The hunt for Waldo

As Sky opened the door, she was greeted by a flood of sights, sounds and smells. Ponies dealing stud, their cigars burning as they bit down and bluffed. Ponies who smelt of sorrow, drinking away their despair. Ponies enjoying the music of an overworked piano. But our protagonist did not come for the fast hands of poker, the overpriced and deluded beverages, no... Our protagonist came for a job, and their employer, known only as Mr. Red, wore a rose on his lapel and sat with his back to the wall, watching.

Sparkfire shook his head, "perhaps he should start writing this stuff down, who knows... somepony might buy it." he thought to himself.

With that he followed her in, careful not to challenge anypony by meeting their eyes.

Sky only chuckled at the remark Spark made, they should write a book about the stuff. But with that aside, she looked around the saloon. Careful not to look at ponies in the eyes, but she was spark and he can protect her form any ponies dumb enough to fight her and SparkFire. "Yeah we should," Sky responded, walking towards the pony known as Mr. Red at the side of the saloon.

"You Mr. Red." Sky said to the pony with red rose on his lapel.

"Ahh Sky, sky Blue, your even more beautiful then I imagined when I heard about you. the red tinted albino purred. Looking over to her companions. "and you even managed to tame a dragon, give a wonder purpose. Should I be worried about you my dear." he continued to tease. 

Sparkfire just growled. He did not like this colt, but why? Sure he was coming onto her but what did he care... He was looking for Faith and she was along for the ride... Right? He shook his head, keeping a fly from landing. It must be that he is just a slime ball... That must be it.  

Without missing a beat, and ignoring the dragon, he went to business. "I hear you your looking for work, and if your earth pony friend over there is quick with his wits and you can keep your dragon undercontrol and mindful of his place, I'm sure you'll just do fine. "

Waiting for the nods, he continued in a darker tone, "Now this is going to be a simple smash and grab. Only you will be smashing a safe house and grabing an earth pony, rather then jewls. My offer is four hundred caps. I want this earth pony alive and in one peice." he finished comptemtively towards the dragon.  

Sparkfire bit his tongue, it was up to Sky. 

Sky only blushed at the words of Mr. Red, But when the words went to her taming a dragon. That didn't go well with Sky, Spark was her friend after all. Even if he did escape from Stableton, But dam it he was still a friend. But he let the Red albino finish his words, offering only 400 caps for this little mission. She had to get a little more caps for this, seemed appropriate enough after the dragon tame thing.

"First of all, That Dragon has a name, and his name is spark, he is my friend. And He came with on his own will, Second. four hundred caps seem a little low for my tastes, make it five hundred caps and you got a deal." Sky said with a grin, hoping to get the required amount of caps for the job. She didn't know why she defended the dragon, was it simply because he was in her group. Or perhaps because of some other purpose? Sky didn't know she just did what she did.

"Your in luck, I happen to like my mares to have a little fight in them as well as those that are loyal to their team. Proves they won't sell out for little favors or to make nice with the boss. Means your also honest. Something I can appreciate.  You caught my eye Blue, now I'll trade you for 100 more caps for it. "he replied with a grin.  

Sparkfire wanted to whimper and apologize for Sky, but when the albino seemed pleased it really threw him for a loop. He was quite pleased that Sky had stuck up for him. He would have to Thank her for that.

After the hoofshake, he unfurls a map from his bag, and gives a rough loacation on where to start. "remember he comes back alive dra... Spark. But anyone else. I could care less for."

Sky only smiled at the answer she got from Mr. Red, She got the extra caps and probably got Sparkfires respect from this. Even though they were together for a while, This was her chance to get him as friend. Even though she already considered him a friend, but what about in his eyes. Is she friend in his eyes, only time will tell while they do this bounty.

Sky checked her pipbuck and uploaded the location with a marker on her pipbuck map, Since he didn't have the approximate location. A guess will suffice for now, as the location will pop up on her pipbuck when she nears the place. "Then i guess we are done here, Come on spark lets go bag us a bounty." Sky told the big dragon that followed her inside the saloon, as they exited to the saloon.

Blazen waited for them outside the place, even from out here he could feel disgusted by the place. Although he did drink from time to time, this place smelled so bad, it smelled worse then the saloon in Stableton. So much worse, and his instincts told him to get away from the place and just look around, so he did just that. He found a small pile of paper and junk, taking a small scrap of metal for later, and in the pile he found a single, pristine red cowpony hat. He put it on him, and in some way he felt a little better. He shrugged, but also noticed a bullet hole. He shook his head, it could be fixed later with some cloth. He approached the dragon and pegasus, and he had a small amount of guilt overcome him. Jack helped him a bit, but it felt wrong promising to do something then dont do it the other day and send a pegasus to do it. He shook his head, and looked at the two. "So, hows it going so far?"

Sparkfire smiled and said, "Great! Sky even got us an extra hundred caps for the job. " he tilted his head to Sky, "I just wanted to thank you for what you did back there, it means a lot to me. "

Turning back to Blazen, "Anyway the job is a smash and grab, probably some customer of his that did not pay for service rendered, but that's not our problem. The target will probably not be alone or has some sort of protection. What do you think sky?"

Sky also smiled like Spark, "No problem, Your a friend Spark. I wont anyone talk over them," Sky said to Sparkfire, Out side they were met with Blazen. She remembered him from the other job of before, after they kicked him out of the group. But now today was a different day and Sky was more than happy to have more than one friend on this job, She turned back to spark who answered Blazen's question. "Most likely he will have some form of protection, But they shouldn't be to much of a bother. If more probably just some mercs who will have a bad day, when we arrive." Sky grinned at the dragon and at blaze, for this job would be an easy one.

Sparkfire chuckled to the pegasus, then asked, "So did you get an approximate location, or do we need to gather some info, crack some skulls and scare some friends of his...?"

Remembering that not everyone comes stock with a flamethrower and razor sharp claws, "Before we forget, how are we on weapons and ammo, do we have enough? I may be tough but if his protection is packing high caliber munition or grenades, we are in for some trouble..."

Sky looked at the dragon, he was a cool dragon and a friend. One she wouldn't want to mess with, "Yeah i got more or less a location of where he is, since we don't know anyone he may associated with." Sky said with an uneven tone and she heard, "You may be right about who his protection, since we don't know who they are, they might pack some heavy firepower. And with me i got a 10mm SMG with enough ammo to give away, a lever action shotgun with just enough ammo to spare, a 10mm pistol, spiked hooves, and a over sized wrench. although i could go for a rifle, when and if i come across one." Sky finished with a smile, "And what about you Blazen, you got enough weapons and ammo to go on this smash and grab?" Sky turned and asked Blazen.

"I only have a 357, unfortunately. On my travels i haven't been able to find a better weapon other then this special wrench i have in my saddlebags." He wasn't exactly great in one on one combat, but he could hold himself with a gun. He knew much about guns, and he could go on for hours in a conversation about guns. He even knows how to repair such a thing, and to disassemble it and to reassemble it. He shook his head, getting out of his head for a moment. "I dont have much ammo for it, and my 9mm is out of ammo, so im probably going to have to rely on my wrench i guess."

Sky heard what type of weapons and ammo Blazen had, he seemed to be worse off than her. She knew Spark can take of himself in close quarters and his armor is enough to stop low caliber weapons, maybe even high caliber. She didn't know, she didn't have dragon scales of her own. "Yeah your going to need some ammo or some new weapons, if I remember right there a store around here that sells weapons and supplies. I know cause the pony that owns the store is a ghoul, some crazy feature I remember." Sky said to blazen as he was Ill equipped to handle what ever protection Waldo had, let alone even some wasteland creatures.

"Well while blazen is shopping, I'm going to see about doing a little hunting and we . I feel kinda peckish and don't want to drain our caps on food if I could help it. How about we meet back here by sundown?"

"Yeah that sounds like a plan, sundown it is." Sky said to both spark and Blazen, "Hey Blazen lets go to the local store and find some new weapons. Well be right back Spark." Sky finished and trotted along to 'Absolutely Everything' Appleloosa's store of everything.

Sky trotted in to the store, to see a ghoul pegasus behind the counter. Sky was still a little freaked when she saw her, even last time she was here. "Hello, I would like to see if you have any guns for sale." Sky said to the ghoul Pegasus, a little uneven.

(Buying guns: Barter 17, Caps 300)

(Selling Weapons: Spiked hooves never used, wrench, plasma pistol never used)

Blaze followed Sky, looking up at his fedora and bumping into the populace from time to time accidentally. His thoughts weren't of his girlfriend anymore, it wasn't even of a gun like he usually thinks. He kept thinking about having to travel alone on the road. That option he really didn't like, he'd like to be with someone on the road. A friend, at least. He kept thinking, looking around and not caring where he went for a moment, and bumped into the side of the door of the 'Absolutely Everything' store. He shook his head, getting back on to the task at hand, and went inside the store. "Right...caps." He muttered, and pulled out a pouch inside his saddlebags. It contained the caps, approximately 300. "300 caps."

Absolutely Everything Gun Department Inventory-

1x Silenced .22 Pistol Base Value: 80
3x 9mm Smg Base Value: 850
4x Varmit Rifle Base Value: 85
4x Single Shotgun Base Value: 175
1x Plasma Pistol Base Value: 200

7x .22LR Round Base Value: 1
4x 9mm Hollow Point Round Base Value: 2
1x 5.56mm Round Base Value: 2
6x 20 Gauge Shotgun Shell Base Value: 1
3x Spark Battery

Sky offers up to 315 in trade value for the items. The Wrench is not of interest.

Sky checked out Derpy's inventory, there was nothing she could get out of here. And her weapons were just to valuable to pay sell, Sky thought about it for a moment. She didn't want to sell her stuff for that low of a price, Looks like she is going to lend Blazen her pistol for today. Not really much to buy and she probably couldn't even get her to show a more secret stash of weapons, maybe some health potions will be a better buy.

(Buying medical supplies, Barter 17, Caps 300)

Blazen decided to chip in whatever caps he had for medical supplies.

(Chipping in caps for medical supplies. Barter 16, caps 300)

Sky thought about the using Blazens caps and her own, no way right now. This was her own 300 caps, she didn't have much to start with anyways. Ans maybe Blazen wouldn't be right for this job after all, He would be killed when something went wrong. She thought about it and she sighed, "Blazen, stay here in Appleloosa. Me and Spark will go on ahead with this mission, you stay and look around if you want." She said to the brown earth pony, she knew he would a bit disappointed. This is to save his life, even if he was angry with her. She wouldn't care, she wasn't going to let him die in the wastes.

Sky trotted out of 'Absolutely everything' leaving Blaze in the store, She sighed as she walked back to meet up with Spark. Blaze was hopeless out there, no ammo or decent weapons. He aint going to survive out there and im not going to save him if he got hurt, This was for his own good.

Sundown soon arrived as Sparkfire walked back to the meeting spot, his pupils slowly adjusting to the lack of light. As long as nopony ruined it by shining a light into his eyes. He should be able to see where he was going. 

He saw Sky waiting patiently, she must have finished with her errands, but where's that other pony?

"Hey Sky, are we missing somepony?" he blurted out what was bugging him. 

Sky waited for the dragon at the spot they would meet, occasionally ruffled her mane when it was pushed in the wind. Sun came down and the SparkFire was back, she knew he was a good dragon. She was a Pegasus after all, She knew when somepony or somedragon was loyal. And she herself was loyal to be with him, besides, she needed to go and clear her mind from stableton.

"Hey Sky, are we missing somepony?" Spark asked her.

Sky looked towards Sparks direction, "He wasn't prepared to fight even a radhog, Told him to go home Cause if he came with us. He might die and might not be able to do anything to save him, only got some health potions for a small mission and enough Med-x. But he wasn't prepared for this, I sent him home. But now that we are together we might want to head out now,If your okay with that." Sky asked the Dragon her question, as she stood their to hear his answer.

Sparkfire had that sneaking suspicion that Blaze might had been a little wet behind the ears, but just couldn't say no to that face. He was glad that Sky was stronger in that area and safely sent him home.... "Maybe next time good buddy..." He whispered under his breath.

"That is fine with me, you'll have to lead as you have the directions and you will have to keep that pip-thing's light of yours off though, don't want to give ourselves away."

Noticing that there wasn't any pony out in the streets, he began to get a little nervous. "Hey Sky, I think we better head out now, I think I have overstayed my welcome for the week." he said cautiously.

Sky nodded at Sparkfire about to go in the cover of night and her turning off her pipbuck light off, yeah might be a good idea. She fiddled with her pipbuck map feature, she had a sense of which direction to go. "Yeah your right, i should turn it off." She turned her pipbuck off and ready to go off into the direction of the shack, until she noticed the streets almost surprisingly empty. "Yeah I think we did, lets find the first way out of this town." Sky said to the dragon as she trotted off a little quick, ready for anypony to jump out and attack her and Spark.

Sparkfire lifted the pony off the ground, onto his back with his head and blasted the ground with his wings. Not exactly graceful, but it got him and sky into the air and out of the town in a short amount of time.

He could feel the Pegasus pony cling to him, he only smiled, bemused, " What?! I thought you wanted to get out of that town? Now am I flying the right direction?"