//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Ain't That A Buck In The Head? // Story: FOE: World In Pain // by NeverKnown //------------------------------// Fallout Equestria: World In Pain By NeverKnown Chapter 3:  Ain't That A Buck In The Head? “If you think you're free there is no possible escape.” ~Ram Dass, Fallout Equestria : Project Respawn The rain felt wonderful, I was laying on the road in a pool of my own blood, during a torrential storm. Wet and freezing... But free, even as my collar pressed down on my throat. I was free. I thought back to my escape. I hadn't really cared whether or not I lived or died. Nothing mattered in there, when you’re seen as an object you act as heartless and inanimate as one. You become as the world sees you, it takes you to remind you of what you are. And the will to become yourself more than just a petty object once more.  I just wanted to be free of the pain, the eternal torment. Snapping the younger female guard’s neck as she lead me to another cage, avoiding the guards, once the alarm went up and yanking the bullet out of my forehoof after the guard at the gate had got in a lucky shot. I felt like I could fall asleep, drift off for an eternity. It just felt so peaceful and tranquil “NO, YOU DID NOT COME THIS FAR TO DIE” No Death, not just yet.  I could hear the angels calling my name, waiting for me with their golden voices. There they were. Waiting... Let ‘em wait I was too busy living to sing. Slowly I pulled myself up and started walking. My body swayed as I staggered on. I didn't care where I was headed, I just needed to live. I could feel myself losing blood, every drop that fell drained life from me, but the numbness of being free pushed me on. There was so much more to this world, it was too early to sleep, not yet. I stumbled down another hill while gazing upon the stars, they were beautiful things, shining and so far away. I felt a warmth on my flank as I sat there to watch them in their otherworldly beauty. Looking towards the horizon I saw an orange light coming from the bottom of the hill under an old overpass. I was drawn into its radiance like a fly to a lightbulb. I got myself off my haunches and started dragging my way towards the light, it felt warming to my heart, so warm.... As I neared it I felt my legs quake beneath me, I heard a gasp. As my legs gave out from under me, my face met with the warm coarse sand that made up the ground, it felt so warm...so welcoming. The sensation of my body being dragged along  felt great against my thin coat as the blackness started leaking into the center of my vision. oooOOOooo I gritted my teeth and pulled against my bindings that held me to the telephone pole as the whip bit into my hide for the fifth time “If I had only not gotten caught up in that barbwire, I was almost free.”   SLAP “SLAVE, YOU DON'T OWN YOURSELF, WE DO! THE FASTER YOU LEARN THIS THE LESS DAILY WHIPS YOU NEED TO GET. YOUR CHOICE!” SLAP The strikes were getting faster and the pain was overwhelming, the burning whip seared my flesh as it lashed through me. I could feel tears running down my muzzle even as I tried to hold them. SLAP I was clinging on to consciousness as they dragged me back to my cold iron cage while blood trickled from the gashes in my back and wings. It hurt so bad didn't it? SLAP oooOOOooo My eyes shot open only to make me wish I had kept them closed. Glancing around I noticed I was on a set up cot on the left side of a small dirty green military tent. At least I thought I was on the left side of a tent. It struck me that I couldn't see through my left eye. Some pain lingered from it so I guessed it was still there “Thank Celestia for small things.” I didn't feel like i could fight off a rabbit right now... Wait I think those might be extinct. When was the last time you saw a rabbit?  Trying to sit up I felt as though my bones were suddenly made from lead bowling balls and my head was full of rancid cotton wool and murky sawdust.   Ugggggggghhh my head. Suddenly I heard what sounded like a cross between somepony dropping steel bars and falling into a pile of scraps “HONEY I THINK HE'S AWAKE.” Suddenly a white unicorn opened the tent flap looking a little younger than I was (relatively) carrying a medical bag. I could only feel the dry, shrivelling sensation of thirst consume my body. I could remember flying but i couldn't remember landing i probably wouldn't want to. *cough* “Water please...” My mouth parched, every word felt like swallowing a nail lined with acid. Retching like an old sickly nag. The unicorn gawked at me for a while before registering what I pleaded for before hurriedly  digging around in the pink boxes around her flanks, floating out a clear glass bottle filled with water. As soon as it was within feasible reach I moved my left hoof to snatch it from the mare only to hiss as I felt a sharp pain in my leg. The mare was next to me in a second stopping me from moving my hoof “Shhh you've been through alot what can you remember?” Her graceful voice chimed maternally. After she floated to water to my mouth all I could rasp out was “Name... Red.. Str *cough*... slave.. escaped” She looked at me with saddened eyes “You’ll be able to move in a couple hours after you wake up, stay off that hoof and come and see the family, also how rude of me. Names Cherry Blossom she held out a hoof after i looked to her then my hoof she lowered it. “Heh heh almost forgot anyways after you’re up to it we can see about getting that collar off.” As she left the tent  my eyes began to slink  close. I hadn't noticed how tired I was, and for once I felt safer. ______________________________________________________________________________ ELSEWHERE: Slavers ______________________________________________________________________________ “Damn, the boss is going to be pissed we couldn't find that wiping trophy zebra of his. He’s going to fucking castrate us!”  “Shut your fucken mouth, we’ll just grab some bones, head back and tell him it got eaten by something.”  “Pfft, fine by me I hate it out here lets grab some bones and get the fuck out of here, this place gives me the creeps. Too quiet.” ______________________________________________________________________________ TWO HOURS AND MANY MANY MILES AWAY ______________________________________________________________________________ When I finally opened my eyes again the stuffiness of my head had started to dissipate, but it was still thick as that slimy slaver stew they fed me.  I decided after a moment's inner conflict between complacency and urgency to get myself standing on four legs. First I moved my front legs off the bed, taking care not to put too much strain on the left one. After a few, FEW missteps and tumbles I succeeded in getting myself to the flap of the tent. ______________________________________________________________________________ CURRENTLY OUTSIDE THE TENT ______________________________________________________________________________ “Cherry it was mighty kind for you to let that stranger into the camp, fix him up and such, but you used up most of our supplies, we won't be able to hire a new guard after the last one caught a bullet in the gullet, he hid his caps somewhere.” “Sorry dad, but you saw him dressed in those rags and covered in old scars and bleeding from a gunshot wound, not to mention that collar, who does that to  po...zebras?”  “Cherry...cherry there are ponies out there who make their living on the suffering of others. That buck probably has had a long hard and brutal life. No telling how he’s going to act once he gets back on his legs.” “He is a strange one though...Have you ever seen a zebra? Let alone one with wings for garnish sakes and...” All three of the ponies looked up to the tent as I the “zebra” limped out of the tent with a stupid grin forced on my face. “Eh you folks wouldn’t happen to have a bathroom would you?” All three of the ponies stared at me before the older male pointed a hoof towards a tent further away from the fire, as I trotted away the older mare said something as I got just outside of ear shot. “Wow, he is a strange one...” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Physical perks unlocked Scarred: Due to your treatment you are covered in scars most healed but still visible. ???: You felt something when staring at those stars maybe you should look down No skill points added                        Level 2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks everyone for waiting things get hectic around here wish i could have put in some more work but i needed to get this out Thanks goes out to: DancingOnTheAshes    Aka The One Shadowstep                  AKA Shirley Aka grammar nazi (editor/contributor) albin205            PistolWhip                    AKA The Badass (editor/contributor)  Has a Story. Stanwuuz                       A great friend hopefully if you check back later youll see Red Stripe’s mark ^^