The chronicle of Tough Luck's fall into depravity, and her transformation from a slave, to a soldier...to a raider.
Set in the world created by Kkat and greatly expanded by many other authors, this story takes place in Fallout: Equestria. This story was inspired by my roleplaying friends in Second Life, at Point Lookout.
This story follows the character, Tough Luck, and her journey to the little unassuming island, and her descent into madness, turning to crime, and the desperation that drove her to cannibalism. Not every raider is a faceless lackey to be gunned down by heroes...sometimes, you have to delve into their story to see why they are how they are. Sometimes, evil is born from desperation and tragedy.
But can it be fixed?
((This is an alternate timeline in the FoE universe. Littlepip and Blackjack did not do what they attempted, so the Enclave and the Legion are still going strong.))
You never know just how terrible it is to be a slave unless you've been one. The bites of whips, the ache in your back from carrying too much for too long, and the harsh words and looks all seem designed to break your spirit and make you feel like dirt. And that's just for the lucky slaves, the ones forced into manual labor. The Sisters forbid you end up with the short straw and are made a conscript, or worse...a breeder. My mother wasn't one of the lucky ones...though I suppose I should be thankful somewhat that she wasn't, otherwise I'd not be here.
From what I've been told, my birth was messy, angry, and dangerous. I was a big foal, and my mother wasn't quite the heartiest of ponies. But she survived, thankfully. I don't know where I'd be without her. From the moment I could walk on my own, however, I was forced into labor. I carried and carted and built and dug. It was never-ending. Each night I was allowed to sleep, I didn't even notice that my bed was nothing more than a sad, thin cloth to keep the dirt off. At the time, it felt like the most luxurious feather bed, a heaven-sent gift. I would fall into it and immediately be dead to the world. Thankfully, the Legion allowed my mother to keep me during my childhood...otherwise I'd have been broken just like the rest. She taught me about how to think for myself, how to watch for opportunities, and to put on a tough face when I felt like crying.
My opportunity came in the form of one of the more...perverted legionnaires trying to have his way with me as a young filly. All that manual labor built me up, and the fact that my mother, Sweet Poison, was sneaking me extra food. Sometimes I wonder how she survived by giving me most of her food. I digress, though...back to the soldier. He was stupid enough to take his armor off and try to get cozy with me.
"Bend over, child, and do your duty. Follow in your mother's hoofsteps." his harsh and arrogant voice still rings in my mind. His hooves positioned me and ripped the thin cloth that passed for a cloak on me, off. But that was his mistake, letting his guard down and assuming a child wouldn't fight back. I bit his leg, and when he made to force me to the ground, I socked him right in the balls.
"Eat shit fuck-face!" my admittedly too-young voice retorted. He did kick the shit out of me afterwards...but he never tried anything with me again. Well, it just so happened that one of the Praetorian Guard saw this exchange, and instead of executing me, he saw an opportunity. I became a conscript slave at his order, handed down by the Caesar himself. My training as a bodyguard began then. It was even worse than the manual labor.
My day started before daybreak. I would be whipped awake, forced into a heavy wood and steel yoke, and forced to pull around heavy stones until the sun was high in the sky. If I stopped, I was whipped mercilessly until I started again or passed out. At first, I did pass out, a lot. Every time, I'd be awoken again by the cracking of whips, forced out of my bed. But each time, I went longer and longer, until I was able to make it to noon. My hide would be sore from all the whipping and beatings...but it toughened me up.
After the stone-pulling exercises, I was allowed a small meal of raw radroach and dirty water. It sounds absolutely disgusting, and it is. But when you are exhausted and hungry, it's like a five-star meal from Las Pegas. But I was only allowed two minutes to eat each time. If I lingered, it was the whips again, and I would get whatever was left taken away. After my meal, it was training time. I would be forced into combat training against vastly more skilled opponents, usually veteran stallions who had a bone to pick with females. That part sucked, not just because I got my flank handed to me every five minutes, but because it was frustrating to not be making any progress against them. But I learned later it wasn't about winning. It was about taking a beating. And boy, did I take them. Once again, if at any point I stopped, slowed down, or back-talked, it was the whips again. After a certain point, you stop feeling it, I suppose.
I would be forced to train like that for the rest of the day, until the sun was on the horizon. Then I'd be allowed another small meal...most of the time it was stale bread or partly rotted vegetables. Occasionally, I'd get the spoiled meat scraps...those were the best meals, I always felt much better eating those the next day...though I suffered from pretty bad stomach cramps and tossing my cookies for a little while. I got a stronger stomach from it though. Anyway, after my evening meal, I'd be put into a pit with other foals who were being trained, just like me, and we were told that the last one still up would be allowed to get out for the next day. I hated that pit.
It was a hole of filth. Shit and piss and death was the prominent smell. Half-rotted bodies of foals who were lucky enough to escape by the sweet embrace of death stayed in there. Any of us that were caught eating them were immediately executed. Not that any of us -wanted- to...though I did see one little filly in particular get her head lopped off when she couldn't resist anymore. She was weak...she wouldn't have lasted anyway. But it was an arena, on a small scale, for the legionnaires to have their sick sport, watching us fight each other. We beat each other senseless, night after night, never realizing that they eventually let everypony out after a 'winner' was made. The 'winner' was just the first one to get hauled out and maybe given some medical treatment. I won a lot. I don't know why...maybe it was my natural strength, maybe I just had a stronger will. Maybe it was because I wasn't mindlessly brainwashed.
But after getting hauled out of the pit, I was made to serve food to the soldiers, then allowed to sleep. I slept for maybe three to four hours each night, before I was forced awake again, starting the cycle over again. It was a brutal way to live, and I'm actually pretty surprised I didn't turn to raiderism faster.
It was like that, day after day. Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months, and months turned to years. As I grew and trained, so did my skill. I was the top of my 'class'. I was even starting to scare the veterans with just how brutal I fought. There was one time, I fought one of the more esteemed soldiers, and I broke his leg in half. The bone was sticking out and everything, and he was crying and whining like some little pathetic foal. When the taskmaster came to whip the tar out of me, I had enough by that point. I snatched his whip out of his jaw, and I wiped his arrogant grin off his face by cramming it back in, all coiled up. I never did find out if he choked to death on it or not.
All I remember from that day is that I immediately went to the chow hall, got food, and went to bed to sleep for more than I ever had in my lifetime at that point. I never got messed with after that. Training didn't happen anymore, because the scrubs of the army were too afraid of me, and the older veterans were too proud to fight 'a mere filly with a mean streak'. It was alright though, because after that day, I was put into the advanced training. I learned how to fight with the traditional weapons, of course. Gladius, spear, nets...just about every weapon you could bludgeon or stab a pony to death with, I learned how to use.
Because of my 'status' and my achievements in training, I was granted a little more freedom and a mostly private room to sleep in. I think it might have had something to do with my mother too, but I can never be too sure. I hadn't seen her for years after that, except for the occasional glimpse of her when I was moving around the camps. I say mostly private, however, because I had a bunk mate, both to serve me, and to keep an eye on me to make sure I wasn't trying anything fishy. Her name was Glimmerhoof, and she was one of the breeding mares when she wasn't with me. She wasn't any older than I was either.
Now Glimmerhoof...she was one of the more beautiful creatures I've ever laid eyes on. She was a crystal pony, decendant of the ponies who lived in the Crystal Empire. Her coat was a beautiful shade of shimmering yellow, even in the lowest of light, and her eyes were a rich, deep green color. Even though she got the crappiest draw on the slave bit, she never seemed to have anything but kind words and a gentle hoof with me. I'll admit, that's when I found out I was into mares just as much as stallions. She grew fond of me, mostly out of necessity, because when I was around her, nopony would dare try to force her. I made it quite clear with the first one that did try that they would be missing vital equipment between their legs afterwards. I guess it was sort of a Stockholm's Syndrome in it's own right. But you know, it was nice to have somepony say kind things and massage me after the rough days, and it helped that she was so pretty.
Along with Glimmerhoof, I had my adopted sister, Avari, to keep my spirits from breaking. She was always very nice to me, despite the fact that I wasn't a zebra. She was cursed with a name that meant bad things...but I never saw it that way. She was one of the ones who taught me some of the moves I know today. Between the three of us, though, I was able to survive. But it took it's toll on me. I because just like the soldiers...arrogant, cruel, and ruthless.
That all changed when I was awoken by Glimmerhoof on a hot summer evening, when both of us were teenagers.
"Tough, wake up! There's somepony here that wants to buy two slaves, and we've been chosen to stand in the line-up!" her soft voice roused me.
"Mnhm...go 'way."
"No! Come on you lazy ass, get up before they skip over us! This is our chance hon! We gotta get out of here. I can't stand being shoved into the dirt and raped every day."
"Fine...fine. I'm up. Mhm...ugh. Sharp Stick did a number on me with his training sword...so sore.."
She didn't waste any time in prodding me out to the lineup, despite my protests and not having had time to look presentable. But I was never really one for looks. I like being pretty and seeing pretty dresses, but that was something that was absent in the camp...so I had to make do with what I could find. I learned a pretty neat trick on how to keep my mane in a tail, so it looked less messy.
The lineup was typical...about twenty slaves were lined up and the prospective buyer was strutted in front of us. We weren't allowed to move, look, or even make a noise while being inspected. If you did, you were executed on the spot for dishonoring the Legion. The buyer, however, was rather old. He was suave, but old. After he paced the line a few times, he stepped back. I could see it in his eyes, too. He was going to get Glimmerhoof. My first thought was to snap her neck. It would have been a quick, painless death...I could handle being crucified to save her a life of misery. But her name wasn't called first.
"Tough Luck, step forward." the harsh voice of the slavemaster rang out. "Present!" I did as I was told, holding my chest out and keeping my head down. It's harder than it sounds, looking proud and broken at the same time. But I guess I pulled it off. He must have liked what he saw.
"This slave is a child of one of the concubines of Caesar. She has been trained since birth to be a soldier and bodyguard. See her coat, marked by scars and pits?" I slowly turned to show my body. My mint green coat was indeed pockmarked from the harsh training I endured. Thankfully, with Glimmerhoof's help, I was able to keep mostly clean, so I looked fresh. My blonde mane was pulled back into a tail, as usual, though my tail was never able to be tamed without help from somepony else, and we didn't have time to make me look -pretty-. "Her training is top notch, and she will keep you safe from any threat. She's built like a Hellhound, and has the strength and toughness of an alicorn. Two thousand caps is her price. I think you'll find such a price to be minimal for a guarantee of safety." I couldn't help but glare at the seller, my icy blue eyes staring holes into him. He cowed slightly. "A-and she is meant to be a fighter, so I think you'll find one of our others to be more pleasing, for your more carnal desires."
The old suave pony who was looking us over to buy, pointed at Glimmerhoof. "I want her too. Both of them." I could just see the sparkle in his eyes. He must be rich, being able to buy two of us...and we were some of the more expensive ones. "I'll give you three thousand caps for both of the slaves."
The slavemaster laughed heartily at that offer. "Three thousand? These are two of our best ones! Surely you jest, Mister Ratchet. Not a cap under six thousand will do." I couldn't help but feel a smirk cross my muzzle. Glimmerhoof, though she wasn't called upon by the slavemaster, stepped next to me to also be on display. I felt a little more relaxed when I saw her shimmering coat in the corner of my eye. The potential master, however, didn't seem too concerned with the up in price.
"Four thousand. Keep in mind, sir, that I provide your camp with repair services on your firearms. I can easily walk away from both this deal and the service agreement. I'm sure the New Canterlot Republic will be happy to have me in their service." his voice had a smug satisfaction in it. I couldn't help but jaw drop. Who just has four thousand caps to toss about?
"...very well, Mister Ratchet. If you extend the service agreement, four thousand caps." I felt a certain sense of excitement rising in my chest. I...was leaving! And Glimmerhoof was coming with me! I had to contain myself, for both our sakes. I didn't want to blow the deal, after all. I chanced a look up to see our new master. He was older. His mane was graying, and his coat was a pale blue, stained by oil and grease. Pink eyes watched us carefully, filled with both excitement and lust. A repairpony. His cutie mark (an image of a ratchet, obviously) was exposed too, an oddity in the wasteland. Most ponies choose to wear more clothing instead of less, because of the dangers that lurked.
A little farther off, behind him...I could see my mother. She was watching, hidden, behind a tent. I stared straight at her, expecting...something. I wanted her to come and cry and scream to not be separated from her daughter. But she didn't. She just watched as my life was bought by a stranger. I hated her at that moment, for letting me go with nary a word or action otherwise. I pointedly looked away from her, as the jingle of bags of caps were exchanged between saddlebags. I had never seen more than ten caps in my life, so you can bet I was watching those huge bags get passed. The new master got the papers outlining his ownership of us.
"Tough Luck and Glimmerhoof! You are now property of Mister Grease Ratchet. You will stay with him or be crucified. Gather what little you have, and meet at the front gate. Tough Luck, you will stop by the armory and be issued a gladius." the slavemaster barked at us. We scurried off after bowing and giving an affirmative. Hail Caesar and all that crap.
Gathering our things and the trip to Ratchet's house passed by like a blur. He tried to talk to us, but I would only give one word answers. Glimmerhoof did most of the talking. I don't know how she was able to stay so chipper and social. I guess that was just her thing. The trip was pretty long though. The fellow lived out in the middle of the desert, near a small oasis. Of course, having never been out of the Legion camp, it was all new to me. The sand dunes, the actual sight of real water, not tainted by radiation. It was rather pretty. The oasis was fed by a small stream that led off of the river made by the dam. Plant life grew around it, lush, and inviting. There were even fruit bushes and trees growing around it. No wonder he wanted a bodyguard, somepony else would -kill- to have this spot.
The cabin was like all the other buildings in post-apocalyptia. Ugly, but serviceable. It seems he put the effort into patching holes, though, so it was going to be mostly temperature controlled and dry. I was thankful for that at least. He was pleasant enough, I suppose. He fed us decent, and I even got my own mattress. Glimmerhoof didn't...but that's because she was expected to sleep with him. At first, I was posted near the door, inside. But after seeing some of the things he did to her in that bed...I snapped a little bit. I threatened to rip his leg off and make him choke on it if I saw it again.
That's when he dropped the bombshell on -me-. "You better behave. I know your mother is still in that camp. If you so much as step hoof out of line, I only have to say something, and they will hang her on a cross. And you'll get to watch." he snarled. "So you better do what I say, and be a good little slave." I had no response to that other than to bow my head with gritted teeth.
"Yes sir. I'm sorry sir. Forgive this slave's disobedience."
"Good. Now resume your post, slave." he had a wicked grin in his eyes. He forced me to watch my best friend get raped and have nasty things done to her nearly every night. I think those days were the worst, despite the abuse I suffered at the camp. At least there, I could endure the physical beatings. This was emotionally and mentally torturing. Hearing Glimmerhoof cry and beg for mercy made my blood boil, but I couldn't interfere...I loved my mother, despite the fact that she abandoned me to this fate. I think the old fuck got off on watching me squirm too. I could see it in the way he looked at me too, that he'd rather be doing those things to me...but when he advanced on me, I made it clear in no uncertain terms that if he gave me that sort of treatment, his death would be bloody and slow.
I don't know why he didn't just force me. Maybe he was scared of me. Maybe he found that torturing me mentally was more satisfying. I'll never know why. Our lives became routine after awhile. I'd stand guard all night, and some of the day, then rest about midday, taking a bath in the oasis, eating, and sleeping. He'd work on repairing things. Glimmerhoof would serve him during the day, and service him at night. I grew numb to her begging each night. I kind of feel like by that point, I was a robo-pony. I went through the motions. I killed any threats. Most of the time, it was an odd lost raider or an animal that thought it was hot stuff. Once it was an NCR soldier.
Occasionally, the routine was broken by travel. He'd wake us up, and inform us that he needed to make a trip to a settlement to buy supplies, drop off packages, and pick up new client's stuff. So I'd be saddled with a cart, and drag them to the closest town. It was a small place...but the ponies there were nice. According to them, we were a family and a hired bodyguard. I wish that I could have said something. But I didn't. I was too afraid for my mother. I was afraid that none of the town ponies would be sympathetic. It was nice being in town though. For those few brief hours, Ratchet would treat us like actual ponies, instead of playthings. He'd even give us a few caps to spend in town. I liked to go to the little bar, and have Applejack Daniels. It was never enough to get drunk, but I'd get a pleasant buzz and have some nice chatting with the folk that frequented it.
Glimmerhoof had to stay with him though, so I didn't get to talk to her one-on-one very often. I'd sneak her out to the oasis once in awhile, so we could have some privacy and bathe. At least I think we had privacy. Sometimes I wondered if he let us do it because he wanted to watch us. I'll admit, we did have sex rather often. For her, it was the only tenderness she got. And for me, well...I have needs too. And after some passion, we would get to jump in the oasis to wash and cool down, then we'd spend about an hour grooming each other before scurrying back to the cabin. Those were the best times, in my opinion. Her eyes sparkled like emeralds from what little sun broke through the cloud cover whenever she looked at me. If I were of the right mindset, I would have begged her to run away with me so we could be together.
Turns out though, I didn't need to. One night, Grease Ratchet didn't wake up after going to bed. I suppose that's not a bad thing for anypony involved. He died in his sleep, a rarity in the violent wastes. For Glimmerhoof and me, though, it meant freedom. We spent a day lounging, after burying our late master outside the house, talking and enjoying each other's company, lounging and eating like princesses. "Tough...we can't stay here, you know." she told me that night while we laid in bed. "The Legion is sure to come to collect their battle saddles and guns. We should pack up what we can and go to town, and figure out what to do there."
"Yeah. It's a shame. It's a nice place...I wish we could stay." she kissed my cheek and smiled.
"We can find another place, just as nice."
"I know. As long as you're there, it will be the prettiest place." that made her blush and giggle. We rested well that night. The next morning, we awoke full of pep. We ate, and packed everything of use in the wagon, then hooked me up to it. She climbed into the back, and away we went, into the shifting dunes of the San Palamino.
Leaving was the worst mistake we could have ever made.
The first day of travel was exciting, but at the same time very uneventful. Glimmerhoof and I talked all day about what we would do, where we would go, and who we would meet. The sense of adventure was strong, and the world was our shelled Mirelurk to eat. She seemed to shine brighter, and her eyes sparkled even more. I didn't think I'd ever see a sight as pretty as her, laughing and her coat shimmering like it was a gem on fire. I told her that too. "Glimmer, you gotta stop."
"Stop what?" she asked, tilting her head to the side slightly.
"Bein' so buckin' adorable. I just want to eat you up." I replied with a giggle. She blushed and stammered out a half-hearted teasing response, but she was flattered by it. The way her eyes twinkled said it all. It always warmed my heart to see her so cheerful, so I couldn't help but tease her and get her to laugh.
The sun was blazing, even through the cloud cover that never seemed to go away. I idly wondered how hot it would get without the cover...because it must have been hotter than the end of a machine-gun, going on full auto. And there weren't any trees out here in the desert. By the second day, we both quickly tired of the heat.
"Tough...could we move away from the desert? Is there such a thing as no desert in Equestria?" Glimmerhoof asked me, after finishing off yet another canteen of water. "It's so hot...and I'm dying of thirst." she complained. I wisely decided to not point out that I've been the one hauling her and the rest of the stuff for the past two days.
"I dunno. I guess we could keep going until we found a place that wasn't. I've heard the legionnaires talking about there being other places." my response was tired. I was tired. The heat seemed to sap the energy out of me, along with the shifting dunes being twice as hard to trot in than hard dirt. "All I know is I think we should start resting during the day and travellin' at night. It's just too hot right now."
"We should stop then, and set up the tent. I'm dying for some shade and a breeze." I nodded, and with that she slipped off the cart and rooted around in it while I unhooked myself. The way the cart was set up allowed us to hook the tent to it, giving us a sort of lean-to, while still allowing us access to the supplies, which we had to dig into frequently. I knew we had to pack a lot of water, but we were going through it at an alarming rate. It only takes three days to get there. Surely we'll make it. Boy, was I wrong about that.
It was too hot for us to do anything besides talk, lean against the wagon, and drink water. Thankfully, a small breeze picked up, helping cool us off...but it was a warning sign for something quite a bit more sinister. The swirling sand devils drew some bit of amusement from us, pointing them out and naming them, watching them grow too big for themselves and collapsing into a cloud. We gave them silly names at first, but gradually it got more and more morbid. 'Death' 'Famine' 'Bloody Stump'. Soon, it became a competition to gross the other out, rather than a name game.
I don't know if the cosmos have a sick sense of humor. Maybe it was Celestia, watching from the sky and poking fun at us. I certainly didn't think it was very funny though, when the breeze started to get stronger. I felt the hair on the back of my neck prickling...a sense that something bad was about to happen. "...Glimmer, we need to go. It's not safe here." I said, quickly hopping up and starting to dismantle the tent. She got a worried look on her face, but she trusted my instinct and helped me get things prepared.
It was a case of too little too late, though, as the wind started whipping against us, driving the sand into our skins and past our sad excuses for cloaks. It stung like the burn of a thousand bloatsprite stingers hitting you all at once. I, unfortunately, did not have the brains to think of a sand storm kicking up, so I didn't pack us any eye protection. I was also not smart enough to think I shouldn't travel during a sand storm. But away we went, blind, getting sanded raw and being generally miserable.
It got so bad that I had to give Glimmerhoof my cloak and wrap the tent tarp around her. I could handle the pain...but she was a more delicate type. She was extremely grateful, and she gave me a tiny peck on the cheek...but it was so dry. Her lips were chapped and raw, and it felt like sandpaper. I steeled my nerves and pressed on foolishly. By the time the storm died down, it was getting dark. We didn't have a light, either, so we couldn't travel. Not to mention the desert got freezing cold at night. We had to start a fire and bed down, cuddling together for warmth. But my night was sleepless. I kept watch...raiders would be out. I couldn't let them catch us while we were both asleep.
When day broke, I realized that I had fallen asleep with my eyes open. They stung like crazy when I blinked awake, and it made me tear up something awful. I felt Glimmerhoof shift, though, and squeeze a hoof on my shoulder. But...something was off about it. It was too tight. Something's wrong. "Don't move." she whispered in a terrified voice. "There's a scorpion standing over us. It's bigger than the two of us combined."
Great. And I can't see because of my eyes. I whispered back. "How close is it?"
"It's just staring us down. It's close enough to sting, but not enough to reach." her voice had a quiver to it.
"Just keep lying still. It might be deciding if we're food or not. I want you to squeeze my shoulder when it gets close enough for me to reach."
I got a little tap as an affirmative. It was definitely not an ideal situation. I was effectively blinded, only able to see the blurry shape of the huge creature, I was laying down, and I couldn't reach for my gladius, which had been leaned on the wagon. Time seemed to slow down. It felt like the thing stared at us for hours. I could feel Glimmerhoof trembling madly, but trying to force herself to stop. Breathing seemed like it was deafening...my heartbeat was even louder.
Finally, she squeezed my shoulder. "Roll away!" I yelled, while shooting my hoof out to drive into where, hopefully, the things eyes were located. It made a meaty crunch, and a squeal of pain was elicited from it. The huge claws batted me away like I was a mere doll, slamming me against the wagon. Glimmerhoof screamed, and hid under the wagon.
My ribs throbbed from the hit, but I couldn't nurse them just yet. Luck wasn't on my side...it never was. Because my gladius was on the -other- side of the wagon. What in the fires of Tartarus was I thinking?! I mentally berated myself. The creature had gathered itself up, green ichor oozing from the eyes that I crushed with my punch. They always said I had a punch like an alicorn, I guess it wasn't far off. The creature immediately charged at me, it's tail at the ready. It struck...and it felt like time slowed down for me. I was still fighting half-blind, but I could see the movements. I dove out of the way when the stinger slammed into the side of the cart, making it rock. The wood hissed angrily as the potent venom was leaked into it, and the acrid smell of acid-burned wood filled the air.
The scorpion chittered angrily that it's meal was being difficult, and yanked it's stinger out of the cart, turning to me again. I had to think fast. Time for a dirty trick! I scooped a hoofful of sand, and when the thing charged me again, I threw it with all my might into it's face. Now radscorpions are purpose built for the desert. If I hadn't already punched some of it's face in, I would have been a dead mare right there. But some luck seemed to hold out for me, and the creature skidded to a halt, it's claws scrabbling at it's face and it's stinger wildly slamming into the ground in front of it, trying to keep me away. I was just fine with keeping my distance, because the glint of my gladius reminded me what I needed. It was distracted, and Glimmerhoof was too busy freaking out under the wagon, so I jumped for my sword, and grabbed it into my mouth. Now I could fight! But there was still the problem of blurry vision. I prayed lightly to Luna for my sword to strike true, and I circled the wagon, getting into my battle stance.
When I rounded the cart, the scorpion was pissed. It gave a hissing, angry noise, and it charged at me again. But this time, I was ready. At least, I thought it was. I miscalculated the angle it was striking from, and the barbed stinger buried into my shoulder when I tried to roll to the side and swipe at it. Immediately, my body was lanced with pain. "AAAAAGH!" I yelled loudly, the pain in my shoulder white hot, and spreading. I quickly slashed upwards as a reflex, and my sword bit into the tail, slicing the tip of the stinger off. Thank the goddesses. But that stinger was still buried in my shoulder, and the pain was disorienting. The adrenaline rush just made it worse. Now -I- was mad. I blacked out.
I don't remember the rest of that fight. All I remember was Glimmerhoof calling my name, trying to ineffectually pull me away from pounding a green-and-black splotch into the sand. She later told me that I turned into something that scared her enough to not come out, even when the scorpion was dead. I used my bare hooves and I pounded that damned creature into paste, screaming bloody murder. When I snapped out of it, all that my body would tell me is pain. Pain. PAIN. I couldn't stand it. The searing, sense-blinding, hot white pain. I collapsed on the ground, moaning. I think I might have vomited too. It hurt that damn much. Time seemed to blur together. Glimmerhoof kept trying to rouse me. In my brief moments of lucidity, I could see that she had set up camp, and she kept pouring water into my throat and begging me to not die. I think at some point, she fed me the watery health potion our master kept around. I think that may have saved me in the end. But it didn't save her.
I awoke with a start, jumping to my hooves. It was night time again. Glimmerhoof was laying next to me, and it startled her, making her yelp in surprise. I could see now, at least. My shoulder was bandaged, and my body wasn't aching anymore...but I was incredibly thirsty. "Glimmer...what happened?" I asked, after having a good scan of our surroundings. We were still where I fought the scorpion.
"Y-you passed out on me. I thought you were gonna die, Tough." she said, getting up and throwing her hooves around me in a tight hug. "I'm glad you're okay. After you passed out, you started flailing around and foaming at the mouth. I didn't know what to do. I just kept you covered and tried to get you to drink water. You've been out for two days."
Two days was a long time. "How much water do we have left?" I asked carefully, trying to not let the worry bleed into my voice. She raised one canteen. "...I see. Well, I will be up when the sun rises. Let me try and get my bearings when it does, so I know where we are. I think we might have gotten lost in the sand storm."
"Okay Tough...but please, will you stay awake? I don't want to wake up to another one of those things." she asked, her voice shaky.
"Yeah, I'll stay up. You go ahead and get some rest. I'm starving anyway, I'm going to eat and sharpen my gladius." she smiled at me softly, and she snuggled under the blanket again. I, on the other hoof, got into the wagon so I could rummage. The light of the meager fire she made was enough for me to find some stale hard tack bread to chew on, and my whetstone. I settled by the fire and began to slowly sharpen the blade.
It must have been only a few hours before sunrise, because I didn't feel like I was up for all that long when the sky started to light. I wish I could have seen the sun rising. But I didn't waste time pondering the vision of the sun. I needed to act quickly. Time was against us, and if we were lost, we were as good as dead anyway. I quickly ascended the tallest dune of sand near us, getting to the top and peering around. Nothing but sand, cacti, and creatures scurrying about, getting their food and water before it was too hot to be out. I did a complete turn about, and I sighed. We were lost.
My first concern was the fact that we had next to no water. Those two canteens wouldn't last us more than two hours, and I had no idea how close any town was. But I remembered what the old geezer that owned us said. 'If you get lost out here, just look at which side of the cactus the flower leans. Go that way. You'll get to a settlement eventually.' I nodded slowly, and I approached a cactus, looking it over. The flower was blooming beautifully, but I couldn't tell which way, if any, it was leaning. After spending more time than I probably should have comparing angles and sides, I finally settled on a direction, and I quickly made my way back to the cart. Glimmer was still sleeping peacefully...a smile was on her face. I couldn't imagine how frightened she was to see me disabled. I could let her rest while I broke camp and packed the wagon.
I did it in record time. I packed what little bits of that scorpion were left too...we were going to need all the food we could get on the trip back. When I went to nudge her awake, she didn't respond. She must have been in a deep sleep. "Glimmerhoof, get your lazy flank up. We got to move. It's going to get too hot if we stay." She finally stirred slightly, her eye cracking slightly. It didn't have the same sparkle it did before, but I figured it was just sleepiness.
"Alright alright...give me a hoof up into the wagon, won't you? I'm feeling so tired..." she asked, closing her eyes again.
"You're such a lazy ass. Fine." I replied, gently picking her up and putting her into the wagon. I tucked the blanket around her, and pulled the tent tarp so it covered her head from the light. "There. I think we'll be able to make it. Make sure you drink water, okay? Don't worry about me so much, I'll be fine."
She nodded in confirmation, and I hooked myself up to the cart once more. Away we went, in the direction that I settled on. I don't know how long we went. I couldn't judge the time except by how hot it was getting. Hours, probably. The whole time, Glimmer stayed asleep and quiet in the cart, the smile on her face. She must be having good dreams. I chuckled each time I looked at her. She even kicked her hooves a few times. Finally, it got to a point where I couldn't go anymore, it was too hot. I needed to check my bearing anyway. "Glimmer, we're stoppin'. We gotta make sure we're on the right track and get a tent set up. It's too buckin' hot to be moving."
"Okay Tough." she responded sleepily, her head lifting up. "You want me to help?"
"Nah, you keep resting. I'm sure taking care of me was hard enough on you."
"Heh...it was. Alright, I'll just stay in the wagon. Don't take too long though, I don't want you to pass out in the heat."
"I'll be done in a minute!" I grinned at her, and wasted no time in getting the tent set for passing the hottest part of the day. It must be a little after noon. I helped her out of the wagon, and once again, we sat under the tent. We rationed the water, and though I tried to insist, she said she didn't need as much water as I did, so I ended up drinking more. I suppose she was right. I was the one hauling the cart, after all.
"So where are you going?" she asked me, her head tilting slightly to me. "I thought you were lost."
"Oh, I'm following what our late master told me. Follow the cactus flower direction."
"Are you sure that's right?"
"Absolutely. I remember that clear as day."
"Good, good. I don't want you to die out here...I need you." she giggled and put a hoof on my cheek. "You're my sweetheart, after all."
"I'm more worried about you! I'm Tough, I can handle it. I don't want -you- to die. No offense, you're kind of delicate."
"I know. You're the soldier. But don't you worry, I know you'll take care of me." she yawned, and leaned her head against the cart. "I've just been so tired. I think I'm going to nap again. If I don't wake up when you poke me, just toss me in the cart, okay?" she said, closing her eyes.
"Alright Glimmer. You keep resting." her chest was already rising and falling slowly. I smiled and snuggled against her, dozing a bit myself. It was nice. She was warm. Her fur didn't feel as soft as it usually did, but I figured it was just because of the heat and water rationing. I didn't fully fall asleep though, I didn't want to get jumped again. And I wanted to move as soon as it felt cooler. That's what I told myself. When I awoke again, though, it was much later than I wanted it to be. "Glimmer! We gotta get moving!" I said, shaking her. She blinked slightly.
"Huh-wha? Okay! Um...want me to help break down?" she asked, yawning widely.
"No, get into the wagon. I can break down faster by myself." I helped her into the wagon, then broke down the camp again. I went to check a nearby cactus to get my bearing again. This one was a little easier, the flower was growing lopsided. With the direction in mind, I hooked up to the cart, and started off at a brisk trot.
Her voice broke me out of my travel tunnel vision. "Hon, are you okay? You're sweatin' something awful. Have you drank any more water?" she asked.
"No...I was kind of checked out while I walked. I wish you were feeling better so I could talk to you."
"Drink water Tough, you can't be passing out now. I'm sure you're so close to town." she chided.
"Fine...toss it to me?" I asked.
"I...don't know where you put it. You'll have to get it."
I sighed and unhooked from the cart, moving to the back and giving her a playful nudge. "Are you just being lazy?" I teased. She giggled and waved her hoof at me. I got the water, and drank deeply from it. I offered it to her too. "Want some?"
"No, I'll be alright, I snuck a drink while you were pulling." she winked at me. "Go ahead and drink it down. You'll need it more than me." I nodded slowly, and slurped the life giving liquid down. I left a bit in there, and offered it to her.
"Here, you need to drink too." I firmly expressed. "Don't make me force it down your throat."
"Ooh, kinky. I might make you." she replied, sticking her tongue out. "No, I'm fine, really. You go ahead. I get the feeling that you're close to town." she replied.
I stared at her for a long moment, then finally I nodded, and drank the rest. Now we had none. She smiled, and settled back down, getting the blanket wrapped around her, and flicking her head. "Go on, let's get you to town. You're looking terrible."
I wish we were as close as she said she felt. But we weren't. I think we were headed in the right direction, but it was much farther. Another night...and day break. More hurried trotting. She was becoming less and less responsive to me too, and I was having to help her more and more, in and out of the cart. But her voice was gentle to me, and she kept encouraging me to press onward. But when it got to mid-day...it was just too much. Fortunately, there was a cliff to take shelter under...I was just too exhausted to set up camp again. I pulled the wagon near it, and hauled Glimmerhoof out, so we could lean under the cliff. I was panting hard. I felt weak. I wanted to sleep. Her voice though, it broke me out of my lethargy.
"Tough...stay awake." she said firmly. "You can't fall asleep. You're so close."
"G-glimmer...I...I can't do it. I'm so tired...so thirsty..." I replied, falling onto her shoulder and snuggling into it. She felt oddly cold for some reason.
"Tough no! You can't fall asleep. You -have- to keep going. Please Tough, for me. I want you to survive." she said, prodding.
"What do you mean? You've been talking like that for awhile now. Why aren't you saying 'we'?" She looked at me with those big, emerald eyes, her mane, the same color as her coat, falling over one.
"I think you know why, Tough."
"Wh...what do you..." she put a hoof up to my mouth.
"Tough...this...this is going to sound absolutely insane. But you have to survive. I would want you to survive. You're so close to the town. But you can't make it there like this. Tough...you have to eat me." she said. Her eyes...they're so lifeless...no...please... my brain pleaded with me.
"Glimmer, please...don't tell me you're..."
"Shhhhh...you know it's true...I'm dead...you've been carrying me around for three days. I died that night, after you woke up from your coma. I'm glad I got to see you alive one last time."
I couldn't help it. Hot, too-salty tears welled up in my eyes. "No...you can't be...how are you talking to me?"
"You're delirious, Tough...the heat is making you crazy. But we can't talk anymore. You're going to die if you don't eat me."
"I can't...I can't...it's wrong. I would never do that to you. I love you!"
"I know you do honey...but if you love me, you'll let me help you one last time. Just promise me that you'll remember me?"
I wish I could have responded...but I couldn't help it, my mind was too wracked with sorrow. The little bit of tears I was able to squeeze out were staining my cheeks, and I wailed, holding her body against me. She didn't talk anymore. She was so...lifeless. But...she was right. I would die if I didn't have -something- fluid.
"I'm so sorry I couldn't save you Glimmer...so sorry..." I choked, and I sank my teeth into her neck, ripping a chunk of her flesh off with a sickening rip. I don't know how her blood was still flowing...but it was precious liquid. I kept chewing...ripping, swallowing, chewing. I felt like I was doing it forever...but finally, my stomach couldn't handle anymore. She tasted like the sweetest sugar I could have imagined. Her blood was like honey.
I couldn't stand to be there anymore. Not after what I'd done. With my stomach sated, my thirst allayed, I had no desire to look at the half-eaten corpse of my lover and best friend. I set off on the path to the town, leaving everything else behind aside my Legion blade and my thin cloak. I left everything else for others to pick over. Not like I cared anymore. All of it would remind me of Glimmer every time.
Strangely enough, I felt a certain sense of peace within my body. As if I had done something I needed to. Or maybe it was Glimmer's soul, giving me comfort. I didn't know which, but my body felt satisfied. My mind was far from untroubled, however. As I walked, I did my best to clean her blood off my face and hooves, though it was rough going without any water. I eventually just rubbed my face raw to get it off, the dried blood flaking off in tiny pieces like I felt my mind was.
The walk to the town was fairly uneventful from that point on. I felt as if no time had passed at all. The world felt frozen in shock from the horror I had committed. Before I knew or was even ready for it, houses started to pass me by as I trotted on. The heat was starting to peel off, thankfully, since it was getting to be in the evening. I had hardly noticed the lighting change. All I knew is I wanted a drink, a place to sleep, and some company. So I headed to the little saloon in the town.
Now this town was small, very small. It was called Goodsprings, and the folk in it were nice. Real homebodies. They recognized me the moment I stepped into the bar, and I was greeted heartily. It brought a small smile to my face. Since it was getting in the evening, most of the little town was in the saloon, swapping stories and rumors, getting their food and drink, and generally socializing. Of course, the first question on everypony's lips when I stepped in: Where's your family?
I lied, of course. I didn't want to stir up trouble right now. I told them Mr. and Mrs. Rachet sadly passed in their sleep, and I no longer had an employer. I told them I was broke and unwilling to stay in such a place of sadness. It garnered a lot of sympathy. I was given water and whiskey on the house...which I was infinitely grateful for. I was ashamed to lie to the good ponies, but...the truth was so much harsher. I had gotten several offers for ponies to take me in until I figured out what to do, but I rejected most of them.
I was feeling much better after I had spent some time in the saloon, drinking and chatting with the townfolk, as if it were old times again. It put my mind at ease for the time. As the evening progressed, the saloon slowly emptied out, until it was me, the few that were late-nighters, and the owner. She was a nice, if older pony. Kind of reminded me of my ma. She'd come over and make sure I had water, then ruffle my mane like I was her own, and say nice things to me. I liked her a lot. It was no surprise to me, or anypony else when she offered to put me up for the night in her own home. I accepted from her...I was exhausted from all the ordeal I had gone through, and I trusted her enough that I could sleep under her roof. We left not long after the last patron bid us farewell and a good night.
Her home was small, but warm. She had done a lot to keep the place inviting and roomy. She was a widow, her husband killed by a wayward group of geckos, and he left her his saloon and everything that had been saved, so she was quite well-off compared to the rest of the town. She set me up on her sofa with a nice, warm blanket, and the flickering fire in her fireplace crackled comfortingly. She gave me a last ruffle of my mane and bid me goodnight. I think she could sense how I was feeling, because she added: "Get some rest, Tough. Things will be clearer in the morning." with her old, kind smile.
While the couch was much more comfortable than just about any other bed I've had in my lifetime and the fire and blanket were both secure and warm...my sleep was plagued with nightmares. I couldn't seem to stay asleep. I woke up and walked around the room. The fire was out and it was cold. "Miss Cold Drink?" I called for the saloon-mare. The house seemed to echo my words. There was no response. As I looked around, I notice things weren't as they used to be. The house was decaying and the things were ruined, falling apart. How long was I asleep? Did I die?
I walked into the kitchen of the house, trying to figure out what was happening. "Miss Drink?" I called again. The fridge kicked on, the vacuum pump sputtering to life noisily and nearly making me jump out of my skin. I noticed the soft glow of the stove on. There was a frying pan on it sizzling something. I began walking to it. I could have sworn the kitchen was the length of a football field as I walked. It took forever. When I reached the stove, finally, I was exhausted. The room was unbearably hot. I felt thirsty. I was dying. I had to know what was in the pan. It would save me, I'm sure.
I struggled to pull myself up...by the time I had reached the stove, I was crawling. Inch after painful inch, I made my way up. The pan was the most important thing in my mind right now. The sizzling was deafening. The fridge vacuum seemed so far away. I finally managed to stand up on my hooves, and looked down into the pan. Glimmer-Hoof's grinning, half-eaten face was there. "Why did you eat me? You're a monster! MONSTER! MONSTER! MONSTER!" the face cackled as I ran away, taunting me with jeering calls. I felt like I was on fire. My legs felt like old tires and I couldn't run. "No! I'm sorry! You told me to!" my words flitted around the room like bats with no direction. "Please Glimmer!"
I was about to reach the fridge. With slow horror I realized it was opening. Her frozen body lumbered out. The stove was no longer a thousand yards away...it was where it should be. The body pushed me aside, now cowering in fear, and went to pick the head up, slowly placing it on the neck stump. The body was half-eaten too. "Now Tough, let's see how -you- like being eaten alive..." she said, her leering, dead gaze piercing into my very core. I felt my body seize in it's natural fight-or-flight response. But I didn't want to fight. I only ran. I ran as hard as my legs would carry me. I was in the desert again. The house was gone. No matter how hard I ran, though, Glimmer was right behind me every time I looked back, walking with the slow gait of the dead, her terrible, mocking grin chilling my spine. I was lost again.
The desert dunes were endless. I couldn't seem to find a cactus to guide me either. Nothing but sand in every direction...except when I looked back. But I tried to not do that. Glimmer was there. She was going to get me. I couldn't let her get me. I could hear her taunting me, her voice always seemed far away. But when I looked back..there she was, less than three steps away. I finally tripped and tumbled down a dune, landing roughly in the remains of what looked to be our old cart. I could hear scorpions skittering around the edges of the dune. I looked up, and Glimmer's eyes were staring down at me, glowing slightly. She was standing at the top of the dune I fell down.
I looked down at my legs. They were broken now. Pain screamed through me. She slowly and purposefully walked down towards me, a scorpion in tow. "Glimmer...the scorpion is behind you!" I tried to warn. But it never attacked her. No, it's focus was on me. She stood over me, towering like some alicorn. The scorpion moved to my other side. It drove it's stinger into me, right into my old wound. It HURT. Pain washed through me again, and I felt my body convulsing. But my gaze was locked onto hers. "Now I can eat you, Tough. Let's see how -you- like it. Monster. Monster. You're a disgusting monster." she taunted. Her head leaned down, and her mouth opened wide...
I jumped out of the couch with a scream of terror, causing a shuffling and a thump, then running hooves to come from the bedroom. Cold Drink had a terrified look on her soft blue face, and a pistol in her mouth. I was standing there, ready to fight, breathing hard, with sweat pouring down my body. We both looked at each other for a tense few moments before we both realized there was no real danger. She relaxed and sighed, setting the firearm on a nearby side table. "Sweet Celestia, Tough, you scared the heck outta me." she chided gently, moving over to me to help me sit back on the couch. "You musta had a right terrible nightmare honey. Want to talk about it?" she asked, her eybrows knitting together in concern.
I shook my head and took a shaky breath. "N-no...just...old memories torturing me. I'll be fine." I replied with a weak smile. "Sorry for waking you Miss Drink." she smiled and ruffled my mane. It was comforting.
"You get comfortable, honey, and try to sleep again. Go on into the kitchen if ya feelin' hungry or thirsty. Maybe take a walk around outside t' clear your mind."
I immediately shook my head, the nightmare lingering. "NO! Uh...I mean no thanks...I'll probably go take a walk. Maybe I'll get lucky and see the stars tonight." I lamely offered. She tilted her head in concern, but nodded. She bid me goodnight again, and went off to her room, making sure to grab her sidearm before she closed the door. I, on the other hoof, went to the front door and opened it to step out into the cold desert air. No stars, of course. There was only light clouds, the moon trying it's very hardest to give the ground what little light it could.
The lights of Las Pegas was off in the distance. I smiled slightly, gazing off there. Ever since I had seen it in the Legion camp as a young foal, I wanted to go see it up close. I walked to the saloon, letting the cool night air breeze the nightmare away, keeping my eyes on the bright city in the distance. I made up my mind. I'd go to Las Pegas and try to find my way in life. It couldn't be too bad, right? I'd find answers in a big city like that.
It was definitely a goal to work towards. I walked back to the saloon-mare's house, and quietly went inside, settling down on the couch once more. I felt like I could sleep again. With thoughts of the bright lights of the city running through my mind, I fell asleep once more. I dreamed of the Strip...streets paved with bottle caps and fountains of water and whiskey danced through my mind. It was a pleasant thought.
A journey like that is never paved with caps, though. It's carved in blood.