Yes, I know I have two other Fallout: Equestria fanfics going on right now, but this is one that I came up with while playing Fallout 4, in particular the missions with the Brotherhood of Steel.
This fanfic is set a year after the events of the original fanfiction by KKat.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to My Little Pony or Fallout.
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PROLOGUE:
RANGERS
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A lot of Ponies talk about the Steel Rangers without really knowing about them.
They talk about how they will do anything to get their hooves on technology, how they kill Ponies indiscriminately, how they don't care for the lives of Ponies.
I'm here to tell you that they're wrong, well, mostly wrong. While its true of most members of the Steel Rangers, its not true of all of them. I should know, I used to be a Steel Ranger myself, still am really, I just with a new name and paint job for my armor.
I admit, most of my compatriots did some unsavory things, things that I'm not proud of, but if it wasn't for one Ranger, then I wouldn't be here today.
I'm not going to say this makes up for everything the Rangers have done, but we're changing as an organization. The wasteland has changed, thanks in no small part to ponies like the Lightbringer or the Jewel of the Wasteland.
But in order to survive these changes, we had to change too, it wasn't an easy change, and some Steel Rangers resisted it. Even today there are still pockets of the old Steel Rangers out there, not as powerful as they once where, but they're out there.
My name is Star Paladin Nova, and this is my story.
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Stable 9, on the outskirts of Seaddle.
The Stable was constructed to be a repository of knowledge and the arts, a Stable where history and knowledge was preserved. At least that was what it used to be, today it was a warzone.
The Steel Rangers had figured out how to get into the Stable, lead by Star Paladin Mandrake, they set upon the Stable like a swarm of ravenous insects. The inhabitants only put up a token resistance as the metal monstrocities stripped their Stable bare.
"Knights Rusty and Rose, search these quarters," a Ranger ordered as the two younger Rangers split up and began searching the quarters one by one.
Knight Rose was smaller than your average Steel Ranger, but even so her armor gave her an intimidating appearance. She searched the quarters, there where two Unicorn Ponies lying dead on the floor, blood pooling around them from bullet wounds.
"Such senselessness..." Rose muttered under her breath, why had these ponies fought so hard? Something in this room had to be important enough to fight for, even at the cost of your own life.
She started looking around, there was what she had expected, foot strewn here and there, paintings, books, what she had seen elsewhere in the Stable. There wasn't exactly anything worth dying from in here.
She checked her EFS, there was, something on her EFS, it was a mark for a friendly alright. For a moment she thought that it was one of her allies, but it was too close to be that.
"Okay, that's strange..." she muttered as she started looking around more. Finally she pressed a button, which opened a secret panel, she was surprised at what she found inside.
Inside, wrapped in a blanket in a small basket was a Unicorn filly. She was asleep, but opened her eyes when Rose tried to check on her and began crying.
"Shh, calm down, I'm a Pony, just like you," Rose said as she removed her helmet, revealing a maroon furred Earth Pony. "Come on, stop crying, please?"
The Filly stopped crying and looked up at her perplexed, not sure what to make of this new Pony. Rose looked at the child sadly, the Star Paladin would never let her keep the child, would he?
She replaced her helmet and gently placed the basket on her back, making sure it was secure before heading out. She met up with the other Steel Rangers at the entrance to the Stable, Star Paladin Mandrake was checking everything they had found.
"Slim pickings," he grunted. "It will have to do for now, what about you, Knight Rose, did you find anything of value?"
"Nothing sir, I found a filly in one of the quarters, but that's it, her parents where killed," Rose reported honestly, she tried not to flinch from the look she was likely getting from her CO behind his helmet. "Sir, she's too young to remember what happened here, we could always use more children for the Steel Rangers."
"I will discuss it with the Elder when we return to the base," Mandrake said with a growl. "Until then, she is your responsibility, Knight Rose."
"Yes sir," Rose said, she took one more look at the sleeping filly and nodded. After that, the Steel Rangers filed out of Stable 9, leaving the inhabitants inside to their fates.
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Fort Hayford was an old pre-war military base that had been converted into the Steel Rangers' main base of operations in Seaddle. Rose was pacing back and forth in her quarters as she awaited an answer from the Elder.
She sighed as she checked the filly again, she had been pregnant once, but the child was stillborn. "Complications from radiation," the doctor had said, it had left her devastated, was this maybe an attempt to fill that void in her life?
"Its okay little one, you'll be okay," Rose said reassuringly to the filly who just looked up at her cutely. "Don't look at me like that..."
"Knight Rose?" A deep voice asked, causing the pony to jump, she turned to see another Steel Ranger, but she recognized that he wasn't the Elder. He was another Star Paladin, Steelhooves, one of the most respected members of the Steel Rangers.
"Star Paladin Steelhooves, I didn't know you where on the base..." Rose said as she bowed respectfully.
"I was nearby, the Elder wanted my opinion on your, issue," Steelhooves said. "You had a child before, did you not?"
"Stillborn," Rose replied as she looked at her hooves.
"I am sorry," Steelhooves said, even though his voice was cold, she could tell he meant it. "The foal, you are the one who found her?"
"Her parents where killed in the raid," Rose said regretfully. "She has nopony left."
Steelhooves looked thoughtful before nodding. "I am going to recommend that you are to keep the child, if you raise her right."
Rose perked up at that, she was surprised at the Star Paladin's generosity. "Thank you."
"Do not abuse this trust, Knight Rose," Steelhooves said as he departed as quietly as he arrived.
Rose trotted over to the basket and carefully took the foal into her forelegs as she smiled down at the child. "Don't worry, I'm going to take good care of you, Nova."
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I don't even remember that day... all I know is what Rose... mom told me later once I was old enough to know the truth.
I was raised as a Steel Ranger, it was my destiny to become one of them. Or so I thought, maybe I should've questioned it more, tried to understand the history of our group better.
Maybe if I had, things would've been different, but by the time I learned the truth, things had changed. There was a new war, a fracture between the Steel Rangers formed, and I was caught up in it.
After all, every war has its renegades.
And war, war never changes.
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FALLOUT EQUESTRIA:
RENEGADES
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A FALLOUT EQUESTRIA
FANFIC BY
RUIN QUEEN OF OBLIVION
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CHAPTER 1:
NEW BLOOD
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I might as well start at the beginning, that's usually a good place to start with these stories right? It all started with the Great Schism, which began 200 years after the great war between Ponies and Zebras.
The Steel Rangers had been around since the war, since Applejack and the Ministry of Wartime Technology first formed the group to help fight the Zebra menace. Since the megaspells fell, we have focused on gathering technology and other artifacts from around the Wasteland.
But that all changed one day when the Star Paladin Steelhooves and others broke off from the Steel Rangers. They're now known as the Applejack's Rangers, having dedicated themselves to not only gathering, but also protecting the Ponies of the Wasteland.
The original Great Schism was quickly overshadowed by a greater enemy, the Grand Pegasus Enclave. The Enclave was defeated, and most of the Steel Rangers around central Equestria where absorbed into Applejack's Rangers.
Near Seaddle though, the Steel Rangers still held dominion, insisting that they would never give in to the heresy of Steelhooves' followers. Eventually, the conflict came to Seaddle with the arrival of the Applejack's Rangers, and the Great Schism continued.
Its now a year since the Day of Sunshine and Rainbows, and a few months since the conflict began. But that wasn't important to me, at least not yet.
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Fort Hayford had been the main base of operations for the Steel Rangers in the city of Seaddle since before I was born. I didn't really remember life before the Steel Rangers, my mother Rose had raised me from foalhood here on the base.
Today was an important day for me, a week ago I had received my Cutie Mark, a four-pointed blue star with a gold ring around it. I had earned it after I had used my magic in order to help drive off an attack by Ghoul Ponies.
I guess then it meant that my talent was tied to defense using magic, really that was the best it was ever good for except for telekinesis. I could create barriers mostly to keep myself and other ponies safe, but that was the most I could do.
"Nova?" My mother's voice called out from the doorway, I turned to see her watching me from the door. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I said with a weak smile, I was nervous because today was also the day that I was to join the Steel Rangers.
"Elder Mandrake asked me to collect you," Rose said. "Are you ready for this?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," I replied. "I've been working towards this my whole life, I should be fine, right?"
"You'll be fine, you'll make a great Steel Ranger," Rose said with a smile. "Besides, you're my daughter, I have faith in you."
I couldn't help but feel a surge of pride, Rose was both my mother and my mentor in the Steel Rangers. She had a lot of faith in me, and I just hoped that I wouldn't fail.
"Lets go," I said, still nervous as we headed out of our quarters.
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Fort Hayford had been built up ever since the Steel Rangers had first arrived here before I was even born. I walked down the main parade ground with the other Ponies that where to be initiated into the Steel Rangers today.
Elder Mandrake, the Pony in charge of the Steel Rangers' operations in Seaddle, stood on a stage above us. I glanced over at Rose who was nearby, dressed in her full power armor, she gave me a nod of reassurance.
"Initiates," Mandrake started speaking. "You are all here because you are the best and brightest of the Ponies here. You have proven yourselves time and time again to be worthy of the title of Steel Ranger, and today you will each take your first steps as Initiates in our great and honorable tradition."
He paused, a light murmur went up among the gathered Ponies. Normally that was the end of his speech and we got right to the ceremony, but he paused, like there was something else he wanted to say.
"Seaddle is a battlefield, Initiates," Mandrake finally continued. "And the battle this time is between brothers and sisters. The traitors and heretics that call themselves Applejack's Rangers have come to our city, to our base, trying to turn us against our traditions. We will not stand for this, every Steel Ranger's duty is to fight this heresy until it is stamped out under our hooves!"
There was a roar of approval from the croud of gathered ponies, I couldn't help but join in. Mandrake was one of those ponies that could inspire action in the Steel Rangers.
Applejack's Rangers hadn't been in Seaddle more than a few months, but they had been trying to recruit members of the Steel Rangers. Worse than that, their attacks on Fort Hayford where pretty common, and they just served to rile us more.
"Nova," Mandrake said as I stepped up onto the stage. "Do you swear to uphold the beliefs and traditions of the Steel Rangers, serve faithfully, and follow your commander without heresy or treason?"
"I do," I said without hesitation.
"Then I induct you as an Initiate in the Steel Rangers," he said as a page came up to us with my Initiate's outfit and a PipBuck (every Initiate got one to prepare us for our armor later) as they gave it to me. "Wear it with pride Initiate."
"Yes sir," I said with a crisp salute before returning to my place in the Parade Ground.
I looked at my screen as it calculated my S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats:
STRENGTH: 6
PERCEPTION: 7
ENDURANCE: 6
CHARISMA: 4
INTELLIGENCE: 5
AGILITY: 4
LUCK: 5
The rest of the ceremony went by without a hitch, though it was strange, as I looked over the Ponies that had gathered here. I couldn't help but feel like something was off, everypony who was supposed to be here was here, but still, maybe it was just my imagination.
I was about to dismiss it when a shot rang out, there was a scream as Mandrake seemed to fall. There was a rush towards the stage, but the Elder got to his hooves.
"Seize that Pony!" Someone shouted and pointed a hoof towards a Pony who was trying to make it out. I was the closest so I galloped towards them, my horn glowing blue as I created a barrier around them, trapping the Pony.
"Good work Initiate," a familiar voice said, I looked to see Mandrake standing over me, looking no worse for wear. He nodded to two Rangers who moved forward and grabbed the captured Pony as I lowered the barrier and hauled him off. "You see, the heretics even now try to silence us! If they cannot get us to change to their side, they will kill us all, this is the hypocricy of the so-called Applejack's Rangers! Ponies like this brave Initiate will be the future of the Steel Rangers, and we will stamp out the enemy, no matter what!"
There was another cheer from the crowd, but I wasn't so sure anymore, something about this whole thing still felt off to me.
I just hoped that I could figure out what it was before it was too late.
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I was moved to the Mare Initiate's Barracks, they weren't as nice as my old quarters, but they where about what I had expected at least. I put my stuff in the hooflocker at the end of my bed and took a seat on it to gather my thoughts.
Applejack's Rangers had attacked the base before sure, but they had never been this bold before to attack the Elder directly. I checked my PipBuck, it was only 1930, curfew wasn't until 2200 hours, I'd still have time to investigate if I left now.
"Well, well, if it isn't the Elder's new favorite Initiate," a mare's voice said, I looked up to see a grey colored Earth Pony Initiate looking at me with a sneer on her face. "How's it feel to be stuck here with us commoners, horn-head?"
"Look, I don't want any trouble," I said, I had been met with some animosity in the past for being a Unicorn while most initiates that where in line for Knights where Earth Ponies.
"Oh sure, we don't either, isn't that right girls?" The mare said with a smirk, her companions chuckled. "Now listen up, I don't need some green mare getting in my way, so you better watch yourself."
"I'll remember that," I growled as I pushed past them and headed towards the barracks door. I had to focus on getting answers, I didn't have time to think about that stupid mare and whatever issue she had with me.
I just hoped I could find answers.
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The first place to look of coruse was the parade ground, it made sense, after all that was where the shooter was right?
I started out by examining the place where I had caught the shooter, it was scuffed up, but there wasn't any clues on first glance. That's when I noticed something interesting, there was a disturbed spot in the ground, like somepony had tried to hastily bury something before escaping.
When I cleared the dirt, I found a spent shell casing, the shooter must not have had time to pick it up when he tried to run. I levitated it up so I could get a closer look at it and frowned.
"Non lethal ammunition..." I muttered, that was strange, why would the shooter use a nonlethal if the intention was to kill the Elder? Something about this was really weird, none of it made sense at all.
I knew what I had to do next, I had to talk to the prisoner directly, that was the best possible plan right now.
I just hoped that I could.
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I slipped into the part of the base that served as our brig, levitating a tray of food that I had convinced a page to give me. The two Knights that where standing guard in front of the door to the cells looked intimidating, but I needed to get in.
"Initiate Nova," one of them said to me. "It was Page Pearl's responsibility to take the food to the prisoner."
"I know, but I wanted to see the prisoner," I said, I might as well tell part of the truth. "I mean I did catch him for the Elder and everything."
The two Rangers exchanged glances and shrugged. "Fine, but don't stay long," one of them said and then opened the door.
I couldn't believe that actually worked as I made my way through the brig area and finally stopped at the only inhabited cell.
"Food," I said, the stallion looked up at me, he was an earth pony with a sandy coat and a dark mane and tail.
"Sending the mare who caught me to feed me, who says the Steel Rangers don't have a sense of humor?" He asked in a gruff voice.
"I'm not just here to feed you," I said as I put the tray down. "I don't think you where sent to kill Elder Mandrake at all."
"Funny, that's what usually happens when you send somepony to shoot somepony else, I must've gotten it backwards all these years," the stallion snarked, but ignored the food.
"You used nonlethal ammo," I pointed out, which got him to pause. "Look, I don't have much time, tell me who sent you, who really sent you."
"Can't tell you, I don't know his name," the Stallion said. "But since he got me stuck in this Tartarushole, I'll tell you this..."
I leaned in close, listening to what he had to say. My eyes went wide when I heard it, I looked at him shocked, that wasn't possible, was it?
"Thank you," I said and headed back out quickly, not even acknowledging the two knights or slowing down until I got back outside.
He had been hired by a Steel Ranger.
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I went to the only Pony on the base that I could trust, Rose, she'd know what to do right? I hoped to Celestia that she would. It was getting late when I knocked on her door, and she opened it, looking at me worriedly.
"Nova, its getting close to curfew, is everything okay?" She asked.
"I don't know honestly," I admitted. "I need to talk to you, its something big... something that could threaten everypony here."
She paused only briefly at that as she let me in. I told her what I had found out, first the weird feeling I had gotten before, then the nonlethal ammo, and finally what the stallion had told me.
The whole time Rose listened to me carefully, not interrupting, she just let me talk until I had finally finished. I took a deep breath and looked at her, not sure what to expect her to say.
"That is a problem," she finally said. "Did he give a name?"
"No, he didn't," I said. "But if it was one of Applejack's Rangers, why not try and kill the Elder instead of just knocking him out?"
"I honestly don't know," Rose admitted. "Have you told anypony else?"
"No, you're the only one I've told," I said. "What should I do?"
"There's not a whole lot you can do," Rose said with a sigh. "If a Steel Ranger hired him, then we don't know how high it goes. What I suggest is you continue with your duties and keep looking into it, I'll help as best I can but I can't promise anything."
"Thanks mom," I said with a sigh of relief, it wasn't a great answer, but it was at least something. "I should get back to my barracks."
"Yes you should, good night Nova," Rose said with a smile as I headed back outside and towards the barracks.
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"Have you heard about the New Canterlot Republic out east?" One of the other initiates said to her friend as I came into the barracks.
"Yeah, that radio Pony was talking about it earlier," the other said. "I'm not sure what to make of it really."
"Heh, I give it half a year before the whole thing collapses," a third said. "They're all a bunch of idealists, surviving in the Wasteland is about strength, not idealism."
I had heard of the New Canterlot Republic before sure, they where a new faction that had risen following the day of Sunshine and Rainbows. They where trying a more democratic style government, which was hard to come by in the Wasteland, and Ponies where starting to take notice.
"Hey you, greenie," one of them called out, it took me a moment to realize they meant me. "What do you think of the NCR?"
"Well I don't know honestly," I admitted as I came up to them. "Everypony tries to live in the wasteland in their own way, right?"
"Eh, they're not going to last," the first Pony said. "Trust me, in this world, ideals only get you so far."
Looking back I have to kind of laugh at that mare's attitude, the NCR was going to last a lot longer than anypony here would've expected. But I didn't know that at the time, so I just had to worry about it later.
I went to bed not long after, it had been quite the day, and I just wanted to rest.
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"This is a Raider Stronghold," Paladin Knives said as he briefed us before we prepared to attack the Coltvega plant in Seaddle. "Everypony here is to be considered hostile, this is a simple retrieval mission, but we go in expecting a fight to the death. I want to see the floor stained with Raider blood, show no mercy and expect none in return. Ad Victorum!"
"Ad Victorum!" We all said in unison.
This was my first mission as an initiate, it was only two days after I had been initiated into the Steel Rangers. The Paladins called this a baptisim by fire, as one of the initiates geared towards combat I was expected to help clear the plant of the Raiders.
I was nervous, this was the first time I had actually had to kill a living Pony, I took a long look at Rose who had been assigned to the mission as well. She gave me the slightest of nods to try and reassure me, that was something at least, even though I still couldn't help but feel nervous.
The Coltvega plant was an imposing structure, it almost felt like we where about to assault a fortress. I checked my Eyes Forward Sparkle and I gulped inwardly, there was a lot of red there, but we had to do it.
I levitated out the assault rifle I had been given and waited for the signal, I had to hope that the Paladins and Knights had the right intel on what was waiting for us inside. I could see ponies that where well armed standing on the wall and walkway, they certainly looked like Raiders, I think...
That's when the shooting started, I looked down to see my fellow Steel Rangers advancing on the plant. I moved forward and leveled my assault rifle at the nearest Raider pony and pulled the trigger.
He didn't have time to react as the bullets plowed into his body as blood and brain matter spurted all over the wall behind him. I didn't give it a second thought, I just adjusted my weapon and pointed it at another one and fired, I didn't stop to think about what I was doing, I just acted on instinct. Every instinct, every second of training drilled into my head told me this was the right thing to do.
Then why was my heart telling me that it wasn't the right thing to do? I couldn't listen to it though, I couldn't let up as the bullets flew around me, there was an explosion as the remaining Raiders went flying, only then did it stop.
"Team two, secure the perimeter," Knives said. "Team three, enter the plant from the upper door, team one, the lower door."
I was part of team one along with Rose, we pushed the door open and went inside, not sure what to expect.
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"Nova, you check over there, I'll go this way," Rose said, motioning towards a hallway, we hadn't run into any major opposition yet, but I still kept my rifle out just to be safe. "Don't forget to keep an eye on your EFS."
"Yes ma'am," I said, she was my mother but here she was my superior officer.
I moved quietly through the hallway, I wasn't armored since I hadn't earned it yet, so I had to be careful. I checked the EFS, there where several red markers ahead of me, but there was something I hadn't expected at all.
Green markers, there where friendlies ahead, I knew they couldn't be members of the Steel Rangers, they where too far away from the others. I levitated a small mirror attached to the end of a metal stick that I had brought with me just in case and held it so I could see into the next room.
There where 7 ponies, four of them where stallions that where dressed in the tattered leather of raiders, the other three where two frightened looking mares and a filly.
"Keep the runt quiet, or I'll put a bullet in her brain," one of the stallions growled, getting a frightened sequeal out of the poor filly.
"Don't waste your ammo you moron, the Rangers are here and you know what they do to Raiders," another stallion snapped. "When one of those big tin cans gets close enough, we'll use them as meat shields."
Okay, I was starting to feel less sorry about killing those Ponies outside now. Sure I had heard a lot of horror stories about Raiders, but this was the first I had actually heard one talk, and I didn't like it.
"Naw, leave the filly out of the line of fire, we can have some real fun with her later," another voice said.
That sealed it, I was going to take them out right here, right now, but I was outnumbered and probably outgunned. I opened up the saddlebag that I had carried with me and extracted a flash grenade, pulling the pin and tossing it into the room.
"Hey what's..." One of the stallion's voices said as I turned away and there was a flash, I rushed in and entered Stable-Tec Arcane Targeting Spell or S.A.T.S. for short and quickly opened fire on each of the Raiders.
I heard a scream and the sound of somepony running, I think it was the filly, as soon as the flash faded the Raiders laid dead, leaving just the two mares who where looking terrified.
"My name is Nova, I'm here to rescue you," I said.
"Where's Destiny?" One of the mares said, that had to be the filly.
"She'll be okay, come on, I'll get you to safety with my unit, then I'll come back and find her, I promise," I said reassuring her.
"Thank you," the other mare said to me in a soft voice as we made our way back down the hall.
I finally came to a stop and held up a hoof to stop them, Paladin Knives was waiting for me with Rose by his side.
"Sir, I found these Ponies being held captive by the Raiders," I said. "I'm going back in to see if..."
My sentence was suddenly cut off with the sound of gunfire, for a moment I thought there where more Raiders, but then I realized that it was coming from the gatling gun attached to Knives' armor. I watched in horror as the bullets plowed into the two mares before they could even react.
I couldn't believe it, a Steel Ranger Paladin had just gunned down two unarmed civilians.
"All hostiles are to be eliminated," he said in a deadpan voice and walked off, leaving me and Rose alone.
I just hoped that Destiny made it out alive.
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"They where unarmed civilians, he didn't have to kill them!" I protested, pacing across the floor in Rose's quarters. "It was cold blooded murder, plain and simple!"
The trip back to Hayford had been uneventful and quiet, I hadn't wanted to talk to anypony about what had happened until I could talk to Rose in private.
"Nova, calm down," Rose said calmly.
"How can you be calm, you saw the same thing I did!" I shouted at her. "What happened to gathering technology to help Equestria? I thought that was the Steel Ranger mandate, there's nothing in there about killing innocent ponies!"
I was furious, I had promised those ponies that they would be safe, they could have been safe, and I had led them into the slaughter. I couldn't help but wonder what that poor filly thought of me right now, she probably knew, and saw me as a monster.
"Nova, snap out of it!" Rose said loudly. "You're not helping anypony by getting angry like this."
I took a deep breath, I knew she was right, parents huh? They always seemed to be smarter than you, I guess that's why they where the parents and not us, maybe I should have listened to her more.
"I'm sorry mom," I said as I looked at my hooves. "I told them they'd be okay... I saved them from the Raiders, I feel responsible."
"Most Steel Rangers believe that technology should be gained no matter what the cost," Rose said with a sigh. "Even the Elders, and they'll kill anypony that could threaten that."
That didn't make sense to me, the idea was to help Equestria right? Why kill ponies then? Did the Steel Rangers everywhere do this, or just in Seaddle?
Not much was making sense to me anymore, I didn't like what I was being told, I was a Steel Ranger, right? So that meant that someday, I'd be expected to do the same, to "keep equestria safe at all costs."
"What should I do?" I asked.
"That's up to you, that's one lesson no teacher can teach you, you have to learn how to react to the wasteland on your own," Rose said sadly. "But you'll need to figure it out soon, the Elder won't be happy about what happened today."
I gulped, I really didn't like the sound of that. I had heard stories about Ponies that had made the Elder unhappy, and none of them ended well.
"I'll be careful," I said with a nod.
"Okay, watch out for yourself out there," Rose said and hugged me gently.
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I fell over onto my bed in the barracks and stretched out, I didn't want to talk to anypony right now, I just wanted to sleep. Today was my baptism by fire, and somehow I felt like I had failed it miserably.
"Hey everypony out there, this is your good friend Refuge coming at you with the news," the voice of a mare said over a radio nearby, I groaned, the last thing I wanted to hear right now was the voice of that DJ. "Good news from Manehattan, after a year long hiatus DJ Pon3 is finally back on the air out of Tenpony Tower. The recent activation of the Gardens of Equestria Megaspell has done wonders for the wasteland, and we all would like to welcome Pon3 back."
"Why do you always listen to her?" I asked the Pony who was seated by the radio. "You know the Elder frowns on it."
"Yeah, well Refuge is at least more entertaining and informative than that old music station you listen to," the mare said. "Besides, would you rather have Enclave radio back?"
"Okay, good point," I admitted, I remembered the short lived takeover of the radio frequencies by the Grand Pegasus Enclave during their invasion of Equestria. "Honestly, mom never really let me listen to the radio other than the classical station."
"Ah, well that explains it, just give her a chance," the mare said, at least she was being nice to me.
I closed my eyes and laid back, listening to the music as it played, there was only one thing left that I could do. I had to go back and talk to the prisoner, he might have answers.
I just had to make sure I did it before he was executed.
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"Heh, two visits from a beautiful mare in the same week, Celestia must be smiling down on me," the Prisoner said without looking at me. "What do you want, blue?"
"I want to know more about the Wasteland," I said simply, finally getting him to look at me.
"What, is the Steel Ranger demon looking to dessert?" He asked, looking me over suspiciously. "Never thought I'd see the day."
"No, its not like that at all," I said, I knew that the Elder had listening devices in all the cells, so I had to deny it, but I gave him a very slight nod, hoping he'd catch it.
"Fine, but you're not going to like all I have to tell you," he said. "Give me a cigarette, and we'll talk."
It didn't take long for me to bum a cigarette off of one of the other initiates, they weren't exactly contraband, but it was generally frowned upon if you where under the rank of knight. I levitated it through the bars to him and struck a match lighting it, the Stallion took a long drag on it before talking again.
"Seaddle's never exactly been paradise," he said. "Raider gangs ruled most of the city up until about 5 years ago when some enterprising Ponies built Haven. Then when the Applejack's Rangers moved in, well... you Ponies don't ever do anything small do you?"
He was talking about the schism, the war between the two factions, it had been going on for a few months now and Seaddle wasn't exactly in the best shape.
"Well, they're a bunch of traitors, trying to hurt Equestria for their own selfish goals," I said, this made him laugh.
"Sure, and I'm the second coming of the Lightbringer," he said with a cough. "You're really buying into that whole propaganda crap aren't you? Let me clue you in, the Applejack's Rangers are a splinter group that goes against your precious traditions, that much is true. But from what I've seen of them, they want to help the Wasteland and protect the Ponies in it. I've seen Steel Rangers gun down innocent ponies for just looking at them wrong."
I opened my muzzle to protest, but that's when I realized he was right, I had seen it myself back in the Coltvega plant. I was speechless, I didn't know what to say.
"Can you prove..." I started to say when the door to the detention area was flung open and two Knights came in, flanking Elder Mandrake.
"Step away from the Prisoner, Initiate Nova," he said so forcefully that I actually stepped back. "I would suggest forgetting anything you heard here, or you'll be the next pony to face the firing squad."
I gulped, I had never seen the Elder like this before, he was calm, but there was a fury in his eyes that I didn't like. I had stepped out of bounds here, and I was lucky he wasn't about to have me shot as a traitor.
The knights opened the cell door and pulled out the prisoner, dragging him off. Mandrake took one last look at me with a scowl, and followed, leaving me alone in the detention cell.
I turned to look at the cell one more time, I noticed something odd, there seemed to be something carved into the wooden bedframe. I got down close and examined it, it read, "Icy Wind, 3 Broken Wing Street, Haven."
I made a mental note of it and then galloped out of the detention center.
00000
I found myself in the parade grounds again, but this time it wasn't a celebration, at least not the usual kind. There where several knights standing in a line with the prisoner against the wall.
A page walked between the knights, giving them each a bullet which they loaded into their rifles. There where more Ponies around of course, mostly Initiates like me, a few knights here and there, and one or two Paladins.
"We're here to strike another blow against the heretics and traitors who still even today, plot our destruction," Elder Mandrake said as he stepped onto the stage. "This pony tried to carry out the heinous crime of assassination against your Elder, which we will not stand for. Let his death be a warning to all who would stand in the way of progress, the wasteland belongs to the Steel Rangers! Death to all who will stand in our way!"
A roar came up from the crowd of ponies, but this time I didn't feel like joining in, not that anypony would have noticed if I did.
"Does the accused have any final words?" Mandrake said, looking at his would-be "assassin" one last time.
"You're playing a dangerous game, Elder, and one day, you'll learn just how dangerous it really is," the prisoner spat.
"Defiant to the end," Mandrake said with a roll of his eyes. "Firing line, into position..."
The knights raised their weapons.
"Take aim."
They pointed at the prisoner.
"FIRE!"
I turned away as the sound of gunfire rang out, the stallion didn't scream or cry out, he just, died in silence.
It was then that I made my choice, the only choice I could make now.
00000
It was late that night, nearing 0000 when I finally was ready, I knew there was a shift change coming up and that was when the security at the base was at its most lax. I spent most of the day messing with my PipBuck, I managed to get the tracking device disengaged so they wouldn't be able to follow me.
I checked my bag one more time, food, medicine, extra ammunition for my assault rifle that I had snuck out of the armory and was now strapped to my back. I was ready, nopony was going to stop me now.
As I walked out quietly, I went past the barracks I had shared with Rose, taking one last long look at it. Rose was my mother, but she was a Steel Ranger before anything else, she wouldn't understand why I had to do this.
I was almost to the wall when I heard a voice that nearly made me jump out of my fur. "A bit late for a stroll isn't it?"
I turned to see Rose standing there, she wasn't wearing her helmet, but that armor was still intimidating.
"Sorry mom, I, can't stay here anymore," I said. "I tried to be the best Steel Ranger I could be, but, I can't do this. I can't kill innocent Ponies, I can't sit back and watch while they do it either... please, don't tell anypony you saw me leave."
Rose's eyes went soft. "I won't tell anypony," she said, I let out a sigh of relief, that was a good sign, maybe I'd get out of this alive after all, then what she said next threw me for a loop. "Because I'm going with you."
"I can't ask you to do that," I said, trying to keep my voice low. "Your whole life is the Steel Rangers."
"Do you really think you're the only Pony who thinks that way?" Rose asked, wait, she agreed with me? "Besides, you're my daughter, I'm not going to let you run off on your own."
"Okay, but we need to get going, the shift change is almost over," I said as we headed for the wall.
"Are you up for this?" Rose asked me, and I nodded and concentrated, enveloping us in the blue magical energy.
I had to make this quick, but I still had to be careful, it wasn't easy levitating power armor, but I got us over the wall. From there we started down the hill, away from Fort Hayford.
And if my map was anything to go by, into the unknown.
LEVEL UP!
Perk Received: Steel Ranger Outcast
Details: You've taken the first step towards your destiny in leaving the Steel Rangers. Add one extra point to the stat of your choice.
00000
Finally done with chapter 1, took me long enough, I've been working on this one for awhile.
Next chapter, Nova and Rose start into the ruins of Seaddle, where Nova comes across a familiar face on their way to Haven. What will this mean for their future? Find out next time in, "Mistakes."
