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

by aegishailstorm

Chapter 22: Murky Motives

Chapter 22: Murky Motives

"Ahh!!!"

"What!? What is it!?" The creature exclaimed, mouth wide open and fangs shinning in the darkness. Nikolai growled, raising his hands.

"Do not.... Do that! Please? Будь ласка? Por Favor? I ask nicely?" He shuddered with discomfort, and lowered his hands back into his pockets. The bat- thing shifted, and his eyes sulked to Nikolai's concern. "I apologize for scaring you-" Flashpoint had taken to hiding behind Nikolai's legs, trembling with his mouth hovering over the trigger of his gun. The creature's facial expression grew confused.

"What is it?" The being repeated, shifting his wings and refolding them. " I mean you know harm, really. I saw you were in danger, and decided to intervene, that's all." Nikolai shook his head.

"Oh really, you were that shadowy aberration jumping around, killing raiders? Is lot of ponies in Wasteland, are you the same one that spoke to me in Whiskey-" The being nodded, and took a step forward. Which resulted in Nikolai taking two steps back, and Flashpoint bolted back 3.

"You're a Therstral!? Be gone, Nightspawn!" Flashpoint's terror turned to ferocity. Nikolai had never heard him speak like that, not since they had first met. Something was wrong with this picture. In that The Stalker was currently thinking about whether or not this thing, this, "Bat Pony", would even show up on one.

"Are you sure? Because I will go if you want me to. I didn't want anything from you. I don't even want pity, I will just go. I've done my deed, and I will leave now if you wish." The creature began to spread his wings, Nikolai's gloved hand shot out.

"Wait, wait! Do not go! Please, my friend and I were only startled, I am curious. I have never seen anything like you before, please, and I like strange things. We find safer place to talk, davay, follow me." Nikolai turned away, and Flashpoint stood there, barded hooves planted in the dirt.

"Nikolai, you cannot trust him. He-"

"He what? He saved us. He means nothing ill, I am sure of it." Flashpoint rolled his faintly glowing eyes, which twitched.

"That's what you said about Amber Reins. Nikolai, be sure of your decision, and- Don't take your eyes off his!" Nikolai whirled back around, and kept his hands firmly gripped around his rifle, which he kept at a low ready.

"Flashpoint, why the hostility?" The bat pony asked, setting a grey hoof on his covered chest. "Is it because of the stories, well... That I can understand. Like I said before, I will leave if you like, and you will never see me again. And that is a promise, you know why, I am sure." Nikolai raised an eyebrow, and his worry and intrigued turned back into to a mild form of anger.

"Flashpoint," He asked, not shifting his gaze from the fanged stallion for a moment. "What does he mean by that?" The Stalker's voice was full of both firmness, and light humor. As if he was asking for the punchline to a joke he didn't get.

"Nikolai..." Flashpoint breathed out a sigh. "They drink blood, they're sanguivores. Nikolai's pupils widened in genuine surprise. " Vampire, I knew it! I- Blyat, I forgot, do I have garlic in food supply? I am pretty sure I do. Am I going to have to chase down and drive steak through heart? Ugh... I regret meeting already!" The bat pony's eyes widened in shock.

"What!? No, no! I don't- I love garlic, and... What's a vampire?" Nikolai groaned.

"I am begin to think we have varying legends. I was about to ask if you were from Romania!" The Stalker laughed, which elicited nothing but strange looks from both Flashpoint and the Bat Pony.

"No...? You didn't get that? I was right! Huzah!" He interrupted his own applause, and pointed back at the bat pony. Who managed a slight grin.

"But, I do drink blood. Not- Pony blood, just, anything I can get my hooves on. It's my main source of nutrition, I won't apologize for what I am. And again, I will leave if you want."

"Nikolai," Flashpoint urged again. " We really shouldn't do this, you don't even know this Thestral! You saw what he did to those Raiders, he wants to use us as food, nothing else! We shouldn't go with him!" Nikolai chuckled uncomfortably.

"He's kind of cute, actually. Sir, what is name and what do you want with us?" The bat nodded, closing and opening his eyes as he did.

"My name is Willow. You're Nikolai, and the zebra you're traveling with is named Flashpoint. I know, I've been following you." The Stalker rolled his eyes. "That is... Odd. Now, what do you want with us Willow? Food!?" Willow shook his head.

"Oh, stars above, No! This might sound crazy, but I'm looking for someone to travel with. I wear the disguise because not many ponies wanna hire bats, somehow, they can stomach raiders and ghouls and cannibals', but as soon as a bat pony offer's their services as a night guard, or a caravan scout. Ponies get all jumpy, I wonder why?" Willow flexed his mouth, revealing his fangs again.

"I wonder why." Flashpoint grumbled, "You, since you haven't killed us yet, would you mind if I spoke to my friend in private for a moment? I know you can probably hear us from a quarter mile away, but feel free to ignore us." The bat pony smiled and nodded again.

"It's ok, this isn't my first rodeo." Nikolai arched an eyebrow, and shifted his rifle's position on his chest. " Does that term mean something else here, or-"

"I don't know what it means back on Earth." Flashpoint responded, "But yes, most likely." Nikolai looked back over at the bat pony, he was still standing upright right where he was. "I won't go anywhere." He told them, his eyes reflecting the light from Nikolai's rifle mounted Flashlight and casting eerie moving shadows across the ground in between the two. Nikolai ushered Flashpoint a ways away, keeping an eye on Willow as he did.

"So... Can we keep him?" Nikolai asked, Flashpoint rolled his eyes. " Why do you treat all strangers like stray dogs begging for food? Is it more of that, 'Good Samaritan' thing?" The Stalker nodded.

"I am simple man, I see cute thing that can fly and looks like that... I want make friend, probationary period first. If he tries to bite you, I will put quick end to him, no questions asked. Besides, you think this is partnership? Hah! No, I am leader. And I think I am quite a good one! Besides, he's creepy. And that intrigues me, and, more than that-" He pointed to the set of leathery wings.

"He can fly! Is first talking- flying thing I have met that does not want to shoot me on sight! And best of all, he asked us if he could come along! I am getting fans! Help build cap empire! Is no harm, he can come with us. Final answer." Nikolai crossed his arms. Flashpoint simply sighed, and waved his hoof.

"Fine. I can't argue with you. But if he takes a bite out of your throat-"

"I will let you shoot him for me. I promise." The two walked back to the batpony, who was still patiently minding his own under the pale moonlight glowing through the clouds, faintly lighting up the otherwise pitch black wasteland.

"I heard ever word you said about me, and I understand. Bat ponies are not cannibals. Not most of us, anyway. Please," He extended his hoof. "It's an honor." Nikolai laughed, and crouched down to give Willow's hoof a shake.

"You must be sensory deprived if you think I act honorably. And, do you have a last name?" He asked. The bat pony nodded, and smiled with another toothy grin.

"Lamp, my last name is Lamp. Not to be rude but- Do you want me to spell it out? I've met ponies who-"

"Mr. Lamp, do you vaporize in sunlight?" The bat pony raised an eyebrow. "... No? I-" He turned to Flashpoint, and whispered, "I understand that your friend isn't from around here, but is he really like this all the time? I've seen it that way since I started watching you two. The Zebra shrugged, and kept eye contact with Willow. Nikolai slowly raised his hand.

"What is it?" The two others asked, one after the other.

"Is Thestral just another name for bat pon-"

"Yes!" The Stalker facepalmed, and switched his weapon light off. "Whatever, more I know, eh? Anyway, back to real life. We are in middle of nowhere, and is too late to set up camp!" Willow chuckled, and redonned the majority of his cloak, cowboy hat included.

"C'mon, I've got an abandoned farm that's about a mile northwest of here, we'll be safe there." Nikolai began to raise his hand again in anger, but just groaned instead.

"Use kilometers instead, please! I know Imperial system, but is rusty." Flashpoint simply shook his head and sighed.

"Oh whatever! Please," Nikolai pulled the charging handle of his AK 101 back just a little bit, ensuring that there was a round seated in the chamber as a distraction.

"Lead the way to this farmhouse of yours. I am always happy to make new friend!"

The bat pony grinned, and began to lead them westward, past the Military Base and the rusting Power Pylons. They crossed over a set of neglected railroad tracks and then followed a gravel road for a few hundred meters, passing by picket fences with chipped and faded white paint. Past old Sandbag checkpoints and rusting pickup trucks and milk vans. Out in the middle of a field a ways away, Nikolai spotted a crashed multi rotor helicopter. Surrounded in a small pond of glowing Taint, with leaking yellow barrels that he could just barely make out in the darkness. The whole time, the batpony didn't speak a word. They passed an old radio tower, now long past it's use date judging by the rusting signal dishes. The group walked past a few other dilapidated homesteads, all dark and empty, and the occasional shattered lamp post and downed telephone lines which occasionally sparked or flicked that reminded Nikolai of Withers Pass. That night he had spent alone out in the Wasteland just less then a week ago when he had first met and rescued Flashpoint. As the Stalker walked along in the darkness to the beat of his companions hoofsteps, his mind began to drift.

"God, now that I think about it. This may have been the most eventful week and a half of my life so far. And... Only week in a half? Blyat, this is all- Not even The Exclusion Zone had this much to offer...."

After about a half hour, Willow Lamps led Nikolai and Flashpoint along this simple farm road for a ways, and the turned northwards and led them to a crumbling farmhouse with a small barn out back. He led the two up stairs to the front door, and then knocked twice, when only silence came, he drew a key from a lanyard around his neck and opened the door. Stepping aside to allow Nikolai and Flashpoint in.

"What is this place?" Nikolai asked as Willow lit a candle lamp that cast shadows across the old farm houses front room and parts of it's kitchen. The bat pony quickly hurried back to the door and, after peering around outside, slammed it shut and bolted two separate locks before twisting the key one more time and locking the handle.

"My home, for now. It's a sort of... Bat pony hideout, a safehouse." He walked into the kitchen and unlocked the rotary lock on the fridge, revealing dozens of filled IV bags of blood, alongside regular dried food, and a surprising amount of dehydrated mangos.

"Well, we're here now, too late to turn back." The Stalker nodded, and patted his friend on the shoulder. The bat pony reached for an IV bag, but then shook his head and reached for a jar of dehydrated fruit instead. He removed his hat and set it on the arm rest of an old chair. Nikolai and Flashpoint took seats on opposite sides of an adjacent couch.

"So... Tell me about yourselves. I'm curious, Nikolai, you called yourself a human, but I've never seen and other, 'humans' around, where did you come from, would you mind telling me?"

" Come from a world called Earth, my home country is called, 'Ukraine'. I show up here about a week and a half ago, and I... Well... I will just say that I have big adventure that all culminate in me walking through that door. You saw me in Whiskey Springs after all, but, I must ask a question of you as well, a few, in fact."

"Sure, go on?" The bat pony responded, taking a bite out of a slice of dehydrated mango and grinning at Nikolai as he removed his barding. Revealing a suppressed carbine with a folding with a slim scope mounted along it's top, all draped in Black so that if a normal person were to loose it at night, they would likely never find it until sun-up. And a magazine so small The Stalker presumed that it couldn't possibly be rifle caliber.

"Eh.. How is scope eyebox at night? The bat pony grinned at him, and unslung his own rifle. " I never need a flashlight, and... it's only capable of around two times magnification. With my eyes, looking through it at night almost the same as looking through it in the daytime." Nikolai nodded. "My PSO optic right here is pretty good, comes with built in illumination, and range finder out to 500 meters, makes long range shots easy. Magnifies target four times. But enough comparing scopes." Nikolai removed his mask and lowered his hood, he wiped his mouth and took a short sip from one of his canteens.

" You have wings, that I can see. Have you ever been above the clouds here and seen those infamous cloud cities full of Pegasi that I keep hearing stories about? If so, what are they like?" The bat pony furrowed his eyebrows and sighed.

"No, I never have, I got curious and poked my head up above the clouds once, when I was just a foal. I saw the clear blue sky above, but nothing else just, a blanket of clouds for as far as I could see. And even then, I've seen what the Enclave is capable of, I would want nothing to do with them even if they were to approach me. "

"They do have really cool armor though. You must admit, not even the Steel Ranger's that I have met are that stylish." Both Willows and Nikolai laughed.

"I completely understand that, " Willow answered back, " Hey, if I ever find a working set, you'd better believe I'll ditch what I'm wearing now for it in a heartbeat. Though it would have to one of the versions without armored wing slots." The Thestral flexed his bat wings and gave them a gentle flap, kicking up dust between the rickety floorboards.

"Next question, "

"No Nikolai, there's no way he'll ever take you on a ride!" Flashpoint grumbled. The Stalker shrugged.

"That was not what I was going to ask. I ask question, do you sleep upside down?" The bat pony grinned at him. "No, not often, but I can. Wanna see?" Nikolai stood up, and even Flashpoint looked up from tinkering with his armored legs.

"Go for it! I am curious. Wait- do you, can you show up in pictures?" Willow laughed again as he searched for a low hanging beam by the staircase near the front door to hang from.

"... Yes? At least, I think I can. I wouldn't know because I've never had my picture taken before. But I can see myself in the mirror just fine! Anyway, as requested-" The bat pony exclaimed in his best, showman like voice, he swooped up into the rafters and then rolled upside down, but just before he began to plummet, his tail wrapped around a wooded beam, and he hung there in place, cocooning himself in his leathery wings and grinning wildly down at Nikolai and Flashpoint. The Stalker couldn't help but applaud his new companion. Nothing he had ever seen at any local circus had ever even come close to what he had just seen.

"Can you juggle upside down?" The bat pony snarked, and flexed his jaw, then let go of the rafter and landed on all fours some 6 meters below, right in front of Nikolai.

"Unfortunately, no. There aren't exactly many ponies left who know simple tricks like that. But it would be fun to learn, are either of you two hungry, I'm sure I could find something-" Nikolai raised his left hand.

"Please, Mr. Lamp, you've been a good host to us. My friend and I are tired, and would like place to stay for night, how about up there?" He pointed up the staircase towards a set of what must have been bedrooms.

"Sure, they're all unoccupied, a bit dusty. But they're much nicer than most anything else you'll find out there. Sleep tight, I won't bite!" Nikolai facepalmed.

"Seriously?"

"I'm only joking, go on! I'll catch you guys something to eat by morning!"

" I take it you're nocturnal as well?" The Bat pony simply hoofed Nikolai and Flashpoint a lantern, rushed them up the creaking stairs, and then blew out the lamps downstairs. Nikolai turned to Flashpoint and smiled awkwardly.

"It's the best we can do. Much better than dirt, right? Nikolai opened each bedroom, the Stalker stared at his friend eyes, which glowed just enough to cast a pale light on the rest of his face.

"You can have lamp," He looked in at the beds, they were missing most sheets, except some thin patched blankets, not as nice as the place in Withers Pass, or that chair in Splendid Valley- but, it would do. He shut the door and flipped the locking hinge into place, set his rucksack and boots down on the side of the bed, removed his armor and set it right by the nightstand, gripped his rifle with the safety on as always, and dozed off to the sound of the wind rustling the branches of the dead oak tree outside his rooms one boarded up window, and Flashpoint snoring in the other room.

This time around, Nikolai's dreams were back to the usual. No more reminiscing of summer back in his parents village, nope. This time around, he running, he was running back down the road that led him away from Willow Lamps farmstead. He was being chased by a figure in the sky. And then 3 figures, and then 10. Enclave pegasi, he glanced behind him, and saw the farmhouse in flames. He looked ahead of him, and a glowing green alicorn landed ahead of him, and ignited her horn. An incoherent myriad of shouting voices echoed through his head as the Pegasi engaged the alicorn in a flurry of laser and plasma fire. The Stalker jumped a fence and took of running through a field. One of those spirtebot things hovered past him, and he could almost swear that the camera lenses was following him. He saw flashes of a massive white spire that stretched up far beyond the clouds. As armored pegasi descended on him with it's barbed tail lashing down at him, a massive green flash suddenly filled his entire vision, the ghoulish face of faces on his journey flashed by, and then, black.

"Oh blyat!! Flashpoint!?" Nikolai's eyes snapped open, he was in a cold sweat and panting. He took his rifle off safe and swung it around towards the doorway in a shaking fury. Standing in the doorway, was Willow, with a bowl filled with something that smelled vaguely of oatmeal.

"Woah! Friendly, friendly!" The bat pony set the bowl down on the floor with his fangs. "I was just... Making breakfast. I came up here to give it to you, if you're hungry, that is?" Nikolai laughed, and lowered his rifle.

"I'm so sorry Willow. I just..." He quickly ran up to the window and peered through the boards. He breathed as sigh of relief, and turned back to the bat pony who had gotten close to bringing him breakfast in bed. As well as a confused Flashpoint, who stormed in bare backed with his gun in his mouth.

"Nikolai!" He cried, glancing past Willow, eyeing him with contempt.

"I'm fine, Flashpoint. The Stalker answered, sitting back down on the bed, he reached down and picked up the bowl of porridge.

"Thank you, he said, nodding."

"I didn't know what else you'd like so... I caught a radhog last night, it's cooking on the stove downstairs if you want some. "

"Did you drink it's blood?" Willow rolled his slit eyes, which looked... Strange to say the least.

"Yes, I did. But only after I dumped a quarter pack of Rad-away into it. It just isn't the same." Nikolai laughed, and stirred the plastic fork in his food. He lifted some out of the bowl at took a bite.

"Da, it is... Not great, not terrible. Thank you, Willow. Is not every day I find hospitable wasteland friend. I am beginning to like you." The bat pony smiled, and nodded.

"Nikolai, are we... Going to leave?" The Stalker looked up from his food, and finished his bite.

"We will, just wait until I am done. Put armor back on, and then go downstairs and see if you can find some breakfast of your own," He looked back Flashpoint at Willow. " Can he-"

"Of course.. Uh- What's mine is yours! Just... Stay away from the AB positive blood, it's my favorite! Anything else is free game, including the radhog once it's done. Just... Don't take too much, I still have to ration things out." Nikolai wasn't going to mention to him that he had AB positive blood running through his veins, and he hoped that he wouldn't force the Stalker to put down his new friend. But that was but a faint possibility. And Nikolai was becoming fast friends with their local-so far friendly sanguivore.

"Well, since you're both awake now, come! I've got more stuff to talk about, it gets lonely at night after all!" The Stalker redonned most of his gear and led the other two down towards the pleasant smell of cooking mutated pork coming from the kitchen.

After about 20 minutes of waiting around and assisting in it's preparation, Nikolai finally sat down to his... Technically, second breakfast. It was his first time witnessing Willow consume blood. He took a bit from an IV bag, and dripped it into a chipped coffee mug, then slowly sip it, dipping his fangs in in a fashion that most would actually consider quite adorable.

"A passing thought, have you ever seen a Pipbuck before?" Nikolai looked up from his plate.

"Yes, I have. I saw one on a Desk Clerk back in Salt Cube City. Primitive, from what I saw, but, it's a start as far as personal computers go. All infrastructure to make new ones must be gone, right?" The bat pony shrugged.

"There's quite a few old Stables- Not to mention still unlooted Stable Tec facilities where you can acquire one. And they're more than just a computer. They're made with magic, they can levitate around and organize things in your rucksack for you, administer drugs and medical supplies almost automatically, and, some rare models can even give you a neural heads up holographic display and a visual scope, and others can turn you invisible for short periods of time. Plus, they have a built in Rad Counter, and digital map that tracks your location in relation to the surrounding terrain, they also come with short and long range radios." Nikolai tugged the Geiger counter and Anomaly detector on his belt, and drew his PDA from his coat pocket, and tapped the signal tower on his radio.

" Everything but the kitchen sink, da?" Nikolai said with a chuckle, turning it on and scrolling around on it's map.

"I've traveled almost a hundred kilometers in just the past couple of days alone!? Oi! That must be why legs constantly feel like jelly, could also be radiation, or Vodka... Anyway! Back to you Willow, you probably want one, yes?" The Bat pony nodded.

"Yep, they're compatible with any and all equine species, as far as I know." He pointed over at Flashpoint, "Zebra's included." The Stalker chuckled, and took the last forkful of shredded pork from his plate, and let out a faint burp, followed by, "Sorry, and thank you."

"It looks painful to wear." Nikolai responded. "A giant hunk metal on wrist? No thanks." Nikolai licked his plate clean to the disgust of Flashpoint and the amusement of Willow.

"Nothing goes to waste." He responded, slipping his mask back on, slinging his rucksack back onto his back. Nikolai kicked back right alongside the front door and waited patiently. He messed with his radio, and a dark jazzy rendition of, "16 Tons" Began to echo through the first floor of the building as Willow filled his saddle bags with dried fruit and full IV bags, and snagged a few miscellaneous items from around the house that he wouldn't disclose to Flashpoint, and then met up with Nikolai at the front door.

"Ready?"

"Where are we going?" The bat pony asked Nikolai.

"Canterlot, I suppose. I see glowing thing on mountain, I want to go there. Is dangerous, so what? My curiosity stands." The Thestral's slit eyes went wide with both surprise and concern.

"Oh, well... I've heard worst plans. We'll need some things first. We oughta head out and get looking." Willows locked the front door, and, after redonning his own barding, set off along with Flashpoint and Nikolai along the dusty road that led back to the main highway as a morning crosswind blew tumbleweeds across the gravely dirt road.

"...So if ya see me commin' better step aside, a lotta men didn't and a lotta men died, one fist of iron 'n another of steel, if the left one don't get ya then the right one will...

You load sixteen tons, whaddya get!? Another day older and deeper in debt..."

Comments

[Madmadmad123]

2 chapters in a week awesome

[Silentwoodfire]

There's a good version of that song from what I recall. Dame sings it good

[Rotkiv Steelmug]

"Of course.. Uh- What's mine is yours! Just... Stay away from the AB positive blood, it's my favorite! Anything else is free game, including the radhog once it's done. Just... Don't take too much, I still have to ration things out." Nikolai wasn't going to mention to him that he had AB positive blood running through his veins, and he hoped that he wouldn't force the Stalker to put down his new friend. But that was but a faint possibility. And Nikolai was becoming fast friends with their local-so far friendly sanguivore.

I'd imagine one reason Willows was following Nikolai (besides Nikolai sticking out like a sore thumb) was that Willows is capable of smelling blood type... would certainly give the batpony saying "I like you" a double meaning