//------------------------------// // Lets Kill a Hydra // Story: Fallout Equestria : MaelStorm of The Wasteland // by Harb //------------------------------// "My mind is surprisingly empty." I woke up on the floor of a room with walls made out of what looked like copper wire and blackness. In front of me was a unicorn with a jet black body and a shaggy bone white mane and strangely, one eye was purple like mine, but the other had a vertical pupil and it's iris was green with specks of red in it. "Hello, and welcome to your subconscious, this is a recording on what has happened. When you got two of my guns to close with each other, this causes an influx of magical energy to exert, thus allowing me to speak with you. This will only happen once with each artifact. But within each one of my artifacts, I have placed the shard of a bloodstone which has had magical properties bestowed upon it by me, when all of them have been placed into a single stone, you will be able to learn of all of my memories, thus leading to my home, my armor, and my treasure, so far you have found two of them. P.S. This is from BloodStone, The Great Scribe, I bid you goodbye and good luck in finding my artifacts." My vision flashed red again and I woke up in a bed with 13 and SteelHooves around me. "Why do I faint so much?" 13 gave a small chuckle. "Well, I've been examining you, physically you seem okay, how do you fell mentally?" SteelHooves asked. "Well, I was in my own subconscious, a pony who called himself BloodStone spoke of what happened. That there was a fragment of a stone in each one of his artifacts." "Well, how can we know?" 13 asked. "I have just the idea." I found the 95. auto then I concentrated on disassembling it. I saw all of the small screws, the barrel, etc, then in the glimmer in the fire light of SteelHooves house, I saw a small green stone, with a fleck of red garnet on a large piece of technology. "Anypony have any idea on what this is?" I asked. 13 got the book out of my saddle bag then looked in the artifact section for a picture. He this stopped the turned the book around to me. The exact piece of technology was in that picture. I reassembled the 95. auto, without the piece of technology. This is known as a Gauss Drive, if placed in a setting with a simple trigger, it will automatically attach itself to the trigger as well as setting, thus allowing it to fire anything. There where up to twelve made by a master craftspony after Discord was defeated. It is best know because it can silence a weapon, but still provide enough stopping power, I have placed one in my own gun. In order to remove the blood stone I've placed in it, simply pick it out with something sharp, no damage will come to the Gauss Drive. I've spoked with Celestia this morning about mass producing them for the war effort, she threw me out. But I did get a snippet of information from Celestia about The Cyber-Pony project, I also spied on some of the ministries, they're making power armor to fight the zebras. Well, I'm going to enjoy stealing some of those. I some-times think why Celestia just doesn't kill me, maybe it's because I went on an expedition to recover The Eye of The Seer, or she finds me funny. But enough of my rambling, long story short, I learned that they couldn't armor the joints in order to hinder movement, so if they ever knock down my door, if they can find it, I now have a way to shoot them. The joints have slightly less armor making them more vulnerable, the eye slit is bullet proof, but a high powered laser can cut through it. I shut the book then carefully got out the shard with my magic. I then dissembled the 95 auto then put the Gauss Drive back in it's place. Then I went to work on the BloodRose. It's design was like nothing I've ever seen, apparently BloodStone has been either crazy or smart enough to combine the ammo container of a revolver with the power of a sawed off. The shard was in the barrel, after removing it and placing it next to the other shard, I reassembled it then I watched in amazement as the two shards glowed then latched onto each other, creating a larger shard. Then it hit me. Where in the hay was Calypso. "13, where's Calypso?!" I asked frantically. "Relax, she's okay. She went to Athena's, apparently they share a green hoof. Also, SteelHeart told me to tell you once you wake that he has a special surprise for you." "What?" I asked. "Well, remember those special shells that you read about?" "Yes, I do." "Well follow me." I put BloodRose and the 95. auto in my satchel then I followed 13. He opened the door then I followed him into SteelHeart's bar. Inside on a table underneath a flickering light, was a box of rounds marked 'God Killer' on one half of the box and 'Clear Cutter' on the other half. I smiled in joy. Suddenly the lights came on. SteelHeart was in front of the table. "Well, here's you're surprise, I hired some ponies to scour the mountainside, we came across an old forge where we found, and get this, a transmogrification machine, so we made ourselves some shells. I hope you'll do well, also, Denny prepared something else for this occasion." "What is it?" I asked. "It was a suit of armor used by our grandfather when he was a courier in New Pegus. He said you'll know when a pony will use it. I guess he meant it for you. So Denny dusted it off and improvised some of the missing parts, we also took the liberty of insulating it so that way you won't freeze to death" Denny opened the door to the forge carrying a stable jumpsuit, with two metal pauldrons a thin layer of kevlar on the body, and four iron horseshoes, on his back. I took off my coat then slipped on the armor. It was comforting, to be back in a jumpsuit. I took the box of ammo then put the ammo that I didn't use in my saddle bag. A light on my Pip-Buck had a highlight with the ammo count of the BloodRose, it had a small abbreviation next to it's condition, GK/CC. "I can't thank you enough SteelHeart, but why go to all of this trouble for me?" I said "Because if a hydra is endagering this place, then what better insurance than a stable dweller with two old guns and some armor." I chuckled at the joke. Then the grim realization dawned on me, I could die, but what better way to die than to save a town. So I holstered my weapons then 13 and I followed SteelHeart out of the town. We followed him down the eastern slope, once we reached it's landing into flat ground. In the side of the slope, was the mouth to an enormous cave. "So this is it?" I asked. "Yes. And a word of advice, try not to get killed." SteelHeart walked off, back up the slope. 13 and I entered the cave, darkness enshrouded us as we went deeper into the cavern. I turned on my Pip-Buck for light. We where in a huge cavern, large enough to support a hydra. A large red blip was on the screen of my Pip-Buck. A large crashing sound was behind us in the large cathedral like cavern. In the distance I saw a light and a Stable Door. I turned to see however, a large hydra, almost fully grown, running towards us. I quickly said "13, run after me to the Stable door." He gave a nod then I started off running for the door, the deep thump of a running hydra trailing us. Exerting all of my strength I ran to the stable door control panel. I started to press random buttons and levers then an alarm went off and the stable door began to open. I motioned with my hoof for 13 to hurry to the door. The door opened and I hurried in and 13 followed me. The door, as I learned, had a timer and shut just as the hydra was upon us. "Er, MaelStorm?" "Yes 13?" "Turn around." I turned from the door. My jaw dropped and I was shocked. On a huge wall where several rows of chambers. "What are they?" 13 asked. "I have no idea." I stepped forward in awe, only to hear my hooves cracking on the skeleton of a pony. I stepped back. I noticed two knives embedded in the ponies ribcage, I carefully removed them and put them in my bag. I know that there's something bad about taking things from the dead, but as I learned from the wasteland, one pony's death can be another's life. But back to the point of what these things where. The glow of a terminal pierced my vision. Perhaps you have answers. I sat down on a chair near it and began to hack the terminal. Thanks to the book Calypso gave me, I had learned that all pre-war terminals where set with a password and could be hacked, as well as there where dud sweepers hidden in the code. It displayed 4 letter words such as love, past, door, safe, and home. I typed in door, 1/4 words correct, 3 attempts left then home 2/4 correct 2 attempts left. Reveal to me you're secrets terminal. Love, exact match. Hmm, well I guess why love is the password. -ClockWork's entry #1- They had to evacuate the Fluttershy Memorial Hospital of all non terminal patients because of the chance of mega spell attack, but they where placed in sleep containers, the non terminal fillies and colts where placed here, just in case the mega spells do fly. SapphireCream, if you're reading this, know that I love you. It'll be up to you to help lead all of the fowls here. -ClockWork's entry #2- The Ministry of Peace send me down to check the Stable door as well as the system. They also told me to keep a log to help with the fact that I'll probably never see my daughter again. FlutterShy, being the only one who understands my loss, let me speak with Sapphire one last time to say goodbye, Luna bless her heart. -ClockWork's entry #3- Damn door's sealed behind me. Check the system one last time they said, it may have some problems they said. Well, the system is down, whoever opens the door from the outside will be doomed to the same fate. If you're reading this, I'm sorry, if it's you Sapphire, I'm, I'm sorry that I never got to see you grow up. -ClockWork's entry #4- Well, now use starving to death. With heavy hoofs I type this, I have retrieved two knives from the armor, with these I choose to end my life, why, well why not. I clicked off the log section then I saw a section labeled Stable 35 Purpose. I clicked onto it. Stable 35 purpose is to preserve Fillies and Colts and once they are released will be supplied with a large amount of weapons, manuals, spell survival suits, and medical supplies, the purpose of this is to establish, if all of pony kind is destroyed, to restore and repopulate society armed with an abundance of supplies. The chambers are to be opened by either by timer that will start when the doors are sealed, or manually by a technician, the door will also open at the time. Open containers Yes or No I began to think, to release them would be to unleash more deaths, this place was a hellhole and this was just what I had seen. I clicked no, I had my own things to do here. I logged off the terminal. "Ok, as I just learned, where sealed in here." 13's eyes widened then he fainted. Well, looks like I'm in this myself. I began to look around the vault. I saw a door marked armory. I opened the stable door was greeted with a large array of weapons, ammo, and armor. I spied a row of 12. gauge rounds then I put two boxes in my satcheI. I walked out of the armory then I noticed a small, almost destroyed grate. I took it off then I looked into it to see an air vent large enough for me to crawl into. I turned on my Pip-Bucks light then I began to go into the vent. It was fairly long, a few incline here and there, a few turns and then, another grate, I pushed off the cover. I was in a small ledge, facing the back of the hydra. I smiled, then I got out both of the knives. I was crazy for doing this, but what the hay, you had to be crazy to survive out here. I gripped them with my magic and the Blood Rose tightly between my teeth. I started a running jump, then I propelled myself off the cliff. The knives met their mark, the hydra screams indicated that. I took one out then plunged it into the hydra's back, then the other, and so on, I kept on doing this until I reached the base of it's four necks, then, with the hydra flailing to get me off of it's back, I turned the Blood Rose in my mouth where I could shoot it. I put the Blood Rose at the base of the first neck to the right. I pulled the trigger, then like a phoenix covered in razor's, I saw as the hydra's head and neck toppled from the base. I heard the click of the next section coming to the barrel's. I pointed the gun at another head, then suddenly the hydra thrashed the knives out of it's back, thus throwing me off it. Then, something amazing happened, the shoes of the couriers armor sprouted spikes. I quickly stuck them into the hydra's back and began to climb again, now I could carry the BloodRose with my magic since I lost the knives. I restarted the process. Soon I was back at the neck's base, another dual barrels, another falling hydra head, then the barrel clicked again, I fired at the next head, then finally, one final head, writhing and roaring in agony. I fired the last shot. A headless hydra twitched on it's feet for a while, then it began to topple. Since the body was becoming horizontal, I began to slide down it's back and tail on my back hooves. It began to curl up and I went with it, soon I was on the ground of the cavern. I stood on my back hooves, then I popped out the empty the shells in the Blood Rose then I reloaded the normal 12. gauge. I put the blood rose on a clip in the armor then I walked over to the stable door control panel and I opened it up. "13, get up!" I heard several thumps, what I took as 13 trying to get up." "Wheart?" Well, looks like 13 has a bit of slurred speech. "I've killed the hydra, now lets go." Footnote: New Perk Gained: Bloody Mess: You do 5% more damage with all weapons, and it will be a little more bloodier. Small Guns increased to 24|