Fallout Equestria: Desperados V2 (of Blood and Dirt)

Desperado’s V2, Chapter 02

Green Lake Farm (Part 1)

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The dust kicked up behind us as we finally left the mountain pass and returned to the dry wasteland proper. From all the talk about an upcoming drought, it seemed that it was already here in this valley. At one point it was clear that greenery had been returning to this place, with dry and brown shrubbery all over. We even passed by what looked like a farm, it was all dead and abandoned now. Worse was the haze of dust and heat that stretched to the horizon, creating mirages all over to lie to my eyes.

Taking a bottle of water, I quenched my dry throat, glad we packed extra just in case. The Smuggler didn't just shorten the time it took to travel, but it let us take far more supplies then we could have reasonably done by hoof. We could have probably taken more than twice as much as we currently have due to the Smuggler having a tractor engine at its heart, but that would have slowed it down enough that even the most jittery raider sniper could still hit us.

"This is a mighty interesting motor wagon y'all got. Don't look anything like the old world stuff I've seen rusting about." Pyrope spoke up from the back.

There was already limited room on the smuggler as it was, and I didn't feel like having a stallion squeeze up next to me right now. That and we didn't know how Cavall would react, since the rattle-pup was venomous, even a little nip could be fatal to anypony but me. So the bandit was placed in the back just above the trailer hitch.

"It's not from the old world, well not entirely. A close friend and family of mine made it, all by claw." I told him.

He raised an eyebrow at me for a moment, then realization crossed his face. "Claw, as in griffin's. So this was made by the Gunrunner I presume." I nodded in confirmation. "Got to give it to those bird cats, they make some mean tech when not killing shit. So Star, from what my Pa said, ya worked at that brothel place he says he never goes to?"

I let out a sigh, not wanting to talk about it, but not wanting a misunderstanding even more. "Only part of it was a brothel, and no, I wasn't a whore. I did hostessing, exotic dancing, and more importantly, I was a bouncer."

Pyrope tipped his stenson hat at me. "I apologize mam, didn't mean to suggest anything untoward. Just wondering. Still, I wouldn't mind seeing a dance from you if there's ever an opportunity." He then winked at me.

Fucking bandits, always shifting between being charmers and making me want to cave in their face.

"Not doing that shit no more. So don't go getting your hopes or dick up about it. If you do, I'll be smashing them down flat!" I let the stallion know.

"Right, right, I'll be minding my own business about that from here on out." He said, getting the message.

"Are you sure you won't do any more dancing?" Harp asked as she climbed up a bit to look over as she gave Cavall a pet on the head and Pyrope a little wave. "But I understand, wanting to focus on the task at hoof. It would be selfish of us to indulge in that stuff when you lost so much."

I let out another sigh, this time from a sense of guilt. "No… it's fine. I just got a lot on my mind right now, that's all."

Having to leave my darling Bridget behind, and knowing that as I fucked around, mom was suffering. There's so much I could have done, yet I fail to do anything. Maybe I could have used my evil eye to prevent Hardballers murder… yet I didn't.

"Here, why don't we switch places, Star." Harp offered.

I nodded and helped her up into the gunner's nest, and then I climbed down into the passenger seat. Then I remembered why I chose to stay up there, as the passenger seats were a bit of a tight squeeze even by pony standards. Made me wonder who Longside plans to have sit here since griffins were often larger than ponies. But having a shield from the wind was nice, almost making me want to put my mane down.

Then jumping down, Cavall gave me a nuzzle as he attempted to curl in my lap. It was annoying, having even less room for myself, but I couldn't bring myself to move the snake pup.

Harp and Pyrope were just louds enough that I could hear them taking over the wind and engine, though I didn't pay too much attention to it. They mainly went on just little bits about New Appaloosa, and a bit more about the Ruffled Feathers. It was clear the bandit was turning up his charms for Harp, but the princess skillfully dogged any attempt of suggested indwendo.

Harp's time as a hostess had really helped her deal with flirty stallions, not that they would get anywhere with her since she was clearly only interested in other mares.

Looking over at my new companion, having the crab pony right next to me really did drive home how weird he did look. At least in the day his glowyness wasn't as apparent, but his cross-like pupils were just not normal.

"How do you even work?" I asked Azure.

"I put my pants on one leg at a time, just like anybody else." He told me, then scratched his… chin… beak… face claws? "I've been wondering this ever since I fell into your dimension. If you ponies commonly don't wear clothes, then what's the point of a strip club?"

I slammed my head on the back of Slowtrot's roll cage, it clanging hard on the metal pipe. "I hated that question so fucking much."

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To my merciful suffering, we made it to the edge of Percussion Cap's farm. I had thought the place to be a mirage with how the greenery just seemed to faze into existence out of nowhere. The first thing I noticed was the moist smell of cut plants in the air, which was what tipped me off to it being real. And as we got closer, bit by bit I saw more green until it looked like a lake of green in front of us.

Passing by a crude, yet sturdy fence, the smuggler then tilted forward a little as we went down a dirt ramp, in which we became surrounded by green stalks taller than the smuggler itself. It made me feel uneasy, as though we just entered a new world.

"Amazing! Star, you need to see this!" Harp called out.

Climbing up onto the gunners nest, the sight was almost nostalgic, as it looked like we were on a boat moving through the water. "That's a lot of corn!" I stated the obvious.

Harp nodded as she scratched her leg nervously. "Back home, you need a gas mask to see this much plant life up close, with how pollen would kill you and all. Oh there's some trees too!" She then pointed out.

Looking myself, I could make out what appeared to be mutefrute trees at the other end, though they appeared to be much taller and far less gnarled from what I could see at this distance.

"Wow, I never thought I would miss seeing this." Slowtrot said over the pipbuck radio as he slowed down.

"Right, you're from before the bombs dropped. Was everything like this back then, all green I mean?" I asked him.

"No not everything, but large farms like this were fairly common. Though by the time I moved to Applewood the Flim and Flam brothers had taken most of them over and were using robots to do most of the farming." Slowtrot then stopped the smuggler as he then hit his head on the steering wheel.

Wondering what the fuck was wrong with him I then looked around as saw several robots trotting over the dirt road, following a small trail borderd by a fence. Though clearly modified, It was the same kind of robots we saw at the fake farmhouse that had been infested with cazadores, so it was a good guess they worked here. But oddly they were clearly modified, looking both more armored and armed then a normal robot.

One stopped to look at us, then saying in its mechanical voice, "Welcome to Green Lake Farm. If you are caught stealing, we are programmed to kill you. Have a pleasant day."

"So… anypony you know?" I asked Slowtrot.

He sighed and got back to driving as soon as the robots passed.

Eventually we made it out of the sea of green corn stalks, giving way to a smaller crop of silt beans, and further off the road we could see other crops. Though it was hard to tell what was growing from this distance, since I didn't know plants. But I could recognize buildings, as with the corn out of the way, we could see the main houses ahead.

The main house was surprisingly painted and clean looking, as in not over two hundred years old cracked paint. Actually as we got ever closer, nothing I could see looked older than ten, maybe twenty years old. Even the smell lacks that ancient rot stench which stuck to everything in the wasteland.

My nose then twitched as the distinctive smell of cooked food danced in my nose, lacking anything like the acrid chemical smell that so much food out here had. Which meant it was genuine fresh food.

Reaching the end of the farmland, we slowed to a stop at the base of a wooden tower, which two ponies waved down at us from. One had an old looking longrifle resting on the railing in clear sight of us, which all likelihood was a polite warning to us to not fuck around. The other pony then jumped off, spreading a pair of wings to glide down.

"Y'all better state your business here." A young pegasus mare stated to us in a rather forceful version of PCs accent. Landing in front of the smuggler, she had a simple straw hat on, and wore overalls covered in patches.

"A delivery for Percussion Cap." Harp announced. "We have the supplies she ordered from the Gunrunners."

Surprise crossed the mare's face, then relief. "Oh thank Celestia, we were worried it would be another month before y'all arrive. I'll go tell the boss your here, so just mozy on in and make yourself at home… ya'hear"

We then watched as the pegasus dashed away towards the big house.

Pyrope burst out laughing. "That fake accent will never stop being funny!"

"Let's just hope they don't all talk like that." I said as Slowtrot drove the Smuggler to the center of the farming settlement.

Rolling to a stop, I jumped out and took a better look around, seeing a gazebo which looked like it had been halfway through a repair. The exposed wood made it even more clear that it wasn't ancient scrap that had been scavenged from the wasteland, but actual fresh wood.

"Where in the fuck ya get fresh wood from?" I asked no pony in particular.

"Not from the NCR I can tell y'all that." Percussion Cap said from the porch of the bigger house. The older green unicorn smiled, pushing her long deep red mane out of her face before trotting over to us. Her steps had a unique clint sound to it due to her back legs being crude looking cybernetics. Flanking her were three rather large dogs, all Fillydelphia fighting dogs from the looks of it, which had boxy faces and were very muscular. As the wind blew, her duster flapped, revealing at least three pistols on each side of her body.

Her dogs then stopped and began to growl at me, and from behind, I could hear the distinctive rattling. "It's fine Cavall, here you can ride on my back." I said as I lowered myself, and felt my invisible nightstalker climb on, his tail still rattling.

PC whistled sharply, which got her dogs to stop and sit down. "Don't mind them, they only attack if I tell them too." She then looked at the gazebo and then back to me. "As for the wood, there's a logging settlement far north. I regularly send food shipments to them in exchange for their wood." She then motions to her house, "as you can see, it's been a good deal."

She then eyed me with suspicion, first on my clothes, and then past me and at the smuggler. "Okay, what kind of fucking brahman shit happened for y'all to join the Desperado's and to have Longside's wagon with their paint on it?"

Looking at the smuggler myself, which had a big flaming skull in a cowpony hat painted on either side. It was rather hard to miss. Same when for the three of us, as both Harp and I had the Desperado’s vest on for all to see, and Slowtrot had his under his tattered white overcoat.

"Things… didn't go well back in New Appaloosa." I told her.

PC's face didn't show any shock or surprise, and she didn't even sigh, only telling us, "alright, we can talk inside." And as she turned back to her home, she ordered the pegasus, "Dusty Wind, go help the stallions unload the guns."

Dusty Wind saluted and bolted towards Slowtrot and Pyrope.

Following PC, she stopped us at the door and pointed to a mat that said 'welcome' on it, "clean your hooves before taking one step in my home, we do a lot of work to keep everything clean."

Brushing the dust off my hooves and boots, I trotted in, and the smell of cooking food enveloped me. No smell of preservatives, chemicals, or other pollutants. Just normal fresh food.

Harp breathed in the air and let out a satisfied sigh. "Oh, is that a stew? But what's that salty smell… can't be radbore, can it?"

"Close, it's pig actually, straight up unmutated pig." PC said with an upbeat tone. "If you think brahman is the best, then you never had pork. As you've seen on your way in, we grow more than just corn here. It used to be just corn, but turns out growing only one kind of crop is bad for the soil. So now we rotate the fields out and raise livestock for the manure. The last few harvests have been quite spectacular."

It was clear on her face she took pride in her farm, and so far I was impressed by it.

"So you sell more than corn?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Sometimes we do, but most of it is for personal use." PC guided us further in, taking us to a spacious dining room. "Anyways y'all are lucky showing up right as you did. So take a seat at the table, otherwise you'll be sitting on the floor soon."

Trotting into the large and thick dining room table, it looked plain yet incredibly beautiful in its simplicity. Actually, everything in this house had a simple beauty to it that I've never seen before. Iron and glass lamps hung on brass hooks, pots made of clay with healthy shrubbery in them, and glossy frames holding photos and paintings decorated the walls, protected by pains of glass.

"Wait, I get the wood, but the glass and metal too?" I blurted out.

"I have just as many friends as I do enemies, and my friends are considerably more skilled." She told me as she took a seat. "Now care to tell me what the fuck happened after I left?"

Harp and I took our seats, but before we began to explain, a certain crab pony startled us. "I have much of it written down actually." Azure said as he took a seat, careful to not let his ridged tail knock anything over, and then pulled out a notebook.

In shock, PC fell out of her seat, and as she got back up, six different pistols levitated next to her, all pointed at Azure. "The fuck are you, and where'd ya come from?"

Right, there was a lot to explain.

She listened quietly as we gave her the cliff notes of what had happened between the time she was run out of town to the time we had to leave ourselves. Leaving out the unimportant parts that only now I felt ashamed of.

When we were done, PC pulled out a hip flask, and raised it to the air. "To Hardballer, may that old buzzed finally get to see his wife again." She then took a long swig of whatever booze was in it before putting it away. "But… I can't say I blame Ashy Oakes for losing it. That bitch should have retired long ago and be angry on some private plot of land."

I nodded. "Ya, I understand she didn't mean to kill Hardballer. But to then cover it up. So much for that justice of hers."

"If there was real justice out in the wasteland, Hardballer and I would have been killed for the shit that we did. But times were different back then, and so were the rules. Don't make it right, but that's how it just was. Something them folks hiding under the NCR don't seem to understand." PC said matter of factly.

I raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding, and Harp saw it.

"What Percussion means is that any kind of organization or government will make up excuses for their atrocities. Like how the NCRCF used us as slave labor despite being anti slavery, all under the excuse of correcting a prisoner's behavior." Harp explained.

"Right, or how the great fleets say they are saving souls by killing and tormenting non-believers." I added from my own upbringing. This time, PC raised an eyebrow, so I clarified. "I'm originally from a waterborne nation united by religion. My home, the Blackwater, was filled with rather fanatical believers."

PC rolled her eyes at that last part. "Cults are never fun to deal with. That aside, I'm at least glad you and the others are alright, though a shame about Prism. Didn't know the mare, but if she was willing to put up with you, she had to be quite the mother."

"If it wasn't for her, I'd likely be the pony that attacked Harp's family. No… I definitely would have been." I said bitterly as I remembered what Harp had told me about her run in with Black Spot and the Corps Brigade. Black Spot had only become Victoria's first mate because I had left with Prism.

It did pain me to know that my foalhood friend was dead, but it hadn't surprised me.

PC cleared her throat, defusing a bit of the tension. "Okay, there's clearly more going on with all y'all then I care to hear about. So let's just focus of the hear and now, such as where you're going next?"

"To kill my mothers murder." I grumbled.

Harp sighed. "We're helping the Desperado’s out in the north west with a war brewing out there, along with trying to get in contact with my father. There's, as you can guess, a lot going on. That's why we rather not drag anypony into our problem."

"Good, because my wasteland days are long behind me. And I would rather keep my kids safe from all that madness." PC said, then her eyes shifted and whispered. "Also, the west coast is a bit of a no go for me. Everytime I go there, somepony starts throwing megaspells around. Not saying I had anything to do with it, just that it happened."

Both Harp and I ran a hoof over our mouth as though zipping it shut.

"Hay Boss, take a look at this!" Dusty Wind called out as she entered the room and placed an odd looking service rifle on the table. The thing had a wire stock, a metal barrel shroud, and a magazine too thin to be 5.56. "Ain't these carbines awesome!"

"Carbines?" I asked, a bit confused by the odd looking service rifles.

"10mm carbines." PC said as she lifted the rifle in the red overglow of her horns magic. She looked the rifle over, moving parts and even taking it apart to look inside "Lots cheaper and easier to maintain than the 5.56 service rifle. Ammo's cheaper too, so less worry about not having any when we need it."

"It's also stamped instead of milled." Slowtrot said as he trotted in with Pyrope. "You know Hardballer would have made them more high quality if you asked for it."

PC shrugged as she put the carbine back together in one fluid motion. "I know, but that's not the point of these guns. They need to be light, cheap, and easy to use. Otherwise I can't arm all my farmhoofs and have extra guns to spare. Mostly because some of y'all need to practice at the range more often."

Dusty raised her hooves up defensively as PC eyed her. "S… sorry boss, I know I should be practicing my aim more, but I get distracted, you know." The accent dropped, revealing a central Grand Pegasus Enclave accent. Which was odd, as most of that remnant stayed far away from any wastelanders, unless they were out raiding them.

As Dusty quickly left, I had to ask. "How did one of them end up here?"

"Shit happens, and it's not an important story." The older mare said uncaringly. "Now are you just dropping the guns off and leaving, or planning to stick around?"

"We're actually meeting up with a few others here before moving on. Another Desperado and a merchant family." Harp explained.

"If I had to guess, It's Moody right?" PC asked, and Harp nodded. "I did let him know I was interested in parts for making a turret. So he's likely bringing that over."

"About that, the guns, and well, everything." I spoke up. "You're more locked and loaded then New Appaloosa, I can't be that dangerous out here?"

"Well up until recent months things had been quiet. Damn near exterminated all the feral ghouls in the valley years back, and raiders weren't really a problem due to almost nopony living out her." PC explained. "But I guess I'm a victim of my own success, and ponies started thinking the soil here is special, so over the last few years homesteaders have been trying to copy my success, and failing."

"And what, they became raiders?" Harp asked.

"Some, though they didn't live long enough to be a problem. I make sure to nip that problem in the flank whenever it appears." PC said as she levitated a revolver in the air. "No, the real problem came later. A fair few homesteaders ended up working for me, but most of the others sold themselves to Golden Harvest Farmers Union. That's when things went wrong."

A look of realization flashed across Harp's face. "Wait, a stallion by the name of Lean Year passed through the Ruffled Feathers. My memory is a bit hazy on it, but I think he was complaining about you."

PC clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Yep, that little rat bastard has been pestering my farm for the last year. Sending mercenaries to harass my farm hooves, or attempting to sabotage my equipment. Then trots up to me, demanding that I sell my farm to his family." The revolver in her magical grip spun before she made two shooting motions. "Shot his two bodyguards and told him I'll do the same to him that I did to his grand uncle. Fucking Harvesters."

"That sounds more personal than it should be." Slowtrot pointed out.

"Well it was all business at first, then Lean's bitch mother showed up and shit went south badly." PC then let out a chuckle. "Turns out her uncle was the bastard who tried to turn me into his special slave and killed my grandmother. He got his in the end, though Redeye made a big old stink over it, painting me as some mad raider to discourage a slave revolt. So she called me a psychotic murdering raider and I gave her a black eye, then a second when she wouldn't shut the fuck up." With a sigh, PC then relaxed. "Well now that it's personal, I know that those fuckers aren't going to just give up. But neither are we, and I've already made sure they're not making any money in this valley."

"And I still think burning down their Tato plantation was a bad idea Dear." A gray and black stallion with a scar above his muzzle trotted out, pushing a tray with a big steel pot on it. He was dressed rather oddly, as he has some tight fitting short shorts on, a frilly apron covered in hearts, and a big bushy mustache on his face. If he didn't then trot over and give PC a kiss, I would have mistaken him for a gay prostitute.

"An eye for an eye, they fuck with my fields, I burn theirs down." PC said defending herself.

He rolled his eyes. "And now we have a raider problem. Though thank Celestia they're far enough away to not bother us regularly." The stallion then turns to us and gave us a slight bow. "And where is my manners? I'm Caltrop, this grumpy mare's husband. It's a pleasure to have you with us, and fortunately I made plenty of food, so I do hope you'll stay for dinner."

"We would be glad to." Pyrope said as he took a seat. "I mean who wouldn't want a bowl of your pork vegetable stew."

I shrugged. "Can't argue with that, the smell alone is making my mouth water."

Caltrop smiled. "Good, then I'll set the table, and dear, can you call everypony in?"

PC holstered her revolver and got out of her seat. "Alright, I was about done with all the chit-chatting for today."

As the older mare left, her robotics back hooves tapping on the flood, I turned to him, another question burning in my mind. "How do you two even work as a couple?"

Caltrop chuckled, "let's just say I know how to treat a mare. And I have a thing for the strong type."

The dinner was absolutely fantastic, with pork becoming my new favorite meat. I mean brahman stake is the best, but pork was something else. Then add the fresh veggies, and I was sure that anywhere else this stew would have cost me half my pay, if not more. What amazed me even more was that there was plenty of stew for everypony, and then more for seconds. It was good to feel full again.

Then there was the odd collection of ponies, other than the pegasus, the rest were either Unicorns or Earth ponies of all sizes. Also a lot of foals. As it turned out there were five families working here alongside PC's, which explained how they were able to care for so many fields.

Cavall had also settled down, with the three large dogs now playing with the rattle pup, and now and then turning invisible to everypony's amusement.

The ponies here were more than happy to hear about the guns arriving, giving them some peace of mind over needing to protect themselves. Of which I could empathize with, since being able to properly defend yourself was rather important.

It was almost enough to help me forget my worries, but whenever I saw one of PC's daughters, I was reminded of my Bridget, and then I was back there. I rolling away on the smuggler as my daughter screamed to have me and take her with me.

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As things settled back down, my frustration returned, but instead of brooding about how much I fucked up and let my family down, I decided to get a bit of practice with my guns. PC fortunately had a small shooting range, and I felt it was best to do it now before everypony went to sleep.

Aiming down the sights of my Outlaw, its buttocks resting on my shoulder, I slowly pressed down on the hoof trigger, letting out a loud bang. The heavy custom made Griffinstone Typewriter had almost no recoil, just as it was designed for. Most SMG's were made lighter and smaller, which made sense, but it also made them hard to control. But this gun, it was a big and heavy fucker for an SMG.

My machine pistol was the opposite; light, small, and even with a recoil dampener built in it, the snake etched and painted pistol rarely shot straight. But that enchanted pistol only needed to hit its target once, and they'll be left poisoned. So spray and prey was the best way to go with it.

But the Outlaw, it was so overbuilt that I probably do just as much damage just bludgeoning a pony with it. Though I would never do something like that to it, that's what I had my cutlass for.

I let out a burst of its 10mm ammo, and it barely moved at all, even though I wasn't even using the hoof hold under its barral. Its heaviness was its own problem, but one I didn't mind, since I was strong enough for it, as I didn't way myself down with armor or more guns.

"Hardballer didn't just know how to make a good gun, but knew how to make it just right for the pony using it." Percussion Cap said as she trotted over. "Care if I give it a try."

Hoofing my SMG over, she giggled as she held it in her hooves. "Wow, this is fucking heavy." She then aimed down the range and let out a long burst, keeping full control over it. Once she was done she hoofed the Outlaw back to me. "Not bad at all, the slower rate of fire and the heaviness of the gun makes it super easy to control. Let me guess, you're a spray and pray mare, and this gun is made for laying down suppressing fire?"

"Pretty much." I said and then unloaded what was left in the magazine, tearing up an already ruined target. "Hardballer also chambered it in 10mm since there is so much of it out in the wasteland. So if I can't get in close with my sword, I can at least lay down a hail of lead."

"It's the right weapon for that job. Just like my carbines." She then pulled out a cigarette and offered me one. "You smoke?"

"When I was a teenagers, but mom made me quit when I got pregnant." I then took one and PC lit it for me before getting another stick for herself. "But that doesn't matter much now, does it?"

Letting the tobacco enter my lungs, I slowly exhaled as it helped me relax.

"You know I get what you're feeling, to lose an important pony in your life like that. That sense of loss, it never just goes away, only becomes more bearable over time." She told me, then took a long drag of her cigarette.

"I know all that. You're not the first to tell me." I told her, taking another drag before saying more. "No, it's just that… Well, while they were suffering, I was acting like my mother… my birth mother I mean. I whored around, only caring about myself as my daughter was all alone and scared, just like she did to me."

Puffing out a ring of smoke, PC let the moment linger, leaving me to wonder what brahmin shit advice she'd give me.

"By whoring around you don't actually mean whoring, right?" She then asks, causing me to choke on the smoke in my lungs.

'N… no, not fucking that at all." I said, then clarified. "After we broke out of that prison and killed the crazy Steel Ranger birch, I let myself cut loose. There were the two Zebra stallions, and the celebration after joining the Desperados where I took part in a contest of endurance."

"Stop!" PC raised her hoof up in annoyance. "Seriously, where was all this fucking shit when I was younger? Anyways, all this happened before you found out about your mother?" I nodded. "Well I can at least say this, there's a big difference between fucking around and knowing that your family is in trouble, and Fucking around and not knowing your family is in trouble."

"But I should have gone to them first! I should have at least checked up on them." I told her.

I then got a pat on the back. "Ya, and I shouldn't have become a bounty hunter for Redeye. Who knows, maybe Ashy Oakes could have stopped Redeye if I hadn't killed her husband, or any of those escaped slaves I scalped. But we'll never know now will we." She then finished off her cigarette and dropped it, stomping out the ember. "So just focus on what you can do now, and not what you could have done. Like me with my farm and family."

"And your team of kids." I said, attempting to crack a joke.

"Oh ya, Caltrop may be an idiot, but damn is he good in bed." PC said with a chuckle.

I was feeling a bit less depressed now, but only a bit. I still wanted to go back to New Appaloosa and hold my darling Bridget. Tell her that everything is fine and mama is here for her. But I knew that would only end with me being hung till dead. I couldn't let that happen, Bridget already lost both her grandfather and grandmother. I couldn't have her lose me as well, not like that.

Taking a deep breath, and forcing a smile, I tapped on my pipbuck. "Say Percussion, you want to see the video of me with those two Zebras, I got it right here."

PC looked at me like I was crazy, but then smiled. "Ya know what, I've always wondered how much alike a Zebra is to us ponies."

It was only an act, pretending that I felt better, but just pretending to be okay helped me feel that I was okay, if only by a little.

"Well ain't they a fine cut of meat." PC commented with a laugh as the video played.

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