Chapter 10: Victory

<~Hoover Dam, three months later~>

I stared at the floor as I pushed myself up, waited a few seconds and then bent my arms as I lowered myself. I repeated the cycle again and again in a continuous fluid movement, sweating profusely from the exertion and heat. My once black hair was once again long and back to its normal rainbow color.

I usually did three sets of thirty push-ups a day. One in the morning as I waited for Nolan to get me for morning chow, another set after my patrol rounds were up, and one after evening chow.

Ever since joining the NCR, or more importantly getting shipped out to the Dam, my life had dissolved into a strict routine. I didn’t deviate, I didn’t slack off, I had my orders and I followed them. I didn’t want to do anything that would jeopardize my chances of being stationed here when Caesar inevitably attacked. I would fight the entire Legion if it got AJ and Fluttershy back.

I didn’t smile as I remembered what felt like a lifetime ago that I would sleep half the day and then do stunts the rest. Those days were long gone, replaced with constant drills from Colonel Moore, training with my rifle, and patrolling every inch of the Dam. I rarely had time off, nor did the others, but I didn’t really care. Rarity practically lived on the second of the four towers atop the Dam, rifle ready to give the Legion a generous helping of lead.

Pinkie was constantly busy with cooking, but I had time to chat with her in the kitchen before I went to the mess hall that doubled as a recreational room.

I didn’t see much of Twilight. Her degree in theoretical physics actually helped her replace Mr. Fantastic as assistant engineer. And with her memories back, she was constantly busy working on the turbines. She had helped the head engineer - who I couldn’t for the life of me remember his name - fix many of the mechanical problems that he couldn’t. I wanted to facepalm when I remembered calling her an egghead for wanting to go to the Ponyville Dam just to see how hydroelectricity worked.

Done with my pushups, I hopped quickly to my feet and retrieved my rifle from my locker. I was already dressed in everything else.

Entering the claustrophobic concrete hallway with metal flooring and exposed overhead wiring, I waited by the door for Nolan so we could head to the kitchen together to grab something to eat. He was never this late before.

I quickly grew impatient and walked down the straight hallway to look for him. I stopped and quickly looked into the men’s sleeping quarters, finding it empty. Turning a corner, I saw only one guy standing guard by the door that lead to the quartermaster. It was hard to tell who it was by their looks. The body armor and helmet we were issued nearly made every trooper look alike. The one noticeable feature was the corporal stripes on the sleeve of their jacket. That told me it could be either Austin, or Zach, the only two corporals assigned to guard that door.

Walking closer, I gave a quick glance at him as I passed. I could see unblinking brown eyes through his goggle lenses, so it had to be Austin on account of Zach having grey.

Walking further down the hallway, I took a left turn, walked exactly fifteen steps, turned right and was at the kitchen door. Even through the metal of the door I could hear Pinkie happily humming a song to herself. Winter Wrap Up, if I heard correctly.

Licking my lips, I heard my stomach growl in hunger, and it made me open the door. What greeted me made me jump back. It was Pinkie, standing on the other side with a large smile.

“Hey, Dashie,” Pinkie squealed as her impossibly wide smile grew even larger. I knew something was up.

I rolled my eyes, “What is it, Pinkie?”

She handed me a plate with a steaming brahmin steak on it that was accompanied with a side of grilled agave.

“This has got to be some sick joke Pinkie, seriously, this is meat.”

She gave me her trademark smirk, “Not a joke, eat up.”

Of course, Pinkie being Pinkie, after she said that, physics decided to bend to her will and caused the smell of the steak to waft into my nostrils. I had to admit, the slab of meat smelled delicious. I took the plate from Pinkie as I stared at the food, my mouth watering from the aroma

Swallowing my saliva, I shook my head, trying to keep my thoughts straight. “Dude, why are you giving me this?” I asked, confused beyond reason.

Pinkie looked sad for a second, then she decided to smile real extra wide, “Silly filly, how could you forget your own birthday?”

How in the heck did I totally forget that? Seriously, it was my own fucking birthday.

I shook my head and my normal thoughts resumed, “Oh… um, why the steak then?”

Pinkie shrugged, “Decided that since I couldn’t bake a cake, I could give you something completely different than beans for protein. Don’t worry about people thinking you’re strange; Fluttershy feeds fish to her otters, and meat to the bears.

At the mention of her name I felt my body temperature drop as my face scrunched up in worry. We were so damn close to the fucking fort, yet too far away to save her and AJ. The nagging fact kept pestering me the entire time I was here. Admittedly, I found it hard to sleep at night being so close.

Pinkie saw my reaction, and gave me a hug with a reassuring smile, “We’re going to get them back soon, trust me.”

I gave a sigh and a weak smile, glad to have her for support. After pulling away from the hug, Pinkie handed me a Sunset Sarsaparilla, a knife, and a fork. Nodding in thanks, I left the kitchen and headed towards the rec room with my food. Entering, I saw that the room was a simple rectangular area, filled with two pool tables, a couch, along with tables and seats to eat and play poker.

I found a seat and looked around, Nolan was nowhere to be found amongst the ten people scattered around the room. Most of them were engineers in light-grey jumpsuits.

Looking down at the still warm steak, I picked up my knife and cut a very, very tiny piece off the steak. Spearing the little chunk with my fork, I noticed the meat was slightly pink, and juice began to seep out and mix with the agave.

Lifting up the fork to my mouth, I realized I was shaking slightly.

‘Fuck it,’ I thought as I quickly ate the piece before my mind could give me a reason not to.

Smacking my lips as I rolled my tongue around in my mouth, my taste buds finally registered the taste… then exploded with a glorious mixture of heat and flavor. Never in my life had I tasted anything so, unique, before. No wonder the griffons ate the stuff.

I quickly ate the rest of the steak, along with the juice drenched agave, and washed it all down with a relatively cold sarsaparilla. The entire meal was one, if not the best things I had ever eaten in my time in the Mojave, or even in my whole life for that matter. Pinkie sure knew how to cook.

Pinkie knew how to cook meat, and I wasn’t even going to think on how- Well, actually she could have learned how to cook meat while serving at Camp McCarran.

My thoughts were interrupted when a piece of paper was placed in front of me. I looked to see who placed it in front of me, but I wasn’t fast enough, the person being long gone. Picking up the paper, I unfolded the neat and even creases and read what it said.

Meet me by the storage room door

It wasn’t signed, but I was pretty sure I knew who it was. Getting up, I left my plate where it was since the janitors handled cleaning, and left the rec room.

From the there, I took a left, went straight down the hallway, took a right, then a left, went down another long hallway, took another left, then another right, and finally found the door - I had gotten good at finding my way through this Dam. However, there wasn’t anyone waiting for me, not even Nolan. At that moment, the door to the storage room opened ominously, as if wanting me to come inside. I knew whoever was behind the note was up to something, and inside. Stepping forwards cautiously, I entered the storage room, and the door closed behind me. Making me jump with a start.

Looking around, the only light coming from a few overhead lights, all I saw were boxes and shelves, one box having a trooper’s helmet atop it. Turning in every direction, I was starting to get frustrated when I was suddenly pushed against a large crate, making me completely pissed before I was lifted and set down on top of it like it was a chair with my legs dangling off the edge.

There was a loud sound, like electric sparks, and a helmetless Nolan appeared out of thin air, holding a stealth-boy - I could really use a few of those for pranks. Upon seeing him my anger quickly left me,

I was about to speak, but caught myself when Nolan tossed the stealth-boy aside, going straight for my belt.

I blushed in realization of what was going on.

Nolan looked up from messing with my belt to see my rosy pink cheeks. I tried to hide my face. I was supposed to be a badass, not a blusher.

With a smile, he set back to work on my belt.

“A certain someone told a me that it was your birthday today,” Nolan said as he finally managed to unclip my belt, now working on the buttons of my pants, “I wanted to give you a present.”

As my pants began to slide slowly down my legs, stopping just after passing my panties, I laughed lightly, “Nolan, you can be so cheesy sometimes.”

Nolan lowered his face closer to my panties, his breath tickling me, before looking up with a goofy smile, “I know, but it still makes you wet.”

My pink face practically turned crimson as his foreplay began to show between my legs, dampening the soft fabric.

With a quick motion of Nolan’s hands, the panties joined my pants and he drove his face straight between my legs, sending his warm tongue right between my wet lips with ease.

“Ohhh, fuuuck yes,” I moaned as Nolan started dragging his tongue up in a slow, sensual lick.

I quickly found myself angling my hips to let him dive deeper, moaning more as his tongue went for another, deeper lick. I had to brace myself up with my hands behind me after Nolan started nibbling on my clit, sending pulse after pulse of pleasure through me and leaving me silently panting for air.

Using one hand to brace myself up, I used my other to run through his hair, digging my shortly cut nails into his scalp every now and then as he hit the spots he knew well.

A few more licks and clit teases, he had to cover my mouth as I screamed his name into his hand.

I stared at the ceiling on my back as he brought hand away from my mouth, already breathless after one orgasm, my tongue lolling out of my mouth.

I felt him slip my panties back over my hips, the put my pants back me, as well as my belt.

Getting up, I looked at him, smiling as I pulled him close for a kiss. After a moment, I broke the kiss, giving him a alluring smile. “That... was... awesome,” I said through gasps for air.

“Glad you liked it, but w-” A loud explosion rocked the Dam like an earthquake. Klaxon horns began blaring, causing us to drop the lovey-dovey act, and scramble for our weapons.

<>~<Hoover Dam, Power Station 4>~<>

Twilight flipped over a desk, Legion gunshots pelting the wood and metal as spears soared overhead.

Many of the NCR troopers inside power station 4 were already dead, Rainbow Dash and Nolan were nowhere to be found. The Legion were swarming out of the water intake tunnels shortly after Jamie went to see General Oliver. They had taken everyone by surprise.

Vaulting over the table, she narrowly avoided a grenade blast while telekinetically deflecting spears with the gauntlet acting as her horn.

Twilight stopped another grenade just after it left the grenade-happy Legionnaire’s hand. The end result was a very confused and scared Legion soldier seeing a live grenade float in a lavender cloud. The blast had also rewarded her with two other Legion soldiers caught in the blast, as well as a clear hole in their ranks to get to the door.

Moving fast as lightning, she stopped when Jamie came out of General Oliver’s compound, taking down the rest of the Legion soldiers with his marksman carbine.

<>~<Guard Tower 2>~<>

Rarity was easily squeezing off shot after shot from her hunting rifle. Scores of Legion soldiers were swarming the top of the Dam as explosions rocked from below. They were breaking into the Dam from tunnels to attack where the NCR least expected it.

Looking through the scope of her rifle, Rarity spotted a Centurion in patchwork armor leading his men onward. A single bullet remedied that problem. As she lined up another shot on a different officer, Rarity felt herself get pulled down. Turning quickly, she was face to face with Pinkie Pie.

<>~<Hoover Dam Kitchen, seconds prior>~<>

Pinkie had no idea why her oven was leaking gas, followed by an explosion, but she figured it had something to do with the Legion.

Shaking off the soot that blackened nearly every inch of her, Pinkie started rummaging through the kitchen fridge, pulling out two 10mm SMG’s and a few spare magizines. Logically, she kept them there in case of an emergency, and the Legion attacking seemed like a big one.

Pinkie jumping into a trashcan like she was diving into a pool, reappearing from the hatch in the tower behind Rarity, who was busy sniping Legion officers.

An eye flutter, both knees pinching, and a very big scalp itch. Pinkie sense combo saying one of her friends was about to die. Not on her watch.

Pinkie grabbed Rarity by the collar of her trench coat and pulled her down, just in time for a bullet to whiz over their heads.

“Pinkie Pie!?” Rarity asked, both eyebrows raised in surprise and confusion.

Pinkie didn’t respond, but pulled Rarity down the hatch before half the Dam went up in flames.

<>~<The top of Hoover Dam>~<>

Nolan and I had pushed our way through the Legion ranks to the old visitor center to get topside and link up with anyone that was still alive. On the way, we bumped into Jamie and Twilight as they fought their way out of the overrun lower levels. We hardly spoke a word as we took off outside, wanting to assess what was going on. What greeted us all, however, was chaotic enough to make what Discord does to make some sense.

Bodies of people I once knew were strewn about, their lifeless gazes staring at nothing. Legionnaires were carrying bloodstained machetes everywhere they went, striking down any NCR trooper that was in range. We were so unprepared that the Legion were killing us left and right.

Making sure to line up headshots, Nolan, Twilight, Jamie and I opened fire with our weapons, making our way through the top of the Dam. We were doing fairly well, able to take out a few Legionnaires before they could even fight back. Unfortunately, the numbers were against us as they fired upon us. We were forced to take cover behind a sandbag wall, pinned down by the constant gunfire.

There were so many bullets heading our way that we couldn’t get a shot back. Not only that, but they were slowly approaching, and it wouldn’t take long before they were on top of us. I was sure we were going to die before a loud droning sound filled the air before explosives rained from the sky over the Legion’s heads, killing a majority of them.

“The Boomers actually got the fucking thing in the air?” Jamie said as I looked towards the sky, watching a rust colored machine fly over the dam.

No one answered his question as I looked back to the ground. The Legion were also awestruck by the contraption that had bombarded them, and it gave us a nice distraction. Without hesitation, we aimed our weapons and fired them, taking out the Legion that once had the upper hand.

As we neared the second guard tower, Rarity and Pinkie burst out of the doors in the side of the tower, quickly joining us and swelling our ranks to six.

We had cleared half the Dam and were nearing the checkpoint building in the center when a group of ten men and women clad in sleeveless leather jackets and blue jeans came to help, armed to the teeth with pistols and SMG’s.

Jamie laughed like he had just won the lottery, “I was wondering when the Great Khans would show up for this fight.”

Ignoring him, we all ran through the checkpoint building, now halfway across the Dam. From there, things got real interesting.

Six soldiers clad in armor like Rarity’s, with helmets that had green eyes came up to us.

“Alpha Squad reporting in, sir,” The commander of the squad told Jamie as the Great Khans held off the Legion for us.

Jamie talked to him as the rest of us fought, “Good, after we push them back, get on the ridge, we need the snipers.”

“Yes sir, come with us, ma’am,” The commander said, patting Rarity on the arm. The only way we could tell her apart from Alpha Squad was her red beret.

She did as asked and we now had a whole platoon sized attack force.

Pushing forward, the NCR Ranger Veterans and Great Khans began to outrun us, a few Khans falling to Legion bullets, but otherwise driving the bastards back.

As we neared the remains of what was the fourth guard tower, a flying green contraption with two spinning propellers landed. The machine was marked with a white ‘E’ surrounded by white stars.

I tensed up, preparing for a fight, but when the hulks in strange power armor began tearing through Legion with laser rifles and a gun that had multiple rotating barrels, I let out a sigh of relief.

Pushing further, we now had our boots on legion dirt. The Rangers, as well as Rarity, departed for a nearby hill to give us sniper cover.

Seven Khans were dead, and the power armored guys lost someone with a laser rifle, a lucky bullet through an eyepiece.

Passing by his corpse, the sound of rifles on the nearby hill began cracking the air. We were now driving the Legion further and further back.

Then, sadly, things went south.

The power armored guys started getting the brunt of the Legion’s fire. I could tell power armor was tough, but if you send enough bullets its way, one can stop whoever is wearing it.

We managed to push further, but we rounded a bend in the valley and the snipers could no longer support us. With our entire backup dead, wounded, or no longer available, we were down to five people.

Good enough. I thought

As if the universe heard that thought, I could see an entire pack of snarling, ravenous dogs, followed behind by five Legion soldiers charging us.

Our five people formed a line, aiming our weapons at them. I fired my rifle, focusing more on the soldiers than the dogs, Pinkie Pie used two SMG’s, Twilight was using a 9mm pistol and her magic, Jamie used a marksman carbine, and Nolan used his rifle.

The Legion forces were cut down, but the dogs kept dodging our bullets when we shot at them, like they knew where we were shooting.

One of the mongrels tackled me, digging sharpened claws into my leg, shredding the fabric and flesh as Twilight deflected one away from herself with magic.

I blocked the mutt’s bite with a punch to its face. As it tried to bite again, Nolan kicked it off me and shot it.

Getting up, I looked quickly to my bleeding leg before noticing that Jamie took down a few more mongrels by himself. Pinkie was busy randomly appearing behind rocks, confusing the last mutt like she was playing a game with the savage hound. Everyone just ignored her and the dog as we waited for Rarity and the Rangers to catch up. We needed the firepower for the final push. We were so close to Caesar and the Legate now.

<>~<Legates Camp>~<>

Lanius watched as his plans began to fail around him. His main attack force had been repelled by the profligates, and his rear guard was taking heavy casualties.

The men under his command even had the audacity to retreat.

Watching the now closed gate from his position atop a hill, Lanius saw elite NCR soldiers enter the walls of his camp.

His surviving soldiers were preparing for a last stand in the small section of the Fort that served as his base, and seeing the enemy had arrived, Caesars Praetorians and remaining Legionnaires charged in one massive wave.

The Elite of the NCR didn’t waver at the encroaching wall of the Legion’s finest men. The guns of the NCR ripped through the cloth armor of the Legion with ease, dropping most of the men before they even got close.

<>~<>~<>

I jerked in fright… the ferocious, hellacious battle cry of the Legion warned us that we stepped feet first into a world of hurt.

A veritable wall of red descended upon us like a tidal wave. The Rangers along with Rarity however, didn’t even so much as flinch, only emptying their rifles. I quickly did the same, but the Legion just kept coming like our bullets didn’t faze them.

Seconds passed as we dumped all we had towards them until our rifles went click.

A few managed to survive, their machetes held high.

With no time to reload, we charged into the Legions charge, our rifles now clubs.

Twilight had got ahold of a legion machete and created a small shield with her magic. The battle was obviously taxing her focus, but she was a master of magic, easily overcoming the distraction.

I blocked a machete blow with my rifle, kneeing the weak spot of every man, before delivering a heavy blow to his skull with the butt of my rifle, crumpling the soldier into a heap.

I felt a twinge of satisfaction at my skills at close range, but looking to my left, I realized that Rarity and the Ranger Veterans were even more brutal close range fighters.

Rarity had a large knife from the Divide, and was using it with precision honed from threading a needle most her life, while the Rangers used rifle butts and combat knives.

By the end of the skirmish, we lost only two of the six Ranger Veterans while decimating the twenty Legion troops involved in the attack.

After all that, we set our sights on getting Lanius.

<>~<>~<>

Lanius let out a heavy sigh. The profligates had destroyed his men, and five of the elite NCR Rangers, two soldiers, and Courier 6 were ready for him.

Courier 6 ran up to him, determination chiseled onto his expression like stone.

The Courier only had to point out the obvious, his army was being destroyed, and if he retreated now, the West could live.

<>~<The Fort>~<>

Morris and Jason watched from a tower atop a small platform built on a wall with binoculars as the NCR approached, Lanius in full retreat with the remains of the army.

Quickly, they jumped down and ran back to a large trench that nobody even used. Proof of its unused state was that two boxes of surplus 5.56 rounds were left unclaimed. It also served as a perfect spot for a little troublemaker like Morris to set up his own little personal corner of the Fort.

A few chairs and a table – all stolen – were set up at the far end of the northeast trench, tucked away from view by large columns of rock.

Siri, Fluttershy, and Applejack awaited them, a duffle bag on the ground close by. All Morris and Jason did upon arrival was change clothing last minute. If they changed earlier and were spotted, then they would all be killed, and Jason was tired of nearly being killed.

Since he was a Praetorian, he had to come up with an excuse to stay within the main part of the Fort, meaning he had to straight up lie to Lanius himself… a feat Jason was sure would end in his demise. Luckily, he convinced the giant of a man that he could act as a spotter.

In the safety of the trench, the five waited in safety as General Oliver’s men breached the gate, walking in like they owned the place. The Legion were gone from the Fort, Lanius had everyone but the slaves heading back west.

There was a tense silence before cheers exploded through the camp. The NCR had won the war.

Jason and Morris nodded to the three women. Slowly, they all made their way to where the NCR was, making sure not to surprise trigger happy troopers.

The first person Jason saw was a woman with rainbow colored hair.

<>~<>~<>

I stood silent, my voice hung up in my throat. The NCR had won the war, but I couldn’t see Fluttershy or Applejack anywhere. I started to get worried as I looked around.

That’s when I heard Fluttershy call my name. Turning, I saw a group of slaves exiting a trench no one thought of looking through. Two of the slaves then departed, it was a woman and a teen who looked like her could be her son, but Fluttershy, Applejack, and some guy I never met before came forward, smiles on their faces.

I jerked my head back when I noticed Applejack and Fluttershy had larger bellies than when I last saw them… nearly four months ago. Fluttershy’s was more noticeable on her smaller body.

I was rooted in place, stunned into petrification by the shock of seeing them pregnant.

“Ah, Rainbow,” Applejack said with uncertainty, “Yah okay, it’s like yer seein’ ah ghost?”

Seconds passed before I blurted out, “You’re pregnant!”

Fluttershy and Applejack simply nodded, acting like it wasn’t too big of a deal.

Rarity, Twilight, and Pinkie finally arrived, Pinkie having a new dog on a leash. The mongrel she stayed behind to play with.

Fluttershy saw the state of the Legion dog and began to talk to its new owner as everyone else gathered around.

“I can’t believe you two are pregnant,” Rarity muttered, “It’s just not possible.”

Applejack shook her head, “Rares, Ah’m pregnant, and Fluttershy is too. It is possible.”

Twilight looked confused, “Why? How could this happen?”

I heard Pinkie giggle, “Silly fillies, you don’t know where babies come from?” she asked, looking completely serious, “Well, when a mommy and a daddy love e-”

“PINKIE!” everyone yelled.

“What? You can’t tell the guy right in front of you is the daddy? The Legion doesn’t keep male slaves, they take men in as their own soldiers.”

I could see the guy blanch milk white as Rarity, Twilight, and myself gave him all a threatening glare, but we were cut off by Fluttershy.

“Stop,” she said meekly, “Don’t hurt him.”

I popped my knuckles, “Why shouldn’t I rearrange this dirtbag’s face with my fists?”

He was Legion, he didn’t deserve to keep all his teeth.

Fluttershy blushed a cute shade of pink. “I love him,” she said just loud enough to hear.

“Huh?” was the reply from Twilight, Rarity, and I. Pinkie just smiled. One could tell right off that her random party-centric mind was already planning baby showers.

Fluttershy blushed redder, “When Applejack and I were taken here, the first Legion soldier to own us was... far from kind.”

She got this distant look in her eye, like she was lost in thought. Very, very disturbing thoughts. Shaking her head, her eyes went back to normal and she continued, “Jason saved us from him.”

Applejack picked up where Fluttershy left off, “Shortly after saving us, Caesar turned his kindness against us. He made Jason agree that either we get pregnant, or he would get punished.”

I felt like I had to ask, “And you say you love him? Why?”

Fluttershy answered in a near normal volume voice, “You should have seen him after his fight with Orion… using a crutch and covered in blood-soaked bandages,” she shivered before continuing, “After Applejack and Jason told me the news about what Caesar had done, I couldn’t let him get hurt anymore after how beat up he got for up,” I could see her blush deep, deep, pink, “And after weeks of so much torment… he was so gentle with me. He didn’t want to hurt me and made sure I was okay with what he was doing.”

Applejack nodded, “He would have let the Legion punish him instead of hurting us.”

Rarity nodded to Jason, “A true gentleman. But I will tell you this right now, if I so much as find out you harmed a single hair on my friends,” she pulled out her bowie knife that was still stained with Legion blood, and grabbed Jason so she could press the knife against his Adam’s apple, “I will kill you slowly. I will skin you alive with acid before hanging you with your own intestines… and as you’re swaying in the breeze, I will watch as maggots eat you slowly from the inside out... smiling.”

We all stared at Rarity as she put the knife away and let go of Jason. She had this manic, near glazed look in her eyes.

Jamie looked scared, not a good sign, “Calm down, Rarity,” he said with a gesture with his hands, “Marked Men act like that. I saw the Divide for myself.”

Rarity seemed to snap out of the daze, stumbled and looked dizzy before rubbing her eyes with one hand.

“Did it happen again?” She asked us like we would know.

“What happened?” Applejack asked, she too was scared.

With a long and heavy sigh, Rarity looked down.

<>~<Rarity>~<>

I should have told them all sooner. My violent urges were getting out of hand.

Taking a deep breath, I prepared to give them the horrid news, “Recently… I started getting very, very violent thoughts, but I played it off as a product of the environment. I knew something was wrong from the beginning, but I thought I could handle it. That was until recently I started making threats like that and acting on those thoughts… sorry Jason, I-” I stopped.

No one said a thing as tears welled up in my eyes. I clenched my fists, shutting my eyes tight, “I think… I think I may be going feral.”