Fallout Equestria: Paradox Flames

by Seraph-Colak

Chapter 4

I awoke with a surge of panic. Where was I? Eyes darting around in panic slowed steadily as I remembered the events of the past couple of days. Getting up I walked to the window and looked out towards Hoofington. The town appeared small and rural, my stable was likely the only one around. I strapped my saddlebags back on and headed downstairs. Removing the door bar I headed out towards the middle of Hoofington.

I needed to find another stable, that was likely the best chance I had of finding pipbuck technician tools I needed to remove my pipbuck. My pipbuck had to go if I were to evade crystal's far-reaching grasp as she had all the stable ponies' tags, including mine, and could track anypony anywhere. She would likely give my tag to the retrieval team so each one would always know where I was.

And then there was the retrieval team. There was no guarantee who would be sent out but it would likely be a small army considering my escape would have called into question everything that gave her the right to be in charge: her ability to predict everyponies actions no matter how unpredictable they think they are. My escape was a personal challenge on her rule that could destroy the line of oracles forever, not that anypony would mind. There WOULD be a retrieval team and they would hound me across the wastes, pin me down and then drag me back to be punished. They'd probably also break my horn.

I shuddered at that last thought. My magic was one thing I was incredibly proud of, it set me apart from anypony else because I was powerful in magic. And power is what would get me what I wanted. All I needed was time and research and I could pull my magical theories together into a unique form that nopony has ever seen before. I would become a wasteland legend through my magic! All I'd need is time and I would likely have to pay for that time in blood.

But that was the future. Today in the here and now I needed armor, food, safe sleeping arrangements and the location of another stable. A book I read mentioned that pre-war ponies would travel to other cities using trains so it stood to reason that a train station would possess at least a crude map of the lines to nearby cities and that's all I needed. If the station lacked a map I could always follow the rail line.

Lost in my thoughts I failed to notice the approaching wild dogs until they were already too close. It lunged at me, teeth aiming for my throat and I lowered my horn at it. Before I could channel any magic into it the dog slammed into me, its teeth scratched on my horn and we became a tangle of limbs. I pulled myself up and charged magic into my horn just in time for another dog to lunge at me. With no time to craft a spell, I stabbed it with my charged horn and discharged the raw magic into its side. I pulled my horn out and felt teeth sink into my side. Crying out in pain I grabbed my rifle with my magic and began to empty the sparkle breeder's charges into the dog until it slowed and began using the rifle as a club. I finally stopped when I realized the dog had died awhile ago and its jaw had simply locked into my side.

My first battle in the wasteland. Two dogs. Two dogs had caught me completely by surprise and forced me to stab one with my horn like a savage. I yanked the dog out of my side and downed a healing potion, trying not to focus on the pain or shame the dogs had inflicted on me and that's when I saw them. I had barely fought off two dogs and down the road was more. A LOT MORE. My eyes shot around, desperate for an escape and then I saw a subway tunnel. I dashed towards it as fast as I could, bounding down the steps and over the turnstiles. I charged my horn and turned, sliding 180 degrees and loosing a blind fire blast toward the turnstiles and managed to hit the lead dog in the face. Turning back around I dove off to the side into a doorway and closed the door behind me. Safe!

"Tickets please," an artificial voice inquired behind me. I turned and saw a protectron robot, shaped in crude imitation of a pony, looking at me.

I panicked. Charging magic in my horn I slammed into the robot with the same desperation that fueled my fight with the dogs. It said something and began firing lasers out of it's head dome at me but most missed as I held my horn in its chest. I pulled out and quickly spun around and bucked into it's dome and spun back around after a satisfying crunching sound and slammed my horn, charged once again with magic, into its side.

The light in it's dome head flickered off and it fell to the side, slipping off my horn. For awhile I just stood there staring at it and panting. The wasteland was a violent and chaotic place, I did not particularly care for it.

Once my adrenaline cooled down I realized the protectron had scored several long burns along my backside and the pain began to hit me. I opened my bag and examined what I had left, some food and water, my recharger rifle, a bedroll, some magical bandages and one healing potion. Holding the potion in front of me with my magic I examined it closely, rotating it. I should save it. I crudely wrapped myself with the bandages and felt the itch of their healing magic activate. Using the bandages instead of the potion would guarantee scarring but the potion was too precious to waste, it was my last one after all.

Scratching at the door confirmed that the dogs were still out there, giving me time to look around in here. It seemed like an office, probably where the managerial work happened for the metro. There was a strange pod against the back wall that was big enough to fit a pony inside easily, probably the protectron's charging pod. On the desk next to it was a terminal. Next to the terminal however was what appeared to be a plastic card my pipbuck labeled as a 'metro ticket'. I looked at it for a moment then upon a realization I began glaring at it.

'Tickets please.'

If I had grabbed a ticket and handed it to the protectron it probably would've ignored me, instead I panicked and attacked the thing meaning the scarred flesh on my back was a direct result of me losing my head. This wasnt like me, running around panicking and attacking anything that moves before assessing the situation. I was a stable-tec stable #36 scientist for crying out loud! It was time I started acting like it. And what I just found in a lost and found bin was going to help immensely.

I prepared a spell and opened the door. The dogs were surprised but instantly trying to bound inside and almost had me when I teleported. I was outside the office but still in the metro, looking at the dogs from the other side. A moment later there was an explosion and I was sprayed with a red spray and smacked in the face with destroyed remains, the wet and sickly warm mess made me gag but the job was done and my pursuers were dead.

I turned and headed deeper into the metro, dropping the the grenade pin behind me as I went. Chances were that it'd be safer than trying to travel above ground.

LEVEL UP!

New Perk: Additional Vocation

Author's Note:

Chapter 4 went through a long series of strange editing including experimental writing techniques and a complete re-write.