Fallout Equestria

Chapter 28.

Rage.

Burning, explosive rage. In the moment I realized that the Steel Rangers had invaded my home, were killing the ponies inside, I saw red like I never had before. My nerves were hot, electric. I wanted to strike out. To slaughter the fuckers. To rip them apart from the inside out, and keep stomping until they were nothing but paste under my hooves.

But my enemies, the murderers who were defiling my home, were not here. It would be hours, even at Calamity's best speed, before we would make it to Stable Two. I wanted to hurt somepony now. My whole body and mind and soul screamed for justice and retribution... and if I couldn't have that, at least somepony to buck. But the only ponies around were my friends.

So I stood there and raged in silence.

And they were wise enough not to interfere.

*** *** ***

"Do you think I wanted this?" SteelHooves snapped, pacing through the interior of the Sky Bandit. "Stable Two was home to Applejack's family. If anyone in the Apple family still lives, they live in there..."

"Ah ain't sayin' ya wanted this," Calamity shot back. "An' Ah ain't sayin' ya didn't do yer darned best t' stop it. Ah'm jus' sayin' yer best weren't good enough." The rust-colored pegasus was pouring on the speed despite being at the point of exhaustion. "An' now it's muh turn."

Xenith watched the argument, for once not being the focus of the shouting. She turned to Velvet Remedy, eyes large. "This... is your home? You and the little one? Why do the Steel Rangers attack it?"

Velvet Remedy shook her head. Each blink sent fresh tears down her charcoal cheeks. The wind whipped at her color-streaked white mane. "Resources. Nothing more. All they see is a functional Stable. In the very least, the water talisman is priceless. The apple orchard nearly so." She closed her eyes, shuddering with a soft sob. "At most, they want it as a base."

My rage was beginning to ebb, the fire and fury unable to maintain itself without a direction to strike. I could feel numbness, sorrow and horror lurking behind it, ready to overwhelm me once the inferno of anger burnt itself out.

"You can't just prance in and start killing Rangers," SteelHooves stomped.

"Ah don't see why not. Far as Ah can see, they're nothin' more'n a gang o' high-tech raiders preyin' on the innocent." Calamity kicked at his battle saddle, changing the ammo. "Ponies like that need t' die, an' Ah aim t' kill 'em. It's muh policy."

SteelHooves turned to Velvet Remedy. "You talk to him."

"And say what?" Velvet's voice was hard as steel.

SteelHooves grunted. "That it's suicide, for a start." He looked at us. "Do you ponies really think you can take on a few squads' worth of Knights and Paladins in magical armor?"

The ghoul's words hit home. The size of this was too much. Who knew how many Steel Rangers were down there, each with weapons and armor and combat experience far in excess of our own. How was I going to save Stable Two? How could I fight that?

I began to remember each and every pony I had grown up with. My teachers, my peers, each pony at my first and only slumber party... I felt myself being crushed under the weight of this responsibility. I couldn't breathe.

"Y'all gonna be surprised jus' what we c'n do."

The armor-encased ghoul rounded on the pegasus. "I'm on your side here."

"Are you?" I asked, finally breaking my silence.

The others all turned a collective gaze on SteelHooves. The Steel Ranger, the eternally obedient soldier buck, had been backed into a corner. Forced to choose between his loyalty to us and his Oath to them.