Fallout Equestria: Ballad of a Rogue Ranger

Chapter twenty: An Elders eyes

Guns for future turrets, check! Some ammo to keep me going, check! Heart rate below that of a typhoon, also check! Painful, but I’ll still mark it off as a success. After getting out of the bunker we’d all started our route towards the copper goal. Once again, my map was brought up and I tried to do some quick math of the travel time between here and the S. Vanhoover Sky-port.

Somehow though in the first few hours of travel, we hadn’t seen hind or hair of anything out this far west of Unicorn Range. With the silhouette of Tall Tale, at least what was left of it, off in the distance to the south of our destination. Even while being this close to major cities, there was little in terms of resistance while traveling in these parts. The occasional bar would pop up, but Tumble quickly dispatched whatever critter it was and tossed it in the back of her bag for later on.

“Where the hell is everypony?” Tumble asked aloud, as she shoved what looked like an oversized cricket in to the sack.

“I know right!” and… all of them were looking at me, okay maybe I was a bit too zealous with that, “No, I was just wondering the same thing, it’s quiet out here… like we’re the only ones walking this route,” dumb thing to suspect, but it was getting creepy.

Riff shook her head at me, “Wild see this wrong,” ahh care to elaborate on that? With a paw raised past me she just pointed off to one hill.

Baren, beaten up and scorched like all the others. So, what was special about this-? Then I saw it, one equine shape poked its head out before quickly retreating back down to cover. I’d been expecting after that to take some sort of heavy munition to the chest, and my eyes started darting around for any piece of cover… any second now.

Come one…

Geeze, what's taking so long?

Riff must have noticed my head spinning, and a paw rested on my shoulder. “We pass by many more, if those not attack, these likely not either.”

“Wait, how did you know there were others?” I know my sensors didn’t pick up anything. All she gave me was a tap to the end of her muzzle.

“Nose good,” yeah fair enough, “but doubt they not want to come close to group with dog and tin pony.”

So… what? Intimidation? That hadn’t worked for me in the past all too well. Some raider still would try and take a swing at me, granted back then it was just myself and Tumble. Even after getting Deacon in the group, and with Riff we’d still found our way in to a fight… although, many of those we- scratch that, all of those we were asking for.

If we passed by as many as the hound was suggesting then I wouldn’t lose sleep over it. They kept their distance, and we did the same. For that matter, even if they were friendly. Riff Raff might have been on to something there. You think they’d risk coming up to a group with heavy armor and a hellhound?

Safe to say, no.

My helmet stifled the groan I let out, ‘So intimidation worked on most of those… besides the Gunners, chemed out Raiders, and of course the Steel Rangers,’ all groups that had kicked the crap out of me before, and all groups I’d have to deal with again in time. I might have been out in the middle of nowhere, and hoping to stay out of sight. Yet, I knew all it’d take would be the wrong pony spotting me and the jig was up.

***

The first beam shot wide and punched in to the cinderblock wall beside me. Turrets in large groups might have been a force to be reckoned with, but on their own like this they were just plain annoying. While I drew their attention and toyed with what popped up from the guard tower to the sky-port, the bursts far behind me took care of em helping to clear our approach. I mean Riff could have just sent shells lobbing down range and leveled the whole tower, but Deacons’ approach I liked more.

Drew less attention from what's inside.

It’d taken the better part of the day, and with evening now on the horizon we made our way past the broken chain-link fencing of the guard tower and went further in to the port. Now that it was a bit darker, I got to see why so many of Tall Tales buildings had disappeared. The glow half the city gave off had likely dimmed down over the last century plus, but it didn’t take a scientist to figure out where that green was coming from. Clearly that city had been marked for extermination by the zebras during the finale days.

A fact that was only proven once we got past some of the outer buildings and in to the open of the runway. Scattered around the flight line of the place were all manners of sky wagons, transport craft, and even vertibucks lying as nothing more than monuments to the past. By the looks of it some had probably been airborne still when the bombs fell, and if any were coming from the south…

Subconsciously I gulped, knowing I’d been in a sky wagon during the bombing, “How lucky had I been?”

“What was that?” Alimite perked up.

I hadn’t realized she was right next to me the whole time I took in the sight, “Nothing… just counting my lucky stars,” the mare just looked at me a bit funny.

From getting a place in the stable, meeting Winter and Lilac, being close to home when the bombs fell, Winter knowing how to keep my ass alive when the other systems failed, getting out of the stable just as it went up in smoke, running in to Tungsten, Tumble, Deacon, Riff, and even Alimite. All to learn who the mares’ mom was and be led back to Winter after all this time, what were the odds?

How many things had to go right for that to happen, verses what could have gone wrong? Luna couldn’t even count all those stars in the sky, and she was a deity level alicorn that could move the placement of the moon itself.

“Well, when you’re finished counting…” she bumped the side of my suit, throwing herself off step more than anything, “I’d say we have a place to start.”

As soon as that had left her lips the mare trotted towards one of those crashed Vertibucks, with myself and the group following close on her heels. If we were thinking of the same thing, and given her mind we probably were. Then these war birds were exactly what the town needed. Alimite started crawling over the exterior of the vehicle, and made her way up to one of the top mounted turrets.

The quick burst of a carbine grabbed my attention for half a second, as Deacon shot something off in the distance. “Sorry… ‘nother turret,” he shrugged. From this far off, and in this kind of lighting? Or lack thereof, definitely a gryphon thing, “If we’re looking for copper, wouldn’t plumbing be a better place to start?”

Before I could answer, Alimite jumped in twirling her wrench around. “These Vertibucks carry it as well, and every creature goes for the plumbing first,” we watched as she tapped the side of the barrel with a wrench, “need them to cool weapon systems down, especially those magical ones.”

He thought about it for half a second too short, “That much I know, I also know flying does that pretty well, and wouldn’t they have already been salvaged by now?” If it wasn’t my area of experience, he might have won that. Alas, I had a bit more to say on the matter.

“Not so effective when in hover,” I pointed out to the gryphon, and the other pair that looked just as curious, “pretty simple set up actually, copper tubing wrapped around the barrels was pumped with coolant… or water if need be.” Like most things that were simple in design, it was effective too, “Plus, the sleeve wasn’t bolted to most weapons so they could be swapped out on the fly. Which means, if some pony had looted these already, chances are they missed the sleeve itself.”

A thud next to me answered that question quite nicely, and there on the ground rested an intact cooling housing. Sadly, like I assumed, there wasn’t a gun attached. Pity really, be nice to put up some more arcane firepower for the town. Above us at the open turret, Alimite loosened up the next one and gave it the same treatment, generously missing me by a bit more than last.

“If you figure there’s a few good yards in one barrel, then between these other crashes I should be able to put a dent in that contract,” the mare answered while looking over the flight line again. They might not all have been armed, but that was a lot of salvage to be had if even just half was viable, “Though that might take some time…”

“Could scavenge?” Riff offered, and racked back a 40mm, “I can watch mechanic pony.”

“Grenade launcher not the best thing for distance,” Deacon reminded her as he pulled the carbine up on his shoulder, “I’ll hang back as well.”

Yep, I already saw where this one was going, and it didn’t take long for my visor to drift between the pair of em and up to the mare working on the other gun. Out here in the open would make any of them easy pickings for a well-trained sniper. Even with Barrel out of the picture, I knew just how effective the gunners could be with an AMR. For that matter Stock apparently had artillery at his disposal, what do you think the range of it would be?

I wanted to stay, keep my E.F.S. scanning the horizon and fences to catch anything that might try to hurt- and then Alimite caught me staring. Did not realize my visor was still on her! The mares’ hoof out stretched, she just waved it off toward the rest of the port and urged me forward with a smirk.

Without so much as a word I knew this, she was right. We should take a look around, “Alrighty well process of elimination states that I’ll check the place out, I shouldn’t be too long,” my horn reached out and started pulling Tumble along as I strode off. “Though you’re coming too… I’m not getting shot in the ass.”

At first, she struggled, and kinda looked a bit hurt at having to leave, but soon enough my original travel companion groaned and relented. “Okay, fine… though we should make this quick,” Tumble stuck her nose up in the air to take a whiff, “storms coming in soon, I can feel it.”

Meteorologist…

An impressive one at that, I could hear the cracking off in the distance just as we lost sight of our group and entered a hanger. Older model Vertibucks were half broken down from over the years of looters, and while the mare started poking around some of the work benches, I stayed on overwatch. There were a few bars that would pop up here and there, but when investigated they turned out just to be some radroaches.

Nothing a quick stomp couldn’t fix.

Tumble might have wanted to save it for dinner later, although she’d picked up enough on our way out here to make up for the loss I felt like. As I heard a squeal of delight, a bottle of something disappeared in to the mares’ bag. She’d found her happiness for the evening, Now I just had to do the same.

Between the booze and the salvage, she was turning up a decent amount to trade later. Whoever worked in these hangers sure knew how to have a good time. While Tumble took care of that, I started loading up some junk in the suits’ hopper. Ya know, because a fully stocked repair hopper was happiness for me now a days. Hell, looking around there were enough tools and broken components that if a pony here had enough time and patience, they might be able to get one of those vertibucks working again.

‘Oh, the possibilities…’ I started to wonder, before giving myself a mental haymaker.

I’ll save that project for another lifetime, one where I didn’t have to worry about keeping the suit up in fighting condition just to live. For now, we made our way through the hanger and on to what looked like the place’s weapons store room… or tool shop? I couldn’t tell with the abundance of both tools and weapon parts littered about. Didn’t look like enough parts to make anything workable, so somepony just left them lying around.

“I sure hope whatever deity the zebras believe in can hear me, because sincerely… fuck you,” my head snapped to the sound of a stallion, and there by a terminal stood Tumble. The mare gave me a shrug as her hooves were thrown up, but if nothing was popping up on my screen yet from the voice calling, then might as well let it play.

“Forty-five… forty-five sky craft were in bound here for shelter when we saw the flashes off in the distance and the radio chatter went dark,” in the goddesses’ name, that many? “And how many managed to land? Thirteen. How many of that thirteen were more crashing than landing? All of em…” I could hear the sound of a bottle uncorking from over the mic, followed by the soft sobs of a pony who’d just sounded shattered inside.

“You could see the flashes of Canterlot from all the way here, and from what I heard before comms were lost was something about Cloudsdale… probably nothing good,” no… not good at all, “here alone nearly three hundred were lost just trying to survive a bit longer,” From the wreckage outside, three hundred sounded like an understatement, “Don’t know how much shelter this place would have been anyway, metal don’t do much for radiation,” I heard something sliding across the speaker, something else metal, “to the pony listening to this, good luck out there in whatever’s left… if you’re a stripe listening, well… are ya happy now?”

The gun shot was the first thing I heard, before a thump of something fleshy hitting the floor. Both myself and Tumble looked around the terminal, and quickly found the bones of the pony we’d just heard. At least what was probably them, much of the skeleton had been smashed and tossed about. Never the less, judging from the hole in the skull, it was a fair guess that this was the stallion.

Tumble shook her head at the terminal, and started checking around some of the shop. “I just don’t get it,” she muttered, to herself or not I couldn’t tell.

“Get what exactly?”

“How it could have led to… this,” her hoof pointed out of the service window to the rest of the building. Marvels of creation all of these machines were, but the reason behind their development was all wrong… and in their wake, nothing but destruction followed. Ponies could have done so much better if we weren’t at the zebras’ throats, yet instead of prosperity, you had ponies over a century later asking but one thing, “how could they have let all this happen?”

That was something I’d been wondering there myself actually for some time. I’m positive there were things going on behind closed doors, and in secret locations all over Equestria pulling the strings of the war. No country goes to war expecting it to last more than a decade, and if it does there has to be a line drawn where all bets are off. Where one side would do anything to stop it all. All that really mattered then, was which side held the trump cards.

“I didn’t follow the politics… not my thing, as for weapons,” now you’re speaking my language, and one she might be able to understand as well, “Equestria was a powerhouse, more than the zebras could have ever been, towards the end of it we had them backed in to a corner ready to be steamrolled.”

She stopped working on a storage box lock, and the look she gave the outside already told me a bit of her thoughts, probably something along the lines of so much for steamrolling… “and how’d that work out?”

Eh, I was close; though not too well for us, “the Zebras got megaspells… no one knows how, but they did, and it was only a matter of time till they used em.” Maybe they were hoping to knock enough of Equestria off balance to turn the tide, maybe they underestimated the effects, or perhaps they just wanted to wipe ponykind off the face of this planet.

“Well, you trapped em in a corner with no way out,” she started working on another storage bin, “any critter would bite back with all it had left to get loose.”

‘Oh, so this is our fault as well…’ my eyes rolled behind the visor, to think that she was putting some of the blame on Equestria… ‘though, wasn’t it?’ that little voice spoke up, and asked.

Like I said before. Both countries had something the other needed, Equestria had the gems, Zebra nations had the coal. Could there have been other negotiations down the line besides total annihilation? That’d been better, but that was the political side of things I never followed. It was something small to wonder for sure, though it had to make you wonder… Did Equestria drive the Zebras to this?

If you put it into Tumbles’ analogy, then… yes, we did.

“What the hell?” not the thing you want to hear your friend say.

I cantered over her shoulder, and there inside the crate was a very memorable green glow basking the pair of us. It looked so peaceful when it rested in its straw cushion, a wonder no creature had taken it out of the thing yet and tried to pawn it off. Then again, they are next to useless if you don’t have the right launcher, or know how to make something of it.

And as I lifted it out Tumble was patiently waiting for an explaination, “Oh, that’s a balefire egg.”

“Then why the fuck are you holding it!?” she shouted.

“Ahh why wouldn’t I?”

“Why the hell do you think!” the mare looked about ready to jump across the counter and run out the hanger, “I’m not going anywhere with a bomb that can destroy a city!”

“Oh relax, it’s perfectly harmless,” ghosts of the past were screaming at me now, I could feel it as the glow disappeared in to one of my bags. “They need to be launched in order to work… for the most part.”

Before she could protest any more, I already started searching about the rest of the room for any sign of that launcher. Could it destroy an entire city like she thought? No, but it would make really short work for the next squad of rangers that tried to take me in? Oh, so much yes… It’d just be a shame there wouldn’t be anything left of their suit to use.

The launchers themselves were nothing more than a large shoulder mounted catapult, though I’m sure I could find a way to attach it to the suit if needed. That alone would probably help with the intimidation factor, and have any good sane mind just think nope, and turn around. Now, if only I could find more than one round.

Tumble started tiptoeing around me, as she continued looking through some of the other boxes and cabinets, “Just what we need… more splash damage,” mutter or not, I caught that.

Cabinet, nope. Footlocker, negative… ‘Oh where, oh where, did my launcher run too? Oh where, oh where could it be?’ why was I having this much fun looking for something that would probably leave me a puddle of goo? Because this is what I lived for! Tumble had the life of roaming from town to town, until she settled with me. Deacon sought out adventure. Riff wanted a pack, that wouldn’t try and kill her. As for me? I wanted something that gave a very big boom… Security cage, also a fat no. The helmet met door of the latter and I relented, if it wasn’t in this room then somepony must have run off with it… lucky.

“No dice?” Tumble sounded just a bit to enthused about that.

“No dice… although, I might be able to put it to some use,” I watched part of her smile drop to the floor, “rig it in to a bomb, maybe a mine for defense?”

Thankfully a crack of thunder interrupted any rebuttal the mare might have had, and brought our attention to the clambering of parts and scrap out on the main floor. Taking a peek from the service window, there were the other three drenched from head to hoof… or paw. Riff was the first to shake herself dry, lathering the others in some of what the wastes had to offer in terms of a shower.

“Progress out there?” I asked, and quickly earned a scowl from one mare.

“If you mean almost drowning in rain water alone, then yes,” Alimite held up a sack in her horn, “and if you’re referring to the cooling pipes, also yes.”

Wet or not, they were safe at least, though a bit chilled it looked too.

“If I might make a suggestion…” Deacon said before sneezing out the other half of that statement, “camp here for the night?”

Yeah… I think that’s warranted.

***

Quickest way to a hellhounds’ heart?

Fresh meat apparently. Riff tore in to whatever Tumble had caught on our way here, by the looks of it an oversized rat. The mare kept cooking whatever else she’d picked up, as we hunkered down in the tool shop waiting for the storm to pass, or ‘daybreak’ to come. Whichever one came first, I guess.

Both herself and Deacon shared one of those bottles she’d picked up from the hanger, happily sipping on it as the crackling from the carcasses filled the room over the open fire. Was it safe to have a fire burning inside like this? Probably not, then again none of them looked at ease while I prodded over our latest find.

“Seriously, it’s not gonna go off,” I said for the umpteenth time.

Still, they didn’t trust the green ball of hell fire in my hoof, I’d even gotten out of the suit and started checking it over for damage to show a bit of trust in the munition. Yet, the only one who’d get close was Alimite.

Said mare passed me a canteen of water, fresh from their settlement. As I took a few tugs, the lack of ticking from my rad meter was a welcome silent sound. Fresh water, something taken too far for granted back in the past, now a commodity.

“Say that as much as you’d like, you say Balefire around any folk and they start to tremble,” Deacon responded as he took another gulp from the bottle.

It’s not the like the flashes were fresh in any creatures’ mind. I doubt any would be alive now that’d seen it… ya know, besides yours truly. Never the less, it was a good find in my book. Even without the launcher here, the egg would more than likely fetch a decent price if I couldn’t put it to good use. Though, that made me wonder if the settlement had one in stock.

‘Add that to the shopping list,’ I told myself before stowing it back in my bags.

And then I found something else, a tape.

“Where’d ya pick that up from?” Alimite asked as she took back her canteen.

“Oh, this came from the bunker,” I hadn’t a clue what might be on it still, but only one way to find out.

The years of sitting down in a hole hadn’t done the magnetic strip any justice, but as the crackling subsided a voice finally began to play. “-they’d done this to us, all of us,” an older stallion played from my Pip-Buck, “We’d fought hoof and nail for those princesses, and to what end? Nothing but destruction…” couldn’t argue with that one, neither of the regal sisters could have guessed it’d end this way.

“Battle after battle, skirmish after skirmish, and all we were rewarded with was hell fire. The zebras should have been given no mercy, instead we held back far too much,” not what I would have said…

We beat them back time and time again, everything they threw at us we tossed back tenfold. Given everything Equestria had at its disposal, I could understand the venom in his words. This stallion was angry, how many had he lost to the fighting?

“And now here we are, shriveling underground like rats waiting for the sun to shine once more… one that will never come, damned Pegasi,” another thing I could agree with, how could you expect this country to recover if you took away the sun? “Our country betrayed us and turned on themselves in the aftermath, the princesses disappeared when we needed them the most, and we were left with nothing to do but watched as fire ran across the plains like the buffalo had once done… we must do something to right all of this.”

Maybe not kill ponies for their tech? That’d be a good start. As it played, I caught the ears of those with me starting to perk up from the sounds of the voice, they were taking an interest in the past. Of what an old ranger had to say.

“The Ministry of Wartime Technology gave us the tools to do better, be better than anything else on the field. We hit harder, moved faster, and when we got knocked down… we wiped the blood from our muzzles and got right back up,” That’s the ranger spirit I remember! Maybe this guy wasn’t half- “and if there’s any creature to turn the tide of the surface, it’s the Rangers, by force if needed.”

And… now you lost me.

He was livid with how things turned out, but could you have blamed him? By the sounds of it he’d watched the world burn, and couldn’t lift a hoof to stop the flames. Even with all their might, with everything the M.W.T. had given them in weapons and munitions. The Rangers just had to watch as zebras played the ultimate trump card.

“Who knows when we’ll decide to leave this bunker, maybe other regimens have already… but when we do, the wastes above will know of the Steel Rangers’ fury,” he started seething in to the microphone, before a bloody cough caught up with him and masked a few curses under his breath for us to hear, “I’ll probably be dead before that time ever arrives… pity, but life has a way with that.”

Just when was this tape made? It’d be nice to have a time stamp on it, “M.W.T. tech is scattered all about Equestria, and if the Rangers are to do their duty, it needs to be in our hooves… for the better of the country,” try telling that to those out here surviving. That was an argument I’d heard once before, from a colt I’d shot in the knee, “I probably won’t survive to see it, but my kin might… Knight Gallant is making a name for himself down here already.”

A name I hadn’t heard, was he in the group with Tungsten? No, depending when this was made it’d be too old. Another torrent of coughs broke any concentration I might have had, “Until we rise again from the ashes, this is Elder Iron Hoof, signing off.”

The tape broke with static and died, just as our silence followed suit.

Tumble started coughing much like the elder had, “betterment of the wasteland my ass…” she took another pull from the neck, “they hadn’t done much but piss every pony off out here.”

That was a sour note to end on, and from what I’d seen of the rangers now this ideology must have been shared by a few regimens. Assuming it wasn’t just all from the same bunker at least. Somehow, even in the same bunker, Tungsten hadn’t let that idea infect him. Even with Crusader Bleak Burrow trying to take the suit and Pip-Buck, those with Tungsten seemed ready to side with him after I helped them out. There were still good rangers out there, but what this elder was spitting tainted the waters for the lot of em with the ponies here in the wastes.

***

“Take the lot of em and spread the extra fire power to those guns in place,” Alimite directed a few of the other settlers to relieve our hellhound of the haul, “I’ll be there shortly to get to work.”

Those settlers looked a bit apprehensive getting close to Riff, but so long as she kept those teeth of hers hidden, they didn’t look ready to run off… just yet. I could already see the gears starting to turn in the mares’ head, how she planned on using them to build up the defense of this place. How they hadn’t done this already, I still couldn’t figure out. Better late than never, right?

Have I mentioned the benefits of having a hellhound on your team? From carrying the heavy weapons to copper bundles, if you didn’t have a wagon, Riff was the next best thing. Granted, I still had a few strapped to my back, but before anything could be said I felt the weight being lifted off.

Riff threw them over her shoulder next to the others, “Dog take to cap in, be useful make town ponies worry less.”

Smart thinking, “And we’re coming with ya, in case the shopkeeper has a heart attack…” Tumble said while dragging the gryphon along. Also, smart thinking.

That left me with- “And I’m grabbing my tools,” Alimite started tightening the knot in her bandana, “It’ll be a long day, standing here won’t make it any shorter.”

“Need a hoof?” I offered.

“Hmm turrets and heavy weapons might be your specialty,” couldn’t be more right with that one, “although, I’m sure you have other things you’d like to shop for.”

Yea that weight on my side did need something to throw it still, I’ll save tinkering with guns for later. With that the mare made her way back home, and I had my own list to take care of. We’d made good time on the way back, even with the supplies weighing us down. Which left plenty of time left in the day. Why not kill two birds with one stone, explore the town a bit, and find my next big gun… or catapult.

Let’s see here, where was that store?

My eyes kept peeled for any sign of that gun painted on the shack, and at the same time I couldn’t help but feel a few eyes here and there giving me a look far different than what I’d gotten in a few towns now. Not so much worry, as it was curiosity. How often you think they saw a ranger suit in these parts, let alone one that wasn’t trying to steal from em?

There weren’t any whispers when I came in to view, or even the utter silence I’d been known for. I was just another addition to this place. Another pony doing their part to keep the gears turning. Then with a nudge to my leg begged some attention as I looked down, and there in the dirt was a colt rubbing the end of his muzzle as blood started to trickle down. You think one would see a suit of power armor in their path, but tell that to one mare.

“Ya alright there,” my hoof reached down, and the little guy shied away from it. So, I did what any decent pony would do. My visor popped up, and I gave the colt a smile, “easy now, I won’t hurt cha.”

“Yeah, all ponies say that,” he spat out before climbing to his hooves, “then you get locked in a cage and plowed dry when they get bored.”

If there was one way to shut a pony up, that was it. Seriously, how do you even respond to that?! The helmet was probably the only thing keeping my jaw still attached at this point. Luckily, the arrival of a few other younger ones gave me a moment to reprocess that… and re-reprocess it. Like a pack of wolves, they huddled around him, and stared me down. The adults in the town might know of me by now, but the kids sure as hell didn’t!

“What ya doin’ to our friend?” one young buck with half his teeth still snapped.

“Ahh…?”

Wrong answer.

A switchblade slid out from somewhere in his rags, and rested clenched between his teeth… at least between the gaps in em, and then my E.F.S. popped him up as a red bar. I was not shooting a kid! How the hell does this suit even see that as a threat to begin with?

“Taph one mur ste-” he tried to get out between the handle.

And a swift hoof answered him… not mine mind you! Behind him trotted up a Pegasus filly probably a good year or two older, certainly not old enough to fly- ‘oh shit…’ understatement with that, this pony would never be able to fly. Those stumps on her back were from where her wings once were. A few of those in the little pack shrunk back a little as she stepped forward and glared at them all.

“Ya’ll a pack of dumb shits,” apparently soap in the mouth wasn’t a threat in this Equestria, “This that ex-Ranger ya might have heard of,” Rogue Ranger, but was I about to correct her? “He’s a good one apparently, so go find somepony else to harass!” she kicked Switchblade in his flank, and that seemed to be that.

I hadn’t even looked up from her and they all scattered to the wind like trained pets, and this was their ring leader I was guessing, “Thank ya for that… miss?”

“Cut the miss crap,” she rolled her eyes at me, “I ain’t married, or have a kid… just call me Spade.”

Alrighty then, I could work with that. The filly started trotting off down the street, and whether she liked it or not I went right along with her, “Well in that case, thank you, Spade.”

“Don’t mention it, someponies gotta keep em straight.”

Hmm… Winter could have used her when she was her age, “Correct me if I’m wrong-”

“You’re wrong.”

What?! I hadn’t even said anything! “Okay… isn’t that what their parents would do?”

Her head shaking should have said enough, “yep, wrong,” but she elaborated anyway, “some of em don’t have any, kinda just stay with an adult here, but with most adults keeping this place running round the clock… they don’t have eyes on em all the time, and get bored.”

I wouldn’t imagine the wasteland to have a day care or school for ponies their age to begin with. At least they had somepony they’d listen to, “So you keep tabs, and keep them out of trouble?”

A click of her tongue answered back, “now you’re getting it,” Spade stayed like that and watched as my head swiveled about like a dial at where we were walking. I hadn’t been to this part of the town, and with all the shacks looking the same it was hard to find any landmark to even set my sights on, “You’re lost here, aren’t ya?”

Could it be any more obvious? “Yeah… I’ve been busy since arriving…”

“Oh, I know what you’ve been up to… how ya think I knew you weren’t giving Brail trouble?” Brail? The colt that ran in to me? “Kids blinder than a Bloodwing with its head cut off.” Yet another creature of the wastes to be seen. Bloodwing? The name sounded bad enough, and I didn’t intend on learning what that was any time soon, “come on then, I suppose I can give ya a proper tour.”

The filly started to trot off down the street, and I made sure to stay close on her heels. As we went, she pointed out some of the buildings and gave purpose to them. I’d never have guessed the town was divided a bit by its roles. A good section of it was for living area, like the one she’d found me in. Some shacks were joined together by crude construction, either shared by a larger family or multiple ones she explained. Till we broke from the small streets into an opening. One large square made up the towns center and had the most ponies milling about.

Outside as we passed there were a few ponies tending to their own smaller plants, washing what remained of clothing, or even hammering away on workbenches. One colt we trotted by even had the guts pulled from an old jukebox, “Soft Notes’ been working on that thing since I’ve been here,” Spade smirked for the first time I’d met her, “says he wants to brighten up every ponies’ spirits once it’s fixed.”

The next block they’d set up for storage, apparently digging out many of the foundations to build cellars in to. Given the temperature of the air, the ground was probably just perfect for that sort of thing. “Most of the guards hang here as well, keeps any from poking around and taking more than their fair share,” she pointed out, and there were a few of those I’d seen with Walker pacing about.

“What's with the mining getup anyway?” I asked while some of those passed by us, thankfully not paying me any heed.

“Gives em some sort of uniform,” that sneer nearly mirrored Winters’ when she was that age, “helps any newcomer learn who’s boss.”

“Speaking of boss…” I lead off to, “Who is in charge around here, does Walker answer to anypony?” I mean Barkston had Conductor… I suppose. What did this place have?

A groan escaped past her lips, something she probably got asked a lot I assume, “You gotta lot of questions here,” Can you blame me? I’d like to not step on the wrong ponies’ hooves, “no pony is really in charge, so to speak, those guards help keep the peace… Walkers’ opinion is respected, just the same as your friends’, or even the doc, but generally we all decide what's what.”

So, a democracy with no appointed leader, princesses were the name of Equestrias’ game back then, but then again you can see where a monarchy lead the county. Democracy seemed to be working well so far here. This place must have been around long before Winter arrived a quarter century back, to have all this done and functional? It was years ahead of some places I’d come across.

Turning down another street took us to a separate block, and I got a familiar sight. Many of those signs for shops I saw when first arriving lined the sides of us, and just past them were the homes we’d gone full circle around.

‘How’d I even get lost?’ I’d been this close to the shops all along, but I did say I wanted to explore a bit…

“If I have to explain what this block is for… then you probably shouldn’t handle a gun,” Spade rolled her eyes to me yet again.

“Guns, armor, and goods,” plus medical care and alcohol. Depending on the day, perhaps needed in that order.

“Good, you’re not an idiot after all,” she said as we approached the creek, and I saw the repair shop off in the distance past the crops, “and that concludes todays tour,” she stopped in the middle of the bridge, “Got it?”

Okay, now I had a good lay of the land here, make a big circle and eventually I’d find where I had to go. I gave her a short nod, “I think I can manage now, anyway I can thank ya?”

“Yeah… keep doing what you’re doing,” that was an… odd request? Her eyes left mine and went to the rest of the town, and for a moment I saw the sharpness in them disappear, “the ponies here are decent at least,” those stumps on her back twitched at that word. I could only imagine what kind of ponies she might have run into in the past, “but many of em wouldn’t survive if anything happened to this place… so make sure nothing does.”

I didn’t have time to say anything more to her before the filly scampered off in to the streets. Help the town run because it was the right thing to do was a no brainer, doing it because a mare believe you would be the one to was a nice sentiment, but having a filly out right ask you to protect the place?

‘No pressure,’ I shook my head, how did I get myself in to these things? If I was to help keep an eye on the place, I needed to start on my shopping list.

That gun store popped in my vision just ahead, and with a bit of an eager step I trotted on toward it. The door to the place had been left open, and as I walked inside, I got a lay of what this town had to work with in terms of arms. Some of these weapons had seen better days, rust here and there, no gloss of oil that had likely long since rubbed off, and damage worn deep in many of those on display. There were a few that stuck out that had been maintained well, either by this shopkeeper, or the firearms previous owner.

Sadly, a balefire egg launcher wasn’t hanging up for the taking.

“Anything I can help ya with?” the scruffy sound of another came from the back of the store, and if nothing was up here shown than maybe it’d be back there.

“Perhaps…” I got up to the counter, just as the pony running the show came out the back, “would you by chan- what in the ever-living shit!?” panic time now!

The ghoul there standing in coveralls just looked at me as I dropped the visor and started backing up from the counter. Shotty was no good in this place, whelp Mini it was! Those barrels started spinning up and I debated a few moments on if S.A.T.S. would be needed so no stray shots hit the-

“Oh, quit your overreacting…” the ghoul groaned to me and blinked its cloudy eyes, “First time ever seeing a ghoul I take it?”

It spoke! The ones in the stable hadn’t done that? Unless you counted groans, moans and shrieks as speaking. Still, the mini stayed spinning, but I didn’t quite want to pull the trigger just yet, “Not exactly, those in the stable near here weren’t as… vocal, as yourself.”

It started to nod and I swore there were gaps in its neck that pulled apart from the motion, “ahh so you’re the one that got that talisman then… nasty thing radiation does to a creature,” yeah that flaking tissue across most of its face spoke volumes to what some rads could do, “but it don’t turn all of us in to blood thirsty equines,” okay then! Now it was getting closer to me as it rounded the corner, instead of lunging to take a chunk out of my neck, a craggily hoof stretched out. “Mabel Margarine, at your service.”

There might have been a smidge of radiation coming off that fetlock, but if it- she, wasn’t trying to kill me… “Rogue,” I took her hoof in mine as lightly as I could and gave it a small shake, even from that it looked about ready to snap off.

“Now I recognize the name, should have figured it was you… only pony ‘round here that’s totting power armor,” with introductions out of the way, and my knowledge of the wasteland creatures expanding just a tad bit, she found herself back behind the counter.

This might have been something my wasteland guide should have explained before I went around town on my own, “So some ghouls stay…” how to phrase this one? Tactfully.

“Sane and not wanting to rip the throats of another pony?” Mabel hit the nail on the head with that one, “no one’s sure really, some stay well clear of radiation after that fact and lose it, others can go generations with exposure before they just flat out die,” she bit part of her lip in wonder, honestly I was curious myself now, “… might have something to do with the pony.”

Probably genetics and other sciencey garb. Different division than what I dealt with, although, ‘Generations?’ I repeated to myself, “I’ll add that to the little facts I learned out here, though what do you mean by generations?”

That earned me a snort, “Sweetie, you think Mabel Margarine is a name earned out here?” she started to chuckle again, “I was a pastry chef before the war.”

… and error 404, page not found… a few swift kicks to the right nerves got my brain working once again, ‘Well I’m not the only pony who’s long past their lifespan, besides Winter,’ my head shook and I had to lean against the counter as she let me take in that revelation, “so… from chef, to arms dealer.”

Mabel about balked for a moment, as she held her hoof to her chest, “Hmm… you don’t seem all that surprised, usually it takes some newcomer a few minutes to put it all back together.”

Shoes on the other hoof now it seems, ain’t it? “You’re not the only one who was there to watch it all crash and burn,” she looked me over again with a curious eye, “Winter and myself went into the same stable, and if you know her story, its much the same… just mine started a bit later.”

Try twenty-five years later to be exact, but better late than never. So now there were at least two other ponies I knew that had any idea what it was like to watch a whole country go up in flames. Almost made me wonder how many across Equestria itself had gone through the same ordeal and lived to tell it all… that had to be some bragging rights at one of the bars.

I survived balefire annihilation!... maybe there was a T-shirt somewhere.

“That explains a whole lot more, you’re that Wildfire colt she’d talked about,” I didn’t even have to answer, with a pop of my visor I met her with a nod, “and a fine-looking colt at that,” Mabel passed me a wink. Even with a stomach full of nothing, I still felt some of that acid hiking back up my throat. Just… ew, “Alas, you didn’t come here to kill or flirt with walking, talking pony-jerky… what can I help ya with?”

Right! Back on target, “long shot here, but do you have a Balefire Egg Launcher?”

And… her head began to shake, “’fraid not, damned ammo is hell to come across, and last thing I’d want is one of these townsfolk to get trigger happy with it too close to the place.”

My heart sank just a tad at that fact, sure it would probably level half the town itself, but in the right hooves you could cover literally a section of the approaching land. I don’t know about you, but seeing a guard with one pointed at me would be quite the deterrent.

“Shit… it was worth a shot at least.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for one though, care to stock up on anything else while you’re here?” she had a point, and with the gunners being the next on the list we were bound for a fight.

A few hundred caps later and both my guns were well topped off, and after a small wave of thanks from her for the shells and 5mm I found my hooves heading back towards the shop. Last thing I wanted to do was get in fight with the egg on me, either losing it in the process, or maybe it taking a round in a place it didn’t like.

Yes, they were stable, but accidents do happen…

‘I can always tinker with it later,’ I told myself, might not have the parts to make a launcher myself. Although, as I said before, never know when it might come in-

“… It really is selfless, what he’s done,” that voice sounded all too familiar, albeit a bit muffled behind the door, never the less as my hoof hovered next to the knob, I heard Alimite on the other side.

“Oh, he’s just that way… likes to help,” and there was Winter.

“Not something you come across all that much in the wasteland,” Alimite had a fair argument with that one, “I mean to just arrive here, and then in that same day put your neck on the line to help? Its unheard of.”

What was I supposed to do? Let the town pay out the ass for a new talisman, or send somepony less suited down in to the stable? I have the tools, and the means to do just what this place needed. Something that someponies aren’t quite willing to do… I’m looking at you rangers.

“Welcome to what ponies were like back before all this,” Winter explained to her from the other side of the door, “we weren’t all out for ourselves… Wildfire’s just carried that idea into the freezer with him.”

Alimite didn’t answer there for a moment, and although I would have liked to see what expression she wore. I also wanted to keep myself hidden, you know, just for a bit longer, “and then after that talisman, him and his group roll right in to checking off jobs posted around the town?... even trying to beef up security here?” she paused, hell even a key hole would have been nice to look through at the very least, “If we were worried about protection before, I don’t think we’ll be much longer… not with them here.”

That was… invigorating to hear, and… was it just me or was this helmet getting hotter?

Through the wood the soft snickers of another broke passed, “Them? Or did you mean to say him?”

“Oh, he’s delightful all himself, trouble might have followed him a bit with who he’s run in to, and let’s face it that suit had probably seen better days before his turn with it,” both of the mares shared a giggle, and luckily, they couldn’t hear my groan. So, I get shot up in this thing a lot, what's the repair talisman for anyway? “But his skills alone could help this place so much, handy with tools, knows his way around a workshop, a genuinely sweet colt, certainly easy on the-” her daughter stammered, before going dead silent midsentence, “… oh, shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything…” Winter responded, “nothing at all.”

“What I meant was,” even I could hear the younger mare take a breath to collect herself, “he is wonderful to have here, him and his friends, all putting in their own work to help.”

Very invigorating to hear… ‘It’s nice to be here too…’ like an idiot I started smiling inside the helmet.

Thump.

And ignoring what was going on in front of me. As I looked down, the mare was already on her flank, tool belt at the ready while she tried to walk out the door. Just right in to me, “we have to stop meeting this way,” I held my hoof out for her and helped the mare back to her hooves.

“Ahh…” there was a mental kick to the self if I ever saw one, “just heading out is all, working on those new turrets,” she about choked out past those lips, “Thank you! …for getting those by the way.”

With that she about ran out the door frame, past me, and down the dirt road. I watched as she went probably a little longer than intended, who wouldn’t? Hearing such praise was nice to say the least. Even if she hadn’t quite expected the extended audience. Stepping back in to the home, Winter wore a similar smile as I did under this vale of metal.

“How much did you hear?”

My turn to stammer, “Well… ahh… she thinks pretty highly of me it seems,” keep the visor down you- wait… “you knew I was out there,” my vision narrowed on her, “didn’t you?”

“Call it mothers’ intuition,” she went back to I guess what she was doing before chatting with her daughter. Working on what looked like smaller flower pots for later, “and she thinks so much more than that.”

Yep, definitely hot in here! “What do you mean?”

Damn it Winter, laughing was not the answer I was looking for! “I’ll tell you when you’re older.”

“I’m still older than you!”

“Not in cryo-years,” she laughed, leaving me fuming under this thing, “make your way around town just fine then?”

Way to change subject… “If you count almost being jumped by a bunch of school aged ponies… then yes,” that sparked her interest, and her ears as well, “met one filly, Spade, she showed me around.”

I could already hear the groan from the mare, “She didn’t give you any trouble, did she?”

“Oh, no absolutely not, kinda foul mouthed as I remember somepony being actually,” Winter caught my stare, and it didn’t take long for her to make the connection after that.

As a pot slipped from her grasp and shattered across the floor.

What? It’s kinda funny I found a younger- why did she look like that? Winter stared at the broken ceramic across the ground, almost at a loss for words. I got up to her side, and popped up my visor before sweeping it all up in one go with my horn and dumping it away. There no big deal now was… it? Her hoof trembled, almost frozen where it slipped from her grasp.

“Winter?” I rested a hoof on her shoulder, “it’s just a pot…”

Finally, she started to snap out of it, “Yeah it is…” with more caution it looked like, the mare continued cleaning out dead seedlings from other pots.

It was quiet, and in all the years we ended up spending in that shop of mine, there wasn’t quiet known to us like this. “Is everything alright?” I watched her hooves carefully, and there it was again. A steady shake from one of them as it scooped out the spent dirt, “Are you, alright?”

“I’m… I’m fine,” she held out the hoof as I took hold of it. The vibrations coming through it weren’t all that strong, but they were still there none the less, “just one of the perks of getting old out here,” she gave me a smile, and I was hard pressed to return it, “not something many get to experience out here…”

“But you did,” I had to remind her, “and look what you have to show for it.”

Together we stood there for what felt like minutes, but steadily as she listened, her hoof met my own and just patted overtop it. Winters’ smile still held as she tended to the other pots like nothing had happened, “A lot more than some, I’ll say.” That infectious giggle of hers spurred up once more, and even I found myself relinquishing at least a smirk of my own.

Getting old in Equestria before meant a wheelchair to some, retirement, or perhaps a trip to all those places you missed out. Aging out here, depending on the pony, could have been a death sentence. A little arthritis was nothing to keep one as stubborn as her down. Winter appeared in better spirits, and while I might have wanted to stay and chat a bit longer. There were other matters to tend to, one, stashing this explosive someplace safe…er. Two, finding my friends and coming up with a plan for later.

One besides run and gun.

“That was easier than I expected,” I walked down the steps to the basement, and there was the trio, “Shopkeeper survive?”

Riff hadn’t answered just yet, though she looked about as innocent as a hellhound could, “Pony not freak out…”

“She screamed when Riff walked in,” Tumble ratted her out, and I caught the tongue sticking out from the hound in question. “Thankfully, Deacon was able to patch that connection right up.”

The gryphon just gave me a shrug, “Learned it from the best,” namely his pop I’d imagine, and with that he hiked a sack up on to the table, “Got some supplies for the next bout too.”

Excellent, now that left me with my part. I went over to the cot I called my own and stashed the egg for safe keeping later in the trunk. With that taken care of my map clicked over to the marker as it hovered over the location, Tall Tale Boarding School.

The school I’d only seen once before, granted that was from when I was attending a different school and it was an away game so memory there was more than a bit fuzzy. From the lightshow radiating off the city, I had to wonder just how close this building was to the blast. If it was good enough for the gunners to call home, then maybe it stayed clear from the impact all together.

Now how to illustrate this? Back at the table with a few pops of the latches, and my helmet slid off next to his bag, as I started grabbing what I could around the place to use. Random assortments of junk started to litter across the table, and that grabbed the interest of those there while they huddled around waiting on me to set it all up.

My eyes darted from the map, to what I was creating. It wasn’t an exact to scale replica, but it was enough to get an idea down packed, “And here we have the school…” or cardboard box if you would, arts and crafts weren’t my thing okay.

“That a box.”

Yes Riff… “look I’m going off of a crude line drawn map here, cut me some slack,” my horn started to place up other junk as I put what I could only assume was debris around the school. Smaller boxes made up whatever outlying buildings to the school I saw, and between them I started lining up pens or broken pencils along their edges, “Fences, if you would… and…” I cleared some of the dust from between them all, “Courtyard.”

All in all, not bad for a few minutes work and a decade or so old memory.

“Is there an actual plan with this one?” Deacon asked, plodding one of the fences between his talons.

“Kinda, the last place we’d tackled with the gunners close to this was that library, and I’d like to avoid taking a grenade to the chest again,” or having one of my friends take a shotgun to the side, “we have different buildings here to worry about, and if we’re gonna clear it, we need to find out where their leader is,” every major building appeared to have one. Why would this be any different?

Tumble rested Mercy against the side of the table there with her, “I can cover well enough with this as we get in, but it’s next to useless up close.”

“This same,” Riff pulled her 40mm in front as it hung off her shoulder by the strap.

At the end of the day, we would have to go class room to class room to clear it out. Not the most ideal, but it did let us tackle smaller groups at a time… those strategy games were coming in handy right about now.

“And I’d bet my beak there’s turrets of some kind up top too,” and Deacon was probably right with that assumption.

The school from what I remembered had a clear line around it, not something you want when trying to hide an approach. Only two of us could even use the word stealth, that left myself and Riff sticking out like a sore hoof. I’d rather save the shootout till we were well within its walls and on even ground.

Riff leaned into the table, poking her claw across the grain, “Can go at night?” she looked to each of us, “big ground to cover, less target.”

That was one way to avoid an early on shooting spree, “We can sneak up to the buildings, get in from there, and make our way around to clear it up,” my hoof moved from the main building to the others nearby. If they did have someone in charge, then they’d probably be in the largest one, “at the very least I’d flush out who’s ever calling the shots, and worst comes to worst, we can hunker down in a class room,” See here? This was strategy, an actual plan… so to speak.

“Those guns up top won’t be going anywhere still, assuming there are any,” Deacon pipped up, “We’d just have to worry about them on our way out.”

Could take care of them on the roof afterwards? Though that would still put us in the line of fire, and trying to do so on roof with little cover wasn’t someplace I’d like to be. “Terminal…” Tumble muttered, and our eyes went to her as we waited on her explaination, “if they have a terminal, it might link to the guns, can try to kill em from one spot?”

I had a trained merc, a talented mare with a scope, and a hellhound on my side… each one had been playing this wasteland survival game far longer than myself. Would I have made it this far without any one of them? Probably not, and I couldn’t help but smirk at that thought.

Now I wonder if another would like in on this, “Then its settled, we’ll head out that way later this afternoon,” That should put us there around dusk, and as the helmet slid back on my head, I checked the time. There were a few hours to kill before we headed out, “I’d say let’s get some shut eye before then.”

“Wild sleep-in suit?” Riff asked as she started to stretch out.

“Not at that point yet,” I shook my head and turned towards the stairs, “Let me see if somepony else would like to join.”

“You’d like that wouldn’t you,” go ahead and laugh it up Deacon…

No other suggestions past that? Perfect, with that I found myself heading back up the stairs and into the shop. Tumble muttered something to the gryphon as I did, but if they weren’t calling out back for me, then it must not have been important. There was a mare to find, and I knew just where to look.

Actually having a lay of the land to go off of was fantastic, now I didn’t have to worry about getting myself lost on my way back to the shop. I mean from the outskirts here I could still make out the tip of its roof, but never the less thanks to Spade I had an actual map of the place. As I approached, the sounds of a wrench started to fill my ears of a mare hard at work.

“-son of a bitch!” yep, hard at work.

“Everything alright?” Alimite was stuck sucking her hoof when I came in to view, how any pony managed to get this much grime on them just building up a turret I’d never know.

As if in a panic she wiped the end of her muzzle clean, and replaced that frustration with a smile, “just the joys of being the town mechanic…”

A joy I could understand. Setting up guns for the town wasn’t all that different than creating them back in the M.W.T. shop before the bombs. Just a little more sense of urgency out here with it literally being your life on the line. The guns we’d pulled off those sentries might only put a dent in what this place would need, but it was a start. With that Alimite kept cranking down on the nut holding the AER-15 in place, and just as she finished a flip of its switch later kicked the gun online as it swiveled side to side.

She looked a bit overjoyed to have that up and running, and I couldn’t help but share the same sentiment. It was nice to see our work coming together, hell maybe the next time I run in to the rangers I could swipe up extra guns for the town.

I wonder if you could rig the balefire egg launcher in to a turr- nope, bad idea.

“When are ya’ll heading out?” she asked, hauling up her tool bag back across her shoulders as she started making her way to the next set of guns.

“Actually, we planned on heading out in a few hours, the others are taking a nap now,” I followed her as we went, “trying for a dark approach, something to keep our head out of the spotlight.”

She stopped for a moment to consider that plan, before getting back on the trail, “smart move… ya’ll ain’t exactly stealthy.”

So, I’ve been told, many times now, “Although I wanted to see if you planned on joining up with us again,” her head turned to meet mine, “might be something worthwhile in their base, and I’m sure you’d be able to fish it out if it’s there.”

“Hmm… as much fun as it was before to go with you, I’ll have to pass on this one,” Alimite said with a bit of longing in her voice, “with these new guns to set up, I’ll still be working by the time you make it back here,” shoulda figured that one, but it didn’t hurt to ask at least. “And I might have not said it earlier, but thank you for this extra work…”

You did thank me for that already, albeit a little rushed, “no worries, what we’re here for remember?”

Try as she might while we reached the next set up, I still caught that grin. Those parts she needed to build a new gun system for the town were already in place, all she had to do was put in a little elbow grease, something she got right in to. “I know many of us will sleep a bit better at night knowing these things are up and running,” the scrap metal set aside for the project Alimite picked up with her horn, bending it in to the frame work she needed for the missile launcher to go here, “especially now that we can handle those bigger threats you’d mentioned.”

I mean the targeting talismans would still locate anything seen as a threat, so would this gun shoot a missile at a Radroach? Probably, but It’d also now be able to handle anything else that wandered its way in to town.

“Do me a favor, while you’re out,” my eyes went from the gun back to hers, and I could see the tinge of worry behind those irises. “Be careful… out there, power armor or not, it has its limits… just like you do.”

A limit I had a habit of pushing… I was in the research and development department; our literal motto was to break it in the lab so it wouldn’t out in the field. What did you expect from me? Though, I wasn’t in the field anymore, no lab or retries here. If it broke now, or I did, there wasn’t a guarantee I’d be able to get it fixed up.

The visor popped up, and just like I did her mother, my hoof went through the motions. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

That earned me a giggle much like her mom, “you should get some shuteye too… go on,” she shooed me away with a wrench, before passing me a smirk, “I’ll see ya when you get back.”

Whether I’d be able to close my eyes was yet to be determined, but you learned to sleep anywhere when working in the lab trying to support the war effort. Least I could do was try, and just as I found myself going down those stairs to the basement. My eyes grew heavier with every step. Something that looked to be shared with my companions.

Riff Raff snored enough to make some of the ground shake beneath my hooves, even through the metal plating. I wonder how well the neighbors slept at night now? Tumble didn’t look like she was having any… issues? The mare laid stretched out on her stomach across not only on the cot, but also Deacons’ lap, as his talons worked their way about her spine. His eyes tried their best to keep up to the ceiling above after meeting mine, but I could still see the flush in that beak.

“Not what it looks like…” he held up one talon. Oh? Pray tell, “had a kinked back, and I was just doing my medic duties to relieve it,” intending to or not, he looked pretty fondly down on her, “Happened to fall asleep in the process.”

Happened to… even under the visor, I knew he could still hear my snickering, “whatever you say… Little Chicky.”