Spring turned around to see the stallion next to him, tipping his hat in respect. For the first time in a while, she smiled at another. "By all means stranger...." The Ghoulmare responded in her typical ghoul voice. Despite her voice sounding like she was swallowing a bucket load of gravel, her voice could have always sounded worse. By a Ghoul's standards, it wasn't that bad. By the time she finished her sentence, her order of a short glass of water came. Her food would not be arriving for a while, and so decided to listen to what the stranger had to say.
Sunlit smiled in return and sat next the ghoulmare, "Sunlit "Daring" Firewood is the name! I'm an adventurer, explorer, enemy to raiders, and friend to all innocents! Though some might try to disagree with that, I do my best." Sunlit looked to the bartender, "Two shots of whiskey please!" Which he quickly received and payed five caps for, "So. Who are you, partner?
“Spring Heart is the name. Local Ghoulmare and an old wastelander trying to make it somewhere in the new world. When I was younger, I tried to find something that would make me belong. I was your typical Mercenary and Caravan guard, but I did enjoy being a Courier at one point. All of them were fun, but I have decided to grow in peace with the idea of growing old. That was over 90 years ago, if I recall correctly. Anyway, pleasure to meet you.” The ghoulmare replied. She looked over at the two wastelanders and chuckled slightly. “I deal with this a lot due to me being a ghoul, why can’t they just learn to know somebody on the inside rather than the outside. At least they didn’t call me a zombie.” (She's like a female Raul and Beatrix (Ghoul in Old Mormon Fort). Would have based her on Argyle, but since read along the posts that there was another ghoul that traveled with Firewood.)
Sunlit chuckled and swallowed down his whiskey quickly before looking down at the counter, and then said with a small smile, "sounds like you've had quite the adventurous life in your time as a Ghoul then! Could handle yourself in a fight I would bet." Then he turned towards Spring, "But...If you don't mind me asking...How about your life...Before the Last Day? What was that like? Living before this hell?"
"Well...” Spring began. "I have to admit that the world before the war was something wastelands would consider a utopia, but in reality it was quite beautiful. Civilization was getting somewhere right until the bombs fell, the impossible were becoming reality, harmony and friendship reigning as kings and the world ushered a new era of peace before the Zebra began the massacres...." Spring concluded the last statement sadly. "About myself, I'm well.....very very old. Well over 250 years old. I remember this town being built, alongside several other settlements. I survived the megaspells in Fillydelphia, and because of that I considered myself the luckiest pony in the world.” Spring said. “And since then, I’ve been trying to make a living in this world. Many talents I now have come from just over two lifetimes of experience."
Sunlit nodded, obviously impressed, before putting a hoof on Spring's shoulder, "And that! Is why I respect ghouls! You are the true experts of survival in this place!" He then downed his second whiskey then looked to Spring, "And, I must say, you do seem to have retained a good amount of your past self's looks, if I do say so myself! You don't have the...rotting flesh problem as bad as some ghouls do...In fact, you look almost like you were ghoulified yesterday, not 200 years ago!"
“That’s really nice of you to say. It’s good that there are still some good ponies in this world; you just never really know what they look like.” Spring said, her flake like coat hiding the evidence that she had was slightly blushing. Eventually, her meal arrived, a small bowl of this Oatmeal like substance. “It’s quite a pity some don’t see Ghouls for whom they are, despite the persecution we get from norms. Fortunately for us, we’re starting to become welcomed in some societies. Not all, but some. We’re on a good path....” she said before taking a spoon and taking the first bite of the meal.
Sunlit watched Spring inquisitively, waiting patiently for her to chew and swallow before continuing, "Well, I think DJ Pon-3 might be a part of the reason of that. Well, that and ponies such as myself fighting for ghoul acceptance." He have a small chuckle then looked over his shoulder twice before leaning over and whispering to Spring, "I happen to know that there is a city of ghouls in the Canterlot Ruins. Right on Ministry Row. Once tried my luck surviving Canterlot after a heavy rain, and I had the good fortune to run the ghouls living in one of the Ministries as the Cloud recovered. Was stuck there for nearly 6 months...well, I wouldn't necassarily stuck, I'll more call it a voluntary stay to learn about ghouls more. I met probably my best companion I've ever had the good fortune of knowing. His name was Rain Dusk, and he only left my side when I introduced him to his current with, a nice little ghoulette by the name of Dawn Shimmers, from what I hear, they still are together..." He said with a small smile, before looking at Spring, "Honestly. Those 6 months were the best of my life. Call me strange, but I find ghouls much more pleasant company than many regular ponies." He said, thinking to himself 'better company in more ways than one...', and very nearly blushing right in front of Spring.
Spring laughed slightly before smiling at Sunlit. “It’s surprising what Ghoul’s can know sometimes.” She replied before taking another mouthful of her meal, the substance going down easily like a liquid. “I used to vacation in Canterlot before the Last Day. I’ve been to the ghoul city, lived there for a few weeks before I came back here. Believe it or not, I remember seeing Princess Luna from the crowd as she delivered what is now a very famous war-time speech. The speech was focused on the good of ponydom and its progress as a race, not about sending them to their deaths and tyranny. I was not very old, just after my graduation from University. Beautiful stuff, might cheer up a few ponies in society nowadays. Might even save lives...”
Sunlit simply chuckled at that statement, "I find that doubtable. Red-Eye makes speeches all the time, doesn't make a bit of difference, now does it?" He sighed and shook his head, "Nothing but time will heal the wounds the Last Day wrought on our world." He said simply before decided to get to the chase, "Hm...Spring, do you ever miss adventuring across the wasteland?"
"I sometimes miss wandering around the wasteland, but I also like the peace that remaining in a home has brought across." Spring replied. "What are you proposing?"
"To be Frank and cut straight to the point..."Sunlit started, "I want you to accompany me on my adventures. Whether you say yes or no doesn't matter, all I ask, is you give it some thought, and go on at least one with me." Sunlit gingerly put a hoof on Spring's, "I could use your skills, Spring. Together, we can become famous across the Wasteland! I just know it!" He said, passion for what he was talking about perminating his voice, "Come on, give a lonely adventurer a friend and companion whom he can trust."
Spring hesitated for a moment, staring Sunlit directly in his eyes before smiling and finishing off the very last spoonful of her meal. She then stood up and performed a small curtsey towards the stranger. "I would like that very much. Count me in, partner."
Sunlit smiled brightly at Spring, "You will? Great! Welcome aboard!" He said happily, ignoring the weirded out expressions on the faces of other ponies, "And I've got just the place in mind to warm you up and see how your skills are doing, in the meantime, let's get you some weapons and armor!"
Spring then brushed some dirt of her clothing before smiling. "Lead the way." As she was walking out, the two ponies from before just gave her a cold heartless stare, while some of the others resumed back to their drunken squander and laughter. All Spring wore was a yellow sweater which the colour had faded out from throughout the years. In her own casual appearance, she did not look like a whirlwind of death. She would have lost some of her talent in combat, but would quickly regain her abilities once she began to practice. She always had been a swift learner. She already had a long barreled revolver at home that sat underneath a treasure from her days as a wanderer. Seemingly in perfect condition, snakeskin grip that replaced the once rubber handle. What made the gun different was an improvised scope that could be attached on and off, and the beautiful engraving of a mare resembling Celestia on the barrel.. Once thing was for certain. If the weapon were to ever be sold, it was sell for a small fortune. "I have a gun, a very powerful one infact. But my former armor was destroyed after a run in with Slavers about a hundred years ago. I can go fetch "her" if you want, my home is literally just over there" she said pointing at the house at the end of the street. "Just give me a minute." Spring said before walking off.
Sunlit nodded, "Alright, you go ahead and take care of any final preparations you need, I'm going to go buy some ammo and I'll meet you on the hill outside of town. We should be able to see the place I have in mind there." He said, before tossing Spring some caps, "So you can buy yourself some armor of course!" He added before trotting away. (time skip?$
Sunlit looked out across the dreary, orange-tinted, cloud-covered Wasteland from the top of the hill he had mentioned to Spring, looking specifically at a group of ruined buildings below, "Twisted Knee Complex..." He muttered to himself. Twisted Knee was "famous" for the raider base it was, rumored to be around 60-100 raiders in one, one of the largest concentrations of raiders in the wasteland. But he knew that, despite being based in one of the largest military complexes in Equestria, they were very under-supplied, and their numbers made them lax on patrols, after all, he had spent the previous night there scoping it out. He had found that(courtesy of some terminals), when the Last day occurred, the personnel there had fled into a safe room, well, technically the armory, and the door sealed shut behind them. He just needed to crack that lock, but to do it, he needed Pre-war know-how, and that could only be found in Ghouls, in Spring in this case...
Spring followed closely after Sunlit now dressed in her new black dark grey armour (Think of an armoured vault suit without any of the vault decal’s). She preferred no headgear other than a face wrap in the same to shield it from the elements. Lastly, she wore some sunnies to help her with the environmental effect, and to prevent bugs from entering her eyes if she was running. At her side was her shining silver revolver and a silenced 10mm pistol. There was one huge drawback on her seemingly perfect revolver, you could hear a shot from a city block away. The weapon was considered a last resort due to that noise and is an awful stealth weapon, but it’s lethality made up for that weakness if used by the correct pony and going in “guns blazing.” “I’ve heard about this place” The ghoul began. “Bad place to get stuck inside, trust me on that fact.” Spring said before taking a pair of binoculars and looking at the raiders below. “What we thinking of doin?”
"Very simple." Sunlit said, "We go sneaking in, access the armory, re-equip with the heavy weaponry inside, blast our way out of there." He got up and looked at Spring, "You have to unlock the armory. I have figured out that it takes Pre-War knowledge to open it, even if you don't know much about the tech, it should be enough to open it." he said simply, "But for now, we need to wait for the cover of darkness..."
