//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Bloodied Cystals (ST) (Un-edited) // Story: Fallout Equestria: Friends in High Places // by Twilight_Sparkler //------------------------------// Chapter 4 Sapphire Talisman Ok so we left off with the whole useless part, yes? Well after that little escapade Shadow would hardly talk to me. It was like "Oh, you have not found your special talent? Guess I'll just act like your already dead." Being outside for the first time was, well... disappointing. What happened to the blue skies and green grass? The first things for my eyes to fall apon where a gorgeous pegasus, (not complaining there) her crazy friend and a world devoid of color. I must admit the whole trick with the guns was quite hilarious. The Overmare falling on me? A competely different story. Yeah I hated her, but did anypony deserve that? It was like the final "screw you" moment of her life. She bled all over me! I mean, do you know how long it takes to get blood out of my coat?! ["Kiwi said I need to stop complaining about how 'un-fabolous' it looks on my coat. Well, the colors clash! Sorry about that, my appearance is quite a sensative topic for me. Ok, back to the story.] So as we walked what I assume to be an over-grown forest, Shadow actually tried to talk to me. I don't blame her, who wouldn't want to try and comfort somepony who was about to die? "I really am sorry about this." she said without looking at me. "Well I guess it really isn't your fault is it?" "I guess not, but I feel so helpless. This is total bullshit. You were supposed to have your cutie marks." "Well I guess your luck sucks, because me and Kiwi are the only blanks in the whole stable" I said with a little chuckle. She just kind of stared at me like I was crazy. "You're not serious, are you?" "Oh, but I am. This flank has been blank since the beginning." After that we both just fell into the awkward silence. Kiwi and Burst where a few paces ahead, not even talking now, when I thought I heard a rustling in the bushes. Stopping abruptly causing Shadow to get a few paces in front of me. "Look, I realize you don't want to die but we need to keep moving." I acted like I didn't hear her. "Did you hear that?" "Hear what?" "That rustling noise. There it is aga-" I didn't get the words out of my mouth before a giant monstrosity lept out of the brush tackling me. I surely would have died if Shadow hadn't been quick to act and shot the beast a couple of times. While it served its purpose as a distraction sadly, this only seemed to anger it. After it slowly lumbered away from me, towards her, I quickly ran over to Burst and Kiwi where the former was pulling out her pistol. After lifting it out of her bags she unloaded a few expertly placed shots. So naturally I looked down to see her Pip-Buck and was shocked to see her forleg bare. After a few moments of awe, I realized that once again the beast was focused in my direcion, and yet again I as alone. As it started to charge at me I felt a magic force grip my body and throw me into the air. In a justified action, I screamed. Sadly that nearly put Kiwi's to shame. After finishing my scream and gathering what pride I still had left and promptly looked around for everypony else. Apparently Shadow was trying to distract the beast while Burst tried her hardest to keep me afloat and Kiwi was trying to help Shadow. He had a huge stick that he was trying to fight with. Kiw's stick just seemed to annoy the thing. Eventually the beast turns back to me but i was floating just out of reach. Burst had her magical grip on me, but I was moiving extremely slow. I wasn't that heavy was I? Apparently I was because the rate i was moving I might as well have been a few crates of rocks, big crates. After about half way Burst's magic started to flicker. The real kicker was that I was still above the beast. After what seemed like hours in the air i finaly got a good look at the thing. I nearly jumped out of my coat. It had a grinning red lion head, its huge scorpion tail menancingly held above its head. It was a manticore, a big one at that. About three minutes passed when I finally floated towards Burst and Kiwi. And around that time was when Shadow ran out of bullets. She was alive purely based on the fact that she was just too quick for the manticore, and Kiwi was tripping it with his stick. Burst tried to help but her bullets just didn't help, so I did the only thing I could think of. I started to grow crystals. What i was trying to pull off was to grow a big enough cystal to cut the manticore with. Sadly I have never grown anything bigger than an apple. So of course, what does it do? It refuesed to get bigger. So with my magic, I reached out and grabbed the small, jagged jem and pulled up my marvelous S.A.T.S. and targeted a slice at the manticore's neck. If it weren't for S.A.T.S. it probably would have missed. But as time slowed down I saw the jem flick by the manticore's throat. Next thing i saw was a red jem and a welling gash on a dying manticore. Shadow and Burst just looked at me kinda funny after that. They walked alittle ways away just out of ear shot and spoke a few hushed words. When they came back I was brushimg some knots out of my rumpled mane, and Kiwi was cleaning of the red looking jem. "Shit dude, I had no idea you could be so violent." Kiwi said as he spit on the crystal to clean it. "What did you expect me too do? Sit here and wait for the manticore to kill me? "Well, I guess not. Still didn't know you had it in you." "Neither did I." After my litle conversation with Kiwi, Shadow and Burst came back over. They both looked pleased and sad. Like they just found out they had a sibling but would never get to see them. Shadow started first. "So I have good news and bad news. Sapphire, you have a higher chance of surviving because you can grow jems. Kiwi, I haven't seen you grow anything but you either very brave or very stupid to take on a full grown manticore." Kiwi and I just nodded and I felt a little better on the inside. We might actually live. "Bad news is, it might not be enough." Burst finished. Again Kiwi and I just nodded. The cold sense of dread settled back in me. "Alright, time to get moving. Red-eye's catheradel is just up ahead." Burst said as she turned back the way we where headed. Kiwi quickly followed Burst back on the trail while I took my time with Shadow. Apperently it was her responsibility to keep me alive and it was Burst's to keep Kiwi that way. So naturally Burst would not leave Kiwi's side and Shaow wouldn't leave mine. I was kind of glad they did this. After running into a full grown manticore my nerves where a little fried. With that being said I tried to make myself by trying to talk to Shadow and Burst. "So what did you both do before working for Red-Eye?" Burst was the first to reply. "I used to wander the wasteland and work contracts." Shadow hesitantly started. "Well I wasn't always this way. I used to live in the clouds. Used to be a high ranking officer, until the incident." "Well what happened?" The great questioner strikes again. "My family betrayed me. One screw up and they throw you out like a wet rag. Then they call in saying I committed treason. So naturally the Enclave dove in and took my cutie mark and gave me this." She lifted her sadle bags just high enough to show us a cloud with a lightning bolt buned into her hide "That looks like it was painful." Kiwi finished his statement with the most innoccence and questioning face I have seen anypony make. "No, it was just like sleeping on a feather bed." Shadow's voce oozed with sarcasm. "Of coarse it hurt! Getting your cutie mark melted off and then getting hit with hot metal will make even the strongest stallion shreik like a little filly." Poor Kiwi looked ever so frightened but kept walking. "So now it's my turn to ask questions. Sapphire, what did you do in the stable without a cutie mark?" She said this as if my story could not even dream of being as dramtic as her's, which of coarse it wasn't but i still told her. "Well life was pretty easy. I got to work with my mom and learn all types of spells." "What about your dad? What does he do?" This question she seemed to ask with a little more intrest. "My father is dead and has been since I was a colt. He was the head of security. I was destined to take his place but I never really seemed to get there."After that Shadow kind of shut up after giving me a kind of sad look. Of coarse she had been betrayed by her father but she still got to know him. I on the other hoof never knew my dad. The only real thing I have from him is his old Pip-Buck. Sadly my thoughts where interupted as we abruptly stopped on a hill looking over a huge Chapel. "Well here we are." Shadow said as we arived at the base of the hill. "Your new home" "Maybe." -=-END TRANSMISSION INTRO-=- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Level Up! New Perk - Smooth Talker; You know how to get those mares talkin. With your dazzling looks and sly tongue, you could out-talk any mare. That's saying quite a bit... +5 Speech +5 Magic Capacity