Fallout Equestria: S.T.A.L.K.E.R

by aegishailstorm

Chapter 20: Redeeming Truth

Chapter 20: Redeeming Truth

Nikolai couldn't decide what it was he was feeling, more disappointed, or madder then a bloatfly in a sterile room. He had trusted this mare, and she had betrayed that trust. He took her in, took care of her, gave her two sets of ears that would hear out her plight. And she betrayed that trust.

"Well, it all started when I was just a little filly-" Nikolai grunted, and steadied his shaking trigger hand.

"Blyat no! Tell me what made you do this!? What do you want!?" Amber Reins let out coy chuckle, and caressed Flashpoints chin with her hoof.

"Oh, I just want all the caps you have. No biggie!" Nikolai shook his head. "That is not going to happen little lady. Drop that gun right now and I will not kill you outright!" The Zebra let out a short whimper.

"Uh... Nikolai, do you mind?" The Stalker gritted his teeth. "I have not even had the breakfast yet! So? Give me sob story!" He ordered, the Makarov's iron sights came to rest just below the unicorn mare's sparkling horn.

"Ok, you want the fucking truth?" She asked demandingly. " You want it? Well, here it is; I'm a raider, but not the kind that burns down villages. I'm bait, my gang leaves me on the side of the road for too quick to trust- do gooder ponies to stop by and try to help me, they lead me around. Or I lead them around for a bit, maybe seduce a few of them, and just when they start to trust me, my gang ambushes them and takes their stuff. It's worked more times than I can count!" Nikolai was speechless, it took him a second to find something back on Earth he could compare it too. But it didn't take any longer that. Carjackings and hitchhikers, for one.

"Where is rest of Gang!?" He demanded; his hand began to tremble again.

"You saw most of them yesterday." Amber responded. "Dead, just another pile of bones by the side of the road."

"Where is rest of them? Do not lie!" The mare scrunched up her muzzle and turned her head towards Flashpoints. "I don't know where they went! I waited there for hours, but they never showed up-"

"Crack!"

A .380 caliber slug tore through the mare's ear, and she hit the ground, Flashpoint tore his gun away from her magical grasp, And Nikolai rushed up and pressed a boot over her neck.

"You little- I watched that battle from afar! But whatever, I do not need to explain to you cyka! I am simple Stalker, I am not executioner. You will come with us, understand? Flashpoint, get me some rope, and disassemble this tent. Try and turn into sled, big enough for this pain in ass." He rolled the mare over, she was in shock, cradling the left side of her head. The bulled had just chipped a bit of flesh off the side. But it still hurt a great deal. It didn't matter to him. Nikolai wasn't going to waste any more medical supplies, or bullets on this sorry mare. She didn't deserve either.

"C-can I-I-I at least ha-have something to eat?" Amber asked in her best pitiful voice, her eyes welling up with tears to complete the look, she pawed empty air with her hooves and Flashpoint tied her down to the improvised aluminum sled.

"Save it. Be grateful the good lord above gave me strength to spare you. Another creature may not have been so kind. I will drop you at nearest town, you can lie to them and get all food you want there!" She turned to Flashpoint, and reached out towards him.

"Please honey? I'm sorry-"

"You had your chance, you had two chances, Nikolai is right. We don't have the resources to give you the care you need and want. Go scam somepony else, but just know, and I'm really trying to be sincere here, your luck just might take a turn for the worse if you do."

Nikolai ate a meager breakfast comprised of a few protein bars and reheated leftovers from the night before and a quarter canteen worth of water. He kicked apart the smoldering campfire and spread the ashes to make sure no one could follow them. Flashpoint just sat watch over Amber Reins. Mumbling to himself, and racking the action of his weapon over, and over again. About 20 minutes later, when Nikolai was done packing up his things and making the site look like it had never been settled in before, he tapped his friend on the shoulder and motioned for him to come along. Nikolai had hitched up two separate carabiners to the restraining sled so they could both share the weight. But Flashpoint insisted that one of them should stay mobile, and since Nikolai had the bigger gun. Flashpoint insisted that it be him.

"Alright, let us get going, if we start now, we should be there by mid-day, and that will give us plenty of time to find place to dump her, get more food, and... Hopefully reserve nice hotel room? I am not complaining but am getting sort of tired of sleep on ground or in ruin."

"Fair enough Nikolai, that's a good idea." Flashpoint responded, ignoring the angry shouting from their captive.

"Quiet! Or I'll stick a sock in your mouth!" Nikolai ordered, readjusting his rucksacks straps. The trio came back into sight of the main highway after a while.

"I do have something that will make feel better." The Stalker insisted, the anger disappearing from his voice. He turned the dial on his radio, and Bandit Radio began to play at a low volume.

The Stalker stared far out down the desolate road. "Da, will be accordion and Guitar all way to Green Medows! Too bad for you if you do not like it." Amber let out an anguished sigh, and relaxed her body.

" Alright!" Nikolai exclaimed, " Let's do this!" He turned the radio dial a bit, and a new song began to play.

"Well, I was at this bar on the interstate one night when a guy with this bird walked in..."

The two walked alone and in silence for about two hours before, finally, Amber began to complain. First it was little things, she whined that she was thirsty, then she wanted whiskey. Neither request was granted by Nikolai. But, when she started begging to go and use the bathroom, he couldn't turn it down, stepping off to the side of the highway, Flashpoint untied her from the sled.

"Go behind that downed telephone pole, we won't watch."

"And if I run?" The mare asked them. Nikolai laughed. " Then you become food for a monster or loot for a raider, now go, and come right back here." While the mare shuffled her way behind the ancient telephone pole, Nikolai and Flashpoint began to talk with one another.

"What should we do with her?"

"It's like I said." Nikolai responded. " Take her to town."

"But how do we know they won't just hang her or shoot her once they find out what she's done?" Nikolai scoffed and folded his arms. "All the more power to them." Amber came trotting back up and lay belly up on the sled.

"Could I stretch my legs?" Nikolai laughed. " You must have gone crazy. Nyet! You can walk free when we are in town." The mare rolled back over, and Flashpoint took the opportunity to tie her back down.

"That's a shame, I haven't been free in a long time." Nikolai laughed, and unslung his rifle. He took a knee right by Amber and stared into her eyes.

"Really? Please. Stop lying to us. It will not make your situation any better, be honest with us. Please, it will make your life all the better." Amber laughed back.

"Yeah, sure, it'll take it from shitty to mild hellhole. " Nikolai motioned for Flashpoint to start dragging her again. The Stalker's radio croaked, and a new song came through the static.

"Had a couple beers with one of my friends, told 'em just how our story ends... Did all I could to try 'n make it work, but ya drug mah heart through the Alabama dirt..."

"Hey hey, what can I say? I could just lie say it's all ok. Oh, oh... What can I do? Been goin' through hell gettin' over you.... But it don't hurt... It don't hurt like it used to..."

A smile formed on Flashpoint's face. " I like it Nikolai." Amber Reins scoffed.

"The looser in this song sounds so pathetic. Like an earthpony trying to drown his sorrows in Whiskey." Nikolai turned his head and looked down at Amber.

"He's singing about the... Eh... Metaphorical ups and downs of life. Is very popular topic for music where I am from. Go on and listen for a while, you may learn some things from it will change your life." The unicorn laughed and swore something under her breath. Then, she fell simply fell silent again.

Another hour passed, and then another, until, finally, they turned off the main road and followed a winding road west for about a kilometer until they came to a large valley, potmarked with dead trees and patches of stale brown grass sprouting from windswept farmlands. All leading directly up to what was once probably a quaint little village. But was now a walled in, rusting shadow occupied by armed sentries. As Nikolai and Flashpoint entered the valley and began to make their way towards the exterior settlement wall, Nikolai instructed Flashpoint to stay behind them. The last thing Nikolai wanted was for some trigger-happy sniper to see a Zebra towing a wounded mare and get the wrong idea about it.

"Hello!" He shouted, letting his rifle fall on its sling and waving to the visible guards. "We come in peace!"

"What are you?" One of them shouted. " A friend! We have someone!" The 3 guardsponies glanced into the sled and froze when they saw who was inside it.

"You!?" Amber looked up at them, and blushed. "Hello there. Long time?" The stallion let out a harsh grunt.

"The Sheriff's not gon' be happy to see you back here. Come on in."

"Well I'll be a radrats ass!" A voice shouted from the far side of the settlement. A grey earthpony stallion wearing a black` cowbow hat and a set of patchwork armor with a rusty badge and a scratched-up drum fed shotgun with an improvised stock made from melted coat hangers.

"Sheriff Fieldtrotter, at your service sir. I see you brought this little thing back here." He walked right past Flashpoint and gazed down at Amber. "Did you find her like this?"

"No, actually, we found her in worse condition. She was shivering by the side of the road, me and my friend here, took her in and let her stay with us. When I awoke the next morning, she was holding a gun to my friend's head and demanding caps. I stopped her, as you can see." The sheriff examined the gunshot wound to Amber's ear and nodded slowly.

"Yep. That sounds just 'bout right. She made a stallion fall for her the last time she came through her, haven't seen him since."

"I didn't have the heart to kill her, or leave her to die, so I strapped her to this sled and had my friend help me bring her here." The sheriff looked back at the masked face of Nikolai, and then at Flashpoint, who squinted to try and hide his glowing eyes.

"You know what- I ain't even gonna ask. You did good bringin' her here. Deputy!" One of the guards slowly trotted up to the Sheriff's side. "Remove her restraints." He looked back at Nikolai.

"If you'd like me to, that is. You caught her, it's your call stranger." Nikolai's eyes turned back to Amber. He scratched his chin. Flashpoint took a step towards Nikolai and gestured to the unicorn mare.

"Nikolai, she did try to murder me. And it's clear these ponies have a bone to pick with her as well. She sounds like she deserves whatever is coming for her." The Stalker sighed and took a knee by Amber, he looked back at the Sheriff.

"What will you do with her if we leave her with you?"

"Well... What would you have use do?" There was an uncomfortable length of silence as the Stalker thought it over. He hated this mare for trying to kill his best friend. But, on the other hand, the more he looked in her eyes. The more he saw the worry. She seemed to be genuinely terrified. As disgusted as Nikolai was with her, he still believed that she could make things better. And he had just the right punishment to redeem her.

"Tell me, do you have a schoolhouse in need of an assistant?" The Sheriff raised an eyebrow.

"You can't be serious- A pony like her- She give out party favors, not test grades." Nikolai chuckled. "Then perhaps, is good time for learning, yes?" He looked over at Amber. " What say you and be honest. It's either that, or a cell if these ponies are nice, if not, then as soon as we leave, they'll take you to the gallows." The mare's eyes were filled with uncertainty.

" That's a good idea." Sheriff Fieldtrotter responded. " We'll keep her overnight. First thing in the morning, we'll have her start on a probationary period." The deputies stood the mare up, and walked her away. The sheriff stood by Nikolai and noddled slowly.

"Sir, I don't know what made you do what you just did, and I don't even know ya. But for all our sakes, I sure hope this works out well. Welcome to Green Meadows. There isn't much greenery, but you're welcome to stay here as long as you'd like." Nikolai nodded, and looked around at the crowd of gathering ponies. As he looked through the crowd. He caught sight of an equine figure... Dressed in drab brown robes as well as a cowboy hat, a set of dark goggles, and a cowl which masked it's face. It was the same pony he had met back in Whiskey Springs. The figure seemed to notice Nikolai, and gave a small nod of approval. The Stalker went to rub his eyes, but when he was finished, the figure was nowhere to be seen. Something was off.

"Nikolai, by the way, you never told me, what is a, Good Samaritan anyway?" The Stalker turned and looked down at his Zebra companion.

"It is a long story, but, let me just say that what we have done, would qualify us both as one."

Comments

[aegishailstorm]

11658880
No Pipbuck. No chance. He's got other ways to make his life easier though...

[AmlpfanREADER]

11659018
Wait can't he buy a pipbuck?

[aegishailstorm]

11661915
They're designed for ponies. Not humans, I doubt they'd even work on a griffon, much less a bipedal human. He doesn't need a bulky thing like that on his wrist anyway. He's got his trusty quartz officers watch which his grandfather gave him.

[AmlpfanREADER]

11661921
Oh