//------------------------------// // Chapter 28: Cherished Love... and Paranoia // Story: Fallout Equestria: Moon`s Malestrom // by EuphorianPony3 //------------------------------// After breaking from the hug Vinyl exclaimed “I love you so much…” I replied stroking her mane “And I do to… can`t possibly think of anything to describe our moments together” Vinyl then laughed “Because not such a word exists” in replied in wonder “Since when did you become a dictionary?” Vinyl Scratch laughed “No I`m not a dictionary. It`s just the truth” I then replied with a small smile “It is the truth, You and I know that” Vinyl nodded “Correct!” I then replied “Oh great a questionnaire…” Vinyl then giggled “No it`s not a questioner- Wait what was it again?” I laughed “Well you`ve proved you`re not a dictionary!” Vinyl Scratch then broke into laughter “Full Moon! Stop it” I then smiled “Why should i!” Vinyl Scratch then replied “I don`t know” I then muttered under my breath as I cuddled her “Definitely not a dictionary…” Vinyl Scratch then broke the hug “What was that?” I then responded “Nothing” Vinyl Scratch then smirked “I`m not a dictionary! Just drop it!” I then responded “Yes master” Vinyl Scratch laughed again “Stop it!” I then stopped and then hugged her “OK, i`ll stop now”. We headed outside to do some shopping, just for food and nothing else. I met Calamity along the way “Full Moon, bro! I haven`t seen you for a while!” Inky then appeared next to him “Oh hello Inky!” Inky then looked at me “Hello” Calamity continued “You finally finished all your chores?” I replied “No, birthday`s coming up, so I decided to spend it with Vinyl” Calamity looked confused “Alicorns have birthday`s” I replied laughing “Yeah, funny enough” Calamity then continued “Oh by the way me and Inky got-“ I interrupted “Yeah I know married, and congratulations!” Vinyl not knowing of the news “Aw that`s brilliant i`m glad for you two” Inky and Vinyl then broke into a conversation while me and Calamity were left there. Calamity walked up to me “Bro, I mean Full Moon, Could you enlighten my memory on Friendship City?” I responded “Sure but what do you wanna know?” Calamity replied “Present Day” “The Grand Pegasus Enclave started `Operation Cauterize` The Grand Pegasus Enclave deployed troops in the Equestrian vicinity, searching for landmarks, factions, and of course… us” Calamity looked at me in a sudden expression “What?” I replied “They wanted us, for research and technological advancement. Despite they already overpowered the Rangers, We contain something they do not… What that is, i`m afraid I don`t know” Calamity then asked me a question “I still don`t understand everything! What were they searching for?” I then nodded “This question, as i`ve said before I cannot answer. Which is why i`m going back out there” Calamity then placed his hoof on my shoulder “Then i`m going too” I then looked at him with a shocked expression “Why? You have family here” Calamity back lashed me “So do you, I don`t see you crying” I replied “My tears are all dust, I cannot cry anymore… i`ve lost too much” Calamity replied “Where are you going after your birthday?” I replied “To the Mari pony Facility,” Calamity then offered a high hoof “I`m coming” I replied “Coming? Your effort to stay standing, considerate of all these timelines are respectable but foolish. Don`t get yourself killed” Calamity nodded “I don`t care on the odds! There is something inside the Mari pony Facility isn`t there? Twilight`s research, could probably uncover why and how the hell the Pink Cloud came to effect” I nodded “Yes, But i`m wondering, The effects of these drives and The Goddess” Calamity looked at me ignoring some comments “Trixie?” I nodded with a respectful huff “Yes”. That night I was suffering from dreams… “Delusions of Morality come to us in unspeakable ways…” I then heard Linger`s voice and a couple of other`s Linger POV The Jungle is a spire to other `unfortunate plans`, Whoever fresh and clean get transported here. They belong to the Jungle now… this twisted paradise The Pirate`s had me captured during an asset operation I was roped to a chair, I felt my hooves in complete pain as I struggled to move them… One of THEM came up to me “Right… Linger, tell me Who is It going to be?” I looked up to him with blood sipping down my lips “What do you mean?” HIM then spoke “We have your daughter correct? You have valuable intelligence… What do we do?” I looked up to him with my eyes closing again “The buck you want me to say? I have no clue on what you`re on about!” I could hardly use my voice, I could feel it drifting away… He began to speak again with a steel pole clenched in his hooves “You could, maybe tell us what the fuck you were planning to do, or I have to beat it out of you” I looked at him smiling “I`m sorry sir but I cannot answer that question” The pirate then swung his stick colliding with my face, more of my blood began to tremble out of my lip “Tell us… what do you know?” I looked at him with a black eye now visible on my face “I don`t know, what are you wondering in your current mind?” The Pirate started to look at me, I could feel his eye like a predator, He then kicked the chair making my skull smash on the floor I took a quick breath “What kind of game are you playing?” The Pirate smashed the stick into my face, causing me to go unconscious… After I woke up I was next to a waterfall and a stone cinder block was lying next to the cliff with a rope connecting to my left foreleg The pirate then was ready to kick it down “Tell Us! How hard could it be?” I then looked at him as he then retrieved a knife from his pocket and then began to crouch next to me with the knife directing my hoof. The pirate then forced the knife into my hoof, causing me to yell in pain as he twisted the knife causing blood to force out like a rumbling volcano, He then pulled the knife out slowly, so I could feel more pain, “You like pain?” He says that with confidence the knife was barely hanging on one of my muscles, I could feel it… the blade cutting through the tissue. My blood was sprawling as most of my hoof was now cracked, most open with blood spurting out, The Pirate spoke again “Good luck getting out of this one bandit” He then kicked the cinder block off the cliff, the rope was swiftly falling down with it, my back was sliding down with it. Breaking speed limits I came crashing down into the water, the blood flowing out of my hoof was filling the ocean with my blood as the cinder block was plummeting down into the depths of the ocean taking me with it. I started to hear voices "CUT THE ROPE... FREEDOM EXISTS STILL" I then took no time to start untying the rope, my damaged hoof restricting me from forcing, the oxygen inside my blood was depleting… I could drown at any moment, the rope was untied and the rope, at supersonic speed rushed through my damaged hoof, causing me to scream in pain, with blood seeping out of my hoof I swam up to the surface. With deep breaths I then swam to the sand as the voices started again… "NOTHING NOTHING INSANITY INSANITY DEATH PARANOIA CHILDREN LICK DEATH... FATHER, DAUGHTER... LULLABY TO BED BYE.... DEATH DEATH INSANITY INSANITY... DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE BLOOD GLORIOUS BLOOD" Out of Linger POV I hate Linger… the things he`s done to me. Just because of this? Voices on playback. What is the cause of this? What is wrong with this? I Hate It! Stop haunting me! Stop! Now! I Hate It!! HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT The dreams made me roll around the bed violently… Which woke Vinyl as you can probably guess “Full Moon, what`s up?” I woke up, my mind was at ease from the voices… “Nothing Vinyl, just some paranoia from finally getting sleep” Vinyl ignored my excuse “You call that nothing? I`m here for you, what`s on your mind?” I then held her hoof as she held mine tightly “It`s that psychopath again… i`m experiencing what happened to him” Vinyl then asked me “What happened, to make him act like that?” I then explained “He was brutalized by pirates, tortured… and sent falling into a waterfall” Vinyl Scratch gave me a kiss “Don`t worry about that, He was in a Jungle, look where we are, in the cold hear ted Wastes” I sighed “Which makes me worry for you…” Vinyl then held my hoof more tighter “Don`t worry about me, i`m safe here with you… Such a worrywart” I then laughed silently “I`ve gotta be, because I have a amazing wife like you” Vinyl Scratch then made me close my eyes after giving me a humongous kiss “I love you, now make my guardian go to sleep” I then rested my hooves on her body as we wrapped in each other`s warmth and comfort.