Fall Out: Equestria By: Kkat

Chapter Forty-One: Towards Hope

Chapter Forty-One: Towards Hope

"For many of us, the road is a difficult one, but the path is always there for us to follow, no matter how many times we may fall."

Madness.

I stood there, the streamlet flowing behind Absolutely Everything washing over my hooves, and stared at Calamity, my jaw unhinged. There was simply no other word. Calamity's plan was insane.

Hell, it wasn't even a plan. Plans have... plan stuff. Calamity had a bunch of ideas and vague hopes tied together by multiple points of "and then something happens". We didn't have who or what we needed to even try it. I doubted we could get them.

"Well?" he asked, earnestly seeking my approval.

"I'm beginning to agree with Velvet Remedy," I told him, recalling her reaction to his actions in the Zebratown Police Headquarters.

"So... yer willin' t' give it a try?" Gawddammit. Calamity was staring at me with the eyes of a foal, hoping for my acceptance, my support of this... madness. This plan... it was something he needed to try. Needed like a starving pony needs food.

I manufactured a smile. "I don't have a better plan," I admitted. "Sure." We were all going to die.

Watcher's sprite-bot bobbed in the rain beside us, silently listening.

Finally, the mechanical voice that disguised Spike plaintively asked, "Is there anything I can do, guys? I'm really sorry."

I thumped my rainsoaked forehead with an even wetter hoof. Think. Think, you silly mare.

"Yes," I asserted, looking sidelong at the spritebot, "Yes, there is."

"What?" Spike asked.

I waved a hoof. "Just wait there for a moment. First, I need to talk to Gawd."

• • •

"What I don't understand," I told Calamity as we started to walk back towards the front of Absolutely Everything, "Is why the Wonderbolts haven't already hit us? The Wonderbolts are fast, right?"

Calamity looked askance. "Fast. You could say that, yes."

Lightning flashed across the sky. "Shouldn't they have gotten to Ironshod already," I reckoned, talking above the rumbling thunder. "It wouldn't take long to get my tag..." Not if Lensflare was as skilled as it sounded. And New Appleloosa was an awfully short flight from Ironshod Firearms.

"They're probably caught up in committee," Calamity snurked wryly.

I halted, my hooves growing muddy, and gave Calamity a confused look. Surely he wasn't saying they had to, what, file a hunting plan? Were all the ponies in the sky crazy?

Calamity turned the corner, almost knocking over Railright. I heard the two stallions mumble apologies as I caught up. Railright was standing under the eve of Ditzy Doo's store, apparently waiting for somepony. At the sight of me, he nodded, then cast a furtive glance towards the lights along the city wall.

Last I had seen Railright, he was escorting away several ponies who had dared to come below the Enclave's cloud cover. "Where are the new pegasi?" I asked the sheriff/mayor, wondering just how much I'd slept through.

Railright glanced at Calamity before answering. "Ah've put them t' work assistin' the community. In return, they 'ave a place in the common house till they c'n better situate themselves."

I looked to Calamity questioningly. My pegasus friend frowned, his tone sour as he informed me, "Enclave Radio broadcast an offer o' aid to 'misplaced citizens'. Tracker accepted the offer at face value an' flew off, promisin' t' contact Frost by her PipBuck soon as he was skyside. That was over six hours ago."