//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Chaotic Night // Story: Wasteland Wishes // by OutOfFlames //------------------------------// Herbert and Rainbow Dash had finally arrived near the small settlement called Megaton. Despite it being dark, Megaton was easy to spot because of the nightlights the settlers had scattered across the front, gigantic metal gates to spot possible Raiders or any menace that was daring to invade the place they’ve constructed from scavenged metal from a mile-away airbus station to call their “home”. The settlement had grown so big that all of the usable material found from the airport station was scavenged, which caused the place to become unrecognizable to the point that it no longer exists. It was also built on a small hill, which makes guarding the only entryway, the giant gates, much easier. Aside from Rainbow Dash telling Herbert about Equestria -- from where she came from -- the two adventurers said nothing to each other during the tiresome and long trip to Megaton after the chain of events. But after finally gathered enough courage to say something to Rainbow Dash again, Herbert stopped just before the light exposed them in the darkness. Despite having the courage to say what he had to say, his tone wasn’t as ready, making him talk with a crackling to frightened voice. “Listen, Rainbow Dash... I and Argyle made a deal with one of the most trusted settler of Megaton that was to guarantee our safe-passage into the settlement even if they mistake us for Raider or Slavers due to pitch-black darkness like how it is now. Because the watchmen have been given orders to shoot first, ask later, I made this sign with the secret password that would tell the spotters that it’s just us. Well, me, for now.” Herbert made a sign appear into his hands out of nowhere and he held it high above his head, to show that he had no weapons in his palms and he was a friendly. “You hide behind the shadows for a little longer, I’ll tell you when you can show yourself. They don’t know what you are, so they might shoot you anyways to protect me,” he continued, this time with his normal voice. Rainbow Dash frowned at the thought of how cruel the world she has ended up is. Herbert continued, “Don’t worry. I’ll get you back home where you belong. Maybe I could visit this “Equestria” myself. It would be a nice break from all the radiation, shooting and killing.” Herbert stepped forward, into the range of the torch that was outside Megaton’s borders. He was still holding the sign above his head, hoping that the sheriff mentioned about this deal to everyone on guard-duty and they’d remember it right at this moment. Both stand true, it seems, as he hadn’t been shot yet. “Colin, Herbert Dashwood and Argyle are just near the gates! Shall I let them in?” yelled the sniper on the night-shift guard-duty, who lowered his rifle after confirming the code on the sign and recognizing Herbert’s “charming” facial features. He yelled the question loud enough for even Herbert and Rainbow Dash to hear it. But after that they heard nothing about the conversation the guard and Moriarty were talking about. “Herbert, ye say? Isn’t that the feller that helped us fend off the Raiders back in 2241? Although I appreciate him and his zombie-friend for the impeccable timing, I don’t want that moving body of rottin’ flesh to come and stink up my town. Kill them, that cheapskate Herbert never even bought anything in my bar and always flirted with me money dames and ended up going at it at a discount price. That bastard, I’ll show him to swindle money from me!” responded Colin with an Irish accent and an intimidating tone that was loud enough for the watchman to hear but not loud enough for the wind to send the message to Herbert’s location. The sniper was surprised with the order he was given, as he already had his hand on the switch that opens the main gates to Megaton. He stood still for a moment, processing what he just heard to make sure that his mind wasn’t playing any stupid games on him at an important time like this. “Shoot them? Are you sure? Without them, Megaton wouldn’t have probably survived that assault! I can’t just-“ “Are you going up against me, the town sheriff AND the town mayor?! If I don’t hear two shots being fired from that rifle of yours soon, I’ll have to consider ye a deserter and a traitor. In other words, ye’d have to get your ass out of MY town before the sun gets up or I’ll have the whole settlement gun ye down! Do you understand me?! On the count of three! One! Two!” The sniper, filled with terror from Colin’s threat, took a firm grip of his sniper, got into position and aimed for Herbert’s head that was clear in his sight due to the torches. His index finger was trembling near the trigger. He did not want to kill Herbert or Argyle, because they rescued him for a sure-death situation when the Raiders raided the settlement. His mind was filled with thousands of thoughts, vivid memories of that fateful day flashed before his eyes as the inevitable three seemed to come closer and closer, as if the Grim Reaper was getting closet to Herbert, ready to touch him with his finger and ending his life there and then. But before Colin even got the chance to call out the last number, and the sniper had to shoot, they were interrupted by the sound of footsteps dragging on the sandy ground. They both looked to the direction of the sound and saw one of Megaton’s other residents. “Now, what the hell is your problem, Colin?” asked the young male teenager who was wearing a fine, over-sized duster, a state-of-the-art cowboy hat and holding a Hunting Rifle in his arms. “When did you become the sheriff of this town, let alone the mayor? That’s not something you can just decide on your own. It’s decided by every one of us together. Lower your gun and open the gates, John, I’ll go greet them.” “Don’t get full of ye self, lad! Jus’ because he gave ye that duster doesn’t mean he’s a friend of yours. Why, he probably gave it to ye the last time he was here because he knew ye’d be his easy access inside this place right here 24/7. Think about it! What does he ever do in ‘tis place other than go after me ladies?!” “I bet they could help us with the new Raider problem at our hand. You know, that one who’s caught all those Radscorpions? If there anyone who could take on that guy, it’s them. And besides, those people are forced to be your courtesans because they borrowed money from the wrong guy, namely you, and now they have to pay for it with their own bodies. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have people to welcome.” “Since when were ye, a 12-year-old kid, in charge?! Didn’t ye jus' say it has to be decided by everyone who lives here?” The young boy thought about that question for a moment and came up with a solution that wouldn’t violate what he just said and would be considered a good choice by the settlers. He looked up at the sniper, John, and asked him, “What do you think, John? Would the other settlers open the gates for Herbert and Argyle?” Though it was too dark for Colin or the kid to see John’s facial expression, his joy of hearing the words he wanted to hear from the kid’s mouth spread all the way to the tone of his voice. “Why, they’d probably want to throw another party for the heroes if they’d know it was them out there! I’ll open up the gate immediately!” He holstered his rifle and went for the mechanisms that operated the gates. After a few buttons the gates gave out loud noises while opening themselves. In the middle of it all John had forgotten that Herbert and Argyle had been waiting for a response for quite some time now. He checked to see if they were still there. He saw Herbert, but wondered where Argyle had gone to. When he thought about it a bit more, he didn’t recall even seeing Argyle with Herbert. In any case, he yelled out a response: “Come on in, Herbert and Argyle! Lucas’ waiting for you two by the entrance!” Argyle? Isn’t he Herbert’s “manservant”? Why is he calling out his name as well? Doesn’t he see that he’s not with us? And what took them, anyways?! Herbert said we could sleep here for the night, but at this rate I might fall asleep right there! I’m really tired now... Rainbow Dash had become a bit grumpy from all that waiting and the confusion of mentioning Argyle only seemed to make it worse. “Herbert, you hear that? They’re letting us in! Shall I come out now?” Rainbow Dash waited for a response, but Herbert said nothing and was still standing while holding the sign above his head. After a while Rainbow Dash though he didn’t hear him and tried again. “Are you going, Herbert?” Still nothing. “...Herbert?” She could not wait any longer, as she was feeling as if she would fall asleep at any moment if she continued to stand still while doing nothing. Risking the chance of being shot upon exposing herself, she walked in front Herbert to see why he hasn’t replied to any of her calls. “Hey, what’s the matter with you?! Are you deaf all of a sudden?” Upon getting closer to Herbert from the front she heard snoring. “Herbert... Don’t tell me...” Herbert had fallen asleep before Rainbow Dash because of the long wait period. Rainbow Dash couldn’t, yet again, believe what was happening to her, despite it not being the most bizarre thing to happen to her since the shooting star. It was too much for Rainbow Dash. She suspected from the beginning that this human would cause her to snap a few times, but managing to do so in the very first day they met — twice, for that matter — is something she wasn’t prepared for. She gave out a scream that shattered the silence of the wasteland’s night and started to flap her wings to gain altitude. The scream startled Herbert, awaking him from his sleep and making him jump. "Aaaah! What! Where!?” said Herbert while still half-asleep, looking for the source of the scream. “I can’t believe you, Herbert! You fell asleep, OUT HERE! What kind of an adventurer are you, anyway?!” The long trips from her starting point to Megaton and the lack of sleep and comfort have made Rainbow Dash extremely sensitive and grumpy. She was so angry that she failed to notice the weapon that had appeared into Herbert’s hands. “Huh? Rainbow Dash! What are you doing?! I told you to wait for my signal! Now hide before-“ “Look out, Herbert! There’s an odd, blue-colored creature close to you! I’ll save you!” yelled John who was back from opening the front gates and already had his eyesight inside the scope of his rifle.” The worst-case scenario that Herbert imagined had become reality. John has mistaken Rainbow Dash for some dangerous wasteland critter that he thought was out to get Herbert. Just by reflex he grabbed and threw himself on top of Rainbow Dash to cover her from the potentially lethal shots that could be fired at any second. “Herbert, What are you doing?! Get off of me!” Rainbow Dash tried to struggle her way out of yet another one of Herbert’s grips, kicking him in the stomach multiple times with her hind legs. “I’m warning you Her-“ *BANG* A shot was fired. Herbert was expecting a surge of pain to strike him, but it never happened. Did he hit Rainbow Dash?! He quickly got up just enough that he could see her as a whole. No wounds? Then what did he aim for? He looked around a bit to find that there was a recently-fired bullet just inches away from his right. He looked up to the outpost and his gaze fixated on the dark figure that was the sniper. “Jesus, Herbert! What are you doing?! That thing’s out to get you!” yelled John while still keeping aim at the alien creature who was under Herbert. “She’s not out to get me! She’s my sidekick at the moment! Now, don’t shoot her!” responded Herbert with a voice as loud as the sniper’s. “Sidekick?!” John was now confused, as he had thought from the very beginning, ever since 2241, that Argyle was his sidekick. He began to wonder if something had happened to Argyle. Hah! What am I thinking?! Nobody could beat that martial arts expert even if he had his hands tied behind his back! “Sorry about that, Herbert’s sidekick! I’ll get down from here before anything else can happen!” He walked back to the room with the switches and buttons that control the outer gates. Inside the room was also a small hatch from where he could climb down out from the outpost. Herbert finally got off Rainbow Dash and was expecting a kick in the head or two for calling him a “she”. “Look, Rainbow Dash... I’m sorry. I was just thinking about protecting you and in the midst of that I blurted out something stupid.” Rainbow Dash lied on the ground for a while longer, not knowing of that to think. She got up and thought about what Herbert said. “What... What do you mean? I-I don’t think you said anything strange.” She was in a small shock because of hearing a gunshot for the first time and the bullet landing so close to her she heard the impact. “I didn’t? But didn’t it offend you that I called you a girl?” For a moment, Rainbow Dash had a different opinion about Herbert. His heroic action to protect her from danger showed her that he had the spirit of an adventurer who cares for his companion in him, but that last sentence he said changed her opinion about him once again back to the one she had before the save. “Offensive?! I find it offensive that you think that I’m a stallion! Of all the things you...” “Wow... so you’re a real horse?” said a voice Rainbow Dash hadn’t heard before, interrupting her anger moment and making her, once again, very cautious. “Who’s there?!” said Rainbow Dash. The voice came from towards Megaton, but it was closer than that. Herbert recognized the voice and finally lowered the guard he had put up when Rainbow Dash seemed like she was going to give him another kick. He squint his eyes to try to see the person who was near in front of them, but he really didn’t need to because he already had a pretty good idea to who the voice belonged to. “That voice... Simms, is that you?” Lucas had walked towards Herbert and his companion from the front gates because it was taking them too long to get to the gates and he increased his pace a bit when John fired a shot. He had gotten so close they could hear his footsteps now. However, he stopped before he got to the light of the torches. “Yes. It’s me. And please stop calling me by my last name... It feels weird... I apologize for John shooting you and your companion, but we have to hurry back inside. That raider might strike again anytime soon, and I’m not willing to let that happen.” Raiders were a constant problem for the settlers of Megaton, as they have taken the ruins of Fairfax as one of their hideouts. The ruins are located a distance to the South from Megaton, but the path between them is usually only infested with dogs Molerats or Bloatflies. Herbert and Argyle had cleared out the ruins back in 2241, when the Raiders raided Megaton and almost obliterating the settlement off the Capital Wasteland, yet it appears that they’re at it once again and causing bane to Megaton. Moving towards Lucas and Megaton, Herbert knew his help would be needed once again. And especially after being separated from his manservant by people who fall into the same category, he couldn’t help but feel as Megaton was doing him a favor at the moment. “Raiders, you say? You need help in stopping them? I don’t know if I can do it without Argyle, but I’m sure I can manage by myself.” He looked behind him to check if Rainbow Dash was coming along with them, but he turned his head back forwards as soon as he saw the angry gaze Rainbow Dash was giving. “Ha-hah... Did I say by myself? I meant that I and Rainbow Dash can take care of them for you.” Following Herbert and Lucas to Megaton, Rainbow Dash stepped up her pace until he was next to Herbert. She objected his help-offering and said to him with a tone not loud enough for Lucas to hear what she was saying, “Are you crazy? What about me?” “What do you mean, Rainbow Dash?” “I mean that have you already forgotten what you promised me a while ago. How am I supposed to get back home if you decide to go on a stupid adventure to help these guys? And what’s worse, you’re taking me with...” Rainbow Dash stopped speaking before she could finish her sentence. Even if her wish didn’t come true the way she wanted, it was about to be fulfilled part-ways, to say the least. Going on an adventure to help these settlers? I’m not sure if I’m going to like it as much with Herbert, but it’s going to give me a chance to experience something I’ve always wanted ever since I read Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone. Adventure, the thrill of danger and, the best part, treasure! “Hey! Rainbow Dash! Where did you go?!” Herbert yelled when he arrived at the front gates with Lucas and noticed that she was not close to him. In the pitch-black darkness it was harder to detect the cyan-coated mare who was small to begin with. She stopped walking when she realized she could be going on her very first adventure in this vast wasteland. She only noticed after Herbert’s yell that she had fallen quite behind, still being at the bottom of the small hill while the other two were at the top. “...What? Oh! I’m here!” she responded, running up the hill and reaching the top with only seven large steps. “So... When are we going to get those Raiders?” Lucas was still amazed how advanced the "Giddyup Buttercup" robot horses had become, as not only did the small horse look real, though a bit strange colored, its moves were completely fluent, it could talk like a human AND it included working wings. He’d been told that the manufacturer factory was wiped out in the nuclear explosions and robot horses were never made. But he didn’t understand why it acted like it was... tired. Slight swaying, wobbling and yawning often; Rainbow Dash showed signs that a person would show when he or she’s very tired. Wasn’t the base of Equestrian Robotic’s idea that the horses would not need any water, food or rest? Why is this one so tired-looking? He knew the robot was going to hear what he was going to say, but he figured it was just a robot so he just asked Herbert straight, “Hey Herbert... About your... sidekick. Where did you find it? I thought the Giddyup Buttercup’s factory and research lab was destroyed in the bombings?” Since Lucas was only 12 years old, Herbert had to kneel down a little to be able to speak directly into his ear. With a soft yet serious tone he said, “Now now, Lucas... She’s not a robot. She’s a Pegasus from this place called Equestria. She can speak English as well as we do and she can think for herself.” He looked back at Rainbow Dash to see if she heard that but it seems that she was more focused in her thoughts than what Lucas said just now. Just a moment ago she was bursting with anger. Why is she smiling that widely? And are those... sparks coming out of her eyes? It was the first time Herbert had seen her smile since earlier that day when she stumbled into Capital Wasteland. “Rainbow Dash, is everything okay?” She did not respond. She was deep in her thoughts due to adventure being involved. Treasure... I wonder what kind of treasure this place bears. In Daring Do and the Desert’s Amethyst Palace, the treasure was never heard of until her vigorous studies on the matter. The clues hinted her adventure towards the Chameleons’ Desert. It was the perfect hiding place for precious, stolen jewels because one expected anything to be found in the middle of a scorching desert. Another reason for it being well-hidden is because the thieving Unicorn managed to build-up aliases for every suspicion the police had on him regarding to the jewel robberies. Not only were the stolen jewels stashed in an underground palace, it was also the home for an amethyst that shone brighter than an ordinary amethyst and, according to legends, was the reason of distrust towards Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. The amethyst was. Tre actually made by Discord just moments before he was petrified by the two rulers of Equestria and its purpose was to turn the citizens against their saviors. The Unicorn had been using its powers to make those around him turn to his side, which is why his stories were in synch with the “witnesses”, who suddenly did not see a Unicorn rob the stores, but an Earth Pony whose coat was of yellow and was famous for discovering valuable treasures and going on adventures. In other words, Daring Do herself. This place... This is almost like a desert except the nights don’t seem to be cold and we survived a day’s travel without me even taking a drop of water to drink. There has to be some kind of treasure hidden by somepony around here somewhere. Come to think of it, I’m quite thirsty right now... My throat’s all dried up. “Rainbow Dash!” Herbert had been constantly calling for Rainbow Dash when she was in her deep thoughts, wondering that is Rainbow Dash able to sleep with her eyes open. And if she does, the curious question of whether your eyes send out sparks whenever you’re sleeping buzzed inside his head. Rainbow Dash finally snapped out of it and heard the calling. She tried to say something in response, but before she had realized it her throat had gone so dry that it became very difficult to even send out a sound from the vocal cords. “W... water!” she managed to dish out in the midst of her panic of dehydration. She looked around for a source of water. In the inner-side of the metal walls was much brighter than expected when you look at the place from the outer-side of the walls. Torches were placed across the small settlement to help navigation and avoiding accidental deaths from walking to the wrong place, like walking towards a makeshift fence and falling a great height. The shape of the ground was that of a crater’s, with the middle being at the deepest. There were standing building, but because of the whole place being one, big bowl the building had to be made on human-made even grounds which seemed very unsafe and unstable, since the supports were made out of scrap metal without proper welding in both the welding materials and skills. Pipes were connected around the place and they were on the ground instead of under. She could hear something flowing within the pipes and she had a pretty good hunch about what liquid was flowing within them. Though she said it quite incomprehensibly, Lucas had a pretty good idea about what she said because of how she was staring intensively at the piping. With the mixed feelings of her being not a robot but an actual horse in the flesh, he proceeded towards John who had climbed down from his guard post using a rope-ladder and was eager to welcome—after apologizing to the for his bad judgement— the two guests from which one is seemingly having some kind of trouble. “John, get them both a cold glass of purified water. They must be thirsty from the looks of it. I think your patrolling shifts are soon not needed, Herbert might be able to help up with that Raider.” “You think so? I believe so! I’ll go get them some fresh water right now!” Without either greeting the guests or apologizing to them, John headed to the center of the settlement and then before reaching the center he went up a makeshift path that was made on top of a metal house, Megaton's medical clinic, which was then a catwalk all the way to the “second floor” of Megaton, where the water purifier facility is located. But he was sure to do both of them once he brings them the refreshment they so badly need. After seeing John head to get the guests of the hour some refreshments, Lucas turned towards Herbert and his sidekick. “When the two of you are ready, come to my home. You can sleep there for the night. I also have to keep you to your words, Herbert, as that Raider has been causing a lot of grief to us lately. As always, my home’s the one on the right.” “You’ve been constantly talking about one Raider. Is one really giving you that much trouble?” Herbert replied, puzzled about a strong fortification as Megaton having trouble with a single Raider. “It’s not just that Raider... It’s his companion’s that are causing us burden... I’ll explain it to you in greater detail back inside my house. I’ll leave the door unlocked for you two.” He walked towards his home and vanished inside without even opening the door. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash had stopped gazing at the pipe lining and was pulling Herbert’s pants in the way you’d like someone to pay attention to you as you have something important to announce. Herbert looked at her, wondering why she didn’t just call him out loud. She pointed down to the middle of the settlement, noticing something big in the center, at the bottommost part. What she was pointing at was, what she though, a giant piece of metal where another human was nearby. Herbert finally noticed what she was trying to ask him. “You’re wondering what that thing is? Why... that’s just one of the nuclear warheads that was used in the bombings about two-hundred years ago, back in 2077.” Rainbow Dash’s face was almost instantly filled with panic, as she was now face-to-face with one of the reasons the place she’d end up in was a wasteland. “But don’t you worry about that thing,” Herbert continued, “Since it hasn’t blown up, it’s safe to assume that it’s a dud. But more importantly, why aren’t you talking? Is something the matter? Just a moment ago you seemed... happy. But now you’re acting as if you’re in a desperate need to drink some water or something.” Why won’t you understand?! I NEED water now more than ever! “But if you ever need a drink, don’t drink that water near the bomb. It’s-“ Before he got the chance to warn her about the water, she was rushing towards it. “Rainbow Dash! Don’t drink that water! It’s radiated!” He tried to warn her, but his words fell in deaf ears. He started chasing her down the crater, but was cut-off quite quickly by a familiar voice. “Well, well... If it isn’t good ol’ Herbert Dashwood. What brings ye to Megaton at this hour of the day? And where’s that zombie-friend of ye’s? Is it finally dead for good and six-feet under? As much as his body urged him to warn Rainbow Dash about the water, he couldn’t let him go after talking like so about his best friend, even if he was a ghoul and tended to smell off constantly. He turned towards the man: “You haven’t changed one bit after these years, Colin. And as for Argyle, we were ambushed by a bunch of Raiders while we were trying to retrieve the stolen statue’s head of Abraham Lincoln back into Rivet City. But enough about me; how about you? How’s your saloon doing after your father passed away in that... incident?” Colin never liked his father. Constantly pushing him to do things, never giving him time to rest, or any free-time for that matter, the other settlers saw him as a trustworthy man who knew what he was doing and contributed to the small settlement’s welfare. Colin’s father, who liked to be addressed by his last name, Moriarty, had started a saloon in Megaton to keep the laborer’s morale on the positive side while they worked hard through day and night to get the metal walls up around Megaton, when they still were vulnerable to the wasteland’s threats. After he passed away in the Raider’s raid, his saloon was handed to his only son, Colin Moriarty, who felt grateful for the Raider who let out the executing shot. In order to feel as important to other as his father did, Colin also wanted everyone to address him as Moriarty instead of calling him by his lame name his mother gave him. Colin and his father left to the United States from Ireland when he was only a child, leaving her behind in search for sustainable income in the post-apocalyptic world. He hasn’t been in contact with her after departure and he intends to keep it that way. Even after his death he does not like hearing people talking about his father, the “great” and “considering” fellow, as only he knew his dark, sadistic side. He snapped when he heard him ask about that one person he detests the most. “Don’t ye even dare ta mention the bastard! He was a bastard when he was alive and he still is one!” Colin headed towards his saloon infuriated while Herbert stood back and wondered if he really said something that insulting. “Ye better say away from me saloon, ye hear?! Yer. not. welcome! Not ye or that metal horse of ye’s! The mention of a metal horse made Herbert’s gears grind hard, as he felt as if he was forgetting something... Something important; something important that had something to do with a horse. Then it hit him. Noticing that Colin had vanished far away, back into his saloon which is in the other side of Megaton, he looked to the middle in the hopes that he wouldn’t see her near the water. While Herbert stopped to chatter with Colin, she arrived near the puddle of water, ready to take a long, refreshing sip, she heard the man near the bomb saying something out loud. She had no interest in what he was saying, as every cell in her body was craving for water. Nevertheless she couldn’t help but overhear what the man was saying. “Come and drink the blessed water of Atom, and gain the protection of our saviour.” The man was a preacher, which is why he was talking even though most were already in their beds getting some sleep and the ones who were out had heard the words a dozen times before so they’ve gotten used to hearing them without turning to the source. The water tasted like a treat from heaven when it went down her dried-up throat. She felt like all of her exhaustion vanished in an instant. After taking a few gulps she felt like she had to savor the water inside her mouth. She twirled her tongue around the water after taking some more and suddenly she got the urge to vomit, but before she even could fight back the gag-reflexes she threw up all she just drank back into the puddle. “Fyi! What’s wrong with this water?! It tastes disgusting!” She had regained the ability to talk fluently after getting some water down her throat, but now her stomach felt a bit sick. The pain felt very small, so she ignored it and she didn’t feel it. “Do not reject Atom’s gift, as it is the only thing that is keeping us safe in this time of need!” said the preaching with the voice he was preaching just a moment ago. “’Atom’s gift’? But it tastes terrible!” “That is because you don’t believe in Atom. Be careful, as he does not take kindly to non-believers! Those who reject his gift shall feel strong pains as punishment for disloyalty!” The mentioning of pain brought back her small pain in the stomach. Only that it wasn’t as small as she remembered. The pain had seemingly grown so much that just standing seemed to be a burden. She held back the urges to groan and moan from the pain and little sweat was starting to form on her face. “Do you not believe me now? Atom is dissatisfied with your behavior. But fear not! Though Atom is unforgiving to those who don’t believe in him, he forgives those who understand him and accept him as their protector and saviour, no matter how strong of a grudge they had towards him beforehand. This is because we are all children of Atom. Now come, drink Atom’s holy water and accept him as your savior! Only this will remove the pain of punishment!” Rainbow Dash never believed in superstitious things, but the pain, the water and the words the man just said; they all suddenly made sense to her and she believed everything he said about Atom, his protection and punishment. Standing was becoming unbearable to her so she sat down near the pond of water. She was still puzzled about why a weapon that has destroyed all green is soaking in a pond of Atom’s water. She came up with her own answer that was based off what she had heard from the man and it was the deciding answer which made her want to try to drink the water once again; Atom had poured a small amount of rain water into the crater, which then drooled down to the middle of the crater where it protected the settlement from the nuclear bomb by making it deactivate upon touching. She had heard enough, she was now a loyal servant of Atom. As she began to slowly take another mouthful of her savior’s blessed water, which was difficult with her pain seemingly becoming greater by the moment, she was pulled away from the pond before her lips could touch the water. Though the pull was gentle and was done with little strength, the pain she felt was so immense that she almost passed out. But even so, she didn’t let out a scream of pain. Wobbling from the agony, she tried to look behind her to see who’s doing it, but she recognized the voice before her head turned enough to see the face. “Rainbow Dash, what are you doing! I told you not to drink that water, it’s irradiated! If you’re not careful, the radiation can leave a painful side-effect in your stomach-region! Hopefully you haven’t drunk any of it yet, have you?!” It was no-one else but Herbert himself, who has rushed down towards Rainbow Dash after wasting time in a pointless conversation with Colin. Rainbow Dash tried to fight back, but the pain in her stomach had become so painful that even the simplest movement seemed to worsen the pain. “Let... me go... Herbert... I must drink... the gift of Atom to... gain his protection and forgiveness.” “What are you saying?! That’s not a gift and there’s no such guy as “Atom” in this settlement! Unless he has moved in recently, but I find that highly unbelievable since you can’t just become a resident here like that.” “No... Atom is real! He’s punishing me for not accepting his gift...! But He’ll forgive me... when I accept his gift!” Her being the Element of Loyalty is one of the reasons why she’s so... loyal. The preacher’s words have also dug deep into her noggin. “Ah, if it isn’t Herbert Dashwood. Have you come to ask Atom’s forgiveness, as well? I know you don’t believe in Atom, but the proof is right before your eyes! She forsook His gift and now is being punished for it!” The preacher hadn’t left for even a second and witnessed the strange creature’s belief towards Atom. “I thank you for your generosity, but I still don’t believe in this whole “Atom” thing. And if you cannot see, my sidekick needs me right now!” Herbert responded. “So there you two are! I thought you two were already at Lucas’ house, but he said you two still hadn’t arrived.” John had gone to Lucas’ house, thinking that Lucas would invite them to stay there for the night. But since neither of them was there, he went back out with the two bottles filled with cold, purified water straight from the water filterer. Herbert was worried about Rainbow Dash. She was not acting like the pony he met earlier, the one who seemed to get angry about even the slightest mistakes and had kicks that would literally drop your jaw if she ever kicked it. He turned towards John while still having a gentle grip on Rainbow Dash. “Quickly John, give her some water! She’s being delusional!” John swiftly unscrewed the cap of one bottle and placed the head so that the contents would flow into Rainbow Dash’s mouth. If what she drank just a moment ago felt heavenly, then this one was something that felt beyond that what tasted even better than fresh apple cider. She had re-hydrated herself enough that tears formed in her eyes and then they ran down her cheeks. The drink made her forget all about her stomach pain. She emptied her bottle’s content fast and was still sucking even after, causing the bottle to become wrinkled and shrunken. Nevertheless she felt thirsty still. John noticed this and he figured Herbert could wait a little longer. He opened the second bottle, this time going a bit more slowly than with the first. At about halfway through the bottle she seemed as if she’d had enough. Herbert was relieved, to say the least. “Hey, Rainbow Dash... Are you okay?” “Yeah... Yeah, I’m okay. I never thought water could taste as refreshing as it did just now.” “Can you walk?” “Yeah, I-“ She had forgotten about it after she got the water, but as soon as she tried to get up she felt it; the pain she was suffering from a moment ago seemed to surge back, causing her to fall on her side in agony. She tried to tell him about the pain, but now even talking hurt. “Get a hold of yourself! This is bad, John! I think she might be suffering from a dangerous amount of radiation!” “What?! Radiation?! A-are you sure? And from where would she have gotten radiation?” John looked at the atomic bomb and afterwards at the puddle which had been there for the past three months or so. “Oh no... She didn’t drink THAT water, did she?!” He looked intensively at Herbert first and then at the preacher, who never left his spot unless he was taking a break or sleeping. “The blue-one drank some of Atom’s gift, but then she rudely spat out some. Atom is displeased with her!” answered the preacher, who felt insulted by Herbert’s and John’s behavior towards his beliefs. He continued, “But perhaps Atom is punishing her for your insolence! All three of you have angered Atom and now He’s punishing her!” Herbert paid no mind to what he said and responded with what he had always answered to him: “That’s just nonsense! I don’t believe in this fellow named Atom and I doubt I ever will.” He then turned back towards John with a more serious attitude. “John, where’s the Doc at the moment? I can tell from my experience I’ve gained from my adventures that these are symptoms of a dangerous radiation poisoning, but you can never be too sure with illnesses.” “The Doc’s at the medical clinic, but not how you think... At any rate, we should get her in there anyway! We should try some Radaway first, if what you say is true.” “What do you mean? If he’s in there, he’s most likely willing to help us for a payment." "No, what I mean is... He's there, but not as the doctor; he's one of the patients now, I'm afraid." His explanation sounded to Herbert like a joke, but his expression told him that he was serious about it. "He's a patient now? As in, he's one of the unconscious at the moment? How did that happen? No, forget about that for now, let's get her into the clinic now! I'm quite sure that this just radiation poisoning, let's give her some Radaway and hope she'll get better from just that." "Right!" John was already heading towards the clinic to unlock the doors. Herbert gently raised Rainbow Dash to his arms and walked towards the clinic, which was the house to the right of them. Upon entering the first thing that caught Herbert's eyes was the room right in front of him; the patient's room. One of those patients was Megaton's doctor, who was unconsciously lying on one of the three beds, along with two other patients. John knew it would confuse him, so he explained what had happened to them. "He and the other two were attacked by Radscorpions. And not just the smaller ones, they were attacked by one that was bigger and white all around. That one must've had some stronger poison, because they have been like that for two days now... I'm not even sure if they'll ever wake up again." "But... What are Radscorpions doing-" Herbert was interrupted by a groan of pain emitted by Rainbow Dash. "Can you see Radaway anywhere here?!" Herbert eyed the whole place, trying to locate a single bag of Radaway. He looked left from the patients' room and he saw the empty table behind some curtains which was most-likely used as a operation table. His arms were getting tired from the carrying. Even if she's small... she's heavy! Got to get her on that table. He laid her carefully onto the table and then continuing his search for Radaway. Obviously, if he wanted to find some he'd best check the doc's room first, which was right behind him now, to the left from the doorway leading to the entrance. "There should be some in the medical cabinet next to the computer, we took the key from the doc's pocket when we brought him here and we tried injecting him with everything we thought would help... But to no avail. The cabinet's key is next to the PC." The stomach pain was intense, but that last sentence brought her attention to another thing, It didn't take much for her to realize what they were up to. Did he say... inject?! Does that mean they used n-n...needles?! No, they're just kidding me.. heh-heh... And besides, where would they even get needles? She calmed down, but the pain overwhelmed her once again, leaving her immobilized still. She had been lied down so that she saw the doc's room right in front of her. She watched as Herbert unlocked the cabinet and searched its contents for this thing called "Radaway". "Aha! Found one! Let's hope this does the trick!" yelled Herbert. She finally saw what a Radaway looked like, and it didn't please her. She paid no attention to what the Radaway itself looked like, but to the container; the plastic bag was orange coloured, due to the orange liquid within it, with a small tube connecting to a needle.. Her needle phobia gave her enough strength to overcome her stomach pain and move some. She got off the table, falling on her side and causing a loud thump. The impact amplified her pain, but her fear of needles was stronger and tried to make a break for the entrance. She saw no obstacles, but all of a sudden a huge figure stood in her way in front of the doorway. It was John, who had left the Radaway search to Herbert and tried to see if he could do anything to the three unconscious patients. The loud sound from Rainbow Dash falling off the table caught his attention and he rushed to the "operating room", as it didn't sound like a mug or a scalpel or anything in-animated that fell. He saw Rainbow Dash barely on her feet, staggering towards him until she touched his legs. "Rainbow Dash, where are you going? If this is caused by radiation poisoning, you need to take a dose of Radaway before you get worse. Herbert, get that Radaway over here!" "Why is Rainbow Dash over there?!" asked Herbert who turned back from the doc's room noticing that the table he laid her on was empty. He only saw her after completely exiting the room." She was struggling to stay on her hooves, yet she was determined to escape outside and get as far away from the needle as possible. While trying to push John's legs out of the way, she said: "No... needle... I don't want..." John finally grabbed her and brought her back onto the table. She had expanded all her energy she had left and now she was almost motionlessly lying on the table again. Herbert noticed this and realized that she has to get a dose right now. He didn't know where to administer the Radaway, since he's never seen an actual horse take one, so he looked for the best possible spot on her body while calming her down. "Listen, Rainbow Dash... I don't like needles myself. I still cringe a bit when I have to take a Stimpack, but the pain caused by the needles is nothing compared to the pain it helps take away, when you think about it. I assure you, this needle will make you feel a LOT better... Um, where does your doctor usually place one?" "...Front-right leg," she responded. Herbert stuck the needle to where she said and the contents began to flow from the tube. He looked at her face, following if it was radiation poisoning she was suffering from or if it was something more dire that required the knowledge a doctor would have. This better work... After all, I did promise her I'd get her back to her home. She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to see when the needle was going to be stuck in her. She held her eyes closed tightly, preparing for the inevitable sting that comes when a needle pierces the coat. In her mind it feels like it's taking ages, as if seconds suddenly became minutes. In the midst of all this she also felt herself getting more relieved, the pain in her stomach disappearing, just like it did when John first mentioned about injecting something to the other patients and when she first saw what a Radaway was. I'm so scared again, the pain is just... fading away. Get on with it, already! This anxiety is killing me... "...Okay. That's the last drop. How are you feeling now?" Herbert said after a minute of silence. "I feel like this waiting is killing me! Are you going to use that thing or not?!" answered Rainbow Dash, still holding her eyes tightly shut and waiting for the needle. "What are you talking about? I've already placed the needle on your front-right leg... Now that you mentioned it, I need to pull it out now." She felt the annoying tingle that comes when someone tries to remove a needle but does it recklessly and moves the needle a lot on its way out. She never like that feel either, but she was confused; she had not felt any pain when the needle was placed there. In fact, she hadn't realized until now that, while she was busy anticipating the needle and preparing herself mentally, Herbert had already place it there and the contents had been flowing into her while she thought that he was making some sort of preparations. She looked at her front-right leg and saw a drop of blood ooze out of the hole caused by the needle before John placed a patch above it. She then proceeded to carefully press her stomach to see if it hurts. It must've looked a bit weird for the other two, but she didn't mind that at the moment. She only felt some pain when she pressed too hard. "So... How are you feeling now?" asked Herbert, unsure of whether to take her actions as a good thing or a bad thing. "It still hurts a little, but I can move again without feeling pain," she answered. "It is common wasteland logic to let a doctor give you the Radaway if one is nearby, as they have a deeper understanding of radiation than those who have no medical knowledge. I've gained some experience about using Radaway more efficiently, but there's more to it than what I know. Maybe we should give you another dose, just to be sure." Rainbow Dash didn't like the sound of that, as she still doesn't like needles, even though that previous one didn't feel anywhere. But before she could respond, John was already giving a negative expression. "I'm afraid we can't give her another one just for "safety"... We're low on Radaway at the moment, mostly because of those three over there. In order to combat the poison, we even tried giving them Radaway and hoped that it would at least help them regain consciousness, but to no avail. The few Radaway we have here have to be kept for the cases when someone accidentally drinks irradiated water or eats irradiated food and gets radiation poisoning from them." "...I guess there's no other way around it. Sorry, Rainbow Dash. Although I'm sure you wouldn't need another one right now, since you don't show any radiation poisoning symptoms at the moment." Rainbow Dash did not respond immediately and jumped off the table, this time landing on her hooves perfectly."Sorry"? I should be thanking John for saying no for me! Who invented injections, anyway...? It's not fun at all... But that one did help take away the pain. "Don't worry about it..." "Okay. Say, John... All this excitement has made me thirsty. You think you could get a bottle of water?" "Of course! But then I'll have to get back to guard duty, that Raider might've sent some Radroaches here already... But the two of you shouldn't worry about that; that's my responsibility. I'll go get you two another bottle, so just head on to Lucas' home and relax for the rest of the night. If you wish to help us, you might be going up against that Raider tomorrow." John went back and checked the patients once more before setting out of the house. At the same time, Herbert went back to the medical cabinet and he took out two Stimpacks. Rainbow Dash did not like it how he was going through the medical supplies, much less how he took two things from there which had long needles at the end. "H-Herbert! What are you doing?! Put those away!" she said. "He did say we might have to deal with a bunch of Radscorpions, so we need to prepare ourselves. Don't worry, I'll inform Lucas that we'll need these supplies with us if we are to survive. Now... We'd best get back to his house. He must be tired of waiting for us." "I guess you're right... I am exhausted... Could... Could you carry me there? I think I'll fall mid-way if I try to get back up now." This was an odd request for Herbert, as from the very first time they met they had an unstable relationship. "Carry? Not a problem, Rainbow Dash." "Oh... About that... You can just call me "Dashie". Every friend of mine does." "Dashie?... Very well. Not a problem, Dashie." Just as he was picking her up, he added: "After all, an adventurer has to take good care of his sidekicks". That changed Rainbow Dash's mood, as he seemingly managed to add another unnecessary comment. And she suddently regretted the offer she just gave. "...Just get us to Lucas' house." The two of them exited the clinic, headed up the crater and then came upon Lucas' home. The door was unlocked, so they got in without problems. Inside, Lucas was waiting for them at the other end of a dining table, which had food and two bottles of water on it. The first floor had only one room, of which the kitchen took a great deal. To the left of Lucas and the dining table was a staircase that led to the second floor. "So you two finally came." he said with a calmed voice, not annoyed a bit about them taking their time. "Sorry, Lucas... Rainbow Dash went and drank some of the irradiated water from the puddle in the middle... We had to give her some Radaway to get rid of some of the radiation. We might need another one soon, as I doubt one even got most of it out of her systems... And I took a few Stimpacks from the doc's cabinet. We'll need them tomorrow if we are to go against this Raider and his stingy friends." said Herbert while putting down Rainbow Dash and grabbing for a bottle of water.. Then he turned towards her again. "Come on, Rain... Dashie. Join us, have some more water if you're thirsty still." She only let out a sigh and proceeded tiredly towards the table. She looked at the chairs and decided it was better if she sat on the table. "I doubt I can sit in one of these... Could I sit on the table instead?" "Go ahead. Make yourself comfortable. There are two beds upstairs that you two can sleep in. I'm going to sleep at Moriarty's Saloon today, I have to instruct the settlers on how to survive against Radscorpions before they go scavenging for more metal and me and Moriarty have to do some preparations. He's a pain in the ass to work with, but the settlers seem to listen to him more than they do to me." He then gave out a long yawn while heading towards the front door. Before he exited the house, he said: "Good night, you two." The two of them looked at the door, confused by Lucas' behavior, but soon realized that perhaps he didn't want to prolong their already long night any more. They then continued to eat their food until their plates were empty. Wasteland food tends to have lost freshness and taste because of improper storage and exposure to radiation, yet neither complained about the taste, despite it tasting like an old rag. In the middle of his meal, it occurred to Herbert. I'd be lying if I say that this food has no exposure to radiation... I wonder how Rainbow Dash will hold up? Maybe I should go get one Radaway, just in case something like that happens again... I'll visit the clinic once more before we depart tomorrow. I'm too tired to go down there again right now. They finished their meals without exchanging words, and as soon as she was done eating, Rainbow Dash walked towards the stairs and up them. Herbert followed her as soon as he finished his. The second floor had two rooms. Lucas had already gone to his own room, which was closest to the stairs. To the right was another room. Both had a bed and a nightstand, but the one closer to the stairs also had its own wardrobe, most likely storing Lucas' clothing and other big utilities such as a shotgun. They looked at each other and were trying to figure out who sleeps where? Herbert decided not to make a fuss about it, so he just said: "You take this one, I'll sleep here." and went inside his room, the one that was further. "Okay... Don't wake me up, I like to wake up by myself." she said while going into her room. "I'll try not to, but I might have to if we have to move out. Good night." "...Yeah. Good night." Both of them closed their doors and headed towards their beds. Rainbow Dash jumped onto hers and noticed how much more comfortable this one was compared to the one she broke when she first arrived to this place. The softness of the mattress, the warmth of the blanket and the puffiness of the pillow. They all felt so heavenly that it practically took her only ten seconds to fall asleep.