//------------------------------// // An’t that a buck to the head? // Story: Fallout NLR // by d716 //------------------------------// War, War Never changes Even in the magical Land of Equestria. Wend the black fires of the war consumed the world; what happen during these times, few know, even fewer care. All that is know is that the Ponies that had escape did so in massive underground shelters called Stables, wend they emerged that found their once beautiful lands burned. However they pressed on and rebuilt their towns and form tribes, in one such tribe formed a something more than merely surviving day by day, the New Lunar Republic and its dedication to old world ideals and law. After many hardships; form raiders, derange mutant master, the mad remains of the old government even those they though as friends turned against them. Despite of this the republic came on top. As the republic grew so did its needs. Scouts were sent throughout the land. They brought back with them tales of a land almost untouched by the black fires, a city that had all the glory of old Canterlot, a stone wall that held back massive amounts of water. This was Dream valley ruled the eccentric House Dice in her city of New Haygas. As the NLR sent its armies to annex the valley with hopes they can used the Sugarcone Dam’s power and water to build more farmland, unbeknownst to them another power heard the call of the valley. Formed wend NLR was in its early years, the Equus Legio of Cesarina, commonly known as ‘The Legion’ marched a bloody path of conquest, by the time the two titans clashed swords the Legion had already controlled over a quarter of old Equestria, enslaving and breaking over a 140 tribes. After three grueling years of war the NLR began to turn the tide after holding off a massive legion assault on the dam. The Legion then made a move that nopony, not even House Dice saw coming, the legion called for a ceasefire. It has been five years since Cesarina III and the NLR President meet in House’s own casino the 38’s while there have been peace it is only a matter of time until the two have refilled their ranks and make a move to fully control the valley. Our story begins with a young Earth pony, a Ranger of the NLR, who along with her colleges was able to beat back the Legion at the dam. While like all Rangers her mission; on paper is to find and local the two Princesses and bring their law to the ponies of the wasteland, her true mission was to watch for any legion actively. However things have not gone as plan… “Well, well looks like you’re up soldier” I couldn’t see who made that voice to well in the darkness but I saw the outline. He was a hulking unicorn sitting down and loading a pistol with his magic. To his flank where two others, members of the Takhi by the look of them, old enemies of the Republic namely that fact they ponynapped our founder back wend we were just a small town. “I still don’t know why you wouldn’t let us take her stuff, not like she’s gonna need them.” Said the one with a Mohawk. “A Soldier should be burry with honors you little shit!” The Unicorn snapped back. It was then I notice where I was, in a graveyard, a swallow one dug right next to me. “Sorry kid” He said turn to me the gun floating next to my face “But orders are orders just know you’re doing our nation a great service.” The gun fired. By some luck I was still alive and able to hear what the group was saying. “Well that’s done who’s up for drinks?” The Unicorn said to the others not noticing I was still alive. Luna’s blessed moon shined some light onto him his bulk it was some kind of armor that I’ve never saw before. It even looks painted, able dulled over the years giving it a very light gold shin. “It’ll be on us” One of the Takhi replay “Killing Republic dogs for what they did – umm Old Timer”. “I may be old but I can still –“ The Unicorn snapped back only to be interrupted by the Takhi pointing right at me. “Aw son of the BITCH!” The gun fired, again. Fallout: NLR An’t that a buck to the head? I awoke to the sight of a spinning fan; my head felling like somepony did a drum solo on it with a super sledge. As I tried to get up, I heard the voice of an elderly stallion with an odd accent “Easy their kiddo, you’ve been out for a while now” Once my vision became less blurry, I got a good look at him. He was a tan unicorn with a dark blue mane that was nearly fully grey and had a doctor’s bag for a cutie mark. As a tried to sit upright, tried, the whole room was still spinning, it was only after my head stopped thumping that I was able to say something. “… What happen? And why do I feel like I just blew two months’ salary at New Haygas?” The stallion chuckle “To be blunt; you were shot, in the head, twice” “Well, that explains the headache” “Heh, if it wasn’t for that Flower filly, you probably would be feeling a lot worst, I’m Van Lee Hooves by the way, doctor of this here little town.” Hooves said while he uses his magic to lift a flashlight, shining it into my eyes. Took me a second to know who he was talking about; The Flowers for the Apocalypse a group of ponies’ form NLR that gives aid and education throughout the wasteland hoping to prevent the ‘Day of Black Fire’ and the horrors it brought to the world form ever happening again. For the most part they do amazing work however; they do rub some the wrong way, mostly because of their Anarchists ideals. “Which one, I’m been to a lot?” I said trying to get back on my hooves and failing at it. “Oh and thanks for patching me back up.” I wasn’t joking about being to a lot of towns, I grew up in The Hub; NLR’s main trading city. Before I joined the army I traveled with Hub caravans to pretty much every major city in the Republic; has form the Ghoul town of Night Lamp, to the snow cover city of S-ta-grad, even New Canter. “Dapp’, and no mention it, hey it’s now every day I get to dive my hooves into a rangers’ brain pan you know. Now you’ll most likely suffer some brain damaged, so I’m going to run a few test that I couldn’t do wend you were pass out. Now raise your…” Hooves gave some basic motor skill tests, raise look left, then right nothing too hard. After that he helped me up so I can try to start walking around. I was rather amazed how fast I was able recovered, Hooves mention it was about how the bullets where just embedded into my skull but didn’t go through it. Always told I head a hard head. After which I was ask to answer some questions, mainly what I saw in those ink blots of his. “Well, good news looks like all you got all your head together for the most part anyway might have you may have a screw loose or two” yeah right, that ink blot so looked like Two Sea Ponies high fiving “ I should let you go now, the stuff we found on you is on the table.” Hooves finish. “Thanks may I change in your room?” “Yeah sure there’s a mirror in their too, let’s you admirer my hoofy work” Hooves said with a chuckle. He gave me back my Ranger Armor and weapons. The weathered armor plates based off were purple with red highlights, while the helmet was jet black with the number twenty on the right side and the Lighting rainbow that the Rangers founder had on her flank, on the left was something I wrote as a joke ‘Peace is my Profession’. The helmet also had a number of magical tools most based off of the Pipcolt Stable 1500 features, namely the Virtual Assistance Targeting Spells that can give any pony the edge in a fight. As well as the Alty-corn 2000 a gadget that allows non-unicorns to use low level telekinesis, very short range just about a foot its only there because the helmet’s gas mask covers a ponies mouth plus aids in reloading non-magtek guns. Sadly the thing is really a useless piece of junk, the radio was broken. I was about half way pulling on my trench coat that goes over the armor wend I saw myself in the mirror. Truth be told, I was putting that off as long as I could, didn’t want to see how badly my face was messed up. But to my relief the earth pony with the helmet hair so bad she could never get it fixed was me, only she had two scars one the left side of her face. It took a good minute before I came back to my senses and finish dressing. After stepping out I turn to Doctor Hooves, and thanked him for all he’s done. I offered him at least some NLR bits for payment, but he turned it down claiming just doing what anypony would do. Makes séance as the last time I’ve been here most of Dream Valley uses Casino 38’s chips as currency. Granted most Casinos and Caravans do take and exchange NLR bits so he may be telling the true. He did however question my chose of weapons a Peace Marker Revolver and a BB gun. “Wouldn’t a Light beam gun be easier for an Earth Pony to load and use?” he asks “plus they’re more common I mean those Gun Runner folks have a factory over near Free Meadows.” “True” I said loading the revolver into my cannon mounted gun harness testing to see if it still works I took aim and with a quick jerk of my pastern fired it, sore to speak it was unloaded, of course. “But most armor was design to block them.” Satisfied it was still in working order, I used my alty-horn to magics six bullets out of my saddle bag and began to load the revolver. “And the bb gun?” “You mean my Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle with a compass in the stock? It has it uses, if you know where to aim.” “Right… Guess you’ll be heading out now, just try not to get killed again, I can’t just keep fixing you up, heh… “ Hooves paused for a few seconds “Mind if I asked you something?” “Shoot.” I replied “The ponies that attacked you that night… were they, by any chance, the Legion?” “Positive, they were all stallions for one.” “Oh, well good, it’s just rumors spread fast around these parts and the biggest one is that, the Legion has just moved a whole ‘nother army. It would make sense they would be taking out the ones who beat them last time.” I didn’t have the heart to tell him those rumors are true, or that it’s their newly formed 5th Legion, who is already known for being even more brutal and ruthless than the Legion is famous for is the one that just been deployed. “So” changing the subject “Do you have any medic supplies I could…?” “Buy? Yeah sure.” He replied. Guess he was telling the truth. With the bits I had I bought a few chem-spells; pre-war (and some post-war like Wing) items that function like an attributes increasing spell. Some like; Ment-tacs for mental processes, Toughie for Endurance and of course Morphine for pain relief. After a hoof shack and thanking him again I heading out the door to find the asshole who though he could kill me and put my hoof up his ass. If you’ve seen any other small town, then you’ve seen Damm’ the town was mostly just some left over old world buildings dotting the area with a few newly built ones here and there. Minus the few patches of farmland the whole place was just a sea of yellow with some more yellow over the horizon. I almost forgot how Dream Valley was a desert before the war. They were only two things that really caught my eye, the bar with big neon lights that read ‘The Apple Core” and the old roadway, starting right at me was New Haygas. The city was dozens of buildings taller than any we have at NLR’s capital Shaggy Fetlocks (most however just call it NLR now a days) but the four casinos were what really stood out, even in the day you could see the neon lights burning bright, inviting you in, and blow all your money. The unicorn mentions something about getting some drinks so I figure the best place was the head over to the bar and asks some questions. I trotted over the Apple wend in the corner of my eye I saw a cloud move by itself. Odd how I notice that guess being station back in the core region for a few years makes you forget how in most other places the weather isn’t controlled by Pegasus like it used to be. It’s really the main reason why the Republic is in Dream Valley, I don’t fully understand it but ISM (Institution of Science and Magic) but the ideal is that if we bring enough water for Sparkling River and Lake Mare we can jump start winter in the Core Region. The desired result would make the core much more like the old world in terms of the environment. Like on the outside the Apple Core was a mix of old Bison territory style housing with New Haygas neon lights, I must have been too busy looking at the juke box over in the corner; really, REALLY wished my helmet’s radio still worked, wend I fail to notice the fact that the bar tender was being held up by three armed ponies, two Pegasus and a unicorn. All three of them where wearing NLR prison uniforms with a few modifications notably trying to hide the fact that they’re NLR prison uniforms, and failing at it. “…Is this a bad time?” I asked. It took about a second for the three to register the fact that a Ranger was standing right to them and another to point their weapons or for one of the Pegasus cast change at me with a switch blade in his mouth. A second was all I need to aim and fire my revolver into the other Pegasus’ foreleg knocking her out of this fight. Any other pony might have well pop one into her eye, but I’m a ranger, I’m here to bring the law to the lawless not follow their lead. These three, by the looks of them are trying to escape that law and I’m not letting them off easy with a quick death. The Pegasus with the switch blade was now a hair’s breathe form me, swinging away with almost reckless abandon. More of a mad panic really, not very hard to evade by side stepping out of the way, I’m guessing he never needed to learn how the probably use a knife or cared, really a test to how well the Core region is doing wend a full grown pony doesn’t know something a tribal learns by the age of four. But I needed to end this and with one final side step, I lifted my front legs off the ground and grab the Pegasus, wrapping my hooves around his neck. With a quick twist of my hips, I slammed the Pegasus into the ground and with one solid right hook he was out cold. Turning slowly, really helps with the intimidation factor, I face the last one standing. The Golden Brown unicorn, she might be kinda cute if she wasn’t a wanted criminal, or holding the bar tender at knife point with a switchblade she duct taped on her hoof, or using her magic to point a gun at me. Nah, she’s still pretty cute. “S-stand-d back-k”, her cracking voice and tearful eyes filled with terror told me that she wasn’t a killer, and wasn’t going to start. “Give up, would hate kill you, bullets cost a pretty bit.” I reply “Fuck you! And fuck your NLR!” the unicorn snap backed “You assholes throw ponies, that just wanted some water for their families, in the same shithole as you do to raider scum!” “Let me guess you’re a former” “Damn straight! Have you ever seen what happens to a pony that has to drink black water because government assholes barely give you enough pure water for farming let alone to drink?” It looked like the unicorn was starting to cry. “Yes, yes I have…” Black water poisoning isn’t a pretty sight. “And that’s why we’re here; with Sparkling River we’ll be able to have plenty of water so…” “SHUT UP YOU FUCKING LAIR!!!” “You’re only making this harder on you and your family you know, or do you want the Legion to take over hmm? You ever seem how the Legion clears a mine field? So why not give yourself up so I can go back and make sure they never do.” The Unicorn balling her eyes out now gave up, begging me just to take her home, I couldn’t do that of course. “How did you three escaped?” I asked “The Guards in out chain gang got attacked by a Stratadon… we ran wend they were fighting it…” “How many were you?” ‘About three dozen, h-how much longer is my sentient now?” “I don’t really know, sorry” “I-I just want to see my little filly again…” Just then a bottle of scotch came breaking against the unicorns head knocking her out cold. Turning around I see the bartender standing back behind his bar. “What?” He shrugged “She had a knife to my throat!” “Yeah but you don’t waste perfectly good scotch!” “Also one of them is bleeding on my floor.” “Fine I’ll patch him up.” No real point making an effort to not kill somepony only for them to bleed to death truth be told. Walking up the shot Pegasus I notice he was trying and failing to get up in order to escape no doubt, after a second or two he remember she could simply use her wings to pick himself up. “Try and I’ll pull one in your wing…” I exclaimed drawing my gun. “… and in this range I’ll blow it right off.” “You wouldn’t” “Wanna bet? Hey everypony!” Addressing the few ponies in the bar “Who wants to see what a one wing Pegasus looks like?” The six patrons replied “Sure” “Seem it before” “Why not” “Can I do it?” “See that?” I said “Our great system works, don’t worry I’ll blow both of them off, make you an Earth Pony” And with that the Pegasus fainted in a mix of fear and blood lost, mostly blood lost. “Hmm well better start patching him, and take away that light beam gun, and ammo and money…” After the looting, I remember I needed to get some answers form the bar tender about the ones who attacked me. Turning to the gin colored pony, after informing him to contact local NLR forces to come pick up the escapees I start to ask him. “You wouldn’t happen to seen two Takhis and an unicorns in bag metal armor have you?” “Armor? No, but the two Takhis were in here, sure after a few drinks, they left and headed to Haygas, you’ll need to head east however.” “Why east? Haygas is like right outside your window” “You might want to see it for yourself…” The bar tender replied handing me some binoculars. Stepping to a nearby window I saw what he was talking about. “Oh, hordes of Stratadons riding giant radscorpions lovely… I’m going to need a few drinks…” I said pulling up a chair. After trading the things I took for the escapees for some gin, grilled oat streak, vodka, water and whisky I headed out eastward, taking out my map I saw there was a town about a half a day’s travel maybe less, Buckehm. Having no better place to go I started heading there. To be honest I wasn’t very comfortable heading out again alone, that was how all this happen after all, but I didn’t think asking for help of ponies that already helped me so much was appropriate plus what would they say. A ranger is supposed to handle a whole small army by herself. However I did notice, at the corner of my eye saw one of the ponies in the bar was follow me… New Character! Cherry Snow: New Lunar Republic Ranger S.P.E.C.I.A.L 5 6 3 5 7 6 8 Skills Tagged Guns, Speech, Unhoof Traits gain! Pony Wasteland: You’re a magical talking pony in a magical wasteland! Earth Pony: You may not have the flight of a Pegasus or the magic of an Unicorn but you’re of hardy stock and nature base magic gets you by just fine. +1 En +10 survival skill Good Nature: While Ponies are by heart, friendly you pull all others to sham. +5 to all non-combat skills but -5 to all combat skills, Perk gain! All’s fair in Pony War: You take any advantage in a fight, even if that means aiming in less noble areas. You may now aim at the Eyes and neither region in VATS. Notes: It’s been a while since I’ve written anything so if you see a problem just let me know and I’ll try and fix it. This is really more of a draft. Form Energy Weapons being the common weapon: Well I figure as that it would be next to impossible to load a gun magazine with your mouth also as a third of the population has magic and the other two-thirds can use magic passivity I guess that things that don’t need magic would be high-tech. Got the ideal form ‘Iron Kingdoms/ Warmachine/Hordes’ by Privateer Press.