Fallout Equestria: Ballad of a Rogue Ranger

Chapter thirty-six: Breadcrumbs

This morning came way too soon for my tastes… I could have used another hour, or five, in that bed. Alas, our little problem wasn’t going to go away the more I sat on it. After getting the incinerator together for the trip, and packing away something to keep me entertained should we overstay our welcome at the port.

That just left me with my group to convince how this entire off the wall trip was necessary. Deacon, Riff, and Tumble sat around the table in the makeshift living room. It didn’t take long to brief them on the plan, and after some fuss about not tagging along for the task, they at least listened on why this had to be done sooner rather than later.

Deacon had heard most of it the night before patrolling the town, it was the other two that were taken back by the surprise. Riff at least saw the flash as I did, Tumble might have missed it, but after relaying the news from Watcher… and a long overdue explaination on who that was.

They were in agreeance. The rangers were on the horizon again.

“Still a dumb idea,” okay… reluctant agreeance, as Tumble pointed out, “go to the port with only the two of you, what if the Rangers are scouting to set up shop again?”

That thought crossed my mind, it wouldn’t take long for them to make a radio call and send another missile my way, “and what if they catch wind of this place?” my counter put her back in the couch. The mines would be the best cover for that kind of blast, but it’d only change our way of death. To go from ash to buried alive wasn’t an upgrade in my book, “Look if I kick my hooves up now, that just gives them more time to hone in to here.”

Tumble rolled her eyes, Riff snorted, and Deacon… well he kept restocking his med bag. Last night he was all for seeking out the Rangers hidey-hole, and while his grimace didn’t exactly give me the stamp of approval. It hadn’t been as vocal as the mares.

Rising to his talons, all the gryphon gave me was a shrug, “Whelp… then what are you still doing here?” he asked and threw the bag over his shoulder, much to my surprise, and Tumbles, “You’ll probably move faster with less of us anyway.”

Thank you, Deacon, for the support. Like it or not, Tumble rolled her eyes at me but relented with a huff as she slid back into the cushions. We’d been making plans like this together since the beginning, every move made might have been on my journey here, but each of their input helped bring me home. It felt kinda weird willingly going into the wastes without them. Even if I was still gonna have some back up.

The front door opened, and brought all our attention else were, speaking of back up… Alimite stopped mid stride as she looked at the bunch of us, “Ahh… good morning,” she paused before beaming at me, “I talked to Butter and a few of the others, they’ll know what to get done in my absence.”

I didn’t imagine they were all that thrilled about her being gone, but if she relayed any of what I told her last night. Then those overseeing the repairs would see the importance, “Ready to go then?” you know, before I get my hoof twisted. The tap to her shotgun answered that question, “we’ll be back before you know it.”

“And don’t worry ya’ll,” she turned her attention to the trio, “I’ll keep him in one piece.”

“Oh, dog know…” wearing that grin really wasn’t the hounds best look, “light sleeper.”

What are you- oh damn it!

“Seriously, the floors of the shop aren’t sound proof,” Tumble passed me a wink.

“We didn’t even do anything!” both of us shouted together, and from the looks they were giving us. That didn’t help in the slightest.

If only to save my own hide, I ushered my escort out the door and left the group behind to snicker all to themselves. In hindsight, leaving them behind was the smart move. Last thing I wanted was to be tormented the whole way there, Alimite must have thought the same, and both our paces picked up as we put distance between us, the shop, and the cackling that followed.

***

Who knew embarrassment was a good motivator? The servos had to work a bit of overtime, but hauling the mare across my back at speed most of the way there was a hell of a lot easier than some of the other feats.

The sun had barely started to tip on the horizon by the time we were overlooking the pier, and with the place now vacant of the Rangers it just felt dead… well, mostly. Out from our view point of the crashed ship, I could still make out some figures moving around the buildings and containers. Too far for the E.F.S. to determine friend or foe, but I had a feeling I’d learn that soon enough.

All our guns were too loud to pick off obvious threats with any discretion, so with nothing more to do from up here, Alimite wrapped her hooves around my neck as I slid down to the ground level. Amongst the containers meant a threat that could lurk behind any corner, as the mare stuck to my flank covering me. My barrels prodded around the bends, hopefully ready for anything.

You know, anything like that… two ponies were piecing apart one of the ranger bodies left behind. It took them a minute to spot us, but when they did their guns- went away? I didn’t get a word out as their tails were the last thing I saw slipping between some of the other containers.

“Huh?” well, this didn’t happen often.

“Are you surprised?” Alimite said, trotting up to my side. Before both of us made our way to the body. Armor plates were loose from them tinkering, and the gun mounts were vacant. Along with any ammunition they could get… fine looting if there ever was a thing. “They’re scavengers, might be ruffing it out in the waste, but that means they know how to pick their fights.”

Something I was still learning how to do myself…

While we walked a few more bars lit up from the rummaging around the forgotten port. All blue thus far, and any time I stepped into their vision, they ran for the hills. So, scavengers were the smart ones of the waste. They knew when their oh shit meter was maxed out. Raiders and slavers, not so much, they’d probably try and pick a fight holding only a butter knife.

I didn’t really get a layout of the place beforehoof, being dragged by a hellhound did a number on one’s bearings. Then again, there was one place I had an idea of where to look, first I’d just have to follow the drag marks my suit left… plus the shell casings.

At least this time I could use the smoke that still came from the pier as guidance. The mares’ eyes were trailing over the pillars of destruction creeping over those containers, “Is overkill in your vocabulary?” she asked, and the more we went in, the more I saw why.

In my defense, blind firing into any mass that shot back was the name of the game last time I was here. Now I was finally seeing the results. Many of the containers had holes the size of a hoof blown through them, and half of the buildings we came across met much the same fate. Sure, they were still standing, but it’d give an interior decorator a heart attack.

“I think Tumble said it perfectly before,” I knew she couldn’t see the grin, but trust me, it was there, “there goes the neighborhood.”

Or in this case, shipping port… if I could have done it all over again, I might have asked Deacon to put that bomb somewhere a bit more vital. Like on a sub, next to its missiles, and a rather ticked off Elder.

No, no, horrible idea. Leveling the port with those missiles going up would have meant the end of my friends as well. Plus, you know, me too. I’d settle for breaking their rocket engines right about now, and sending that metal tub of theirs to the bottom of the bay. Anything to keep me from having to track down these rangers clear across Equestria.

Ugh… hindsight would have been nice to have back then.

Ping!

Oh, hello! The colt in that doorway had barely scratched the breast plate with his revolver, but I wasn’t the only one he could have hit. Instantly I kicked the IF-451s’ burner on and I took- aim? The torch at its end snuffed out with an aura, and I had to look to the mare beside me with her horn lit up for answers.

“Wildfire…” her eyes leveled with my visor, “take it easy.”

We just got shot-!... At? The colt hadn’t moved from his spot, yet the gun itself fell from his mouth quivering. There at his hooves wasn’t only his side arm, but a filly as well. Her eyes were clenched tight, just like her legs were around his own, and all at once I felt my jaw drop inside the helmet.

“I’m… sorry,” he finally got out, “I thought you were one of them rangers coming back for his friends.”

I’ll just hold my tongue, mostly because it was still down my throat. “No, he’s something entirely different,” Alimite answered for me.

“Seeing you with him told me that much,” the colt picked up his pistol again, but this time slid it back in its holster, “You’re him, aren’t you?”

Yeah, I was still processing almost lighting this guy and the kid on fire…

“That he is, in the flesh,” thank you Alimite for taking up the mantle of voice box for me, “…well kinda.”

After scampering up his leg, the filly sat hidden now behind his neck far from my view. I couldn’t blame her; these suits could be terrifying. Back then they were heroes, but I just got another reminder that even with one ‘Ranger’ trying to do some good. It didn’t quite matter if there were still a whole bushel of bad apples spoiling it… even if I hadn’t lived up to the title.

He tipped his head to us, “best of luck to ya then, Rogue.”

I hadn’t recovered yet and his hoofsteps were already getting distant through the building. It didn’t take long before his bar was long gone of even my E.F.S. and I just turned right back around to keep walking.

More than once after that, and I kept seeing many of those bars disappearing from view. I half expected for some of them to be regrouping, only to surround us and go in for the kill. Yet, I was greeted with nothing but pure silence… why was that so much worse out here?

A small tap might have alerted me, but my visor stayed forward, “You alright in there?”

“I nearly just sent a colt and a kid to the crematorium,” out loud it didn’t sound any less insane.

All because I took a bullet to the strongest part of the suit, and my mind jumped from zero to melt faces off in a flash. Even after realizing who I was, the colt still looked about ready to wet himself. A campaign of pillaging the wastes will do that to a pony’s mindset. After all I’d done, with armor like this the protocol was still to shoot on sight… I really had my work cut out for me still, didn’t I?

“And you didn’t, you were going off reflex, that’s all,” Alimite kept her beam going through the flickering lights around us, hell it was the best part of her features I could make out in the failing scenery. “Ponies fear that armor, but you’ll change that mindset in time…” Seriously, when had she found the time to learn mindreading out here?! “For now, any idea where we’re going?”

I gave her a nod and pressed ahead. The bullet casings were scattered more than anything now, but I still could make out one building overtop these containers. Hell, it was probably the only one with more than half its windows, but after the gift I’d pulled from one of the crates. I’d remember that warehouse from anywhere.

Hey would you look at that! There was still a Wildfire/Riff sized hole in its front… I remember it as if it was yesterday, painfully so. A few heaves of my hooves pushed whatever debris had remained of our old barrier, you know what Riff hadn’t cleared herself. Inside looked about the same as when I’d left it… sorta.

Many of the pallets the rangers had collected here were either tossed around, or broken open. Staggs group went in hard on this place, it was the bulk of where they put their goods after all. Although if this is where everything was stored, with how meticulous the rangers could be, there had to be a log for it all.

“How did they get this many supplies off a sub?” the mare asked behind me as we walked.

“It’s almost like a hybrid,” I wanted to applaud the pony who thought of it, but especially after seeing it first hoof, I wanted to kick them in the teeth for setting the rangers up with a home, “supplies between Equestria and the Crystal Empire by rail kept getting hit, so somepony must have thought to take them to the sea.”

And subsequently, no pun intended, underwater… yay.

We weren’t getting anywhere amongst these boxes, what grabbed my visor was the back of the warehouse. All these goods had to be cataloged somewhere, and the offices above were just the place to do it… and this might very well be the cleanest room in the whole port, or maybe the wasteland for that matter.

With all the goods downstairs, no pony thought really to check out the admin part of the building. Thanks to the rangers, everything was still in order from their business here, and by the looks of the fading along the spines. Some of these books were well before their time arriving.

It’d be nice to have another map, but I’ll settle for this. Alimite pulled one booklet off the shelf and started turning pages. The one I grabbed looked a bit newer than hers, but page after page was nothing but steel shipments being sent north. Amongst other goods that is, if I wasn’t mistaken, by these reports it was almost as if the rangers were building a whole new base of some sort.

Yet still with all those supplies, no location.

I’d survived the apocalypse, made it out into the wastes, fought the gunners, and toyed with the rangers. I was not about to be thwarted because some scribe didn’t keep a record! It’s in their name for crying out loud! One book was tossed over my shoulder, and the next one came out. Alimite seemed to be getting the same news by the sound of her huff, repeating my move… only a shelf worth to go…

Minutes turned to over an hour, and most of the shelf had wound up on the floor in some way. Either by my tossing or hers, the only info I’d gathered from this venture was the rangers were definitely trying to set up shop somewhere. Equestria was just suppling the goods they needed to do it.

“I’m not getting anything on the Cadance,” Alimite threw another book that whizzed past my head, “besides some arrival times and when they left.”

If anything, the rangers took their cataloging seriously, “I’m guessing no note saying hey here’s our base, come find us?”

Her head shaking answered that question, “Not that simple… but consider yourself lucky,” damn- what? “They could have had two ships…”

A more careful toss later, and the book now rested in my aura. Sure enough like the mare said, the Cadance wasn’t the only one listed here. Shining read across one of the logs, actually make that more than one. Down the page the name went back and forth with the Cadance, but given these dates, the rangers couldn’t have gotten the time to use that one. All of the dates were only a few months prior to the bombs dropping, before the Shining slipped free from the pages. So unless the rangers decided to omit that one from their record, which given their filing habits I doubted, the Shining was out of their hooves.

“… if they could have gotten it working that is,” she finished off, and I was left staring at her in confusion. I’d missed something in these archives, but Alimite must have found it, “from what I’m getting it was hit during the war, stuck up in drydock now,” the mare peered a bit closer at the page, and from over her shoulder I could barely make out the smudged wording, “somewhere west of the Crystal Empire.”

Given the names of the pair, that should have been obvious… wait just a damned minute!

My horn flared out and grabbed on to some of the books we both tossed, all flipped open to the most recent entry, and all held for my eyes to skim through. Like a puzzle the pieces started to fall into place, and this picture was getting worse the more I saw it come together. A broken ship out of the country during the war, enough raw materials to build a whole town with, and a need to bring the wasteland under control by force.

Tungstens’ words almost replayed in my head about them sending supplies and massive amounts of steel up north. Something told me it wasn’t all for the Cadance. Never the less, that ship was damaged a bit from our last visit here, and having their pride and joy smoldering wouldn’t sit well on their tongues. How fast could Snatchback get em working again?

“Crazy question?” oh here we go, “how hard is it to get to the Crystal Empire?” her look pretty much spelled it out for me, but she was thinking so that’s a good sign.

“… I mean, it’s do able,” given her cringing it was probably easier to pull teeth from a hellhound, and even Riff would slice my head off it I tried, “A train or two make the trip on occasion, but for a price.”

You mean to tell me somepony managed to keep a rail line running even after almost two hundred years!? To say I was impressed was an understatement, but the price part is what lingered in my ear. A trip through some of the harsher parts of Equestria, on a train that had to have been decades past its service life. Those fees alone were enough to jack up a ticket. What's the likelihood a conductor would offer a ride to a pony trying to do some good? If they were anything like the last conductor I’d met, slim to nil.

Slim didn’t mean we were stopped dead in our tracks though… okay that one was a pun.

“Why? Planning a vacation?”

It was a shot in the dark, but with what I’d been learning put a candle to it, “if their ship’s still damaged, they’ll need a place to fix it…”

“And you think they could be at the same yard?” I mean it sounded a bit farfetched, but less and less so the more I thought of it.

“Well whatever port the Shining’s at would have what they need, and they were shipping an awful lot of supplies that way…” there it was, now I could see the picture I was painting appear in her eyes.

If it was damaged then the Shining had to be at some sort of yard to begin with, probably protected like it was during the war, and if they already had one ship at their disposal. Wouldn’t two make an Elder drool that much more? Some of those supplies would have to go to fixing the one we’d hit, but if they needed a place to do it… then what better place than where it was likely built?

“So…” my visor popped up for her to see the grin, “any of those trains nearby, or leaving soon?”

I loved watching the gears turn in her head, that meant progress on my part! “Fairly, and I’ll have to check-” a crack from outside lit up most of the storage area in a flash. My visor dropped back into place just as fast, but as she took cover and I took point, the only thing I could make out through the windows was the steady drizzle. “…After, we get back tomorrow,” she finished, and before I could say anything started pulling some of the moldy cushions out from the office chairs.

Thunder wasn’t something I wanted to travel in, not as a normal pony, and certainly not as one walking around in a tin can. If a power cord could knock the matrix out, I didn’t want to know what a bolt of lightning could do.

The mare shared that thought, as she put a few of the cushions together for bedding. Wasn’t ideal, dirtier than all hell, but it still looked comfortable enough to work… Would the shots I got back in school still work after all this time?

“Do you want me to take the first one?” she offered, but even after galloping the whole way here, with a shake I had to decline. There was too much on my mind to sleep right now. Alimite must have known I was beat, but she didn’t say a word about it. Instead she gave the helmet a peck to its muzzle, before crawling atop her makeshift bed with a thankful smile.

9:38 PM, I read in my helmet… yeah, I could stay wake for a few hours.

Which meant, I had some idle time on my hooves… and I knew just how to spend it. I perched myself just outside the office door, scanning the area first before I started. Out of one compartment the matrix fell free, and sitting there on the ground I could see that glow of the enchantment taunting me. Oh, I couldn’t wait to wipe that grin off its nonexistent face!

***

I may not have heard thunder anymore, but the rain outside didn’t let up all that much from last night, it also meant many of the repairs stopped outside. After we got back Alimite went to check in on what had been accomplished, as well as to see about our transportation. I really didn’t feel like hoofing it all the way north… but if it came to that, I’ll have to suck it up. Better deal with them now, than when there’s a missile heading our way.

Tumble on the other hoof had gotten crafty in our time away. You know, it’s amazing what one pony can do with an oil filter, some adhesive, and time to work. Both her carbine and Deacons’ rested in front of her as she worked in the shop, by the time we got back the mare had already finished a suppressor for one. While she worked on its sibling, I filled them all in on what we found, and where our hooves… or talons… or paws, would take us next.

And they thought going to the port was risky… “The Crystal Empire,” Deacon dragged his talon across the end of his beak.

“Pony lose mind?” that was one way of saying it Riff.

“I know, I know, it sounds crazy…” and completely far off from what they thought we’d all be getting into out here in the middle of nowhere, “but I have a theory.”

I told them the same tale I went over with Alimite back at the warehouse, and what I learned from the Paladin. The rangers were sending supplies north, if they already had the Cadance up and running. Then what would they need all those materials for? Learning there was a second ship answered that question for me, and it was the hounds turn to groan like the gryphon before her.

Having one ship was bad enough, especially with what happened to the prison. Having two at their disposal wouldn’t just be worse, it’d be disastrous. Double the munitions, double the bases they could operate from, and double the places they could hide. Could it have been somepony else that got a bit trigger happy back at the prison? Maybe, but I was still putting my caps on the rangers.

Snatchback wanted to bring everything under control by force, much like the Steel Rangers solved all their problems back in the day… with a heavy hoof. Being able to reach out and touch nearly any part of the wasteland would give them just the edge they needed. Wanted one town to comply? Just vaporize the place next to it, and they’ll fall in line. Sure, having upgraded suits would be nice, but who needs a suit of armor when your enemies are melted into the soil?

All three of them had seen the Cadance, and knew it was bad news in their hooves. Hell, there might not have been a creature alive right now worthy of having that kind of firepower. Not even myself if I was being honest. I’d almost turned two ponies to ash just because I took a careless bullet, and went by reflex alone. You think I’d want the power to wipe a marker off the map with the press of the button?

Fat chance.

“It’ll cost ya you know…” Tumble looked like she was already crunching the numbers, just how far had she been around Equestria while traveling? “Try about a two thousand caps,” okay that’s not too terr- “each,” worse, but under- “and that’s oneway.”

Damn it… I know since getting here our cap stash hadn’t been nearly that much, maybe halfway, but still no cigar. We were looking at… sixteen thousand for the round trip, and just thinking of those numbers started to make my head hurt. That of course was counting if it was just the four of us.

After that final screw, the Deacons’ carbine was suited up for his play style, and the mare hoofed it over to him. So, there were two things that could make the guy beam that much… one was firearms, and the second was the mare that held it.

How effective would a suppressor be for 14.4- stop, no time for machining, bigger priorities right now. “Why the hell is it so damn expensive to get there?” besides keeping the trains running and all, who knows what goods the Empire might have. You’d think some ponies would flock up to find out.

“Because the Empire was hit just like Equestria was, to some extent,” Deacon slung the rifle across his back, and leaned against the workbench behind him. “The only real city is the capital itself,” I mean sure, that’s where I would have sent my bombs if I was in the Zebras hooves, “and while it was protected with shields, the word is that didn’t stop some missiles from getting through, or the radiation at least.”

“Terrain isn’t any better, it’s all mountains for the most part,” the mare added on to the list of things we’d have to contend with, “translation… not a lot of need for travel.”

Call that all more fees to add to the total bill… but what was the cost of keeping tech out of the Elders hooves? Even if I had to hunt down a missile of my own to send their way, it’d be worth it in my book if it meant keeping them out of our manes in the end.

Getting a boat had crossed my mind on the way back to town, but I still didn’t have a place to look, and the Rangers would see us coming from a mile away. As much as I hated to say it, it had to be by land. Get to the capital, find something on the ships and where they were stationed, and put an end to that chapter of the rangers once and for-

What? Was it something I said?

Both Deacon and Tumble walked in unison out the open garage door, leaving me and the hound there cocking our heads. Our silence did get the mare to stop, and when she turned, I saw the small smirk beginning to grow.

“If it ain’t gonna be cheap, better start scraping together the caps,” she said.

“And I know just the place to start,” Deacon passed us a wink, “To the board!”

Well, I guess coming under gunner assault didn’t stop the need for jobs to get done. For real though, out of all the things that took a hit in town… how was a bounty board still up and running? They were pretty enthusiastic in their trot out of sight, and if that was the case. That meant they were still happy to come along for the ride. How did I manage to find friends like these?

Riff hadn’t darted off, but she was never really the job board kinda girl. No, the hound just sat there running one of her claws over the workbench. In silence of her own too, never a good sign, “Riff Raff? What is it?”

Her shrug didn’t tell me much, but I didn’t have to wait long either, “Dog not travel much as you know… but with what up ahead,” for the first time I saw her lips curl not in a grin, but a grimace, “may not need worry about trip back.”

How many things were there that could make a hellhound shiver? The Crystal Empire was apparently one, or maybe it was everything as a whole. Traveling to an unknown part of the territory, with who knows what dangers. All to find a port further away, and then face off against an entire company of ponies armed from hoof to muzzle…

Yeah, family vacation at its finest…

“When I think about it more, it does sound like I’ve gone mad,” my flank found the floor next to her, and once again I had to weigh out the options set before me.

A, continue day like normal and wait for the Rangers to eventually find this place, then send one of their missiles in for the kill. B, try to stay in hiding bouncing from place to place, but having to abandon everything here if only to keep it safe. Finally, C, head north and try to bring the fight to their front door.

I don’t know about you, but I wasn’t one that liked waiting, or being kicked out of my home for that matter. “The way I see it, we don’t really have much of a choice,” I rested my hoof across her paw, and stopped it from digging into the workbench further, “at least with this choice, we’ll be on our own terms.”

Her teeth gritting sounded through my helmet, and she had to know it wasn’t the best of options, but she at least saw it was the only one. “Dog hate it,” I do too Riff, I do too, “but pony right…” with that scary thought, the hound got to her paws, let out a stretch, and made her way towards the door, “Dog go see if Turkey and mare need help, maybe grab ammo for what they find.”

My friends were working on our next go, who was I to kick back and stay at the shop? Not when I had my own mare to find. The rain patted along the plates, while I stayed nice and dry inside. Almost reminded me of those days where all a pony wanted to do was curl up, break open a good book, and listen to the storm outside.

It was also the perfect place to let the hounds’ words seep in… by the sound of things, none of my friends had ventured that far north. We were going in blind, and that was just to the capital itself. Then there was the trek we had to make to where ever the Rangers called home. How much would stand in the way of things before we even reached the docks? Dear Celestia I wanted to kick my hooves up, hang the helmet on a hook, and call it a day. Retire from this whole Rogue Ranger business.

‘But I won’t,’ I told myself again and again as I walked the empty streets, ‘It’ll only be a matter of time before they find me, and put everyone here in danger.’

I hated being right sometimes, but maybe another could quell some of that worry. I didn’t have to walk far to find the mare, plodding around the growing mud amongst the newly erected barriers of the town.

Alimite went to each of her turrets as I watched, checking them over with all the tenderness of a mother. She sure had some odd kin in mind, but it was her job here after all. Amongst everything else the mare inherited from Winter. Up in the guard tower, one colt I didn’t recognize passed me a wave that I returned. Before following the mare down to the next gun. I know it was raining and all, but this suit couldn’t have been lost in the-

“Still not stealthy you know,” her eyes finally turned to meet mine, and the mare jumped down from the gun, splashing mud across the plates.

“Yeah, yeah I’ll have to work on that,” whether it was my tone, or those mindreading powers of hers at play. Alimites’ cheer failed, as she passed me that ever knowing gaze that something was on my mind, “… just got done talking with them about heading north.”

“Oh dear, how’d that go?”

Well… It wasn’t a failure? “Deacon and Tumble are looking up jobs to help with the caps,” the first step in that direction, but how many we really would need was starting to nag, “Though Riff pointed out that with how dangerous this could be, might not have to worry about the return trip.”

For a moment the mares’ look turned somber, and her eyes kept forward off mine. We were on the offense now, and she knew it. With that came its own challenges, and if our cards weren’t played right. Then there would be more holes needed to be dug out there amongst the graves.

“Truth is… I’m… worried too,” … say what now? My head jerked back to hers, and there the mare stood with the mud caking up along her hooves. The rain might be washing away some of the grime, but it wasn’t going to rid that look off her face, “it’ll be a journey for sure, and one I didn’t see myself making a year ago,” I was about ready to say my piece on that matter, but a hoof on the armored muzzle silenced that, “… regardless, I am going along with you.”

I should have protested that right then and there. She was far too important to this place, and if anything happened to her along the way. I wouldn’t just be letting down her mother, but the whole town itself…

Then again, I’d seen that look in her eyes before. The last time I tried to talk her out of something she about threatened to shoot me, and I knew I wasn’t winning this one, “I think I learned that much about ya.”

My chuckle garnished her own, and the mare gave my shoulder a shove, “And don’t you forget it… that’s how you get through things like this, with friends,” rain stricken or not, her lashes fluttered under that bandana, “…or more.”

You see, this kind of heart palpitations I actually could get behind! Instead of a playful shove, that would have probably thrown her through the wall, my horn reached out and pulled her to the side of the suit with a fillies’ yelp. There was enough plating to keep me nice and cool with the weather at my back, but already I could feel her heat breaking through.

“I can work with more,” if only to keep me from fogging up the visor, the helmet latch opened so she could see my beam.

Did I look like a fool? Perhaps. More importantly, did I care? Not at all… Especially with that! I could taste the grit from her lips of the soil passing to my own, but right now it didn’t matter. As the mare started to coo from her throat, the rest of me melted into it with her. I’d take her dirt-stained face over a prom queen any day.

Alimite settled herself almost the same time as I did, and with a tap of her wrench the visor dropped back down. Probably for the best, the trio already managed to get me and her to a port with just a few laughs. How far you reckon we’d get north from running alone if the gang saw that?

“I did… reach out about your train,” the mare shook herself, splashing some more of that mud over the suit, and helping to clean her own face up, “Hopefully I hear something back soon.”

Had I mentioned before how lucky I was to find this mare? No? Well allow me to yell it from the proverbial rooftops, “What the hell would I have done without ya?”

“Probably start walking,” her giggle might have been a joke… but let’s be real here, she was right.

Oh, what I’d do to have… this, every day… actually I already knew what I’d do, and that was take on an entire company of battle-hardened ponies on their own turf. Ahh happiness wasn’t always an easy fought victory now was it.

“Wildfire!” both our heads went up from one another to the sound.

As if on cue, my gaggle of friends came from the corner peering around… if they had been thirty seconds sooner… Tumble was the first to spot me, and the rest followed her soon after that. In the gryphons’ talon I could make out the crude parchment, though I didn’t get the chance to even read it myself.

“Slavers, grain mill,” the mare answered for our resident avian.

“Thousand caps, not far either,” Riff tagged on.

“And could clear it tonight if we hurried,” Deacon capped off, and I watched his eyes trail over myself and the mare by my side, “unless… you had other plans?”

This was shotgunning a plan if I ever saw one! I wanted to take a minute to regroup with them, figure out a bit more on the location and how many we were talking. At the very least grab some extra ammo from the shop. Yet, the nudge I was getting from another threw those thoughts out the window.

“You do need the caps,” Alimite prodded me with her muzzle forward, “go ahead, I’ll see what I can get together for the trip…” the last peck she left on the end of the armored snout was all I needed to kick my hooves off the ground, while picking and choosing my priorities.

Namely ammunition, that’s a given… “Alrighty! Let me grab somethings first!” I know I was kicking up mud on my friends trailing behind me. Right now, with their timing, I think I’d earned that much.