there to only be one Ambulance Pegasus in town, and you would be normally right. There were actually two, Askepian in the day and Vejovis at night. The old stallion was somewhat standoffish and Askepian only saw him during shift turnovers. He found him to be scruffy, kind of rude, and not the type of pony he’d be super interested in getting to know. Of course, they never had time off at the same time, so it might as well be for the best. On that final day Askepian woke up from a quiet nap to the sound of giggling and a hoof ruffling his feathers. “Wah?” He asked, yawning as he slowly got to his senses. The first thing he could see was a cute unicorn mare, her blue mane covering his eyes and making it impossible to see anything but her muzzle. It was his partner, Caduceus, pressed almost nose to nose with him. He could taste her breath and a thrill shook through his body before he realised that the alarm was ringing outside of his field of attention. “Wake up you sleepyhead, we’ve got an emergency at the old Orange place.” She said, using her magic to pick him up to his hooves. “Old Lady Jaffa could be in serious trouble you know.” Her magic was soft and gentle, even while moving him. She’d learned how to do that in the big city, training in a large hospital. Before he could even think to start she’d already buckled him up to the ambulance as well. As he made sure the harness was fully secured he looked back at Caduceus. “Aren't those Oranges like… Super rich now? Why do they leave their grandmother down here in this dump?” Askepian grinned as his partner kicked his shin while she climbed up into the cab. “What was that for?” He asked, a little playfully. Her waking him up that way had filled his mind with thoughts that weren't exactly conducive to work. “It’s not a dump, you git. It’s your hometown, appreciate it.” She grabbed the reins, which she had attached without him noticing. It was a little bit unnecessary, he had already started to move, and it rude to use them that way. Of course, it’s easier for a magic user to steer in a storm, someone who could watch better than the pegasus driver, but when skies were clear it was standard for them to not come out at all. “It’s a cute small town, everyone’s friendly. What more could you want?” “You're only saying that because your from Pentroland.” Askepian said tersely. “Come off it.” Portland was the largest city in the Territory, Right where the Warlander river fed into the Marrion, moving back north towards Somnambula. “A small town like this is unimportant, boring. We probably won’t even be hit by a megaspell if they ever throw them. Even if we were, they couldn’t get a big one off here. It’d just hit the factory, and anything less than a full megaspell blast would be a blessing.” Askepian tried for a laugh, but of course, Caduceus wasn’t laughing. “That wasn’t funny.” She said, coldly. “You know perfectly well places near here will get hit if they fly. We may be protected from the eastern launch zones, but a Megaspell might be launched down the Delta and river. Who knows how deadly that blast might be?” Of course she would be worried more than him, Pentroland would get hit if anyone did. It was a far more tempting target than here. “There might not be much here to hit but the factory, but if it did, you’d be sorry.” Quiet filled the air as the flew the last mile to the old lady Jaffa Orange’s house. Askepian couldn’t help but wonder if the munitions factory would be hit, the water that had once been filled with kite surfers, the navy mares who were moving crates to the front line. When they arrived it felt to Asklepian like a blessing. It took him a few seconds to hit the release on his harness and get out once more. By the time he had Caduceus had already knocked on the door and gotten no response. The partners couldn’t know if Ms. Jaffa could respond or not. After they waited as long as they could, they barged in. Thankfully the door was unlocked and they didn’t have to break the nice crystal glass that filled it. They didn’t need Oranges suing the hospital. That would put their asses on the line, and not in a fun way. The decor of the house was old, and almost seemed to be restored. It was unlikely that the house had remained original for all this time, but, when a house was four hundred years old, rich people liked to make that obvious to those who visited. The place looked just like it did in old photos, most of which adorned the walls as the pair walked in. There were even a pair of dueling swords hanging over the doorway as they moved into the sitting room. There was where they found Lady Jaffa Orange. Old money, and it was easy to see. Her hair was up in a crimped chignon style, tied in a little knot at the base of her neck. “Oh, you're finally here.” The old mare said, first looking at Caduceus and then at Askepian with interest and a little bit of disdain. “I was just a bit faint this morning, but after sitting down I blacked out for an hour and I couldn’t get up. Something is dreadfully wrong.” “It’s alright ma’am.” The pegasus said, smiling as his partner began to use her magic to prick the old lady’s arm and test her blood. “We’re here for you,” Caduceus nodded at him, and he nodded back. “We’ll just get you to the hospital, alright?” Caduceus lifted Jaffa up with her magic, and moved her along the halls. Once the old Earth Pony was in the back of the ambulance, she used her magic to lock the door and smiled. “Oh, please, would you leave a note on the door for my dear Clementine. She’s in school right now and she’ll worry so much.” Askepian shrugged and moved back, writing a short note and sticking it to the door. It said that Jaffa was at the hospital and not to worry, but she could visit if she came over. As he put his harness on, Askepian motioned Caduceus to him. “I did a few blood tests” She said, nodding to the back of the cab. “She’s anemic. Celestia knows why, but we really do need to bring her in.” He nodded as she went back and sat with the old mare and he strapped himself in, flying quickly and carefully through the air and to the hospital. Once they arrived, Caduceus took Jaffa out of the back, and began to guide her to the elevator back into the hospital proper, but she was startled and cut off when an explosion crashed through their senses. At first Askepion was horrified, had what he’d just joked about come to pass? But as he looked at the horizon he could see no mushroom cloud over Pentroland. So, what happened? Footnote Askepian Rod Trait Discovered Deep Sleeper: You sleep more soundly than most. You have learned to recover from your flying even when sleeping in uncomfortable places, just as if you were in a bed. Unfortunately, you automatically fail Perception checks to wake up unless you are taking damage or someone spends a full turn waking you up.