Well, this story has been festering in my hard drive for over a month know, and in my head for even longer. But know, it's finally ready to post. I hope.
Before we start, however, I'd like to say a few things. First, please don't be intimidated if you have not played Fallout 3 or have not watched Lucky Star. I will attempt to explain the various elements of the Fallout world as much as possible, and the Lucky Star characters are developed within this world.
Second, this story is written as if the characters from Lucky Star have lived in the world of Fallout 3 for their whole lives. They have not magically been teleported here from their own world.
Third, this story stars the Lucky Star characters; Fallout 3 is merely the setting. This means that while I have kept as much intact from both franchises as possible, some Fallout characters will be missing and some gameplay elements will be bent to fit what I need. Also, the characters from Lucky Star will be as in character as possible. This means that if Yutaka were cast as a raider, (she isn't) she would be the nicest, sweetest little raider you would ever meet, and not a bloodthirsty psychopath like raiders are supposed to be.
And now the disclaimer.
I will only say this once. To my knowledge, Lucky Star is owned Kagami Yoshimizu and produced by Kyoto Animation. Fallout is owned and produced by Bethesda Softworks.
There. Author's rant over. Please proceed, and enjoy.
The nineteen year old girl placed a hand on the board-covered, chain link gate before her. Her wrist mounted Pip-Boy 3000 personal computer glowed in the darkness. She turned around and glanced at the enormous, metal, cog-shaped door, emblazoned with the number "101" in the center. Maybe I can go back... Maybe it's not too late. Thoughts of the terrible ordeal she had just endured suddenly flashed through her mind, bringing tears to her eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut and then turned back to the gate, a determined look on her face. No. I have to face my fears. I have to find my mother.
Miyuki Takara opened the gate with a forceful shove. Blinding sunlight filled the cave, glaring off her glasses. Miyuki shielded her sensitive violet eyes as she stepped out into the wastes. Once her eyes had adjusted, she gazed out over the ruined landscape. A sense of wonder and curiosity overcame her as she surveyed the strange world of the Capitol Wasteland. A soft breeze caught her voluminous pink hair as she stared up – for the first time in her life – at the bright, grayish sky. Gripping the straps of her Vault-Tec backpack, the vault dweller wandered down the rocky path and onto the ruined road, mouth agape.
As she stared at the skeletal remains of the houses, Miyuki heard a steady drum beat accompanied by a flute. She followed the sound to its source and found a metal ball levitating over the ground and playing the music through a speaker. Miyuki looked disappointed. Oh, it must be just a recording. Her expression turned thoughtful. Still, its amazing that this robot can still function without maintenance. She turned to continue walking as the song ended, but stopped when she heard a voice.
"Hello again, America the magnificent. This is President Eden. And I was hoping we could talk."
Miyuki turned back to the robot. President Eden?
Eden's voice continued. "Let's talk about government, shall we? Or more specifically, your government, dear America. The Enclave. Just who is the Enclave? Why now, that's simple. The Enclave is you, America. The Enclave is your sister, your aunt, your friend, your neighbor. And well, yes, the Enclave is me as well."
Miyuki's eyes brightened with hope. The Enclave? Maybe there is still civilization out here after all!
"As your president, it is my responsibility to-"
The President was interrupted by a nearby gunshot, and Miyuki covered her face as the robot exploded. She turned to her right and saw a man atop the rocks. He sported a hunting rifle and makeshift armor, and he looked filthy.
"Whoops! Sorry baby, were you listenin' to that?" he asked mockingly.
Miyuki was frightened, but she tried not to show it. "Uh, actually, I was."
The man shrugged. "Well, I never really liked the radio. I prefer watching people dance!" He shot the ground close to Miyuki's foot, causing her to jump back in surprise.
"P-Please stop that!" she cried, still trying to appear brave.
The man chambered another round. "Aw, you don't like this?" He shot the ground again.
Miyuki ran and ducked behind a wrecked car as the man laughed. "C'mon babe! You can't hide from me!" Miyuki covered her head as three more shots hit the car. To her surprise, the car started to burn. She dashed away down the road as the man called out "Where ya goin' sweetheart? You're gonna miss the fireworks!" Fireworks?
Just then, a thunderous explosion ripped the car apart, shooting a large mushroom cloud into the air and throwing Miyuki to the ground. Another round impacted the pavement next to her, prompting her to scramble to her feet and continue running down the road. The raider laughed as he vaulted down off the rocks and chased after her.
Miyuki followed the destroyed road, looking for a place to hide. She soon spotted a mostly intact building, identified by a sign as the Springvale Elementary School. She dashed to the door and practically threw herself inside as another potshot rang out behind her. She leaned back against the door with her eyes closed, silently praying that the man didn't see her enter. After a few seconds, she heard footsteps outside. She squeezed her eyes tighter, but the footsteps soon got quieter, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Upon inhaling, however, she detected an absolutely horrible odor. She finally opened her eyes and turned away from the door. Pure terror filled her face as she stared at the scene before her.
The room she was standing in was like something from her worst nightmares; worse even then those induced by Beatrice's poetry. Blood and bones littered the inside of a large cage before her. Beside the cage lay a filthy, blood-soaked mattress, mutilated limbs and torsos strewn atop it. But worst of all were the corpses. Two corpses were pinned to the wall above the mattress, and hanging from the ceiling were six—no, seven!— corpses; all were headless and stained with dried blood. Tears she had held back during the chase now burst forth from Miyuki's eyes. Only the thought of a madman huntingfor her kept her from screaming outright.
Miyuki tried to stay calm as she reached behind her for the door handle, though her shaking hands betrayed her terror. She wrapped her fingers around the handle and gave it a gentle tug.
The door did not move.
Miyuki's head snapped back to face the door. She tugged harder.
The door still did not open.
Panicked, Miyuki grabbed both door handles and pulled repeatedly, to no avail. No, no, please no!
As she shook the doors, a silhouette appeared on the grime covered door window. "Now, now, sweetheart. No leaving the school while class is in session. My pals have a lot to teach you, baby."
Miyuki stepped back from the barricaded door. "P-Please let me go! I don't want to die!"
The man laughed. "Sorry babe, but you really need to learn this lesson." He began pounding the door. "Alright boys!" he yelled, "We got fresh meat! Let her have it!"
Miyuki heard voices behind her and spun to face the door to the right, slowly backing up towards the corner. She retrieved the baseball bat sticking out of her backpack and crouched in the corner, hoping to sneak attack her attackers. Three raiders entered the room slowly and deliberately, prowling in the darkness as Miyuki tried her best to stay quiet, still, and hidden.
"This is bullshit! Come out and fight!" one of the raiders called out.
"She's scared, just like a little bitch!" a female raider responded.
Miyuki cringed at the cruelty in the raider's voices. One of them started to wander in her direction, and Miyuki's heart pounded faster and faster the closer he got. Oh no! I don't know if I'm ready for this! But I have to try, or I'm done for!
Miyuki hesitantly readied her bat and prepared to move once the raider got in range. She closed her eyes and sprung up when he reached her, bringing her bat up in an uppercut. The bat connected with the raider's chin, sending him sprawling backwards.
Miyuki stared in disbelief at the unconscious man before the other raider's shouts brought her back to the situation at hand. The female raider dashed toward her, swinging a combat knife. Miyuki stumbled backwards to dodge and wildly swung her bat, her clumsiness sending her down into some trash as the knife was knocked from the raider's hand. The raider pulled back a foot for a kick, but Miyuki lashed out and kicked the raider's leg out from under her. As the raider fell, Miyuki got up on her knees and raised the bat above her head. She brought it down on the raider's head, feeling a bit guilty for being so brutal.
As she stood up, a .32 round slammed into her bat, sending splinters flying from the point of impact. The raider kept firing as Miyuki covered her head and dashed out the door. As she ran, however, Miyuki slipped in a streak of blood and stumbled into the room across the hall. She collided with a table close to the door, sending both her and a giant mole rat corpse sprawling to the ground. The raider ran up to the overturned table and pointed his pistol over the side at her. A single round hit the ground inches from her head before Miyuki batted the gun from the raider's hand. The raider growled and vaulted over the table, crouching down on top of Miyuki as he landed. He ripped the bat from Miyuki's grip and threw it across the room, then he reached down and grabbed her neck. Miyuki's eyes bulged as the man's rough and filthy fingers wrapped around her throat. She uselessly tried to pry the raider's hands from her neck as her eyes darted back and forth, searching for a weapon. She spotted a knife stuck in the mole rat corpse beside her and reached out to grab it. After wrapping her fingers around the handle, she stabbed the raider's bicep. The dull blade did not pierce through the arm completely, but it was enough. The raider released Miyuki while grabbing for the knife, allowing her to squirm out from under him and run out of the room.
Miyuki frantically searched for a hiding place as she ran down the hall. She spotted a restroom as she passed a centuries old chalkboard and dashed inside. Ignoring the gore-strewn mattress in the corner, Miyuki practically dove into a stall and closed the door. Moments later, she heard the raider run past the restroom and down the hall, loudly cursing her. She waited a full minute before the man's voice faded from earshot, allowing her to cautiously sneak down a separate hallway. She eventually came to a stairwell and descended the steps. As she nervously sidestepped a caged skeleton in the hall at the base of the stairs, Miyuki heard shouting coming from a side hall behind her. Turning to look, she was met by a hail of assault rifle rounds, causing her to run the remaining length of the hall. As she rounded a corner and ran further down the hallway, another raider appeared from around a corner, carrying a shotgun. Miyuki swung to the right and burst through a set of double doors as a shotgun blast erupted behind her.
On the other side of the doors, Miyuki came to an abrupt halt as she realized that, for the second time in her life, she had stepped out onto the packed down rubble of the Wasteland. Miyuki glanced at the orange sky to verify that she was indeed outside, noting the details of her surroundings as she did so. She was standing in the middle of the dilapidated southern part of the school, where the entire three floors of the building had collapsed. Steel reinforcing bars protruding from the ruined walls seemed to claw at the sky, and only small edges of the floors were left still attached to the wall in many places.
Miyuki's thoughts were interrupted by a flurry of 10mm rounds speeding her way. A raider was perched on the remains of the ruined second story floor. Miyuki noticed a ramp of dirt leading to ground level to her left. Miyuki sprung towards it with an almost joyous look on her face, despite being under fire. Escape was finally so close!—But not close enough.
Halfway up the ramp, Miyuki was stopped dead in her tracks by someone standing in the narrow gap in the ruined wall. The sound of a cycling bolt made her cringe as the raider who had chased her into this nightmare descended upon her. Had she been less terrified, Miyuki would have noticed that the leader was flanked by the man she had stabbed, whose wound was already scabbed over thanks to a stimpak. Miyuki backed away as the leader continued toward her, but the assault rifleman and shotgunner had already passed through the double doors, blocking her retreat. By now the pistoleer had descended the tangle of damaged stairs and makeshift bridges, and was directly overlooking them from the first floor. Miyuki was trapped between a pile of rubble and five separate gun barrels.
The leader chuckled, sounding more menacing then amused. "You're a real handful, aren't you? I still can't believe how bad you banged up my guys." The leader elbowed the arm Miyuki had stabbed, causing the raider to grunt in pain. "How's that arm of yours doin' anyway?" the leader taunted. "Better," the raider replied through clenched teeth. "Good to hear."
The leader turned back to Miyuki. "You're a feisty one, alright. Problem with that is you'll keep tryin' to run away. But I think I know how to fix that."
The leader fired his rifle at Miyuki's leg. Miyuki cried out as the round ripped through her calf, sending her to the ground. Miyuki clutched at her leg as she once again began to cry. Two raiders grabbed her arms and dragged her back towards the double doors. She kicked and screamed and pleaded, but the raiders just laughed cruelly at her.
Suddenly, a 10mm pistol fell from above, clacking on the concrete as it landed. As Miyuki, along with the raiders, stopped to stare up where the pistol came from, the pistoleer teetered forward and fell from his perch. The raider face-planted onto the concrete, revealing fatal stab wounds in his neck and spine. Miyuki gasped from shock, but the raiders merely narrowed their eyes and readied their weapons.
The assault rifleman climbed the ramp to the first floor while the others waited. He examined the platform, but he could not find the attacker. "Better hope I don't find you," he muttered as he began probing the area with his rifle. Soon the leader climbed the ramp, looking impatient.
"Well?" he demanded.
"Looks like a hit and run. There's no one up here," the rifleman reported as he faced the leader.
Seeing that the raider's back was turned, a girl emerged from the long shadows cast by the setting sun. Quicker than you could say "Sneak Attack," the girl had dug her twin combat knives into the raider's back. The girl ripped the blades from the corpse, making a small spray of blood as the raider's body collapsed before the surprised leader. The girl ran to the floors edge, dodging the leader's rifle round as she leaped towards him, her knives poised to strike. The leader brought his rifle up horizontally to block the blow, but the girl's reverse grip allowed her to hook the blades around the gun. With surprising strength, the girl used her knives like mantis claws to rip the rifle from her opponent's hands and fling it out of reach. As she twisted back from throwing the gun, the disarmed leader swung a fist at the girl. The blow connected with her shoulder, momentarily stunning her and allowing the leader to tackle her to the ground. The remaining raiders and Miyuki watched as they tumbled down the small slope and rolled apart at the bottom.
As the girl rose to her knees, Miyuki took a moment to examine her. She was surprisingly short, but her bright blue hair reached down to her feet. She wore a faded red short sleeved shirt that exposed her midriff, as well as a tight black leather vest of similar length. She also wore black pants and boots, and the adventurer's outfit was completed by fingerless gloves, numerous belt pouches, and a rough leather duffel bag hanging from her shoulder.
While Miyuki stared at the strange girl, the raiders raised their weapons. The girl regarded the threats with squared emerald eyes before replacing her blank expression with a confident, catlike grin. The girl sprung up from her crouch and dashed forward, ducking .32 rounds and shot as she closed on the raiders. As the .32 pistoleer reloaded his gun, the girl lunged forward and dug her knife into the raider's stab wound, the sharpened blade digging deeper than the kitchen knife had. The raider howled in pain, dropping his pistol and clutching his arm as the girl ripped the knife from his flesh. She then dropped to dodge a blast from the shotgun behind her, resulting in the pistoleer taking the full spray of pellets. The girl spun around with a kick, knocking the gun barrel into the air as the raider fired a second time. Having diverted the blast, the girl repeatedly stabbed the gunner's exposed torso before pounding the blade down into his skull.
The finished assault had put the girl standing directly over a very frightened Miyuki, one foot on either side of the meganekko. The blunette stared down at the vault dweller, her eyes squinted mischievously.
"Hi there! My name's Konata!"
Miyuki blinked in surprise. She had not expected this apparently practiced killer to sound so friendly. Miyuki just stared at this strange girl until she noticed the raider leader emerge from behind some rubble.
"Konata-san! Look out!" she managed to shout.
Konata turned in time to see the leader charging at her, holding a Chinese officer's sword high in the air. Konata barely had time to block the blow, and its strength knocked the knife from her hand. Ducking beneath a second slash, she ran past the raider and delivered a slash of her own, cutting his forearm as he turned around. Ignoring the wound, the raider continued slashing, rapidly pushing the small girl up the ramp and onto the first floor. Konata attempted several counters, but her short blade was unable to reach the raider as she was backed into a corner. The raider put all his strength into one final slash, snapping the blade clean off of Konata's combat knife as she blocked. Konata's pupils shrunk with shock as she dropped the knife handle and raised her hands. The raider grinned as he pulled his sword back, ready to impale her. As he lunged forward, however, Konata pushed off the wall and dropped beneath the sword. Sliding between the raider's legs, the nimble girl removed a fragmentation mine from a belt pouch and dexterously tucked it into the raider's belt. Konata then rolled to her feet and sprinted towards the edge of the platform, with the raider chasing her. She dove off the ledge, covering her head as she flopped onto a surprised Miyuki. The raider leaped into the air above them, pointing his sword down at the girls. As he descended on them, the frag mine tucked into his belt went off. Blood and gore rained down on the two girls, and the sword shot downwards, digging itself into the dirt next to Miyuki's head.
After a few seconds of silence, Konata uncovered her head and looked at Miyuki, her eyes squinted and an exaggerated grin on her face. "So, what's your name?" the smaller girl asked.
Miyuki stared at her. How can she be so calm, after a fight like that? And she's covered in blood! "Um, my name is Miyuki Takara. Um, I'm sorry, but, do you know that you're covered in blood?"
Konata waved the question off. "So? It's really just my hair, and that washes off easy with some Abraxo cleaner."
"Oh. I... I see."
Konata folded her arms and rested her chin on them, which she in turn rested on Miyuki's sizable breasts. "So, what's a cute little vault dweller like you doing in a place like this?" Konata inquired, her tone playful.
Miyuki blushed, a bit uncomfortable from Konata leaning on her, but she tried to remain sociable. Maybe out here this position is... normal? "Well, um, I came out here from Vault 101 in search of my mother. She went missing last night, and..." Thoughts of her escape flashed through Miyuki's mind. "Well, I had no choice but to look for her."
Konata tilted her head. "Wow, you must be close to your mom. I don't know if I would stick my neck out like that for my dad!"
Miyuki's eyes turned into shocked black ovals. She said that so casually!
"So, um," Miyuki started, "Are... are you from the Enclave?"
Konata threw her head back and laughed, planting her hands on either side of the meganekko for balance. "Me, with the Enclave! That's funny!" the small girl bellowed. "What makes you think that?" she asked, bringing her face down uncomfortably close to Miyuki's.
"Oh, well, I thought maybe you were a member of the militia, perhaps? Isn't the Enclave the government out here?"
Konata sputtered. "Government!" she cried out before burying her face in Miyuki's chest and laughing harder than before. She wiped tears from her eyes as she once again faced Miyuki, still chuckling. "Don't tell me you've been listening to those Eyebots! The only thing the Enclave does is run that radio station! You really must be from that vault!"
Miyuki blushed from embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I really don't know much about life outside."
Konata suddenly sat up on her knees, to Miyuki's relief, and held her chin, her squinted eyes looking thoughtful. "You know, it's kind of a rare occurrence, someone leaving the vault and all. Not everyday when it happens."
"Um, it never happens. No one ever leaves the vault."
Konata looked down at Miyuki, confused. Her expression turned to one of knowing, however. "Right, right, that's what I meant. Anyway, it's getting late and I need to get back home. You'll be spending the night here, I take it?"
"Oh, um, I would prefer to accompany you... th-that is if you'll have me, I don't want to intrude, but, I really don't want to stay-"
"Relax, relax," Konata said with a sweatdrop, "I was joking. Of course you can come with me." Geez, Konata thought, she's really high-strung!
"Alright then, one thing we need to take care of." Konata retrieved a syringe with a gauge attached from one of her belt pouches and jammed it straight into Miyuki's leg wound. Miyuki cried out as the needle pierced her flesh.
"Wh-what are you doing?!"
Konata removed the syringe and showed it to Miyuki. "This is a stimpak. It uses special medicine to help you heal faster."
"Um, I don't mean to sound rude, but I know what a stimpak is, and there is a better way to apply one."
"Really? How?"
"Well, gently inserting the needle into a primary artery, such as those located in the inner thighs, will allow the medicine to spread throughout the body, enabling a more efficient and painless recovery."
"Oh, I see," Konata remarked, her eyes shining like four-pointed stars, "I'll just go for your thighs next time!"
Miyuki sweatdropped as her face turned red. "Oh no, th-that won't be necessary! The arteries in the wrist work just as well!"
Konata's grin widened. She's so moe!
"Alright then," Konata declared as she stood and offered her hand to Miyuki, "Let's get you on your feet."
Miyuki took the girl's hand and pulled herself up. Despite its crude application, the stimpak had already begun to work on Miyuki's leg; the muscle tissue was starting to mend as the holes in her calf scabbed over. It still hurt to put her full weight on it though.
"Still sore?" Konata asked. Miyuki nodded.
"Yeah, sorry about that," Konata said as she picked up her intact combat knife. She twirled the weapon in her fingers before tucking it into her belt. "Don't worry though, the stim' still needs to kick in all the way. Just wait here for a minute."
Miyuki nodded and leaned on the wall while Konata collected the guns from the fallen raiders. Shoving the firearms in her bag as she approached Miyuki, she finally yanked the Chinese sword from the dirt. She inspected the blade and frowned when she noticed that it had been bent by the explosion. "Oh well. Nothing Moira can't bang into place, though it'll cost a bit..." She muttered as she tucked the sword into her belt by her knife.
By now Miyuki could walk with relative comfort, and so they walked up the ramp and through the gap in the wall.
"You know," Miyuki said, "I knew things would be rough out here in this, this..."
"Wasteland?" Konata supplied.
"Yes, this wasteland, but I did not think that people could be so... cruel."
"Well, your welcoming committee isn't all the Capitol Wasteland has to offer. There are lots of good, honest people out here."
"Like you, Konata-san." Miyki replied gratefully.
Konata rubbed the back of her head. "Well, I'm not the most honest person out here, but I guess you could say I'm good. I don't go around killing for fun like those raiders do."
Miyuki shuddered. "I don't know how you can live with people like them around."
Konata smiled proudly. "Well, I manage, as you saw. Just make sure you've got something like this-" she rested her hand on her knife's hilt, "-and you'll be fine. Oh! That reminds me..." Konata opened her bag and dug around in it before pulling out Miyuki's baseball bat. She handed the bat to Miyuki.
"Always keep your weapon with you," Konata said, her tone serious, "Out here, there are far too many dangers not to. Even taking a trip between towns is dangerous."
Miyuki nodded. "I understand, Konata-san."
"Good!" Konata's tone was once again light-hearted.
By now they had reached the spot where Miyuki had listened to the robot's radio broadcast. Konata smirked at the wrecked car before tapping her knuckles on a crude signpost. The rusted metal sign read 'Megaton' in yellow spray paint, along with an arrow.
"I take it you got shot at before noticing this," Konata said.
Miyuki gave an embarrassed smile. "I'm afraid so."
"Well, that's where we're headed. Good old Megaton! It's actually one of the safest towns for miles, so you don't have to worry about any more raiders."
"Thank goodness. I'm pleased to hear that."
Konata led the way down the dirt road indicated by the sign, and before long, the settlement of Megaton came into view over the rocky path. Miyuki gasped in amazement at the sight. The town was surrounded by a large wall, constructed of a patchwork of metal sheets and plates. Mounted above the gate was a jet turbine salvaged from an old airplane, and two long wings stood on either side of the gate, forming tall spires.
As they approached, a stocky Protectron robot turned to face them. "Welcome to Megaton," the robot began, "The bomb is perfectly safe. We promise."
"Eh? Why did that robot mention a bomb?" Miyuki asked, sounding concerned.
"Huh? Oh, don't mind Deputy Weld, it's nothing, really," Konata replied, rubbing the back of her head.
"Hey, Stockholm!" she called. A man appeared on the balcony above the gate. "Konata? I just closed the gate for the night!" he called down.
"Well, open it up again! We've got company!" Konata side-hugged Miyuki's waist. "Hello there!" Miyuki greeted Stockholm while eyesmiling and waving politely.
Stockholm sighed before turning around to start the gate. Soon, the jet turbine spit out a small puff of flame as it started spinning. The turbine was attached to the gate's two metal slabs by pulleys. Miyuki stared in wonder as the turbine winched open the gate, allowing them to enter the town. The Protectron gave its preprogrammed greeting, "Head on in, pardner. Y'all enjoy your stay now." Miyuki smiled at the robot as Konata pulled her into town by the arm.
There you have it. If you've made it this far, then I thank you for taking the time to get here. Feel free to post your criticisms in a review. Praise would be nice too, but I would appreciate it if critique was attached as well. I won't pretend that I'm perfect; you shouldn't either.
If you liked this enough to continue reading, then I must warn you. I am a terribly slow writer, so updates may be few and far between. However, I have devised a method for easing the wait. Every Sunday, I will provide a status update for the story in my profile. While I have no intentions of dropping this story, if I do, you guys will know.