On the Hunt [Kira][Merle]

The sun rose and shined through the window onto Storm Ray's face. He rubbed his eyes and rolled to face the wall, throwing the sheets over his head. However, in the slight consciousness he now possessed, a reminder passed through his head. He had to get up early and get a new rifle, lest he not be able to hunt, then he and Kira would have no food and no caps!

He groaned, and threw the sheets off his body, letting them collapse to the floor. He rolled over, and let his legs off the side of the bed and onto the floor. He yawned, stretched his wings and arms, then rubbed his eyes with both claws. It was going to be a long day. Longer than the day before.

He stood, and wandered groggily into the small, three room shack he shared with his best friend from Stable 113, Kira. He popped open the grimy fridge, and retrieved the Sparkle Cola he had been saving for just such a moment where caffeine would be in dire need. He would have to make it a priority to find more, now. Regardless of that, he popped the cap off, tossed it in a small box with other caps, and proceeded towards Kira's door.

"Kira!" he called. "Get up, we gotta get going early, remember?" He looked around for a moment, then turned back to face the closed bedroom door. He took another sip of his soda. "Where did you put the rifle? I cant find it."

There were a muffled sound coming from out Kira's that she could not really put her claw on. A tired grunt could be heard for her room as she turned around in her bed trying to ignore the sound and get back to sleep, why had she been up all night again? Finally as she could clearly hear Storm as here something about a rifle she open her eyes staring in to the wall opposite the door.

"Rifle? what?" She asked and could taste a foul after taste in her mouth, right now she remembered what happen last night. The empty bear bottles around her room made it look even more like a balefire bomb had hit then usual. She finally rolled over to her legs with the clear sound of empty bottles hitting each other making the very distinct sound.

"Rifle, right think it is in the kitchen." She called out through the door as she stared to gather her thoughts, why would Storm be asking about the rifle? "Shit!" she shouted. "Was that to day?" She stretched her arms and then her wings felling the slight pain in here left wing as she did so, even after all this time since the stable she still had pain in her wing. Finally she stared to put on her old stable barding, there was something with it that she just liked, as left her room to join Storm.

"Kitchen?" Storm thought. "Ah yeah! The kitchen," he hollered, turning in place and wandering back in. He looked around, it wasn't anywhere in the open. He peeked in the old, rotting out cabinets, on top of the fridge, behind it, inside it- everywhere. No rifle. But wait, there was one place he hadn't checked. He popped the oven open, and behold. One Varmint rifle. In poor condition, duct taped together in many places, and old belt holding the barrel onto the stock. In fact, that was the belt from Storm's old stable jumpsuit.

He grunted, and retrieved it. "Typical," he murmured as he slung it around his shoulder by the strap, then proceeded back into the living area.

"You know, you probably shouldn't keep things that hold bullets in a warm place like, say... the oven? Yeah, could be bad." He watched her walk out to him, dressed in her Stable 113 barding still, her room filled with empty beer bottles. He didn't do much other than blink and smile at her.

"Drank too much last night again, didn't you? How long were you up before you fell asleep this time? Oh, and nice barding, by the way," he said, taking another sip of his soda, then holding out to Kira, offering a sip.

"What? Since when did we used the oven?" She said with a smile. She didn't remember leaving it there but that old thing had started to turn up all over the place, it was just a couple of days ago they had found it inside the fridge and before that in the sealing fan.

Kira moved here wings some to get the suit fit around her wings making a small paint sound as the pain in her wing would just not let go today. "I don't really know, I think I came home about 2 last night but I don't remember going to sleep." She said as she took a sip from the soda washing away the some of the foul taste in her mouth and clearing up some of the fog in her head.

"I never understand why you don't use your old barding." She said with a smile taking another sip from the Sparkle Cola before returning it to Storm. "So?" she asked. "Where are we going to hunt? Haven't heard about any good hunting grounds around?" She walked over the kitchen opening the fridge to get something to eat only to find a empty box of of apple bombs in there and noting ells. "You know we are out of food right?"

"Kira, we went over this before... I don't wear my barding because it makes me a target. I'm already enough of a target as is with a bright green head! I don't need the number '113' on my back so every raider thinks I'm easy pickin's." Storm stepped forward and placed a hand on Kira's shoulder.

"But for you, I know that's just a challenge." He chuckled. "Just don't get hurt, okay? I need you." Storm took his bottle back, and then proceeded toward the door.

"Oh, and Kira, you forgetting something? We have to go by the shop today and see if we can get a new rifle. We don't have enough caps left for something good, but I've scavenged enough parts to keep this one together since the day we got it."

Storm took the strap of the rifle in his hand, and held it out, allowing gravity to pull the stock apart, letting half of it dangle by a strip of duct tape.

"Remember this? We can't use it like this, it needs to be replaced. Besides, we're practically out of ammo for it, anyway. Do me a favor while you're in there and swipe that box with the caps in it for me. You know, the one by the fridge," Storm said as he rolled an old tire out of the way and opened the front door.

"I can't help that stable-tech knew how to make conformable barding and it helps that it is somewhat stylish." She smiled as closed the old fridge and took down the small box they used to save up some of their bottle caps they made for various jobs. It did feel as heavy as she had hoped perhaps it was a bit to much to hope for a gun that actually were to half broken, which reminder her.

"Hey!" she called to Storm as she walked after him with the box under her wing. "Don't blame my repairs, with out it that rifle would have given up long ago." It was true that she really tried to keep it working for a little longer but who knew how long it would hold, and the wasteland were not a good place for your gun to brake down. Of course knowing her the gun would probably explode in her face at the worst time.

When Kira got over to him she handed over the box to him know that Storm was just much better then her when it came to caps most merchants just laughed in her face and raised the prize.

"Have you hear if they got any new stuff in the store? I think they was almost out of ammo last time I was there." She followed him down the street from there home that lead to the store. "But I think they did just not what to sell to me, only because I dropped the stock in the water plant." She still did really know how she got the stock over to the other side of Stableton but it had still happened.

Storm chuckled, taking the box of caps under his wing as they walked along. "I didn't say anything about your repairs. You did good; I was just saying that scavenged parts can only go so far before you have a gun that's essentially junk duct taped together," he said, holding the gun up again and letting the broken stock dangle some more. "I honestly don't think one part on this gun is original." He looked closer. "Oh, wait... the trigger is original... Huh, that's cool how that never broke," he commented, tossing it back over his shoulder.

"I went to the shop the other day and tried to get more ammo, but some hotshot had just rolled through and set loose with the caps; took all of it. All of it. There wasn't even a BB sitting around. Strange. Anyway, hopefully they'll have some today, or at least a new weapon... Otherwise we may end up tossing rocks at rad roaches." Storm really didn't want that to happen... Rad roach meat tasted horrible, and it didn't fetch much profit in the slightest. Oh well, the shop was just around the corner, hopefully there would be something useful.

Kira cached the trigger in mid air and looked over it, true to his word it was actually in really good condition. She pocked it quickly in one of her barding pockets, who knew it could come in handy at some point.

"All of it? Why would anyone need that much, could you even carry that much?" She could picture her self some kind of super pony with a huge pile of ammo and weapons, it was actually a kind of scary picture and some what surreal but still really impressive someone had the caps for it. "And even the BB round, yes that is strange."
They came up to the shop a building not much different then the others of the town but just a bit bigger.

Merle walked into the shop, looking around to see if anything helpful was lying out in the open. Nothing caught his eye, at least on a quick glance, so he turned to the mare behind the counter.

"Do you have anything I could use to fence off the garden? Sheets of metal or anything? Evidently whatever's getting in can climb the wood, and I'd like to be able to figure out how well the plants grow without having to guess at what gets eaten. Or at least have more in there than a trampled square of dirt and a few roots they didn't want."

"Again? If you keep feeding them, they'll keep coming back, you know. Feel free to look around the back if you want, but I think most of the large sheets were used on the buildings."

"Yeah, I remember that." The griffon, almost unconsciously, rotated his shoulders. "My wings were sore for a week after shuttling them to the roofs after that last storm. I still can't believe how quickly you got the town together. Anyway, I'll let you know if I find anything out there."

The mare smiled, turning to the door as it opened again. "Well, I hope you find some way of keeping those critters out! If you can get anything to grow, it's going to be nice for all of us."

"Yeah... it was strange. Maybe it was multiple ponies. Had to be. I just hope we don't come across them ever, could be unhealthy."

~
The two arrived at the tiny shop. It was an old building which appeared to be a shop of some kind before the war, even. The holes in the walls were built back up with sheet metal, and the windows boarded over, but with gaps wide enough for customers to still see in; just not break in.

They entered. Inside the walls were lined in all sorts of junk and nick-nacks. A whole wall of weapons, even, right behind the counter where the shop keep stood. Storm noted the mare behind the counter mention something about critters, and keeping them out.

"Critters?" he wondered. "Where? I'm looking for some to hun--" Storm turned, and spotted Merle. He blinked, and his mouth hung open a bit. It was him! That was the griffon Storm had always had a crush on in the stable. He remembered the bullying he had received when somepony had found him out.

They took a paper he had drawn all over, like a school girl in love, out of the trash can after he had thrown it away. A page filled with drawings of hearts with Merle's name in them. Sketches of griffons holding hands. He had always continued to like him, even after all the bullying, and the knowing he probably hated him after finding out.

Storm blushed some, and tried to smile. He was too embarrassed to speak. He simply lowered his head, and turned to face the mare, and placed the trashed weapon on the counter in front of her. The action causing the broken half of the stock to come off, duct tape and all, and skid off the counter off to the side..

"Um... I, uh..." He cleared his throat, not sure how to keep his mind clear now. He was just praying that Merle didn't recognize him. He would hate to continue being bullied after escaping the stable.

Merle turned to see what had made whoever it was stop, and felt his own mind go blank. "Storm?" It sure looked like the griffon that ponies said had a crush on him, back when they were in the same class. That was almost four years ago now, and Merle hadn't seen him for the last couple, but it seemed like Storm Ray might still feel the same way about him. Either that, or he was scared of the larger griffon.

"N-nice to see you got out safely!" Merle paused to try to get his thoughts back together. "I've been trying to get some food to grow out here, but the wildlife seems to think it's an invitation to a feast. You say you're hunting now? I wonder if you'd be able to get whatever it is to stop coming back—if you wouldn't mind, that is."

Storm slowly turned his head back to face Merle, a strong blush on his face still. He could hardly look at him. "I, um..." he peeped. He always acted like this around his crushes. He was just really shy around them. Anypony or griffon or any other male creature in the world he could talk to, but some griffon he liked? No way.

"Um... Yeah, I... I hunt. For food. I, uh..." Storm blushed more, and hid his face behind one of his wings, letting out a shy squeal.

All right, so it was the first. Merle smiled gently, feeling more relieved than he should have been, and lowered his voice slightly. "Sounds like you'd get to see some interesting animals, if what I've seen is any indication. Got any favorites? I mean, food or looks. Though that last one doesn't seem too common out here." His beak clicked as he stopped himself. Why was he babbling like that? "Sorry. Were you looking for anything in here?"

Storm peeked out from behind his wing. "I, well, um... I like, radhog... Is okay, I guess... Um... I'm looking for... A new g-gun." He stopped, and let out a sigh. He was being pathetic, just embarrassing himself. He lowered his wing, and revealed himself and his blushing face. He looked down to the ground as he spoke.

"I, um... I guess you recognized me, didn't you..." He shrugged a bit. "I- I- I... You made it. Out of the stable, I mean... H-how have you b-been?" he stammered, continuing to look down and blush, his eyes bobbing up occasionally to see Merle's reactions.

Merle stepped back, giving Storm more room to look at the weapons if he wanted to. "Not bad, recently. Got a job in maintenance, learned some of the hidden passages, and managed to get out of the stable with no greater damage than a broken Pipbuck." He held up the device, illustrating his point with its static-filled screen, though he wasn't sure if the other griffon saw it.

"I didn't realize just how ponies out here act until I ran into a group of raiders or something a few days after I that. That wasn't overly fun, but I got away and managed to stay hidden until they gave up looking for me. When I found Stableton—well, it's safe and I knew some of the people already." He shrugged, smiling. "I started fixing things while I healed, and before I knew it I had a house and a garden out back. Seems like you haven't been doing too badly yourself, though it does seem about time to replace that gun."

Storm looked at the griffon's pip buck. He looked up, and smiled a bit. "I, took mine off, um... The- the other ponies, needed parts, and I- um... I let them have some from mine... Do- do you, need any?" he asked, able to keep his eyes on him now. This was good. The more the made himself try to talk normally to him, the closer he got to doing it. Though he was thoroughly convinced the pink stain on his face would never wash out.

Storm turned and looked back at his gun sitting on the counter in pieces. He chuckled as he turned back. "Um, yeah... Its- its broken. We repaired it every time and re-replaced all the parts, but, um... Now we're just gonna replace it."

He tried to hold his head up a little more now, getting closer and closer to seeming more comfortable. "So, you... You live in town? Um... I can, maybe help you with your critter problem..."

Kira had just stood silently with a wide smile on her beak, there was something refreshing seeing Storm act this was in front of the other griffon but it was also hilarious to see his expiration with that blushing face. Personally did she not know what to feel about the larger griffon sure it was nice that Storms old crush had gotten out of the old stable, but still she had problems with griffins for back then as it just reminder her so much of some of the bad times.

"Um.. Yeah." She finally said trying to save Storm out for any more awkward moments. "We are kind of in desperate need of caps and you can live on sunshine and rainbow." This of course was even more true in the wasteland. "So maybe we could help you with your critter problem and we later sell what ever meat and hide we get from your troublesome creatures."

"Storm" She put her claw on his shoulder to calm him down some hopefully getting his focus back to the now "Why don't you see what we can get for our caps so can I ask more about this problem your 'friend' has." She finished with a kind slime to Storm before turing back to Merle. "So what really is this problem of yours?"

"Oh, um, I... well..." Storm was being turned back toward the counter, the whole way keeping his eyes on Merle. That is, until his neck wouldn't turn anymore and he had to look forward or break it. He stood, staring wide eyed at the mare behind the counter.

"Oh, hi," he said awkwardly to her. He looked back to Merle and Kira. "Can I have a word?" he said to Kira, putting an arm around back and pulling her to the side.

"What are you doing? I was talking to that guy, he was talking to me!" he whispered quietly to her.

"What?" Kira asked as she looked confused back at Storm not really knowing what he could mean. "You just looked so desperate there." She turned her head slightly and looked back at Merle, well maybe she could actually understand very well.

"True he is quite a looker." She whisper quietly next to his ear, she could almost see his expression before it formed on his face. She took a small step back before adding more loud then before. "What are you afraid that he will take me away from you?" Okay Kira maybe that was taking it a bit to far.

Storm just kind of stared at Kira or a second. "What? What are you talking about, Kira? You- wait, no! Don't do that!" Storm took a few steps back, and bumped into Merle. He turned his head around slowly to see it was him he just backed into.

His face went red like a tomato again, and the lifted a wing to hide most of his face behind. Peeking out with his eyes, he looked up at the taller griffon.

"I, um, I'm sorry, M-Merle- I..." Storm started forward again, lowering himself closer to the ground with each step. Tail between his legs, face cherry red.

Merle crouched down as well, so his eyes were roughly level with Storm's. "What do you have to be sorry about? I'm the one who's let this go on longer than it needed to." One of his wings extended, as if to brush against the smaller griffon, but stopped. This was not the time to do something that could very likely cause Storm's brain to completely shut down.

"Now, let's get that new gun and, if you still want to, see if we can track whatever's been getting into my garden, hm?" He stood up and smiled at the still prostrate griffon, waiting to see how he'd react.

Storm smiled a bit, some of the anxiety and embarrassment clearly leaving his face. He stood up, and lowered his wing a bit. Storm giggled some. "Uh, yeah! Okay, um... Gun. I n-need a gun, still."

He turned back to the mare behind the counter once more. "Good morning, what can I get for this?" he asked, pushing the torn up rifle forward some.

The mare looked down at it, then back up with a less than entertained look on her face. "I'll give you ten caps."

Storm's jaw dropped open. "That's it? I understand you have to buy it cheap to sell it cheap, and the most it can be used for is parts at this point, but come on, surely you can do better than that." Storm loved to barter. He was good at it.

The mare looked at it again, and lifted it by the barrel with a hoof to inspect the parts. "Well... I guess the parts on it are in good shape, just not the body... or the screws... Okay, I'll give you thirty caps."

"Thank you," Storm said, nodding at the mare and turning to face Kira, a smug look on his face.

Kira just laughed and her friends reaction, this was one of the reasons why she kept doing things like this to Storm his reactions were just priceless at time. But of course she also did it to cover up for some of here own mistakes that tend to happen way to often at time. But Storm probably acted better then she would if she meet an old crush, she would probably just brake something and make an ass of her self.

"What?" Kria said as Storm just looked at her with that smug face he got when he had done some bartering and gotten out ahead. "I know you are good at that stuff." She turned to walk over to the door leading out to the street but for facing Storm Ray again.

"Come on let go and help your boyfriend about his pest problem." A sly smile decorated her face after saying this.

Storm chuckled, then looked back at Merle. The blush returned to his face, and he smiled at him.

~
A bit later, the three griffons wandered up to Merle's garden. A brand new rifle was strapped to his shoulder. It was a hunting rifle, not new in the sense that it was fresh from being made, but new as in, Storm had just purchased it. It was in good condition, there was plenty of ammo for it, and best of all; it could put a hole in mostly anything they'd expect to be shooting at.

Storm stopped when he saw the garden. "Alright... What are we looking for again?" he asked, looking forward and trying not to look at the handsome griffon beside him. If he did look at him, he may blush and lose control of his ability to speak again.

The garden wasn't overly large, being not much more than twice the length of an average griffon on each side, but the walls had been built up to a height that suggested Merle had to be flying to secure the top. They were made of what seemed to be most of the loose scraps of wood in the town, though there were a few pieces that looked newer.

"Well, even with the fencing things keep getting in. It seems like they're able to climb the wood—I've noticed what looks like claw marks in a couple places. Let's see if I can find any again, and we might be able to get some tracks from around here as well. I haven't actually seen whatever's been getting in, so I hope you are able to track it." Merle opened the gate, scaring off a small bird perched on the top, and began searching the walls for where he had seen the marks of something climbing over.