Fallout Equestria: A New Hope (On Hiatus)

Chapter Eighteen

Clawdia had put me in a room, and told me to wait as they would return a moment later. They gave Sweetie to me as she was too young. I held her close running a hoof through her mane. She looked up to me with a smile. “Why do you not want to be part of a fraction?” asked the filly. I looked to her with a chuckle. “It’s pronounced ‘faction’, and I do not know why I don't. I guess I’ve just always been alone.” I replied. “Oh,” she said as she lie her head against me. I smiled lightly. “where’s mommy and daddy?” she asked. I shrugged. Just as I was about to tell her, ‘I don't know’, the handle of the door to the room inherited a red color. The door opened to reveal Lead and Pallet in dark grey trench coats with chest-worn sashes, a black undershirt, and a helmet. The helmets were similar to the NCR’s in design, but the ones worn by original and clone had a more pronounced muzzle piece.
I stood up, and made my way over to them. I gave a salute, and Lead chuckled. “How ya doin’?” asked the stallion. “Good.” I replied as I lowered my hoof, and looked to Pallet who took her helmet off, trotted over to me, and kissed my cheek. I blushed slightly, and she giggled. “What are we gonna do now?” I asked as I looked to Sweetie levitating the filly onto my back. I then looked back to Lead. “Not sure,” he replied. “We’re supposed to be heading toward Ponyville, but I doubt it.” he added. Pallet looked to him. “What happened there?” asked the mare. “They found me!” beamed Sweetie who nuzzled into my neck. I chuckled and nodded. “She was bruised and bloody. We killed every raider that was there which I think was one.” I said. Pallet scoffed. “Good. Those freaks deserve to die for what they did to you.” said Pallet as she took Sweetie from my back and placed her on hers. The filly giggled. “And guess what we’ve found.” I said as I reached into the hoof locker which was at the foot of the bed. “THE GARDE- mmph!” blurted Pallet but Lead put his hoof over her mouth to silence her. “Yes, it’s the Garden Of Celestia Creation Kit. Now keep it down!” Lead whisper yelled. He slowly took his hoof away, and the mare nodded.
I put it back into the hoof locker and locked it. My lockpicking expertise had grown over the weeks I’d been out here, and I was thankful for that. Clawdia came into the room. “Garden?” she questioned. “Yeah. Pallet was just saying how nice it would have been to have a garden. Carrots, apple trees, and other fruits and vegetables so we would never go hungry again. But after the mega-spells fell, the hopes of having said garden were trampled -pun intended- with really everything else in all of Equestria.” I said covering up the fact that Pallet would have blown our cover. “Yeah, it would be nice. Maybe some flowers too. It’s a shame really.” said Clawdia. Sweetie hopped off Pallet’s back and hugged the gryphon’s leg. Clawdia looked down to the filly with a soft smile playing across her beak. She pat her head. “You don't have to worry.” the filly beamed. She smiled wider. And knelt down. “How are you so cheerful, hmm?” asked the gryphon rhetorically. Sweetie hugged her beak and nuzzled her. Clawdia picked her up and held hugged her tight. “I wish I had your spirit, kid. Or I did before my sister passed.” said the gryphon as she passed the filly back to us. “You’ll find peace soon. I know you will.” said Sweetie with a smile. Clawdia looked to her then slowly walked out of the room.
Pallet then levitated the filly back onto her back. I smiled and they put their helmets back on. Lead’s old helmet was levitated to me in a transparent black aura. I took it in my magic, and slipped it on. Since Lead was an alicorn, -or rather an artificial alicorn- it was practically styled for me already, and it fit comfortably which was a plus. I pressed my hoof on the side to engage the comms. Lead did the same, and I heard a static version of his voice through the helmet. We lowered our hooves, and nodded at each other. The comms worked. We made our way out of the room. The Garden of Celestia Creation Kit in my saddlebag. We passed Clawdia, and made our way back out into the wastes.