Fallout Equestria: Eschaton Storm

by TheCopperDragonBard

Chapter 7

Fizzlepop

Fizzlepop felt like it had been hours when she finally felt, and saw, the helicopter lower itself to the ground.

'Finally.' she thought. 'Soon, this will all be over.'

She felt a shutter encapture the "Vertibuck"(she had never even heard of a cloudship in her life, despite the half-dragon giving the implication that they were crucial during the times long-passed that she lived through) landed, and without a moment's hesitation, she immediately leaped off, and began walking away.

Of course, as fate seemed to enjoy picking on her, Kenny immediately followed her, calling after the Unicorn ghoul.

"And where do you think you're going, young lady?"

"I was old before you were even alive, so that technically doesn't apply to me."

"At least I look the part. And you still didn't answer my question."

"And here's your answer: away. Anywhere else but here. I thought I made it very clear back in the Roach's camp that I work alone."

"And is that any way to repay the good fellow over there for saving your rear end, twice?" he growled, gesturing over to the aforementioned hybrid, who had gotten out of the cockpit and left the helicopter.

"I'm afraid I don't follow."

"First, back when he noticed you sleeping in the abandoned port in Vanhoover-"

"Okay, now I know that I didn't tell you that! How did you know?"

"He told me."

"Liar! We were too busy gunning down those bugs for you to actually talk to him for most of the ride, and even when we weren't, he himself was too busy flying the Whirlybuck or whatever the crap it's called!"

Kenny didn't adopt another cocky grin or victorious smile, but the spark in his eyes proved he knew more than he let on. "You underestimate how much happens when your lights are out, my little pony..."

---

Scorch, earlier in the day...

Scorch's everything hurt, his vision a red haze as he slowly began to awake, the red coming from the pain that wracked his entire body, most predominantly his head. He slowly sat up, his eyes adjusting to his surroundings, and he saw that he was locked into a cage, iron bars surrounding his every angle. He saw that he was in some sort of room; although many of the assets and objects of the room were too mangled to identify, he could identify dumbbells and what seemed to be an elliptical in the vicinity, and he drew to the conclusion of the area having once been an exercise room. He noticed that he was devoid of pretty much everything, minus his Pipbuck; likely confiscated from the Wretched Hive.

"So, he awakes."

Scorch turned to see a Griffon in the cage with him, his wings bound to his body with a giant metal cuff. Although mostly a dull black and grey in coloration, he had vivid red eyes that stood out from his dull plumage. He looked to be in his late sixties, and yet held himself and seemed to be in the physical state of someone half his age.

"Who are you?"

"A fellow prisoner, an innocent hostage, a wanderer who just tried to mind his own business... all things you can surely relate to or with, I'm certain." the elder joked, a smile plastering his face in spite of his circumstances.

"I... can, for that matter." Scorch replied truthfully, a soft, small smile of his own adorning his face, the old inmate's own joviality lifting his spirits, if only a little. He looked back out towards the outside of the cage, his smile fading as the dystopian setting around him reminded him of the condition of both him and his fellow captor's condition. "Though I doubt I'll be doing any more wandering- at least, any time soon, if I'm really, really lucky."

"I can't help but notice your little friend here hasn't woken up."

"Huh?"

The Griffon scooted back as far as he could go, and Scorch scooted over some, to see the prone, unconscious form of the glowing ghoul he had partnered with in their bid to escape, also locked into the cage with them. Her veins and empty socket still glowed with the sickly green light of balefire radiation.

Scorch retracted back, guilt flooding him, though not to an overwhelming, despair-inducing extent.

"She was your partner?"

"Sort of." he confirmed. "We were just... helping each other try to escape."

"What happened?"

"I had gotten the Roach's attention and I had found her asleep in one of the carriages; it seemed she had fallen asleep the night before the squadrons and I had arrived. I woke her up and suggested that we work together to escape, and that we head into the city to evade them." He snarled at his own naivety. "In hindsight, my plan was downright stupid; I should have known they wouldn't all go after me, even if I was more important than a mere intruder who had slighted one of their soldiers. And now because of that, I've lead us both to our deaths."

"Hey, hey, don't be too hard on yourself. I certainly see what you were trying to do; trying to hide from them on their own turf; it would most certainly be the last place they would expect." the Griffon complimented, patting him on the shoulder. "And the fact that you woke someone up to get them out of a territory belonging to the Wretched Hive, instead of leaving them to die and save your own hide? That takes guts and heart, and the latter is something I've seen too little of in these times."

"To be honest, it was somewhat ulterior; she looked like a survivor- I mean, look at her. That practically screams badflank wasteland wanderer. I was hoping that her skill would help me escape."

"And she would have escaped as well. You still did the right thing in not leaving her behind."

"Even then, it did us no good; we're clearly stuck here, likely for what little probably remains of our lives."

Silence. It lasted for a few moments, long enough to think that the old Griffon had ceased conversation with him. That was, until he did speak again.

"Sometimes, that's life. Doing good, and yet only being repaid with torment." he turned to the half-dragon. "That was how I got here."

"Really? How?"

The Griffon sighed, though not of boredom or exasperation, before continuing. "I was actually snagged by this band of bastards a week or two ago. They had been trying to mug and drag off a poor colt, no older than a teenager, and I was witnessing the whole ordeal. I refused to let it stand by, and so I flew right in there, revolver in my claw, and I was like, *pew* with one of them," he went on, making his right talon into a revolver-esque position and mock-firing it, "and then I shot another one- I mean, they were all over the place, so I was just like, *pew* *pow* *bang*!"

Scorch smiled; the stranger's recount of his attempted rescue was both amusing him and warming his heart, the former coming from his rather... eccentric description of it.

"And whenever your in something like that, you're always like, 'I got this!' and I mean, I was like, 'I got this!'... but, as you can clearly see, I did not have it."

Scorch couldn't ask anything more, primarily about the fate of the captured colt, as he heard the cage door open. He looked up to see a drone wielding a two-by-four plank of wood, and before he could brace himself or even react, he felt a bludgeoning agony flash across through his skull, knocking him out instantly.

---

Back to Fizzlepop...

"... so you see, he could have easily left you to die out in the ruins so he could escape; odds are, when the Roaches would come looking around, you likely would have either been asleep or just waking up, and since they were searching around for someone, they would have found you eventually, and you would have been too vulnerable, against insurmountable odds, to truly fight back, let alone survive. But he didn't, and even if you were ultimately captured anyway, he at least tried- a debt you clearly stated you wouldn't repay if I hadn't made you come along."

Still snarling in anger, the old Griffon continued. "Second, he was the one who found the hangar, got the vehicle up-and-running, and piloted it in spite of not even knowing how to get our rear ends out of here. He could have ditched us both then, too, but he didn't. So if you think you're just going to up and ditch him without even showing gratitude for saving your rear end, then you are just as brain-dead as a feral!"

"I work and survive on my own, and that is that! I'm leaving!" she snapped- which she soon came to regret.

Faster than she had previously seen him move, ever, he twisted the nob on his revolver to another setting entirely, before proceeding to fire a shot into her back left knee before she could run.

The bullet tore through her joint with far more power and far more speed than a typical revolver bullet. The shot didn't just fire through her leg; the knee fractured into pieces from the force of the attack, and she collapsed onto the ground with a yelp of pain.

The Griffon loomed menacingly over her, projecting an aura of hostility that she had never felt from the kindly being. "Like Tartarus you are."

Fizzlepop clutched her ruined leg, glaring defiantly up at him. "What- is that- what did you do to my leg?!"

"Wartime- another setting this gun has. Arcane converts the bullets into energy blasts, while Wartime increases the stopping power and traumatic force of it's shots." He aimed the gun down toward her. "A feature I'll happily use on your other knees if you-"

"Kenny, stop."

The both turned to see the half-dragon coming up to them, a stern but calm expression on his face.

"I appreciate your attempts to help, but her unwillingness to help is something we can't change- and shooting her knees isn't going to help in that regard. However," he turned to her, maintaining his expression, "we will still require your help."

"Really?"

She stifled another yelp of agony as Kenny fired a bullet into her other hind-knee, an action that earned the Griffon a withering glare from the hybrid.

"Just... allow me to explain." He proceeded to pull out a folded-up piece of paper from under his Pipbuck, which he then proceeded to unfold into a letter. "While I was being held hostage in the room of one of the soldiers, I found this letter on the top of the drawer. It says that they have something that can use to seize control of the wastes."

"You mean more than they already do?" the old Griffon asked, being passed the letter.

"Even then, what would be in it for me?"

"Think about it; if the Wretched Hive were to obtain total domination over the Wasteland, I doubt they would leave any non-changeling alive, whether they be normal or ghouls. That would include you. You may be a glowing ghoul, but even with your regeneration, you're not invincible. If we were to stop the Wretched Hive's plans, that means everything would generally not die, including you. After that, you can roam and wander the wastes and be as alone as you like."

Fizzlepop mulled over the notion. If the Wretched Hive were plotting to obtain total dominion over the wastes, that would mean that everything that wasn't one of them would likely perish. She had always vowed to be on her own, to not trust anypony, to do things alone... but she was not unreasonable. Even if she tried to stop the Wretched Hive on her own, she knew it would be suicide; from what little she knew of the faction as a whole, she knew that such a feat was impossible, no excuses, given their influence and might.

She nodded. "Very well. I will work alongside you for as long as necessary, and no more."

"That's all I ask." the hybrid stated, before turning his head upwards toward the cloudy sky- which was getting even darker. "We should probably set up camp, get some sleep. We'll need to be at our most rested for our journey towards the Canterlot ruins." He turned toward the Griffon, taking his hand and shaking it. "My name is Scorch, by the way."

"Why are you telling him his name?"

"We're a team, so knowing each other's names are a necessity if we're going to work as an efficient one." Scorch replied. "Now, for what I believe is the third time today, what is your name?"

Fizzlepop thought long and hard. She couldn't just tell them her real name- that would be a fool's decision. She wouldn't trust any of them; cooperation, and no more. She had to think of a fake name, something to go by than her(honestly embarrassing) real name.

She got one. It sounded awfully awkward, but it was better than nothing.

"Eschaton Storm."

Scorch gave her a satisfied smile. "Alright, then. Now that that's out of the way, we should probably build a fire or something to keep us warm."

Her two teammates began to depart, setting out to look for sticks and stones to build a makeshift fire pit with.

"Excuse me, gentlemen, but I can't use my back legs."

"You're a glower," Kenny snarked, "walk it off!"

---

Fizzlepop lay on the barren earth, wide awake, her guitar off to the side. She looked around the general area, lit up by the fire, providing much-needed heat this far north; Scorch had landed the Vertibuck near the abandoned railroad, right were it began to pass through the mountains. Kenny was snoring away, and Scorch had his back turned, breathing silently and steadily. They were both asleep; that was good. That meant no disturbances.

She grabbed her guitar, slinging into off her back and sitting upright, readying it in her grasp. She turned some of the tuning pegs, before giving a few test strokes.

Perfect.

She began plucking at the strings, starting a song, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before beginning.

"I walk through the valley, of the shadow of death,
And I fear no evil, because I'm blind to it all,
And my mind and my guns comfort me
For I know I'll kill my enemies when they come."

Her strokes became stronger, the tune becoming louder, losing herself in the music and drowning out everything else around her.

"Surely goodness and mercy will follow me, all the days of my life,
And I shall dwell on this earth forevermore.
Still I walk beside the waters, for they restore my soul,
but I can't walk on the path of the right, because I'm wrong."

She continued to play, so encaptured in her song that she was unaware of an awake Scorch listening to her, now turned over towards her direction, head raised to better listen to her.

"Well I came upon a mare at the top of a hill,
Called herself the savior of every race,
Said she came to save the world from destruction and pain.
But I said, 'How can you save the world from itself?'"

Still unaware of Scorch's presence, Fizzlepop continued, playing away and preparing for the outro.

"Because I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
And I fear no evil, because I'm blind to it all,
Still I walk beside the waters for they restore my soul,
But I can't walk on the path of the right..."

She took a deep breath, finishing with a mere whisper.

"...because I'm wrong."

She finally opened her eyes again, merely staring at the ground, clutching her damaged guitar. She sighed, merely setting it back down, though still remaining upright herself.

"So that thing is playable."

She whipped her head over to see Scorch sitting upright as well, a small(but still admittingly warm) on his face.

"How long were you awake?"

"I've actually been up since we've all tried to fall asleep; nearly dying multiple times in a single day, as well as being molested, will kind of rattle your nerves."

The latter reason caught her by surprise. "You... what?"

"It's nothing. I take it you can't sleep either, since your clearly up." he stated, brushing aside her own concerns. "You have an amazing singing voice, by the way."

Similarly ignoring that comment(though not for the same reasons that he likely had), she merely asked another question. "So... do you have any ideas as to how we might be able to fall asleep? As you said yourself, we'll need all the strength and energy we can get for tomorrow."

"You could always play us a lullaby on that thing." Scorch joked, adopting another pleasant grin.

She frowned. "I would much rather not. Even if I wanted to- which I don't, to be perfectly clear- any I do know the lyrics to are quite hazy, due to a combination of me not singing them as frequently as some of the others I know and being alive for nearly two centuries."

Suddenly, a loud growling was heard, and Fizzlepop swiftly adopted a combat stance, the shattered remnants of her horn crackling with malachite-colored energy.

"What is it? Where is it?"

"That was me." Scorch admitting, cutting to the chase. "The only thing I've eaten for a good while is a single Twinkie."

Scorch sighed in disappointment... before a look of inspiration crossed his face.

"Why don't we go hunting? I know you don't need sustenance, but me and Kenny do, and since we both haven't eaten in days, we really need it. Once we have enough for a good breakfast, at least, we'll come back here and eat tomorrow. Not to mention, once we do, we'll likely be too exhausted to do anything but sleep." he beamed. "Taking out two cupcakes with one stone."

Fizzlepop gave him a look of bewilderment. "What?"

Scorch shrugged, though he averted his eyes from her own, said eyes taking on a discouraged look. "Pre-war term I learned. Anyhow, we should probably get going."

He gestured toward the darkness ahead, not revealed by the limited light of the fire. "Ladies with illumination first."

Fizzlepop proceeded ahead, her horn becoming surrounded in a ball of sputtering green light as she advanced into the darkness and into the mountains, Scorch following close behind her.

Author's Note:

"Through the Valley" is the rightful property of Shawn James, although i slightly paraphrased the lyrics.