An (Ex)Raiders Wanderings

by Resurgent Wanderer

Ch.4: Just for One Day(Revised)

Author's Note:

After working and reworking chapter four, originally supposed to cover Sia's travel from the burrows to the Equestrian and Saddle Arabian forces and delve into her past, I settled with this instead.

I was having issues on how I was going to work Sia's past into things, then I watched 'Lone Survivor' and heard the song and knew exactly what I wanted to do with this chapter.

As usual Ed has all the 'rights' to claim what's canon and isn't.

Ed and Admiral Popeye both helped me out with this chapter, as well as an in-person friend. I figured I may as well have a couple people revise this one ahead of schedule since it's not some 5K hunk of wordiness.

As Sia, Oran and Amais talked while embarking on their journey to find the forces sent north the two Diamond Dogs engaged in conversation. It wasn’t long before their words fell to family. As the two Dogs spoke Sia felt her memories drift back further and further.

The woman’s mind fell back to the one she called family, and all that the title had entailed.

That was when Oran turned to Sia and asked one simple question.

“What was your father like to you?”

---

It had been hours since the earth shattered beneath their feet, and part of my life had been forever wrenched from my grasp. That was not what mattered though. What mattered was surviving. What mattered was doing what I was told.

I was lifted from the rubble and the dirt by you. I knew to follow you. That following was safety, and safety was worth any price. I followed for days at a time, my body growing weak with hunger, my mind growing desperate from the strain. I wanted to cry, to snuggle up next to you until it was over, but I knew you needed me to be strong.

Then you showed me the path to survival. I hated it, the mere idea of it, but I knew there was no other way. You showed me what I had to do, and when the traders came through the valley the thought of making you happy urged me onward. Bullets tore into the traders, and I hated it, but I understood.

It gave us food, it gave us clothes, it gave us more time. More time was what we needed the most. To rest, to clean our wounds. You needed the rest the most though, I could see it, even if you tried to act tough to not worry me.

Days turned to weeks turn to months turn to years, and I stayed by you. I stayed next to you when you led me to meet the group of men that formed the raiding party. I remember the comforting look on your face as the needle was used to make the tattoos permanent, and how tight the binder was. You never flinched, never faltered.

It was all by being there with you.

Then the end came. There was my shame on one side, death on the other. Funny enough, I think I knew exactly which side you viewed as death and which you viewed as your shame.

And I was standing behind that wall as the bullets raced over our heads. I saw you, and you were so brave. You showed no fear at the danger. But then you saw me. You saw what had happened, and you raced to my side.

I felt an ice cold grip of pain wrap around my throat and you told me we had to go. But I knew how it would end. With pain in my eyes, understanding I would never see you again after the next act, I reached for you and drew you tight in my embrace.

You who had made me who I was without even knowing it. You, who I loved more than anyone else in the world. You who cared for me as I cared for you.

I planted a kiss upon your brow.

I told you to run.

And then…

Then I clamped a broken slave collar on you.

I knew you hated it, and I did too…

So I knew I needed to be a hero…

Just…

This…

Once…

---

“My daddy…” Sia choked out, biting back a sob. “My daddy wasn’t a saint, but he was always there for me… I like to think my daddy was a hero, or at least my hero.”

Comments

[The dead Pixel Brony]

Shit got deep, but seeing as this is a Fallout fic, that's to be expected from time to time.

I saw a few letters we left out on accident, a 'the' that should have been a 'they', and a few word usage issues. I would point them all out, but I just can't be arsed to do so.

[Resurgent Wanderer]

4139625 Eh, not really your job anyway.

And yeah, I swapped up that one bit just for the whole "Wait, so that wasn't actually..."

And then it hits you and you're like, "But... why would you do that?"

In which I simply answer, because it makes for good story telling.

[The dead Pixel Brony]

4139919 Exactly.

[AdmiralPopeyesBeard]

Dang.. readin' this chapter again while I'm not lookin' fer mistakes, I'm gettin' all emotional like.

Must.. regain.. manliness!! HHNNNNGG- *pomf* Ahh, there we go. Grew myself a nice bushy moustache.

Edit: "5K hunk of wordiness" Hah! I like long chapters though. Well, as long as shit actually happens in them.