Chapters Chapter 1: A New Beginning
Dawn Over A New World
“Damn my head hurts... and why does it feel like I am wrapped in a fur coat?” I whipped open my eyes, hoping to see the walls of the Lucky 38 Penthouse, or at least the glow of a campfire. But all that was in my range of vision was tall green grass… wait… green?! I scrambled to sit up, but fell flat on my face. I looked at my body, mostly everything was still in place, my Elite Riot armor, black trench coat, and I could see the glow of my helmets optics.
But my leather gloves, they weren't fitted onto my hands… but like finger less gloves on… bird feet? What the hell! My front two feet were like an birds’ feet, like on Old Glory. My back two are like cat feet, but much larger ones, those of a big cat's, like the wild lions in Chicago. Attached to an odd body, very unlike my old one. And my clothes were adjusted to my new body, but I was missing my leather boots, and my socks too, pity, they had been made with pre-war material, so that they were cool in the heat, and warm in the cold.
I tried getting up, getting a different body was new, and I landed on my face. But I have seen aliens, fought cazadors, sung with Legion Assassins on Christmas (don’t ask), waltzed with a ghost on Halloween (The Sierra Madre is a crazy place for a friend's wedding), and wrestled deathclaws, I have the scars to prove it… or at least had. So I wouldn't let it stop me. I took off my helmet after getting comfortably onto my four feet. Then I grabbed shard of mirror I had scavenged from one of the houses in Higgs’ Village, Dr.Zero’s (Dr.0 if you hadn’t found out yet) I think. My face… It was a birds. My face looked like a raven from back home, with black and dark blue feathers, and a slightly jagged and shiny, black beak. My eyes were the same amethyst as the ones I’ve found in the mines of the Big Mountain, the same ones I’ve lived with since I woke up in Doc Mitchel's house.
I stripped and looked at the rest of my body, it was like a creatures straight out of a pre-war mythology book. I my body is a gryphon’s, with the front half of my body a Raven’s and the back half of a Panther's. My black pelt mixed with my raven blue feathers, making the two halves each distinct. The odd stuff covering my claws was a black colored, scale like substance, smooth too. My tail was the same color as the rest of my ‘panther's pelt’, my body was very streamlined, especially the panther half of my body (It's still weird saying that). There were even feathers on the top of my head that acted a bit like hair.
Looking into the shard, I confirmed that my necklace was still hanging from my neck, it has a braided leather band and a white bone amulet. It depicts a black raven in flight, it was one of the few things I had on me when I woke up. Well... besides my name. James Gavin, a very non-conspicuous name for the so called, Hero of the Wastes (More like anti-hero in my case).
I checked over my weapons, none of them were damaged. All of my ammo was in good condition, including my special ammo. I placed my usual load out in their respective holsters and holders around my body. While my Pip-Boy could just hold all of my weapons, and call them out again. It was a slow process, and often you wouldn't get the chance to draw your weapon until you were shot. So I carried a select few weapons on my person at all times. Slung over my back was an Airborne rifle called the All-American. An old Hunting Shotgun was strapped to my right side, while it used to be slung over a shoulder, this way was admittedly much better. A Light Shinning in Darkness, and my scoped Ranger Sequoia were holstered on my right side. Light was hidden partially in a flap of my duster, while my Sequoia was shown off proudly on where used to be my hip.
My knives, Blood-Nap, another Bowie knife, and a couple of good strong Combat Knives, were hidden around my body. Its always good to have a few tucked away in case you lose one during a fight. It would take more than two hands(claw, talon, THINGS?) to count the amount of times they've saved my life. The mutants of the wastes won't stop fighting if you drop your dagger, or if it's stuck in them. I remember fighting a Deathclaw in the Junction, where I had stuck one Combat Knife in his eye, the other where the sun doesn't shine. He only finally went down when I jabbed Blood-Nap into the roof of his gaping jaws. Ever since then, I made sure that I cleaned my knives, I had to toss that second Combat Knife into Mic and Ralph's for a couple of caps, and find a new one. I'm just glad that one was my worst blade, not my best.
But one of my favorite weapons was strapped securely on my left side. A dark blue hilted katana, in a black ornamental sheath. I found it on the body of a Japanese feral ghoul in a camp made out of an old Japanese fighter jet. He must have ejected before crashing but was caught in the nuclear fallout. He was living as a 'good' ghoul for a hundred years according to his holotapes, but he eventually succumbed to the monster within.
I checked on the rest of my supplies in my pip-boy. It was still fully stocked with my traveling kit. AKA enough ammo, stimpacks, and food to equip, heal, and feed an enormous army. Cigars (though I never smoked), Liquor (Mead, Ale, Scotch, Brandy, Whiskey, Beer, you name it.), Cards ("I broke every casino, Freeside to Prim to Reno!" ), my Vault 13 canteen, a now useless keyring (but when I sharpen them, they'll become +999 throwing keys!), and all the other shit I own, I never travel without all if my possessions anymore. Not after the Sierra Madre... and Zion... AND Big Mountain... especially Big Mountain (stupid brains).
Now that my check-up is done, I took a deep breath, and counted down slowly, and let reality sink in.
10,
9,
8,
6 ("Six? What happened to Seven?"),
5,
4,
3,
2,
1,
"WHAT THE HELL!" I shouted, justifiably into the air. I looked down to my Pip-Boy and checked my World Map, and took a step back. "WHAT THE FUCK!"
I looked back down at the piece of Rob-Co trash, Signal Not Available . Signal not available? SIGNAL NOT AVAILABLE! The WORLD was covered in satellites! What the hell Robert! Another one of your toys failed! I never had any faith in yo... wait a second, this just confirms it. I'm not on Earth anymore... i'm not on Earth... i'm not on Earth! HAHA! Take that you piece of shit planet and your horrible Casino Rules! Let's see if the Casino's on THIS planet will let me play!
Author's Note
This will mark my first released story on Fimfiction... or, well ever really. Please, constructive criticism is good, but if you don't like my story, don't try and make me change it.
View Online
[Old Version Beginning] Dawn Over A New World
Sunset on Vegas
Sunset Shimmer was having a bad day... a really bad fucking day. First she gets expelled from Canterlot High, for something she didn't do.
Then she falls through the mirror portal, ends up back in Equestria, and botches up a teleportation spell. She had been sneaking through Canterlot Castle looking for the exit, when out of nowhere a guard shows up. She turns, he asks, she teleports, he reports. So now, not only is she in the middle of butt fuck nowhere, but Celestia knows she's here too.
She pulled her leather jacket closer and kept walking. She stuck out amidst the Gryphon settlers. She was getting quite a few stares, some curious, some angry, some lusting. But right now, she couldn't give a fuck about what they were thinking. What she needed was a drink, a strong one.
Ever since she left Equestria, and started living. She had stopped being so naive. She hadn't forgiven Celestia, and she sure as hell hadn't forgotten, but maybe now, she understood.
She nursed her drink in the crook of her hoof and took a sip. It was good, better than equish cider, and much better than the spiked punch at Canterlot High. But even then, it still wasn't enough to take her mind off things. She was a criminal, charged with the Improper use of magical objects (blame the mirror), and Illegal trespassing of Royal grounds (once again, all the mirrors fault). She wouldn't be able to make a living, she could go back and beg for forgiveness. Yeah... yeah! That might work, she could just go back, go back and apologize, return to her studies, learn some more Pyromancies!
She smiled into her glass, this could work out. She put down her glass, and was making to get up, but then she caught a glance of a newspaper. "Equestria's Newest Alicorn Gives Coronation Speech!" . She grabbed the paper, and nearly cried, "Twilight Sparkle, former student of Princess Celestia, and newly crowned Princess of Friendship, regals crowd with a tale of Friendship between her and the other Elements of Harmony. Illustrating their journey from the return (and subsequent defeat) of Nightmare Moon, to the return of Chaos demon Discord, his rehabilitation, too the eventual defeat of Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings and King Sombra of the Newly Returned Cyrystal Empire. Later on she states: "Dear my Little Ponies of Equestria, today I become a Princess, once only the Most trusted and the Only student of Princess Celestia, I have risen all in thanks too all of my friends and the lessons we have learned along the wa...".
Sunshine couldn't believe it, the 'Trusted and Only student of Princess Celestia' . That title belonged to HER! She earned it by excelling, and through years of dreams and lessons. Yet the day she disappears she goes and gets a new student, and THEN makes her an ALICORN! Sunset gripped her glass again and took a gulp. She hadn't the bits to pay, but right now she couldn't care less. She wanted to cry away her tears, and drink away her tears.
Just as she finished the glass, the doors burst open and a pair of gryphons flew through. Well flew was too kind a word, they more... fell with style. One was quite ugly, dirty brown coat, filth covered jacket, and greased feathers. The other was... different. In Equestria most ponies were easy to distinguish, with a vast array of color combinations, mane/tail styles, and outfit choices. Not to mention Cutie Mark's, but in Gryphonia and the Gryphon Isles, it was different. Their, Gryphons looked like crossbreads between cats and birds. Eagles and lions being the most common, with owls and leopards being the least common. They had less variety and were generally very similar.
But this second gryphon was odd, he had a blue black coat, and covered most of his body. He was wearing green armor pieces and a black coat. He was also wearing a helmet, a helmet with glowing red eyes. A blue black tail was swishing behind him as he fought with the dirty Gryphon. The bartender quietly pulled a shotgun from beneath the counter and loaded some beanbag slugs.
As they tussled the blue one (now dubbed Blue) pulled a bloodstained knife on the dirty one and put it to his neck. Halting all movement in the pub. He spoke softly, a calm voice that did not belong to a Gryphon raised in Gryphonia, the Gryphon Isles, or anywhere else. And it was too smooth to be a male Equiss accent (seriously what is with all the males' voices? A bad case of a sore throat?). "Honestly, keep still. Your worth more alive, but I Will deliver you dead, kapish pussycat?"
The dirty Gryphoness, now identified as a female (which would have been more obvious without all the grime) growled at the Bounty Hunter. Blue just smirked and looked up and saw her looking. Tilted his head and spoke, "Hey Firebrand, mind lending me a claw?"
Sunset jumped and looked around, looking for the person he was talking talking to. "Hey Firebrand, I was talking to you, little miss unicorn. Could you conjure a rope or something to tie her up with?" Sunset jumped up and flashed her horn, red ropes bound the Gryphoness. Blue looked at her handiwork and whistled.
"Good work Firebrand, want to come down to the station and claim the bounty with me?" Sunset stepped back with a shocked look on her face, Gryphons were notoriously greedy and not likely to share a score with anyone. "Oh come on, I'll earn double for bringing her in alive and you'll get your share. I'm not one to break promises, plus you look a little light on Gryms and that tab wont pay itself.
The bartender growled and pumped his shotgun, as if making Blue's point. She gave a nervous smile at the bartender and walked back towards the door, and towards Blue. They walked out of the pub, with 'their' score slung across Blue's back. They were walking towards the militia's post, where they would collect her bounty, pay off her tab, and then... and then she would have no idea where to go. Canterlot and the whole of Equestria wasn't an option, and neither was staying here. She couldn't just sit in one place, she was like a wildfire, always moving, always needing more fuel, always changing. Maybe that was why she didn't really like Equestria, too stagnant, no adventure, no chance to grow or learn. But now? She was working with a bounty hunter, on the frontier of Gryphonia. How many could say the same thing?
Second Chance
Far away from Equestrian borders, in the highlands of Gryphon territory. A lone campfire burns amidst a small camp. Inside Gryphons were partying, they had just raided a large Equestrian shipment full of Alcohol, food, and medicinal goods. The shipment had been heading to one of the more neglected parts of Gryphonia, where disease and hunger ran rampant. Equestria had sent a relief shipment out packed with medicine, alcohol, and food. Only for a tribe of Gryphon raiders to hijack the caravan and take the ponies hostage.
They were the Jackals, greedy, hungry, powerful… and stupid. Sunset put down her binoculars when she caught sight of a Gryphon having his way with a mare hostage. She turned and nudged me, “Were going to kill them, right?” I could see the disgust in her eyes. Not at the thought of killing, but at the thought of leaving them alive.
She had come a long way, from a scared pony who would hesitate to kill a spider to a full fledged Ranger. While not as good as a vet, or even close to me, she would definitely have given the Patrol Rangers back in Vegas a run for their money. I hefted up my Brush Gun, modified with a silencer, to my shoulder and gestured Sunset to do the same. She picked up her silenced Anti-Material Rifle in her magic and aimed for one of the Raiders outside the camp.
I lined up a shot with a Raider in a makeshift guardpost and fired. Two Raiders fell and no one knew. We picked off the other wanderers, and then walked down the hill. Sunset slung her Rifle across her back and drew her Submachine gun, a Broadsword strapped to her barrel alongside a bandoleer of grenades. She was wearing combat armor under a black trenchcoat, with some parts of the armor going over the trench, in a fashion resembling my own armor. But instead of a helmet she wore a bandanna at her neck, covering a nasty scar from when she was hung, and a cowboy hat.
I dropped my Brush Gun back into my Pip-Boy, and drew my Sequoia. Sunset hid behind a barrel and aimed and a group of drunken Gryphons. She opened fire, the burst of automatic fire causing the Gryphons to duck into cover and grab weapons. Gryphons started yelling and ponies were crying. I took to the air on my Wings and shot down a couple of Gryphons who thought to fly away.
I drew my katana and folded my wings. Causing me to fall blade first on a Raider. Blood splattered my trench coat and armor. I swung the blade again, slitting the throat of a Raider who tried to draw a pistol and shoot me. I shot two more Gryphons in the back as they tried to ambush Sunset. Who was pinning down a large group of Raiders behind a large shipping crate. She grabbed a grenade in her hoof as she used her magic to shoot her gun, and threw it behind the large crate. She mowed down the Gryphons that tried to flee the blast radius.
I jumped on another fleeing Gryphon and plunged my blade into her throat. Behind me, another pair of Gryphons walked out of a tent, but these two had machine guns and were dressed in thick metal armor. I ducked behind a metal crate as they opened fire on the two of us. I put away my katana and Sequoia, and then took out an EMP (Electric Magical Pulse grenade, handle with care and keep out of the reach of children. Unless they have demo expert perks, then let them go ham!) from my Pip-Boy and threw it at the couple. The magical lightning shorted out there brains as it ran threw their armor. Sunset quickly put two rounds into their metal clad skulls with her Anti-Material Rifle before they could get up.
After cleaning out the camp of loot and setting the hostages loose. We guarded their newly reassembled caravan to the town of Catsglade, where we gave the local hospital the medicine and leftover alcohol. Then went to work on handing out the food with the rest of the workers.
A short while later found Sunset and I laying under the shade of a tree on the edge of town. Comfortable on the green grass, I pulled out Benny’s former lighter and started flicking it open and back off. Sunset looked at me from under the shade of her Cowboy hat, “Not that I'm against it, but why did we help them? We weren't asked to, and there was no reward. I’m glad your the type of person to do that kind of stuff, but still, why?”
I stopped playing with my lighter, and looked at her, helmet off. “When I heard about that caravan going missing, I knew something happened, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I knew that I had to do something. Plus we had been cooped up too long in that other town, Eaglecrest for too long.”
Sunset rolled her eyes at my answer, “We were there for four days!” She said exasperatedly,
I let out a muffled grown, “That's three days too long. I don't like staying in one place too long.”
“Unless it has a casino?”
“Unless it has casinos. Plural.”
We both laughed and got up a bit later, just as the sun was setting. Sunset was looked at the falling sun and glanced down, knowing what she was thinking about, I walked up to her and wrapped her in my wings. Ignoring her protests, I tripped her with my spotted tail, causing the two of us to fall and go rolling down the hill. When we hit the bottom Sunset tried to push me off. I didn't let her, “What's wrong Sunset?”
“Nothing Gavin, everything's alright.” I poked her with a wing,
“I don’t believe you Sunset, just tell me whats wrong.”
She sighed and sat up, ignoring my wing still on her back, “I was just wondering about Celestia, and if she’s worried about me. Or if she even misses me.”
“Why wouldn't she?”
“Because she has a new student, one she made into an Alicorn. I worked all my life trying to reach that level of power, yet it was never enough for her. Never good enough, I was never good enough.”
I slapped her with a wing, “Gavin! What the fuc…!” Then wrapped her up in both of them and puller her into a hug. She tucked her head into the crook of my neck and then I spoke, “Not good enough my ass, your a great pony Sunset.”
I felt a couple of tears hit my shoulder, “Even if you think your not good enough, you are. Your good enough for me, even better than I deserve with all the shit I’ve done in my life. And if that's not good enough, then Celestia can go sit on the sun and take it up her ass.”
We sat like that for a couple of hours until Sunset finally fell asleep. I got here out of her armor and put her into our sleeping bag, with her trench coat keeping the Highland winds off of her as she slept. Then I started to clean all our weapons and armor from the days work, clearing off the blood, gore, dirt, rocks, and grit. And when that was all said and done, I pulled my own trench coat on tighter and crawled in with Sunset. Don’t you fucking look at me like that! We didn't do anything, and we only carry one sleeping bag to make room for more food and supplies. I trusted my natural senses, and unnatural implants to warn me if we were being spied on or attacked.
I looked up at the starry night sky and smiled. Ever since Luna returned from the moon, the night skies had gotten so much more vibrant and alive. A falling star flew in from the side, leaving a trail through the sky. I focused on the meteor and whispered under my breath so that Sunset wouldn't wake up,
“Star light, Star bright,
The first star I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have the wish I wish tonight,
We’ll make a wish, and do as dreamers do,
And all our wishes,
Will come true,
Please, let Sunset find peace from her torment.”
I looked away from the star and back at Sunset, I held her closer and could have sworn I heard a voice say something, as if responding to my prayer,
Star light, Star bright,
The first wish I’ve heard tonight,
Wish you did, O’ wish you did,
You shall have your wish tonight,
You made your wish, as dreamers did,
And your wish,
Shall come true,
She shall find peace, by my honor as the Moon.
I closed my eyes and slept, unknowing of the powers at play tonight.
Author's Note
Sorry if it lacks quality or content, I'm currently sick. I can't talk because when I do I cough and tear up my throat. It's sore, I've got a headache, can barely eat and drink. But still good enough to publish this. I'm currently popping cough drops like candy to stop myself from coughing up a lung. I've got another chapter for Sunsong in the works and a couple new stories coming out soon too. (Due to my lack of concept of time, soon is relative. Relative to what, no one knows. See you all soon.)
Wild (Not-So) Wasteland
Catsglade was a very peaceful settlement, too peaceful. Especially for two Rangers. I quickly drew out my Sequoia out of it’s holster and aimed at the pony leaving the pub, only to see Sunset in the iron sights. I put down my gun focused on the pony as she approached my position across the dirt road. As she saw my Gryphon form, she slowly shook her head. Confirming that there was no work to be found in the town.
“We’ve only been here two days Gavin, things like this usually take time.” I knew Sunset was being honest, but the lack of work and/or travel was grinding my nerves, we were here for too long already.
I pulled out my map of the local area, there was a collapsed mine three hours walk from Catsglade. “There is a mine about three hours northeast of here. Abandoned for about three months due to a major collapse.”
“Sounds like a good place for a hideout, and even if there isn’t, there might be some good loot to be found.” Sunset looked over my shoulder and at the mine’s position. “Want to go?”
I looked around the dead end town, there was no work that didn’t involve menial labor for menial rewards. “Might as well, let's say our goodbyes to the caravan before we leave, I think Highest Bidder wanted to talk before we ditched town.”
Sunset and I walked down the main street of Catsglade, ignoring the looks of fear from our exposed weapons. It tended to happen less in major cities, but the occasional crossroad town usually didn’t give a shit about how many weapons you carried, they saw too many mercenary bands to be scared by lone armed griff or pony.
As we approached the ponies camp, we were approached by Highest Bidder, the leader of the caravan. His green coat and betting sign cutie mark, paired with his gold mane gave the appearance of wealth, but in reality most of his wealth went to caravans like this. Supplying aid to foreign lands in need. He smiled as he caught sight of our traveling gear strapped on. “Rangers Gavin, Sunset, I wasn’t expecting a visit, but it isn’t unwelcomed. What brings you to my side of the caravan trail?”
Under my helmet I smiled at the stallion, he was much too charitable for his own good. “We are leaving today, and so we came to say our goodbyes, in case we don’t see you again.”
Highest Bidder walked up to me and shook my talons with his hoof, then gave Sunset a kiss on her outstretched hoof. “In that case goodbye, know that I will be forever in your debt for saving my caravan. I also have a gift for you.”
Sunset’s ears pricked up at the word gift, “You don't have to give us something, we just saved you guys because it was the right thing to do.”
He smiled, “I know, I just wanted to give you these as a gift of thanks, not a reward or payment.” He then slid over a small crate full of cans, the labels were obviously Equestrian, only they had labels that colorful. The labels showed a colorful picture of…
“Peaches?” There were twenty cans of sliced Equestrian peaches in the crate. “You know how much these sell for here?” Sunset was right once again, those cans were easily worth over thirty grims each. When a single 45-70 gov was only worth five or so. And the average griff only made about fifteen grims a week.
“They came from my personal supplies, so I won’t be losing any caravan funding for that.”
“Still, even though they are cheaper in Equestria, you could have sold them for so much more here.” I picked up one of the cans as I spoke, it had been a long time since I had any Equestrian foods.
“I’m not a greedy stallion Gavin, I bought these in Equestria as a treat for my daughter when we got here, but she was the one who told me to give you them!” We thanked the overly kind stallion, and then we walked a short distance away, so that I could put it away in my Pip-Boy without being seen.
Sunset and I started talking as we made our was northeast, sharing our pleasure at being able to enjoy peaches after a long days work. Two hours into our journey, we came upon an interesting sight. A gryphon was digging out a small trench with nothing but an old hand shovel. He had a light machinegun resting next to him, and a peaked helmet was on his head. I signaled to Sunset and then snuck into a small thicket on the other side of the road. Looking through the sight of my brush gun, I saw Sunset approach the gryphon.
He had paused in his digging when he heard Sunset’s approach, and I gripped my rifle tighter as he drew an old looking Luger from his side. As he looked at Sunset he put the gun back in it’s holster. Angling my ears towards the pair I listened in on their conversation.
“Hello there sir. What might you be doing here sir?” Sunset looked at the trench and saw that it actually stretched about a quarter mile into the woods, and only now was he digging into the road.
The gryphon went back to his digging, but replied in an easy manner, but with a thick accent. “Digging. I'm still vaiting for mein squad, herr pony.”
Sunset looked at his uniform, outdated as it was, it was still clean and in shape. “Who do you fight for sir? I’m sorry to say that I’ve never seen a uniform like yours.”
“Mein army is far, and vhen it arrives, mein Fuhrer shall crush zee craftsmen and farmers beneath his boot. Vee are zee Nazi party.” He answered without hesitation, and without stopping his digging. “I remember mein Fuhrer telling us zat vee must dig his trench of var. Zen a flash of light, and zen just forest! I vas alone, so I dug, and dug. And I shall dig until mein Fuhrer says or mein var is von. So herr pony, have you seen a hammer crossed with a sickle around here?”
“Umm…” Sunset looked at me, remembering the old pre-war books on history, I started to violently shake my head, “No, I haven't. But I will tell you if I do, enjoy your… digging.”
The german soldier kept digging his trench and just nodded. Sunset walk back to me, shaking a little from her first wild (not-so wasteland) encounter. I got up and put away my rifle, my turn. I started to walk towards the german, ready to face either a vemnant fascist, or an open minded grunt.
“Are you an Aryan?” The question must have shocked the german, as he stuck his hand shovel into the trench wall and left it there. He turned and faced me.
“Are you an American?” I took off my helmet and nodded as he did the same. According to the old books, Germans, Soviet Russians, and the ‘Allies’ (which the former United States were apart of) fought in the second world war. I had to approach this carefully.
I decided to test the waters before diving in, “How fared the war before the ‘flash’?”
“It vas 1943, vee had just lost Stalingrad to zee Communists. Americans had only been involved for a few years, and vee vere being pushed back.” He looked at my side and saw the katana, “You carry zee veapon of zee japs. Why?”
“Think of it as vengance, for Pearl Harbor.” He nodded, then looked at my armor.
Then he looked down, as if he were pondering a deep thought (very not fourth wall breaking, I know) “For how long have vee been defeated?”
“Over three hundred years.” I saw the german grip his Luger,
“Ven I am... vhat is it called, out of time, yes?” He relaxed his grip and instead pulled his shovel out of the ground, then strapped it to his pack. Then slinged it onto his back. “Vhat am I? And you?”
“We are gryphons, a hybrid of cat and bird in this new world. We are the most common species in this part of the world.” I looked at his eagle styled head and lion tail. “You are of the two most noble species, eagle and lion. Be proud Aryan, you are of noble blood in this world.”
He smiled and looked at himself, “Mein name is Arend, Arend Ludwig. Vhat is your name, and the name of your companion?”
“My name is James Gavin, and my friend back there is Sunset Shimmer. I was a Ranger back home, but I woke up one day in this world as a Gryphon. After that I started working as a Bounty Hunter and general wanderer, then I met Sunset drinking herself away in a bar. I talked her into joining me on my travels and we started working together.”
Arend felt like a good, if lost, man… griff. A feeling I only got around certain people. Boon, Arcade, Veronica, Cass, ED-E, Chief Hanlon, most of them ended up traveling with me or ended up helping me in some way. And even though I had never fought at his side, Hanlon had given me his Ranger Sequoia after the Second Battle at Hoover Dam. A scope had turned the reliable sidearm into a deadly ranged weapon.
Arend picked up his machinegun and strapped it against his pack. I guess that one con of being quadrupedal was that you couldn’t carry weapons at the ready in your forelimbs. But the added wings easily made up for that. “Mein old life is gone now herr Gavin, and by your record, so is mein Fuhrer. Zee var vas lost, and mein life serves no purpose digging in a foreign nation. Vhere you shall go, so shall I.”
I was used to this happening, say the right thing, kill the right person, press a little too hard, and now you’ve got a company of warriors, soldiers, scientists, animals, robots, mutants, and drunkards following you. But I’ve never led a german before, “Why follow me? Why not go your own way and find a new life?”
Arend shifted his bandoleer of bullets and jumped out of the trench. “Something in mein soul says to follow you, vther you except me or not. Ve all have a part to play, and I feel zat mein own part shall be in your company.”
Walking back to Sunset with our new companion, she looked at Arend, and then back at me. “Picking up another stray?”
I smiled, remembering the memories I’ve built with my other strays. “Aye, he’s not the first, far from it. And I somehow doubt he shall be the last.”
I looked at Arend and noticed the large pack he was carrying. “Arend, I have a device that will allow me to carry a lot of items many times my weight without being laden down with them. If you want I can carry what you don’t need from that pack.”
Arend looked up at his near bursting pack. He dropped it and started to take everything out. He packed away his food, toiletries, ammo, and some personal items back into the pack, but gestured at everything else. The remaining pile was swiftly dematerialized into my Pip-Boy, and was sorted into a section labeled “Arend’s Stuff”.
Sunset saw Arend's slightly stunned look and was reminded of her own first time seeing Gavin’s gear in action. “Just think of what you need and it should appear, think of it going back to, well… put it back. Just remember, don’t try to overload it, there is a limit to how much it can hold. And it stops working if you surpass a hundred feet away, just in case you try leaving with your own, mini-storage.”
Arend nodded at the instructions Sunset gave. Now it was time to give my own, “You can only materialize your own stuff, or stuff your given. Same with Sunset and myself, we can retrieve our own stuff but not each others. And the limit is by weight, not number, so ammo shouldn’t be a worry at all.” “Unless you plan to carry a nuke.” “And like Sunset said, nukes are ill advised and way too heavy. Oh, and speaking of ammo, put your ammo in the storage and call a new magazine of ammo belt when your empty. It makes it much easier to manage without fiddling with refilling magazines.”
After some more discussion and planning we set off back down the road. We were still heading to the mine. Now we just had an extra gun. Arend had started experimenting with the ammo feature, materializing full belts of machinegun ammo before putting them back. I checked his max storage and nearly had a heart attack seeing the amount he could carry. It was nearly the same amount as Lily’s storage, but she was a super mutant and night kin! Thinking over it, it made a little bit of sense. He was a machine gunner with no assistant to carry his ammo, and he had been digging a quarter mile’s worth of trench by himself. Back in the waste, I was about 6’2. But he, judging by his frame here, he must have been 6’5 and wide at the shoulders. Probably a major athlete or career soldier before joining the army.
Halfway through the trip I stopped the squad and pulled something out of my storage. I had picked it up in the Vale but never used it. I turned and through the gun to the only other griff in our party. He caught the submachine gun in his claws before inspecting the model. “A Stein?”
“Close, the Gryphons down in the Vale call it a Gruunerstein. But it looks like a Stein, and should feel like it too. I already put the ammo in your storage, along with some… surprises I think your enemies will appreciate.”
With a grin on my face I saw him pull out a magazine for the Grunnerstein, and slid it in. But then he pulled out the surprises, a bandoleer of long handled grenades, marked with English letters. “Ps for Phosphorous, Em for electricity, Np for napalm, and Sh for shrapnel. Easy enough to use, unscrew the bottom and throw, all of them are designed to stick to their targets.”
“Vese grenades are like zee ones from mein home. I vould love to feel zee rush from blowing up a soviet tank again.”
I looked ahead, towards where our target was supposed to be. As we climbed the next hill, I spotted a partially concealed mine door against the side of the next hill. “Well, herr Ludwig. You might get the chance to use those soon enough.”
I couldn’t help but try and fit in a Dig Korps of Equestria joke here, sorry if it wasn’t obvious. Or if it was too obvious. And I am sorry for my butchered German. I have little experience with the language, so I went for comedic instead of realistic.
Author's Note
I couldn’t help but try and fit in a Dig Korps of Equestria joke here, sorry if it wasn’t obvious. Or if it was too obvious. And I am sorry for my butchered German. I have little experience with the language, so I went for comedic instead of realistic.
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. 