[FO:E] The Southern Wasteland of Equestria 1

[BladeofObliviom]

[Ponyville]

This could be bad! Pineapple continues galloping away, trying to put some distance between herself and the bulk of the raiders.

Meanwhile, the aforementioned block of plastic explosives stops beeping. And then makes a much louder noise as the detonation trigger activates.

"THUMP-BOOM!"

The block happens to be a very powerful explosive in a more or less enclosed space, and that was before being anywhere near Pineapple's passive magic. So, erm, yeah. Anypony still inside is probably a mess on the wall. Anyone standing in a direct line from a doorway or window within about twenty feet is probably also not having much fun. The shock wave might very well level the library, though it probably isn't big enough to outright blow the walls out.

[Rebonack]

[Fillydelphia]

Okay.

She didn't even flinch.

It's official.

That mare is insane. The slavers are giving her plenty of room now. Not because they're worried about her, no. They're worried about what Stern might do to her. And getting splattered with gore isn't very high on their list of interests right now.

The guard alicorns at the main gate are just standing there impassively. If the Goddess has any interest in this conversation she isn't showing it.

[Benson]

Fillydelphia


Swift Star watched the poor sap of slave pony get exploded with the idle interest of the cat. However his sense of self preservation kicked in and even he knew to to step away from the angry bitch queen griffon. As a predator himself, he knew when another predator was around and to at least show some weary of them.

The scene was amusing though to him, not the explodey bits though because that was just plain messy.

[MCerberus]

Ponyville

Is it time to jump out of a window being chased by a shockwave/fireball? Seems the right time. Razoreye does that.

[Chaotic Bob]

[Ponyville]

Pineapple flees, in time for the greatest explosion since Twilight Sparkle got faintly annoyed with Spike to rock the library.
Whatever used to exist in there is most certainly not doing so anymore.

Good thing most of the raiders ran away!
Wait, no, that isn't a good thing, is it?

Probably less so when a raider with a long, rusty chain leaps out to cut him off. The weapon seems to have had various wooden and metal spikes rammed into the links, to make it properly dangerous.

Something it will be testing on Pineapple presently, with a swing at her head.


Razoreye takes potshots!

Single shots seem one of the less effective options available, as most of the raiders seem crazed enough to ignore anything that isn't instantly lethal.
Not to say they aren't effective...getting shot in the chest is probably fatal, but the victims don't really seem to be worried about it just yet.

Although it's just a satisfying as ever to launch a bullet off through a raider's head and watch them drop like a stone. {Raider Count: 16}

This strategy is going to become less effective as the raiders begin to scurry around various bits of cover through the square.

And then Pineapple's bomb forces Razoreye out of cover, and into the square!

Almost immediately, there's a whizz of a bullet, from a raider somewhere who seems to have acquired a gun.


Meanwhile, Lamianos decides to try herding them.
Surprisingly, not too many raiders seem eager to be directly in his path as he charges forward and most of the ones he's running towards are scurrying back around the library with loud cackles.
Well, until an explosive force knocks down a couple near a window. They're undoubtedly completely doomed. {Raider Count: 14}

The pink mare, however, has decided that that plan is dumb and seems to be aiming to slip into a nearby home.
Said building is largely boarded up, but one window seems to be uncovered and she's taking advantage of it.

"GRARAHAHAHA!"
Somehow, somewhen, a raider has managed to find a way to try to jump onto Lamianos' back, equipped with a nailboard.
Probably jumped off the roof of the library as the bomb went off.
Although there is the question of how he got up there.


By this point, the raiders are well and truly scattered. Save for the group being chased by Lamianos near the library, most are fairly separated.
Cover is being found little by little, and they're finding their weapons.

[Drowlord]

Wild Rabbit Woods

Elestre released his shadow illusion, revealing a skeleton pony with skin one could see the bones (some broken) on, his skin a patchwork of huge gashes partially scarred over, limply bandaged bullet wounds, and an obviously broken leg. Unless a pony'd traveled with him for a long time or was used to seeing ghouls, he would look less like a unicorn colt and more like a monster. His raspy, odd voice didn't help.

"Don't mind it. I have not saved one life until now, and I'm glad I was able to help you."

He walked on three legs forward, his green eyes blinking out from the ruin of his face. "Are you alright, apart fom being covered in mud?"

New Appleoosa

"Thanks! It seems fair to me."

He opened the door, grinning hugely. "Heya, Mags! How you doing?"

[PurityIcekiller]

[Shedding A Bit Of Light On This Mystery]

"Huh! Well, you never know what might come in handy." Bright Eyes sorted through the crate, picking out nicer bits of old technology and such. "Maybe I could find a pony who could fix this up."

She next checked one of the lock-boxes to test the lock. If necessary, she retrieved a hammer to smash the lock open.

[Tychris1]

Southwestern Equesreia- Weird Facility 3:49 PM

Maul Steel nabs the hunting rifle and the ammo before promptly continuing on past this dycript place, ghoul in tow. Hopefully the exit wasn't too far away....

Ponyville

Lamianos was almost feeling good about this fight, until a crazed raided landed on his back. From there he began to panick and thrashed about. Bucking and smashing his hooves against the ground. It even got ti the point where Lamianos was charging into buildings head long in the hopes that the raider would be splattere from sll the debris.

[TAG Chaotic]

Wild Rabbit Woods

Ducard nodded his head and agreed with the semantics from the native scavengers, but his mind quickly drifted to the Pip buck on the blue ponies hoof "Why, that's a mighty fine gadget you got there vault dweller. Which one do you hail from? Cause I can tell from the lack of blood that you didn't hack this thing off someone's arm. And I highly doubt any random wastelander is skilled enough to take it off, let alone put it back on, normally. Are they still open? What's the condition like?" He might have lost a railgun, but this colt could make up for it and more in information.

[TAG Luka]

[Luka]

[Wild Rabbit Woods]

He's confused at first
"Uh? What Gadg-...Oh, this?"
He notices he meant his pipbuck, then responded
"54, but they're not open, don't think they would be soon anyways. They're terrified of radiation and think a single rad per second is enough to turn air into a bunch of floating tentacle blob monsters."
"Other than that, maybe they're still ok"

[Benson]

New Appleoosa

"Thanks! It seems fair to me."

He opened the door, grinning hugely. "Heya, Mags! How you doing?"

New Appleloosa-Steel Creel's House

The moment the door was opened a little brown blur raced out and latched onto Steel's leg. "Waaah....you two are home......sniffle..sniffle...it was scary earlier! With a big bad meanie voice talking in my head! So I stayed put and hid inside! Is it gone??"

Steel Creel stood there with a surprised taken aback expression. "Huh..what?" He looked at Sparky all confusedly at him.

Southwestern Equesreia- Weird Facility 3:49 PM

Maul Steel nabs the hunting rifle and the ammo before promptly continuing on past this decrepit place, ghoul in tow. Hopefully the exit wasn't too far away....

Southwestern Equesreia- Weird Facility 3:49 PM

Past that was another door, that when opened he would one long hewn rock passageway with dim lighting wired along the way. If he squinted he might see a service ladder-ramp.

[Drowlord]

Steel Creel's House

Sparky blinked. "I think it is, 'cuz we didn't hear anything. What did it say?"

He wonders what the heck was going on. Voices in heads did not sound good. If somepony was messing with Mags, he intended to find out.

[Benson]

Steel Creel's House

Sparky blinked. "I think it is, 'cuz we didn't hear anything. What did it say?"

He wonders what the heck was going on. Voices in heads did not sound good. If somepony was messing with Mags, he intended to find out.

"Yea...it was like a mare's voice...referring herself to the goddess or something...talking about destroying the town if some certain ponies were delivered to her...it was scary...so I stayed hided in here, under the sheets on the bed......Is it gone? Is the town still here?" The little frightened filly asked with rather adorable large brown eyes.

[Lycan 01]

Fillydelphia

Eleyews "deadly" stare into Stern's eyes causes the griffin to smirk. "Oh, so now you were involved, and they were your friends? Better get your story strait, kiddo," she croons, before leaning back and pointing a talon at Crossbones. "Go get me an alicorn. We're getting to the bottom of this."

Stern looks back down at Eleyew, and leers. "You know what's interesting about alicorns? They remember everything. Every little thing each and every one of them has experienced. Creepy as Hell, but useful in situations like this. They'll be able to tell me if you really were involved with the folks Red Eye wants to see, or if you're just yankin' my tail," she says with a deceptively cheerful smile.

Stern then leans forward again, tilting her head to the side in that creepy bird-of-prey fashion, eying Eleyew with predatory scrutiny. "But while he goes to fetch that alicorn... Why don't you tell me what sort of help would you like from Red Eye. Better yet, why should he help you? I really wanna hear this..." she grins.

[Drowlord]

Steel Creel's House

Sparky grinned. "The town's still standing, so I guess they are out of here. Poor ponies, I wonder who they were."

Hmm, I wonder?

"Aaanyway, we destroyed the radroach nest and got a roast mirelurk out of the bargain. Also, Steel Creel gets a sweet new rifle! Mags, meet Vera V!"

[MCerberus]

Ponyville

Well it's a good thing the griffin doesn't use guns as his primary weapon then. Razoreye lifts slightly up in the air to get some flight speed going. With the raiders taking cover he moves ro help Pineapple. He rips off the offender from her. Rip is actually a good word to use considering his talons. Hopefully whatever is going on here doesn't have a solution to severed spines.

Wild Rabbit Woods
Finder for now takes a moment to just look over this newcomer. Easy to guess where he got the gear. Oh and the last one REALLY worked out well for him.

[Benson]

Steel Creel's House

Sparky grinned. "The town's still standing, so I guess they are out of here. Poor ponies, I wonder who they were."

Hmm, I wonder?

"Aaanyway, we destroyed the radroach nest and got a roast mirelurk out of the bargain. Also, Steel Creel gets a sweet new rifle! Mags, meet Vera V!"

Steel Creel's House

Mags looked up at Steel Creel with her big ol' brown eyes as if though asking for a confirmation on Sparky's words. He smiled down at her and ruffled her mane.

"Yep...I guess the baddie goddess or something left cuz everything is still here, so don't worry okay?"

The little foal sniffled and nodded her head slowly and then heard Sparky. "Ooh....its very pretty."

"Heh, yea...still gotta modify it a little bit, the trigger and get it to fit in my half battle saddle...but it will do." He nodded and then glanced at Sparky with smile.

[Rebonack]

[Fillydelphia Gates]

Crossbones gives a nod before hurrying off.

Quickly.

He doesn't want to catch any of Stern's ire. He doesn't particularly want to talk to the alicorn, either. The things creep the hell out of him. But they're still less likely to kill somepony than that ice queen of a griffon.

"Hey, uh... yer Goddessness?" he begins awkwardly, bowing slightly. The pair of greens both turn their eyes upon him in perfect Unity before bellowing into his mind mind alone.

"WE ALREADY KNOW OF YOUR DESIRE, OUR LITTLE PONY. THIS ONE WAS NOT PRESENT AT OLD APPLELOOSA. SHE JOINED THOSE RED EYE SEEKS AT A LATER TIME. SHE IS OF NO VALUE TO HIM SAVE AS A SLAVE."

Crossbones' tail frizzes a bit in anxiety as the Goddess yells at him mentally. There is no way anypony could ever get use to that kind of treatment...

[Drowlord]

Wild Rabbit Woods

Elestre, as the mud drips off the stranger's odd power armor, shakes his head slowly. He hisses at the ex-Steel Ranger.

"Something about you looks... Familiar to me. And that is very odd. Same build, same frame, almost the same voice... Would you, hmm, remember perhaps a pony named... Lamnios?"

His green eyes glitter with malevolent interest.

Steel Creel's Home

Sparky laughed and tousled Mags's mane. "Glad to see you hunkered down so well here. Steel, this is one clever little pony you have here."

He grinned brightly at his new friend. "Say, shouldn't we get to serving up some of that mirelurk? It smells mighty good, and I'll bet miss Mags here is pretty darn hungry."

[Benson]

Steel Creel's Home

Sparky laughed and tousled Mags's mane. "Glad to see you hunkered down so well here. Steel, this is one clever little pony you have here."

He grinned brightly at his new friend. "Say, shouldn't we get to serving up some of that mirelurk? It smells mighty good, and I'll bet miss Mags here is pretty darn hungry."

Mags fixed her mane back and looked at the cut of mirelurk. She sniffed it. It smelled funny. Like sewer stink. She made a face.

"Its stinky," Mags commented and grimaced.

"Oh..well...we'll just...cook it again? With some spices?." He glanced at Sparky. It was true, it was in a sewer after all, so the smell of sewage was seeped into it maybe, or maybe it was just a finicky foal.

[Drowlord]

Steel Creel's Home

Sparky grinned, static electricity flowing not of the air and into him, making his mane crackly and quite on-end.

"Okay. Mister Steel, can you get the spices? I'm ready to re-cook it."

Little arcs of electricity buzzed between his power armor and him, creating an odd source of shifting light.

[Tychris1]

Wild Rabbit Woods

"Interesting.... Thank you for the information kid," Ducard says as he finishes inspecting the Pipbbuck, but at the mentioning of Lamianos he stiffene, his head going up to stare the unicorn dead in the eyes before saying "My name is Ducard Equitem Angelos, Knight of the Steel Rangers. I have been assigned to hunt down and kill my monster of a brother. I am nothing like him, we were once the same, but now he's just a broken shell of what he once was..... You know of him or his where abouts?"

[TAG Luka, Drowlord, MCerberus]

Southwestern Equestria- Weird Facility 3:53 PM

Maul Steel will keep trudging through the facility, his brain still wracked with nervousness as he made his way up the service ramp.

[TAG Benson]

[Luka]

[Wild Rabbit Woods]

The colt stiffens too at the mention of Lamia, but when Ducard mentions he's his brother, his eyes just go wide
"Y-you're his brother?...Oh, wow, sorry you have to carry out that.... But yes, I think we met him, I did meet him first back in the Everfree, he was with a filly, then went to New Appleloosa.... But then turned on us in Old Appleloosa....Don't know exactly what happened later but he ran away with the filly. He talked about a "revolution to renew Equestria" or something like that, just saying in case that helps somehow."
He kind of scrapes the mushroom forest's floor with a hoof, if Ducard heard Dj-pon3, then he may get an idea of what he's talking about, maybe

[Tag: Drowlord, MCerberus, Tychris1]

[Drowlord]

Wild Rabbit Woods

Elestre's eyes turned savage, but he smiled harshly.

"Pretty much what Luka's said. Except for the fact that the filly in question was my last living relative. I thought I was alone in this world, I meet my sweet, kind little cousin who gives me a reason to live, and she chooses following that beast over staying with me. I know your elders don't care about us natives, but I'd gladly join you in your duty to kill him."

[Rebonack]

[Wild Rabbit Woods - Radiation Pit]

Meeting a new friend is always great! Friendship is magic after all. And truly marvelous things can happen when ponies are united by friendship. Meeting old friends can be just as great!

Except of course when one's old friend has been mutated into a monster-pony that may or may not remember you.

A rather loud nnnzzzzzZZZRRRP! echoes through the forest as a pair of alicorns teleport into the towering maze of monstrous mushrooms. One blue. The other purple. And both may be showing smudged remnants of the cutie marks they once bore by now. They certainly aren't within visual distance of the other ponies, but an encounter isn't impossible by any means.

So that said, how about that radiation pit?

The impact initially blew a crater into the earth, releasing a portion of the balefire bomb's horrific power. Though thankfully not all of it. Otherwise the forest would have been burned away to choking ash and little more. Towering mushrooms have grown thick here, thick enough to form a canopy that blocks out the already muted light of the Wasteland. Fungal filaments, puffballs, and faerie rings dot the forest floor adding to the surreal landscape. The eerie green glow of phosphorescence pervades everything in this place and the air is thick with glowing spores drifting upon the phantom breeze.

And strangely enough the air isn't crackling with magical radiation. The almost alien mushrooms are soaking it up as quickly as the derelict balefire bomb can exude it.

Anoma begins to slowly trot down into the crater, gracefully picking her way around vibrantly glowing fungal growths and twisted lichens. A smile tugs at the corners of the alicorn's mouth as she goes. "I've always thought this place one of the most beautiful in the Wasteland. Do not let it lull you into carelessness, sister. The things that were once rabbits that dwell here are of danger even to us."

[MCerberus]

Wild Rabbit Woods

His professed mission doesn't do much to alleviate suspicion in Finder's eyes. Rangers aren't very friendly to begin with, and any connection to the recent traitor...

"Long story short we ended up here because of him. No supplies and scavenging for weapons." Finder motions over to the military truck. Hopefully that barding they found is light enough for him to still be moving around semi-comfortably while still tired.

[Benson]

Steel Creel's Home

Sparky grinned, static electricity flowing not of the air and into him, making his mane crackly and quite on-end.

"Okay. Mister Steel, can you get the spices? I'm ready to re-cook it." Little arcs of electricity buzzed between his power armor and him, creating an odd source of shifting light.

Steel Creel's Home

Steel gestured to Mags to set the table, which meant retrieving the crates to sit on. He then went and grabbed four packets of salt, because that's what he had. He smiled and held them for Sparky between his teeth.

Southwestern Equestria- Weird Facility 3:53 PM

Maul Steel will keep trudging through the facility, his brain still wracked with nervousness as he made his way up the service ramp.

Southwestern Equestria- Weird Facility 3:56 PM

Looking up, there was a hatch, that was oddly, locked from the inside here. It was bolt locked and required a turn of a wheel.

[Drowlord]

Wild Rabbit Woods

Elestre heard the loud sound and cocked an eyebrow. "Guys, listen! That sounded bad. Almost like... an alicorn. Oh buck..."

Steel Creel's House

Sparky grabbed the salt, hacking off the mirelurk's carapace and applying it inexpertly. Suddenly, his mane frazzled with electricity.

BOOM!

A lightning bolt shot out of his hoof, creating a deafening roar of air bonds splitting. A moment later, there was silence and a smell of roated salted mirelurk hanging in the air.

"Good enough? Or you want it well done?"

[Dark Elf Bard]

Spoiler

Show

Fillydelphia

Eleyews "deadly" stare into Stern's eyes causes the griffin to smirk. "Oh, so now you were involved, and they were your friends? Better get your story strait, kiddo," she croons, before leaning back and pointing a talon at Crossbones. "Go get me an alicorn. We're getting to the bottom of this."

Stern looks back down at Eleyew, and leers. "You know what's interesting about alicorns? They remember everything. Every little thing each and every one of them has experienced. Creepy as Hell, but useful in situations like this. They'll be able to tell me if you really were involved with the folks Red Eye wants to see, or if you're just yankin' my tail," she says with a deceptively cheerful smile.

Stern then leans forward again, tilting her head to the side in that creepy bird-of-prey fashion, eying Eleyew with predatory scrutiny. "But while he goes to fetch that alicorn... Why don't you tell me what sort of help would you like from Red Eye. Better yet, why should he help you? I really wanna hear this..." she grins.

[Fillydelphia Gates]

Crossbones gives a nod before hurrying off.

Quickly.

He doesn't want to catch any of Stern's ire. He doesn't particularly want to talk to the alicorn, either. The things creep the hell out of him. But they're still less likely to kill somepony than that ice queen of a griffon.

"Hey, uh... yer Goddessness?" he begins awkwardly, bowing slightly. The pair of greens both turn their eyes upon him in perfect Unity before bellowing into his mind mind alone.

"WE ALREADY KNOW OF YOUR DESIRE, OUR LITTLE PONY. THIS ONE WAS NOT PRESENT AT OLD APPLELOOSA. SHE JOINED THOSE RED EYE SEEKS AT A LATER TIME. SHE IS OF NO VALUE TO HIM SAVE AS A SLAVE."

Crossbones' tail frizzes a bit in anxiety as the Goddess yells at him mentally. There is no way anypony could ever get use to that kind of treatment...

You should help me 'cause I'm trying to find one of the only remaining member of my family, a seven year old filly. Either a little of your maternal hormones will kick in, or you're not really a girl and I should stop calling you bitch.

Eleyew's gaze softens as she thinks about her sister.

[Luka]

Wild Rabbit Woods

Elestre heard the loud sound and cocked an eyebrow. "Guys, listen! That sounded bad. Almost like... an alicorn. Oh buck..."

Oh C'mon! now he's so bardy he got savvy like to know it is an alicorn and not just some explosion?
The stable-dweller doesn't know alicorns though, just the two or 3 he met

"Uh Alicorns?...."
He says pretty calmly while fixing his wing
"Well, that would be annoying if they were of the same kind as the ones we've already met, I guess I'm getting the remaining stuff and walking away..."
He would kind of go closer to the jeep, then get the fuel can and take one of the military bardings carefully.

[Benson]

Steel Creel's House

Sparky grabbed the salt, hacking off the mirelurk's carapace and applying it inexpertly. Suddenly, his mane frazzled with electricity.

BOOM!

A lightning bolt shot out of his hoof, creating a deafening roar of air bonds splitting. A moment later, there was silence and a smell of roated salted mirelurk hanging in the air.

"Good enough? Or you want it well done?"

And hiding underneath the bed sheets were Steel Creel and Mags.