//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 "Friends" // Story: Fallout Equestria: "As I Wander" // by Jacoboby1 //------------------------------// Chapter 3 “Friends” “Your brother?” I asked looking at her with skeptical green eyes. “You look like you’ve came a long way to look for your sibling.” She nodded. “My brother left our stable to look for a water talisman.” Her brown eyes looked sad. “But we haven’t heard of him for months, I left the stable to find him.” Leaving a stable took a lot of guts, the places were these underground bunkers made before the war. The idea was to keep ponies safe when the megaspells hit. Problem was nopony believed that the zebras would actually use megaspells on Equestria. I didn’t want to tell this mare the real purpose behind them yet. She was still young and naïve, she needed things to be told to her slowly. “How long have you been outside?” I asked. She thought for a moment and said, “I’d say about a week or so, I was wandering the desert for ages before those mean ponies kidnapped me.” “You’re lucky we came along,” I said firmly. “You could’ve been killed, or worse.” “There are worse things than getting killed?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. I rolled my green eyes, Celestia’s teats she was naïve. I bet you I could convince her to drink Brahmin piss if I told her it was a delicacy. But she couldn’t be blamed for her naïveté. That came from living underground most of her life. “The point is,” I admonished, “That you’re okay now, we happened to find you while we were hitting the raider camp you were at.” She looked at me nervously. “What are you going to do with me?” I noticed her brown eyes looking at Blackbird holstered at my side. “You aren’t those ponies who said they were going to enslave me too, are you?” “I’m not a slaver, I actually have a conscience.” I smiled gently at her, “I’m not going to hurt you, first I want to introduce you.” “To your friends?” The stable dweller asked. “Yep.” I looked back at the campfire. “Hey everypony! Come and meet our sleeping beauty!” Rosy was the first to get there. My rust colored friend smiled very friendly like at Crystallite. She was smart enough not to say anything as she took a seat beside me. Trample got up from working on the Tumbler and Burstfire followed him. “Shall we approach?” Alice thought in my head. She could speak specifically to any pony if she wanted. It took a bit of effort but she could hold a private conversation with somepony. “Don’t come out just yet,” I thought in my head. “Let’s try and take foal steps.” “But aren’t we adults?” I just sighed and gestured to Crystallite. “Everypony, this little lady here is Crystallite, she’s from Stable 99.” “I don’t think I’ve heard of that Stable,” Trample said slowly. “But hey, it’s good to hear that there is more Stable-Tec that we haven’t discovered yet.” “Your concern for the well-being of its inhabitants is touching Trample,” Rosy said sarcastically, she then looked at Crystallite. “Ah’m Rosy, Drift’s second in command.” She then smiled slyly. “And I must say girl, you know how to look good despite living underground your whole life.” “Um…” Crystallite looked a little uncomfortable. “Thank you?” “You’ll have to excuse Rosy,” I cut in. “Her barn door just swings towards the fairer sex.” “Oh...” Realization came to the Stable Dweller. “I’m flattered then.” She smiled at Rosy. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” “Pleasure’s all mine,” she said with a smile. “If any of these boys give ya trouble ya let me know.” “More like she’s going to give us trouble,” Burstfire grumbled, as he sat on a nearby rock. Crystallite’s eyes fell on Burstfire’s wings. “A pegasus?!” She almost fell back in shock. “But I thought they all died out!” “One was just too stubborn to die,” I joked, Burstfire gave me an icy blue glare in return. “Anyways; this is Burstfire, the technically youngest out of all of us.” “Don’t talk about me like I’m some little kid!” Burstfire complained. “Maybe if you didn’t act like one so much like one we wouldn’t treat you like one.” Rosy smirked and spoke in baby talk at him. “Is wittle Bursty gettin all saddy waddy?” Burstfire swore and just shot into the air to sulk. I gave Rosy a look. “He’s only going to get worse if you keep egging him on like that.” “Is he always so…” Crystal fought for the right word. “Mean?” “He grew up in some bad conditions,” I explained, and then my eyes grew wide. “Trample, get away from that Pipbuck!” Crystal pulled her leg away from Trample who was about to examine it, with a set of dismantling tools in his mouth. Trample looked a little apologetic. “Sorry, it’s just rare to see a Pipbuck intact like that.” “This is Trample,” I explained. “Our resident tech head, sadly common sense isn’t his forte.” “I was only going to take it apart a little,” Trample whined. “You forgot that there’s a mare attached tah it,” Rosy quipped. Crystal just looked at Trample apprehensively. “Sorry, I can’t take it off for you to look at it.” “I know I know,” Trample said dismissively. “Just promise me you’ll leave it in your will or something.” “Trample!” both Rosy and I shouted. “Sorry,” he said walking back to sit beside me. Crystal looked at all three of us with a strange expression. “You all certainly are odd ponies.” “Not as strange as Alice,” Trample blurted out. Rosy reached past me and smacked her fellow earth pony upside the head. “Who’s Alice?” Crystal asked nervously. Both of my companions looked at me slowly. I sighed and called out, “Alice! Come on out, Crystal wants to meet you.” Slowly our Alicorn friend came out from her hiding place from behind the Tumbler. Crystal gasped upon seeing her, her brown eyes grew wide as the Alicorn approached. Alice tilted her head at Crystal and then thought. “We are Alice, welcome to the herd.” “Who said that?!” Crystal exclaimed, looking around. “I heard a voice just now!” “That was Alice,” I explained, pointing towards the Alicorn. “She doesn’t talk like normal ponies. She instead talks through her thoughts.” “It feels kind of...” She fought for a polite term. “Invasive.” Alice looked a little guilty and turned to walk back to the Tumbler. I thought in my head, “Alice, you know she hasn’t seen anypony like you. Don’t take it personally.” “It’s fine,” she said in my head. “We are used to it by now.” Crystal looked at me. “Is she okay?” “She’s fine,” I reassured. “At any rate, you seem to be a little trusting. For all you know we could be lying to you and sell you off at the next town.” “You aren’t though, are you?” Crystal said, looking a little worried. “Nah,” Rosy said with a smile. “Yer too damn cute for us to lie tah ya.” “But you gotta admit,” Trample pointed out, “You are trusting your fate to five complete strangers.” Crystal’s brown eyes looked down for a minute. “It’s just, back in my stable, ponies were always so close. We never lied or hid anything from eachother. At least, I thought so until my brother left.” “You mentioned him before,” I spoke up. “Can you describe him at all?” “His name is Auran Prism, he was a scientist back in our stable,” Crystal explained, tapping a button on her Pipbuck and showing us a picture. The unicorn stallion was about my age, the screen was all green so I couldn’t tell what color he was. His mane was long and hung in a loose braid down his side. He wore a lab coat over his coat; on his flank was a cutie mark of a bubbling beaker. “One of them egghead types huh?” Rosy said, looking at the picture. “Can’t say we’ve seen him, sorry hun.” Crystal looked a little crestfallen and simply sighed. “It’s alright, I just want him to come back is all.” “You’ve been lookin’ fer him all this time?” Rosy asked. “All by yerself?” “The Overmare wanted to give up on him...” Crystal was looking down. “She said he was as good as dead heading out here. After the first few days I got worried about him. When the Overmare refused to let me leave I hacked into her computer to get the access codes so I could leave.” “You hacked a Stable-Tec computer belonging to an Overmare?” Trample asked, sounding impressed. “Maybe we should exchange tips some time!” “Don’t do it Crystal,” I said, my green eyes looking snidely at Trample. “He just wants you to hack into some porn programs left behind from the war.” Rosy and I laughed at the joke, Trample just snorted at us. “At any rate,” I continued, “We were heading back to Dodge Junction to get our pay. You can ask around there.” “Is Dodge Junction a town of some sort?” Crystal asked. “It used tah be a big trade town befer the mega spells came down,” Rosy explained. “Nowadays it’s just a smaller trade town with all sorts of...” She paused and then said, “Colorful folks” “You think somepony there can help me find my brother?” Crystal asked excitedly. “Odds are yeah,” I said, a smile on my face. “We’ll give you a lift there and I’m sure you can find somepony that can find him.” “Oh thank you so much!” She squealed, running to me and hugging me around the neck. I felt a little warm and Rosy gave me a sly look. I returned a glare to her and Crystal let go of me. “I can’t ever repay you for the kindness you showed me, Drift.” “Think nothing of it,” I replied. “The sooner you try not to feel indebted to everypony the better you’ll survive out here.” “I’m just so glad,” Crystal said happily. “I feared there wouldn’t be any good ponies after what happened with the slavers.” “Well you get some rest and we’ll get ready for tonight,” I said. “We leave first light.” I returned to the fire and used my magic to levitate the can of hay fries over it. It wasn’t exactly five star cooking but it got the job done. I reached into the pockets of my brown cloth ruined trench coat. I pulled out an old, small Snowlands Army Knife and used the can opener after the can had been heated enough. Rosy sat down beside me, taking a bite out of some old peanuts we found at an old gas station. “So, ya gonna get Burstfire down or should I?” “He’ll come down when he cools off,” I said, levitating out a hay fry and taking a bite out of it. It was old and stale, but the can protected it from getting moldy and gross. “So do you really expect to find somepony to help her?” Rosy asked, gesturing to Crystal who was looking around at us working. “Honestly I have my doubts”, I said, looking down at the fire. “But, I wanted to let her have a little bit of hope.” “Yer a lot nicer then you let yourself look Drift,” Rosy said, taking another peanut in. “You could have easily told Trample and Burstfire to shut up and they would’ve followed along.” “I’m not a dictator Rosy,” I sighed, rubbing my right foreleg. “I know the price that can come from that kind of thinking.” Rosy looked at my leg, knowing what it meant. Then she turned on a sly grin. “Ya know, ah heard some mares are into that kind of stuff.” “What are you getting on about?” I asked. “I’m not getting on bout nothin,” Rosy smirked, holding her hooves up. “I’m just sayin, she was mighty happy when you told her we’d give her a lift.” I felt my face flush and shook my head. “I don’t have time for that kind of nonsense.” “Okay then,” she said, standing up. “Then I guess ya won’t mind if I show her my tattoo.” “I’m starting to wonder if that tattoo even exists,” I mused. She just looked back and smirked. “Sorry, no stallion’s gonna see it on mah watch.” She then trotted back over to Crystal. I shook my head and saw Burstfire land beside me. “Finally done sulking?” He crossed his forelegs and said, “I still don’t like that we gotta take her along.” “We’re just giving her a ride to Dodge,” I said, taking another hay fry. “Once she’s there maybe she’ll find information about her brother. If not, I’m sure Cherry can hook her up with a job or something.” “You’re too trusting of ponies,” Burstfire whined. “Sooner or later somepony is going to shoot you in the back of the head.” “Not everypony in the wasteland is a raider you know,” I said. “Just most of them,” Burstfire grumbled, staring into the fire. “Listen, I’m sorry about running ahead earlier.” “Okay, you’re apologizing,” I said, looking at the pegasus. “You’re not going to try and take my hay fries when I’m caught in the glorious moment are you?” “Okay, so maybe you aren’t as trusting as I thought.” “I just know you better.” “Anyways...” Burstfire looked down. “I just wanted to impress you back there.” “Impress me?” I asked. “Yeah, you guys always treat me like a kid because I’m the youngest. I just want a little respect around here is all.” He looked at me with his icy blue eyes. “Am I wrong to want that?” I smiled and put my hoof on his head. “Nah, but you just gotta think better before you do something stupid like that again.” He gave a hint of a smile and then glared. “Just don’t treat me like a kid anymore!” “There’s the Burstfire we know and love.” I tossed him the can of hay fries. “Eat up, we may need you right and ready tomorrow.” Burstfire went to simply gorging on the hay fries. Kid never could learn to preserve food. Then again, growing up in the conditions he did, that stuff probably feels like the nectar of the Goddesses. This is what I get from reading too many pre war books… I then looked over to see Crystal walking over to Trample, who was finishing attaching a pair of jumper cables to Alice’s horn. Crystal looked at the vehicle curiously and then at Alice. “What are you doing exactly?” “Alice here has enough magical energy in her to power a small town for a week,” Trample explained, working the wires and switches of the vehicle’s control console. “As a result, while she’s asleep these cables will naturally siphon energy out of her while she recharges herself. This way, we’ll be able to drive a lot longer in the morning.” “Alice certainly is amazing,” Crystal said, smiling at the Alicorn, clearly trying to act friendly. Alice smiled in turn and thought, “We are simply doing my part in the herd.” “It doesn’t hurt you, does it?” Crystal asked. Alice shook her head. “It will happen while we am asleep; We will feel no pain as we recharge both this machine and our bitcherarries.” Trample chuckled. Crystal gave Alice a look. “Um, I think you mean recharge both batteries.” Alice gave Trample a glare. “We do not like getting fooled Trample!” “C’mon,” Trample laughed. “It was just a joke.” Alice smirked evilly and levitated her katana blade and unsheathed it a little. “Perhaps you’d like to be gutted like a squirrel?” “Don’t you mean pig?” Trample said nervously. “Pigs don’t run as fast as you will.” Trample laughed nervously and said, “Alright, I’ll shut up now.” He went back to work as Crystal walked up to the Alicorn. “You wouldn’t have actually attacked him would you?” The Alicorn shook her head as we heard a laugh in our thoughts. “No, but sometimes the threat of violence is all that’s needed to scare a fool away.” “I think I understand, maybe,” Crystal pondered, raising an eyebrow. She looked at the Alicorn. “I’ve never seen anypony like you before.” Alice gazed at her and said, “There are not a lot of us, Drift calls my kind Alicorns. We are no goddess however so we don’t know if such a term is accurate.” “Goddess?” Crystal tilted her head. “You mean because you look like the sisters from those old mare tales?” Alice raised an eyebrow. “Celestia and Luna are mere fairy tales where you are from?” “Well yeah…” Crystal said with a nervous smile. “I mean, ponies can’t really move the sun and moon right?” The Alicorn simply laughed in her mind and said, “Your thoughts are flawed, yet simple, it’s very interesting.” Crystal blinked and then Trample called, “Hey Stablefilly! Could you bring that Pipbuck over here? The dumb computer locked me out again cuz I forgot my password and we can’t go till it’s unlocked. Otherwise we’d be driving blind without a navigator tool.” “I can probably have a look,” Crystal walked to the Tumbler and to the computer on the side of the vehicle. Her horn glowed a smooth pink and a wire came out of her Pipbuck. It moved itself into a slot in the computer and she began pressing buttons both on her Pipbuck and the computer. Trample looked at the computer. “Wow, it would take me a week to decipher all that garbage.” “I was a tech filly back in my stable,” Crystal explained. “Working with computers just comes naturally to me.” She tapped a few more buttons and said, “There you go, turns out the password was…Milky Way?” “Ah, Milky Way…” Trample drooled, a smile on his face. “Now that was a flexible mare.” “This is a pretty advanced machine,” Crystal observed. “Where did you find this?” “Actually it doesn’t belong to us,” I said, coming up. “It belongs to the mayor of Dodge, Cherilee Jubilee.” “She let us borrow it so we could drive out this far,” Trample explained. “She got it from her….fifth husband….?” “No,” I interjected. “I’m pretty sure it was her fourth husband.” “No, that guy got her that weird laser gun,” Trample countered. “I always thought it was her third husband,” Rosy said, joining in the conversation. “No,” Burstfire said, hovering over the group. “She told me he was the one who got her that weird dog thing.” “Which is why I said,” Trample added. “That it was her fifth husband.” “Wasn’t he the one who got her that headband?” I asked. “Nah,” Rosy said. “She’s always had that thing.” I looked at Crystal who was staring a little at us. She gave me a look and asked, “Five husbands?” “Seven husbands, two wives and a very strange relationship with a possibly gender neutral ghoul at one point,” Rosey said “All of em sadly died or simply moved on” “Where I come from,” Crystal started, “We have our mates picked for us by the Overmare and the relationships are for life.” “Wow,” Trample said. “I don’t think I’d survive in that place, I mean, having to buck the same mare every day?” “Oh geez,” I said with sarcasm. “It’s not like it’s a concept that’s existed since the dawn of pony kind.” Trample smiled sheepishly, Rosey rolled her eyes. “This is reason number 55 of why I prefer mares.” “Did you have a husband Crystal?” I asked. She shook her head. “I was too young, we don’t get assigned our mates until we’re twenty five.” “Seems like a long wait,” Rosey commented. “Well yeah,” Crystal said. “But the idea is that we would be mature enough to handle foals. Also this way we won’t have too many to take up the stable’s resources.” “Okay it’s official,” Trample groaned. “I’m never going to survive in a stable.” “Alright, that’s enough yakking people” I said. “Let’s all finish up and get some sleep.” Everypony nodded and I went back to my bedroll. I laid down on it and looked over to see Crystal laying down on her bedroll next to me. She looked at me and smiled. “Again, thank you so much for helping me.” “Again it’s no problem,” I said smiling a little too. “You could’ve left me though,” Crystal said worryingly. “The slavers told me they were going to cut my leg off and take my Pipbuck.” “Yeah well,” I started, looking at her, “I know Rosy would’ve killed me in my sleep if I did it.” She laughed a little and asked, “But, why did you want to save me?” “I…” I paused and rolled over away from her. “I just know what it’s like to be alone, it’s never a good experience.” With that, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.