Fallout Equestria: The Kingdom

[XT Vengeance]

As Charcoal thought more, he beat himself up over every mistake. In his mind he saw her.

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" the shattered and broken mare screamed at him.

His face had become one of despair.

"IT'S YOUR FAULT! HE DID THIS TO ME BECAUSE OF YOU!"

Charcoal hung his head as tears formed in his eyes.

"I WISH I HAD NEVER MET YOU! THAT YOU HAD NEVER SAVED ME FROM THOSE RAIDERS!" the broken mare screamed in anguish.

The dark grey stallion curled up into a ball on the ground and wept. He shook with his cries as he relived that event from only two months before.

"I HATE YOU! YOU COULDN'T EVEN END MY PAIN!"

[Guest]

The filly put a few steps between herself and Cherry before turning away. Her shoulders heaved a few sniffing sounds coming from her.

"We're a lot like ponies I guess. Except we change our form and feed on love, we can sense a few other emotions too."

[Guest]

Cherry looks down"Sweetheart, it's okay. Ah ain't mad at ya."She gets closer and rubs Flower's back comfortingly

Shadow says nothing for a second, processing what he was just told"...That explains a couple thin's with Flower then ah 'spose."He looks at Cherry"Blossom did ya have anythin' ya wanted ta say?"

She looks at Tumble, she's looks like she's about to say something but stops herself.

"So, ah think what she wants ta say is, why did ya lie ta us?"He looks back at her.

Cherry nods at what Shadow says

"Right, now ah'm sure ya had yer reasons fer it. Ah understand, sometimes it's necessary ta keep secrets and lie ta folks, Luna knows ah've done it."He pauses"But if ah had ta guess-"He's cut off by Cherry

"It just hurts, all right, ah...Ah thought we were friends and we could trust each other, Tumble, ah just wanna know why ya couldn't tell us. We wouldn't of told anypony."She says sincerely, with some sadness in her voice

[Guest]

"I was protecting myself." Is the only thing she could come up with. "It wasn't all lies. The pony you met doesn't look like me but he acts just like I do. And Flower really does have three sisters."

She doesn't turn to face Cherry but her shoulders don't seem to be heaving as much.

[XT Vengeance]

[Damage (9+2) (3+2) (2+2) (4+2)]Charcoal wound up and hit himself square in the jaw. He then punched himself again several more times. He then collapses on the ground for a moment, his face sore and his lip split.

[Guest]

Cherry continues to rub Flower's back"Protectin' yerself...So, ya were hidin' 'cause ya worried 'bout what folks would do if they knew or have made some kinda enemies that yer hidin' from?"

[Guest]

"The first one."

She relaxes a little more. "Chewwy... are you going to hurt daddy too?"

"You said we both have some explaining to do?"

[Orm]

[Damage (7+2) (1+2) (2+2) (5+2)] Charcoal struggled to get up and proceeded to beat himself again. He grunted in pain before collapsing to the ground once more.

[Guest]

"Okay, ah understand then. So it's kinda like how ah used ta hide my wings down here so ah didn't get shot just fer bein' a pegasi."She sighs then smiles and looks at Flower"Of course not, sweetpea, ah'd never do that."She hugs her.

"Yeah, we do. Ah figure it's 'bout time we talked 'bout what happened with Barb, as well as a few other things. Should talked 'bout it earlier, but stuff came up. So, ask whatever ya like."

[Ironmonger]

Cast Iron decides to take a trot around town out of boredom.

[Guest]

She nuzzles Cherry leaving a small wet patch on her coat.

"I just thought we had an understanding on the torture."

[Guest]

Shadow sighs"Yeah, so did ah... Ah thought ah could control it, but seein' the one of the ponies responsible after searchin' fer these past two years... Somethin' snapped. Like it wasn't me..."He looks up, fear can be seen in his eyes.

[Orm]

[Damage (7+2)]Charcoal hit himself again. He reared up of another punch but was stopped by a neon green wing. "Scorch," he wheezed. "Let go."

Scorch cooed lightly as he put his head against Charcoal's.

Charcoal's body trembled as he sobbed quietly.

[Guest]

"I could stop you. If that's what you wanted." She says in comforting tone.

[Guest]

Shadow looks down"Don't know if ya could. Anger and ah mean real anger is... difficult...Fer me. It's...It's like there's some kind of voice or somethin' calling me deeper and deeper inta a pit wantin' me ta do worse ."

[Guest]

"I meant..." She stops herself from continuing the sentence. "Maybe Cherry could help keep you in check." She suggested. "If we think there's lead she could come with us." She suggested.

[Guest]

Shadow nods"Yeah, ah was thinkin' the same. Blossom, should be able ta stop somethin' like that. Or at least keep me...Calmer...Then normal."

Cherry looks over"Yup, or if all else fails ah can always knock some sense into'im. That usually works."

[Guest]

She chuckled "I could try that."

[Guest]

Cherry smiles"If ya ever see'im do somethin' stupid, ya have my permission ta hit'im as much as ya want."

Shadow sighs

[Tytan]

***

Clock is dreaming again.

Not that she knows that.

She wishes she did, so that maybe she could dream about something else.

She'd already fallen to Tartarus, the place where her soul froze and her flesh burned. The souls of her damned patients are holding her down. She should be dead soon... normally.

Her legs were pinned to the ground, the only thing free was her head. The sea of faces parted and a shadowy figure strode up to her. He looked down at her with a burning red eye.

"Hey, Clock."

"Ch-Charcoal? W-what are you doing he-," she was interrupted when he brought his metal hoof across her face.

"You know what's funny? The fact that I thought you could ever fall in love with me."

Desperation fills her voice, "Charcoal? Please, help me. We- we can get out of here! We can be happy together! I love you!"

He snickers, "You 'love' me?" He laughs like he can't believe what he just heard. "If you 'loved' me, then why didn't you tell me about her." He pulled a stone from his saddlebag and dropped it by her hooves.

She couldn't read what was carved into the stone from where she lay, but the knew what it said.

Turn Key.

"Ch-Charcoal, I-I-I-"

His voice was filled with rage, "You NEVER loved me! If you did you would have told me!"

"I-I didn't want to burden you with my past."

"HORSESHIT!" He stamped his hoof on the ground and the sea of bodies pulled her legs wide.

"You may not have been a very good doctor, but you were a pretty good teacher." He got onto his knees and licked her belly.

Tears streamed down her face, "Ch-Charcoal... p-p-please..."

"At least you're still good for one thing."

He lowered himself onto her.

***

Clock screamed.

[XT Vengeance]

”YOU THINK YOU ARE SO GREAT? THAT WHAT YOU DO IS RIGHT?! IT’S YOUR FAULT THEY DIED!” The broken mare screamed at Charcoal, the faces of those he had failed dancing around him. “EVERYTIME YOU ‘HELP’ YOU MAKE US SUFFER! YOU MADE ME SUFFER!”

The voice screamed in Charcoal’s mind as he lay there sobbing.

”YOU AREN’T WORTHY OF BEING CALLED A PONY YOU MONSTER!”

Charcoal let out a muffled cry as he lay curled up. He remembered them all, every face, every single detail. But most of all, he remembered her. How he had failed her. Charcoal remembered how his actions had caused Change to suffer. It was all because of him.

Scorch laid his wing across Charcoal’s back, as he cooed softly to him. It was all he could do to try and calm him down. “Squawk…kaw kakaw squawk,” he said softly.

”I…I can’t,” Charcoal struggled to say through his sobs. “I…can’t go back…I…I’ve already hurt them enough…they are better off without me. Clock is better off without me.”

[XT Vengeance]

[Charisma 4 (9-1)]”Squawk. Squawkity kaw kakaw squawk.”

”But…I…alright. I’ll go.” With that Charcoal slowly got up and started to make his way back to New Appleoosa, his face starting to blacken with bruises.

[CamoBadger]

((6 hours later Charcoal walks through the gate of New Appleloosa))

[CamoBadger]

((Night is falling, shops will close soon))

[CamoBadger]

Martini looked down to Charcoal and frowned. "Did they leave you behind?"

Lotus popped up beside her sister. "Are you okay?"

[XT Vengeance]

[Charisma 6 (4+1)]Charcoal looks up at Martini and Lotus.

"Yeah I'm fine," he lied. "I...I fell while I was walking back," he said, hopping they would just ignore him.

[CamoBadger]

"Are you sure? You don't sound sure."

[XT Vengeance]

Charcoal realized he had been caught in his lie. "Just forget about me. It's for the best," he said, making his way into the town. "I've already failed enough of you," he adds softly to himself.

[CamoBadger]

Martini frowned as Charcoal walked away before turning to her sister. "I'm gonna go cheer him up."

"No you're not. You've already flirted enough today."

"I didn't say flirt!"

"No, but you're thinking about it."

[XT Vengeance]

Charcoal slowly made his way to Boomsticks and walked inside and up to the counter. "Skippy, did you get any new special ammo or grenades in?" Charcoal asked, making sure to keep his head down.

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