Chapter 11: Chance Findings and Meetings

"For me, the first great joy of traveling is simply the luxury of leaving all my beliefs and certainties at home, and seeing everything I thought I knew in a different light, and from a crooked angle." - Author: Pico Iyer

Mega Mart, Hoofington, Lunar Commonwealth: Ginger Snaps

The trip to Mega Mart is much quieter than when we passed by it the first time. We only have one instance of a real attempt to fire at us, and they stopped as soon as ol’ Big Blue disappeared, took out the shooters, and tossed their remains back at the rest using her TK. Of course, they shot at her, but by then she had put up her shield spell and asked “Who’s Next?” That ended that rather quickly to say the least.

As we approach the gate going into the carriage lot, I notice Tek seems much more excited than normal and I hear him say, “Purchase, I’m back.”

The grimy, almost famished looking, light green mare smiles wanly at him and I hear her call back, “Good to see you again Tek? Any luck?”

He nods his head and says something to Xochitl and then trots over to her and I watch him take out the ration pack and offer it to her. I see her try and refuse it and as I walk by, I hear her trying to refuse it and him telling her, “Please eat this, my friend. You need to eat.”

From next to me I hear Rosie say, “Poor thing looks like she is near starved to death.”

Then I hear Nellie say, “Not the first we saw like that. Remember Rosie, we can’t save ‘em all.”

As she says this, I see Epona looking in that direction from the rear of the caravan. But as the professional she is, she stays in position as we bring the caravan into its assigned position to camp in.

The caravan wagons again split in the middle and make two columns with a wide gap between them. Once stopped, the teams begin to have their harness removed and I notice that between the two rows are several burn barrels with the remains of previous fires in them.

After helping to unharness Cowlick first, then Rosie and Nellie, I walk over to where Choo is talking with Trader Jewel and one of the employees or guards, for Mega Mart.

“So, you are not sure how long you are going to be here?” the stallion asks Trader Jewel.

“No son, I am not. However, as a regular here, you know that this is not overly uncommon for us. We will pay the extra caps to Bottle Cap as usual.”

“So, you are going to keep a running tab then?”

I see our employer close his eyes, take a deep breath and then say, “No, I already told you I would pay by the day.” He pauses and then adds, “If this is too difficult to understand, I would be happy to talk to your manager.”

“No, no need to involve Bottle Cap. She has enough on her plate as it is. I will see you again tomorrow then.”

He then turns to Choo and me and tells us, “Ok, gather the team real quick. I want to have a brief chat with all of you before you begin the next job.”

She nods her head, and turns to me, “You heard the buck Ginger, please be so kind as to get them together for me.”

I quickly call the team over the radio and tell them to gather on me in the middle of the caravan.

As I wait for the rest of the team to gather with me, I notice the sun is starting to get low in the sky. I then see the other caravans start to light fires in at least one of the burning barrels, so I decide we should do the same.

The others gather around the fire as we wait for the boss to come to talk to us. I smile to myself as it feels so comfortable all of us being around the campfire together. I am almost tempted to start a song, but before I can Choo and Trader Jewel walk up.

“Ok, first off, we need to do some groundwork, I would like a couple of you to just go inside and listen to see if you can hear any leads. Second, I do not want you heading out into town tonight. Tonight, get some rest and talk to some of the others from the area. Get some associates and maybe make a friend or two. Come morning depending on the information we have gathered; we will have you begin to work your way out into the town. Got it?”

We all nod our heads. “Ok, good, now feel free to explore the grounds here at Mega Mart. Just, watch what you say and do,” he tells us. Then he gets up and tells us, “I have to go inside to see if some of my customers are here yet. Choo, they are all yours until you finish this job.”

She nods and tells us, “Ok, you heard the buck. Now I don’t want you all inside at the same time, but go ahead and take a look. If it is a high-cost item we can use for the team, see me before buying it.” She looks around and then tells us, “I am heading inside right now, I will see you in a bit.” She then gets up. Stretches her wings and arches her back as she loosens her muscles and walks toward the main entrance.

Sunny gets up at the same time that Twinks and Tater do. They look at the rest of us and tell us, “We will be back in a bit. See you then.”

Xochitl shrugs his shoulders and tells me, “I guess we will go in later.”

I put a hoof on his shoulder and ask, “What, you aren’t happy to just spend some time with me?”

“No, that is not it dear. Just, most of the vendors shut down overnight. So, I hope we can go in before they are all gone.”

Across the fire from us are Cowlick with Epona laying across his back, both just enjoying the comfort of a friend cuddling. A short time later I notice Epona suddenly look up and when I turn my head, I see Tek coming over to the fire with the mare we saw guarding the gate earlier.

As he joins us Xochitl smiles and says in zebrican, “Have a seat and join us.”

Tek smiles as does the mare. He then speaks in zebrican back, “Good evening. I wanted to introduce you to my best friend, Purchase Order.”

We all smile at her and I see her look down and she seems uncomfortable. She then tries to speak in zebrican also. She has a funny accent in it and she is not fluent, but she tries to join us as she says, “It is good to meet you.”

Epona then shifts to ponish and says, “If you are more comfortable, we can use ponish.”

I see a look of relief come over her face as she shifts back to ponish and says, “Whichever you want. I really am not picky.”

She then tells her, “We are good, I wanted to thank you for the food pack.” She pauses again and I see her look down, “I don’t eat much anymore. But it tasted really good.”

Epona sits up and tells her, “I am glad you enjoyed it. I have a couple more if you want them.”

I watch as the two mares approach each other and while I can see a spark between them, neither go any further than to just talk. Epona pulls out a couple of rations and hooves one to her and begins to eat the one herself. “These kinda remind me of home, of course, our meals there are even better.”

As they are talking, Tek comes closer to Xochitl and me and we begin to talk more as well. Our conversation lasts for a couple of hours when I see Choo and Sunny coming back our way. Once they arrive back, Choo smiles and she tells us, “Two more of you can head on in. Twinks and Tater are a bit busy inside. Twinks pointed out how Gun II stuttered in its movements and he was in the middle of telling her what it probably was and how to fix it. Seems Bottle Cap was walking by and overheard this. She told them that if they were serious, they could fix it, she would pay them for their work.”

“Ok, Choo, Pona, and Cowlick are talking with Tek and his friend Purchase Order. She works here.” I tell her.

She smiles, and replies, “Ok, now why don’t you two head on in. Sunny and I will be here for a bit.”

As we head in, I find I am excited to see the inside of the place. I mean, I have never been into any market that was this large before. In my excitement, I take a hold of Xochitl’s tale and almost bounce on my way in.

*****

Mega Mart, Hoofington, Lunar Commonwealth: Xochitl

I feel so much better now that we have left Elysium. While they no longer practice slavery there, I can’t help but think of how many suffered as serfs there. I especially think of Badger and the scars I saw on his back from when he was a colt.

After the others have gone inside, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed to not be able to take Ginger inside as I would love to find something special for her. But then again, I am really just enjoying being able to relax by this fire with her and some friends.

I notice both Epona and Ginger suddenly look to the side and when I look, I see the zebra Tek approaching us with the skinny mare from earlier. I enjoy seeing him. His stripes remind me that I am not all alone. So, I invite him to have a seat and talk with us.

He first introduces us to his best friend Purchase Order. Then I am amused at how well she and Epona seem to get along. As our conversations progress, I notice Cowlick slowly get up and he tells me, “Xochitl, I’ll be right back, I got a cow I want to visit for a bit.”

This surprises me at first, but then I realize he considers the brahmin females as cows and the males as bulls, just like pure breed cattle. I raise an eyebrow and wonder just who among the Brahmin herd he is going to visit.

As we are talking, I hear Purchase telling Epona about her parents and how she was orphaned just after the day of Sunshine and Rainbows. Then Epona moves closer and gives her a comforting hug as she tells her, “Me and Ginger were orphans too. I understand how you feel.”

I hear Purchase sniff a bit and then she says, “At least you had your sister.”

Epona turns and smiles as she looks at Ginger and then tells Purchase, “By blood, she is my half-sister. We were lucky and got adopted about a year apart by the same family.” She pauses then tells her, “I really wish you could meet them.”

By now the brief hug has ended and Purchase seems to be pulling herself back together. Then she says, “I would like to meet them,” she then looks around and then says, “But I am afraid this is as far as I will ever get.”

Epona puts a hoof on her shoulder and tells her, “See, I felt that way at one time and you see me now. It does not have to stay this way.”

I hear more than see Purchase Order sigh. Then she says, “That is easy for you to say, you have a family and you have someone special.”

When she says this, I almost laugh, but Epona does. She then says, “You're kidding, right?”

She shakes her head no, “I saw you with whatever his name is, Cow something.”

Epona smiles sadly at her and replies, “Cowlick and I have been friends for many years, but he and I are not interested in each other. At least not in that way.”

I see a sudden glimmer of hope in the malnourished mare’s eyes. I can see the unasked question. About this time Cowlick returns and takes a seat near them and begins to talk with them.

Soon Choo Choo and Sunny return. I give her a rundown of what is going on and she tells me about Tater and Twinks taking on a side job for the Finders.

Ginger seems amused by this and as we get up to go inside, I find her holding my tail in hers. I have to smile as she is so excited. As we go inside, I look about and am impressed by how big it is and how many different merchant booths there are.

I also notice how many different species are here shopping. In the distance, I notice what look like dogs with very long forelegs. I swear they look like the old diamond dogs, except that both of them have robotic replacement limbs.

To one side I notice the Enclave Volunteer Corps has set up a booth, that they are closing up for the night. As we approach, I hear Ginger say, “Don’t look now, but there is that buck that was talking with Pona a couple of days ago."

“Hopefully he doesn’t cause us any problems,” I tell her.

Above us, I notice that I see Tater and Twinks standing on some scaffolding near the roof and they are working on what must have been the gun that Trader Jewel warned us about. I wave to them and when Tater notices me, he waves back. I then point them out to Ginger.

She nods and then points to a booth to the side. “Look Xochitl, they have a photographer. Dear, can we get a picture done of you and me?”

I grin at her. If this is the most she wants, I will do that for her.

As we approach, we notice many different pictures that are hung on the wall of his “waiting area”. He looks up at us and while he looks tired and was just getting ready to close up shop for the night asks, “Can I help you?”

Ginger nods her head excitedly and tells him, “Yes, my fiancé and I would like to get a picture done for our folks back home.”

I see him tilt his head. “How far is home?” he asks.

Ginger then tells him, “Ever heard of Manesville?”

He shrugs his shoulders, “Sorry. Never heard of it. Is it over by the Skyport?”

This time I shake my head, “No, it is quite the distance from here, up past the Canterlot Mountain and Foal Mountain Gap.

I see him shrug again, and I tell him, “It is a long distance from here.”

“I will take your word for it. Now for a single sitting of two ponies I normally charge 40 caps per picture, but for you two. I will make it 30 each for two.”

That is a lot of caps, but honestly, photographers are hard to find in the Wastelands, so we look at each other and Ginger tells him, “Ok, we would like two.”

He then has us move over to where he will take the pictures and tells us to get ready for them.

Ginger then asks, “Dear, can we do this out of our work clothes?”

I nod my head and we both remove our gear, jackets, and hats. Once ready he takes two different shots. He then tells us, “I hope you don’t mind, but I took one in black and white and added a few effects as it is for your engagement. Now if you two will give me a little bit, I will have the pictures developed and dried in say just under two hours. I will finish closing up as they dry.”

We both agree and continue to wander the various stalls. After about an hour I notice Epona and Cowlick have come in also and are with Tek and Purchase Order. We first wave to them, then we join them for a bit while we wait for our pictures to be developed.

When we finally get back to the photographer’s booth, he has them ready for us to look at. In both of them, I have my eyes closed as I give my sweet mare a kiss. However, while in the first she has both eyes open and has a happy but serious expression, the second one caught her with one eye closed and sticking her tongue out. I guess that one will be just for us. That is also the one that is in black and white.

As we are looking at the pictures, I hear Epona say, “Cool, I never knew anyone that had a photograph done before.”

The gentlestallion who owns the stall tells her the cost and she only blanches a little bit. Then he tells her, “Unfortunately I am closing up shop for the night. If you would like, please stop by tomorrow. Maybe bring your mare friend with you.”

Epona looks shocked and says, “I don’t have a mare friend or even a special somepony.”

Beside her, I notice Purchase Order nodding her head.

The photographer then says, “I am sorry, you just seemed to get along so well I assumed. Please, both of you, accept my apologies.”

Epona then smiles at him and says, “That’s ok, but we just met tonight. No need to rush things and all.”

That is when I notice him nod and I see a slight blush come over Purchase’s face.

“Well then, maybe a couple of single sittings, then.” I see Cowlick nodding his head as well as Purchase and Epona.”

Behind them, I notice Tek does not seem so enthusiastic.

Soon, as a group we continue on, visiting the few shops that are still open. As we walk I see Sunny flying near the ceiling and I notice Gun is tracking him steadily. After a while, he comes down to land and he says, “Hay Cohitl, Cookie, looks like those two got the kinks worked out for the Finders. Have you heard anything yet?”

“No, not yet. Why have you?”

“I heard a bit, but nothing certain. Most of it was just while I was in the air. The voices kinda bounce off the ceiling. By the way, I had to have special permission to fly that high in here. Seems they have a no-fly zone above seven meters in here.”

I am surprised to hear this. But I guess I can understand. I mean it would make it hard to limit either sabotage or eavesdropping by others. So, I respond with, “Are you really surprised?”

“No, not really Cohtil. By the way, Choo says to keep an eye on those Volunteer Corps ponies. She says she gets a bad feeling from them.”

“Ok, I will keep that in mind. Sunny. So have you seen anything you are interested in yet?”

He shakes his head, “Earlier I thought I saw a really nice pistol, but somepony else got it first.”

“Really? What was it?”

He grins, “It was a really nice two-tone E1911. It was marked with the MoA on it, and I was surprised to see it was even engraved with Second to None. And what looked like an old Wonderbolt on it. Do you know how rare it is to see any weapons for the MoA on it down here?”

I shake my head, “Pretty rare, are they?”

He begins to laugh. “Pretty rare? Very rare Cohitl. Almost like finding a zebra carbine in Manesville.”

I laugh at him again and tell him, “Well, both my father and I do have one, so…”

“You’re missing the point Cohtil. Besides, I would have loved to have had that, and it looked so cool.”

“So, you only wanted it because it looked cool?” Ginger asks him.

“No, I wanted it because it was once used by the MoA. That it looked cool with the two shades of dark metal was a bonus.”

“Well, maybe you can find one like it again sometime.” She tells him.

“Yeah, I guess, but I bet even Tater would have approved of it.”

I laugh when Sunny says that. Shortly after that, we are joined by Tater and Twinks. Both of them are grinning like a dragon who just found a new horde.

“Ok, guys, what has you smiling so much?”

“Well, we both had fun working on that job. Besides, it was really kinda fun.” Twinks tells us. Beside her, Tater is nodding his head in agreement.

Ginger then asks, “So how much did they pay you for fixing it?”

They both look at each other and I see them both blush. “Sorry Ginger, but I only got one PipBuck out of them for it. I mean it needs to be cleaned up a bit and all. But Tater and I thought it would help me be more effective as our tech.”

As we get ready to head back to the Caravan, Purchase Order tells us all good night as she needs to be up early in the morning for her guard shift. Tek tells her goodbye as well and we watch her walk back inside. Tek smiles and tells us, “She has a bunk she can use inside.”

He follows us back to the caravan and joins us around the fire. I smile to myself and ask, “Do you have a place you stay around here?”

He nods his head, “Yes, not far. But lonely. I stay here tonight if you not mind.”

Well, he was with us last night, might as well be here again tonight, besides he knows the area and would be a good resource I tell myself. Well, that and I like having someone else with stripes around too. So, I smile and tell him, “You're welcome too, when we throw down our bedrolls you can also.”

He smiles more and as we all sit beside the fire; he joins us as if he was always a part of the team.

*****

Mega Mart, Hoofington, Lunar Commonwealth: Choo Choo.

I am talking with Trader Jewel as we make our way to the Mega Mart. It is not an overlong journey, but we do have a few, um, incidents with those who take a few potshots at us and one group who tried to set an ambush on the caravan. I let myself have a little fun with those ones. Funny how having the body of your buddy tossed at you casually can really unnerve a pony.

“So, Choo, do you really think your team can get the doc back?” Trader Jewel asks.

I nod my head, “So long as we get some good intel on where he is being held, I am sure of it.”

He nods, “Well, tonight have your team rest. Tomorrow, send out some feelers and see what you can find out. Is there any equipment you would like to have, but don’t yet?”

I smile, there is always equipment you wish you had, but don’t. I simply shrug and tell him, “While I would love to have enough PipBucks for my entire team, I would settle for just a couple right now for the team leaders and my tech.”

He nods, “Yeah, I do understand Choo. If I hear anything about any being available, I will let you know.”

As we approach the gate for the old carriage lot of the Mega Mart, I notice how the walls around it are ponied. I also notice the machinegun turrets along the roof of the Mega Mart itself. Most look to be in decent condition. But a couple look like they could use some work. I may need to talk to Twinkle Hoofs and Sweet Potato about earning a few caps here to get on the management's good side.

As we approach the gate, I first notice that Tek is much more excited in his behavior than normal. Then Trader Jewel excuses himself and trots up to the front alongside Xochitl.

He talks to the mare at the gate briefly and she passes us through. As I pass through the gate, I notice that Tek is trying to get her to take one of the ration packs he received earlier. Finally, she seems to take it and he visibly relaxes. Then we are past them and into the carriage lot proper. I smile as the caravan splits and parks in two parallel lines with a wide gap between the wagons. I am slightly surprised to see pre-made fire pits are set up and in between the wagons.

Once stopped, I search out Trader Jewel again and once our crews are settled, he and I head into the Mega Mart.

At the door, we are stopped and have to pay our admittance fee. The employee there tells us, “Your admittance is only good for the day. So, you should make the best of it.”

I politely nod my head and thank them. Then I follow Trader Jewel inside. The first thing I notice is that there are some employees walking along some elevated scaffolding. Then in the center of the building near the peak, I see the largest gun I have ever seen mounted in or on a civilian building. When I see it, I stop dead in my tracks and I feel a pony bump into me from behind. This is followed by them saying, “Hey I’m walking here. Watch what you are doing.”

I simply give them my apology and begin to move forward again. As we pass by all the vendors' booths, I notice a sign on the wall near a large swinging door with an arrow pointing to the door. In the standard black letters on white, the sign says, Office. Below that it states, Employees Only.

Then I notice Trader Jewel is heading that way. I point out the sign and he smiles at me as he tells me, “Ah, that is there to keep the riff-raff from bothering Bottle Cap.”

“In that case, I shall not follow you, but wait here for your return,” I tell him.

He smiles and tells me, “Thanks, Choo. I will be back soon.”

He is gone for nearly an hour and I see him return in the company of a middle-aged mare in a blue vest. Once they are close enough, I hear her tell him, “Well, I appreciate your finding a couple of repair ponies who can take a look at Gun II. That helps all of us in the Finders.”

I watch as he nods to her and replies, “True enough.” He pauses then says, “Remember what I asked about. If you come up with any more leads on PipBucks let me know.”

She signals her agreement with her ears and tells him, “I will let them know we have one available if they can fix Gun for us. I am afraid that if we have trouble, it will not be able to respond properly otherwise.”

Once he is next to me, he asks, “You think your tech and weapons specialist are good enough to troubleshoot and repair that thing up there?” and then points to the large gun hanging from the ceiling.

I grin as I tell him, “I am pretty sure of it. But I will have to have them discuss their fees for it.”

He looks up at it then says, “Ok, let them know to go see Bottlecap and discuss it with her. Now I need to go talk to a couple of merchants here to start setting up my cargo for the return run as well as our trip to Meat Locker yet.”

“Do you want me to wait for you to get done with them first?”

“Nah, go ahead and deal with your people Choo. I got this.”

As I begin to head to the door, I see him walking the aisles and examining merchandise. As I head toward the door, I see Twinks first, then Tater. They are looking at some tools and I see Twinkle Hoofs shake her head no finally and hear her say, “Let’s see if we can find some other stuff first, then we can always come back.”

From the side, I hear the owner of the booth say, “Ah, but if you need them or really want them, you should get them now, otherwise somepony else may get them before you return.”

I hear Tater stifle a giggle as I see Twinks get a disgruntled expression on her face. Then she tells him, “In that case, the Goddesses didn’t want me to have them. Good day Sir.” Then she turns around and begins to stomp off but stops when she sees me.

“Hello Twinks, Tater, I may have a side job for you to do. Follow me please.”

Once we are by the office, I tell them, “Go on inside and ask for Bottlecap. Tell her you are the two repair ponies that Trader Jewel told her about.”

They both nod but Tater asks, “What’s this about Choo?”

I give a slight shrug and tell them, “I am not sure, but it may have something to do with the big gun up high.”

Twinks then ask, “How much are we getting paid for it?”

“No fee has been determined yet, so it is up to you two. But both Trader Jewel and I approve you for it. Take as much time as you need.”

They both look at each other and grin. Finally, Tater says, “Ok Boss.” He turns his head, “Ready Twinks? Let’s go see what they need done.”

After they head inside, I meet up with Sunny and he begins to tell me about a pistol he is interested in. As I go with him to look at it, we approach a weapons vendor with a sign to the side saying First rate, Second hoof weapons. Salvage Value Proprietor.

Sunny then tells me, “This is the booth where I saw it for sale.”

As he goes in and begins to look, the sales pony asks, “Can I help you, sir?”

Sunny nods and tells him, “I saw a pistol earlier here. It was a two-tone E1911.”

The sales pony nods his head, “Hmm, I had a couple of those E1911s. They tend to go fast when I get them in. Could I perhaps interest you in one of these other pistols over here? Perhaps a nice plasma pistol or maybe a Desert Griffon?”

“No, I really had my heart set on that one. I mean where I come from you don’t see too many MoA-marked weapons.”

“Oh, and where are you from? I mean I recognize a bit of Thunderhead in your accent, but the rest. Well, it sounds different from most of the other Enclave citizens I have done business with.”

Sunny smiles, “Oh, I am not with the Enclave. Neither were my parents.”

I see a look of surprise come over the vendor's face and he asks, “So where are you from?”

“Oh, a little hamlet from over by Manesville. Nothing much to speak of.” Sunny answers.

“Well come back in a day or two and perhaps I will have another for you to look at. No guarantees mind you.”

We then leave and head back to the caravan. Once there Xochitl gives me a quick rundown of what is going on and I tell those who are still here, “Go ahead and head inside. Relax, see if you find anything you think we can use. Also, Tater and Twinkle Hoofs are doing a side job inside, so if you see them working, don’t be surprised.”

They all nod and I watch as they head inside again. Soon I am joined by Trader Jewel next to the fire in the growing darkness. He tells me, “You two should at least go talk to Seasoning Salt, she has a good stew made for tonight.”

I see Sunny look at me and I nod my head. He then tells me, “Be back in a bit boss,” as he heads over to the cooking wagon.

Once Sunny is out of hearing he asks, “Heard anything more inside?”

“No, not yet, but I may walk around out here a bit too. I can use the same spell I used at the hospital, so if you don’t see me for a bit, you know why.”

He nods in understanding and takes another bite of his vegetable stew. After he swallows, he says, “Choo, I know your kind don’t really need to eat much, but you really should have some and just enjoy the taste.”

I grin, “Ok, I will. By the way, you wouldn’t happen to know where I might pick up some Sparkle Cola Rad would you?”

He smiles mischievously, “Yeah, I got a couple of bottles in my wagon, plus I saw a booth in there with a case of it. Not sure how much they want for it. But If I give you a bottle, I need two things.”

I sigh, “Ok, what is it?”

Still smiling he answers, “One you have to try some of this stew. Two, I would like to hear more about your memories of before the final day.”

“Surely you aren’t interested in an old unicorn’s memories from so long ago.”

This time nods his head, “Choo, first off, they are new stories to me. They also let me see what the world was like before our kind and the Zebras destroyed it.”

I smile shyly and I tell them as I nod slightly, “Ok, Trader, if you really do want to hear them I will.”

When I get to the wagon, I hear Tater call out over the radio, “Big Blue, this is Mash, could we get Black Bird in here to assist us please?”

Without thinking I nod my head even though he can not see me, then I tell him, “That is affirmative Mash. I will send him in shortly.”

Sunny has already heard and looks slightly disappointed as he is still eating. I then tell him, “Go once you are done. I do understand.”

“Thanks, Choo. You’re really going to like it. She even put a bit of garlic in it.”

I use my TK to carry my mess kit back to fire and Trader Jewel so I can talk and eat at the same time. I then begin to tell him what I remember of the old days and some of the experiences I had on the Fillydelphia, Canterlot and New Pegasus run from just after the war started.

I am still telling him about what I can remember from that lost life when the youngsters return along with Tek. They all take a seat including Tek and I have to smile as I watch all of them begin to show interest in those days from so long ago.

I am just telling them about my sisters and my arrival at Manesville all those years ago when out of the darkness I see some shadows approaching our fire. I can just make them out as some of the Volunteer Corps members we had seen earlier when one calls out, “Hello the fire. Permission to approach?”

My associates are now all alert to the outsiders and shift some but I can see the new arrivals are not carrying long arms and are in a state of relaxation. In fact, I can even smell a bit of whiskey on them. I look at the others with me and Trader Jewel says, to me, “Go ahead, it’s neutral ground out here too. Even if Gun II can’t enforce it.”

I nod to him and tell them, “Come on in and join us.”

As they approach I see there are four of them, one seems a bit older than the rest and I notice all move and maintain their body positions as if they are veterans. Interesting I think to myself.

The younger two both nod to Epona and I hear one of them say, “Good to see you again Epona.”

She actually smiles and asks, “Is that you Ball Lighting?”

“Yes, Anan is here with me as well as a couple of my other friends, Thanks for letting us join you tonight.”

She nods and with a grin tells him, “Glad too. I have a feeling you fellas don’t get many who treat you well down here.”

“No, not really. We appreciate it though. Sorry for interrupting, please continue.”

I smile politely and continue on with my story as all of us sit and enjoy the fire as the moon begins to rise.

*****

Mega Mart, Hoofington, Lunar Commonwealth: Ball Lighting.

As we sit, we listen to this, this, alicorn the others call Choo Choo as she talks about something they call the expedition and someplace called Serenity Valley. As we listen, I notice Funnel Cloud looking a bit incredulous. Then he says, “That seems like a lot of ponies for dirtside. How big did you say you were at this valley?”

This time the zony answers. “Do you know how big a heavy battalion is?” When we all nod our heads he says, “That is how heavy we started out on the expedition. We took losses along the way, including all but three of our officers, and had a lieutenant have to take charge and try to get us home.”

Funnel Cloud looks at him and says, “You sound like you were part of this expedition, but aren’t you a bit young?”

The zony shrugs and tells him, “Yes, my fiancé and I ran away from home to follow them. Choo over there helped us. When we showed ourselves to the Major, my father and Cookie’s mother gave us permission to be used as scouts because we were too far from home to get back safely.”

“So, you’re saying you were foal warriors?”

“Yeah, most of us were,” the zony says to us.

I am shocked as I could not imagine being a scout at that age. What I have experienced so far is bad enough. I then ask, “Epona, were you a scout with them?”

She grins, “Nah, I and my buddy Tater snuck in on Ma when we attacked the Legions base at what is now known as Fort Hope, over in the Harness region of the NCR a couple of years after that.”

Again, I am surprised but then I hear Sergeant Anan asks, “Is your military that sloppy that foals can sneak in like that?”

Epona laughs and waves a hoof before she answers, “No, just the mares in our family are very stubborn, and when we put our mind to something we are going to do it.”

Then Anan asks the black-coated pegasus buck, “So what is your story? I see you are living down here but you’re not branded. Are you a deserter from the Enclave?”

Sunny laughs and then replies with a grin, “No, my parents were an earth pony and a unicorn. Both had pegasus blood in them, so against the odds, I and my younger sister were both born pegasuses.”

I am very surprised to hear this as I had not heard of it before. Then the black buck asks, “So what is it you all do? No offense, you don’t strike me as the Volunteer Corps type. I watched the others in your group and you four, you have worked together before, I can tell.”

I am stunned. Before I can say anything Funnel Cloud says, “Well you have a good eye and to tell the truth kid,” at which the buck bristles a bit but does not do anything, “We were all working together in the service, but after our contracts ran out, well we decided to join the VC and come on down. See if maybe we could do any good.”

When he says this, I see the big blue one they call Choo raise an eyebrow and a flash of a suspicious expression crosses her face but it quickly disappears.

I am surprised a bit later when I hear the one they keep calling Blackbird tells me, “Wow, that is a nice looking pistol.”

I can’t help but grin and tell him, “Yeah, I just got it today.”

Blackbird then says, “I have always liked the looks of the E1911s, but never got the chance to pick one up yet. I am still carrying this ol’ Caramel.”

I think briefly and ask, “Would you like to see it?”

I see a grin cross his face as he excitedly says to me, “Sure, if you don’t mind.”

I slowly draw the pistol, drop the magazine and eject the round in the chamber, but pick it up immediately so it is not lost, then I hoof it to him with the slide locked back.

I watch him take it in his wings and check the chamber first. Then he releases the slide and tests the grip and how it feels. Then he takes it back out and I see a look of surprise come across his face. He turns to the one that Epona called Tater and says, “Tater, how many E1911s marked with MoA have you seen?”

Tater gets a funny expression on his face and says, “Until now, only three. The one owned by Lieutenant Colonel Windrider, back home, the one you saw earlier at the Vendors booth in Mega Mart and now this one.”

They both look at me in surprise and Blackbird asks, “Are these common down here?”

I shake my head and tell him, “Actually I just picked this one up today and it is the first one I have ever seen marked as being Ministry of Awesome issue.” I turn my head, “How about you Funnel?”

He shakes his head negatively and I can tell he is not pleased to hear this news either. Finally, I hear Choo say, “It makes me wonder if these are marked truly, or perhaps someone has found a cache. If the latter, I wonder what other goodies they may have.”

After she says this, I have to agree with her. I will have to talk to Airburst about it later. Then I change the subject and take the opportunity to ask, “So Choo, is it true that all of you alicorns were once unicorns?”

We talk for a while longer than I see them begin to lay out their bedrolls and we stand, “It was very nice to meet you all, and thank you for the company,” I tell them.

They all nod and return the sentiments. Then Epona tells us, “It was really nice to sit and talk tonight. I hope we can do so again sometime.”

I smile and step closer. I take her hoof and gently kiss it. In the firelight I see her blush slightly, then I turn to go. In my mind, I hope the same as her, but I am afraid of what would happen if I did. I really don’t want to be branded a Dashite. No matter how good she seems, I think to myself as we walk back to our wagon and the volunteers.

As I come up, I see Sundancer and Alto sitting close holding tails in the firelight. They at least have the decency to look slightly uncomfortable. I just smile at them and continue on to find Air Burst. He takes me aside and asks, “So Ball, what have you and your people been up to?”

I begin to tell him about where we were and what we have learned. Then I tell him, “Funny thing, one of them said they saw a different E1911 today that was marked MoA as well as mine. Air Burst, I thought these things were a lot rarer than that.”

He looks around, then nods his head as he replies, “They are. Now let’s keep quiet about it. I will let you know if I hear anymore.”

I nod my head in agreement, and as I get ready to sleep for the night, I wonder what he really meant.

*****

That last one comes to you from Velvet Remedy and is her latest hit. This is DJ Pon3 and here is some of the latest news in the NCR and the wastelands. There have been several reports lately of increased sightings of Enclave airships approaching the NCR border. At this time there have been no clashes between the NCR and the Enclave, but that can change ponies. In other news, the Followers of the Apocalypse have announced plans to expand their program for welcoming Alicorns into the NCR as well as a refuge being set up for them.

For those further away in the Hoofington region there have been reports of several large Enclave airships having arrived for a port of call and exercises in the region near Thunderhead. This news comes to us through some contacts in the Lunar Commonwealth. Our sources there also have informed us that there have been offers by the Enclave to the Council of the Lunar Commonwealth, to assist in quelling a recent rise in gang fighting and territorial disputes.

For our next song this goes out to all of you down in the Hoof, here is In The Air Tonight.

Author's Note

I would like to thank Skybound1998 for the pictures of Xochitl and Ginger that I have in this chapter. I hope you the readers enjoy them as well.

For those readers who would like to listen to the dedication song, the YouTube link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_Xs8nzrrkM