Turn the Page [Finished]

The sun was rising and Trails was almost finished packing. The reconstruction of Stableton was coming along nicely, they would have a new mayor soon enough. He'd donated tons of scrap to the town from his bomb factory as soon as the fires were out. The rest he gave to the townsfolk for all the ammunition and meds he could carry. Food wouldn't be an issue, he was a regular predator in the wastes.

He chewed on the end of his tooth pick, looking at the scar on his chest in the mirror. He'd been cutting down on smoking, docs orders after his lung was shot. For him it just mean t avoid stressful situations eg: tight spaces. After thinking Trails stuffed another pack into his vest. He'd never been to New Pegasus, no telling what it might be like.

He looked at the sun, thinking. After the General had died and Stableton was safe he'd begun catching up on his introspection. He'd promptly decided what he needed to see was where his parents came from. They'd only talked about New Pegasus in passing, saying they couldn't go there. Trails intended to find out why.

The Battle of Stableton had made him think about other things too. Things other than his parents but still focused on his origins. He still remembered H's voice ringing in his ears when he was dying, spurring him on just like the Stallion always had when he was little. He had been a family friend from New Pegasus too. Bitter Springs if he remembered right. Trails put Bitter Springs on the top of his list of places to visit.

He slid his pack onto his back and took a sip from his canteen. One way or the other he'd have some answers by the end of his latest...trail. Good one Trails. He started to walk down Main Street, leaving his temporary home in a tent outside the tavern behind him. The sun shone at his back, casting a long an spidery shadow. Turn the page.

(thread will be moved to New Pegasus after everyone joins)

Kes had found that after the battle had ended folk went back to giving him a wide berth and only asking the occasional shaking question.

He was always 'polite' and answered, but still it was obvious that folk did not exactly fell...right with the big mercenary walking around their town, carrying enough firepower to take out a small army.

Currently the ol' gryphon could be found near the town armory. He had commissioned a few of the tech's inside to repair the Surgeons Revolver, a few spare parts, one medium power scope, and 175 caps later and Kes had himself one new custom .44 revolver.

And she was a beauty.

His business there done Kes left the armory, blinking a bit to let his eyes adjust to the new lighting, then began to make his way towards the markets. He had some caps to spare, and before he left town he wanted to stock up on some things. Maybe he could get lucky and find some upgrades for his gear.

His travels would take him right by the local Tavern.

Ever since the the end of the battle had Kira been trying her best to help with the repair work of some of the more vital building that needed to be set up again, but she could not stay in this town any longer she needed to get going leave and find a new way to live then an old stable dweller trying to play settler.

After selling of all the drugs and the assault rifle along with the caps she had made from the repair work had she managed to make a nice bit of caps for her. Sadly she could not keep that many of them as she spent them on two grenades and some more dynamite that the slaver army and left after then when they were defeated as well as a couple of healing potions, it was sad that she could not get more but the town still needed it more.

If she were to leave and travel the wasteland she would need to be ready as best she could, there was just one thing she had left and she was in good progress of finishing. Drinking, she would probably not get much of it done once out it the wastes at least not in this way. She finished up her glass and left the caps she owed them before leaving the tavern, it was a nice place to drink and she was almost at first name bases with most of the patron but this was the last time in a long time she would be in it.

She got out of what was left of the tavern door seeing a familiar gryphon passing buy, she just nodded in his direction when she knew he had seen her.

Kes caught the sight of the other gryphon out of the corner of his eye and offered a greeting nod in return; he even slowed his pace a bit so that Kira could catch up if she so desired.

Kes's had noticed the look in the younger gryphons eyes after the battle, he had seen that look before. Its the look that folks get after their first 'real' kill. A strange, glassy haze that likes to settle in. Like the clouds of a storm.

Looks like that, and the mindset that follows, can break an individual without much effort. Kes knew that it was a tough battle, he'd seen folk lose it before. Personally he had never really felt anything other than recoil when he shot and killed folk, he saw killing as just another part of life.

But Kira? She was green, young and green. No telling how she was dealing with the stress.

Kira moved in a brisk pace to catch up with older gryphon until she managed to catch up with him and then slowed down to the same pace as the other gryphon. She had noticed that the gryphon was were few on words and only speaking when really needed to so she choose to stay quite unless he were to speak directly to her, this was actually different from her usually self as she was mostly out spoke but if Kes wanted to be quite then she would be quiet as well. Still after seeing him work in the battle she could do much worse when travelling the wasteland.

But maybe she was not the best to travel with in the wastes, not after her black out in the battle. She still had some nightmares about what she had done in the battle, she was not sure if the would end any time soon but at least the were not as frequent as before.

Kes continued on walking for a bit, his gaze scanning the crowd for any familiar faces or figures. Up ahead he thought he saw the pony known as Trails, but until he was closer he could not really be sure.

"Glad to see someone 'round here understands." Kes thought to himself, commenting on Kira's rather out of character silence. He would be lying if he said he did not appreciate the quiet. It allowed him time to think and scan the crowd with ease.

Now most folk by now would have been asking about that look that Kes had seen in Kira's eye by now. But Kes wasn't that stupid, he could see that the gryphon beside him was trying to work through it herself for now. If it got to bad the older gryph' might intervene, but for now it was Kira's battle. That's why Kes was not bringing it up.

After healing his various injuries incurred during the battle and buying a few things Scrap headed back towards Stableton to see if it was still standing.

Happily it was, despite extensive damage, so Scrap wandered into town to see if he could find any of his friends. Not finding anypony right away Scrap headed into the market.

He sold some junk he found on his return journey and picked up some parts that might allow him to tune up his lightning pistol. After he bought some supplies he headed toward the tavern. Arriving there he saw a couple griffons he knew, so he went over to say hi.

"Hi Kira, nice to see you again. Oh and you too Kes."

Lightning flew slow and casually over the town, his eyes scanning over the burnt buildings and shaking his head as he thought about the battle. He didn't enjoy killing other ponies but considering the circumstances, the pegasus knew he had no choice. Lightning managed to get a few clips of ammo after the battle for his SMG and his pistol. It did cost him a little but he did help take out the slaver army's leader. So that gave him a small discount.

Two griffons on the ground would catch his eye and Lightning recognized them from the battle. Especially the large black one. He would pull into a slow descent and come to a landing nearby. The pegasus debated walking up and saying hello but Lightning knew how much (or more like how little) Kes spoke. And Kira, at the moment, looked like hell.

When another pony would join the two griffons, Lightning figured it was no harm in acknowledging them at least so he walked over also, giving a quick bow of his head to each of them, "Hello, griffons and pony."

Kes offered a grunt in greeting to both Lightning and Scrap, both ponies he knew from before. Well now isn't he just a popular gryphon today? Least they weren't talking much. Kept things simple.

Undeterred by the recent acquisitions to his company, Kes continued on towards the markets. He had memorized the streets after studying his Pipbuck so much after the battle. It was not much farther to the markets.

Up ahead, in the crowd Kes could still make out the pony that looked like Trails.

Finally Sky had been out of the hospital, her wings in bandages, but those will last only a couple days. Sky mentally cheered as her wings will be in working condition again, Only now she has to use them alot more to get them back the way they were. Sky being happy as a mare can be, decided to get a drink at her favorite place in stableton. The good ole tavern, hopefully it is still there, even after all the the fighting that has occurred.

Sky walked towards the direction of the tavern, She saw a familiar pony. a grey unicorn she knew on other missions and....'What the fuck'. Sky mentally cursed in her mind, She noticed kestrel, the gryphon who broke Sky's wings. And he was next to another gryphon, but come on. All Sky wanted was a drink and now she saw kes. Sky hoped he didnt see her as it would either end with her dead or with broken wings again. And now another pony walked up to them, this was a blue pegasus. Sky hasnt seen this one before, but he just walked up to them. This will probably be better than expected or she will still be dead.

Kes's observation of The pony he thought to be trails was ended in a flash of blue. A very familiar flash of blue. A flash of blue that just so happened to be a pegasi named Sky.

A pegasi who's wings Kestrel broke early in the battle for Stableton.

Luckily for her Kes was not one to just mindlessly attack. Her fears of death and pain were quickly shattered by a simple greeting nod from the Gryphon.

She had paid for her...foolishness, already. Kes himself had his wings broken in that battle, though his seemed to heal a bit faster than the pegasai's had.

She would be permitted to go along with her business as long as she didn't try anything else. If she did well...things could get rather messy.

Sky saw the gryphon nod at her, She felt a giant weight off her back. He didn't seem angry with her, kes still gave that same cold stare she has known foe so long. Sky sighed, She really needed that drink.

Scrap was surprised by the number of ponies that had showed up in the few seconds after he had approach Kes and Kira.

"Well hi Pegasus pony I don't know. And hello Sky. So whats new with all you guys?" Scrap said to the group-except for Kes, whom he knew wouldn't respond with anything more then a grunt.

"Not much, just had my wings broken and some other stuff." Sky answered to Scrap. "What about you Scrap?"

"I haven't done much either, just been healing from my broken ribs and assorted other bones. Then I came back here to see if I could find some friends to hang out with before I head out again." Scrap replied back. "So wanna go hang out then? I was just headed to the bar."

"Thats cool, And sure why not. Was already headed there anyways, but yeah will be cool to hang out with a friend." Sky said with a smile.

"We'll then let's head in, we're just about there anyway." Scrap pointed to where he thought the bar door was. Unfortunately for Scrap, they had passed the bar and he was pointing to a wall. "Err...I guess we passed it..."

"Passed it two blocks back." Kes rumbled out, still plodding along at his usual quick pace. He was almost to the markets, only another block or so now.

Violet Star happily skipped out of the Stableton clinic, her usual grin plastered on her face. The filly had arrived in Stableton a day after the battle, literally showing up out of nowhere (Well, out of a vent in the clinic, actually) and started helping the medics there, putting her freaky-knowledge of the pony body to good use quickly. When questioned why she was there, the filly simply replied ‘My Violet Senses were Tingling’, and went back to work with much confused staring from the other ponies. Not that they didn’t appreciate the help, they were a bit short on ponies who knew their stuff when it comes to medicine.

So, with most of the stableton ponies that were hurt all healed up and better now, she was trotting through the streets, walking past ponies that were trying to put their town back together, a few of the ones she helped put back together smiling at her. She grinned back before going back on her way.

As she walked through the streets, she spotted a the familiar masked face of a black gryphon. Her grinned widened as she trotted up to him. “Hi Mr. Kestrel! I haven’t seen you since Starry’s party, how’re you doing? I heard there was REALLY big battle here, you seem fine after that though!”

Bakewell trotted the ever-familiar roads of Stableton. Despite the tents and charred buildings the mare sourly admitted to herself that the town didn’t seem that much different, considering the hell it had been through. The mayor was dead, but the brown earth pony had never fully acknowledged that there was a mayor in the first place. Several buildings were destroyed, but reconstruction was going at a surprisingly good rate. The war was over, and Bakewell hadn’t even been needed. She doubted that anypony had even noticed when she left the city mid-fight. Not that they should have. The residents had been facing much bigger problems at the time, after all.

Stableton had held its own without her help. Maybe it was time for Bakewell to ease up and finally give the wastes a proper exploring without being chained within a day’s radius of the small town. The stable ponies would always be her family, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t take a vacation. Just imagine all the neat places and ingredients she could find! Maybe she could head out an-

Well that sure was a large group of equestrians. Bakewell paused and scanned the group. Unfamiliar pony, unfamiliar griffon, vaguely familiar griffon, unfamiliar pegasus Scrap Parts (luckily minus the giant puddle of blood), and Sky.

…Wait, Sky? Sky! The Pegasus was okay! That was great; Bakewell had been slightly worried when she failed to find neither fur nor feather of the blue pegasus before and during the battle. Bakewell quickly trotted up to the group with a smile on her face. She was friends with one of the ponies, and had saved another one’s life, surely they wouldn’t mind her appearance.

Kes gave a blink and glanced down at Violet, looking the rather hyper mare over. Damn, seems like the peace was not to last. The big gryphon grunted and nodded a greeting to the girl and then kept on moving.

The addition of yet another pony went ignored for the most part. As long as she didn't try anything Kes would not worry about her. Simple as that.

Sky was about to turn to the direction to the tavern, when a certain beige earth pony appeared. Bakewell, She was here and apparently alive. "hey bakewell, long time no see."Sky asked the Bake. "you want to come with me and scrap to the tavern?"

Lightning looked around as ponies seemed to appear almost out of nowhere. Alot of them he recognized from the party. Especially that filly that came up. He could never forget her. And another new pegasus walked up to them also. The pegasus overheard the gray pony named Scrap apparently call the light blue pegasus Sky.

Filing these names away for later, another pony suddenly came up to them. 'Jeeze, to think, I've lived here for a year and still barely know anypony,' Lightning thought to himself with a slight sigh. According to Sky, the newest pony to join their large group was named Bakewell. He might as well start the pleasantries now. Turning toward Sky, Bakewell, and Scrap Parts, Lightning gave them a smile and said, "Well, hello. I don't believe I've met you three before. At least...formally. I'm Lightning Flash. You are...?"

Trails felt eyes boring into the back of his skull. He turned and saw Kes' cold gaze was on him. The bird was packing serious heat, and a posse fit for a Hell Hound hunt...well they would be if they were all armed like Kes. He walked up to Kes and nodded at him and the posse of 5 ponies and another gryphon.

"You headed out to the wastes then?"

"Nice to meet you Lightning, I'm Scrap Parts, not suprised you haven't met me yet I kinda drift in and out of here." Scrap said to Lightning before turning to Bakewell. "Nice to see you again Bakewell, glad the circumstances are a bit better this time though."