Forest Guardian (Patreon)

Note. To the best of my  knowledge this is not based on any existing Fallout Equestria storyline, nor does it follow any particular plot in Fallout 4. This is just the  narrative that popped  into my head as I was drawing.

      Amber pondered his predicament as he was led along the game trail. He'd been told years ago to not be too quick when forming opinions about ponies. Sometimes individuals that initially seem like jerks end up being alright, and ponies that seem okay at the started ended up being assholes in the end.

       However he was of the opinion that he'd always been right when it came to raiders. They were all just assholes. Unfortunately a bunch of said assholes had captured him, bound his arms, and were leading him to out what he feared would be a very messy end. 

      He'd been bushwhacked while breaking camp that morning.  He'd been out on another trade/diplomatic mission for Stable 69. Although originally a Wasterlander he'd thrown his lot in with Overmare Rarity and her stable of mares.

      The pony/dragon hybrid had been so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed the change in terrain or the mood of his captors. They were now traveling under a dense, lush forest canopy. Something rarely seen these days. Also the raider who up to this point had been the usual loud, vulgar, quick to violence individuals that defined their type. Now they being very cautious, and quiet as they tried to move stealthy through the woods. Occasionally Amber could pick up snippets of their conversation.

      "I tell ya. It's fucking crazy ta be goin this way. Nuthing good ever come ta ponies that go inta this damn Everfree Forest!" 

      "Why inna fuck are we even going dis way?"

      "Shut yer fucking muths! We're just takin urselves a little shurtcut.  We's be ut uf here in nu time!"   

      The raider had just finished that comment when there was a muffled quawhack sound from the undergrowth. The raider's body convulsed toppled to the ground as geyser of blood erupted from around the arrow/bolt that had just impaled him in the neck. 

      This resulted in helter-skelter as the raiders began spraying the surrounding forest with gunfire. After a minute or so the raiders ceased fire and began moving again with greater speed. Leaving the body of their fallen comrade behind. After about 15 minutes they began to their slow pace. 

     "Didcha see who the fuck shot him?"  One raider asked.

      "Nah! I didn't see shit! Can't see shit with all these fucking plants!" Said another. "Hey! Straight Edge! Can ya see any asshole following us?"

     "I kant see nothing!" Growled the earth pony mare. "But we might've lost dem..."  

     There was another soft quawhack sound followed by a meaty thump sound a fraction of second later. The mare's knees buckled and she sank to the ground with bolt in her chest. 

     This set off an even more frantic of round of all around gunfire as the raiders now knew that they were being hunted. For his part Amber just tried to make himself invisible from both his captors and whoever was attacking. 

     Amber was looking at one of the raiders when she called out that she thought she'd seen some movement in the bushes nearby. She'd just grabbed a hand grenade from her belt and pulled the pin when from behind her this gigantic white being seemed to appear from nowhere. It brought two great, clawed paws down on the mare. As she was violently slammed to the ground the grenade flew out her hand and bounced toward Amber. Frantically he tried to dive behind a tree. 

     I have the worst luck with those things!  He thought. Who are you? He never heard the blast. The concussion knocked him out. 

    Lucidity slowly returned to him. His ears were ringing and initially the world was a blur.  He could see movements of of color and light, and random bits of talking. After a minute or so he realized he seemed to be listening to a female voice having a one-sided conversation.

    "Um, no. That was all of them. Yes, yes please drag the bodies away, Yes you're good boy. No. I don't think he's one of them." 

    Amber slowly shook the cobwebs from his head. Now he could see who was talking and what she'd been talking to. A chiffon yellow pegasus mare with a long, flowing, rose pink mane and tail was looking at him. She wore tattered denim jeans, a leather top embossed with butterflies along the neckline. A studded leather choker with a similar butterfly and splinted leg and arm armor along with knee high boots rounded out her ensemble.  Well that and a particularly nasty-looking compound crossbow that she held. 

    Behind her was a mountain of a white Deathpaw. It glared at Amber as it rested a front paw on the shoulder of the mare.  As the stallion started to move it growled at him. The mare looked up at the great beast.

    "Shhh! Angel! Don't worry he won't hurt me." She looked at the stallion. "Now I have some questions for you."

    Another patron reward for Skyline and the next in my series of anthro Fallout Equestria inspired drawings.