Fallout:Equestria - Clockworks

by ube

Chapter 4: Pragmatism

Bell and I were on our own now. Getting from Porkobelly to Bonesmouth isn’t as far, but it is tiring walking on our hooves.

All I know about Bonesmouth Valley is that it’s a merchant area. You’re always bound to find a shop selling something, either it be toys, bootleg prosthetics, bootleg company items, or company items itself, either way, you are going to find something that you might want to buy. I’ve gone there twice; Once when I was ten, I remember coming with my mother to buy some trinkets and scraps from this old stallion. He smelled bad, and he also talked with an horrendous accent. I think he unlocked a new fear inside of me that thankfully I’ve grown out of. The other time was when I was sixteen, I’ve just gotten out of school and my classmates dragged me along to participate in the market fair.

I didn’t find any of it fun.

They just forced me along because they thought it would get closer to me, but that market fair was so tiring and exhausting. I felt so mentally drained before and after. They expected me to empty my pockets for them, and when I declined them, they kept talking about how I’m just no fun to be around, and that’s why everypony doesn’t want to talk to me during class. That I was lucky to hang out with them today.

Thinking about that made me clench my teeth, I hate remembering their stupid faces.

I looked over to Bell who was quiet for once. Our hooves that were pressing against dirt and grovel, had then transferred to stomping on concrete. Looking up, we could see the big sign.

“BONESMOUTH VALLEY” Written on the wood with a bold black. Next to it however, there was a silly conversation ponies were perhaps having on the board.

“Fucking hate this place.” One was written, then another below it.

“Better than Yorkieshire.”

“Kill yourself.” It was crossed, but I could easily read it out.

An arrow was drawn below it, pointing up to the last sentence, “Lives in Yorkieshire.”

A giggle slipped from me, how fucking amusing it is to see some creatures bark at eachother even without seeing one another’s faces. The lengths ponies would go to just to banter together. It’s fucking hilarious, innit?

“Well,” I tilted my head to the side, “We’re here.” And then I looked back towards the bottom of the small hill we were on. There were already tents pitched up, buildings towering over the valley of shopkeepers and customers, as well as the bustling of voices being mixed together.

Bell on the other hoof, looked nervous. I can tell she didn’t want to be here, mainly because of the massive influx of ponies. Nonetheless, I do not want to waste any more time than we have so I trotted downwards. I knew Bell was following close behind because I could hear her quickly catching up to me.

---

We made it into town, and we were already getting bombarded by salesponies.

“GROW YOUR MANE BACK! BALD SPOT? NO LONGER THERE AS OUR NEW MAKE IT MANE BACK WORKS WONDERS ON YOUR HEAD!” Yells a pony.

“Need something to pep your step? Make the stallions whistle? Our new perfume will do just that.” Says a mare, walking past I could take a whiff. Ugh. I shuddered, the stench was strong and it wasn’t even a pleasant smell. In fact, it reminded me of dead fish in the washed up sea that decided to eat a bunch of trash for breakfast. I took a peek, side eyeing the mare and I could see a poor sap buying into the shitty perfume.

Poor gal, she’s going to have all the stallions running away from her.

I felt a tug near my shirt, “B–Box?” It was just Bell, she was muttering, “Box..” I did tell her that she could talk while we’re here. I looked over at the shy mare.

“What now, Bell?” It was probably something that caught her eye, maybe a pretty necklace.

“L–Look,” She whispered, raising a leg to point towards the bread merchant. She was an old gramma, wrinkly and hunched over as she was slowly counting her caps. I raised an eyebrow, I see nothing wrong with that. “Over there.” Bell said, I squinted over as she was directly pointing at a hooded pony.

I again once saw no problem, before I realized that the pegasus was stuffing bread in the insides of their coat. Now, stealing usually isn’t that crazy, but stealing from some grandma and let alone, this market doesn’t even belong to the shitty company. She’s just some gramgram making a living.

“HEY!” I announced my voice to the world, of course, no one batted an eye. “HEY, YOU! IN THE FOCKING BLACK COAT!” A stallion pointed towards himself, “BOLLOCKS NOT YOU!” Then he shrugged, and I raised my leg towards the bread-stealer. “YOU! YOU DUNCE!”

The hooded pony finally looked up, I think I could see the shock in the darkness that would be his face. He stumbled back, tripping over a few baskets and crates as the stallion made a run for it.

“B–Box, we aren’t going to–” Bell worriedly muttered before I tugged her along.

“WE HAVE TO CATCH ‘EM!” I yelled towards her, trotting behind the hooded stallion. Bell let out a sigh.

“Oh, the things I do for love.” Bell would chase after me, who I was chasing after him.

---

Usually, I couldn’t give a nanny’s hoot about someponies shit being stolen. It’s just– I can’t sit back and watch it happen to a granny. I feel like I’m taking part of the thievery myself, I can’t be idle while that happens. The granny could be feeding herself, her family, and she might be the breadwinner of her home.

Bad pun, I know, but anyways.

There we were, chasing after this hooligan. He took a sharp left turn, knocking down some barrels of watermelons.

“MY WATERMELOOOONS!” The fruit vendor cried out in terror, sobbing over the fruit being squashed into small gushy red pieces. We trampled over them, the slosh sticking to the bottom of my hooves.

“Ewwwuugh!” Bell was grossed out, she doesn’t like things sticking to her.

Huffing and panting, I was so close to reaching over for their hood before he slipped under the gate.
THWAAANG.

I hit the pole, my snout being bruised from the stupid thing. “Fock!” I watched the stallion look over his shoulders, he thinks he lost me but the truth is, I can catch up to him before he’ll know it.

I slipped under the same gate and took a different route. Chances are he’ll be heading towards the south gate of Bonesmouth. I hopped over bricks, pushing and shoving civilians just to gallop to the gate faster.

Keeping my head forward I could see a foal, “MOVE!” I yelled towards it. They were enjoying delightful grasshopper “ice-cream”. It’s pre-war food, but we tried to modernize it over here; Did NOT work. Whatsoever, I screamed again. “MOVE FOCKIN’ DAMMIT!” I was getting closer to the foal.

I’m starting to think kids here don’t have a single working braincell. Bell would shout behind me, “B–Box, watch out for the–” She was going to say kid, and I took my chance. I would do a running jump, I felt like I was a pegasus. The wind brushing past my cheeks as I–

“WAAAAAAA!” THWACK. I smacked the top of the kid’s forehead with my hindleg, their ice-cream smacking onto the ground for a double whammy. Add that to the ‘Box ruins a child’s day’, yeah?

My legs slid on the ground, I gulped down on my saliva as I stared up. Belle was literally right in front of me.
“Y-You could’ve gone around.” She told.

I rolled my eyes, “Oy, you’re roight, but I wonted to be cool, yeah? C’man!” I waved my leg, and we were back on the trail to the gate.

---

We had reached the end. However, there were no other ponies here. No one hooded at least, just old grandmas, gramps, kids, neighbors, merchants– But no hooded bread-stealer. My eyes darted around for anypony suspicious.

“Fock.” I kicked a pebble in front of me. He fucking escaped, I knew it. We were too late, we let a thief get away. Bell placed her leg on my back, she was just trying to calm me down I know, but I still felt guilty and mad. “ ‘s not fair. Ponies shouldn’t steal from the poor.” I grumbled.

ThukaThukaThuka!

My ears flicked, somepony is running. Both of us tilted our head up, and there he was; The stallion. He stopped not close to us, but he was there. He clenched his robe close. “Hhah.” He let out an awkward chuckle, he sounded tired. Whatever, good! He’ll be tired in prison too!

“We’ve cought you roight, you’ve been cought red-hoofed!“ I told him.

Bell chimed in, “Y–Yeah! How could you s-ss-ssssteal from a helpless grammy!”

We tag teamed essentially, the stallion seemed cornered. “Youh– Youh lot don’t understand,” He spoke, his voice sounded gruffly when speaking. He wasn’t a kid, he was a grown adult. “ ‘m poor, yeah?”

I butted in, “We’re all poor, chocklefock!” He has no right using that excuse. We all live in the damn fucking slums, no matter how many items are sold in a day here, or if there weren’t anything to eat all. We are all poor here.

“I know– But–” He tried to talk again.
I interrupted, “What gives you the roight to steal from a grammy!” I stomped my left leg. “No right doin’ that! She’s just as unfortunate as we are!”

The stallion tugged on his cloak. He looked both ways, I could tell he was going to try booking it again. “Hey!” The moment I yelled out, he tried to dip. If this was going to be another chase, so fucking be it, “You’re going to give the breads back to–” Then, there was a rip through the air.

BANG!

I felt my heart stop for a second as I watched the stallion hit the ground. His hood fell off of him, the pegasus revealing his white coat, and dark green mane mixed with swirls of black. He had a stub too, and this guy’s clenching his hindleg tight. He is in pain, and I was watching him writhing in it.
“Nonono!” I heard Bell sobbing, taking a step back as we could hear the grunts from him.
The town had cleared out from the shot ringing out in an instance, it was just us.

“Well, that’s that.” A silky smooth voice said from above. Did I get shot too? Am I dead? Soon, the same voice touched the ground. She was hovering near the thief. She had a cowboy hat, some sort of revolver in the grip of her right thestral wing, as well as two sharp fangs that glistened by the beam of the sun. She tilted her face towards me, there was a mole on the right side of her eyebrow, she was a dark purple matching the white blended gray mane that she had. She’s a bonnie, that’s for sure.

She spun her revolver around, clicking it into the holster.

The stallion was still grumbling, “Urghhh.”

I bluntly asked her, mostly because I was in shock, but also because I just never expected this, “D–Did you shoot him?” I stuttered.

“Yeeeep.” She hoisted the stallion up, making him lean on her shoulder. “I’ll bury him somewhere in a ditch, somethin’.”

“No!” Bell called out. I didn’t dare say anything, she’s the one with the gun.

“No?” She asked, clicking her tongue. “Didn’t you two say he stole somethin’? Ain’t that why you were chasin’ after him?”

Bell as always is the kind one, and I don’t blame her. He stole bread, but he doesn’t deserve to die over it. “N– Yes, w-we were chasing him, we wanted to get him to bring the bread back to the grammy.” She gulped, “B–But..”

“But?” She raises an eyebrow, I could see the stallion now dripping blood from his hindleg as he was creating a pool underneath them.

“But..” Bell couldn’t get her words out.

“But he shouldn’t die.” I finished it for her, Bell’s cheeks had gotten flushed. “Oi don’t know where you got that gun, but we’re all in trouble for noht reportin’ it or nothin’, yeah? Roight, so let's help him get patched ‘en we won’t say a word about what happened.”

The batpony lets out a chuckle, “Yeah, fine. Let’s get him right an’ dandy, you figure what to do with ‘em, and I’m cut loose for making’ sure he doesn't skedaddle.” Ugh, smug bitch. “Come, follow.” She waved us in the direction she was going, already dragging the stallion as she trotted.
Bell and I looked at eachother. We had no choice here either, who knows what could happen? We followed.

---

We followed the mare, it wasn’t a slow walk by any means. Thankfully the stallion was still alive by the time we had made it to the mare’s den. It had a window with gears in a flowerpot on the sill of it, the red brick complimented the dark green roof. She opened the door, gave us a smile and walked downstairs.

There was a part in me that hoped this wasn’t a murder shack.

As soon as we entered her house, we were flashed with random guns mounted on the wall. Was this even allowed? How did she get the permission to own these? I watched the batpony as she laid the thief on the couch. She seemed like she knew what she was doing, so I turned my back to her as I gazed longingly at the weapons.

Bell was enamored by her bookshelf however. It’s not easy to keep books intact, “C–Can I read these?” Bell asked the mare.

“Of course, make yerself at home.” My ears twitched at the sound of bandages being ripped in the corner of the room. Bell relaxed herself on the floor, flipping through books and pages. She’s still a foal at heart.

I pressed my leg against the bottom of the guns, “Don’t try takin’ ‘em off without ‘my permission, little lady.” I grumbled, my leg hitting the floor in an instance as she said that.

“Why’d you help us?” I asked her, still not giving her a glance.

“I donno, felt like I should.” She responded to me so nonchalantly. What is she? Some war hero from the past? Her accent doesn’t sound like she’s even from here. I don’t like how she’s so confident in her answers.

“Well, we didn’t need your help.” I told her, “We didn’t need it at ahll.”

“Sure didn’t seem like it.” She quickly retorted. “He was almost out of your grip.” I glanced a bit, watching her create a tourniquet for the poor bastard. I know what that is at least, I remember my mom teaching me how to make one in case something happened to my other leg.

I paused for a bit, leaning on the side of the chair. “Well, we didn’t.”

The mare snickered, it seemed as if the stallion had fallen asleep as he hadn’t said anything. Or, maybe he’s dead. But considering she hasn’t told us anything yet, I trust the fact that he’s still alive.

“What’s your name, little lady?”

“I ain’t tellin’.”

“M–My name is Blush.. B-Blush Bellflower.” Fucking dammit, Bell. She muttered that through the book she was reading as she stuck her nose further.

I bit my lip, and rolled my eyes. Fine, since Bell told hers, I might as well say mine. “Moosic…” I grumbled.

“Music?” The batpony asked.

“Moosic Box.” I responded.

“Music Box. Wow, are ya good at singin’?” I hate small talk, I hate how she’s trying to do it too.

“No.”

“Uh, then buildi–”

“Tell me your name, you nutter.” I huffed. She probably doesn’t know what that means.

“Twin Shots.” She answered.

“Stoopid focking name.” I told her, well, it was! What kind of name is that?

The thestral stuck her leg in the pegasus’ robes, pulling out the bread. She lets out a, “Huh.” I was curious. I peeked over, and my eyes widened. The stallion had stolen moldy bread. It wasn’t even good bread, instead of taking the right ones he took the trash. Surely, he must have made a mistake.

Or, maybe we did?

“I have a bed, some blankets, pillows.” The bat said, “You can trust me that I won’t kill either of you in your sleep. I promise.” She got up from the couch, making her way into what I presume is the kitchen. “However, if he wakes up, you better keep one eye open just in case.” She called out from inside the other room. As soon as she left, I scooted over to Bell.

I tried to peek at what she was reading but she quickly sat on it before I could even gaze at it. Weirdo.

“Bell,” I whispered, making sure my voice was as quiet as a pin falling, “Don’t you think she’s fockin’ bonkers?”

Bell shook her head, “No,” Her voice is always quiet, she never needs to lower it. “I–I think she’s quite right in the head, really. We should trust her.” I scrunched the corner of my mouth as soon as Bell said that.

“W– She has guns!” I tried to not yell, darting my eyes left and right from the kitchen to here. I know that's hypocritical of me to say considering I’m literally hiding a gun in my bag. However, I don’t know how to use it!

“S-So? She helped us, Box.” She turned her face away from me, puckering her lips. “C–Can’t you just trust h–her?” Trust somepony I just fucking met? I think Twin has given Bell a disease, an incurable one to be exact.

“Foine.” I was angry at her, and Twin, and that fucking thief too! I watched as Twin came back with some tea, the aroma tickling my nostrils.

“I have sweet tea, it’s mah favorite.” The bat told us, placing it down on the table. As much as the tea was trying to lure me in, I could never be like Bell.

“No, we’re leaving as soon as I wake up.” I stomped to the corner of the room, curling up in a ball as I watched Bell and Twin mingle over the stallion’s sleeping body. My brows furrowed, as much as I’d like to join Bell, I don’t think I’d want to spend another second with Twin.

I can’t wait to wake up, because the moment I’m up, we are marching right out of this fucking town.

Author's Note:

i feel bad for not posting chapter 4 yesterday!

Comments

[GhastlyExists]

Ur awesome and great I love this so far

[Doomande]

Why are the description of the story written as bold text O___o?