Fallout Equestria

Chapter 18.

Hope.

Finally, I had found another mare whom I respected and admired, and who respected (and maybe even admired) me in return. One who was attracted to mares, and who I could believe was at least a little physically attracted to me. We weren't in love; we barely knew each other... but there was the possibility of love. There was, in a word, hope.

The last sixteen hours had made for a very long day. As much as I would have loved to spend the next several hours with Homage, she had realized straight away that I was in no shape for anything but sleep. So she had sent me off back to my suite, where Velvet Remedy had puttered and tsked about my wounds until I had fallen into a dreamless sleep out of sheer exhaustion.

I woke up very late in the morning, hungry... and for more than just food. Velvet Remedy had already awoken and disappeared to the shops to get the best caps for everything Calamity had decided to swipe from the ruins of the Red Racer factory and the Ministry of Morale hub. Most of what Velvet and I had scavenged was intended for our own use -- food and ammo, mostly, as well as the poison glands I cut out of the manticores.

After what she had been through, I had decided to allow the sea-blue pony to keep my poisoned dart gun. I had everything needed to create another once we returned home. Calamity had seen to the purchase of a workstation (currently very disassembled) which he would install at Junction R-7 when we arrived. Which, thanks to the part needed to repair the Sky Bandit, shouldn't be more than a few days.

I wasn't about to leave until I had the chance to spend... quality time with Homage.

Out of more than curiosity, I tuned my PipBuck to DJ Pon3's station and listened to the music playing while I cleaned and groomed myself. Homage had already begun to integrate the new music into DJ Pon3's playlists. That unusually upbeat song about mending friendships which Homage and I had danced to was playing while I cleaned my teeth and tried to work all the tangles out of my mane and tail.

"Hoo-RAH!" DJ Pon3's voice thundered over the airwaves as the song ended. "Celestia and Luna bless us, we have NEW MUSIC!

"And with that new music comes some new News! Ready for this? Last night, our Wasteland Savior..."

My telekinesis imploded, dropping everything I was floating.

"...that kid from Stable Two, found and rescued the good folks of Gutterville! And what horror did she save them from, you ask? A psychotic ghoul scientist who was performing experiments with Taint and who had bred himself a small army of manticores! That, folks, is what they mean by crushing two radroaches with one hoof: she not only saved the lives of over two dozen ponies, but she solved Manehattan's manticore problem too!"

I dropped my head into the sink, letting out a whimpering sigh. My reputation was totally out of control. I barely heard the door to the suite open as I anguished over what ponies would be thinking and expecting of me now. Part of me swore Homage just liked making me squirm.

"Hell, you see the kid, tell her to stop by and visit. Ol' DJ Pon3 wants t' give her a big kiss for that one!"

My head shot up, catching my horn painfully on the faucet. "Ow!"

"You do know there are more civilized ways to get a drink of water than slurping it out of the sink, right?" Velvet Remedy's voice rang out from the other room.

Wincing, I touched my horn, looking at myself in the mirror, then turned to Velvet. She was pulling a small red wagon behind her, loaded with supplies and dresses. I stared at the rather fancy and elegant gowns.

"I thought we would want to look our best for DJ Pon3," she stated simply. Crap. I'd forgotten about Velvet Remedy's impending audition. "Don't worry. I know your size. I've wrapped you in bandages often enough that I ought to."