Fallout Equestria: Spirits

by MarbleRain

Chapter 3: Home

Chapter 3: Home

"I've seen nastier, I will give her a pass."

We stood before a massive metal gate connected and surrounded by old boxcars from old trains. Guard ponies stood on top of the boxcars protecting the town inside from the harsh wasteland on the outside.

"So, this is your home?" Ergate asked from right next to me.

"Eyup, just behind this gate." I looked up at one of the guard ponies and called out. "Hey! Headshot! It's me! I'm back!" The guard pony on the boxcar looked down at me, it took a second for him to realize who it was at the gate.

"Well, If it ain't The Slayer! How ya doin' old buddy?! you find little Flare yet!?" Shouted Headshot from atop the boxcar.

"No! Still haven't found her yet!"

"What ya doin' back here then?!"

"I had a bid of an incident out in the wastes, and my supplies got scavenged from me when I wasn't looken!"

"Why you let somthin' like that happen!? I'll get the gate open' for ya!" Headshot opened the gate allowing me and Ergate to enter the town.

"Thanks headshot!" I called out as we walked in through the gate. "Well Ergate, welcome to my home, New Appleloosa."

New Appleloosa was built with mostly old train cars, boxcars were used for the wall surrounding the town with passenger cars used as the houses and for the other buildings on the inside of the boxcar walls, most buildings having one or two more passenger cars stacked on top of each other to make bigger buildings.

"Hey, Apple Tart, why did you call that pony Headshot? Was that his name?" asked Ergate to me.

"It is, or, it's what we call him anyway."

"So, Headshot is a fake name? Like what you have?"

"Pretty much, we just all started calling him that after he got four headshots in a row on some raiders that were trying to attack the town back when I was a guard here."

"You were a guard pony?"

"I was, helped defend New Appaloosa from those who tried to harm the ponies here, but, that was a long time ago."

We came to a somewhat small house constructed of two, old rusted train cars stacked on top of each other, one was a passenger car making up the bottom floor of the house, and the top floor was a caboose of the same model train as the first floor. Or, I think it was a caboose, it had an end similar to a caboose, but the rest of it looked like the passenger car underneath it.

"Ergate, stay out here while I go get what I need."

"Um, ok. But, what is this place?"

"This is my house, I know it ain't much, but it's home. Stay out here for now, I'll be right back."

"OK."

With that, I opened the door to my house, and walked in. The first floor was one long room divided into three smaller rooms, four if you count the bathroom. The first room was the living room, with an old red and yellow rug on the floor, a red mostly worn-out couch next to the wall, an old wooden table was on the opposite end of the room with an old radio sitting on top it, there were also a few bookshelves in the room with books on the shelves. The second room was split into two, with a hallway and bathroom, with a few decorations here and there, like a pre-war Ministry of Peace poster hanging on the wall. The third room (or fourth, depending on how you look at it) was a kitchen/dining room, with a dining table on one end of the room and cooking appliances on the other, as well as a fridge and a Sparkle-Cola vending machine.

I walked through the first floor and to a backdoor that went out to a metal staircase that led to the top floor of the house. I opened the back door and walked upstairs.

The top floor was split into two bedrooms and one smaller room. The first room was a treasure room containing one seating area by one wall, with old pre-war posters on the walls, there were also a few shelves containing some old knick-knacks and trinkets I found while scavenging the wasteland. On one shelf was an old guard pony helmet, a snowglobe for an old pre-war town, a rusty old steal ranger helmet, and a small statuette of a purple unicorn mare with the words "Be smart!" on its base.

The second room was a bedroom where my daughter once slept, her room was decorated with more posters from before the war, there were a few bookshelves and a chest with old toys inside, there was a small bed with blue sheets on one side of the room with a blue and light blue rug underneath. The third room was another bedroom, this one was connected to a balcony looking out at New Appleloosa. This was my room, and, my wife's room... The room had a few bookshelves and a wardrobe next to the wall, and a large bed for two with red sheets and a red and yellow rug underneath. Next to the bed was a nightstand that once had a photo resting on top of it, the same photo that is in my sable bags.

I opened the bottom drawer of the nightstand to find an old, somewhat rusted metal safe. I opened the safe with a number combination and took out some bottle caps I had in the safe. I took as many caps as I needed, leaving some caps in the safe. I locked the safe back up, and closed the nightstand, then took one last look around my old bedroom, and headed downstairs.

*** *** ***

I exited my old house and found Ergate, who was looking around at her surroundings and at the train car houses around her.

"Ergate, I'm back," I said as I walked up to her.

"How do the ponies get all these big boxes on top of each other? They look really heavy, are ponies just really really strong?" Asked Ergate as I got to her.

"No, they use that big crane up there." I pointed a hoof to a tall metal crane near the edge of town.

"Oooh, so that's what that is. How does anyone get up there? Who uses it?"

"Crane."

"Yes, who uses the crane?"

"Crane."

"But, who uses it?!"

"Crane."

"Why do you keep saying crane?! I know its a crane!"

"The pony that operates the crane, is named Crane."

Ergate was left silent and confused for a moment. "Who names someone after an object?!"

"Everyone, I think it's a tradition."

"It's a stupid tradition!"

"Ponies have been naming their offspring after objects, tools, or food for many many centuries."

"You ponies are weird."

"Yes, yes we are."

"So... What did you get from your house?" Ergate asked after she stopped trying to make sense of how ponies are named.

I held up a bag of caps with my yellow colored magic. "Bottle Caps."

Ergate became confused once again. "I thought you were getting supplies."

"No, I got bottle caps so I can buy supplies." Ergate was about to open her mouth before I raised my hoof to stop her from asking the obvious question. "No, bits are not used as currency anymore. In the wasteland, we use caps to buy what we need."

"Oh. So... Where do you go to get what you need then?"

"I just need to take a quick stop to a shop in town, as well as see an old friend."

*** *** ***

We came to a small building that was made of three different train cars fused together with a black metal barrel-like car at the back of the building with a large smokestack coming out of it. On the front of the playfully chaotic exterior was a sign telling the name of the local general supplies shop, Absolutely Everything. There were a few more signs underneath the name of the establishment.

"Welcome Ergate, to Absolutely Everything! The best little shop in the Equestrian Wasteland." I said as we stood before the shop.

"Will I be allowed in?" Ergate asked while she was looking at the signs under the shop's name.

"Why wouldn't you be?"

"Well, I'm not exactly a normal pony, and I've noticed a few ponies look at me weird."

"Ponies around here have just never seen an ant pony before, you'll be fine."

"Also, that sign says, stingers no service." she pointed a hoof at one of the signs under the name of the shop, (No hooves, nasty stinger? No service).

"You have a stinger?"

"Yes, it's underneath my tail hair"

"Well, this is new information. But don't worry, I'm the one here to buy stuff, so you can just stand back and watch as I do what I need to."

"Ok, I guess I'll just watch then."

I walked into the shop with Ergate following me. Behind the front desk of the shop sat the owner of Absolutely Everything, a light gray pegasus ghoul pony who was missing a lot of the golden yellow hair of her main and her body was covered in scars with a few patches of missing skin, her faded yellow eyes were looking in different directions though it didn't seem to bother her in the slightest, she was also wearing a chalkboard around her neck. Once she noticed that I entered her shop, a smile appeared on her face as she began to trot towards me and gave me a big hug, a squishy, but welcomed hug.

"Hey Ditzy, I'm back." Ditzy Doo released me from her hug then began to look around me, first to the side of me, then under me. "No, she isn't here, Flare is still missing." A sad frown came to the ghoul pegasuses' face as she stopped looking around me for Flare.

Ditzy Doo then noticed Ergate, who was standing behind me. She then pointed to Ergate in order to ask me who this strange pony was.

"Oh, this Is Ergate, I met her out in the wasteland recently, she is an ant pony."

Ditzy took her chalkboard then wrote, "she seems nervous."

"She read your no stingers no service sign outside, apparently she has a stinger somewhere in her tail, being part ant and all."

"Hey! I thought we were going to keep that private!" Responded Ergate.

Ditzy then walked up to the ant pony and looked through Ergate's tail hairs, causing Ergate to become redder than she already was. Inside her tail was a small black stinger, upon seeing the stinger, Ditzy went to her chalkboard and wrote, "I've seen nastier, I will give her a pass."

Upon freeing her tail from the ghoul pegasus, Ergate retreated to me. "Who is this? Why does she look dead? And why is she writing instead of talking?" Ditzy was unfazed by Ergate's reaction.

"Well, this is Ditzy Doo, the owner of this here shop, she is a ghoul pony," I said to answer Ergate's question.

"A, ghoul pony?"

"When somepony gets a bit too much radiation absorbed into their body, they have a chance at becoming a ghoul, which look like zombies from some old horror novel, but most are still ponies at heart."

Responding to my description of ghouls, Ditzy added to it by writing, "except ferals, they pretty much are mindless zombies."

"And, why is she writing?" Asked Ergate again, who got her answer when Ditzy opened her mouth to give Ergate a good look at the inside, which grossed her out just a bit.

"Slavers cut out Ditzy's tongue years back, but she seems to do well without being able to speak, so it's all good. She has even become a well-known writer in the wasteland."

Ditzy walked over behind her front desk and grabbed a small white book with a pony skull on the cover and handed it to the ant pony.

Upon receiving the book, Ergate read the title on the cover. "The Wasteland Survival guide?"

"If you don't want to die in the wasteland, this is a very good book to have to let you know all the doos and don'ts of the wasteland, written and distributed by Ditzy Doo here."

"Um, thank you? How much is this?"

Ditzy responded by writing, "Free."

"Ditzy gives one free copy to almost all of the new faces that come here, but if you lose your first copy, a replacement will cost ya." Ditzy nodded to confirm what I said.

"Oh."

"Well, now that we have all the greetings behind us, Ditzy, I lost most of my supplies in the wastes, that's why I came back."

Ditzy then wrote, "say no more, I will get what you need!"

*** *** ***

Ditzy Doo helped me get resupplied with food, health potions, and rad-away for the road. Ergate got me to buy her a bag of roach jerky, something I didn't even know was a thing before Egate found it in Ditzy's shop. My ant pony companion was enjoying her snack while we were walking the streets of New Appleloosa after leaving Absolutely Everything.

"So, how did you know that pony?" asked Ergate as she was munching on her rad roach meat snack.

"Who? Ditzy?"

"Yeah."

"Well, when I first came here to New Appleloosa, Ditzy was the first to welcome me with open hooves, and she continued to be friendly to me and my family throughout the years of me being here."

"You weren't originally from here?"

"No, I came from out east. I moved here to start a new life for myself."

"Where did you come from then?"

"I don't feel like revealing everything about my past."

"What?! But I want to know."

"well you ain't gonna know."

"Aw... So, where are we going now?"

"I figured we would stop by the tavern and get somethin' to drink before calling it a night, then head back out into the wasteland."

"I'm going where you go."

*** *** ***

Along with Ergate, we went over to Turnpike Tavern for some refreshments, where we were greeted by Apple Whiskey, the owner and bartender of Turnpike Tavern.

"Well if it ain't Apple Tart! How ya doin' cousin?!" Said Apple Whiskey from behind the counter as we walked in. "You find what your looken' for out there yet?"

"No, I'm still looking."

"Well, may I offer you some whiskey for a troubled heart?"

"You know I don't drink that kind of stuff Apple Whiskey, just get me a root beer."

"Suit yourself." Apple Whiskey went to the back of the shop as we took a seat at the counter of the tavern.

"why did that pony call you cousin just now?" Asked Ergate as we took our seat.

"We are only cousins by name."

"what does that mean?"

"We are all part of the Apple Family, the largest family in the wasteland. Most of the ponies here in new Appleloosa are part of the apple family."

"Is everyone in the apple family named after apples?"

"Pretty much."

"If the apple family is the biggest family, how many different apple snacks are there to be named after?"

"More than you might think, though some ponies do tend to get named the same name from time to time. It wouldn't surprise me if there was another Appletart somewhere in the wasteland."

"Heres your beverage Apple Tart." Apple Whiskey said as he gave me my root beer. "And what would your friend here like?"

"Umm..."

"Get her a Sparkle-Cola."

*** *** ***

After we finished our drinks, we returned to my New Appleloosa house to stay for the rest of the day, as we waited for night to fall, I was listening to the music on the radio, while Ergate was looking at three paintings put together in a triangle on the wall. Two paintings on top, and one below them, each painting containing the image of a different pony.

"Hey Apple Tart, who are these ponies?" Asked Ergate, curious about the paintings.

"Well, the pony in the top left painting is me."

"That's you?"

"I had both my eyes back then."

"If that's you, then the pony next to you, is that the special mare that you told me about?" She pointed at the top right painting containing the likeness of a white unicorn mare with an orange and yellow mane that was almost like fire.

"Yes, that is Blaze, my wife."

"Who is that under both of you?" She then pointed at the bottom painting that contained the likeness of a young unicorn filly with a blue and light blue mane styled after her mother's.

"That is Flare, our daughter."

"I heard you mention that name to some of the ponies here. Where is she?"

"Gone..."

"She is dead?"

"She was taken... Taken by Raiders, the same raiders that killed Blaze, and left me with one eye."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"I have been searching the wasteland for Flare, killing any raider I find, and taking out any Raider den I discover."

"Is that how you got the name, The Raider Slayer?"

"Yes, it is. My only hope, is that I can find my little girl still alive somewhere out there. I'm returning to my search tomorrow, you don't have to go with me. I can let you stay here in my old home if you want. It is a lot safer here in New Appleloosa than it is out in the wasteland facing Raiders."

"You don't want me to go with you?"

"I don't want anyone getting killed because of me, If you go with me you are risking your life. If you want to come with me you can, It's up to you to decide."

"Oh..."

"I'll give you time to think about it, I will be leaving in the morning. But until then, I'm going to bed. when you're ready to sleep you can use the bed in the first bedroom of the top floor"

"Ok, I will do that."

"Goodnight Ergate." With that, I sat up from my couch and headed for my bedroom upstairs.

"Goodnight."

*** *** ***

It was raining, I was wet and bleeding everywhere. On my back was the lifeless body of Blaze as I walked through the gates of New Appleloosa covered in blood.

"Apple Tart!? What Happened!?"

"She is dead! Raiders killed Blaze!"

I only had one eye remaining, and it was crying enough tears for two.

"Calm down Apple Tart."

"Calm down?! Blaze was murdered! And, and Flare was taken! How can I stay calm after this?!?!"

"This is the mother cussing wasteland! Theses things happen, get a hold of yourself!"

I fell to the ground sobbing and weeping, unable to hold in any tears any longer as the heavy rain continued to fall on me and the body of the mare I loved on my back...

The rain began to die down a bit and I was now on a small hill near the town I called home. In front of me, sticking out of the ground was a wooden grave marker in the shape of a cross, marking the location of my now buried wife. The only comfort I got that day were the raindrops that were falling on my head, and the friendly ghoul pegasus sitting next to me with her wing wrapped over me. I sat there, for what felt like hours, letting the rain fall on me, not giving a care about anything.

*** *** ***

It was morning and I was laying in my bed, I wasn't fully awake yet but something felt off, the left half of my face felt wet. I opened my one good eye and saw what was going on, Ergate had fallen asleep with her head laying on my head, drooling onto my face. Upon seeing this I pushed Ergate off of me, and I must have pushed a bit harder then I entended to, cause Ergate ended up falling off the bed and onto the floor.

"DONT PLUCK MY WINGS!" Ergate shouted after the sudden wake-up she just had, after she realized she wasn't in her dream anymore she looked around to see where she was and noticed me trying to wipe my face off with my hoof. "Oh, um... Hi...?" She then said with a sheepish smile.

"Ergate, what, were you doing, on my bed?" I said, still trying to wipe the drool from my face. "I told you that you could use Flares bed to sleep in."

"I know... And I was going to, but..."

"But, what?"

"Well... I heard you crying in here." If I had any anger from Ergate invading my privacy, it evaporated pretty quickly. "And... I thought that maybe, I could comfort you... Why were you crying last night?"

"I..." I took off my eyepatch to try and dry the drool off of it with my bedsheets, revealing my scared and blinded eye. "I Was reliving some, painful memories... Thank you for worrying about me, but I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm fine." After I felt it was dry enough, I returned my eyepatch to my head. "Now, I think its time I returned to the wasteland, did you make your decision?"

"Yes, I'm going with you."

"Sigh. Welp, if that's what you choose, lets head on out then."

Before leaving my house, I grabbed everything I needed, as well as a plastic flower I had as decoration in my living room, we then visited Absolutely Everything and let Ditzy know we were leaving then headed for the exit gates of New Appleoosa. I made one more stop before leaving the town completely, I took a visit to a small hill on the outskirts of the town where a lone wooden cross stood and left the flower.

Footnote: EXP gained
New Memory unlocked:

Author's Note:

Fun fact, the train cars used to make Apple Tart's house are from the Polar Express.