Fallout Equestria: Silver Skies

Chapter 8: Tears of Blood

Suffering.

When had that began to define me? When had pain and misery become all I knew?

Everypony wanted to see me hurt, to suffer. For having wings, for being born to the best parents a pony could wish for. For simply being me. I never made demands on what I wanted for myself, I’ve sacrificed so much to help others. Yet the wasteland keeps demanding more, it keeps demanding I hurt more. Always more, always taking from me. My hopes, my dreams. Even my very body and soul. Always taking.

But all I want, is to just go home...

Is it too much to ask for? Just to be able to go back home? To see the mare I love? To find my baby sister? I don't want caps, fame or recognition. I just want my family and friends.

So why did the wasteland deny me even that?

*** ***

I had awoken in a dark cage, my legs shackled together. Other ponies lay on the rotting straw, some leaning against the rusted metal of the bars. We each wore some kind of metal collar, Red lights blinking along thick boxes spaced around the things. A voice in the darkness, full of fear, Had informed me what it was.

“Don't fiddle with the bomb collar. If yours blows, then all ours will too. I don't want to die... Not without a fight.”

“What’s going on?” The last thing I remembered was passing out in the church.

I felt around my leg for a moment before my hoof found what I was looking for. My Pipbucks light shone, Illuminating the cage in its pale glow. The dim light shone across the face of a buck, green eyes widening with surprise as he took in my bandaged form.

“Your that pegasus from the club?” The buck reached up with a cream hoof, brushing a lock of his shaggy black mane from his eyes. “That would make you this month's ‘volunteer’. You poor bastard.”

“W-what do you mean by ‘volunteer’?”

The cream buck gave a sad sigh.

“You really don't know anything?” I shook my head in confusion. “You caught their eye somehow. You being in there will draw a bigger crowd, so they ‘chose’ you as a guest fighter.”

“F-fighter?”

I felt myself shake with more than my withdrawals, terror gripping me in it's dark embrace. I’m not a fighter, Heck I don't even know Archon style to the point I can keep myself safe.

Dad taught me to try and defend myself, but not how to kill.

Why was this happening? Haven't I suffered enough? Haven't I felt enough pain yet?

My hooves covered my face as I cried, the cream buck resting his hoof on my shoulder trying to give me what little support he could.

*** ***

Chase fixed his sight on the door once again, frowning slightly.

Little Bird was taking a long time. Chase knew the little colt needed time to heal after what he had been through, but as the hours had passed, his anxiety had grown. Little Bird was too broken to be left alone for so long.

The club was winding down as the small hours of the morning ticked by. Partying ponies beginning to drift towards the door, seeking their beds, or someponies bed at least. The atmosphere had become almost sluggish, drink and dancing wearing everypony out to almost exhaustion. As the night had ground on, the missing colt plagued Chase’s thoughts. Something about that broken pony had wormed it's way into his heart, making him want to protect him from anything he could.

Chase glared at the door, pacing back and forward.

“Ah reckon that's long enough...”

The big pony started for the door, his face set with determination. Club goers took one look at his face and cleared a path to the exit.

“Brambly! Where are you going? Your shift isn't over yet!”

Chase glanced over his broad shoulders. “Little Bird is late. Ah don't want him wandering around those streets alone. Ah’m sorry Ebony, But Ah’m worried.”

“The feathered runt wouldn't just find a spot to hide or sleep?”

“Ebony, Ah am afraid of what they did to that colt. They did things that disgust me beyond all Mah morals. They forced drugs on him, shot him, cut and bled him. And that's just the start...”

Ebony stared, her jaw open in shock. “So that's why he looked so lost? To do that to a child...”

“That's why Ah want to make sure Little Bird is alright.”

Ebony stared down at the ground, her face looking guilty. “Brambly...”

“Ebony, Ah know when y'all are hiding something...”

“Alright...” The zebra sighed loudly. “Brambly, This isn't the town you know anymore. Around a year ago, A gang moved in. It started small, a few pickpockets, some theft. Then ponies started to disappear.”

“Ah thought this here town was safe from crimes?”

“While it is true that the town is safe from Raiders, We have had a gang sneak in with refugee’s. You remember the arena?”

“Where Y’all have those play fights to settle disputes?”

“Yes, It's not friendly fights anymore. It's become a weekly thing for ponies to die in there. All criminals end up in there without trial or any kind of proof.”

“Ebony, Why in tarnation did y’all not tell me about this sooner? Ah could of helped!”

The few remaining club goers took one glance at the huge, angry stallion and headed for the exit.

“It gets worse. Everypony is too afraid to stop it, But each month a pony is volunteered to fight. If they win, they get anything they want but it's fixed. Nopony survives.” Ebony stared at her hooves, “Brambly, we are all terrified. Anypony that speaks out, disappears. Most die in the arena, some are just gone. The fights are unwinnable. Untrained citizens are thrown against minotaurs and armoured unicorns. It's murder, plain and simple.”

“Y’all have guns, Why not fight back?”

“Brambly... Anypony who could fight back, They have bomb collars on their loved ones. Nopony will stand up to them, We are all too afraid to lose our families.”

“Why would they take Little Bird?”

“Because of his song... Brambly this is all my fault! If I never made him sing, they would not have even noticed him. His death is my fault...”

“He ‘ain't dead yet. Ah’m gonna go get him.”

Ebony’s eyes grew wide with shock, “Brambly! Don't go! The arena is their turf now, you won't get two hooves through the door before they gun you down!”

“Ebony...” Chase stared hard at his Zebra friend. “That there colt saved Mah life. If not for Little Bird, Ah would have starved to death in a cell. Ah owe him Mah life, And Ah will not stop if Ah can save his.”

Ebony sighed. “You and your stupid honour Brambly. Alright, Let's go. We will have to move fast, The fights always start when they get their volunteer fighter. We have to leave your guns here though, Nopony can bring a weapon through the gates of the arena.”

The huge pony smiled. Slowly he rolled his shoulders, The loud pops and snaps of his muscles echoing across the now empty club.

“Ah don't need no weapon. Celestia help anypony that tries to stop me.”

*** ***

I stared into the darkness, unseeing, yet unable to just deny my situation. I could feel my death coming, I was going to die...

There was nopony coming to save me, Nopony left who even cared enough to look for me.

Sure, Chase seemed cool. But he had his own issues to deal with, his own problems. He didn't need a broken and worthless colt like me holding him back. The big pony had his own life to lead, I’m glad I helped him but I know he had a life of problems. I mean anypony who carries a weapon that weighs five times what I do, easy. Well he has got a whole lot to deal with.

The dark was far from silent, the tears falling not just my own. Hearing the sobs of those who knew they were about to die, it forced me to face what was coming.

I was going to die.

Dad would not be there to rescue me. Happy, Ironclad, Myth, Blackshot... Silver.

Nopony knew I was still alive, Nopony knew I was not a corpse. Nopony was going to save me, I was alone. I had nothing but myself and the broken Pipbucks I had been given.

The ponies who cared for me? They all thought I was dead. And in a matter of hours? They would be right...

I had once dreamed of being famous, of being the name on everypony’s lips. I had dreamt of becoming a legend, now I was going to die a nameless nothing. The ponies I cared about would never know what happened to me. I doubted I would be buried at all, Let alone near my folks. I would simply be a smaller skeleton littering the wastes.

My last moments of life will be spent in a cage. stinking of sweat, Fear, My own withdrawal induced vomit and shit.

Lights flooded our cage with their blinding glow. A voice echoed out, Two words signing my death warrant.

“Show time.”

Author's Notes:

just a little teaser for the long overdue chapter. RL has beat me down, new job, home, list goes on but im gonna get this dead story back into its swing soon as i can.

until then, enjoy the sneak peak!