Barren Kindness -Chapter 4-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuYwAB9p8Lk&feature=relmfu

 

>"I... I didn't mean to... sir?... please wake up, sir.."

>Fluttershy nudged the body of the dead man, Mike, tears in her eyes.

>She had saved you from being choked to death, but it seems she wasn't handling her actions well.

>"Anon? What do we do?"

>You gag and couch from being throttled, and hoarsely reply.

"What?"

>"I... I stabbed him so he would get off of you, but I never thought he would... I didn't want to make him-"

>She's hiccuping as she begins to cry out loud.

>You get to your feet and walk over to Fluttershy.

>She must have expected you to comfort her, what with that look in her eyes.

>So when you start to loot Mike's body, she gets taken aback.

>"What- what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm seeing if he had anything valuable on him."

>She's shocked.

>"But, that's stealing!"

>You retort, not looking up from the body.

>Seems like you found a few bottlecaps in his pockets. That's a start.

"How is it stealing?"

>"What? You're taking his things away from him!"

"He's dead, Fluttershy."

>"But I-"

"He's. Dead."

>She stares at you with her big eyes, her lips quivering.

"Thanks."

>"Wha-... what?"

"Thank you."

>You get up from the body and dust yourself off.

>The pain in your throat is gone now, but it's still a slight sore.

>"...what are you thanking me for?"

"Killing him. I would have been dead if you hadn't helped me out."

>Fluttershy doesn't know how to respond.

>You can see her trying to find words, but she's failing.

>"Don't- I... don't thank me for that!"

>She's louder than usual.

>"I never wanted him to get hurt! I don't want to hurt ANYONE."

"Then why did you do it?"

>You take your pistol from the ground and check it for damage.

>Seems to be fine, from what you can tell.

>Walking over to the body of Candice, you rifle through her remains as well.

>"He was hurting you. I... I wanted him to stop."

"So you took his knife and stabbed him in the neck."

>"But-"

"That's what you did."

>Three bullets.

>Nice.

>With those, you're up to six total rounds. A full clip.

>Hopefully you wouldn't need to-

>"STOP THAT."

>You jump a little at Fluttershy's voice, now loud and angrier than before.

"What?"

>"Stop STEALING from them! You can't... you just can't do that!"

"Fluttershy I told you that-"

"Please..."

>Her voice is back to it's quiet tone, her expression pleading.

>"Just... for now... just please stop..."

>Her body shivers, the reality of her surroundings hitting home at last.

>Life out here was difficult; bloody even.

>If she was going to have any chance of surviving, then it's a good thing you found her.

>Glancing back at the bodies, you finally sigh and give in.

"Fine. No looting from people."

>Fluttershy looks surprised, but a smile forms quickly on her face.

"For now."

>"I'll take it."

"Good. C'mon. Let's see if there's any food around here for us.

 

Half an Hour Later

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSScW4WeSss

 

>The music from the small radio played softly through the market.

>Dust floated through the air, illuminated from the light of the fire you had built in a small clearing within the store.

>To your amazement, you were able to find some decent food in the back of the store.

>You munch on an old Salisbury steak, while Fluttershy nibbles on a mutfruit you found in an barely functional refrigerator.

>The look on her face when you told her you found fruit.

>Tears of joy, that one.

>"Anon?"

"Mmhmm?"

>You swallow down some more of the steak, baring the old taste it has.

>"Where are you from?"

"What?"

>"I mean... I told you where I was from..."

"I know. I still don't believe you."

>"Why not? What's so hard to believe?"

"Well for starters, you're a talking horse. I like to chock that up to radiation, if anything."

>"But it's real! I had friends, and cute critters that lived with me."

"And what? You friend sent you here with magic?"

>"That's what I think happened, yes."

"Magic."

>She nods.

>You roll your eyes.

"Uh-huh. Sure. And I used to live in a nice house with a white-picket fence."

>"Really? Was it nice?"

>You stare at her as your sarcasm seems to land nowhere near her.

>"...you were joking weren't you?"

"Yeah."

>"Oh."

>You turn your attention back to your food, holding it over the fire for a bit.

>You liked it a little smokey.

>Plus, anything that could cover up the taste of mold was welcome.

>"Anon?"

>Looking up, you see that Fluttershy is giving you an expecting expression.

>"You never answered my question."

>Chewing a bit of steak, you swallow it down and think this over.

>She had saved your life, after all.

>Maybe you could tell her some of your past.

>Some.

"Okay. It's a long story, and I don't feel like going over the whole thing, so you'll get a rough draft."

>Fluttershy beams softly, happy that you're going to share a little about yourself.

"Remember when I found you? You were being chased by two men."

>She nods.

"They were slavers."

>"Slavers?"

"You know, people that catch and sell slaves."

>She looks confused.

>Had she really no concept of slavery?

"What a slaver does is take someone and turn them into property. They aren't people to them. They're more furniture than humans in the eyes of a slaver."

>"...did... did you used to be one of those? A slave?"

>...

"Not exactly."

>"So, what were you then?"

>You bring a hand to your neck, remembering the chill of metal.

"...I made the collars..."

 

~END~