//------------------------------// // 15: Hellfire and Innocence // Story: Bear, Scribe and Paladin // by Speven Dillberg //------------------------------// Fort Constantine, mid-2280 Paladin Esposito’s legs gave out as she collapsed into a sitting position. To her left the only other survivor lowered her plasma rifle. “Holy crap, we did it,” she stated, looking around at the mass of Talon Company bodies. “Yeah, but we lost Initiate Jenkins,” she replied, panting for breath, looking around at the broken, scorched bodies of the forty Talon Company mercs. “Leeroy was an idiot,” the Initiate stated as she glanced at his mangled body. Despite how effective the T-45d was, it just wasn’t capable of withstanding a few hundred bullets. He’d gone down without any actual bullet wounds, the impacts instead breaking and fracturing almost all his bones. The missile that finished him had just been overkill. “Not to mention he was a sexist pig.” Dom just sat there for a moment, trying to ignore the dull pain coursing through her entire body. “Come on, Initiate Day. We... we have to get back to the Citadel. Paradise Falls is the closest settlement. We can get help from there.” The Paladin forced herself up, using her rifle as an aid. “We need to move, don’t want to run into a Deathclaw out here.” “Yes, ma’am.” They had barely moved ten feet when there was a tremendous explosion from above them. They both looked up to see several somethings bearing down on them. “What the fuuuOH SHIT!” Dom exclaimed. “Run! Fucking run!” The Initiate didn’t have to be told twice. True, she didn’t know just what she was running from, but the fact that something was threatening to land on them was enough motivation. Not that there was much point. There are few things that can be outrun. The only ones the average Wastelander had to worry about were the wild animals. There were several more sonic booms as the rest of the missile satellite’s payload entered the atmosphere. Then, a few seconds later, the sky burned. Twilight rushed after the angry Paladin, but as she reached the door she paused. Should she follow? Would it be best to leave the ghoul alone? “What was that for?” She heard Veronica ask loudly. “I told you she was sensitive about her appearance!” “Just what in tarnation was that thing!?” Applejack asked loudly. “She is a ghoul,” Veronica replied calmly. “She’s just like any normal person.” “Normal!?” Rainbow yelled out as she took to the air. “How is she normal!?” she questioned, pointing a hoof at the door. “Because she has tears. She has feelings. She has a soul.” Each point was punctuated by a step forwards, making the ponies realise just how tall and threatening she was. “She has suffered more than you can ever dream. Just because she looks different does not give you a reason to treat her any differently. Or should I start treating you like Brahmin, hm?” she finished, now nose-to-nose with Rainbow Dash. The pony could only gulp as the Scribe’s gaze bored into her. Up until this point, she’d seen her as kind of funny, not really that dangerous. But now? This close, she could not only smell the sweat and blood that had become ingrained in the armour, she could feel the sheer power this woman possessed. Rainbow had no doubt that, if this armoured stranger wanted it, she would be dead before she hit the floor. “I’m going to go get her. By the time I come back, I expect you and your friends to have gotten your shit together. You are going to apologise to her. Okay?” The colourful mare nodded furiously. “Good.” Dom was simply staring at a wall when Veronica found her. If anything, it was even more unnerving than if she’d been lashing out violently at something. “Uhh, Dom?” she asked carefully as she approached. “Leave me alone.” The ghoul’s voice was barely audible, nearly unintelligible because of how gravelly it was. “Look, Dom,” Veronica started, trailing off as she tried to think of what to say. “I don’t like repeating myself, Scribe. Leave. Me. Alone,” Dom growled forcefully. “Give them another chance,” she pleaded. “They were shocked, how did you expect them to react?” “The first time I saw a ghoul, I at least had the decency to hear them out first,” Dom explained, scowling at the Scribe. “I may have freaked out a bit, yeah, but at least I didn’t go straight to insults.” “She didn’t know she was insulting you!” Veronica said loudly. “I bet she’s tearing herself apart because of this!” The Scribe had absolutely no idea just how right she was. “Just give them one more chance. Please?” Before either of them could say anything, they were interrupted by something tapping Veronica’s power armour. They both looked down to see the three fillies looking up at them with wide, bright eyes. “What the hell are they doing here?” Dom asked quietly, her anger momentarily forgotten. “They wanted to meet you.” Both women looked up again to see Twilight Sparkle approach them. “Really?” the Paladin asked unbelievingly. “You didn’t just drag them along?” “No, they really wanted to come with me.” Twilight looked down at the fillies, who had crowded around Veronica’s legs. “I’m really sorry for my friends. I don’t know why they reacted so badly.” “Well, I’m used to idiot bigots, it’s no big deal,” Dom said airily, waving the unicorn away with a hand. “My friends aren’t bigots!” Twilight exclaimed loudly. “You just caught them off guard,” she added much more timidly. “Right,” Dom said flatly. “Maybe the nuke I took to the face caused some major brain damage, or maybe they really are just as bigoted as I say they are.” Before Twilight could say anything in retaliation, she was interrupted by a high-pitched squeaking. Both unicorn and ghoul turned to see Veronica wearing a huge grin as she held all three Crusaders in her arms. “How did this even happen?” Apple Bloom asked. “Miss Dominica, don’t be sad,” Sweetie Belle said. “Pinkie Pie didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.” “Put me down!” Scootaloo said angrily as she failed to squirm from the Scribe’s iron grip. “I didn’t get a single word of that,” Dom muttered. “Let me put up a translation field.” Twilight’s horn glowed briefly and the Paladin’s Pip-Boy ticked for a split second. “Veronica, you might want to take some Radaway later.” “I’ll grab some off Thomas...? How do you know about Radaway?” the Scribe asked. “Okay, girls, she should be able to understand you now.” “Pinkie Pie hates hurting anypony’s feeling.” “Yeah! She’s all about makin’ ya smile.” “Let me go!” Dom looked at the three. “Right.” “And ya came with Mister Thomas!” Apple Bloom exclaimed loudly. “Ya must be nice!” For some reason the ghoul burst into laughter. “Nice? Oh, god no. I’m not nice.” “Huh?” “There is a big difference between a good person and a nice person. I’ve met plenty of nice people who were so evil it didn’t make sense. The other way around, too,” she explained. “Where I’m from, being a good person means doing a lot of evil things.” “What do you mean?” Sweetie asked, her head tilted in a way that only made Veronica squee some more. “You don’t think this armour is all scratched because I fell over, right?” The three fillies all shook their head simultaneously. “Exactly. I’ve done horrible things, all in the name of survival.” “Uh, Dom? I really don’t think the girls should hear this,” Twilight said worriedly. The ghoul looked at her for a moment. “Fine. Just remember that I am not always nice.” As the six made their way back, the fillies still in the Scribe’s firm grasp, they were intercepted by Luna. “Things did not go well, I take it.” “I’m giving them one more chance,” the ghoul replied. “Honestly, I prefer the griffons. I can relate better to soldiers than you pacifists. No offence,” she hastily added. “Equestria has grown quite complacent during my absence,” Luna said unhappily. “Had the Changeling attack happened before the Nightmare Wars, they would have been nothing but a footnote in a history book.” “What happened to him?” Veronica asked, looking around the Princess to Thomas’ unconcsious form, draped over an unfortunate Night Guard pegasus. “Turns out that making jokes about being pregnant are quite unwelcome.” Twilight gaped at that. “What!? But that means... Argh!” she screamed, clutching her head as she put two and two together. “The images!” “Trust me, that’s not the weirdest thing Thomas has done,” the Scribe muttered. “Really?” Dom asked unbelievingly. “Like what?” “Fisto.” “Really?” the ghoul asked. When the power-armoured woman nodded, she shook her head. “That hypocrite.” “Do I want to know?” Twilight asked, still cringing from her aunt’s revelation. “Nope,” Veronica replied cheerfully. “Want me to wake him up?” she asked, pointing at the black man. “I was going to give him a small electric shock,” Luna replied, sounding a little disappointed. “You can try if you want.” In response, she received a giggle as the three fillies hit the ground. “Finally,” Scootaloo muttered. “She’s nice,” Sweetie Belle mumbled back. “Strong, too,” Apple Bloom added, the little farmgirl watching as the metal-clad giant pulled the Courier’s form onto the ground. Veronica pulled off one of her gloves and stuck her pinkie finger in her mouth. She then plunged it into Thomas’s left ear, twisting it around for a few seconds. Much to everyone else’s surprise, it worked. “Aaaah ahh!” He shot upright, arms flailing like a madman. He shot a glare at the Scribe, who had managed to extricate her finger and was wiping it against her armour. “I hate it when you do that!” “Hey, it works,” she replied. “Besides, it was that or let Luna electrocute you.” At the mention of Luna, his head swivelled around so fast it was almost funny. “What was you said true?” he asked, sounding desperate. “I can’t be a dad, I don’t know the first thing about raising a child!” At his panicked outburst, Luna let out a loud, hearty laugh. “I still can’t believe you fell for such a joke!” she answered, wiping at her face with a hoof. “No, you will not be a father,” she said. “If it weren’t for your biology’s fatal allergy to magic, then there would be the possibility, but alas, it is impossible. A shame too, for I am sure you would have sired such fantastic foals,” she added wistfully. “That was a joke?” Thomas asked, sounding hurt. “You sick twisted - ” he stopped himself when he caught sight of the three wide-eyed fillies. “I won’t finish that sentence,” he mumbled, shooting a venomous glare at the midnight alicorn. “What’s ‘sired’ mean?” Scootaloo asked, head tilted in confusion. At that, Twilight Sparkle grabbed all three with her magic and rushed back inside the throne room. “That’s not important right now, Scootaloo!” they heard her say as the door shut behind them. “So, did something happen?” Thomas asked, still unhappy with Luna’s prank. “One of them called me ‘zombie’,” Dom growled. “No, she got half the word out before you lost your shit,” Veronica clarified. “You’re really sensitive about this.” “Why wouldn’t I be?” the ghoul asked back. “Look at me.” “I get the feeling Rarity’s gonna pass out when she get’s a good look at you,” Thomas added with a dark chuckle. Dominica SPECIAL Strength: 10 Perception: 9 Endurance: 9 Charisma: 4 Intelligence: 8 Agility: 6 Luck: 9 Author’s Notes: Veronica can be scary when she wants to be. Yep, just Trolluna. Dom’s Charisma and Agility both took hits because of ghoulification. Her really high Luck is the reason she didn’t drop dead.