//------------------------------// // 4 - It's a Sin to Tell a Lie // Story: Fallout Equestria: An Honest Soul // by _STELLAR //------------------------------// Chapter 4: It's a Sin to Tell a Lie The Surface. Now you all at home, or on the train, or wherever you're reading this, ought to know the world around you as green and blue and white and other colours, with life all around, and people everywhere. At least I hope you do. Otherwise the world in your point in history is vastly different to when this story was written. And if it is, then you might have an idea of what I was soon to be looking at. Before I saw the open world though, there was a tunnel. Though the walls in Stable Two were - say it with me, now - grey, what was beyond the gear shaped door was different. All any of us could see was black. One after the other, we activated our Pip-Buck lamps. A yelp followed shortly after, as Ella found something that shocked yet fascinated me. In the green light projected by Ella's Pip-Buck, I saw the skull of a long dead pony, along with its skeleton. In fact, there were a hoofful of skeletons by the entrance. As fascinating as it was to see the real thing that I had seen in diagrams at school when I was younger, I couldn't help but notice their cracked hooves. They were trying to get in. Brandy put his hoof on my shoulder. His somber smile lifted my spirits slightly. But my eyes kept returning to the pony remains. "Let's keep moving. These ponies aren't doing your head any good, AB." Isaw Ella was taking it just as well as I was. And she was a doctor. All these dead ponies must have been eating her up inside. So we made haste. Clearly we were in a tunnel, and if our grandparents could get in 200 years ago, then we could get out now. At the end of the tunnel was a metal ramp, under a large, grey cloth covering the entrance, acting as just another wall in the tunnel. I saw it as a door, however. We were in front of the ramp, and all three of us were hesitant to even touch the cloth, much less move it. Ella was the one who had the guts to step up and engulf the bottom with her magic, waiting just long enough so that if either of us wanted to stop her we would, then she raised it, revealing the open world to the tunnel. One by one we left the tunnel and out into the cold night on the surface of Equus. And there we sat. Three friends. Barely out of the cradle, much less the Stable, staring at the cloud filled sky. We saw no stars, unlike the illustrations at school, nor did we see the moon, but the wind in our ears was a foreign sensation that, at least I, welcomed. But was anyone else getting woozy looking at the sky? "Blaargh!" Ella was vomiting. Okay. Glad it wasn't just me. And Brandy? Woah, was he crying? He was staring out into the world around him with his hooves covering his mouth. "We finally did it," he whispered as I rubbed my hoof on Ella's back. "We left. We're actually, really, out." The Surface. It didn't look as healthy as the Orchard, and that was saying something, but I was sure it looked better during the day. I was just glad it wasn't the face-melting-hot hellscape that I was imagining. I was curious about what was out there. Were the Steel Rangers bad compared to the rest of the world? Or were they just children playing dress up? The thought scared me. It also made me want to meet the ponies out here. How many were still alive? Surely there were some good people out here? People worth protecting from ponies like the Steel Rangers, or Raddragons. Actually, scratch that. If you're being attacked by a raddragon, you're on your own. "He he he." Oh, all I had to do was think something funny and then you make a peep? "Sorry, darling. But I just imagine you trying to slap at a dragon's heel with your flimsy front hooves, and it makes me giggle." Hah. Flimsy? As if. These arms are just as strong as the back ones were, missy. "Hm. Your right one certainly is." "AB, is the radiation heating up your face or something?" Brandy asked, catching my beet red face. "Hah. Uh maybe? Oh I don't, I think all this..." I waved at the world in front of us "this is over stimulating me. Let's just go look around and see what's what." Damnit, Suki. Stop making me look weird. So we set off, in no particular direction. Not like I had much of a choice, as Ella was wheeling me to whatever direction we were headed. We seemed to be on some old farmland. There was the odd 'tree' here and there that looked burnt and black, and made the Stable's trees look like Deadmare's Oak by comparison. "Huh, what's this?" said Brandy. I noticed him fiddling with his Pip-Buck. "Sweet Apple Acres..." I opened the map on my Pip-Buck, a rarely used feature in the Stable, and sure enough, there we were. Just outside the gear shaped icon was 'Sweet Apple Acres.' Scrolling through his Pip-Buck, he pushed a button. Then we heard static, followed by a voice fading into existence. "Hello, chiiiildren! How are ya'll doing this fine Wasteland evening? The voice from the Pip-Buck was a voice that pretty much everyone in the Wasteland was familiar with, except, as it turned out, for us three. "Listen, children, I've got a question for all of you. Have you ever told someone you love them, when it wasn't quite true? Sure you have. Well you shouldn't. Because it's a sin to tell a lie." The buck on the radio chuckled, then something magical happened. Music. Not music about the Stable. Not music about camaraderie. Music about sin, and what it does to people. Never before had Velvet Remedy sang a song about something negative. The idea seemed new to me. Foreign. And I liked it. "Then maybe you should listen. This was one of Applejack's favourites." Listening to the soft tune of the music's guitar, we travelled onward. When the chorus began, we spotted in the distance what looked to be a town. Be sure it's true when you say I love you It's a sin to tell a lie Millions of hearts have been broken Just because these words were spoken I love you, yes I do, I love you If you break my heart I'll die So be sure it's true When you say I love you It's a sin to tell a lie I was glad I was being wheeled. My mind was so focused on the song that I probably wouldn't have been able to walk anyway. It wasn't just the different type of music, but the lyrics, and what they meant that got me thinking. Or at least, what they meant to me. If I met someone who I fell in love with, how would I know they meant it when they said they loved me too? Would they break my heart if I found they were lying? Would I be too blinded by my love to see it? As we approached the town, we found a bridge. Oddly painted red in some places, though with no notable decoration. It was still a thing of beauty for a Stable Dweller. I love you, yes I do, I love you If you break my heart I'll die So be sure it's true When you say I love you It's a sin to tell a lie As the song ended, the radio host answered my question as Ella rolled me ever closer to the town, Brandy by our side. "Yes, Watelanders. Love: It's a terrible thing. Can't live with it, can't live without it. But how do you know when to trust it? In all trust, children, there is the possibility of betrayal. And personally, I don't think anyone is ever prepared for it. So maybe it's better to never trust? Seems to work out for all those raiders you see around the place. But without trust, there's no friendship. None of the special bonds that make us who we are. The bonds that separate us from the raiders." "So how do we know who to trust?" I whispered to the buck on the radio. "So how do we know who to trust? Well... you don't. And putting your trust in the wrong person may cost you your life one day. That's the gamble of trust. That's the gamble of love. So be careful who you trust out there, folks. Perhaps it's best to find a group of friends, like the Lightbringer has. Started with no one, then she found love in her small group of friends. And maybe, if anyone listening in right now can find the courage to search for that same love, the risk will be worth taking. "Anywho. This is DJ-PON3, bringing you Bird Set Free, by Velvet Remedy!" All three of us stopped. (Okay, the other two stopped) Velvet Remedy? Like,Velvet Remedy Velvet Remedy? We shared a look with one another, then laughed. Mare's gotta make a living out here somehow, we guessed. And so we eventually made our way to the outskirts of the town, listening once again, to the beauty of Velvet Remedy's vocal talents. This time, singing about freedom. After we crossed the bridge, Suki told me this town was called Ponyville. Interestingly a moment before my Pip-Buck told me. Must have been some old map data from a long time ago. "And that big tree in the centre of the town is called Golden Oaks library. If you want to find a Surface Dweller, that's where the town Mayor is likely to be. Biggest house and whatnot." "That tree is a library and a house?" I said aloud. "Hm. My Pip-Buck doesn't tell me that," said Ella, hoofing her Pip-Buck, most likely checking the map. "Let's check it out!" said Brandy. "And if there's any danger, I've always got my revolver." He patted his leg-holstered gun as if to rub in the fact that he had something we didn't. "Which I am so the rightful owner of," I added with a smirk that said I only minded a bit. He smiled at me. "Finders keepers, AB. Finders keepers." *** A few minutes later, we arrived at Golden Oaks library. After the past 15 or so minutes we'd spent out here, we had grown used to the rotten smell in the air. That smell was nothing compared to the smell coming from the library. "Sweet Celestia, what is that smell?" I had to suppress a chuckle when Suki and Ella said it at the same time. "I don't know," said Brandy. "But I'm gonna find out!" He silenced his Pip-buck and practically charged at the front door with his gun in his mouth and kicked the door open. From the angle Ella had wheeled me from, it was hard to see into the library, but judging by Brandy's reaction, that was probably a good thing. Brandy's eyes widened when he gazed into the tree. Then he quickly tightened them and slammed the door shut, gagging, as though about to vomit. Hey, if he did, that would make all three of us now. "Not funny, AB" It really wasn't. "What did you see?" asked Ella. "Look, you don't want to know," he said as he found his bearings. "Let's go explore elsewhere. Is there a park or something? I just… I want to get my mind off of what was in there." Ella and I shared a glance. We both wanted to peek. Ella decided it was probably for the best that we left our questions unanswered, and followed Brandy to wherever he was wondering off too. "I don't remember Ponyville having a park, but the school ought to have a playground on the premises." "Hey, if we're in a town then there should be a school right? And if there's a school, there's a playground," I said. What do you know? Suki could be useful. "And there might even be a Trottin' Wheels in there!" said Ella. Now we're talkin'! *** About twenty minutes of our one hour trip was spent by the time we reached the bushy walkway of the Ponyville Schoolhouse. It was a basic red building, with cute love-hearts painted all about the outside walls. A bell was stationed at the top of the roof with its own chamber, adorned by a love-heart shaped weathervane. And I noticed a long flagpole with black and white stripes on its flag. The addition of a small flight of stairs to the front door irked me greatly. I wanted to ring that big bell. Now that may sound stupid, but none of the three of us had even seen a real bell before. All we knew was 'the lunch bell' from the Orchard, which Ella had never even heard before, and was more of a siren, really. I noticed Brandy was staring at it too. Ella noticed the staring too and reciprocated with a stern "No. We don't want to draw any attention to ourselves." She always was the clever one of the three of us. "Oh, lighten up, Ella," said Brandy. "There's clearly no one in town, and even if there is, are they gonna get mad at us for ringing a bell?" "I will not lighten up. And you're practically inviting something to come and eat us. You've seen the illustrations of how small radroaches were before the radiation. Imagine what a raddog or something would look like." I had to admit, the potential attraction of a radanything seemed like reason enough to leave the bell alone to me. "Let's just go inside. There might be some cool stuff we can bring back," I said. "I am so ringing that bell," I heard Brandy say. *** Ella was using one of the 200 year old bathrooms, while Brandy was off 'exploring'. I didn't trust him alone with that bell, but trying to chase him in a wheelchair would look like a comedy sketch, so I stayed behind. When Ella left the little filly's room, (I noticed how suspiciously not wet her hooves were.) her expression was enough for me to know she knew straight away why our purple companion was absent. As if right on queue... *BLAM* *DING* *BLAM* *DING* *BLAM* *DING* *BLAM* *DING* *BLAM* *DING* "That fucking moron!" Ella bolted off. Then halted and ran back to get me. Then we bolted off. When we exited the schoolhouse, between soaring across the stairs and the abrupt halt, I nearly fell out of my seat. Standing in front of us was the sight of Brandybuck with his revolver pointed at the bell tower. When I looked up and back, I saw five small dents in the bronze metal, which was still ringing and swaying slightly. They reminded me of Buck. "Brandy!" she yelled. "I told you no! What if someone heard you?' He holstered his revolver to speak. "You're not my Mom, Ell. Besides, there's nopony around for miles." "Ponies? Maybe not. But animals? They might only see us as food, Brands." She glared at him. I had to think of something to stop my friends from killing each other before the raddragons did. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could make a word, we heard the sound of a twig snapping inside one of the walkway's overgrown bushes. We stared in silence at Brandy for a moment, then something lept out and pushed him into a bush on the opposite side of the walkway. We both called his name in panic. It was too dark to see what kind of creature got him, but Ella swiftly dashed to the bush anyway. Only to be snatched up by the same creature and sent into a bush on the other side. Panic. I was vulnerable. My friends weren't making any noises. And I was once again the prey of an unknown hunter. My sight was attracted to a pair of red eyes visible in the bushes. Then the muzzle of the beast slowly exited, and it was all I could do not to scream as it jumped out at high speed at me. It collided. My chair rolled backwards until it tipped over the first stair. The beast and I spilled out into the classroom as it swiftly shut the door behind us, then pounced on me. "What the hell do you think you're doing, ringing my bell? Are you trying to get raped by raiders?" The voice was masculine, and exotic. I was barely able to open my eyes in my hyperventilating, panic-filled state. The beast... wasn't a beast. He was just a guy. A zebra, actually. "Well?" He commanded. I stammered and stuttered. Damnit, Buck. I need to get my confidence back! I looked up at the zebra sitting atop me, placing his weight on my poor back, and gave him a stern look. Catching my breath, I asked "What have you done with my friends?" I could be commanding too. "Your stupid, noisy friends are paralysed in my bushes. It is temporary, I assure you. They are safe. As safe as anyone can be in Ponyville after ringing a damn school bell. What were you thinking?" "It wasn't... do you mind getting off me? I've had a... back injury... recently..." He looked me down and up, as if judging my jumpsuit, then budged off. "Look, it was my friend's idea to shoot the bell. Our other friend and I told him he shouldn't." "Your friend sounds like an idiot," he said as he got up. He ignored my being stuck on the floor as much as I ignored his insulting my best friend. From my angle, I could see the zebra beside me had blood crimson eyes, and a sharp jawline. Around his neck was a chain necklace running through a little holder connected to what appeared to be a severed unicorn horn. He was a fairly muscular equine, with a snow white coat where it wasn't striped black. I noticed a grey, swirly cutie mark with spikes that looked like thorns, adorning a rather not bad and quite round rump. "Eyes forward, Sparkle," he told me in his chocolate melting voice. But I noticed a slight blush in his cute cheeks under that glare. I shook my head from my ogling. "Look, my friends and I need to be back home by midnight, so if you could bring them here and actually talk things out like a normal person rather than paralysing them, that would be great." I sounded a little bitchy, but I think it was justified, considering what he did to my friends. How did he even do that? "I was under the impression that when one leaves a Stable, they never return." "Hey, my 'back injury' means I can't get up on my own, ya know. So if you could park my butt in that wheelchair you so rudely roughhoused a moment ago, that would be great." The cute zebra glared at me. Then he grumbled as he went to open the front door. "I'm Applebuck, by the way." He simply continued his grumbling. Not sure if typical Surface Dweller behaviour, or just zebra behaviour. After dragging my chair into the classroom and replacing me in it, (so strong!) the zebra, I hoped, returned to my friends. "You know, it's polite manners to introduce yourself after meeting someone," I called to him. Again, he just trotted off like it was nopony... no one's business. As I tried to follow him to the bushes, I remembered my obstacle. Stairs. I could only watch as he dragged Brandy from one of the bushes; and though he couldn't move a muscle, I could sense the fear in him at being unable to move. Ellabelle was similar, although I imagined she at least had an idea of what was going on, seeing as she was familiar with this magic. Assuming this even was magic. He placed my friends back to back against each other, then looked at me. Sorry, 'looked' is the wrong word. 'Glared' is better. "Hey, I didn't ring the bell. That was Brandy," I pointed. He still didn't seem impressed. "Well your friend doesn't seem to have attracted any attention, other than myself. Luckily. Or else I would have left you to your fates with the raiders, Stable Dwellers." "You're very kind," I mused. "but I think my friends would prefer it if you could undo what you did to them." "I told you. It's time sensitive. They'll be back to their old selves in an hour." Damn. That was thirty minutes too long. Not even including the walk (err... wheel) home. "Look, our Stable's door is still open. Do you have a trolly or something you could push them in? You do owe us, for ruining our night out." "Or maybe I could just leave you here to fend for yourselves. I'm leaving in a few days anyway." Though he was smirking, he seemed to have meant it. I opened my mouth to argue, but I was silenced by the sound of the zebra shushing me. Rude. He perked his ear, but I couldn't hear anything, then his eyes widened slightly. Then without a word, he barged past me, and a hoofful of seconds later, came out of the schoolhouse with a pair of saddlebags and a cloak that made him look like Fropone Baggins, and was off quicker than you can say 'you shall not pass!' And there I was. Half a vegetable tasked with looking after two complete vegetables for an hour we didn't have. Except, why did the zebra leave? My ears were finally able to pick up the sounds of stomping coming from the side of the Schoolhouse. I began to panic. Whoever or whatever it was, he was afraid of it. Which meant it was dangerous. And in my state, I couldn't even get close to my friends without tipping out of my chair. We were screwed. And I didn't think telling it Brandy and I were copulating was gonna work this time. I turned to the sound of the stomping, where not a few seconds later, the sight of three ponies exiting the bushes graced my view. They looked metal! A unicorn mare with a kickass mohawk was flanked by two earthpony bucks. Finally the mare spotted us, then I heard her say "Well, well, well. Lookie what we have here." "Hey," I said. "My name's Applebuck. My friends here were paralysed by some zebra a few minutes ago. Do you guys think you could lend us a hoof getting back to Sweet Apple Acres, roughly in that direction?" I pointed to my Stable. "The zebra wasn't very co-operative, and decided to run off." The ponies seemed to be snickering. Were all Surface Dwellers weird? Were us Stable Ponies the real weirdos who didn't know it? "Sure, we'll help you out," said the mare. "Oh, great," I said with a wide smile. "If we were delayed much longer we'd be in a ton of trouble. This really means a lot to us, thank you." "Heh. No problem, Applefuck." The mare said as she signalled her friends. One hoisted Brandy on his back; the other put Ella on his. "In fact, I think we have a spell book back at our hideout in the town centre that has a magical paralysis cure in it." "AB," Suki warned. "I don't know about this, darling. I know fashion changes over time, but anypony dressed like that before the bombs would be kept well away from on public transport, if you take my meaning." "That's great!" I replied to the mare. Look, Sukes. The quicker we get that spell book, the quicker we can get home. I think we've spent enough time here already. The mare lowered my chair down with her magic, then proceeded to wheel me, leading the rest to, supposedly, their hideout. "Oh. Where are my manners," she said. "My name is Knife Bite, but you can just call me Knife. They call me that because I'm a wicked cook, heh heh. Maybe you could stay for a late supper at our place?" "Supper sounds great, Knife! What's on the menu?" "Oh, nothing special. Just a few vegetables." For some reason the other ponies were laughing again. I still had no idea why Surface Dwellers were so weird. *** And there we were again. At the very place we wanted to be least, Brandy more so than anyone. The Golden Oaks Library. "Yeah, my friends and I were here just a while ago. No offence, but there's a terrible smell coming from inside, and my friend - the purple one, Brandy - peeked inside and said he didn't want to talk about it. Is it safe to go in there?" The unicorn wheeling me simply laughed again as she pushed the door open with her magic and pushed me inside. I had to cover my face and close my eyes at the smell alone, but when I opened them to see what the huff was about, I wished I hadn't. The library had a hoofful of large cages scattered around the room. Suspicious, without context, but here, they were simply disgusting. Inside the cages, around the floor, and even on the walls, the remains of ponies could be seen strewn about. The intestines hanging from wall to wall reminded me of a happy birthday banner, and the bile, blood and other bodily fluids seemed to be a form of twisted air freshener to accommodate for the other rotting remains littered here and there. It was all I could do not to throw up on my own lap. The mare behind me whispered into my ear, "You Stable Ponies are a healthy bunch right? I bet you taste delicious served with the blood of a mongrel." Then she nipped my ear, and the sight, the smell and finally the sudden sharp pain in my ear was enough exertion to make me spill my dinner over myself. The sick ponies laughed at me. I couldn't escape. I couldn't run. wheeling away was out of the question, and even if I could escape, they would still kill my friends. What could I do? Before my brain could even process this, or my body recover from its convulsions, I was being wheeled toward an open, and unfortunately not quite empty cage. There I was dumped, tipped out of my wheelchair and onto a smelly, fly-ridden lower half of a pony. Her entrails already spilling out, as though forming a sick pillow for me to take one last nap before I was cannibalised. Where the top half was, I didn't want to know. The mare shut the cage door, laughing at me. I didn't have time to pity myself as I saw her friends dragging mine into another cage. No. When they tossed Brandy in, they locked the cage. Ella was being taken elsewhere. The mare looked to her friends. They were taking her upstairs. "Whatcha wanna do with her boys?" she called, a disgusting smile on her face. "Should we kill her first? Or glaze her, then kill her?" Like hell I was gonna let them do that to her! As the bucks cheered their support of the latter option, I shifted, trying to get my hooves to the bars of the cage. When I finally got there I called out to the mare. "Let her go! She can't defen-" my exclamation was cancelled by a stern kick to the nose. Pardon my Prench, but it hurt like a motherfucker. I sprawled on the floor with a sharp yelp, clutching my bloodied nose with both hooves, tears forming in my eyes at the unbearable pain. Leaving the Stable was a huge mistake. We should have been asleep right now. Instead, we were at the mercy of what PON-3 must have been referring to. These monsters were raiders. The mare crouched down in front of me as I looked up at her. "Listen, sweetie, you three are Stable Folk. Now we have a saying here on the Surface about you guys, and it's that you guys don't know nothin'. So for your own sake know this. Anything and everything will kill you up here if you're stupid enough. Your first mistake was leaving the ground. Your second mistake was trusting me." She got up on all fours, then produced something from her pocket with her hoof, dropping a few others on the floor. Keys. She collected the fallen keys, then inserted the hoofed key into my cage's lock, then opened the door. "My boys will want your cool chair for, ironically, kicks, so I'm afraid we'll be taking that. But crawl along back home to Mommy and Daddy, Stable Dweller. Maybe they'll get the message and stay in their little box." What? She was letting me go? She was letting me go! B-but my friends... "Buck! Buck, listen darling, please. I know you're scared, but you can't miss this shot! If you try to save them, you're all dead. If you go home, you might live." To hell with what Suki thought. To hell with the Stable. To hell with the Surface. And to hell with this bitch and her shitbox of a treehouse. I was going to save them if it cost me my front legs too. As I dragged myself out of the disgusting cage, I was about to make a turn for the stairs. If I could rescue Ella, she might be able to- "What does Dad have left if you die too?" I stopped. Dad. If I died today, it would... I don't even know what it would do to him. He already lost his wife. What more could he lose after me? I crawled. And this time, it was towards the door. "Your third mistake was trusting me a second time." I felt a hoof press hard against my back, and I stopped dead in my agonisingly slow tracks. The mare leaned her head down to my ears. I heard the sound of a horn being lit. "And it just cost you your life." I heard the sound of a gun being cocked. *BLAM* I heard the sound of... well... it sounded like someone dropped a basket of apples. I opened my eyes and turned to the mare. She was dead on the ground with a hole in the back of her head. Behind her was Ellabelle, panting, standing idle. Her horn was smoking slightly with Brandy's gun in her magic, as well as a magazine titled 'Medical Magic'. Déjà vu... "My sleep spells won't last forever. I had to do them quickly and with multiple ponies. Where's the key for the cage?" I stared blankly at her. How did...? "Now, Buck!" "Uh, uh, Knife Bite has a bunch of keys in her pocket!" I stammered out in a rush. In seconds she was at Brandy's cage with the keys. Then after another ten or so of guessing, the door was open, and she perched him atop her back. Ella levitated my wheelchair over to me, then struggled, visibly sweating as she levitated me into the seat. We were off. With about twenty minutes left, we were at the entrance to the tunnel. Ella had dumped Brandy on the ground, scarcely missing her vomit from earlier, then promptly dumped herself, panting, then creating a second pool of bile. The poor girl had run all the way from the Library to Sweet Apple Acres at full speed, running on no food, and all fear. Carrying a stallion on her back, and pushing the weight of another with her magic. It all finally caught up to her. All I could do was rub her back again as she made a humiliating mess of herself. I wasn't judging. I was about to leave them for dead if she hadn't rescued us. Brandy still wasn't moving, save for a few movements in his face and neck, but I could see his chest moving as he breathed. All was accounted for, and as far as it seemed, none of us were harmed. I had to stop Ella from exerting herself more by cancelling Brandy's paralysis. She didn't care, and Brandy was back with us, and her horn was even blacker. After ten minutes or so of us hugging, sobbing slightly, I reminded her that we had to get back before the guards woke up. So Brandy and Ella were back on their hooves, I was back to being wheeled, and we slipped past the sleeping guards who, I sure as hell hoped, would just think they dozed off when they woke up. After closing the Stable door, Ella took us back to the showers to clean off all the muck, the blood, the bile, and the smell. But for a long while, we just sat there under the running water, hugging and crying out our emotions caused by a world that we would be forced to live in for the rest of our lives one week from now. Wasteland. That was what SteelHooves had called it. It was an accurate description. If that was life above ground, then perhaps we should just stay in our little box forever. But we had no say in the matter.