While Farsight and his group are playing the big leagues, they seem to forget about the humble New Pegasian. Enter Brawny Boulder, veteran wastelander turned guard for New Pegasus, and the adventures of the common pony in New Pegasus.
While Farsight and his group are playing the big leagues, they seem to forget about the humble New Pegasian. Enter Brawny Boulder, veteran wastelander and OG turned guard under the newly formed New Pegasus City Council. Being such a... gifted individual, Boulder and his young ward Desert Sundown are assigned to high profile tasks such as guarding important people, and many more. However, it seems that Boulder and Sundown have a past that haunts them, and it might just come back to bite them in the flanks.
[Changed the name, because to be frank, the pun sounded so much better in my head. But on the advice of a trusted adviser, it makes the story look kind of unprofessional. Yeah, but still, same old story.]
This story happens in the same universe as "Fallout Equestria: Viva Las Pegasus" and has a lot of references to it. I suggest you read that before this one.
Fallout Equestria: Viva Las Pegasus -- Tails of New Pegasus Chapter One: Another Day in New Pegasus
Another day in New Pegasus begins.
How'd I know? Because of the fucking alarm clock.
*BEEP BEEP BEEP*
"ALRIGHT I GET THE FUCKING MESSAGE!"
Instead of getting up, I roll out of my bed, falling snout-first into the ground. After much effort, I slowly get up on my legs and walk to the bathroom. Classic morning routine. Wash face, comb mane (or what of it is left), brush teeth. I put on my protective leather vest, then my dress jacket over it, then my holster, and finally, I levitate my trusty shotgun into it. Not really much space to do anything else really. I did afford my own flat with the savings, since being a guard (and former Stringers enforcer) paid handsomely over the years. It has a pretty good view of Union Square from here. I can see all of the happy ponies walking around. And by happy, I mean drunk. It's 4AM and that's usually when the party-goers head home in New Pegasus. A chestnut-colored stallion with a white mane was stumbling around in a top hat with a pretty young mare. Oh how times changed. A few years back, if my gang and I saw those two, one of us would be wearing a top hat while the rest having fun with that mare in a back alley. Now, we see their likes all the time, along with people like us. Freedom Fielders, they called us. The "lower class". Those who couldn't afford fancy suits and wore everyday clothes like shirts and jackets. Well, not what I'm wearing, but that's different. I'm a guard. Celestia knows why we need to guards because one, nothing ever happens anymore and two, we have a bunch of robots with giant lasers prancing around.
No cause in stalling I s'pose. I make my way through the crowd and into the Strip. As I walk towards a quaint, white building in the Strip, which was newly painted and reconstructed, I see two ponies in business suits augmented with hardened leather vests underneath, with rifles on their sides sitting side by side in front of an imposing looking steel door.
"Hey! Sandy Aegis! Buckton!" I called out!
Apparently, they had both fallen asleep because the second I yelled the suddenly stood upright and Aegis shouted "Yes ma'am, reporting for duty!"
I laughed and said "Calm down you little foals, it's just me, and it's 4AM."
"Oh, it's 4AM?" replied Aegis, who was a dark-brown stallion with a caramel colored spiky mane. He just started out in the Stringers when this Farsight fella showed up. I never really got to know him till we both became guards.
"Sweet!" cried Buckton! I could see the bags under his eyes. I'm glad I got the day shift. "Alright old timer, I'm gonna hit the hay till my shift calls. See ya oldie. See ya Aegis!"
"Alright Buck." Aegis muttered, sounding like a zompony. I'm not quite sure he's fully awake yet. "Right Boulder, I'm headed home. Where's Sundown?"
"Late as usual."
"Aww, sucks for you. Why'd an old veteran like you not be pissed at him?"
"Come on Aegis, he's a colt. I mean, he's even younger than you!"
"That's true, he's as old as the boss lady."
"Yeah. Now skiddadle. Get some rest."
"Hah, you're a good man Brawny Boulder, good man."
Brawny Boulder. That's me. People call me Boulder, Ol' Brawny, or Bould Spot. Apparently, the name fits, because like a boulder, I was gray and bulky. That last nick name though was because of my receding maneline. Oh what a shame, it used to be like a long flowing river of silver beauty when I was a colt. Before I got involved with the family business. Before the debt. Before the gangs. Before the turf war. Before the unification.
I had been lost in my memories for a good whole hour when I faintly heard a soft voice beside me. "Hey Boulder..."
I looked and saw my partner Desert Sundown. It was pretty hard to see him. His vibrant orange fur blended in perfectly with the rising sun and his sandstone mane could have easily been mistaken for ground. He approached his post and took a seat without making a sound. The young stallion sat perfectly still, as he always has. Timid young fella, but I've trusted him for a long time. Sundown was barely a stallion. I'd say he was too young to be holding a hunting rifle at his side but I can't really say that since I gave him that hunting rifle 10 years ago. We kind of have a history.
"Hey Boulder." The soft-spoken pony's voice threw me off of my own thoughts.
"What is it Sundown? See anything?" I asked. He never says anything if it's not important.
"Do you think we'll see the boss?"
I couldn't help but smile a bit. That colt was hopeless.
"You know she's big-time. I hear she's real close to the head of LP."
"Like, really close?"
"Haha, don't freak out kiddo. As in, family close. Though some rumours have circulated..."
"Oh..." The sadness on his face made me realize I had said too much.
"Come on kiddo, I'm just messin'!" I didn't have the guts to tell him that even if the boss were single, she'd be way out of his league. "Anyway, we got at least 3 hours until things start kickin' off. We got time to talk about something else."
"Like how the brig was this time?" Sundown smirked.
Kiddo really knew how to push my buttons. Guess I taught him too well.
"Well, Brass Badge was pretty damned pissed to see me back again. Although he is surprised that the suspect wasn't killed during my interrogation this time."
"I'm pretty sure he was just a junkie who got lost."
"Hey, I'm just a pony, I make mistakes. We should leave this to the robots."
"Robots can't tell if someone is suspicous-looking. That's why we need instinct."
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
I think I saw a faint smile on Sundown's face, right before his classic 'shining knight' oh dear, we must save that poor mare face. He just loved proving me wrong. We ran towards the scream then we saw a crazy looking junkie with scars all over his body gripping on to the purse of a middle-aged unicorn, who was pale blue with a purple mare. "Oh, thank Celestia you showed up! Get him off of me!" she yelled as she tried to magically pull her purse away from the junkie. "NOOOOOO!" the crazed pony cried. "My Sweetie Belle is in there! My very own Sweetie Belle!"
"Sweetie Belle?" muttered Sundown in disbelief. "What's this nutjob talking about Quillheart?"
Quillheart, the secretary for the Spokespony for the city board, replied, "I don't fucking know! JUST GET HIM TO STOP, PLEASE."
I felt Sundown tried to turn to me to ask for help, but I think he saw me since he shouted "Boulder, DON'T!"
I had already gone for a charge while Quillheart was bitching about, with my shotgun readily floating beside me, but the blunt, metal reinforced end facing towards the psycho.
"Wha-?" was all I heard him whimper before I heard the sweet sound of a muzzle cracking which let me know that I had connected.
THUD! The sound he made when he fall was a symphony.
CRRCK! CRRCK! CRRCK! Everytime I had smashed my shotgun on his face towards the floor ade music to my ears. The tiny spasms he had with every strike gave me a chill to the spine. The crimson flowing out of his mouth were like beautiful paint splatters in my eyes.
CRRCK! CRRCK! CRRCK!
I heard distant noises, that sounded like shouting.
CRRCK! CRRCK! CRRCK!
The look of desperation in his small, teal eyes was truly magnificent.
CRRCK! CRRCK! CRRCK!
All of a sudden, I felt two hooves restrain my front hooves. "BOULDER! WHAT THE FUCK! I TOLD YOU TO STOP! DIDN'T YOU HEAR!?" Sundown yelled in horror. I looked at what I had done. The junkie was had nothing but a bloody mess for a face. I looked back and saw Quillheart just look at me, mouth agape. Well, shit. I did it again.
"Well, it was justified." I reasoned. "We are authorized to use lethal force against a harmful element. And he was bloody harmful." I got them. They couldn't argue with me there. Miss QuUillheart couldn't have me court-marshalled again, since it was her crabby old flank I saved. "Let's just get back to our post."
Sundown simply shrugged it off and found no reason to argue. Quillheart just stood there for a while longer as we walked away. When I turned to her, I saw try to open her mouth in protest, but I guess she couldn't really say anything since this time, it wasn't some random vendor or a lost tourist. Man, these people know not much about how it was out there, before all this. Well, I couldn't blame them. Quillheart had been in the Strip before the unification. And for some reason, Sundown never approved of my 'heartless' ways. Oh well, at least this had been an eventful morning where I don't end up getting shit from Brass Badge. Quillheart had already walked into the building and Sundown went ahead of me, plooped on his post, then fell asleep.
I settled in my post then levitated a thermos out of a saddlebag I keep there. I poured coffee in a cup, magically heated it, and then I took a sip as I watched the streets began to fill slowly.
Fallout Equestria: Viva Las Pegasus -- Tails of New Pegasus Chapter Two: Debriefing
“Do you know why you’re here, gentlecolts?” “.....” “I said ‘Do you know why you’re here?’” “.....” “LISTEN TO ME!” the pony smashes her hooves on the table to make a point. She looks at me with her piercing blue eyes, which makes her look pretty harmless. The custard-yellow pony has been going on and on about something, said her name was Amber Seer.
I stare up blankly at her and reply “I’m sorry, could you say that again? You kind of lost me at the boring part. In the start.” Sundown and I have been called down to the NPPD for some Celestia-damned reason. We’re probably not in trouble, since they also had Sundown come with me. My reassurance didn’t help though, as the poor kid still looked spooked as hell. This has been going on for a good thirty minutes I think. I’m not quiet sure, I spaced out and didn’t hear a word. We’ve been in this concrete, empty room with nothing but a table and a security camera. It looked a like an interrogation.
“Hey, you two!” the cop snapped. “Need another repeat?”
“Meh, yeah, but keep it quick.” I told her. “It’s almost happy hour at the Diamonds.”
If Amber wanted to hide her annoyance, she did a really bad job of it, but she continued nonetheless. “You see, the City Council has decided to make a special contingent of ponies known as T.A.I.L. Twilight’s Agents in Las Pegasus. What does that mean to you?”
“That they really wanted to make an acronym so they discluded ‘P’ and randomly added Twilight?” I joked. I saw the orange stallion beside me chuckle a bit. He’s loosening up, knowing that we’re not in trouble.
“No, I- ugh- That’s not the point!” muttered our buddy, “Twilight as in, Princess Twilight? Intelligence? You get it? We need elite agents to act on the Council’s behest. Like one of those secret agent holotapes.”
“Oh man! I loved James Colt! That guy was the shit! Wait, again, what does this have to do with us?”
It was Sundown’s turn to pipe up. “And you want us to join?”
The mare smiled a bit. “Well, well, well. Finally, Mr. Good-Looking joined in. And he’s bright too! But no, we don’t exactly want you to join…” Sundown blushed a bit at the ‘Mr. Good-Looking’ bit, but I don’t think she meant anything by that. “Wait, so if you don’t want us to join, why are we here?” I really didn’t like this pony wasting our time. I could be having a fist fight with Aegis or hitting on some broad at the Diamonds by now.
“We need you two to come here for background checks,” informed Amber “and then from there, we’ll determine if you’re worthy enough to join T.A.I.L’s ranks. Good day, and we’ll call you about the schedule.”
The yellow pony led us outside, through the dull, concrete corridors of the police station. Right as we approached the exit, I stopped and called her.
“Amber…” “Yes? Is there a problem Mr. Boulder?” “Why were we picked?” Amber looked uneasy. I knew this was the reason. “Mrs. Cleff trusted you. She said you were the top lieutenant… of her second-in-command.”
I sighed, thanked her for the honesty, then left.
Sundown must have noticed something was off, since while we were walking, he halted us. “Boulder, is something wrong?”
“No.” I lied. I lied so much. “You can go ahead. Tell Aegis and Buckton to have fun without me. Tell them something came up.”
The kid stopped and looked at me with concern. Ever since he was a colt, he’d give me that look, then he’d try to make me feel better. However, he’s grown up, and the years have taught him that when something like this comes up, it’s better to leave it alone.
His heart is in the right place, but some wounds are too deep to heal.
“Alright,” he said, “stay safe, old man.” He gave me a hug.
“You too kiddo.”
With those words, I watched him disappear into the lights of the city. That kid’s the closest thing I have to family now. Hell, he’s probably the closest thing ever. But there was one other pony. Images flashed in his head. A small, fat colt with a blond spiky mane and a younger white fillie sitting beside him in an abandoned shop, laughing as the share a can of beans. The same pair, the colt burning his mane while trying to cook a skeever alive and the little fille right beside him laughing while spraying him with sewer water. The two sleeping in homemade tents made from bloody clothes scavenged off dead guys. Oh, the memories.
Why do I remember her best when we were both foals?
I knew I had to go to. But not some bar or strip club like every other night.
I knew I had to go to a place haunted by ghosts of the past.
I knew I had to go to a place where pain and anguish has been prevalent.
I knew I had to go to a place where each turn brought a heartache back.
I knew I had to go pay my respects to somepony who changed my life.
Fallout Equestria: Viva Las Pegasus -- Tails of New Pegasus Chapter One: Another Day in New Pegasus
I’ve walked these roads a long time ago… I promised I’d never have to set foot here when I grew up.
The Ancient Quarter. A nickname the guards have for the part of Freedom Field that has been abandoned since the unification of New Pegasus. This place had memories. Bad memories.
I can hear the whispers of the past as the cold air breeze swept through.
Electricity from here has been cut off. Nobody goes here so the City Council decided redirect the power to somewhere more useful. The councilor I work for was the one who suggested building a school for the young colts and fillies of New Pegasus. I swore to Celestia, I used to see that little fillie walking around, and I never imaged myself working for her almost a decade later.
Hell, the only reason I’m working for her is because of Sundown…
That kid. I always had a soft spot for him. I found Sundown when he was just a colt. He seemed so fragile. So innocent. So weak and helpless.
Like me.
I stopped and looked at the building that lay in front of me. The flashlight attached on back didn’t do well to brighten it up, but I can see it was just how we left it when I had to join the Stringers.
“I promise I can get you the caps by tonight, Furham!” an older looking pony flashed before my eyes. “Please, just… just give me time.” I remember the sadness of his deep black eyes. The dark-brown mare looked simply pitiful on his knees. “Please.”
“Fine Bastion. I’ll give you until tomorrow. I promise that if you don’t, you’ll regret it.” the other pony, Furham left. I can’t seem to remember his face oddly.
-----
Another memory came from his mind. The older pony was back, walking around another pony tied to an old bed frame. The pony had one foot tied to each post, and the bed was upright, so the pony was in a standing position.
“Tell me what the code to your lock is.” The older pony was stern, his cutie mark of a hammer and bandage became more threatening in the dark. “We’re not afraid to hurt you.”
“No! Oh Celestia, why did you have to rob ME out of all the other traders!?!?” The tortured pony wailed. He suffered cuts and bruises everywhere. I don’t think he could even see, given that both his eyes were bulging like a bitch. “You already took everything from me! I know you won’t let me leave alive, so what do I have to gain from this!?”
“A slow death.” I could almost swear the older mare was smiling a bit.
“Go fuck yourself!”
“Son, do it.” He turned to this young, chubby colt, hiding in the shadows, looking even more afraid than the trader on the bed.
Oh, the first time. It always leaves a scar. “But Poppa...” I muttered.
All of a sudden, I felt him charge towards me then next his hooves crushing my face together.
“Don’t you talk back you little shit!”
SMACK!
“BOULDER WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT TALKING BACK!? Now…”
I had no choice. I wonder how the trader felt, watching a fat gray colt, much too young for even a cutie mark, attach a couple of jumper cable to his balls.
“No, kid. Please.”
I looked into his teary eyes. Then I looked back and saw my father glare at me. I knew it had to be done.
“I’m sorry.” Those the last words my first victim heard. I turned up the battery dial to max, then I simply watched him scream. Scream for mercy. Scream for Celestia. Finally, scream for the sweet embrace of death. Thirty minutes later, bubbles came from his muzzle and his head slacked backwards. It was done.
-----
Back to reality. What’s past is past. I didn’t come here for that part of my past. I came here to think, and to honor those who have passed.
But I can’t really think about her without thinking of my childhood. My father…
My father. He had turned me into a monster.
My father was a hard, cold, stallion. Growing up with him was hard, especially since my mother had died. He was a bitter pony, a heavy drinker, and a compulsive gambler. His gambling was the main source of my childhood problems. So many times, I would see random ponies walk into our wrecked up apartment, then leave taking some of our tools or a bag full of caps. Shortly after, I’d see my father, intoxicated as fuck running outside yelling.
“GO AHEAD!” he yelled. It was a cold night, and everypony around had been asleep.
“Take our shit! I’LL SKIN ALL OF YOU ALIVE!!!”
All around I saw ponies sticking their heads out the ruined buildings or looking to see what was going on from their scrap metal shanties.
“Poppa, please, go inside. People are trying to sleep.” I begged him, not wanting him to annoy the gangs anymore.
SMACK!
“YOU WORTHLESS LITTLE SHIT!” His hoof connected with my face at a dangerously high speed. “DON’T. YOU. FUCKING. TELL ME HOW TO LIVE MY LIFE.” With every word, the strong scent of alcohol invaded my nostrils. The stench couldn’t distract me from the blood I felt in my mouth though.
“You’re going with me to work tomorrow.” he continued.
-----
As I grew older, he decided to bring me to his ‘work’ everyday. There’s no gentle way to put this. My father was a hitpony. But a special kind of hitpony. He wouldn’t kill his targets. He would get them to confess something. Be it the location of a chest, lock code for a safe, or even a fake confession, he could get it out of that person. How? Torture, of course. I hated it when Poppa took me to help him. I knew it was wrong. But deep down, I enjoyed it. I loved the rush. I loved the resistance. I loved to see the desperation in their eyes as they knew what was inevitable.
You see, I wasn’t always this sadistic, loose-cannon lunatic people know and love. No, as a colt, I was a shy, timid, fat foal. Before my dad brought me to ‘assist’ in his work, nobody was afraid of me. They used to call me ‘Big-Ass Boulder.’ Don’t get me wrong, these weren’t friends that called me that. Just some other colts and fillies around the area. I didn’t have friends. All I had was my sister.
Before I had my sister, I only had my mom. She was the only pony I could turn to until I was 6. I walk into the building I was outside and see so many memories at once. I remember that that corner over there was were we used to lay our mattresses. I can still feel the warmth of my mother’s hug as a curled up beside her, sobbing from the bruises and cuts my father had given me. I look at my body, and I faintly smile as I remember all the times she had gingerly ripped parts of her dresses or rags we found on the street to bandage cuts I got. Those times she gave me an extra serving of beans from her plate when she heard my stomach grumble even after dinner. Whenever I was feeling sad, she’d tell me to focus on the constant ticking of our clock.
“Why mom?” I asked. It felt stupid the first time she told me about it.
She smiled at me and explained “My son, you see, you know that the wasteland is full of chaos, right?”
“Yeah momma, I know. Why?”
“Well, the ticking of the clock is always the same. Always the same intervals. It’s uniform. Like a heartbeat. Let me remind you about how even after all the chaos, after all the pain and suffering, your heart is still beating. And that means you are strong.”
I put my hoof on my chest, then I felt the throbbing. It felt in sync with the ticking of the clock.
“You’re right, mom.” I grinned widely at her. “I am still alive.”
She hugged me close, then she whispered to me “It’s because you’re the strongest and bravest colt in this city. And nothing will ever change that, my love.” Then she put my hoof to her chest.
“And remember, as long as my heart beats too, I’ll always be here for you.”
I then put both of my front legs around her and held her tight.
“I love you momma.”
Oh how I wished those days would last forever.
But fate is a cruel mistress…
I remember the day my mom was rushed to the Followers. She was very happy weeks before this moment. “You won’t be alone anymore.” She’d smile at me while telling me this. I always wanted a brother. I didn’t have much friends, so I was really excited to have another kid to relate to. However, I didn’t like the screaming. Even from outside the fort, I could hear the agony of my mother. It went on for hours and hours. When I stopped, I excitedly ran inside. I still remember as I ran in, everyone avoided eye-contact. I saw old Mixer holding a little white fille, cute as ever.
“Meet your sister.” Anybody could have figured out that he was simply forcing himself to sound cheerful, but I didn’t mind it at the time. I wasn’t alone anymore. I looked at her beautiful gray eyes. They looked so innocent, so full of hope, so brilliant. I looked at her lovingly and I introduced myself.
“Hi, I’m Brawny Boulder. I’m your brother.” I reach out my hoof towards her then ever so tenderly, she grabs it. That was one of the few times I felt real happiness in my life. It was a roller coaster of emotions that day, as the next hour was probably the worst news of my life. I looked up and I asked “Has Momma seen ‘er yet?” Mixer didn’t meet my gaze. He simply knelt down, ears dropping to his neck, and said “Son, take a seat.”
It can’t be true.
It isn’t true.
I run past Mixer, and into the tent where I saw them take Momma.
I didn’t see a warm smile waiting for me, ready to introduce me to my new sister.
I saw nothing but two ponies putting a sheet over a lifeless body.
For the next few minutes, I sat alone in that tent, with only Mixer and my new sister. The silence was almost deafening, except for the constant, rhythmic ticking.
“WHAT IN CELESTIA’S NAME IS THAT SOUND!?” I yelled. I hated being interrupted from my grieving, and that constant ticking really pissed me off.
“It’s called a metronome lad. Your mother personally requested that it be put there. She says she likes the constant ticking.” Mixer replied absent-mindedly. “It calm her down. She said it reminded her of her-”
“Heartbeat.” I finished.
I sat in silence, remembering her saying that as long as her heart beat, she would always be there for me. And now, nobody was left.
I felt like crying, but instead, I stood up and looked at the little filly that was with Mixer.
“She doesn’t have a name you know.” Mixer told me. “I reckon you should give ‘er the name mate.”
I looked at her, put my hoof to her chest, then felt that tiny little heart beat.
I felt the hot, bitter sensation of coffee trickling down my tongue. It was really cold out, since it was early morning. I was in sitting in a cafe near the police station, waiting for it to open. 'Come by anytime,' they told me, 'as long as it's tomorrow. Miss it and you miss your chance.' So I decided I better get it over with during the start of the day. I couldn't even sleep last night. I just sat there, surrounded by experiences long gone...
-----
Ever since our mother died, I've been taking care of my sister alone. Our father had just turned to more drinking and gambling to cope with all the shit that went down.
"Poppa," I asked. "Do you think we have extra food for Metronome?"
"Celestia-dammit child, ask your mother!" I don't think he was thinking straight enough that time. Then I made a terrible mistake.
"But Poppa, she's... gone."
*SMACK*
"Don't you say that about your mother!" I hated that man, I absolutely abhored the way his breath stenched of beers, but at that moment, my heart softened a bit. After the hit, I tasted blood. My blood. I was going to look at him with eyes burning with hate just to let him know that I spite him, but when I glared at him, I was only met with bloodshot, watery eyes filled with sadness and loss.
"Don't say that..." I heard him shakily whisper, as he fell to the ground. "Don't say that..." Then all of a sudden, he screamed at the ceiling "OH DEAR CELESTIA, WHY'D YOU HAVE TO TAKE HER AWAY FROM ME!?!?" and he broke down right there on the floor.
I wasn't going to be tricked. I knew he was a terrible person. He was a horrible father, it was true. But if he had one thing that was good about him, it was that he really loved my mother.
-----
"Hey," a familiar voice rang behind me.
Without looking, I greeted him back. "'ello there, kiddo." I took another sip of my coffee. "How'd it go last night?"
"Meh," he answered nonchalantly, "it was okay..."
I'm glad the kid's been trying to come out of his shell. He was always a shy little colt, but he had a heart of gold, that's for sure. I'm sure they'll let him in that T.A.I.L thing, since he looks the part. His sandy-blond mane has been combed straight to look orderly, and it might just be me, but his coat seems to shine a more lively orange... is that...?
"Oh Celestia, boy have you been using that lavander coat wash?" I grumbled. I really hated it when he did that.
"What? It doesn't hurt to come prepared."
"It doesn't hurt to grow a pair, either." I scoffed.
"Come on old man, let's get to the interview and get it over with."
He didn't have to tell me twice. I floated my coffee mug to my mouth and in one quick gulp, I finished it. As I got up, I realized that I may have done a bad move.
"AAAGH!" I screamed. "MAI FHOUNG'S VURNING!!!"
"Great way to start the day," I thought.
-----
"This way," a stern-looking pony commanded us.
"Woah Mr. Shades, I didn't notice the sun was too bright today." I joked.
I felt an elbow to my stomach. Ouch, what gives? I stare at Sundown and he just stared back.
I don't want to get in trouble. He glared at me with his bright blue eyes, trying to threaten me. It wasn't working.
What? Come on, I had to make that joke.
It's a special talent we have. We've known each other for a pretty long time, so we can sort of translate each other's looks into words.
"You, baldy, take the left, then first room on the right," the Mr. Shades smirked. He got me back good with the 'baldy' name. "You, young blood, take right, then right room at the end of the corridor."
We walk up the corridor then as we part ways, Sundown looked back at told me, "Good luck."
"You too, kiddo."
Walking towards my room, I bump into a pony and we both get knocked down. I didn't get a good look at his face, but as I saw his cutie mark, I knew who he was. Two crossed guns.
"Why, hello officer Standoff." I spat out through clenched teeth, making sure to let him hear the venom in my words.
The trooper seemed surprised to hear my voice. Well, surprised is putting lightly. The most accurate description is that he almost shat himself.
"Wh-wh-wh- Boulder?" he hissed. "What are you doing here?" Dear Celestia, I haven't even done anything and he's already prepared to try to shoot me. Again.
"Oh, you know, the usual," I grinned. "getting my whole super important secret agent assignment and shit." I couldn't wait to see how that idiot would react knowing I got an all important job under the City Council.
"Wait, you're being evaluated too?" he inquired.
"Yeah, bitch, that's fucking ri-" Wait. Did he just say too?
"Too? What do you mean 'too'?" I said.
"Is it for the T.A.I.L?" he retorted, obviously fearing the same thing I did.
Well. Shit. This is going to be one interesting assignment.
-----
"Hello Mr. Boulder." A familiar-looking yellow pony sat in front of me.
"Uhh, Annie, is it?" I guessed.
"Amber." she scowled.
Well, shit. So much for a good first impression.
"So, where's the interogat- uh, interviewer?" I inquired in the most polite, innocent, Sundown-y way I could.
"You're looking at her," she responded coldly.
"Well, this is going to be fun." I cursed under my breath. The mare who'll decide whether I get a big hoity-toity job probably thinks I'm an asshole.
"What was that?"
"Oh, uh, nothing."
-----
"So, Mr. Boulder, do you have any family?" She inquired.
"In my family, I have a father, mother, and sister." Oh, Celestia, we're going to go here for our interview. Fuck. "Well, had a father, mother and sister."
"Oh, I'm so sorry about asking..."
"Nah, it's okay." I tried to be cool about it. I just hope she wouldn't pry-
"Did you love your family?"
Of fucking course she would.
"Yes, I was fond of my mother but the relationship between my father and I was... strained."
"How about that sister of yours that you mentioned?"
Did I love her? I can't even begin to describe...
-----
"Brawny," Metronome asked me, quivering in fear "is the monster gone...?"
"No, sis. He's still there."
"Could Dad already turn into a werewolf when you were my age?"
It was the middle of the night, and it was just me and her sitting in front a makeshift campfire. Our father had come back in a pretty drunk and violent state, and since Metronome got older, I couldn't tell whether it would still be beneath him to hurt her. I wasn't going to take that chance. Of course, I couldn't tell Metronome what was really going on. She was just a filly, I didn't want her to see the horrible truth. Not yet. So every time Poppa came home in a sour mood, I told her that he would turn into a timberwolf because he was cursed. So nights like these, we would end up in some random abandoned building sitting around a campfire, only to return home once our father had either left or passed out.
"Yes, since I was a colt, he would often come back as a timberwolf."
"When Mum was alive?"
"...."
"Umm... Brawny?"
"Oh, right." Whenever we were here, we'd talk about Momma. Metronome never got to meet her, and she could never ask our father about it, so I was really the only way she knew about Momma.
"Yeah. Back when Momma was alive."
"... What was she like again?" We had talked about this a million times. We both knew each word of this conversation by heart, but it never got old. It calmed me, and I'm pretty sure it did the same for her.
"Momma... well, Momma was a lot like you..." I couldn't help but smile a bit while looking at the filly in front of me with her wide eyes, reminding me so much of my mother.
I continued, "She looked like you, dark mane, white coat, but for her cutie mark, she had a heart. She was... she was a wonderful pony. She was so caring and generous."
"Why did she name me Metronome?"
Fuck. Whenever she asks me this, I feel bad. Oh Celestia, why did I lie to her in the first place?
"She named you that because metronomes make the sounds of heartbeats."
"What's so special about heartbeats?"
I go over to her side of the fire and sit right next to her. Then I grab her hoof and put it on her chest. "Do you feel that?" I ask her.
"It's my heartbeat, why?"
"It's still beating, isn't it?"
"Of course. Why?"
"It's because you're alive." I remember this speech like the bottom of my hoof. It's what helped me get through all these years alone. No, not alone. With her. "And that's a reminder that you're strong, Metronome."
"You think I'm strong?" Poor girl. She didn't really have much friends, we usually just spent most of our time with each other, trying to survive. We were all each other had.
"Of course I do." I hugged her tight. "I love you Metronome."
"I love you too Brawny." She returned my hug with extra love. "You're the best brother ever."
I felt tears in my eyes, not having felt this happy since the day she was born. After a few minutes, we broke the hug, then I realized it was the right time to give it to her.
"Hey, sis," I was grinning so much from the excitement. "You really like music, right?"
"Yes, why?"
I quietly try to levitate something out of my saddle bags, hoping the orange glow surrounding my surprise will blend in with the campfire's light so she doesn't notice.
"Look behind you." I told her.
She turned and she saw my gift floating in front of her, a wooden contraption shaped like a pear with a really long stick coming out of it.
She looked astonished at the device and once I let go, she examined it carefully top to bottom. "What is it?" she asked, still grinning from the happiness of receiving a gift.
"I think it's called a vayo-something. You use that stick with strings and rub it against each other to make sounds and whatnot." I wasn't really familiar with whatever I got her, but I knew it was something music-y, and my sister loved music, so that was enough for me.
She giggled and informed me, "Oh, I think you mean violin. I read about these once. They were used by the Pre-War bands for music and the 'stick' is actually called a bow, and as a matter of fact..." Man, that filly could go on forever about music. She was really happy, and I was really happy.
Dear Celestia, how I wish that moment had lasted forever. I wish I hadn't shattered her innocence.
-----
"Mr. Boulder!" Amber snapped at me, trying to get my attention.
"What? Yes, umm... sorry." I apologized, still gathering my thoughts.
She pressed on with the interview. "Answer the question. Did you love your sister?"
"Yes. I loved her very much. So much that it hurt."
"So much that it hurt? Hurt how?" I get the feeling that this bitch really does mean to push my buttons. She looked at me, expecting an answer, so I assumed that I really couldn't weasel out of this. But she'd be a tad lost without a background story, so I decided to start from the beginning. My alcoholic father, my caring mother, being brought to help with my father's work to help pay the debts, the sadism, the torture, my love for their suffering, then I told her about my sister. Then I told her what broke us apart.
-----
I remember what happened as if it were yesterday. Sometimes, remembering the look on her face keeps me awake at night, knowing that I had failed to be the wonderful pony that she thought her brother was.
It was late at night, and I had been busy trying to make ends meet since I was old enough for real work. Well, by 'real', I don't really mean 'legal', but hey, there were no rules back then. It was okay for me to leave, since before I leave, Metronome goes to hang out with the new friend she made at the old abandoned music school. Normally, she's back at the house before I'm off work, but I don't worry for her safety since nobody ever goes to our street and my father doesn't arrive home till late at night.
Anyway, I walk home, same as always, then I realize something. I hear yelling from our house. My father's yelling.
"Shit," I thought, "he wasn't supposed to be back this early." I broke into a run and raced towards my house. And then I heard it. I heard glass shattering along with a scream. Metronome's scream!
I galloped as fast as I could and I crashed through the door. Apparently my father was too drunk to notice, because he was facing away from me and shouting at my sister.
"Don't you talk that way to meeee you little slut!" he scolded, slurring with every 's' and filling the room with the smell of a bar every time he opened his mouth. Then I looked and saw Metronome lying on the floor, crying, with broken glass surrounding her. With a broken bottleneck surrounded by my father's magic, it didn't take me long to figure out what happened. He hit her. He hit her. My sweet, innocent, quiet baby sister. That fucking monster. I just lost control.
I charged towards him, letting out a cry of rage and fury as my front tackles his body to the ground. "What are you doing you little shit!?" he blurted, but I was beyond reason now. Then again, he was always beyond reason. I was just playing his field. I get him to the ground then I try stomping on him with my hooves. The old man just blocks them then grabs my head. He then repeatedly headbutt me until I got really dizzy and fell. Right away, I was able to get back up, but not before he did too. We had an intense face-off that was long overdue.
"Boy, I've had enough of your shit. After all I've done for you two, you treat me this way?"
"All you've done for us?" 25 years of rage that built up inside me just came out spewing at that moment. "What have you done for us? Come home drunk? Ignore us? Hell, fucking abuse us to the point where we escape the house and sleep in abandoned buildings to avoid you?" I fucking ram him to the corner of the room so hard that he falls down right after. "Is that your idea of good parenting, huh!?" My horn just glowed orange and all of the broken shards next to Metronome were over my head. I was out for blood, and I would get it.
Dear Celestia, I stabbed him repeatedly like a pincushion. He was screaming, trying to get me off of him but I wouldn't budge. So many shards stabbing him simultaneously, ejecting violently from his body bringing a fountain of warm blood that got on me. His screams sounded so pitiful and desperate. Just like my childhood. I knew he turned me into this. Into this... monster. But I couldn't help but love it. I started laughing as I heard him gurgling on his own blood. It was so... enjoyable. The thrill. The struggle. The hopelessness. All just so appealing to each and every sense. I just kept going and going and going until no more blood flowed out of him.
It was done.
I turned and saw Metronome looking at me, jaw dropped, with eyes full of a mixture of disgust, hatred and disappointment. I looked down and saw how I looked. My gray fur could not be seen anymore from the crimson tint of our father's blood. I had a great big grin plastered onto my face from killing a person. A hundred glass shards covered in blood floated around me. I didn't want her to see me like this. I only wanted to protect her. "Metronome..." I started. But she ran. She ran outside the door and I tried to follow.
"Metronome! Wait!" I cried, hoping she would listen to reason.
In the street, she just stopped running. I was about to explain when she turned to face me. I saw nothing in her eyes but coldness as she spoke to me. "No. You're sick. You keep saying that you hated our father, but... but..." She took a minute to compose herself, then she continued. "You're just like him. You work with criminals, you torture other people. What makes you any better than he was?"
I had no answer. She was right. I was like my father. I butchered him. I did the same thing I hated him for making me do. "Metronome, sis, I-"
"Don't call me that," she cut me off sharply. "I wanted to believe that you were different. That you were nice. That we could both watch out for each other. But now... I don't even want to be called your sister anymore."
Just there, I felt my heart shatter into a tiny million pieces. This was worse than when Momma died. No, it wasn't some unfair force of heaven that took my beloved sister away from me. It was my own fault. That's the part that hurt the most, knowing that it was my fault that the only pony that has meant something to me was running away from me." I knew where she was going. She was going to the music school to hang with her friend. I could've gone there. I could've tried to fix things. But I knew in my heart that she was right. I have become a monster.
-----
It took a while for Miss Amber to recover from my answer. I could tell she was a bit shellshocked by such a revelation but I did not want to fuck up this opportunity for Sundown. "Okay," she continued, "so, now we're past family, how about previous employment. We know you worked as a top enforcer for the Stringers, particularly under a Miss... Metronome?" I didn't tell her that Metronome was my sister. As I told the story, I just referred to her as my sister. I don't tell anyone that Metronome's my sister because even if we had come to peace, that moment when she told me she didn't want to be called my sister is still etched in my mind.
"Yes, I did work under Ms. Metronome, why?"
"We want to know what went on before that. What were you doing before joining the Stringers?"
I replied as bluntly as I could. "I worked with a low-level 'sparkling shard' dealer."
The poor mare was taken aback by the straightforward revelation. "Sparkling shards? As in, the drug you smash and snort?"
"Yep." Wow, I tell her my tragic childhood and THIS surprises her? "I was the enforcer since the beginning of our business. Five years of working the drug trade, The two ponies handling our business end were quiet famous in Freedom Fields before the Buckmare's controlled the drug ring singlehandedly. You heard of them? Walthorse Whitehooves and Jesse Pinkmane."
The yellow pony quickly pulled up a couple of files and skimmed through them. "Ah, yes, the 'Bohr' and 'Sergeant Sparkle' were their handles, right?"
"Yes, before the Buckmares shot them up and captured and tortured me five years later."
"What?"
"You got stones in your ears woman? I told you the Buckmares captured me and tortured me. And that's how I got into the Stringers."
"Umm, excuse me? I don't follow."
I smirked. This story, I liked. "Let me start from the beginning."
Fallout Equestria: Viva Las Pegasus -- Tails of New Pegasus Chapter Five: Boulder's Resume
-----
-----
It was really early morning, so most of the ponies were still asleep, but nonetheless, I made sure I wasn't followed. After making sure that nobody was on my tail, I proceeded to the eastern gate of Freedom Fields, walking alone in the serene silence of dawn. When I approached the gate, I saw a middle-aged green pony, older than me, but not old like a grandpa. His mane had completely disappeared, but he had a rough brown beard, so I assume his mane was brown as well. As I approached, he shot at me a serious look which didn't seem to be any less threatening with his bowler hat and shades.
"Mornin' Mister Whitehooves." I greeted him.
"Hello there, Boulder," Walter Whitehooves replied rather dully.
Something sounded off with him. "Is everything alright?" I inquired, trying to make small talk.
"No, no... just waiting for Jesse. He's got the tools."
"You remember where we should be going, right?"
"Of course I do," he looked at me in disbelief, "do you really think I'm stupid enough to jeopardize this business opportunity?"
Bad move. "No, Mr. Whitehooves, I didn't mean it like that," I tried saving my flank, sounding as sincere as possible, "I just, you know, wanted to be sure. I'm sure Jesse forgot."
"'Course he did. He's a good for nothing junkie, that's what he is." Ouch. That was rather cold to Jesse. I would have retorted in his defense, but then he we heard the sound of hooves clopping. "Hey guys!" a cheery voice shouted. We both found ourselves looking at that yellow pony running towards us, saddlebags full and clanking with the sound of glassware tapping on each other.
"Stop you idiot!" My companion scolded. "You don't want anyone waking up!"
Jesse shot a look of annoyance towards Whitehooves. "Sorry, geez. I just didn't want to be late, yo."
"Heh, I'd rather be late than followed, then violently murdered." I told him. "Anyway, we've been wasting enough time. We better get going."
"He's right." Whitehooves agreed, "We're burning daylight, and I'd rather we get there before nightfall."
-----
The desert was scorching hot and the makeshift scrap metal armor I had on me wasn't helping, but thankfully, we weren't followed by anyone from town. It's not like I wasn't used to this. I worked with these two for 10 years, but before I was just there for the deals. Now, they hired be as a full time guard because I could travel with them since... well, since I had no reason to come home every night. Not since the fight.
"Damn, these saddlebags are pretty fucking heavy, eh, fellas?" I chuckled. Trekking a wasteland was boring, but I assumed it'd be less boring if you have a conversation on the trip.
"Shut up." Whitehooves coldy snapped at me. I guess I'll never find out.
"Sorry, I-"
"No you fool, both of you get down!" White commanded as he got on his belly. We hurriedly followed his example and proned on the ground.
"What is it?" Jesse asked, obviously looking worried. I slowly unholstered my shotgun and looked around. "I don't see anything," I muttered.
"No, do you hear that?" Whitehooves said.
Now that he did mention it, I could hear voices of two ponies talking. The sounds began to come closer and closer, so the duo was approaching us. Jesse was smirking and he said "It's three on two yo, we could take 'em out."
"Right. So you want to risk a firefight? While we're holding glass equipment in our bags? You know, glass? Those things that shatter when shot at?" whispered White, making sure to emphasize the sarcasm.
"Okay, no fire fight then," Jesse concluded, embarrassed by his careless suggestion.
"Huh, I think I could take them out quickly if I got the jump on them," I told them. "I mean, all that's in my bags is my camping gear, and I've got a shotgun." There was really nothing to lose. You know, unless I got shot. Then there would be blood to lose.
"Wait, so how-" the green pony tried to cut in before I crept towards the sound of the voices.
"Shh.... I'll be right back."
-----
As quietly as a mouse, I was crawling towards the sounds of the voices. I got closer and closer until I actually heard what they were talking about. I hid behind a rock and peeked out to see who they were. A stallion and a mare, both clad in leather armor, equipped with submachine guns walking my way. Not good.
"So, what? This is part of some grand master plan?" The stallion complained to the mare, who was obviously annoyed at her partner.
"Yes! For the millionth time, Saddle's making a big play to be the only drug business in Freedom Field!" she yelled at him.
"So why are we not in Freedom Field, huh Ms. Smartyhooves?" Their voices got louder, meaning they were getting closer.
"Because we're searching for drug outposts. I mean for Celestia's sake, if Saddle's production places are out here, don't you think somepony else has a drug manufactory here?" The couple's voices now came from the other side of my hearing. They passed by me. Now's my chance.
"I wish we got to stay in the city instead..." grumbled the stallion.
"You should've." I smirked, as he turned back when he heard my cock my shotgun.
BANG!
Her partner was able to look back just to find his brains flying all over the place, painting the golden desert a nice shade of red.
"NOOO!" she screamed, as she tried to bite her trigger, but I dropped my shotgun and was able to tackle her just before-
RATATATA!
Ok, right after she got to it. I knocked her away and her Tommy gun fired upwards into the air before she fell. "Why you little," she cursed as she got back up and tried to fire again.
CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!
Apparently, the impact broke her trigger, so she instead pulled out a knife, not going down without a fight. I unsheathed my machete and prepared to face her down, but then I got a good look at her eyes. They were so strong. So fiery. So full of valor. All of a sudden, I felt myself grin twistedly, tingling from excitement. This was going to be fun.
I dropped my machete, to her astonishment, then just smiled at her, waiting for her to do the first move. The seconds before our duel felt like hours, as she scanned me for any opening, analyzing my weaknesses. I saw her fear, and I loved it. It just gave me a thrill, knowing that she was fighting for her own life.
She lunged at me, but I shuffled back. Then, she spun and tried to buck me. A quick step to the side gave me an opening to bring a hoof to her stomach.
PAK!
I felt that strike hit her hard, knocking the wind out of her, as she fell on her knees coughing. I yanked her hair upwards with my magic so that we were staring at each other.
PAK! PAK! PAK!
Three solid ones to her face seemed to do the trick. I could feel her resistance weakening. She was starting to cough blood. She no longer stared at me with determination and hate, but now with desperation and fear... Oh, it felt so good to look at them.
PAK!
"What do you want?!" she shrieked with tears steaming down her face, "Do you want my money? Do you want me to leave? Do you want me to fuck you? I'll do it! Just... stop."
I smile at her, trying to mock how a kind old grandfather would smile at his granddaugther... "My dear," I said, in the nicest voice I could, mimicking how a grown-up would talk to a filly, "what makes you think I'm not already getting what I want?"
PAK!
"Boulder, stop!" Walt's commanding voice thundered from behind me. I looked back and saw that they had caught up with me, pistols drawn. "We need to hear what she knows."
"Ugh, fine. At least we're not that far from the lab." I conceded. After readying my shotgun towards her face, I let go of her. "One wrong move and you go bye-bye. MOVE!" I'm not sure if it was because my voice was threatening, or because I was pointing a shotgun to her face, but she realized she had no choice, so she came with us to the lab quietly.
-----
Our 'lab' was actually a small abandoned house in the middle of the Neighvada desert, not too far from New Pegasus. What was special about this place was that it had a chimney, which was kind of a requirement in making 'sparkling shards.' Unless you actually aim to die from the poisonous gas emitted from the chemical process. Then by all means, go make shards in an enclosed room. But if you want to make and actually live to sell the drugs, places with air escapes are a must.
When we got there, Whitehooves immediately got down to business. "Boulder, take our lovely prisoner to the garage and see what you can get from her. Jesse, you and I will begin cooking immediately."
"Awww," Jesse whined, "Can't I be the one to interrogate our guest?" He shot a what I assumed to be seductive look towards the mare (or, you know, he might have just been shitting his pants that time) and she simply rolled her eyes in disgust.
"No," Whitehooves said, "It's Boulder who's good with these things. Come on, let's go, Jesse."
As I watched them enter the house, I saw Jesse look back and... wink at me? All I could do was facehoof.
-----
The garage was the perfect place for an interrogation. Dull. Dark. Devoid of hope. Much like my childhood. Wow, that was supposed to be a joke, but it sounded so- no, nevermind. Anyway, yeah, interrogation.
"Why don't you... have a seat?" I told her, as if I were a host entertaining a guest.
"Why should I?" I guess she had thoughts of being rebellious, but nudging the back of her head with a shotgun barrel seems to have silenced any such thought.
As soon as she sat on the chair, I magically used a cable lying around to tie her up. Now that she was out of the way, time to loosen up. Finally, I remove that clunky metal armor from my body, letting it breathe.
"Are you going to rape me now?"
"What?" Well, that question certainly came out of nowhere. "Celestia, just because I kidnapped you, and you see me remove my body armor, you automatically assume I'm going to rape you?" I look at her with the corner of my eye, expecting to see a scared mare, not wanting to be violated. Instead, I see here just staring at me change. Is she... Is she checking me out?
"Why?" I shot back. "Do you want me to?" Now looking directly at her, I see her purple face turn crimson red. "N-n-no," she stammered, "why would I? I j-just, you know, a-a-assumed." I slowly walked up closer to her, then whispered in her ear "Because, you know I could if you wanted me too." I got her where I wanted her, since I could literally feel the warmth radiating from her cheeks. She started sweating profusely and then whispered, "O-o-okay..."
I tip the chair over so she's upwards, then I stand right above her, gazing into her eyes as I levitate a knife to cut off the ropes holding her. She kicked away the chair, so I was able to use the knife to slowly and carefully rip her clothes off. Then, my hooves holding down her front hooves, I lie down so that my stomach is rubbing with hers. I felt the warm moisture of her body rub off on me, and I looked into her seductive stare. We were both naked and I was right on top of her. I go in closer and seductively whisper "Do you want to know what I want?"
"W-w-wha- *gasp*"
"Yep," I chuckled mischievously. "I want to know what this 'Saddle' is planning." I made sure to press the cold steel of the knife glowing orange against her throat. "Tell me everything, now."
"Okay, okay!" She submitted. "Saddle Buckmare's been plotting against each and every drug dealer in Freedom Field! He tracked down all drug hideouts and is planning to raid them so he can rule the drug business!"
"Saddle can't rule, everyone knows our product is the best. The 'Orange Mist' is basically a legend to shard junkies!"
"Have you ever thought that if all dealers were out, quality wouldn't matter since Saddle's is the only supply available?"
Damn, that's a good way of looking at it... "When does he plan to make his move?"
"Uhh... I'm not sure, I'm just a scout."
Well, this is all I'm getting out of here. I toss the knife away and smile at her, "You've been a good girl, you know. I think you deserve a... reward."
"Reward? What do you mean rew-AAAAHN~!!!"
-----
The Strip really looks nice from outside the city. The lights must be seen all around the Neighvada. It's pretty nice to look at. Well, not that there's anything else to look at in this forsaken place. But the great part about the wasteland is how quiet it is. It's so quiet, I can literally hear my heart beating. I smile, because hey, I survived this long, right?
"Hey," somepony greets me from behind, "what's up, yo?" The pony in a full body haz-mat suit wearing a gas mask takes a seat beside me.
"Meh, you know, having my three hour smoke break waiting for you guys to be done."
"We are done." Pinkmane takes off his gas mask, revealing his brownish yellow face and short spiky mane. "Where's your, uh, friend?"
"In the garage. With her head blown off." I shrugged. She was a nice mare and all, but she was still and enemy.
"Yeah, what did you get out of the bitch?"
"Oh, you know, some chump named Saddle Buckmare is trying to eliminate all dealers in the Fields to hold total drug control."
"Wait, Saddle Buckmare?" Jesse look legitimately scared. "The Saddle Buckmare? The owner of Four Little Diamonds? The employer of like, every rough goon in Freedom Fields?"
Oh, shit. "Is there by any chance another Saddle Buckmare?"
"None that I know of, no."
RATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATA!
"What the fuck!? Get down, yo!" Jesse and I dive for the ground, seeing bullets whiz past us coming from inside the walls.
Another yellow hazmat pony stumbled out the door Jesse came from. "YO! MR. WHITEHOOVES! GET DOWN!" Jesse cried. He didn't respond. All he did was drop on the floor, being surrounded by an ever growing puddle of blood.
"SHIT!" Jesse cursed. "What do we do now?"
"We go around the house. Get a vis on whoever's fucking with us, then I guess we just go down swinging from there!" I thought about our odds against a gun firing that many bullets that could pierce through a whole house. I decided better we die fighting than die being executed by some goon.
"On my mark, we move, ready?"
Jesse, looking scared still, readily said "Let's kick-ass!"
Alright.
"One...."
"Two..."
"Uh, Boulder?" Jesse chimed in.
"CELESTIA DAMMIT, WHA-" Then I saw what Jesse was looking at, a grenade that was lobbed right beside him.
BOOM!
I don't remember what happened after that, but all I remember next was waking up back in Freedom Fields. Which was good. But I was being beaten by random ponies wearing armor engraved with the Four Little Diamonds logo. Which was bad.
-----
"You hit like a filly!" I hissed at the big brown stallion.
SMACK!
"You will learn respect!" the lumbering giant retorted.
"Yeah, I made sure to fill up your mother with my 'respect' last night!"
SMACK!
I could taste the blood splurting out in my mouth, but I didn't let him know. I was tied by two ropes attached to the ceiling, putting me in an upright position, hanging like a puppet.
"Come on, boy," I teased, "I told you I don't want to be tickled."
SMACK!
"You better learn some manners!" Big Ol' Brownie was getting pretty pissed.
"Come on, buddy. Don't be so mean to father of your future half-brother.
SMACK!
"Why dont'cha start calling me daddy?"
SMACK!
Hey, if I was gonna die, might as well be an asshole to my would be murderer, right?
Big Brown looked like he was gonna lose it. "Why you little..."
BANG!
No mistake. That was a gunshot. Apparently, it didn't come from one of the Buckmare goons, since Mr. Shit-Color looked just as surprised as I was.
"What was that?" he muttered.
"How the fucking hell should I know?" I replied, not missing the chance to be a smartass.
"I wasn't asking you."
"What if I wasn't talking to you?"
"Wait, what?"
"Ugh, nothing." I grumble. This pony really was an idiot.
"Listen, prisoner, you-"
BLAM!
Next thing I knew, I was covered in his brains. Well, maybe not brains. Some mushy, organ-y thing where his brain should be. And aside from that, a bunch of tough-looking ponies in matching jackets charged in. Obviously they killed my captors, which was good. But knowing my luck, "You guys aren't here to save me, are you?" Last thing that time was the feeling of a shotgun butt smooching my stomach. Violently.
Of fucking course.
-----
Surprisingly enough, my awakening this time was not rude. I woke up in a rather pre-war looking room. The wallpaper was intricate, but still a bit weathered over the years. This room had nothing but a bed in the corner, a bedside table, and a door. This place was a glorified jail cell. Better than an unglorified jail cell, I thought.
"Hey, you." A young stallion barges into the room. "You're awake." He was wearing one of those outfits the guys who, errrm... rescued me were wearing.
"'Scuse me, sir, my mistake. I thought I was still asleep."
"Don't be a smart-ass." He chuckled at the sarcasm. This guy is surprisingly cool. "Cool to meetya, I'm Misfire!" The friendly maroon pony reached out his hoof for a hoofshake. "I'm the newest member of the Stringers. The ol' boss lady asked me to look after ya."
"Right, uh, thanks I guess." What? His cronies had punched me in the gut and brought me to a jai-, I mean, a glorified jail cell. I wasn't going to welcome him with open arms.
"So," I continued, hoping I can pry something out of this new guy, "who are the Stringers exactly?"
"You haven't heard of the Stringers? Have you been living under a rock?"
"No, but I have been living alone in a derelict district of the Fields only to go out when I need to protect one of the best shard cooks in Neighvada."
The pony obviously was a bit disturbed by this, seeing as how he started speaking more respectfully and calling me 'sir.' "Uh, sir, well, ummm... That's... nice...?" I couldn't help but chuckle a bit at his naïvety. I guess that made information gathering much easier.
"Alrighty, I have a few questions I want answered, and I believe it's you who can answer them," I told him.
"But-"
"Are you talking back to me?!"
"N-n-n-n-no." The poor pony. I think he's going to piss himself. This is fucking hilarious.
"Okay, so, who's the head honcho of the Stringers?" I began, trying to look threatening while resisting the urge to just burst out laughing at the poor sod.
"Miss Dee Cleff, sir."
Dee Cleff? I heard that name before, I just forgot who told me... "And why do you think she wants me?"
"What? She didn't want you."
"Then why the fuck am I here chatting with some colt too big for his britches?"
"Because her second-in-command asked me to watch over you!"
"And who is her second-in-command?"
"Uhh.... Meterstick or Pacemaker or something. Her name tends to escape me. But she's got a really nice flank, can't miss her. Those things are like marshmallows, I mean-"
I decided to cut him off there. He was being useless, and I wasn't here to talk about flanks.
"Oh, you're awake."
I look to the doorway, and I see a glistening white unicorn in a checkered dress, black mane styled into a topknot with thick glasses standing there, looking at me as if I had done something terrible.
"Momma?" I muttered under my breath, unaware I had actually said anything until I heard it myself.
"What?" The mare looked at me quizzically, but something about her seemed... troubled when I said 'momma.'
"Oh, it's nothing. You just remind me of somepony I knew."
"Misfire," the mare ordered, "leave the two of us. Alone."
"Uh, o-o-alright." Misfire left, closing the door behind him.
A long awkward moment of silence pervaded the room. We just stared at each other, but it was so intense. Something was going through the mind of the pony in front of me, and I guess she was just gathering her thoughts.
"So, care to tell me how you ended up being beaten up by Buckmare hoodlums?" she inquired.
"Oh, well, you see, long story short: it turns out, they were plotholes." I replied, not really wanting to go through this.
"Don't bullshit me. Real reason, NOW."
I sighed, I guess there's no weaseling out of this... "Well, I was kind of, you know, working for the only producer of the highest quality sparkling shard to ever hit these streets."
"Uh-huh. And how long have you been working with these people?"
"Why should I tell you?"
"Because it won't matter since they're both dead." She had a point. We saw Whitehooves drop dead, and I'm pretty sure Pinkmane couldn't have survived such a close-up explosion.
"A few years."
The mare then looked at me with a soul-piercing stare, then she said "Was it worth it?"
"Was what worth it?"
"Working for the drug lord?"
Well, I haven't been asked a question like that before. I thought of shrugging it off, but something about this pony made me feel, well, soft and honest. "Well, yes, it is- I mean, was."
"Why 'was'?"
"It's because the only reason I did it at first was to provide for my sister and I. We had a bit of a falling out and now, the only reason I do work is because it's a distraction."
"So, what happened with your sister?" I thought I saw something in her when she asked me this. "What about this sister of yours?" I thought I saw something in her eyes as she asked me this. Was it... sadness?
"I won't lie, I was devastated, no I still am devastated that she left... but I failed her, and I just hope she's happy wherever she is, even if she totally hates me."
The mare reflected on my answer for a good few minutes, but all of a sudden, she came up with an offer. "How would you like to be a Stringer?"
"What?" This was out of nowhere.
"You seem like a capable enforcer. We could use someone like you. Pay's good and you'll have half of Freedom Field behind you."
"Alright, I guess." I was surprised by this turn of events, but with my employers dead, I had no qualms about getting a job. But in the back of my head, there was a nagging voice, looking for the piece of the puzzle to make all this make sense.
"Very well. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a class to teach," said the mare, using her horn to carry her instrument as she rushed out the door.
"Wait."
"Wha-" I wouldn't let her object. I just went ahead and hugged her. I carefully grabbed the bottom part of her dress and slowly pulled it up.
"What do you think you-" she shrieked defensively until she knew what I was really after. Right there on her flank was the cutie mark of a metronome. I could barely hold the tears in my eyes.
"How did you-"
"Oh, sis... you were the only thing that kept me going when I was a colt, but I've only ever done one very good thing for you," I examined the violin again. Exactly the same thing I gave her, but it was touched up. "Don't think I wouldn't recognize it."
She pushed me away, and walked away indifferently, turning back only to say "I didn't do this because I consider you a brother. I only did this to pay you back for taking care of me as a filly. Oh, and if anybody knows that we're related... I'm going to kill you."
Apparently, she still didn't want to be known as my sister. I don't mind her hating me. I don't mind that she feels only cold indifference towards me. At least I knew she was fine. That's good enough for me.
I happily walk back home that day, thinking how great a day this has been. Survived two kidnappings, found long lost sister and got a new job. Good day for any standard wastelander.
Fallout Equestria: Viva Las Pegasus -- Tails of New Pegasus Chapter Six: We've Come to a Decision
-----
I sat there silently, watching Amber Seer furiously jotted down notes after my story. She was writing so fast that I'm sure that she could've burnt through that paper she was writing on if she wasn't careful. After she stopped, she spat out her pencil and looked up towards me. "Thank you for that, Mr. Boulder. We're done."
"Is that good, or bad?"
"Please leave now. I said we're done." The yellow mare stared at me sternly, clearly getting annoyed with my pestering.
"Oookay then..." I'd like to take that as a oh, we have all we need to get you in, so you can go now instead of a okay, I've heard enough, get the fuck out, it's obvious you have no place here.
Well, that certainly took forever, I thought as I trot out of the room, happily as ever, quickly leaving the dull gray corridors of the police station for the bright and bustling streets of the Strip. The day looked ripe for the taking. And by "taking," I really mean "chance to wait till night, go to some random bar with my fellow guards, and get hammered as hell."
I hear the door swing open behind me, only to see my young friend followed by another pony. "Thank you for the interview, sir," the orange one politely thanked the sky-blue pony which I assumed was his interviewer. All of a sudden, the other pony wrapped his hooves around Sundown... was he... crying? "You're a trooper," I heard him whisper, "You've shown me true love exists." Sundown simply smiled, and said, "I told you, I'm happy with my life, as it is. Thanks for the kind words though, sir. Good night." He then approached me and greeted softly "Hey, how did your interview go?"
"I don't really know. Either really good, or really bad," I told him, "I really couldn't tell. That bitch really wants to keep me in the dark."
"Oh, well, I'm sure it'll work out. I think mine went fine..."
"No shit, what did you do to the guy?"
"He asked me about her."
"Oh." I smirked. I'll admit, that story moved someone as cold and sadistic as me, so I'm not surprised that it would have that kind of effect on normal ponies. Just one of the things that prove that the kid's one of a kind. "Anyway," I continued, "no use sobbing over it now... What do you want to do now?"
"I feel like getting a good rest." Sundown stifled a yawn, then he turned towards his home. "Goodbye, old man."
Come to think of it, I needed a rest too, considering I didn't sleep last night. "Alright kiddo, see ya around." I left towards the opposite direction, since Sundown's place is in the Strip, separate from mine. On the way back, I could thing of nothing but a warm bed and a soft pillow. Little did I know that that night had other plans for me.
-----
Amber Seer had spent a long day interviewing different individuals for this program. She'll admit, she didn't like her job. The idea of spending a day interviewing 'skilled ponies fit for this job,' which is actually another way of saying 'psychopathic grunts who are better at being psychopaths than any other hoodlum out there.' If Brass Badge really thought he could put these ponies in one group and pass them off as an elite fighting force, he's got another thing coming. Then again, she's never seen a fight, so she assumed Badge knows a bit more than her.
"Oof!"
Apparently, she wasn't looking where she was going, because she ended up bumping into her colleague, a sky-blue pony with a brown mane and thick glasses, causing her to drop the pile of papers she was holding onto. "Owww," he grumbled. "Oh, uh- sorry Miss Amber."
"Oh, it's no problem, it was my fault." She started to pick up her documents from the floor alongside her co-worker. "So, did you just finish the the latest candidate as well?"
"Yeah, I think we're ready to start working on the report."
"Good thing they came in really early," the mare spoke, "We can bring in Brass for the report by tonight."
"Right. Wait... do you really think this is a good idea?" the stallion asked Amber.
"What?"
"The Agency thing. It sounds so... you know... dangerous giving a bunch of thugs that kind of freedom."
Amber sighed, "Yes, I know. But Brass thinks it's a good idea. And besides, we pay them good, so it'd give them incentive not to fuck us over."
"And if they do?" She saw the fear in her colleague's eyes. He's read their files and interviewed them as well, so he knows how unstable and dangerous they can be.
"Then we'll send other T.A.I.L teams after them. The problem takes care of itself, see? And besides, they wouldn't do something like that for no reason. I mean, come on, they can't be that bad."
----
Sundown looked at the time. 9:00 pm. He yawned, then he realized, 'wow, I should really go to bed.' He closed his book and took two steps and plopped himself on his bed. Today was an important day for him, moving up in the world, getting some fancy job. He looked around his very small apartment. Oh, the things he could get with a pay rise.
A bigger apartment, a light that doesn't constantly flicker, more books, oh, maybe even those fancy, expensive pre-war books! Sundown smiled at the thought of better things. He wasn't an extravagant pony, but it wouldn't hurt to be more comfortable. And besides, a pony had the right to dream.
He started dozing off to sleep peacefully, only surrounded by the calming silence of his apartment. This had been a long day, and the world owed him some rest.
SLAM!
Sundown cringed and the sound of his door flying open. Opening one eye, he saw the silhouette of a bulky pony standing by his doorway. "What is it?" he lazily grumbled to the shadowy figure.
"Get up! Shit's going down!"
Sundown opened his mouth to object, but before he could say anything, he felt himself being magically dragged out of his bed.
The world's such an unfair mistress, he thought.
-----
Brass Badge walked into the briefing room where his two counselors were fixing up their presentation.
"What have you got for me?" He was eager to get this task force formed. It's about time the people of New Pegasus took the offensive on crime. Just because the city was under new leadership, it doesn't mean that crime rates have gone down in New Pegasus. In fact, now that New Pegasus was a thriving community, there are even more threats than before, both internal and external.
"Well, we got the files of every candidate, and given each's history and psychological health, we've come up with an extensive presentation," the mare reported.
"Well, let's get this started then," Brass commanded as he took a seat, intently watching the screen in front of him flickering to life.
-----
I knew we had to hurry. If we didn't, then things would go bad, fast.
"Where are we going again?" Sundown whined, barely stifling a yawn. "Was it important enough to get me out of bed?"
Oh, it was. It truly was.
You see, about thirty minutes ago, I was out and about, and like Sundown, I was having a nice, quiet, relaxing night...
-----
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
"Are you sorry?"
"Yes!"
BAM!
"OH CELESTIA, I SAID I WAS SORRY!"
"You didn't sound sincere enough."
"You're a fucking psychopath!"
BAM!
"OH MAN WHAT THE FUCK!? DEAR CELESTIA IT HURTS!"
"Well, I hope you can walk without your back kneecaps," I smirked. "Now apologize. Every buckshot offloaded on you is a few more caps off my budget."
"I SAID I WAS SORRY!" The poor pony cried out, tears streaming down his face. "I DIDN'T MEAN TO DO IT!" He emphasized his agony when he was able to shake the chair he was tied to. "PLEASE!!!"
"It'll take more than that to make up for those caps you tried to snatch from me. Ick." I step over the puddle of blood flooding from his, well, I think it would be inappropriate to call them knees, they're more like uh... imagine a mole rat's would look inside out. Yeah, they looked more like that than knees.
"HOW IS TORTURING ME AND BLOWING OFF MY LEGS ANY BETTER?"
"It's not," I grinned, "but it does make up for it."
"IT HURTS SO MUCH! DEAR CELESTIA PLEASE KILL ME NOW!"
"I'm no Celestia, but I'd be happy to oblige," I half-joked to the poor sod.
"NO! WAIT! I DIDN'T MEAN-"
We were suddenly interrupted by the panicked cry of a familiar stallion who I recognized from my time with the Stringers. "BOULDER!" Misfire yelled, crashing through the door.
"I heard that- uh, oh... Am I interrupting something?" Misfire sheepishly, "Anyway, it's really important."
"What is it? Can't you see I'm teaching a ruffian a lesson?" I scolded him, referring to the pickpocket who was still weeping from pain.
"Please... help me." the thief whimpered to my former second-in-command.
"Sorry bro, I've learned better to get between this guy and his victim, no matter how stupid and trivial the reason seems."
"Hello?" I interrupted, "Misfire? Again, why did you interrupt me?"
"It's Aegis, he's down at Four Diamonds and he's about to get into a fight."
"So what? Aegis can handle himself in a fight."
"It's not that. He's picking a fight with one of Standoff's boys!"
"What? Shit." Not one of Standoff's. He can't handle so many alone, no matter how good he is. "Quick, Misfire, where's Buckton?"
"He's on his way over there too!"
"Fuck, okay, I-"
"W-w-what about me?" my little friend tied to the chair interrupted. "Aren't you gonna do anyth-" BAM!
"HOLY SHIT!" Misfire squealed as he saw the pickpocket's head get blown apart like a watermelon.
"Well, we're good now," I chuckled as I put my shotgun on my back, "let's get Sundown."
As we gallop away from that abandoned building painted red with brains, I think to myself, Damn, wasted another bullet.
-----
Sundown and I as we approach the bar, we can hear the sound of glass breaking and patrons screaming. "It's either the comedy's terrible, or shit went down," I joked to Sundown, who simply rolled his eyes.
"Just because that comedian hates you, doesn't mean their comedy's terrible?"
"Wait, so you think it's funny?"
"No, I think it's terrib-" Sundown interrupted himself with a scream as a stool flew out the door of the bar.
We look at each other, then we rush in ready for anything.
-----
"Alright, so what's your take on Standoff?" Badge asked the two interviewers. He was stirring his coffee while he waited for the screen to show a different bunch of numbers and descriptions.
"Standoff," Amber Seer stated, "is a suitable candidate. Proficient as a peace-keeper and interrogator, despite his rough ways. He may be rough at times, but his aggressive demeanor happens to be useful for keeping citizens in line and interrogating prisoners. However, we notice that the same level of aggression shown to convicted criminals is shown to civilians as well during interrogation, so that's one situation to look out for."
"Oh, and if I may interrupt," chimed in Amber's assistant, "he exhibits great leadership skills. A lot of guards I interviewed say that they're part of... Standoff's Gang.A good number of our recruits and rookies stated that they were here, so it looks like Standoff's making sure the rookies are under his wing. Seems that there are some other underground factions in within the guardsmen by the way, but that topic's for a whole other report..."
-----
"Oh, is that ssssssssssssoooooo, rookie?" Sandy Aegis slurred. Right now, a whole bunch of rookies were staring at the red pony with eyes of anger and annoyance. From what we could see, it seemed like someone pissed a shitfaced Aegis, and then they got into a confrontation and Aegis threw his chair out the window.
"I think you- hic- are way in over your heads, haha!" Aegis chuckled, "just because a bunch of idiots got together- hic- under a dumbass, doesn't mean you can walk around the station like you're the boss!"
I see the young officers readying themselves for a pounce. Things are going to get real ugly, real fast....
"Hey!" a stallion angrily shouted, "We'll teach you respect old man!"
The patrons that were close to Aegis got up from their stools and trotted away uneasily. The musicians on stage stopped playing, only watching the scene in front of them unfold in front of them. The audience didn't mind, because they too were watching the show. Some looked worried, some kept on drinking, some were waiting for the fight, hell, I think I saw a table of ponies making bets.
Slowly, Aegis was approached on all sides by about ten ponies. He simply laughed at their faces, "You think you three young bloods can beat me? I'm muthafuckin' original! I was a bodyguard at the Fields! I've seen tough and beat the shit out of it!"
"Yeah, sure, whatever old man, nobody messes with Standoff's B-" PAK! The pony was cut mid-sentence as his snout was broken by Aegis' hoof.
"What the fuck?" One of Standoff's goons cried, "Fuck, get 'im."
I charged in, knocking out the pony who said that with a solid headbutt.
"Hahaha!" Aegis laughed, "Good to see ya here Boulder!"
"You know that I wouldn't let you beat the shit out of Standoff's Gang without me," I grinned back.
"Wait, take some of this!" Aegis handed me a whole bottle of vodka. Heh, well, I did need to loosen up.
GULP! GULP! GULP! In one drink, I managed to down a whole bottle of vodka. Years of practice, but it paid off.
SMASH! I smashed the empty bottle on the floor for the whole intimidation effect, giving Standoff's group a warning.
"CHARGE!" one of them screamed as Aegis and I were jumped by eight ponies at once.
-----
Police Commissar Brass Badge sat bored to death in his chair. He had a long day of reviewing about everypony in the force, which was a lot. Ex-gang members, old bodyguards, young cadets, hell, there are even ex-NER in the force. Yet, only a few were chosen for T.A.I.L.
"How about Boulder?" he asked. Boulder had been a former gang enforcer. Apparently, he was feared by those both outside his gang and those inside it. He wasn't quiet sure of these rumors, but he had fought along side the gray stallion during the coup of Farsight. He seemed very capable, if not a bit... extreme. Of course, he was thinking back to the time he saw Boulder shoot a Ferraturra capo in the legs, then shoved his shotgun up the capo's asshole before blowing his insides apart back at the Clops a few years back.
"Well, Boulder is a delicate choice. He shows multiple signs of sadism and psychopathic behavior, despite the fact that he is good at a lot of things. It's only a risk because if he was uncontrollable, the outcome would be ugly." Amber uneasily addressed her boss. The grin forming in his face told her that he was doing what she thought- no, knew, would be a bad idea.
"He's in."
"What!?"
"We need a pony not afraid to take action. And besides, his companion seems to keep him in check." Brass reasoned.
"What companion?"
"Oh," the junior interviewer piped up, "Desert Sundown," with one click of a button, the mentioned pony's file appears at the screen. "He has a long history with Boulder. He's kind of like the leash that holds Boulder back sometimes."
"Sometimes?" Amber was still unsure about her partner's analysis.
"Well, that Boulder is a wild card but..."
"If you'll excuse me," the chief interrupted, "but tell me more about this... Desert Sundown."
----
"You're going to have to pay for this, you know." The bartender hissed at us. "This is going to cost a fortune."
"Come on bro," Aegis tried to bargain. "what say we just forget all this?"
"Nope. Mister Buckmare would have my head if I let you go scot-free."
"Perhaps," Aegis said in a rather sultry tone, as if he were seducing a mare hopped up on drugs he just met, "we could discuss details, in your room?"
"Are... are you hitting on me?" The bartender cringed at the thought.
"Wooow," I smirked, "Aegis, I always knew you swung that way."
Aegis glared at me angrily, "Hey, I just don't want to pay this shit. I barely have enough bits!"
I looked around and saw what he meant. During our little scuffle, we had broken three tables, fifteen bottles (which were filled), two stools, and guitar, not to mention all of the Buckmare guards out cold. "I'm starting to see your point." I glanced towards the pissed off bartender, who's face looked like he underwent a mutation. "Still, I'm not willing to take it from behind to pay it off."
"Well, what other plan do we have?"
"I dunno, I can think of something." Suddenly, an idea.
"Hey! Sundown!"
"No." He cut me off sternly.
"Well, so much for that plan, genius."
PAK! "Oww! What was that for?"
"Shut up," I snapped.
"Well?" The bartender coldly grunted.
Logic dictated only one thing... So I clamped two hooves on his face then smashed it on the bar counter. "Run."
"Oh, Celestia Boulder! Do you know how much trouble we could get in?"
"Not now Sundown! Now shut the fuck up and run!"
"No need to tell me twice," Aegis nodded, right before he sped out the door.
"You first kiddo," I jested.
The orange pony glared at me. You're hopeless.
I smiled back, I know.
He looked at me, shaking his head. You're hopeless. He trots out with me following right behind him.
I look back, and see the ten rookies lying around bloodied, battered and bruised in the bar. I couldn't help but grin a bit. I got into a bar, finished a whole bottle of vodka, got into a fight, won that fight, then left without spending a bit. It was a good day by anypony's standards.
-----
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
Ugh, what?
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
"For fuck's sake, people are trying to sleep!" I yell to my visitor.
"Just you, Boulder," I hear Sundown call from the other side of the door. "Look at the time."
"Oh, look at the time," I grumble, "it's a quarter to go fuck yourself leave me alone!"
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! "You know I won't leave till you wake up, right? Quillheart called me. Said that we were called by the PD fpr"
"I DON'T FUCKING WANT TO!"
"Come on."
"I said FUCK OFF!" Instinctively I pull out my shotgun then fire at my door. BAM! Then silence. Sweet, sweet silence.
Wait a minute. Shit. SHIT. I just shot Sundown. When the situation ticked in on my head, I jolted off bed. Shit. I shot Sundown. "I shot Sundown!" I frantically cried. Hurriedly, I go towards the door then open up, expecting to see the insides of one of my closest friends. Instead, I see Sundown standing right beside my door, well out of the way of my shotgun.
"Heh, I know you too well, old ma-" Sundown stopped mid-sentence and stared at me, mouth agape.
"What? Did you forget how I look without my hat?" I asked.
"Have you looked in a mirror since we came back from the bar?"
"No, I- WOAH SHIT!"
I was in a bad shape. My left eye was bulging like a bitch, while my body had a variety of cuts and bruises. I'm sure news of what happened over at the bar spread, and it won't take two and two to realize I was involved if they saw the black eye.
"Shit. What do we do?"
"Well, I'll deny all involvement. I don't know what you're doing."
"What do you think I should do!?"
"Think of what to do."
"Not helping."
"I didn't mean to."
"You little shit."
"Well, if you want an idea, then try to find something to cover up your eyes."
Like what? I can't go to work wearing an eyepatch. Wait, I think I saw something. In a cluttered pile of trash, I spot... YES! Sunglasses! Sweet. "Hang on," I call out, "lemme get presentable." I wash my face, brush my teeth and change out of my blood-stained, torn up T-shirt to a nice, crisp black suit. Alright, show time. "I'm ready!"
-----
We walk into the briefing room of the NPPD, seeing a lot of familiar faces. The NPPD Briefing Room was a lot like a classroom, a couple of armchairs facing a whiteboard, with a projector and computer at the back of the room. Seated at the chairs, I saw a lot of ponies I didn't recognize, but there are some faces I can name, like Standoff for example, and... wait, no it can't be. Is that?
"Yo! Man, ain't you ever mention you was interviewed too?" Buckton cheerily greeted. "'Sup dawg."
"Hey Buck. Good to see a friendly face around here, haha!" I chuckled back.
"Why dontcha go over there? Aegis was also called with me."
We glance over to where Buckton was pointing. There we saw the red pony sitting quietly, wearing a really long sweater that cover up his legs, instead of his usual leather jacket. "Why is he wearing a sweater?" Sundown asked.
"Same reason Boulder's wearing shades."
I guess he didn't fare to well in the fight either.
At that moment, a green, important-looking pony entered the room, "Alright, all of you take a seat now, we're about to start." Brass Badge went to the projector as we all proceeded to sit down facing the screen.
"So, I assume you understand why you were all called here today?"
"Is it because we've been good little fillies and colts and you're going to give us a lollipop?" Buckton joked.
"Yes, of course. We called you to leave your posts and stop keeping Las Pegasus safe because you all deserve a lollipop."
"Haha! Wait, really?"
SLAP! "NO! NOT REALLY!"
Everyone in the room chuckled a bit, seeing the high and mighty commissar of the NPPD get pissed off at some guard's jokes.
Buckton, on the other hoof, was busy rubbing the red mark Brass had left on his face. "Damn dawg, I was just messin'," he muttered grumpily. "Hey, don't you snicker on me," he hissed as he caught his seatmate, Aegis, grinning at his partner's idiocy.
"Any more smart-ass comments? None? Okay." Brass carried on, pressing a button on the computer at the back of the room. The projector roared awake, lighting up the whiteboard in front of us.
"Ladies and Gentlecolts, I've been talking with the City Council and we have come to a decision." Brass announced, the importance of the statement silencing all sounds from that room. Hell, even I was silent.
"Welcome to the Twilight Agency in Las Pegasus, or T.A.I.L. All of you in this room are specially hoofpicked individuals whose backgrounds and history well serve our purpose. Any questions?"
Suddenly, every hoof in that room was raised.
"This is going to be a long briefing," I heard Brass curse under his breath.
Fallout Equestria: Viva Las Pegasus -- Tails of New Pegasus Chapter Seven: Work Ahead
-----
"Alright, one at a time, one at a time!" Brass shouted.
Everypony in the room was raising their hooves hoping for their questions to be answered. All they knew about T.A.I.L was that it had a higher pay grade and less constraints. Which was good of course. It wasn't taboo to find a line outside Badge's office with these ponies lined up outside, being chewed out for either defiance of authority or disrespect and/or rough treatment to civilians. So it's not hard to imagine that the chance to never have to do that again would attract a lot of these people.
"Hang on, let me start the real orientation!" the stressed leader of the brave New Pegasus Police Department thundered, silencing the room.
"Okay, let's begin," Brass said as he clicked a button then a logo of a sword with the hilt transforming into a horse tail, encircled in a golden ring. "The T.A.I.L is a specialized task force operating directly under the City Council-"
"Wait, so we're just glorified guards?" A mare's voice pierced from across the room, with a hint of Trottingham in her accent. She was a beautiful dark sea green earth pony who had a short black mane with red highlights. Her flank had the cutie mark of a beret with a magnifying glass next to it.
"No, no, let me explain. Do you know what you guards do?"
"Get yelled at for not following the rules?" Aegis suggested.
"Hey, smart-ass. Shut your mouth." Standoff hissed.
"Why don't I teach you some respect boy?" Aegis retorted angrily, slowly standing up from his place, gazing a fiery look at the pony with the two-gun cutie mark.
"I dunno old man," Standoff shot back, cracking his hooves as he got up as well. "why don't you try?"
The whole room got quiet as the two stared each other down. Sundown nudged me, Don't you think we should stop them? I just gave him a cocky grin, Nah, Aegis can take care of himself. Aegis might have had a few scratches from last night, but he didn't show it. Actually, the bandages on his face seem to make him look scarier. On the other corner, Standoff lived up to his name, keeping a steely stare at the older pony, looking ready to pounce at any moment.
"Alright," Brass walked in between the two in the middle of their staredown. "Break it up you two."
Each shot a look towards the commissar, then back to the other, to the commissar again. I guess they had realized that Brass meant business, so both grumbled and dragged on back to their seats. Well, that was rather anti-climactic.
"Now, shut up and listen." Brass calmly continued, as if nothing had happened. I feel like he was expecting this, putting the toughest guards all in one room. He trotted in front, and announced "You are the Council's right hand. I know you heard that being in this group will reduce the times you will be reprimanded, because it will."
At that moment, I and a few other ponies silently celebrated.
"But..." the commissar added, "if you fuck up, we will deny all involvement with you and have you killed."
"Now hold on a minute playa," Buckton intruded, "so... we're mercenaries?"
"Well, mercenaries above the law and with the resources of New Pegasus Council at your hooves, yes."
"Wait, above the law?" somepony asked. "So, we can like, rape people?"
"Wait, no- ugh, let me finish. When I mean above the law, you can use... unconventional means to uphold the will of New Pegasus. However, if any action is deemed detrimental to the city, we will cut you off from all resources and kill you."
"If we're the best, how can you kill us?" Another pony said.
"Easy, with other T.A.I.L teams."
Teams? "What do you mean teams?" I asked.
"Well, you see, T.A.I.L is a covert operations department, so operating in large groups would be inefficient. All of you will be split into pairs."
"Will the pairs be randomly chosen?" Sundowner politely asked.
"No. Given your psychological reports, we've decided which pony is your best partner."
Well, at least that meant I'll probably be with Sundown. That put some ease into my mind, knowing I won't be with Standoff .
"Either way, assignments will come in a while. Anyway, final wrap up. One, T.A.I.L Agents answer to me or the Council, nobody else. Two, T.A.I.L Agents have the city's resources at their disposal. Three, T.A.I.L Agents work in pairs."
"Wait, how would we know what to do?" Standoff asked.
"Well, when we need you, we'll contact agents and get them here for a SitRep."
"A what?"
"It means 'Situation Report', dolt." the Trottingham mare replied to Standoff's question.
"Great job, Miss Locke." The mare smiled in pride, acknowledging her officer's compliment. "Thank you sir."
"Wait, so basically, we have free time until you ask for us?" I wondered out loud, smiling at the thought of days filled with free time.
"Hahaha, no." Brass grunted, killing my hopes. "You will be on guard duty during your spare time. But don't worry, it's not classic 'stand-at-spot-all-day-staring-at-nothing' guard jobs. You'll be guarding VIPs."
Of course. A bum job with this high pay would be too good to be true. So we're basically bodyguards who can do whatever needs to be done to get shit done without the law bothering them. That's all I needed to know. And that's all I did know, because I ended up dozing off.
-----
"Pssst..." I heard a whisper that woke me up.
"Pssst..."
"Uhhh.... wha-" I grumbled, barely awake.
"BOULDER!" my young companion snapped at me, shocking me awake.
"What? I'm awake."
"Old man, it's time for partnering and assignments."
I looked around and he was right. From what I can tell, Brass's boring speech lasted for about thirty more minutes before this part. I glanced at the others in the room and caught Buckton sleeping while Aegis was busy playing with his sweater. Behind them I saw the Trottingham mare attentively listening to the commissar and Standoff numbly staring at his boss, most likely not hearing a single word. The other ponies were doing Celestia knows what, but they obviously were not listening.
"Alright, time for assignments." Brass clapped as he got everyone's attention.
"Now, Standoff," the cop jolted up at his name being called, "You are partners with... Ugh, Sherri Locke."
"Sherri Locke?" Sundown whispered. "Who's that?"
The attractive mossy mare looked horrified, staring at the chief with jaw dropped as if to say Him? Really? What did I ever do to you?
Standoff, however, wasted no time in making himself look like a fucking idiot. "Hello," he greeted the mare in what I assume to be his attempt at a seductive tone, "I understand, you're my new partner?" He bent down and kissed her hoof, then looked at smiled at her face.
I mutter to Sundown, "Man, this kid's a fucking retard."
"Oooookay....." the chief continued, rolling his eyes in either disgust on disappointment. "Next, we have Sandy Aegis and Buckton forming another team."
"AWW YEAAH PLAYA!"
"FUCK YES!"
Every pair of eyes in the room were redirected to the inky black pony and the brick red pony now dancing in the briefing room. "For the record," I said out loud, "I don't know those guys."
Brass was looking very pissed now, but nonetheless, he continued. "Next team, Brawny Boulder and Desert Sundown."
"Sweet," I grinned, while Sundown as usual, remained silent, acknowledging the announcement only with a slight nod.
"What? Just like that?" The chief was surprised.
"Yep."
"Oh... Okay, then..." He grinned a bit before continuing with the pairs. I guess he was just happy he got a normal reaction for the first time. "So, continuing... Brave Gem and Firemane make another team..."
-----
After the team assignment was done, Brass instructed us to go separate rooms as a team. For why, I have no idea, but thank Celestia we're out of that briefing room. It was boring as shit there. Instead, we ended up going into one of the rooms where the interviews take place. So here I was, just numbly waiting for someone to come through that door, while Sundown on the other hand, was sitting quietly there as usual, just like a gargoyle.
"So, what do you think this new job will be like?" I asked him, hoping to get him to converse with me.
"I guess it'll be same old, same old, but a bit more dangerous," he nonchalantly said.
"Yeah! Danger means excitement!"
"Or getting killed."
"Relax, we'll get guard duty when we're not out being badasses."
"Yeah, but we are above the law..."
"So...?"
"Imagine all we could do, just to make sure we reach our goal," he continued, "we're basically vigilantes given power."
"No," I retorted, "I'd be doing the same thing I always did, but this time I won't get yelled for it!"
"Haha, I guess you're right." Sundown chuckled.
Just then, the ever-so-important Brass Badge walked into the room with a bunch of folders in his mouth. Imposingly, he approached us, sat down in front of us, and just stared at us, as if expecting something.
"I've heard a lot about you two..." he started, "The Big Boulder and the Rose's Thorn."
"Oh, those tales are greatly exaggerated," I mocked modesty, acting like a little filly being told she was pretty.
"Cut the crap, Boulder, I've seen you fight."
"Yeah, the Farsight Takeover a few years back."
"Wha- how do you-?"
"Oh, dear boss, I may look like all brawn, but my brain never forgets a face." I grinned at him.
"Yeah, so the tales about you are true... All of them." Brass shifted uncomfortably at the thought. "But you, Rose's Thorn, you're a special one."
"Thank you sir," my young orange friend politely nodded.
"Oh, don't be so modest, if at your age, you can shoot a sniper better than Standoff, I have high hopes for you," the police head smiled.
"Woah, woah, woah," I broke in, "why no admiration for me?"
"Because you're an asswipe." The green pony sternly replied.
"Wow, thanks," I grumbled in response.
"Anyway, I'm not here for chit-chat. So according to this file," he opens up a file filled with notes, and papers with words and shit, "we've decided that your best dedicated role would be guards to the Spokespony of New Pegasus."
"Woooow, that's such a great fucking promotion. I mean, it's not like it was our fucking job before. I mean it was really fun, sitting in front of the office she never goes too because it's only an archive, and doing nothing all day. Reeal great." I looked at Sundown for someone to back me up, but then I saw he had a kind of sadness in his eyes. Oh, right, he wanted this.
"I mean, uh, that wasn't sarcastic. I really liked that post I stay in."
Brass Badge simply laughed at me. "Oh, boy, you misunderstand me. I meant security detail."
"So?"
"So you're her bodyguards. You follow her around."
"Why? So people would fear the most beloved pony in Pegasus?"
"No, to protect her."
"From what? Her adoring fans?"
"You know Boulder," his voice turned almost into a whisper, but it had that hardness and seriousness to it that it seemed as attention grabbing as shouting through a megaphone, "New Pegasus is full of dangers, whether we know it or not. Believe me when I say that if things go south, she may be the number one target." It's almost as if he knew something.
This got Sundown's attention, and my companion finally spoke up, "Why her? She's an angel. Everyone loves her!"
"And nothing causes panic more than-"
"- a beloved figure being killed." Sundown finished. We both knew what he was talking about. Farsight would be too well-guarded, and Dee and Ampera barely left their work. Desert Rose is the only pony who walks around New Pegasus, encouraging the local populace, giving speeches and whatnot. Everyone in New Pegasus saw her as the saint, the hero of the common people.
And if she was killed, the population would throw a fit.
"There's more cards in play here, aren't there?" I questioned Brass.
"Look, Boulder, I-"
"Answer the question."
"Well-"
"Who wanted this task force? Was it really the Council? Or did you push for it?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Because I don't want to fight a war that's not mine."
Brass Badge met my eyes with a vicious, strong gaze, while I made sure to shoot back an unrelenting glare until he answered. Slowly, I saw his lips curve up until he had a goofy smile on his face.
"You're smart," he said, "I didn't expect you to be this clever."
"So you'll answer my questions?"
"Some other time. But for now, we have to report to City Hall."
"Why?"
"Because you have to swear allegiance to the Council before officaly become a T.A.I.L. Agent. I'll see you there in an hour." Brass got up, then he trotted away like we never had a confrontation.
"What was that all about?" Sundown wondered, "Do you think he'll tell us?"
"I'm not sure, but he will eventually." I knew he would. There's no reason he would push for a task force that he wouldn't use.
"Do you think we could be working only for his personal use? For all we know, we might be conspiring against the Council for him."
"No, Brass Badge is too loyal a pony to do that. But he knows something. Something he can't take to the Council."
I think about it for a while, wondering what a pony as important as Badge could be hiding... If he was concerned about it enough to act without direct orders from the Council, it must be important. "Whatever it is, we better be prepared."
Sundown looked at me quizzically, "Wait, you're trusting him? That's a first."
"No, no, no. It's not that," I almost chuckle at the thought of trusting the enigmatic and mysterious commissar of police, "But since we're walking blind into a shitstorm, we might as well come prepared."
"Huh. Well, let's get going," Sundown muttered as he stood up from his place.
"You coming along?" He invited as he was about to open the door.
"Where?"
"City Hall of course."
City Hall, right. "Sigh, come on, let's get this over with."
-----
I've never had to go inside the new City Hall before. The big, concrete building painted red and white stood in front of us with pillars in the entrance. "Damn, I'd think I was walking into a pre-War building," I muttered as I looked around at the pristine courtyard. Everywhere, we saw bureaucrats here in there, talking rapid-fire English about shit like reports and statistics and whatever it is those bookworms talk about. As we walked into the building, it was relatively peaceful compared to the exterior. With a few suited ponies here and there, the centerpiece was a big, semicircular counter in the middle of the room, with the grand door leading to the council hall behind it.
"Yes," a purple pony in a neat, pink dress greeted us, "how may I help you?"
"We have an appointment with the Council," Sundown told her.
"I'm sorry, the Council is busy right now, come back later."
"No, miss, you don't understand..."
"Please sir, come back later."
"But miss-"
"GOD DAMMIT WOMAN WE'RE WITH BADGE!" I shouted.
"Oh," she whimpered as she backed away, "I-I-I'm sorry sir, please, go on ahead," she said apologetically.
As we walked towards the door, I saw the secretary sigh and whimper as she watched us leave. That was fun, I smirked.
"You know, that was a bit too overboard," Sundown chastised.
"Well, would it be better than having her interrupt you in an endless loop?"
"I see your point."
As we reached the ornate door that was much taller than us, it seemed, I don't know, wrong to simply barge in. And that's coming from me. "So, do we, uh-?"
Sundown went ahead and took initiative. KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
A guard opens the door. "Hey, Sundown," he greets.
"Hey there, Watt," he replied to the pony, "Where are the, you know, Brass's group?"
"Oh, come inside." He opens the door for us, and shows us into a big, courthouse like room. But instead of a podium up front, it was a concave table with five seats, probably where the council sits. Then behind that, there are rows of tables and chairs, all facing towards the Council, and the big statue behind the council seating, which was a pony who was blindfolded with a weighing scale in her mouth. The windows of the walls were adorned with fine curtains and the whole floor was carpeted. "Man, I really see where taxpayer funds go to," Sundown awed.
"Yo!" I hear Buckton call out from the other side of the room. I see him, Aegis, Standoff, and uhhh... what's her name... Sherri, yeah, just sitting around one of the tables were the spectators would sit, looking bored. The other tables were filled with a handful of T.A.I.L Agents, looking bored as well. Wow, only a few got to be T.A.I.L. Agents, I thought, when I finally saw how many we really were.
"Wow, one helluva party, right guys?" I jested.
"Not now, Boulder," Aegis grumpily hissed, "we're not in the mood for your shit. This is so boring."
"Well, there has to be something to do..."
-----
Brass Badge had been pushing for this for a long time. Finally, he wouldn't have to standby, waiting... watching for the danger. He could be the one to take the first move. It had been a risky move, doing this.
"I'm telling you Farsight, the threat is real."
"I'm sorry, Badge, but without any proof, I can't act on it."
"What? Don't tell me you don't notice something is off."
"All we can do is take extra precautions. One wrong move, then all we've worked for would be wasted."
He was right, though. One wrong move could topple the balance of power. If he had acted wrong, the people would be against him... Farsight was always the cautious one. But sometimes, the pieces on the board are just hidden from you, and sometimes you just had to take action.
"Are you sure about these people?" the blue pony in suit asked him.
"Yes, I'm quiet sure. They're the best of both Freedom Fields and The Strip."
"I hope you're right."
-----
We all stood at attention as we saw Brass Badge enter the room, followed by a blue, sharply dressed pony who I assumed to be Farsight, the de facto leader of New Pegasus. Behind him, a familiar gray mare in a striped suit appeared, my old employer, former Stringers leader and current Mayor of Freedom Fields, Dee Cleff. A couple appeared behind them, one, a fat silver stallion dressed in a brown pre-war suit and tie and the other a white maned mare, who I assumed to be Ampera von Ohm, a the power couple of the Council, controlling the financial reins of the town. Tailing the pack was a light pink mare in a flowery dress with a long, straight rosy red mane with white streaks. Amusingly enough, this mare was the one we were working for before, Desert Rose.
"Hello filles and gentlecolts. Sorry we're late," Badge apologized.
"You better be," I instinctively mutter under my breath louder than I had intended as the Council walked by.
"What was that?" The silver stallion snapped, quickly backtracking until he was right in front of me.
Well, no use stopping now.
"With all due respect, sir," I hissed that word like an insult instead of a respectful address, "I did not enjoy waiting around for you, and I had merely accepted our chief's apology."
"That's no way to talk to a councilor," Saddle angrily bumped heads with me, glaring at me with looks that could kill.
"I don't see a councilor," I shot back, determined not to back down from the former gang leader, "all I see is a lazy, good-for-nothing, fatass."
I noticed everyone in the room was tensing up. Sundown was uneasily looking left and right, Brass was sweating profusely, Farsight seemed like he was waiting for the perfect moment to step in, Aegis and Buckton seemed to be talking about who's likely to win in a fight.
"I-" Saddle started.
PAK!
Hey, everyone knew it was coming. There was no harm in getting the first hit. Besides, it felt really great when I felt my hoof bruise the high and mighty's fat face. Dear Celestia, I hope I broke his jaw, I've been wanting to do that since the gang days. Even if I didn't, I was able to enjoy the marvelous sight of the surprise in his eyes as he felt the pain of the punch and watch him stagger back, half in surprise, and half in pain. However, before anything could happen, I felt myself being held back by a magical blue aura.
"Boulder!" Sundown chastised, "Why in Celestia's name did you do that?"
"Yo!" I heard Buckton yell from across the line, rapidly approaching me along with Aegis. "Hold him back playa! We ain't got nothing to do with this!"
On the other side, however, I saw Saddle's enraged face desperately trying to break through Brass as he tried to hold the fat stallion back, with Ampera frantically trying to calm her husband down.
"I'm going to fucking have your head!" Saddle swore.
I simply laughed at his face, which seemed to anger him more. "You wish, fatass."
Just as we broke through and round two was about to begin, a voice thundered across the room. "STOP!"
Now, all eyes were on Farsight, whose face betrayed no emotion as he looked me in the eye.
"Interesting," I heard him say as he examined me top to bottom.
"Badge, I hope you're right about these people," he told our leader as he beckoned the others to take a seat in the council chairs. As Dee proceeded to go to her chair, she bumped into me.
"You better get your act together Boulder." Ah, good ol' Dee, always watching over me.
"I'll try," I smiled. She just sighed, and continued on. "Hope you've been practicing, Mr. Sundown," she grinned at my companion.
"Yes, Mrs. Cleff, I have been practicing ever since I left the school." Sundown respectfully sucked up, watching his former music teacher walk up the steps and take her place alongside the leaders of New Pegasus.
"Let's get this started," Brass requested, Farsight nodding in response.
"All ponies, step forward," he started.
As we all stepped forward, Farsight began his speech.
"Being in this task force will not be an easy feat. You are the council's right hand. Our first and last line of defense. Our tool to keep the city of New Pegasus afloat."
This time, Dee spoke up. "You are sworn to keep the welfare of New Pegasus and her citizens as your top priority. The lives of the citizens of New Pegasus are at your hooves."
Ampera continued after, "You are the sword that the city wields against her enemies, from within the walls and outside them. No matter how powerful they are, you are to deliver the judgement of this council to them, whether it be good or bad. You will be the sole enforcer of our will and you will be the hand of New Pegasus."
Farsight, once again, looking upon all of us, stated "Do you ponies accept this responsibility as the T.A.I.L., for the good of New Pegasus and her people."
"I do," we all said at the same time.
The blue pony smiled, "Then let it be known that today, the T.A.I.L. is officially formed and recognized by the authority of New Pegasus. You are all dismissed."
-----
This had been a good day for Brass Badge. Everyone had gone home, and he was about to leave the city hall too. He had finally gotten the task force he had been pushing for for so long, and he knew a lot of work needed to be done.
"Badge," a familiar voice called out to him from behind.
"Hello, Farsight. How are you?"
"Badge, I don't know what you're up too," Farsight ignored the small talk, speaking to him with a hint of threat, "but I trust your judgement. I hope letting you make this task force was not a mistake."
"No sir, I promise it won't be."
Farsight looked at him for a good while, as if to say, I hope you're right, then he shook his head and left. There was no concrete proof of a looming threat. All the reports seem small. Logically, nobody would suspect a thing. But all these years in the force, Brass Badge had learned to trust his instinct above all else, and he felt like something bad was coming down. Celestia help us all, he prayed.
Fallout Equestria: Viva Las Pegasus -- Tails of New Pegasus Chapter Eight: Pieces, not Players
----
I walk into the very same briefing room I was in yesterday. This time however, instead of a full room, I see a bored Brass Badge, tapping his hooves impatiently in front of Sundown, whose head was plopped on the desk as he was sleeping. The dull grayness of the room seemed to emphasize the boring mood that filled the air.
"Top o' the mornin' boys," I greet as I walk in, taking a sip of my coffee thermos.
"Morning? Look at the time! It's almost lunch time!" Brass scolded, pointing at his watch to emphasize.
"Well, lunch is relative you know. Some people don't have lunch till night," I replied.
"That doesn't even make sense," Brass puts his hoof on his temple in frustration. "Do you even- ugh, nevermind. Here you go." Brass reaches for a black, rectangular electronic device from his vest's pocket and hands it to me.
"What's that?" I ask.
"It's a walkie-talkie. Not a pre-War one, mind you. That was manufactured by the technicians of New Pegasus using old schematics so it might be a bit glitchy," he pulls out a similar device and puts it up to his mouth. "Hello?"
"Hello?" The same voice came out of the walkie-talkie.
"Woah."
I levitate put the device up to my mouth and press the big red button under the speaker. "Hello?"
"Hello?" Brass's walkie-talkie echoes.
"Every T.A.I.L. Agent has their own walkie-talkie. If you look to the side, you'll see some numbers." He was right, on the right side of my walkie-talkie, there was a number followed by two yellow arrow buttons facing opposite ways.
"60.3?" I mutter.
"Yeah, that's a frequency. If other walkie-talkies tuned in to 60.3 are in the area, they can talk to you. For example..." The chief nudges Sundown's chair, waking him up. "Sundown's radio is also on 60.3, so if you speak into the radio, he can hear you."
"Wait, so can other teams hear me?"
"Oh, no. But the standard T.A.I.L. frequencies are anything along the 60-range. 60.1, 60.2, and so on and so forth," Brass explained.
"So, what do we do with them?"
"Well, we at the station will use it to keep in touch with you. Keep it close at all times."
"So you called for us in the morning just to give us walkie-talkies?" Sundown piped up, finally awoken from his slumber. Apparently, he had come in early, because even if he looked proper, dressed in his brown suit and black tie, his bed head makes it blatantly obvious he rushed out of his place this morning. It almost makes me feel bad for being late. Almost.
"No. You also have an assignment."
Now he had my attention. He had Sundown's as well, since the orange pony rose from his chair, and his ears rose up in eagerness. "Lay it on me," I told Brass.
He proceeded to go to the back of the room, where the computer and projector was. With the flick of a switch and the push of a button, both began to light up. The bland walls in the front of the room started to be decorated with images of maps, charts, information files and the like. I noted that Sundown no longer showed any sign of grogginess, showing full attention towards the information of our first mission. Amidst the flurry of information, a definite map finally popped up. A part of the city I recognized. "Is that the Fleur de Lee District?" I hear Sundown instinctively utter
"Why, yes Sundown," Brass smiled at Sundown, showing how impressed he was, "This is the Fleur de Lee district. Abandoned before the unification, the Council decided that this is where the city should place a power system that would keep New Pegasus self-reliant when it comes to energy."
Brass pressed another button on the computer, then the overhead map image shifted into real time pictures of what appeared to be a massive construction site. "Gentlecolts, this is one of the most ambitious projects of the Council. If the city had this, one of the leashes the NER keeps on us would be no longer effective."
"Therefore helping us act for the good of the city without having to please NER." Sundown continued.
"Well, this is all nice and dandy," I state, "but why exactly are we needed? I mean, you said we were special ops. Unless when I was away, 'special ops' changed it's meaning to 'glorified construction worker,' I assume that this is useless."
"Who would have the most to lose from New Pegasus being independent when it comes to energy?"
"The energy police?" I suggested.
"No, I think he means the NER," Sundown corrected me with a smug look. I angrily glared at him, Show off.
"Yes, right again Sundown!" Brass stated like a teacher praising his star student, pressing another button on the computer. All of a sudden, a picture of a letter scribbled to the point that it's almost incomprehensible. "This is a threat letter, one of many sent ever since construction began."
"And nobody found it right to do anything about this?" I asked incredulously.
"Security has been tightened, mind you. Still, this does not deter the threats. As a matter of fact, the threat letters have been increasing as the building reaches completion."
"So you want us to investigate," Sundown finished.
"Of course."
"Anything you can give to help us?" I asked.
"This agency was established yesterday. We count on our agents to find assets. We do have firepower of course, but this is an investigative mission, so noise should be kept low." Brass emphasized, making sure to glare at me as if he knew I were going to fuck up the secrecy of this mission. Which I probably would have done.
"Any more questions? None? Dismissed."
All of a sudden, Brass signaled two big burly ponies dressed in the classic blue NPPD uniform to escort us out. "Hey there, Shades," I snicker, a familiar, emotionless pony violently grabbed my collar and started to drag me outside.
-----
Once again, we're surrounded by the same ochre walls endowed with failing wallpaper and dim lights. Today was a slow night, from what I could gather. The bartender sat there, looking a bit more bored than usual while he gently wiped used glasses, letting his thoughts get lost in Celestia knows what. The place was peppered with a few interesting ponies here and there, an old stallion face down on the bar counter, probably passed out from drinking too much, while there was a group of colts all gathered around one table in a corner, merrily drinking and celebrating some occasion. Just then, a scantily clad mare with menus on her back walked up to our table. "What can I get for you, sugar?" she asked, in the most seductive manner. Of course, the dim light did little good to hide the trainwreck that was her face.
"I'll have an ice-cold Applelooza Beer, thank you," I curtly replied. "What about you Sundown?"
"Maybe just some cider," he smiled politely.
As the mare walked away, I took out my pocket watched. 6:30, it said. Where is he?
Sundown, bored out of his mind, was fiddling around with a straw, suddenly asked, "What exactly are we doing here? It's been weeks since Brass gave us the assignment and yet we spend the whole night drinking?"
"What?" I replied, mocking an offended tone, "Is that all you think of me?"
"Aren't I right?" Sundown smirked.
"Of fucking course!" We both started laughing. "Anyway, we're waiting for some-"
"Hey hey hey!"
Sundown and I turn our attention towards the voice. A maroon pony in a beat up leather jacket had just walked into the bar. His goofy smile and his gelled up mane really brought me back to the old days. "Did you guys miss me?" he smiled at us.
"Misfire!" Sundown grinned, approaching his old friend and hoof-bumping him. "What are you doing here?"
"I asked him to come. Both of you, take a seat." I beckoned them to the ruined leather chairs. When they both finally settled down, I started.
"Misfire, you've still got your eyes and ears all over the street, right?"
"Yeah, of course. I mean, a pony's got to make a living."
"So, you know about the Fleur de Lee Power Plant?"
At the mention of our target, Misfire shifted uneasily in his seat. "What about it?" he inquired, trying to hide his discomfort.
"Well, you know I only stick my snout into important things. What do you think I'm asking about?" I smirked, knowing that I got him right where I wanted him.
Misfire leaned in closer and signaled us to do the same. Softly, he whispered, "Well, if it's about the threat letters, you'll have to meet me at this address." He quickly took a napkin, "I'll walk out, then you follow me 5 minutes later."
"Wha-" Sundown was about to say, looking startled by how sensitive this topic is turning out to be.
"Shhh...." Misfire hissed. "Well," he took a relaxed position again before standing up. "I'm going to hit the hay. Goodnight!" He hastily left, leaving us wondering what exactly we were stumbling into.
-----
Ten minutes later, we were in front of an old, worn down building. The street we were in was totally desolate, save for a few tumbleweeds. Nopony else was even close to our area, as it had been abandoned for Celestia knows how long. The desolation of the street was made more obvious by the single, flickering street light right above us and the deafening silence gave the air an eerie vibe. We approached the old, brown door of the building, whose green paint had already worn off long ago. Why Misfire picked this place, I might never know. But he sure as hell could've picked a better place, I thought, as a cold desert wind swept through the isolated boulevard.
"This is really scary," Sundown shuddered, looking ready to piss his pants at the drop of a hat.
"Meh, nothing we can't handle." I put my hoof up to the door, then take a deep breath. "Here goes nothing."
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
"See? Nothing to-"
I was cut short by a hoof going over my mouth and pulling me in the dark, cold room. Last thing I heard was Sundown's muffled screams.
-----
"Don't knock so loud!" Misfire yelled. Well, as close as you can get to yelling while still whispering, with fear in his eyes as he continually peeked outside as if he was expecting someone to be following us.
"So, you wanted to know about the Fleur de Lee Power Plant?" he said grimly, as he walked towards one corner of the room. He grabbed a cord hanging from the ceiling with his mouth and cocked his neck down. CLICK!
A weak light revealed to us a big bulletin board with multiple pictures, letters and blueprints pinned to it. Misfire glared menacingly at it, as if he didn't like the board itself. A closer look revealed that everything has something to do with the Fleur de Lee Power Plant.
"Information is one thing, but this is pretty obsessive." I chuckled.
Misfire disregarded me, intently approaching the bulletin board. "Fleur de Lee Power Plant," he grimaced. "Controversial, at best. The council took out a lot of funds from the rebuilding of New Pegasus for this baby." He beckoned us to come closer and look at his board. It was obvious he had done a lot of work. "I know you want the scoop on the threat letters."
"Normally, you have your snout in these kinds of things, Misfire," Sundown said, growing concerned as he saw his friend's mood darkening.
"Normally, I should, you're right." Misfire seemed to sulk even lower, as he softly whispered this. "I've lost three foals this week." At this point, we could see tears streaming down his eyes. "They were just colts. Oh dear heavens, the youngest one was just twelve." He was shaking from the sobbing, slinking down to his knees.
Sundown approached Misfire and put a supportive arm around him. "Come on. It's okay," Sundown comforted the crying pony, "What happened? What was that about colts?"
Misfire tried his best to stop sobbing, but it didn't do any good. Nevertheless, he continued. "Information is very hard to come by. Ponies don't trust other ponies. However, they seem to have a soft side for foals."
Oh dear Princess. "So you've been using colts and fillies as information gatherers?" I wish I could say I didn't approve, but that was a smart move. "What happened to them?" I asked.
"We heard news of threats against the plant. Big money? Threats? Government protection? Even if there weren't any requests, some bigshot with a big purse would come around interested in a hot topic like that." Misfire shifted his eyes from being sad and regretful to cautious and determined.
"When we first heard about the threats, it was interesting. Who would have the guts to threaten the government like that? Whoever it was, he was a big player." Did I see him... smirk? I couldn't tell, because as soon as it came, the expression left, bringing Misfire back to a cold look.
"The threats are more than empty words. From what my ponies could gather, the web stretched much farther than I imagined." He started to begin breaking down again, tears once again pouring down like raindrops. "I was so stubborn. I sent in three colts to ask around. I didn't hear from them for a while, then I heard news of a butchering right outside the city walls." He put his hoof over his mouth, trying to resist puking at the memory. "It was them. They were cut into pieces. Found in a dumpster."
"Those merciless bastards..." Sundown muttered, looking teary-eyed himself. "It wasn't your fault." His words seemed to comfort the maroon pony, but not enough.
"It's still my fault. I shouldn't have made the call. The least I can do is..." He walked over to an old ruined painting, bit the frame and threw it out of the way. "You can never be too safe," he chuckled past the tears, as he got to work on opening the safe hidden behind the painting. "Ever since you came to me a month ago, I've been digging deeper and deeper, not just for you, but for the colts."
CLICK!
The safe screeched as it swung open, revealing its contents; a single folder, thick with files which I assume are about the unknown assailants. "Avenge those pure souls," he sternly told me, his eyes still bulging from the crying, as we walked towards me. I almost didn't notice the red dot appearing at his temple.
"MISFIRE! GET-"
BAM!CRACK!
It was like slow-motion, seeing his brains splatter across the wall, like a beautifully sad fountain spurting. I could barely contain my scream as I saw my old lieutenant's lifeless body hit the floor. He was like a brother to me. I could barely hear my own shout as it is drowned out by Sundown's equally horrified scream. He just saw one of his closest childhood friends shot down in front of his eyes. He rapidly went to the body, screaming at it to stay alive. I was sad about it too, but I knew that Misfire was gone. The best I could do is to deliver sweet vengance for Misfire. I took out my shotgun and ran outside.
I rushed into the street, scanning around frantically for any hint of the attacker. Then I spotted it. About a few blocks away, I saw a shadow shifting from a second floor window. "STOP!" I thundered at the top of my voice, but to no avail as I saw the shadow move away from the window. I knew it was hopeless to run after it, but I didn't care. I ran anyway, and in a fit of desperation, I offloaded my shotgun towards his general direction. Of course it didn't hit, but I couldn't let him leave without a fight. All I could do was sigh afterwards. I slowly trudge back towards the building where Sundown and Misfire were, feeling defeated and hopeless.
-----
We sat there on the roof of the old abandoned building, watching the dazzling orange rays illuminate the city slowly, the magnificent beauty of the sunrise slowly engulfing the city. The vibe was calm, cool and relaxing. Totally different from what we just experienced.
"That went badly," I chuckled half-heartedly.
"Yeah, it sure did," my young friend replied non-chalantly.
"What do we do now?"
"This." Sundown levitated a folder towards me. "It's the least we could do."
I open the folder and flip through it. Names, locations, possible motives. Everything we needed for this case. I take out my walkie-talkie and put my hoof on the red button. "NPPD, this is Boulder, is anyone there?"
A few minutes of silence passed before the radio crackled to life. A mare's voice came across from the other side. "Boulder, this is NPPD. How may we assist?"
"We found some information regarding the power plant case."
A few moments of silence passed before a reply came.
"Copy that Boulder. Orders are to stay off this case. Repeat, hands-off this case."
"What!?" We worked our ass off and this is what we get? "Why?"
"New intelligence suggests that you are needed elsewhere."
"But-"
"NPPD out." A click, then once again silence.
"What do we do know?" Sundown quizzed.
"Well, we follow our orders. They'll need us soon enough." I knew I was right. It might not have been obvious yet, but this is much bigger than small-time gangs. This is just the calm before the storm. Might as well enjoy it, I thought, as I watched the dark sky light up with the magnificent orange of the sun.
We're not players, we're pieces. There's nothing to do now but to wait for the next turn.
Fallout Equestria: Viva Las Pegasus -- Tails of New Pegasus
Chapter Nine: Re-assignment
-----
"I swear to Celestia, you're going to WISH you were dead when I'm done!"
"Calm down old man!" Sundown held me back as I charged to smash the pony tied to the bed frame in front of us. "He's more useful to us alive than dead," he coldly says, eyeing the pony with indifference.
"I- you know, fine," I said, calming down a bit. Good ol' Sundown, the colt's always been there to keep me in check. "We know you had something to do with the threats. If you want to get out of here with all four legs intact, you'll talk!" I threatened the pony, but he only stared back with dull, cold eyes.
He was in a bad shape. His yellowish coat soaked red with his own blood, dripping slowly from all of the cuts we gave him. Any part that wasn't cut probably had my hoof-outline bruising it, black skin peppering him all around. He was tied to a bed frame, each leg attached to each corner, leaving him belly open for me to do what I do best. Despite all of this, his face betrayed no emotion. He didn't seem the least bit worried about anything.
Using the file that Misfire made, we were able to piece together ponies involved, interrogating various ponies, from junkies from cardboard boxes in the slums, to rich caravaneers who seem to have a hunger for power. The most promising lead, was this one, however. He worked at the Clops after the Ferraturas left as a cashier, but word around town says that he’s in tight with the underground, an illegal arms dealer and whatnot, cutting into the Buckmare market secretly.
"Why don't you say anything!?" I screamed at him, frustration of a three-hour interrogation getting to me.
CRRCK! "Uurk!"
The pony coughed out blood as I hammered my legs into his belly, cracking a few bones by the sound of it.
I didn’t have to worry about subtlety, because we were in a wooden shack far from New Pegasus, somewhere in the Neighvada. The night was cold and pitch, with no sound coming from anywhere but here. The only visitor we ever got in these past three hours was a lonely tumbleweed zooming through the fields. It would have been a peaceful, relaxing night, if we weren’t beating the shit out of this pony. Unfortunately, we are.
CRRRCK! “URK!” The yellow pony coughed out more blood, leaving his muzzle dripping crimson. All he did in response was look up to us and smile.
“You want to hear what I have to say?” he smirked, sounding so confident that you wouldn’t believe he was tortured for three hours.
“No loose ends,” he softly muttered.
“What?” Sundown asked. “Can you say that again?”
Smiling through a bloody mouth, he smugly whispered, “Go fuck yourselves.”
“That’s it!” I had enough of this. I had fucking enough this. I was going to beat this stallion within inches of his life until he started to talk.
“Wait, Boulder, no!” Sundown cried in panic as I approached the pony with my hooves looking for blood. Sorry Sundown, I thought, we’ve done it the civil way too long.
Little did I know that he wasn’t worried about the prisoner. He tackled me down, and as I fell, I saw a red laser pointed at the prisoner’s head, coming from behind where I was standing. A split second after Sundown pushed me away from the laser, I heard glass shattering, then our little friend’s head exploded like a watermelon.
“SHIT!” I shouted, levitating my trusty shotgun off my back and cocking it. Chh chh!
Sundown took out his bolt-action rifle and took a position by the window. He peeked outside through his scope, only to get back into cover quickly as a flurry of bullets rained through the window.
“Did you get a good look?” I asked, sliding into the side opposite of Sundown.
“They’re just ponies in some sort of weird, black, leather armor,” Sundown shouted a reply, “But they don’t look like- hang on.” He peeked out and fired a few shots to the direction the bullets . were coming from, then got back down quickly. This caused the enemy to stop firing at us for a while. “That’s better. Anyway, they didn’t have any markings on them, and the armor looked legit, not some junkie trash.”
As soon as Sundown finished speaking, we were flooded by the deafening hail of lead once more. “Alright, you think you can surpress them?” I asked loudly, trying to get him to hear me over the barrage of bullets.
“I think so, why?” He replied just as loudly.
“I’m going to flank them!”
“How? The only door is the front door, and you won’t make it out there without turning into swiss cheese.” He questioned.
“Oh, kiddo, you underestimate me. Anyway, start shooting!” I barked to Sundown. My young orange friend looked at me with curiousity, then he simply gave a sigh and magically placed his rifle on the window, pointing towards the direction the fire was coming from. Without even looking outside the window, Sundown closed his eyes and began firing, still slumped against the wooden wall.
BAM! BAM! BAM! His horn flashed a brighter light blue light as he fired each shot.
Now’s my cue, I thought, as I lined myself up to a wall at my right. Tapping it a little with my hoof, I calculated my odds.
Calculation: This is going to hurt. Oh well, better get it over with. I backpedaled a bit, just for momentum. “Boulder, what are you-?” Sundown opened his eyes for a while, struggling to concentrate on firing his gun. I turned and winked at him, knowing that my plan is going to surprise him. I charge forward, running straight to the to the wooden wall. “Boulder!” he cried, as I crashed through the wooden wall.
“LEEROY WINGKINS!” I shouted as fragments of wood flew past me. Next thing I knew, I was laying in the dark of night, barely able to see anything except the gunshots coming from outside and inside the house. Apparently, Sundown’s surpressive fire is doing a good job of keeping them occupied. Great, I thought, as I began to crawl on my belly towards the gunfire, now time for the element of sur- wait, why’d they stop firing? I lay perfectly still as the sound of bullets stopped from both sides. It looks like Sundown stopped firing as well. Oh dear Celestia, I hope they didn’t get him, I thought, cringing at the fact.
RATATATATATA!
“Oh shit!” I yelped as I rolled twice to the left, proning behind a large rock. I guess I wasn’t as silent as I guessed, I thought as bullets were now whizzing over my head.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
I tilted my head slightly to the side and saw that the rifle fire was coming from inside the house. I could see Sundown’s horn glowing through the window, so I assumed he was aiming right, which meant bad news for these flankbites. Unfortunately, the night was too dark and the assailants were hiding in bushes, so his shots never found his mark. The assassins took note of this and began redirecting fire towards the house. Now’s my chance, I quickly pop up from the rock I was in then offloaded shells into the bushes.
BOOM! BOOM!
I slump down under the rock, waiting for gunfire to come my way. However, it doesn’t come. I cautiously move out of the rock and walk to the bushes, shotgun primed. “Alright, hooves up!” I shouted as I charged through the bushes, only to see that nopony was there. I take out my radio and press the red button. “Sundown, you there?”
“Yeah, I’m still good,” he replied from the other end.
“Come ‘ere, lad. They’re gone,” I informed him.
Minutes later, Sundown was approaching, his horn glowing a bright blue. “So, why’d you think they leave?” I absently asked my partner out loud, staring at the blackness engulfing the spot I assumed the shooter bunkered down.
“That might be why,” Sundown pointed towards the puddle of blood that trailed towards the expanse of the Coltjave Wasteland.
“Looks like you got one of them, so they turned tail to avoid capture or something.”
I sighed, because if they escaped, that only meant one thing. “No leads?”
“No leads,” Sundown agreed in defeat. Three months later and we’re back to square one.
-----
The early morning chill was lost on me as I walked in the Kubwa Kahawa. The nice, beige walls kept me warm, as it had many mornings. It was a small building, only one coffee bar with some stools in front of it, and a couple of tables. The glass door of the building was surrounded by huge windows on both sides, letting in a lot of the orange sunlight. The barista who stood behind the counter was busy wiping mugs dry, and he probably would not have noticed my arrival if his door didn’t come with chimes.
CLANG!
The barista turned around and greeted me with a warm smile. “Ah, my old patron Brawny Boulder! The usual?” The zebra greeted with a thick accent. He had his mane shaved off, but he had a growing goatee, and he wore his trademark circle shades that only covered his pupils, so the purple tint still allows for the white of his eyes to be seen.
“Sure,” I grinned at my black and white friend, “you know me too well Xarin.” I took a seat at one of the stools, facing the zebra. “One Luna special.” Minutes later, a hot steaming cup of coffee was in front of me, with whatever the hell Xarin puts in his coffee. I don’t really care, it’s pretty fucking good. I took a sip of it, savouring the flavor go down my throat. “Mmm, still as good as ever, Xarin!” I complimented.
“Thank you very much,” Xarin replied, “I try. So, anyway, how’s work going?”
“Back to square one,” I tell him as I take one more swig from the mug.
“Oh, I assume your boss isn’t too happy about that,” the zebra sympathetically replied while he still scrubbed some mugs clean.
“Yeah, that’s why I’m here early morning. I imagine Brass is going to chew us out for having another lead’s brains blown out.”
“Oh, that’s- oh.” Xarin put his mug down for a second, realizing what I just said, before returning to wiping them again. “So, I imagine you and Sundown aren’t going to have jobs after this.”
“Well,” I glumly thought about it, “this is a special assignment, and the chief said we’d have regular duties on top of it. Ours is… uh…”
“Wow, you seem to be dedicated employee Equestria needs,” the barista chuckled.
“Yeah,” I laugh in response, “Lucky I’ve got Sundown to keep me straight.”
“Where is he anyway?” Xarin inquired, “Last I saw, he was a little colt, hanging by the big, threatening Stringers enforcer who came to the ol’ coffee cart of Freedom Fields whenever he could.”
“Heh, yeah,” I smiled at the nostalgia. “Where have the times gone?”
CLANG!
“Good morning, Xarin,” a voice behind me benevolently greeted.
“Good morning to you to, madame. I’m honored to have you here,” the zebra politely said, bowing his head slightly, as if he were addressing royalty.
Taking her seat beside me was a light gray mare dressed up sharply in a crisp suit, with a long darker gray mane falling graciously behind her head. She put ten caps on the counter, “One Luna special please,” she ordered, her voice brimming with kindness.
“Oh, ma’am, you don’t need to pay, it’s on the house!” Xarin exclaimed as he fell all over himself to bring the customer her coffee.
“It’s alright, I don’t mind,” Miss Cleff smiled. “Any friend of Nadyr’s is a friend of mine, and I’d hate to be a burden.” The zebra knew better than to oppose a big politician and a former gang member, especially since I, her former enforcer who’d break legs at her whim, was sitting right next to her, so he took her caps and got to work on the order as she took the stool beside me.
“Well, if it isn’t Brawny Boulder,” she smirked as soon as she noticed me.
“Hello Miss Cleff,” I smiled.
“How are you today?”
“Haha, Dee, you’ve known me long enough to have a general picture.”
She chuckled, “Haha, let’s see now…” she playfully rubbed her chin in thought, “So by know, I’d say you’re going to get chewed out by Badge?”
“Oh Dee,” I acted touched mockingly, “you understand me so well.” Then we both started laughing.
“How long has it been since we talked like this?” I asked, enjoying catching up with an old friend.
“Oh, the last time we talked like this was with…” her voice trailed off, shaking a bit. Her smile was replaced by a straight face and her eyes portrayed sadness.
I guess I didn’t do a good job of hiding my sorrow too, because I simply looked down at my coffee, sighing deeply. “Yeah.”
“I’m sorry for bringing her up. It must hurt you a lot-”
“No Dee, it’s alright,” I cut her off, offering a weak smile. “If anyone should be sad, it should be you. You were there for her more than I was.”
Dee opened her mouth, about to say something, but she quickly shut her mouth, giving second thoughts on what she was going to say. She shook her head and changed the topic.
“So, I trust you take good care of Sundown?” she inquired with concern.
“He’s a stallion now, he can take care of himself,” I replied nonchalantly, taking another sip from my hot coffee. “Though I have to admit, it seems now that he can take care of himself, it’s just me he’s watching over,” I chuckle to myself.
“I remember when you found him as a colt, you never did tell me what exactly happened.” Dee giggled mischievously, “Have you been lying this whole time and he was yours all along?”
“Do you think I’d have a son that quiet?”
“No, if he were really your son, he’d be as idiotic as you.”
We both laughed again. This Dee Cleff was different from what most ponies see. While others know her as a benevolent yet firm mayor of Freedom Fields, she can sometimes be the most lighthearted pony you know, depending on the company. Only a few ponies have ever managed to break Dee’s ever serious demeanor like this. I gladly count myself as one of them, being a trusted enforcer of Dee. Being a personal bodyguard of her closest companion Metronome, I spent a lot of time with Miss Cleff. While we didn’t always see eye to eye on my… errr… methods, and I didn’t share the same passion for music she and my sister had, but we liked to have fun. Aside from my sister, before I found Sundown, she was the only other pony I had closest to being family.
“Actually, you never did tell me where you found the little prodigy,” she said, probably referring to the fact that Sundown had been a very gifted student in the music school ever since he enrolled.
“Oh, I found him being beaten up by a couple o’ other colts. Something had happened to his parents and he was all alone, so I guess I sort of took him under my wing.”
“Wing? But you’re a unicorn,” Dee smiled as she took another sip from her coffee.
“You know what I mean,” I rolled my eyes. “So, enough about me, how have things been going with you, Ma’am?”
“Oh, it has been quiet enjoyable. A few years ago, I would never have guessed that I would have a family and end up as a big figure in all of Las Pegasus,” she told me. “I guess it’s a blessing in disguise, now I have my little foals, Atreid and Harko. Oh, they look so much like Nadyr,” she cooed lovingly.
“I still can’t believe you settled down with Mister Black,” I smirked. “Actually, I thought no stallion would ever bite on your hook.”
“Why would you say that? You’ve seen that a lot of stallions had their stud on for me,” Dee mockingly whimpered like she was offended, giving me a pouty look.
“Well, I always thought…. you know…” I muttered, realizing what I was about to say would probably be a bad idea.
“Know… what exactly?” Dee inquired, eyes closing in on me.
“That you… trotted the other way?”
“What-” Dee’s eyes widened as the realization struck her. “What!? No!” she exclaimed, flustered, and all I could do in response was laugh.
“Relax, I’m kidding,” I told her, still grinning.
“I know, I know…” she smiled back.
“Wait, did you really think I had a thing for mares?”
We both burst into laughter again.
-----
“Long story short, the time Misfire, Lemonsage, Orange Shores and I were missing for one week was totally justified.”
“Wow,” Dee looked at me eyes wide open. “That was entertaining, but you are aware that I would have punished you for acting so idiotic had I known back then.”
“That’s why I made sure to keep it a secret until now,” I smirked. “Anyway, I should really get going,” I muttered, glancing at the scratched up pocket watch. “I’m going to get my flank chewed off for fucking up the leads, so I’d rather not add to that.”
“Goodbye Boulder,” Miss Dee said as I began walking out of Kubwa Kahawa.
“See ya Dee,” I replied, heading towards the big gray building of the NPPD.
-----
“I see,” Brass said, his eyes looking out his big grand window. “Nothing else? No information?”
We had spent the past hour in Brass’s office in the second floor, being debriefed on our latest loss. Unlike the rest of the building, this place was well furnished. Various antique Appletree wood furniture decorated the room, and the wallpaper was a nice, grassy green, a lot like Brass Badge himself. We were sitting in front of his desk, ornately decorated and chestnut brown, with papers and pens stacked on one side, and mementos like picture frames or medals in the other. There’s no way he doesn’t dip his hoof in taxpayer money, I thought, examining the expensive looking room.
“Nope,” I reply, “seems every door leads us to more turns.”
“And the attackers?”
“Escaped,” Sundown said quietly, eyes to the floor.
Brass let out a deep sigh and lowered his head, then faced us with a stern, authorative look. “Gentlecolts, I’m sorry, but I’m taking you off the case.”
“Yes sir, of course,” the orange colt bowed his head ever so slightly, a bit because of shame and a bit because of disappointment.
“Yeah, I’ll leave my badge and gun in your office with my resignation tomorrow morning,” I scoffed, even though I saw this coming.
“What? No,” Brass cut us off, “one, real policeponies don’t use that line, only those in the holomovies and two, I said I was taking you off the case, not the force.” He waved his hoof in front of our faces as he said this, dismissing my worry.
“Sweet,” I smiled, but I quickly stopped as soon as the horrible realization dawned upon me. I may befall a fate even worse than death… “Holy Applebugs, are you sending us back to the archives?” Oh dear Celestia, days and days without doing anything but standing at a doorway in the corner of New Pegasus where almost nopony passes by, I think I’m going to kill myself.
“You really are a dedicated and informed agent, Boulder,” the moustached pony rolled his eyes in disappointment. “Sundown,” he pointed the young orange pony, “please tell me you know what I’m talking about.”
The blond rubbed his chin with his front hoof in thought, “We’re… going to be Miss Rose’s bodyguards, am I right?”
“Good student!” he laughs, “Boulder, why can’t you be more like your companion?” he teased me.
I playfully pouted towards Sundown, and stuck my tongue out like a sour foal, and in response, he simply rolled his eyes while smirking. “You two, dismissed,” the chief said with authority as he made a shooing motion with his hoof.
“Wow, no mind numbing briefing by Brass?” What? I couldn’t leave without pissing off the chief, that’d break my streak.
“I’m sure the two ponies you’ll be working with can brief you on their own. You’d enjoy theirs more than mine,” he laughed, leaving Sundown and I confused.
“What do you think he meant?” Sundown asked as we exited the building, “He seemed to be hiding something from us about our new assignment.”
“I’m not sure,” I told the colt, “but I think I won’t like it…”
Fallout Equestria: Viva Las Pegasus -- Tails of New Pegasus Chapter Ten: Sleeping on the Job
-----
CLING!
“Morning, Xarin,” I sleepily greet as I walk into the cream colored building of the Kubwa Kahawa once more, as per tradition. “I’ll have the usual.”
“Oh, hello there my friend!” The zebra gave me one of his trademark warm smiles, motioning for me to take a seat in the usual stool. “One Luna Special in a minute,” he announced as if the house was full, turning towards his workstation to prepare my order.
I could barely stifle a yawn as I sit on the old, metal stool and I took out my pocket watch. “Dammit, it’s already 7:00, where is that flankface?” I mutter to myself, struggling to stay awake. Can’t believe I woke up this early when that colt would be late. Ugh, this is unbelievable. I need a coffee.
“Xarin, how long till that Luna’s out?” I impatiently ask, tapping my hoof on the bar counter.
“Right… about… now!” he reaches out a cup of hot, steaming coffee, frothing with flavour, smelling of coffee, milk, sugar and cinnamon in a perfect blend. Yum. I take a whiff of the drink to savour it before gulping it down. Nothing like starting a morning of violence and chaos like a Luna Special.
“So, how’d it go yesterday?” Xarin took a relaxed position at the other side of the bar across me, leaning forward and looking me in the eye. “You an unemployed pony yet? I could use somepony to mop the floors in the morning,” he chuckled.
“No, like I said, we had other responsibilities. As a matter of fact, we’re in charge of Miss Desert Rose’s safety.”
“Oh?” Xarin slightly lowered his shades and shot me an interested look, “the spokespony? Be sure to drum up some business for me,” he gave a sly smile, followed by a hearty laugh. “But in all seriousness, it looks like Old Bouldy’s moving up in the world, yet he is still guarding a powerful mare and passing by my place for coffee.”
“Yeah, it’s a bit… ironic, ain’t it? Times changed, but in the end, we’re still doing the same things,” I said.
“You are telling me, but I would rather be serving coffee from behind this counter than in front of that street cart again.”
“Yeah, I guess. But admit it, Freedom Fields was much more fun.”
“I did not drum up as much business there. Apparently, sparkling shards were the best way to start the morning for most junkies in that backwater town,” he grumbled bitterly.
“Didn’t you like Stringer business? I mean, come on, everypony who went to the Music School saw your stall on their way there,” I reasoned.
“Boulder, you were the only pony who actually went there regularly, most just phase away.”
“Huh. Even more reason to keep my job, unless you wanna lose the shop and end up getting your plot pounded against for a pay check by the Buckmares?” I chuckled.
CLING!
“Shut up- oh by the spirits, it’s you!” Xarin exclaimed, grinning with eyes staring past me and towards his door. “Long time no see, young one.”
“Good morning Mister Xarin,” I hear Sundown greeted politely from the door. “I haven’t seen you in a while.”
“Good to see you too, young one, please have a seat,” the zebra pointed his hoof towards an empty stool next to me. “I’ll get you a drink.”
“No, no, it’s alright,” Sundown told the zebra, albeit it was in vain, as he already began to mix up a Luna Special for the colt. With a sigh, he sat down beside me, dressed in his sharp, blue, business suit, looking like a big shot pony around town, with his mane combed neatly. You’d think he was either a rich gambler or a city hall pony unless you noticed the dark brown of his armoured leather underneath his jacket. That and the rifle that he keeps hoisted around his back. Aside from that, he also smelled of…
“Seriously? Again?” I scoffed. “Dammit, Sundown, what did I say about growing a pair?”
“What is your problem with being presentable?”
“No, I have no problem with looking like some colt I raised smelling like a mare!”
“Boulder, just because you don’t take baths, doesn’t mean I also need to be filthy,” he joked.
“I mean, lavender coat wash? You might as well put lipstick on, boy!”
“You know we won’t go anywhere with this,” he rolled his eyes.
“Well, for one, you could be more of a stallion,” I sighed.
“Go easy on the colt, hygiene is important,” Xarin cut in, approaching the counter. “One Luna Special,” he placed a white mug on the counter in front of Sundown’s stool, giving him an inviting smile. Sundown was never one for coffee, but the cup in front of him was steaming and the scent of cinnamon took over the air around the coffee shop. Slowly, the orange pony grabbed the cup with both hooves, and took a big gulp of it.
“That’s pretty good,” he grinned. “I see why Boulder comes here.”
“I am glad you like it,” Xarin said, “Anyway, you two have business to attend to, and I shall leave you to it.” Oh, right, I thought, we should get going right now.
“So, you wanna get to Miss Rose’s place right now?” I turn to the orange pony, awaiting his decision.
“The earlier, the better,” he said, standing up from the stool, putting his front left hoof to his back just to touch his lucky rifle. “I say we get going.”
“Somepony’s eager to see his little fillyfriend,” I tease as I get up from my stool as well. “Let’s roll out.”
-----
Once again, we were standing in front of City Hall, which seemed extra busy today. High-class ponies were walking in and out, some secretaries would rush in holding a stack of papers in their mouths, other ponies would be escorted by a bunch of bodyguards inside, but nonetheless, they all seemed to be doing something important. A rowdy looking old pony clad in black hardened leather hardly looked like he would fit in, but my young companion really rocked the look with his suit.
“Come on, let’s head inside,” Sundown finally said, trotting up the white steps of the grand building.
“OOF!”
I turn to see who I bumped, which turned out to be a light-green mare that was picking up papers that undoubtedly scattered across the floor when I bumped her. “Watch where you’re going there, missy,” I tell her. She seemed offended by my tone, and she looked at Sundown.
“Sir, can you teach your bodyguard some respect? By Celestia, these lackeys get worse and worse,” she muttered.
I was about to object, but Sundown quickly took advantage of the opportunity, “Yes, I’m terribly sorry, I’ll make sure to keep him on tighter leash,” he chuckled, as he gave me a wink.
I’ll get you back for this, I glare at him.
Totally worth it, he smirks back as we pass the doorway leading into the grand lobby of the City Hall, where ponies left and right flooded the scene, the only beacon of clarity being the semicircular table in the center of the room, where a bunch of mares were busy filling out paperwork or entertaining the questions of some random political pony. We walk up to the table, approaching a mare who was so immersed in the documents she was reading, I almost doubted she noticed us. “Miss, we’re-“
“Miss Rose’s office is down the central hallway, second to the right,” she automatically, not even looking up from her table.
“AIrighty, ma’am,” I say, quickly hurrying past the table towards the hallway with Sundown following behind.
We stop in front of the door to Miss Rose’s office, which was a simple, chestnut brown with the top half being a tinted window with the seal of the New Pegasus painted in gray on it.
“Is this the office?” I ask, just to be sure.
“Is it?” Sundown echoed, reflecting my doubt. “Just knock.”
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
“Come in!” we hear a familiar shrill voice call from inside. Oh, dear Celestia, I hope it’s not her.
We walk into the pistachio green room, which was simple yet stylish. The door we entered from was in the rightmost of the room, then in the center was a brown fur rug and a small, glass coffee table. Across the table, backed up to the left wall of the room was a red, velvet couch. Over at the left corner of the room, there was another door, which I presumed to lead into the spokespony’s workplace, with a desk by the side of the door, with an old, pale blue mare who was all too familiar to us, whose voice shrieked with disapproval and disdain at most of our actions. “Is that...” I trail off, hoping it’s not really who I think it is.
“Hello, Quillheart,” Sundown greeted the old mare, who looked rather surprised to see us.
“Oh dear, they sent you two?” she shuddered a bit, still staring at us, trying to register in her head that we were there again. “Why you two?”
“Great to see you too, Quillheart,” I rolled my eyes. She could at least act like she didn’t despise our very presence.
“Well, we’re assigned to be Miss Rose’s guard. Deal with it.” I grumbled, because as much as she hated it, I hated it even more, because instead of only having to deal with her a few days a week, I’ll have to see her everyday.
“I don’t think there’s anything I can do about it, so I assume the quicker I brief you, the sooner you leave, so basically, your job is to accompany Miss Rose. You meet up with her here in the morning, but you are not dismissed at any set time, only dismissed by her. In addition, it is your duty to oblige her requests that may extend outside standard bodyguard duties.”
“Oh, are we going to wash her clothes and cook breakfast for her?” I sarcastically murmured before Sundown hoofed me in my stomach.
“You’ll know what I mean when the time comes. Now take a seat, shut up, and wait for Miss Rose,” Quillheart commands us as she gets back to her desk, “I have paperwork to catch up on.”
“She’s hospitable,” I mutter as I take a seat on the red couch.
“Come on, you can’t blame her, you are kind of a psychopath,” Sundown tried to reason with me, laughing a bit.
“I can’t blame you for being in a good mood,” I respond, laughing at my companion’s reddening in his cheeks.
“Yeah, I guess so,” he looked away as he scratched the back of his head.
“Yeah, well, if you need me,” I yawned, laying my head on one end of the couch, “I’ll be catching a few winks...”
-----
“So, what exactly are we doing here?” the purple pony asked, killing another cigarette. “I don’t suppose we’re here for a friendly visit.” “Yeah, no shit, Sunbeam Tree,” I respond sarcastically, taking a sip from my canteen of whiskey. “This ain’t no home visit,” I say, staring at the alleyway where our target just entered. “Dee wants us to see if the rumours are true.” “And if they are?” the maroon earth pony next to me inquired, rubbing his hooves on his tommy gun, anxiously awaiting his first bite of action. “We report back?” “We should,” I say, “Or you know, we could go in guns blazing, and say we were doing it in self-defense.” “That seems... wrong,” Misfire replied about it, staring down into the street from the second floor of the abandoned building we were using to stake out. “We could risk the life of those foals...” He was quite right, but then as time has taught me, sometimes, the kind way doesn’t compare to cutting the head of the threat then beating the shit out of the threat with its own head. And to be frank, in my eyes, both ways would give the same result, but the violent way was more fun. “Shhh!!! Somepony’s coming,” Sunbeam Tree hushed us, peeking outside the blinds of the window towards the alley. “Lemme see,” I push the mare out of the way and look outside the window. A pony clad in a trench coat with a hood over his face was cautiously looking around, before entering the dark alley. “He’s entering the alleyway,” I quietly announce to the group. “Something’s up there,” Misfire concludes, as he walks over to the table in the center of the room with a map on top of it. “Hmmm... that alley doesn’t lead to any other exits, so there’s something going on in one of the buildings there.” I’m pretty sure Misfire was about to say something else, but I couldn’t hear it while I was going down the stairs and towards the alley. Last thing I heard was the whispery-shouty voice of the Sunbeam yelling “Boulder! Get back here!” The alleyway was surprisingly dark, given that I was in broad daylight. I figured the buildings around the area did a very good job of keeping the place shrouded. This screamed shady dealings and using foal factory workers for manufacturing drugs. Or you know, it could’ve just meant the placing didn’t go great with sunlight. I liked the first one better. I unholstered my shotgun from my back and slowly proceeded into the wrecked alleyway. It was disgusting, smelling of rancid radroach and what I hoped was the shit of the shit of a skunk. No, not the shit of a skunk, but the shit of the shit of a skunk. “Ugh,” I gagged, “it smells like the shit of the shit of a skunk.” “You said it,” a gruff voice grumbled from behind the dumpster, startling me to the point where I dropped my shotgun. “Son of a bitch!” I cried, quickly picking up my shotgun and pointing it to the other side of the dumpster as I walked briskly to the source of the sound. “Son of a bitch!” an old, bearded pony in ruined clothes echoed as the orange glow of my shotgun grip illuminated his face. His mane and beard were all frizzy and unkempt and his coat all dirty and ragged. In one hoof, he had a cup with coins in it, and tied to his neck was a string which kept a cardboard with the words ‘spare change’ with the ‘e’s written backwards hanging by his chest. I figured he was just some bum hanging around the alley since he had no place to live in, like many others here in Freedom Fields. “Have you seen anypony come by recently?” I interrogated him, pressing my shotgun closer to his face, and in response, he backed up to the dumpster, pointing his hoof deeper into the alley, to a red door at the end of the line. “You sure?” I asked, to which the bum quickly nodded. I smile at him and mocking said “Thank you for your cooperation sir,” as I trotted over to the red door, gun ready for action.
Suddenly, I feel the world start to shake. GET UP.
GET UP. GET UP!!!
-----
“HOLY SHIT!” I jump to a start.
“ACK!” CRASH!
Next thing I know, Sundown’s lying in a ruined coffee table, eyes dazed while a pale blue mare from behind a desk shrieked and a pink mare with a red mane striped white in a spring dress stood close by, mouth agape. On Sundown’s belly were two distinct hoof marks. My hoofmarks. It didn’t take me long to realize what had happened.
“Oh, Sundown, you clumsy colt,” I chuckled, looking at the two mares, “He has a habit of tripping. He really needs to pay more attention.”
“Ughhh...” the orange unicorn groaned in pain, probably not hearing what I just said.
“Shouldn’t we get him some help?” the pink mare asked me with concern, eyeing the stream of blood dripping off his mouth. “He looks kind of hurt.”
“Nah, he’s been through worse,” I laughed, but then I realized, “Oh, dear me, where are my manners?” I put on a very bad Trottingham accent just to seem fancy, “I am Sir Brawny Boulder, pleased to make your acquaintance, but please, call me Boulder,” I bowed, “My partner Desert Sundown and I have been assigned as your security detail.”
“Ah, I see,” she nodded, yet it was obvious she was still kind of disturbed by me bucking my partner into broken glass and chuckling about it. “Mr. Badge told me about you coming.”
“Yes ma’am,” I politely said, “we’re here to keep you safe from any threat, and apparently, we have secondary duties to help you around the household.”
“You’re kidding, right?” she shot me a quizzical look.
“Well, I think so. But only if you ask. But, dear Celestia, please don’t ask. And apparently, once we meet up with you in the office, we’re totally under your command, so we can only be dismissed or take breaks when you tell us we can. So, if it’s not too much to ask...” I jokingly look down to the ground and kick the ground, like how a schoolfoal would do before asking a teacher a question, then I asked as politely as I could, “could we have a break now?”
“But we haven’t even left,” she responded, rolling her eyes, but still smiling. “I don’t think breaks work that way...”
“Yeah, but...” I point my hoof towards the coffee table were Sundown still lay out cold, head slacked against the ruins of the frame. When Miss Rose was reminded, her eyes opened wide in alert, and she literally jumped a bit.
“We need to get him to a doctor!” she exclaimed, already by his side trying to get him to stand up.
“I was thinking we should get him to a bar and just let him drink the pain away,” I joked.
“Mr. Boulder! This is serious!” she replied, obviously not amused by my antics. “It’s basically your fault he’s in a bad state, you know.”
“That’s debateable,” I grumbled, but nonetheless, I opened the door and levitated Sundown and lay him on my back, some blood dripping down his mouth soaking my neck. “Ugh, gross.”
“Come on, follow me, we can take him to the Guild,” Miss Rose told me, then she turned her attention to her secretary. “Quillheart, please put all my appointments on hold.”
“But ma’am,” she was about to object, but we left the room too quick to hear her bitch about whatever it was.
-----
“You know,” I told Miss Rose, “you’re not like most other political ponies...”
“Why is that?” she asked.
“Don't worry, that was a compliment. Unlike most of the high and mighty folk, you put all of your business on hold for some random pony you just met today.”
“It’s good to help somepony who needs it,” she said, “wait a minute,
“We used to guard the archives. You’d visit there every once in a while.”
“I know, it’s under my department, but... I thought the archives hold nothing but old, boring files?” the pink pony wondered, looking at the direction where the archive was, a few blocks away from the city hall. “That’s why I usually send Quillheart to check it instead.”
“And now you understand why I already love this job compared to my last one,” I told her, before almost tripping, “Son of a bitch!” I cried, trying to land on my belly so that Sundown’s limp figure doesn’t get a scratch treatment from the cement, but as I braced myself for the fall, it never came. Instead, I opened my eyes and saw that both Sundown and I were surrounded in a pink aura. I turned my head and saw that our boss had the same pink aura coming out of her horn, yet she was still smiling, as if she was barely exerting any effort.
“Need help?” she asked.
“Hmmm, nah, I think I’d be fine if you dropped us and I slammed on the cold, hard ground.” I rolled my eyes, making sure every word was soaking with sarcasm.
“Okay.”
“Wha-“ THUD! “Ouch.” From the cold hard cement, I turned back and saw Miss Rose giggling a bit, with Sundown still floating over her in pink aura. “Well,” I rolled my eyes, “I guess I kind of deserve this for being a smart ass, I s’pose,” I chuckled as well. I could appreciate a boss with a sense of humour.
“Come on, the fort’s not far now. Don’t worry, it doesn’t look to serious.”
“Did I look worried?”
“That’s why I’m even more worried,” she half-joked, but she stumbled as Sundown’s body jerked alive above her, her horn’s light flickering weakly.
“Wha- AGH!” he cried as he took a 3 meter belly flop into the pavement. PAK! “Oh shit...” he groaned.
“Are you alright?” Miss Rose quickly rushed to his aid, helping him get up back on his hooves. “I’m so sorry, I lost my focus.”
“No, no, it’s alright,” Sundown smiled at the spokespony, who was still apologizing. “It’s my fault for getting bucked by Boulder. Besides, it’s just a little scratch,” he looked at his back, which had glass shards still sticking out of it, but he simply shrugged it off. Good ol’ Sundown, just like I taught him.
“Don’t be like that, it’s no problem to me, come on, let’s get you looked at,” she insisted, grabbing Sundown’s hoof, causing the orange pony’s cheek to redden. “Hurry, we don’t want those wounds to get infected,” she said sweetly, as if she didn’t imply horrible pain would be a consequence if they didn’t hurry. The more I thought about it, the creepier it sounded.
-----
“Well, the lad’s alright,” the ghoul in the white labcoat smiled as he exited the tent, “but he’ll need a few hours of bedrest to get rid of the concussion,” he informed us in a heavy, raspy, Trottingham accent.
“Thanks for the help,” Miss Rose politely thanked the ghoul, who laughed in response.
“Relax, Rose, these two have been through worse,” he chuckled.
“Oh?” she shot a look of interest towards me. “Do I want to know?”
“I’m not familiar enough with you to judge, but most ponies would rather not hear the tales.” I looked around the fort. Inside the dull yellow brick walls, a couple of white tents surrounded the center, which held a large, wooden picnic table where doctors, patients and Follower guards, and right in front of it, the butterfly flag of the Healer's Guild flew proudly. This place has seen worse days, I reminisced, thinking back on the old Follower leader Goldie and how she would bark at us for being “brutes, barbarians” and whatever the fuck she’d say... And of course, there was the attack on Dee’s wedding.
“You know, this place used to be really corrupt until Mixer took over,” Miss Rose absentmindedly stated, seated beside me in the bench outside the tent Sundown was being kept in, as if she knew what I was thinking.
“Yeah, did you hear about the attack on the wedding?”
“I was there, you know. I was a flower girl,” she chuckled, but as quick as the smile came, a grim expression fell over her face. She probably remembered something about the wedding that she didn’t want to.
“Oh, was that you?” I quickly said, changing the route of the conversation. “That little filly in the blue beret? I didn’t know you were military.” Though I was smiling at her, I tensed up the magic in my horn, ready to blow her head off any second. The NER aren’t really on my good side right now.
“You were there?” she looked at me with wondering eyes. “How’d it go for you?”
I sighed, leaned back on the bench for a more relaxed position, “Well, I used to be an enforcer for the Stringers, so it was a rather busy day for me. I don’t think you noticed me back there anyway.”
“We’ve got time until your friend wakes up. I always like hearing what old people have to say, I mean, what... experienced, not old people have to say!” she goofily grinned, since I shot her an annoyed look after she said old.
She looked so innocent and curious, so I couldn’t resist her cute little puppy dog eyes. “Alright, that morning was a normal morning for me...” I trailed of, thinking back to the morning of the wedding a few year back...
Fallout Equestria: Viva Las Pegasus -- Tails of New Pegasus Chapter Eleven: Bachelor Party!!!
-----
“So, Metronome, big wedding coming up, eh?”
“Yes, I noticed.”
“Really now?” I laughed.
I was by her side, watching the construction ponies setting up a grand stage front of the music school. Metronome was literally in knots trying to arrange this wedding, and right now she was barking orders at anypony not doing their job right. The blunt of the work got placed on Metronome, since Dee was the bride and it would seem wrong for her to do the heavy lifting, and although she was happy to oblige, the stress took its toll on my sister, arranging a grand wedding in only a few days.
I noticed she was worriedly looking over a clipboard of what I think was a list of materials. “Anything wrong, sis?”
“It’s nothing,” she dismissed me, obviously not wanting my snout in her business. All these years and she still remained distant.
“You sure?” I persisted, hoping to help her any way I can.
“Of course, now I’m busy,” she said, ignoring me while she was closely observing the workponies for any mistake. “We’re just a bit behind schedule, HEY YOU!” she barked, alarming the whole work crew, “GET YOUR FLANK MOVING! WE’RE FOLLOWING A DEADLINE!” Metronome yelled as a brown pony with sacks on his back perked up and quickly trotted towards the site.
“I can see you’re busy. Should I-?”
“Yes, Boulder. Get out, I need to focus,” she coldly commanded.
“Alright then,” I smiled, “just get a hold of me if you need anything.”
I trot away, towards the Music School behind the stage when I felt a hoof on my back.
“Wait,” Metronome looked at me apologetically, “Bouldy, I didn’t mean-“
“Nah,” I waved my hoof dismissively, “it’s no problem. I understand.” I gave her a warm smile to let her know I wasn’t really bothered by the way she dismissed me. She may act like she doesn’t care, but there are times she slips.
“Okay,” she gave a deep sigh of relief, but as soon as that came, her strict demeanour returned, “now stop bothering me.”
“Alright,” I rolled my eyes, “I’ll get out of your mane. I’ll be with Misfire if you need anything.”
-----
The Stringers lounge wasn’t all fancy or clean, but it was fine enough. It was a fixed up classroom, decorated with looted diner stalls and a long picnic table at the side of the room, and in one corner, two soda machines and a bunch of refrigerators stood, in case anypony needed a drink or a nibble. On my usual booth, over by the window with a very scenic view of the large gray wall of some ruin, I saw my lieutenant hanging around with an orange unicorn colt.
“And that’s where foals come from,” Misfire grinned at Sundown, who was probably ignoring every word he was saying, full attention diverted on the book surrounded by a blue mist right in front of him. Misfire’s ears dropped and he put on a frown a few seconds afterwards. “You weren’t listening, were you?”
“I’m not a foal,” Sundown rolled his eyes in annoyance, “I know that foals don’t come from plants on the ground.”
“Then where do foals come from, hmm?” the maroon pony nudged Sundown, smiling smugly as he watched the colt put his book down and ponder on the question.
“I don’t know,” Sundown sheepishly answered, shrinking in his stool in embarrassment.
“It’s because they come from plants! They start as beans!”
“Filling up the colt with your bullshit again, Misfire?” I chuckled as I pushed Misfire to the side of the stool, taking a seat.
“The colt’s a smart one, I’ll give you that,” he goofily grinned in response. “You see, foals come from-“
PAK!
“Don’t finish that sentence,” I told him as he rubbed his cheek, now colored red in the shape of my hoof.
“Oww,” he grumbled, “I get it.”
“So, Sundown, shouldn’t you be in class?” I asked the foal, who resumed reading his book and tuning us out.
“Lessons are postponed since nopony would teach. Miss Cleff is getting married and Metronome is too busy preparing the wedding. Don’t you remember me telling you?” Sundown stated dully, not letting an ounce of his attention leave his book.
“Tell me about it,” I rolled my eyes, “Metronome’s been stressing out like crazy.”
“Well, can you blame her?” Misfire piped up from my side, “Hey, but since she’s busy, you’re free to go to the party!”
“Party?” I ask, now fully awake and facing the pony to my left, “What party?”
“Nadyr’s Bachelor Party! Don’t you know?” he asked, looking as excited as ever.
“That bitch didn’t invite me!” I slammed my hoof on the table. “Somepony’s getting a beatdown.”
“Hang on, I just got news now, and it’s not Nadyr hosting it,” Misfire justified, putting a hoof over me to hold me back. “It’s actually Saddle, and it’s at Four Little Diamonds!”
“Wait, the BUCKMARE!?” I shouted in disbelief.
“Yeah, him. Can you believe it? It’s a surprise, so nopony tell Nadyr.”
“One minute, we’re all ready to shoot each other, and the other, we’ll all go binge drinking in a bar?” I chuckle, before clapping my hooves. “Great!”
“Wait, what about Sundown?”
“What about him?” I look at the colt still reading his book, barely paying us notice.
“Well, as far as I can tell, Metronome would be too busy, and I will NOT be stuck in foalsitting duty while you have fun.” Misfire made an ‘X’ with his front legs to fortify his point.
“We take him with us, duh.”
“What?” Misfire and Sundown look at me in unison, with a questioning look in their eyes, as if to say ‘are you serious?’
“Yeah, he’s old enough now, I don’t s’pose it’ll do him any harm,” I bellowed out a hearty laugh afterwards.
“I guess so!” the maroon pony smiled in response, “Congrats Sundown, you’re gonna be a stallion today!” He patted the blond mane on Sundown, who only sighed in exasperation.
“Am I the only one wondering how I’m still alive?”
“Sheer luck, by the looks of it!”
Both of us laughed once more, while Sundown simply rolled his eyes and continued reading his book.
-----
“Hurry up, fucker!” I goaded Misfire, who was taking a bath after oversleeping. “We’ll be late!”
We were on a schedule. One of the Stringers came up to us and told us it was our responsibility to bring Nadyr to the Four Little Diamonds for the surprise, because apparently, everypony else already called dibs on not doing it. So we had to get the groom early on, convince him to come with us to the Four Little Diamonds, then we can start the night of chaotic fun.
“Right, right, right,” he muttered as he quickly bolted out of the bathroom, fully dressed and prepped to go. “You ready Sundown?” he smiled at my young companion, who was hiding behind my leg.
“I guess so,” he quietly responded, looking away and not even
“Poor thing was always crazy shy,” I chuckled, “come on, Nadyr’s waiting.”
We trot down the hallway, ready to get crazy, when in front of us, a white mare looked at us with piercing eyes through her glasses. “Where are you going?” Metronome asked us, eyeing Sundown in particular.
“Well, there’s this bachelor party for Nadyr in Four Litt-“
“Why is Sundown with you?” she sternly asked us.
We’re treading on thin ice here....
“Uhh... you see, you’re really busy....” I mutter softly, trying to avoid eye contact. “And I couldn’t leave the foal alone...”
“And you’re bringing him to the bar?” Metronome lowered her glasses and glared at Misfire and I. Jeez, if looks could kill, we’d be massacred right now.
“Come on, there’s no other way around it,” Misfire tried to reason with my sister,
“You could not go,” the mare hissed at him.
All of a sudden, Sundown pushed his way in between us and towards Metronome. “Umm... Metronome?” he sweetly called her, shyly looking down to the floor and kicking idly using his left front hoof.
In an instant, Metronome’s face softened as she looked down to the cute little innocent colt. “Yes? What is it?” she knelt lower and gave a warm smile to the young foal.
“Well, I’d hate to be the reason that Nadyr doesn’t enjoy himself because it’s his special day tomorrow,” he softly mumbled, “and I can take care of myself, I promise,” he looked up at her with cute, beady blue eyes.
“I- oh, but- ugh, okay,” Metronome sighed at the sight of the colt, “fine, I’ll let you go with them, but promise you won’t get into trouble, okay?” she caringly told him as she put a hoof on his shoulder.
“Thanks Metronome!” he smiled as he wrapped his forelegs around my sister’s neck.
“No problem,” she smiles back, “Now go have some fun.”
Sundown breaks the hug and proceeds down the hall, but as we were about to follow, Metronome stopped both of us dead in our tracks.
“Listen, boys,” she hissed, back to her reprimandy mode again, “I’ll allow Sundown to go with you because he’s a great colt. But...” She leans in closer to Misfire, staring him directly in the eyes, “if any hair on his mane gets out of place, I. Will. End you,” she leaned forward on every word until Misfire was already about to fall because he was too backed up. “Okay?” she resumed her original position, allowing Misfire to stand straight once again, but we replied only with silence, until Misfire piped up.
“Meeeeeeeep,” he squealed, eyes wide open with fear.
“I’m glad we have an understanding, gentlecolts,” she gave us a sweet smile before trotting past us.
“Scary,” I commented. “Come on, let’s go,” I nudged on Misfire to go, but from his expression, I figured he was still a bit spooked.
Sundown was waiting for us by the stairs, taking an eyeful of Misfire as we slowly trotted towards him. “Not good, I assume?”
“Not good at all,” I agree, also looking at the maroon pony next to me.
“You owe me one for that stunt back there by the way,” he told me as-a-matter-of-factly.
“Yeah, I guess so,” I gave a soft laugh. “Let’s hurry, Nadyr’s waiting downstairs.”
Downstairs, we saw a black zebra with faint white stripes, sporting his trademark beard and mohawk, hanging by the empty lobby of the school, tapping his hoof in impatience until he saw us. “Hey!” he called out. “Come on, I didn’t get called out just to wait.”
“Right, of course, Mister Black,” I teased him with his handle, making him roll his eyes in response, “we don’t want to endanger your big wedding with the boss lady!”
“Come on, what was it I was being called for again?” he inquired.
“It was for... ummm...” I mumbled, quickly scrambling my thoughts in order to think of an excuse.
“The Stringers planned on singing a surprise song for Miss Cleff, and they wanted the groom to see it first and judge it.” Sundown chimed in, saving my ass.
“Oh?” the stallion giggled, “is that so? Man, I’d pay to see this. Come on, let’s hurry.”
“Right behind you,” I tell him as he exits the building. “Thanks for the save, kid,” I winked at Sundown before leaving with Misfire.
-----
After walking a few minutes, Misfire suddenly stops dead in his tracks, right under the darkening night sky of the city, with the bright lights slowly coming back to life.
“Hey, is something wrong with him?” Nadyr asks, looking back at the frozen maroon pony.
“I... don’t quite know,” I reply, approaching Misfire.
“Hello?!” I wave my foreleg in front of his eyes. “Misfire!? Snap out of it!”
“You know that thing with Metronome a while ago?” he emotionlessly says, still staring into space.
“Yeah?” I respond, worrying a bit. Did she scare him a bit too much?
“That...... That was crazy hot. I’ve been rock hard for the past five minutes.”
“AUUUGH DUUUDE!” Sundown yelped in disgust.
“FOR FUCK’S SAKE MISFIRE!” I yell, taking a step away from the red stallion.
Nadyr just looked at us, puzzled as to what we were talking about. Out of context, it seemed really wrong.
-----
“SURPRISE!” everypony yelled as we entered the bar.
“What’s this?” the half-zebra looked around, still recovering from the shock.
I put my foreleg over his neck, “A bachelor party! You’re one of us, even if you are still technically outside the gang.”
From the crowd of ponies emerged a fat, gray, earth pony. “You there!” Saddle Buckmare, owner of the Four Little Diamonds, cried. “You’re about to get the ball and chain! Let me show you a great time!” he approached the Stringer external member.
“Yeah!” the crowd cheered in unison. Nadyr wasn’t in the gang, but he’s been regularly called for his services, and the Stringers members have come to accept him as one of their own, even if it wasn’t official.
The drab, dull bar was filled with ponies, some wearing the Stringers jackets, well others wearing the padded leather with the Four Diamonds, but everypony had a big grin on their face, with either a mug of beer, a bottle, or a cup in their hoof. Some of the guys had already started, since I caught a few of them stumbling here and there.
“Looks like a great party,” the half-zebra smiled. “You arranged this?”
“Of course,” Saddle stretched his forearms in a welcoming fashion, “we’re on the same boat now, aren’t we?” he chuckled.
“Come on you two, enough with the formalities!” I placed one foreleg around each of their necks, “let’s get drinks!”
-----
An hour later, we were all buzzed, and the whole place smelled of booze, and with a hint of puke. It was story telling time, and there was a whole crowd swarming the round table where Nadyr, Saddle, some old pony and some griffin were sitting at, eager to hear the story.
“And then the junkie, with broken forelegs, he tried to charge at me full speed, right?” I said, with a lot of eyes in the bar on me as I stood on the round table. “So I my horn was all orange, ready to fuck shit up, then all of a sudden,” I stopped for dramatic effect, “his brains blew out right in front of me! I look across the street, and see Nadyr over there, still in the porta-potty with the door wide open, still shitting, with a pistol in his mouth!” Everypony broke into laughter, while Nadyr just rolled his eyes.
“I saved your flank!” he objected with a smile.
“All right, all right, let’s be fair,” I bellowed, catching everypony’s attention. “Let’s not make fun of Mister Black, because after all, I did see a lot of him I never intended to that day, at let me just say,” I chuckled, then wolf-whistled, “he’s got a lot going wrong for him down there too!”
The crowd once again howled with laughter, and I think Saddle even began choking on some peanuts as I told the joke. Nadyr, being the good sport, just slammed a hoof to my nuts as I was on the table.
PAK!
Once again, the crowd got drunk with laughter (and booze, mind you.) I was laughing too, even though I was in pain, then I puked all over the side of the table because of the drunkenness and the groin hit, the griffin barely avoiding the big spill. “Aww, gross!” she shrieked as she backed away, and everypony but her laughed at the sight. “What was that all about?” the griffin whined in disgust.
“That was you displaying great reflexes, dear!” her boss laughed, “no wonder I hired you!” Saddle was leaning on the old pony, his face barely showing any sign of awareness in him. The fat flank was drunk out of his mind.
As soon as I recovered, I was once more standing over the crowd on the table. “Alright, alright, who else wants to tell a story about the groom?”
Somepony at the back of the crowd raised his hoof. “Oh! Me!” He ran up to the front and took my place as I stepped down and blended into the crowd once more. “Let me tell you the story of Nadyr and the toaster-shooters.”
“Alright,” he began, “so this one time, a bunch of us were hanging around. Then somepony came up to us, told us we were being called. Then Miss Metronome, the bitch-“
“HEY!” Everyone in the room turned to me and backed away, knowing shit might be going down. “Don’t you fucking say that about her!”
The whole crowd fell silent for a few moments, before some mare in the crowd blurted out, “Aww, that’s so sweet! Defending his sister!” All of a sudden, the whole room began teasing me with being soft and whatnot.
“I- I- I... Oh come on guys,” I stammered, “It’s not wrong to love your family members. I love my sister, and-”
“I love your sister too!” A voice rang out from the back of the room. And then everypony lost their shit.
“OOOOH!” “SHIIIIIIIT!” “Did he really just say that?” “Man, below the belt!” “That’s against the bro code!” “Shit’s going down!” “I got ten caps on Boulder beating the shit out of whoever that was.”
The crowd murmured, some ponies just stood up and shouted because of the solidness of that comment, others laughed their ass off, but everypony knew that something good was going to happen. The crowd actually parted ways for me, isolating the stallion that made that comment.
I angrily stumble up to him and look him in the eye. “You mind repeating that, boy?”
The stallion just gave me a goofy smile, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry... what I said was...”
He then proceeded to try to climb up the nearest table without tripping, then he stood on his hindlegs, elevating him like a beacon amongst the sea of ponies. “I WOULD LIKE TO POUND METRONOME’S PLOT SO HARD ALL NIGHT!” he bellowed to the crowd, slurring and emphasizing every word while looking me straight in the eye, as if to mock me.
“Dammit, get down here!” I bite on his tail and yank him down, causing him to crash into some ponies. “Let’s rumble!” I growl at him as I land a hoof to his face. The stallion, still drunk, but aware enough to fight, returns the punch. Out of nowhere, Misfire comes in and bucks the stallion in the face, prompting his friends to join in the fight. Looking around, I saw some random mare just buck a stallion who was uninvolved, and more like that happened until the place was literally a madhouse. I spotted Saddle under a table while I got slammed to the floor by three unicorns, and I was able to catch a glimpse of Sundown reading his book by the door, so at least I knew he was safe. Now, all I needed to do was to get out of this alive...
-----
Later on, the fighting got tiring and everyone went back to drinking, puking, and laughing like nothing ever happened. In fact, I was even sharing a drink with that loudmouth I picked a fight with, along with Misfire and another Stringer. We were just chatting it up when out of nowhere, the lucky groom joined us.
“Hey!” he cheerfully greeted, although it was more of a mumble, which meant he was super drunk. He was looking surprisingly fine, suit wrinkled a bit but no bruises. It’s either he was a really good fighter or he dodged the fight. Knowing Nadyr, it’s the first.
“It’s the lucky groom!” Misfire yelled, putting a hoof around the half-zebra. “Come on, how’s it feel to get it down with the boss lady?”
“Is she great in bed?” The loudmouth asked, before being nudged by his friend.
“Inappropriate!” His companion reprimanded.
“Nah, it’s fine, and I don’t know yet,” he gave us a toothy smile, “but I’ll tell you as soon as I find out.”
We laugh about it and continue to chat for a while when I realize something. “Wait, you’re technically one of us now, right?”
Nadyr rubbed his beard thoughtfully, “Yeah, I guess so.”
All of a sudden, I was sharing a devious smile with Misfire and the two other Stringers, then we all looked at Nadyr.
“What?” he asked, obviously a bit creeped out.
Ignoring him, I stand up on a table and call the gang to attention. “STRINGERS!” All ponies in the signature Stringers jacket turned to me, much to the confusion of the Buckmare employees. “We are considering Nadyr one of us, and he’s getting married tomorrow, so....?”
“TWENTY-ONE BOTTLE SALUTE!” the Stringers shouted in unison.
“Wait, what?” Nadyr looked around, still having no clue what was going on. The Buckmares also had no idea what was going in, as they harboured the same look Nadyr had.
“Barkeep!” I call, looking at the pony behind the bar counter, “21 bottles of your strongest drink, please!”
“I don’t like where this is going...” Nadyr muttered, looking awfully unsure.
“It’s tradition,” I assured him, “this has happened to many other now-married Stringers,” as a tray of 21 bottles of “Special Applejack Cider Supreme” was brought in front of us.
“Drink up!” the loudmouth Stringer egged on.
“Where’s the shot glass?”
“Shot glass? AHAHAHAHA!” I laughed as I held Nadyr in place with my magic.
“Wait, what are you-“ he gulped, before Misfire’s hooves put his snout up.
“Drink up,” my lieutenant smiled, stuffing a bottle down his mouth. “Good, good,” he beamed.
We continued this twenty one more times, with the whole bar chanting as we finished each bottle. “FIVE! SIX! SEVEN!” they’d chant, and I’m not going to lie, the black beast was tough, but he puked like five or six times, one even got all over a Buckmare mare, who also vomited in turn.
At the end, the zebra was panting in relief. “Ugh, finally,” he groaned as he fell to the ground, “I finished the twenty-one bottle salute!”
Once again, every Stringer into the room broke into a fit of laughter.
“That’s not good,” he croaked in frustration, words barely coherent from the alcohol.
“STRINGERS!” I boomed out across the bar. “FORM UP!”
In a flash, I, Misfire, and a whole group of Stringers were lined up neatly in front of the laying groom. “Nineteen, twenty- wait, where’s Sundown!?” I ask, counting the number of ponies in the row.
After a few minutes, a Stringer came with Sundown, holding him with his teeth by the orange pony’s shirt. “What is it?” the blond pony grumbled, obviously having enough of our shit.
I kneel down and look at him in the eye, and put a hoof on his shoulder. “Boy, it’s time you grew up. You’re a Stringer, and it’s time for you to do your duty...” I magically hand him one of the empty bottles Nadyr finished. “Here, go to the end of the line and follow my lead,” I instruct him. The colt was puzzled and annoyed, but nonetheless, he headed towards the end of the line.
I trot back to the front of Nadyr’s limp, drunk, figure with another one of his finished bottles glowing above my head, and a whole row of Stringers to my left. “TWENTY ONE BOTTLE SALUTE!” I announce, as I smash the bottle on the groom’s head.
Wait, clink? I glare at Sundown, who sheepishly lowered his head after giving Nadyr a soft touch with the glass bottle. With a deep sigh, I pick up the bottle Sundown left ungrazed when he hit the zebra’s skull. “No, Sundown, you do it like this.”
CRASH!
“Haha! Nadyr’s out cold!” I laugh, as Misfire handed me a whole bottle of ‘Special Applejack Cider Supreme,’ and I popped it open. “Bottom’s up!” I say, as I drown the liquid down the hatch.
And that’s all I remember about that night.
-----
I was chuckling at the memory, sitting in that bench basking in the afternoon light. The pink pony beside me just stared at me with blank eyes, as if she just saw .
“That was... wow.”
“What? You asked for a story, Miss Rose, and I gave you a story!” I beamed.
“I asked about the wedding. That had nothing to do with that, uh, party.”
“Well,” I sheepishly said, realizing my mistake, “as one of my favourite author says, ‘you have to go backwards, before you go forwards.’”
“You read books?” she scoffed in disbelief. “You don’t seem the type.”
“Actually, no, that’s just a line Sundown told me once. Anyway, continuing on...”
Fallout Equestria: Viva Las Pegasus -- Tails of New Pegasus Chapter Twelve: Wedding Crashers
-----
“Wake up.” I felt my body being nudged.
“Nguuh,” I groan, “leave me alone.”
“Wake uuuup,” a colt’s voice urges me again to get up.
“Stop,” I grumble, not wanting to get up yet.
SPLASH!
“SON OF A-!” The cold splash of water shocked me to life.
“Don’t. You. Dare.” My now wide awake eyes met the similarly brown, piercing eyes of my sister staring at me, in her signature striped suit and framed glasses. Behind her, Sundown was watching in a corner, in a sky blue polo and a red tie. “No cursing in front of Sundown.”
“Thanks Metronome,” the young unicorn beamed at the white mare, who returned a sweet smile in return.
“Of course, Sundown,” Metronome replied, then shot a death glare at me. “Get ready, we’re prepping for the wedding,” she instructed as she left the room.
“Ooooh....” I groan, my head still throbbing from last night. “How did we get back?”
“You really don’t remember, do you?” the colt chuckled.
Faint images of stumbling, falling, and being dragged popped into my head. “Oh, it’s sort of coming back to me,” I sheepishly reply. “Thanks, kid.”
Sundown just shook his head in disappointment. “Alright, I’m going to go outside now, it’s just three hours before the wedding.”
“But it’s still early morning....”
“Check again.”
I sigh and fumble around my vest pocket, pulling out the scratched up, golden pocket watch with my horn. “It’s just... Fuck.” 11:46am, the watch pointed.
“So, I’ll just be outside,” the blond pony told me, levitating his book towards him.
“Wait,” I stop him. “You’re forgetting something.”
“Why do I even need that?” he whined, as I struggle to overcome the throbbing in my head as I magically open the drawer next to my bed.
“I told you, always have a piece with you,” I reprimand him, handing him a scoped revolver in a holster. It was made of stainless steel, which was a really lucky find for the unruly bodyguard I killed for it. It had a scope attatched to it, and by the looks of the gun, it was personal and hoofmade. Probably one of a kind. It had a ironwood handle with a symbol of a sun rising behind a mountain, with the words “Canterlot” and some other word that faded over time engraved on it. I figured since it had a sun, and I wasn’t much of a long-range guy, I should give it to Sundown. As much as the kid hates to admit it, he’s got talent with the gun, but he really doesn’t like shooting it. Shame really, talent wasted.
“Fine,” Sundown grumbled, reluctantly strapping the gun around his body, so that the gun was in reach with the bow of a head. Not like he needed it anyway, he was a unicorn, but it never hurt to be safe. “I’ll see you downstairs.”
“Alright,” I tell him, “I’ll meet you there.” I hear Sundown trot away and a few seconds later, I drop my head on the pillow. “Ugh, finally.” I feel my eyelids closing and my muscles relaxing.
SPLASH! “SON OF A BITCH!” I cried, now bolting upright in my bed, my face stinging from the cold burn of the water. I caught sight of a bucket floating on my head, enveloped in a blue mist, and by the doorway, I see Sundown giving me a mischievous grin.
“Okay, for real, get up,” he tells me. “Metronome told me to make sure you’re down there. She doesn’t want a repeat of the incident with the Coltorado Trading Co.”
“DAMMIT OKAY FINE! FUCK!” I storm out of the room and head to the bathroom down the corridor, face still hurting from the freezer burn, and out of the corner of my eye, I spot Sundown smirking, before headed the other way, towards the stairs.
-----
“Alright, wedding is in two hours. Team checking is five minutes till mark,” Misfire informs us as we’re around the table right behind the stage, looking at a map of the surrounding area.
“Right,” I agree, “teams are here, here, here, here and here.” I point out different encircled buildings on the map. “Each team will check in one minute after the last, west to east.” I pull out my pocket watch, checking the time. “Team One confirms in five. Sundown, let’s go, I need your eyes.”
Standing on the stage, we were watching the roofs of the buildings nearby. “One minute,” I muttered, eyes on my watch. “First building is the red, three storey apartment right over there.” I point out the building to Sundown so that he knows where to watch.
In the red brick building to the east, a flashlight shone on and off in a third floor window. “I see it,” Sundown tells me, and I nod in response. The flashing goes on for one minute, then stops.
“Alright, next building. They’re due to start in one minute, over there.” As predicted, Team Two blinked a flashlight from a window for exactly a minute, then stopped. A minute later, Team Three did the same. This went on and on until all five buildings had been gone through.
Afterwards, we went back into the building and towards the lecture room, where Misfire was still by the table of maps, blankly staring at them.
“All teams are in play, we’re good,” I tell the maroon pony as I trot over to the table. “Next duty’s yours. Now get to your post. Next check is in ten minutes. I want eyes peeled.”
“Yes boss!” the maroon pony saluted me, then he hastily left the room. I take a seat in some school chair there and plop my head on the table.
“Can’t believe they’re making us do all this,” I whine.
“Well, Miss Cleff is getting married,” Sundown told me, “and she’s very powerful, so she needs protection.”
“From who? All of the other ponies conceded to our terms! I was there in the meeting!” I pout, still wishing I was in bed.
“Point taken, but it never hurts to be too sure,” the colt pointed out.
“Yeah, sure, I guess. I still don’t like it, though.”
And as usual, Sundown was right about that, looking back at it.
-----
“Thirty minutes till show time.”
I feel something shivering on my hind leg. “Sundown,” I shake him off my leg, “don’t worry.”
“B-b-but... there’s so many ponies.”
Guests had already began to arrive, and of course, this was the talk of the town, so a lot of ponies were all too eager to come early for good spots. Traders, builders, bartenders, scavengers and the like were already beginning to crowd into position, ready for the grandiose wedding of Dee and Nadyr. Personally, I like to call their couple Na-Dee-yr, but I never say it out loud, because when I told that joke to Metronome, she wiped the floor with me. No, I mean, she literally made me wet my own mane and use it as a mop just for saying that joke.
“Boulder!” Speak of Discord, I thought, as on cue, Metronome popped up.
“How’s security looking?” she sternly asked.
“Well,” I pull out my watch, “we should be seeing the last check riiiiiiight...... now.”
The flashlight of Team One flickered on and off right at that moment, and I showed my sister the signal. “See? No worries. If a team drops under the radar, Misfire, Sundown and I will check it out.”
“Excuse me?” she gave me a venomous stare.
“I mean, Misfire and I, and not Sundown, because he’s a colt,” I sheepishly correct myself, much to Metronome’s pleasure.
“Good, now don’t fuck this up,” she gave me a final warning, before leaving to see her best friend get married.
“One hell of a pep-talker, eh kid?” I chuckle to Sundown, who was still hiding behind by leg. “Anyway, we better keep our eyes out.” A window from Team Two’s building began to blink, signalling that things were all good at their end. The whole sequence passed, and the security checked out. All teams were a go, we had eyes on the buildings around the area, it was great. “And she said that I might fuck up,” I mutter to myself. To my right, I look at Misfire, who was at the opposite end of the stage, standing ready for action. If everything goes right however, there won’t be any action.
“So, Sundown,” I looked under my legs and spotted him covering himself with my right hind leg, “you okay there buddy?” Sundown never did go well with crowds. He was a really shy one.
“Yes, I am,” he insisted, “it’s not like I can’t live with crowds... I’m just uncomfortable with them.”
“Well, you work with a gang, so you have to meet people,” I explained to him, “it’s an occupational hazard. Much like for me, it’s an occupational hazard to get shot or beat up, but when I am shot or beat up, I bear through it.”
“Umm... thanks, I guess?”
“Yeah, I guess I’m not one for fatherly advice,” I chuckle.
“I didn’t mean to offend you,” the colt looked down in shame.
“No, no, relax,” I grinned sheepishly to the colt, “I didn’t think anything of it.”
The colt looked at me unsurely, but in the end, he shrugged it off. Poor colt, he lost more than a foal his age should lose, and I’m afraid he needs guidance. I gave a sad sigh and thought that I might not be the best pony to take care of Sundown. Hell, there are days that I think that Sundown would be better off with Misfire than he was with me. Then you know, I get my head out of my ass then realize what a bad idea that would be. But still, I’m not really the best pony for this job. If I think of an ideal pony to raise Sundown, I think of Metronome. She’s really caring and protective of Sundown, and she’s the most responsible mare I know. Oddly enough, I have tried to let him stay with Metronome but every time, for some reason, he’d always end up coming back to me.
-----
“Who is knocking so loudly?” I hear Metronome whine from behind her door. “Don’t you know what time it is?” She opens the door, revealing her mane all frizzy and tangled instead of her usual bun and her hazel eyes were fully revealed without her glasses on. “Dammit Boulder, why would you-“ she glared at me until she cut herself off with a gasp, getting an eyeful of the blood dripping from my side and the limp orange form that was laying on my back. “Don’t ask,” I tell her, fighting the dizziness from blood loss and struggling to keep my eyes open. “I found him in the factory,” Every breath was become a chore. I almost fall into my sister, only being supported up with the two front hooves I have on her shoulders. “Take care of him,” I whisper, and last thing I see was her mouth opening to object, but I would hear none of it as I fell to the ground and everything went black. My first sight after that was a zombie-like creature with skin falling out its face giving me a small smile. All I could do was grin back at him. “Hey, Mixer,” I cheerfully greet, “How long was I out?” “You lost a lot of blood, mate,” the ghoul grimly informed me, “and it took us a while to get those bullets out of you. It’s been three days since your sister brought you here.” I try to get up, but something’s wrong. I can’t feel one of my legs. “Doc, I can’t move one of my legs,” I said, quietly panicking inside, scared to look down and see what they had done. “You’ve had company, lad,” Mixer gave me a warm grin, looking at my leg. I follow his gaze and to my surprise, there lay an orange colt, curled up, asleep right on top of my leg. “Lad’s been here every day since you got brought in.” “That’s funny,” I say, still looking at the unicorn on my leg, “I swear I left him with Metronome.” “You did,” Mixer reminded me, “but the colt’s persistent. The last two days, he’d just be here in the morning, then stay the whole day, then Metronome would come here, frantically asking around for the colt. Today, Metronome just brought him here, so I guess she decided not to fight it,” he chuckled. Looking at the foal sleeping serenely on my leg, I couldn’t help but feel my heart soften. “I guess that’s... sweet,” I let out a soft laugh. “Well, I better give Metronome and Misfire a shout to let them know that you’re okay.” Mixer trots towards the exit of the tent. “Need anything else?” “Could I have a drink?” I laughed. “Don’t push your luck mate,” the ghoul joked back.
-----
I sighed sadly, thinking about the situation. “Oh, Sundown...” I mutter under my breath.
“What?” Next thing I know the orange colt is right beside me, looking up with concern, his ears perked up from catching his name.
“Nothing,” I quickly told him. “Come on, let’s divert our attention back to the duty at hoof,”
-----
The front of the stage started was already packed, the sound of the excited murmuring of the crowd heard from blocks away. “Ten minutes,” I say to myself, “last pre-check.”
I turn over to look at the other side of the stage, where I caught Misfire already looking at me. We shared a knowing nod, then decided went on the final check. Ten minutes later, all teams blinked. I look at Misfire once again, then he nods. Show time.
“Sis,” I approach Metronome, surrounded by many big names in Freedom Fields. There was the fat, gray mob boss, Saddle, who I had a indifferent/hate relationship with, and alongside him, a female griffin and an old stallion with an eyepatch. Of course, the infamous recluse Ampera van Ohm was there too, keeping her mate Saddle on a leash. Not a literal one mind you, but I’d like it if it was really a leash. Also, there was this odd pair there. A blue pony in a suit, with a silvery mane flowing behind him, and beside him, a cute little pink filly in a beret dressed up in a gray suit. Odd choice of attire, I chuckle to myself, but she seems happy enough, so I guess that’s what really counts. Of course, we can’t forget the lucky couple, Mister Black in the sleek, new white suit and Miss Dee, in her gorgeous wedding gown and tin crown.
“What?” she asks, obviously wanting this to go as smoothly as possible.
“Final security checks are done, all bases are covered.”
She nodded knowingly, and then whispered into Dee’s ear. “Get back to your post Boulder,” she instructed coldly, as she went on to the steps. I gave a shrug, then proceeded back to my spot when I hear her call out again. “Oh, and Boulder?”
I tilt my head a bit just to see her out of the corner of my eye. “Hm?”
“Good job,” she thanked me, giving me a warm smile, which soon faded as fast as it came. “Now go.”
“Right,” I reply, letting a grin form across my face.
Back at my post by the side of the stage, Sundown’s staring intently at the skyline.
“What’s wrong kiddo?” I asked the colt as I approached him.
“I don’t know, think about it... Almost everypony in Freedom Fields showed up, right?”
“Uh-huh, and?”
“And every important pony in Freedom Fields is on that stage, so one shot and it’ll basically be a party for Discord right here,” Sundown worrisomely reasoned.
“Relax, we got teams all over the surrounding areas.”
“If somepony really wanted chaos, a rag tag group of gang members might not be enough.”
“And don’t worry, not all important ponies are there. Goldie’s...”
Wait. Shit. I feel my ears droop behind my back and a grim expression fall upon my face.
-----
“You’ll regret this, Dee. I swear you will.” Goldie whined. “I know I have nothing to do, but I warn you: this treaty will turn itself against you, sooner or later, and you’ll rue this day. Mark my words.” She quickly signed the document Dee had and stormed out of the room. “What a bitch,” Misfire blurts softly to me. “Yeah, but a pissed-off bitch is the worst bitch out there,” I tell him, feeling a bit worried by Goldie. She was a grade-A bitch, I know for a fact that she was supposed to go batshit crazy. “It’s not like her to take this lying down, she’s the type of pony who’d go down swinging,” I whisper to my lieutenant. “I want extra eyes on her in the wedding, are we clear?” “Yes boss.”
-----
“Pssst!!!” I call for a Stringer nearby, who hurriedly approached me. “Coal Train, get a couple of other Stringers and have each one of them go into the buildings. I want extra hooves on deck, we may have a threat.”
The Stringer looked a bit alarmed, but nonetheless, he nodded his head and galloped off to rally who he could.
“Hey Boulder, I think the rites are coming up,” Sundown nudged me, catching my attention.
The old pony with an eyepatch was standing in between the Na-Dee-yr power couple, who were facing each other. I assumed that he was to act as the minister.
The stallion cleared his throat and spoke at the top of his voice, so that his words could be heard from the four corners of Freedom Field. As a response to the signal, the whole crowd went suddenly silent, creating a stark contrast and a feeling of relevance in the air.
“Mares an’ gentlecolts, today is one great day indeed! We ‘ave met ‘ere t’join these two souls t’gether in marriage, so that they can love an’ care fer each other ‘till th’time comes. This’ll be a short ceremony, ‘cause we dun’ want them t’lose any time, do we folks?” Swift laughter came from the audience. “Ah knew it. Let’s begin, then. To everypony who can hear this, Ah, Snake Eater, declare that Mister Nadyr an’ Miss Dee Cleff ‘ave come t’this reunion freely, without any sort of force involved. Am Ah right?”
“Yes.” Dee claimed strongly.
“Yes.” Nadyr replied.
“Good. ‘Ereby Ah declare that both of you are fit and ready t’join yerselves in marriage. Now, let’s ask th’regulatory questions, ‘kay? Nadyr, d’you take Dee Cleff here as yer wife, to be ‘er rock in th’storm, to be ‘er shelter in th’dark, to care fer’er an’ to bear with’er ‘till the time to depart comes, may Celestia and Luna aid you in yer task?”
“I do.” Nadyr’s voice trembled slightly, but he stood firm.
“Great. Dee Cleff, d’you take Nadyr as yer husband, to be ‘is guiding light, ‘is savior in despair, ‘is caring companion an’ to make’im a better buck ‘till the time to depart comes, may the Sun and Moon give you strength fer it?”
“I do.” Dee Cleff proclaimed, looking as if she was gonna cry. Whether they were crocodile tears or sincere tears, I wouldn’t know. She was always one for drama.
“Perfect. Now that yer wills ‘ave been made clear to all the present ones, Ah shall declare you bride an’ groom. May you reach together more than what y’could’ave reached on yer own! Congratulations! Now dun’ be shy, kiss!”
The crowds roared in joy, chanting the couple’s names. Sundown and I looked in anticipation, as Nadyr took Dee in a dancer-like move and kissed her in the muzzle while leaning her down. The whole lot of ponies that had gathered exploded into a large “awww” when the couple showed its love to the audience. Dee always was the showstopper kind of gal. Once freed from Nadyr’s embrace, Dee walked to the side of the stage and addressed the crowd.
“That’s nice,” I tell myself as I check my watch. Three minutes till the next security check. “What a happy coup-“ I was interrupted as I see Sundown squinting upwards, into Team Three’s building. His horn was slightly glowing and I could see his scoped revolver slowly shifting out of his holster.
“Up there, movement,” he stated.
“How did you see? It’s way too far.”
“No, I’m sure,” Sundown said with a sure look. “Trust me.” He was already hurrying towards the building.
“Fine kiddo, I’ll give you this one,” I sigh, quickly following the colt.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!” Dee said to the crowd.
We were at the base of the building, and Sundown was about to charge in, but I stuck my foreleg in front of him and shook my head. “I’ll lead.”
“You have made me feel the happiest mare on Equestria, and I will never be grateful enough for this.” Dee continued.
With my shotgun out, I quickly made my way up, checking corners and moving quietly yet quickly. If Sundown was right, things were bad, and we had no time to spare.
“Besides, I can say that I am two times happier today, since I have more good news to share with you,” we heard Dee from inside the third floor stairwell. “Not only have I gotten married to a wonderful stallion that will be my support and my sidekick for the rest of my life, but I want to announce that Freedom Field is now a true city, recognized by the NER!”
The cheering became stronger, as the Traders and locals that probably don’t give a shit about this wedding gave a shit about filling their pockets, booming across the stairwell.
“The Republic will consider us a legitimate settlement with our own regulations, and we will rule for the people of Freedom Field!” Dee announced to the crowd.
In the third floor, I see blood on the floor. Liquid, fresh blood. Son of a bitch, I thought, “Sundown,” I whispered, “stay back.” I peeked around the corner, and lying on the floor were five bodies, the one closest to the corner was sitting awkwardly against the wall, throat slit. The others were just given a quick, precise shot to either their head or their hearts, so it was obvious we were dealing with professionals here.
“In the next few days, we’ll constitute a Town Hall, in which I will assume the role of Mayor, in order to determine the laws that will help our community prosper!”
I continued onto the roof, where I saw a masked earth pony leaning against the ledge, machine gun bipoded onto it for support. “Hello there, Dee Cleff,” I heard him hum to himself happily.
I keep my gun pointed at him, approaching, as I cock my trusty old shotgun for the killing blow.
CHIK-CHIK! Oh shit. I forgot about the sound. The assassin turned around, leaving his MG on the ledge and he saw me. Only now did I notice the pistol strapped to his chest, and he already had it in his mouth.
“Of course, I can’t do this alone, and from this very stage I would like to welcome Ampera von Ohm and Saddle Buckmare to join me in this adventure that we are about to start.”
DAKKA-DAKKA-DAKKA!!! I hear the sound of machine guns raining from the other buildings. I-
BANG! “AAAUGH! FUCK!” I cry, blood flying out of my mouth. I try to keep my eyes open, but everything’s getting fuzzy. I look down on my body and see that the bullet went somewhere in my chest, probably my lung. Not good. I can also still blurry outline of the masked pony, approaching me with pistol in mouth, going in for the killing blow. I watch helplessly as he aims for my head.
BANG! The masked pony dropped dead, as his brains were scattered all over the rooftops. Next thing I know, a blue magical aura is surrounding me, with Sundown struggling to bring me downstairs.
“Heh,” I try to let out a soft laugh, but it only came out as a fit of coughing out blood, “last time I was shot, it was me carrying you to safety.”
“Quiet,” Sundown hushed me, “stay with me Boulder,” he shakily said, his eyes tearing up.
“It’s okay kiddo,” I gave him a weak smile, watching him sweat as he struggles to keep his magic going.
“No!” he yelled, “I’m not leaving you! Just three more floors.”
“Right, if you need me, I’ll be taking a nap...” I groan, succumbing to the weariness in my eyes.
“No, come on, come on!” the colt goaded on, “stay awake Boulder, just stay awake,” he desperately pleaded, the tears threatening to break out. It was nice, how he was still trying to save me. Heartwarming, actually. Or, you know it could’ve been the internal bleeding.
I actually survived till the ground floor, and in exhaustion, Sundown plopped me onto the pavement. I caught a glimpse of the stage. Everypony was gone including Metronome. I smiled a bit in my mind, knowing that she was probably safe. The only ones left were those ponies with my sister at the side of the stage before the wedding. They all surrounded one spot, looking down at the same thing. Since the griffin was nowhere to be found I assumed... well, I assumed I would be seeing her again soon.
“ANYPONY, HELP!” Sundown was crying at the top of his lungs, tears freely flowing from his face. “WE NEED HELP!”
From where I could see, some of the figures were turning towards us, but they decided to disperse. I couldn’t blame them, really. This world was merciless, and helping others was a risk. “Sundown, it’s alright...” I try to comfort the colt.
Sundown was still trying to desperately call for help, but the sound started to fade from me. He took notice and started to violently shake me in an attempt to keep me alert. “Don’t go! Don’t go! Please!” the orange unicorn begged, finally stopping and digging his face onto my body, crying his heart out.
I put a hoof up to his cheek to get his attention, making him look me in the face with his tear-soaked eyes. “It’s alright,” I give him a weak grin before letting the wooziness take over, and thing I hear is him frantically repeating “No no no no no!”
-----
TIK! TIK! TIK! TIK! TIK! TIK!
Next thing I remember, I hear more sobbing. Wait, no, these aren’t the colt’s sobs. I was once again staring upwards to the tent ceiling from a Follower’s bed. However, instead of something on my leg, I felt two hooves holding on to one of mine tightly. I slightly tilt my head and see a pony, head down, crying into her forearm as she tightly gripped my hoof. Her bun hairdo mane was awfully frizzled, and her glasses were on top of a desk right beside my bed, humorously right next to the metronome that was her when she was born.
“Had you worried there, didn’t I?” I managed to let out a weak chuckle, making the mare look up straight to my face. Her white coat was kind of unkempt and her brown eyes were red from crying.
She just looked at me in disbelief for a few seconds, her face only expressing shock. “Brawny?” she finally blurted out.
I just gave her a small smile in response.
PAK!
Her hoof swooped swiftly across my face, leaving a burning sensation on my snout.
“I missed you too,” I rolled my eyes. “Nothing says I miss you like-“
I was stopped short when Metronome wrapped her forlegs around my neck tightly. “Don’t you ever worry me like that again,” she sobbed.
All I could do was return the hug as tightly as I could. “I’m sorry sis,” I whispered, letting the warmth of her hug flow through me.
“Alright,” she said, breaking away from the hug, wiping away her tears, “I’ll be going now.”
“Okay, bye sis.”
“Goodbye, Boulder,” she said, putting on her cold demeanor once more.
As I watch her walk away, Mixer walks into the tent. “Miss Metronome,” he bows, letting my sister pass. “Ah, Boulder,” Mixer turned his smile to me, “This happens way too often.”
“Yeah, tell me about it,” I chuckle. “How’d I get here?”
“The kid dragged you here all by himself until ponies started to until Metronome and the other Stringers found you two. You lost a lot of blood mate, and lucky we got to you when we did,” the ghoul informed me. “The bullet didn’t cause any lasting damage, fortunately, but I still recommend a day of bed rest.”
“How long have I been out?”
“A whole week,” he stated.
“How’d the colt handle it? Last I remember, he was freaking out,” a grin forms on my face when I remember how hard Sundown tried to save me.
“Why don’t you ask him?”
I look down, then I see that curled up right on the foot of my bed, Sundown was fast asleep.
“Since when was he here?”
“Since Metronome brought you in, he came in the mornings and only left when she came looking for him to bring him home. These last two days, Metronome just let him stay here the whole time and sleep over.” Mixer reaches a hoof towards Sundown, about to wake him up.
“No, no,” I grabbed his hoof and put it down, “the kid deserves the rest,” I barely stifle a yawn.
Mixer laughed, “Yeah, and I guess you do too. I’ll check up on you tomorrow and let’s see to getting you out of here.”
“Sounds good,” I gratefully nod to him, before laying my head back down onto the pillow.
-----
I let out a small laugh after telling the story, “It’s funny,” I tell the mare beside me. “This time, I’m the one doing the waiting,” I told her, my eyes floating towards the tent where Sundown was probably fast asleep.
I turn to the pink mare sitting beside me, who was giving me a soft, empathetic look with teary eyes. “What?” I asked her.
“Oh,” she immediately snapped out of it, her eyes meeting mine with more focus. “It’s nothing, sorry. It’s just that was.....”
“I told you,” I chuckled, “most ponies would rather not hear that story.”
“Sorry for asking,” she softly apologized.
“No, no, it’s alright,” I wave my hoof dismissively, but she still looks at me uneasily, as if something’s bothering her. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” she smiled at me a bit too quickly, “it’s just that I didn’t expect that.”
“Most people don’t,” I sigh upwards into the blue sky, head bending backwards onto the bench we were sitting in. “but I admit, living everyday knowing that you could get shot and bleed out profusely and die a slow and excruciating death is kind of...” I pause for a while, finding the right word, “liberating, you know?”
“What?” the filly looked at me with inquisitive eyes, probably not understanding what I meant. “So you want to be shot?”
“No, no, no. It’s just... It gives a sense of excitement,” I try to explain. “And a new drive.”
“I’m not sure I follow. Don’t you want to live?”
“I do, yes, but...” I looked around the Healer’s Guild, which was surprisingly empty for today. Only a few patients and a hoofful of doctors trotting about. “Knowing that death is the only end it makes you live more. Instead of wasting life trying to avoid death, we spend our lives so that whenever we die, we can smile back at what we’ve done so far.”
For the next few minutes, we were plagued by the silence, both of us lost in our thoughts.
“Aaanyway,” I groaned, standing up from the bench. “I could go for a spot of coffee. The Healers give for free. It’s shitty, but still good. Want a cup?”
“No, it’s fine,” she politely refuses.
“Suit yourself,” I shrug heading towards the big picnic table in the center for a cup o’ joe.
-----
Rose silently looked upon the body that lay before her. The griffin that had done so much for them was there, lying motionless in the pool of her own blood. She struggled to hold back tears as she heard Farsight’s pained scream to the heavens.
After a few minutes of solemn silence, the blue unicorn began to walk towards a building, followed by the newly-wed bride. Rose knew that Farsight would do something wrong, but this time, she didn’t blame him for doing whatever he was about to do.
She looked around and saw that the area was mostly clear, with only a few bloodstains on the floor, but no bodies. Good, she thought, nopony else was hurt. At least that could help her sleep a bit more.
“Shit,” Saddle muttered, “We better get out of here,”
“It’s unsafe here,” Ampera agreed. “Snake, follow us, we’re not sure if there are any other attackers left.”
The old pony shot a look towards his old partner, before reluctantly nodding. “Aye, ma’am.”
Rose felt a hoof on her shoulder, “Come on, Rose,” Nadyr said, “let’s go somewhere else, it’s not safe here.”
“ANYPONY, HELP!”
Two figures from the corner of her eye caught her attention. She saw a colt, crying his lungs out for help, and beside him, a pony lying on the ground who was bleeding out, but he looked alive, if barely.
“Look,” Rose pointed her hoof towards the two, “we have to help them!”
“Rose, listen,” Nadyr sternly told her, “it’s not safe here. We can’t afford it.”
“WE NEED HELP!”
“But,” Rose tried to object, but the half-zebra forcefully dragged her along.
She last thing she saw before leaving the wedding scene was a young colt her age, his face buried in the bloody body of older pony, bawling helplessly over his loss. And she could’ve helped them. But she didn’t.
-----
I plop down on the bench, sipping the mug of coffee I just got from the Healers. “Ugh, it tastes like shit,” I comment, sticking my tongue out in disgust. “Miss Rose?”
“Yes?” she snapped out of her blank stare and looked at me again.
“You alright?”
“Yes, don’t worry about it,” she told me.
“Okay then. Well, I was going to go check on Sundown now,” I inform her.
She stands up from the bench as well and fixes the creases on her dress. “I’ll join you.”
“Alrighty then!” I clap. "Nap time's over! Time to get back to work."
