Queen Of The Wasteland

by Jest

Come Fly With Me Part 2

Twilight ducked to the side, weaving out of the way of the rebar club that had nearly taken her head off. She tried to disarm her opponent by grasping the blunt instrument and pulling it away but for once found her strength was not enough. The nightkin simply ripped it out of her hold and delivered a kick to her gut, sending the deathclaw stumbling backward.

“Get out of the way, I can't get a clear shot,” Janey shouted.

Despite being slightly winded and with her instincts screaming at her to unleash her rage, Twilight resisted. This mutant reminded her of Jimmy, the unfortunate soul she had saved only an hour or two earlier. She knew that these nightkin were afflicted with a regrettable mental illness and weren't really at fault for their actions. So no matter how much she wanted to let her anger consume her, or for Janey to take a shot, Twilight stood firm.

The nightkin continued swinging, left, right, then left again, always straying just shy of his target. He was fast, and strong too, with each whizz past Twilight's head promising a painful end, or a brutal injury if the deathclaw didn't keep up the pace. Thankfully his swings were clumsy, and inelegant, allowing the deathclaw to keep ahead of them until she finally saw her opening.

Her foe had grown angry so angry that the next sweeping swipe he launched didn't hit her but rather the wall. His large arms and enormous reach fought against him, with the club bouncing back and leaving him wide open. Though Twilight was tempted to disembowel him, she for once, made a fist and delivered it square into the nightkin’s bread basket.

The nightkin hit the ground with a sharp wheeze, his weapon falling from his grasp, forgotten as he clutched his stomach. Twilight followed this up by kicking him in the face, though she held back just enough to not kill him, or at least she hoped anyway. Sure enough, the nightkin lay sprawled out against the wall, his eyes rolling around in their socket and a long groan escaping his lips.

More clanging could be heard coming from in front of them, the charging shimmer nearly filling the hallway it was so large. The sight of something so massive coming at them nearly caused Twilight to panic, but thankfully her brain caught up with her before that could happen. Scooping up the nightkin from the ground, Twilight pressed a claw to his throat while the other hand gripped his midsection.

“Why in the hell are you taking him pris-oh,” Janey muttered, her voice falling away when a larger-than-average nightkin appeared before them.

Wielding a sword made from the sharpened bumper of a car, he stood a head higher than his fellows. He was also wider, with bulky shoulders barely covered by the set of pelts and cloth that made up his cobbled-together clothes. Though patchwork, it at least covered the majority of his body, though it did nothing to hide his enormous, bulging biceps.

“You hurt my kin!” bellowed the nightkin. “Why you threaten us, monster?”

“Ahh shit,” Janey muttered, stepping forward. “We didn't intend on-”

“Why are you talking tiny human I am asking the claw fiend!” shouted the nightkin.

“She can't talk without using her hands and those are occupied,” explained Janey.

The nightkin in Twilight's grasp stirred, but a claw pressed tight against his throat stopped him from moving very far.

The larger nightkin growled. “Let my kin go or I will cut you up and make stew.”

“We just want to talk, can we do that somewhere private?” Janey inquired, the woman glancing hesitantly over her shoulder.

There was a long moment of silence before the newly arrived nightkin reluctantly put his weapon on his back.

“Follow me,” he muttered before turning and walking away.

Twilight pushed her captive forward, following awkwardly after the departing form of the mutant’s leader.

After a short jaunt down the hall, they turned to the right, proceeded down some stairs, and entered what looked to be an office. Tons of filing cabinets lined the walls, their contents pulled out and scattered all over the floor as well as the table in the center of the room. There sat several grimy books, a broken coffee machine, and most peculiarly, what looked like the skull of an equine creature with antlers.

Though Janey couldn't sense it, Twilight sensed something strange in the room, some new presence. The former pony could feel as though she was being watched by some unseen force, though it was not like anything she had ever felt before. There was no opportunity to question this, however, as the moment the large nightkin settled in behind the desk he spoke once more.

“Let my kin go, then we talk,” he demanded.

Janey shook her head, but despite her objection, Twilight led the captive nightkin back to the door. There she released her hold and stepped back, leaving her former foe to stand there silently. It was clear he wanted to attack, but the fight left him the moment his gaze met his leader’s. With his metaphorical tail between his legs, the first nightkin departed, the metal door closing behind him.

“Antler is pleased you are not as bloodthirsty as we thought,” proclaimed the sole remaining nightkin. “Antler says you should talk.”

“She can't do-” Janey began.

“Not you human,” interrupted the nightkin.

Twilight sighed and began to tap out her response on the metal floor only to be cut off as well.

“Why are you touching floor, talk!” boomed the nightkin.

“I can't do that you jerk, my vocal cords are such that they can't create such complicated sounds,” Twilight growled bitterly despite knowing that the effort would be wasted.

“Antler says I am not a jerk and that he can understand you just fine,” retorted the nightkin.

Twilight stood there slack-jawed for several seconds, her gaze going to Janey for help.

The human merely shrugged, clearly just as confused as the deathclaw.

“Antler says your accent is weird,” added the nightkin.

“Apologies, I’m not from around here. Furthermore I am not used to being able to speak to others,” Twilight replied.

There was a short pause, with the nightkin staring at the skull as if waiting for a translation.

“Antler says that okay, but Antler also wants to know why you are here and how you are smart. Claw fiends are supposed to be animals. Smart animals but still animals,” the nightkin inquired.

“It's a long story, but we we are here on behalf of the people of Novac. They need to be able to salvage here in order to survive, and I believe that these ghouls as well as you and your nightkin are making that impossible,” Twilight explained.

There was another pause.

“Town people? We don't care about town people. All we want is for thing Antler brought us here for,” the nightkin glanced to the skull before grunting. “That's right. Shipping invoice said there was hundreds of stealth boys here in this building. We want them.”

“Don't those things hurt you after a while?” Twilight asked. “I think I recall Jimmy mentioning that they made his head hurt.”

“Wait… Jimmy? What you do to Jimmy?” demanded the nightkin, his hand going to the hilt of his weapon.

“We helped him. He's okay, in fact he's doing so well that he is now living in Novac,” Twilight replied.

The nightkin seemed confused for a moment, his hand remaining poised over the grip of his blade. Only for the skull to grab his attention and hold it for several long seconds. After the brief and unheard conversation ended, the nightkin relaxed visibly and took a step back.

“That good news,” he proclaimed. “Jimmy not have heart to fight most of time so we feared he was dead.”

“He seems like quite the sweetheart,” Twilight remarked.

“What are you talking about?” Janey whispered.

Twilight held a claw to her lips and shushed the human.

“Yes, he is,” declared the nightkin. “Antler says that you are solution, says that you can get stealth boys from one room we have not searched.”

“The stealth boys are just a bandaid solution for a problem that won't be solved until you seek proper psychiatric care and medication,” Twilight pleaded.

“Sy, ky at Rick… I don't understand,” muttered the nightkin.

“You need help for your brain, and to help your kin who don't have good brains,” Twilight pressed.

“You sound like Doc Henry,” murmured the nightkin.

“That's good, so you’ve been seeing a doctor recently?” Twilight inquired.

“We did, but then we found note for stealth boys and we leave. Drugs not work, words not work, we lead our kin to one thing that helps,” he declared rather proudly.

“You sound like an excellent leader. Say you don't happen to have a name, do you? Mine is Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight asked, placing a clawed hand on her chest.

“Long time ago I was a captain in the master’s army and they called me Davison, first name… Can't remember,” Davison exclaimed, the nightkin sounding slightly sad at the end.

“That's a wonderful name. Does Antler have a last name like you?” Twilight inquired.

Davison shook his head. “Antler just Antler, like I am just Davison.”

“Together you have one full name, isn't that nice,” Twilight offered.

“I never thought about it like that,” Davison murmured.

“Seriously what's going on?” Janey whispered a little harsher.

Twilight shushed her and pointed toward the back of the room.

Janey scowled and cursed under her breath but walked over to the spot next to the door that Twilight indicated.

“That is nice,” Davison muttered, mostly to himself.

“So Davison, I know you and your people came here to find these stealth boys but can't you see that this will only cause more problems in the long run?” Twilight inquired, her tone soft and diplomatic.

“What other option do we have?” he growled. “Doc can't do anything, and stealth boys only help.”

Twilight smiled faintly. “I can see how much you care about your kin, but you must see how much this chase hurts them. So many have died already and to acquire what? Something that will just make the cycle of addiction and withdrawal start all over again?”

“Their deaths are not in vain if we find stealth boys!” Davison declared.

“Would you really be okay with sacrificing anymore for this? You could just leave, go back to this doctor, and then you’d have a real chance to be cured of this addiction completely,” Twilight continued on.

Davison hesitated. “We still want to get stealth boys but… Antler says you are making sense.”

Twilight slowly stepped forward and took the nightkin’s hand in her own, squeezing it gently.

“Being a leader is hard, I know. And admitting that you were wrong is also hard, but you’re kin need you now more than ever. Lead them home where they can get the help they need,” Twilight implored.

Davison seemed ready to pull away, only for his gaze to snap onto the skull. Then he fell still and stood there in silence.

“Maybe,” he began, his voice so quiet it was barely a whisper. “Maybe we should go home. Antler says he was wrong to come here. Antler says stealth boys probably aren't here anyway.”

“It's going to be tough breaking it to your friends, but I know that if anyone is strong enough to tell them, it's you,” Twilight offered.

Davison sniffed, the nightkin seemingly on the verge of tears. “We will go, take kin back to Jacobstown, and get doctor’s help again.”

“Just be patient with the doctor,” Twilight added, releasing the nightkin’s hand. “Brains are silly things that require a lot of work, and a lot of kindness.”

“Maybe you right,” Davison muttered.

Twilight smiled and took a step back.

“Alright, we are going now. You wait while we gather kin,” Davison proclaimed, the nightkin plucking the skull from the coffee table and hooking it onto his belt. “Take key, not to get stealth boys but destroy them. So no more reason to come back here.”

“I’ll do that Davison, you can count on me,” Twilight stated.

“You are strangest claw fiend we have ever heard about. Good luck, Twilight Spackle,” Davison declared before opening the door and leaving the dou behind.

“It's Twilight Spar- oh never mind,” Twilight murmured.

Once the door closed, and the pair were alone, Janey stepped forward.

“How the hell did you do that? Nightkin are addicts who will do anything for stealth boys,” Janey remarked.

Twilight opened her mouth to respond only to frown and lean down. “Davison was a kind and altruistic leader of his kin. He just needed to be reminded of the harm those awful things do.”

“I…” Janey shook her head. “I really shouldn't be surprised at this point.”

“I know, it's almost like I’m the princess of friendship and have solved dozens of problems like this one over the years or something crazy like that,” Twilight snarkily replied.

“Every day you being a magical horse god gets more and more probable,” Janey remarked.

Twilight rolled her eyes and motioned toward the door.

“Well, either way, good job. Fighting nightkin ain't usually worth the effort, and if we could make it out of here with a whole truckload of stealth boys this sure would be worth it,” Janey declared.

“We are not taking them, we are destroying them,” Twilight retorted, her furious tapping nearly drawing out the distant sounds of arguing from deeper inside the facility.

“Look, let's just find out if they are here first okay?” Janey replied.

Twilight reluctantly agreed and remained silent.

Several minutes of somewhat awkward silence followed before Janey opened the door once more and stepped back into the hallway. Twilight was quick on her heels, the deathclaw keeping a close eye out for any nightkin stragglers that may not have left. Yet there were no shimmers of light, no sounds of stomping feet, only the hum of distant machinery.

“I’m going to go out on a limb and say that room was the one he didn't search,” Janey exclaimed, pointing down a hallway.

At the end was a headless nightkin laying on its back, brains splattered everywhere. The smell was pungent, but no longer stirred the desire to vomit in the deathclaw. It was unpleasant, but she was able to ignore it while Janey struggled to unlock the door with the slightly bent key.

With a click, the entryway fell open, and a bullet nearly took Janey’s head clean off her shoulders. The human rolled to the side and drew her pistol in one clean motion.

“Get ready, we got hostiles,” Janey shouted.

Here we go again. Twilight thought glumly to herself.

Author's Note:

This chapter supported by... noone! I just wanted to write it.

Comments

[Arcticlizard52]

I honestly really want to see twilight interact with other Deathclaws, that would be interesting.

Also hope it doesn't take too long for the next chapter.

[Dragonknife5]

Wow, twilight just convinced the knightkin leader to give up on their stealth boys addiction.

[Anon E Moose]

I was half expecting Antler to be Fluttershy

[dragonus85]

The power of persuasion

[Silentwoodfire]

Much progress!

[Wise2Fox]

Nice Charisma Check!

[Frostgear]

11683351
You and me both. She might be a nightkin or what if she is a scorch beast?

[Jest]

11683692
Fallout 76 is not cannon as far as this story is concerned. Though that would be pretty cool.

[Spanner]

11683722
In the middle of writing some of my own stuff and came here to read your new chapter. I love this story and it's one of the reasons I'm still writing

[Jest]

11687379
Daww thank you so much I'm glad you enjoy it!

[Lamplighter]

Always glad to see a chapter of the story. It's a Pity that it's a sponsored story, I'd like to see it finished one day.

[Jest]

11688985
Well just 5 bucks on patreon or subscribestar is enough to make sure there are more frequent updates.

If you dont want to chuck me some change I still wouldn't worry too much about this story. I really enjoy writing it and people request an update every few months fairly consistently.

[Wanderer D]

Ah, did I tell you after reading all you had previous to this chapter I ended up reinstalling New Vegas and playing again. This story is fresh in my mindr still, and it's nice to see Twilight could prevent at least one tragedy so far.

[Sun Dial]

I really enjoy these fleshing out of scenes from Fallout NV. Being able to subdue the nightkin and then talk with Davison was brilliant. Even better was getting Twilight to resolve their issue with no other desire then to help. Not asked by any of the ghouls, just her being a magical pony Princess. It felt good and was a true treat.

[horsepoweryt]

Aw man, the achievements guy stopped popping up. Oh well. I'll just leave this here for future use when he comes back.

Please use...makes reading each chapter afterword better when I see your written achievement's.