A night at his post. [open]

His job was easy, discorage any future attack on Stableton simply by being a large, firebreathing dragon.  Still Sparks just layed there lazily at his post, looking off into the wastes, and glancing at the everchanging moon. 

Why did he not leave to join Faith Heart, the only dragon he had met in his years of searching, the only being he was developing feelings for, the only being he could think to start a family with? He asked himself this everynight he was on his post as the slave guard to stableton. Every night he answered, so that she may have a future, so nopony or griffin would hunt her from this town and would discourage any plans to hunt her. Still he felt uneasy, being indentured to the town, finding that who you keep as company could determine your fate. Hopefully this would appease the shade of a griffon named Kes. Hopefully he and Trails would stay true to their word and not hunt Faith, his dear Faith, his faith that the world is inherently good and forgiveness has a place in it.  

 He thought back to when he first met Faith, she was so scared, but she was always frightened of what may happen to her. He remembered being there for her, but now that is not the case. All he could do is stare off to the night sky, hoping she was looking at the same sky, somewhere. 

  

Gently walked up to the dragon, and stopped to look at his expression. He seemed wistful, not really guarding so much as standing there to look threatening. "Hello," she called to him. "Do you remember me? don't think you and I were properly introduced."

Sparks flinched at the voice, too often drunks thought it would be wise to harras and throw bottles a dragon. Still for what Faith, did they were justified, that is what happens when you bear anothers debt, debt collectors come a knocking. Unfortunately their payment was in pain. It was easy for them, the dragon never fought back, preferring never to add more to his debt. 

"You were the assistant doctor to miss Bell. You helped my Faith get better, yes I remember." he said calmly. 

Suddenly his temperament shifted from wistful to angry, "I also remember with but a word you laid on the floor for Trails, I remembered nopony helping. I remember  leaning against the wall helpless because somepony did not take their poisons with them. " he said erupting into a snarl. 

Remembering his place, he took a deep breath and continued calmly. " I'm sorry you had to hear that miss breeze. I just miss her so much. I know It wasn't your fault, please accept my apology. " he said, choking back the tears.  
  

Blazen walked up to the post. He had heard about the saviors of Stableton, and the 'evil' general. He was there when the attack happened, and he seen the work of them. He had even heard rumors of two dragons that were best friends, and one dragon (remarkably the one who had burned a few certain houses) that was captured, given refuge, had been banished from Stableton by a few other people. Then, he heard Spark's reply to her, confirming what he was thinking. He walked up to the post, by a mare named Breeze. "Your not the only one." He said, pulling up his pipbuck and switching to the one picture he had of his girlfriend, Cory. "She is a, or was a, courier. She joined me in a sort of adventure to kill off these raiders that killed my father. It was a fun journey, despite most of what happened there. In the end, we had to part ways with each other, but i feel in my own heart that shes alive out there. I know my decision is real. I had a choice to go with her...or stay here. I stayed here, saying that 'some things needed to be done'. I still dont know what those things are, but shes alive. And i still love her."

Breeze was taken aback by his statement, but quickly relaxed, and put a hoof to his side gently, hoping to calm him some. "It's alright. I'm not easily offended. You're right about that, but Winter and I weren't very strong. There was little to nothing we could do. If I could have fought them, I would've...."

Breezey was being honest, tears of guilt welling in her eyes. "...I'm sorry," she told him. "I wish I could have stopped it."

Dash had gone out to look up at the stars. Although the world had continuously changed, the stars changed so little that barely anything had happened to them from the founding of Old Equestria all the way to the end of the Great War and beyond. He remembered talking to Meadowsong, his one and only true marefriend, about how couples such as them could have looked up at the same constellations they had on that night for thousands of years. And how the same would be possible long after all the ruins and radiation had crumbled to nothing. Perhaps another civilization wouldn't waste their chance to fully appreciate their beauty and opportunity...

He overheard some others talking nearby, but for now he was just content looking up at the stars.

Sparks could feel his welling anger grow and fester like a wound being picked at, "Must be nice to have someone you can hate, somepony you can blame, some pony you can point to and say they are the bad ones, they are the monsters. Must be nice to know that nopony would be gunning for your beloved, no one hunting her for what she is. " He growled.

He looked straight into Blazen, staring him down, using his size to his advantage." MUST BE NICE! " he roared.

"How dare you think that you know how I feel! I loved her and she wasn't parted from me, I was taken from her, and now I am just a slave, just a tool to those that would want her dead!" He shouted, smoke trailing from his nostrils.

He could feel that urge for revenge, violence and wrath spike within him. He wanted nothing more than to crush that brown pony in front of him, melt his flesh from his bones and grind his bones into his bread.

Despite this strong urge, he didn't, because that is not what she would have wanted. That is exactly the sort of thing that would get him kill'd or even worse, Faith kill'd.

Instead he turned to see a crying Gentle Breeze, and he felt his anger quelled a little. She wouldn't want that either, and he owed her, Silver, Starry and Bell to not hurt anypony. So he sagged his shoulders and gave an exacerbated sigh. "Its best if I get back to my post..."

Blazen was surprised and intimidated, but he shouldn't have been. This dragon has suffered alot, especially with the other dragon leaving. At first, once the dragon finished, he considered trying to help him find her outside of Stableton, but it would have only possibly made him angrier. "...I can help finding her." He slowly blurted out, and inside his head he was screaming not to piss the dragon off right there and then. He, to be honest, felt like he was going to die right there and then. It was more of a sissy-like thought that he pushed aside. "I want to help you. I may not understand your feelings, but i do want to help you find her. I want to search for my...loved...too." He said, finding it sort of odd saying 'my loved'. It was oddly romantic on how he was saying these things.

This time, though, he said it like he meant it. He regetted saying 'my loved too'. "If you want me to, anyhow." He said, looking at him. He truly wanted to help.

Dash was jarred out of his entrancement with the stars when the nearby talking abruptly turned to yelling, at least for a few seconds. He considered bringing his stargazing somewhere else, but being fascinated with Space also required being curious. Dash made his way over and hovered over some of the obstacles on his way there. He watched, but didn't immediately speak, wanting to get more of an insight into what was actually going on before he pushed himself out there.

"If..." Breeze hesitated. "If I can help you find her... I will, too. I would never forgive myself if I didn't at least try to help you."

She shuffled her hooves somewhat shyly.

"Aw, hay..." Dash said landing near the group, "If you would accept it, I would help too... All this that's been happening nowadays can't... won't, last forever. And the sooner we learn to help each other out with these sorts of things will bring that day that much closer. Chances are, you and her might even be able to see that day."

Sparks was genuinely confused, where did all the support come from. He was used to the vengeful drunks that would take potshots at a dragon that wouldn't fight back. Now there were three ponies that would help him find his Faith?

"I'm glad that I was right faith, there does exist some goodness in ponykind." he whispered to himself.

"Yes, I would like that very much, more then anything to be reunited with her. However there are a few complications to that, namely me being a slave to this place..." he said, looking back at the ground, down upon himself.

Then his face lit up, "But... if there were some ponies that needed to go on an extended mission, sanctioned by the mayor, I'm sure you guys could requisition me to come along." he said as he stroked his chin.

"I can try." The voice inside his head said a few things, but Blazen blocked it. "My father used to help the poor people of Stableton, and he had actually been friends to the mayor, or were going to be friends. He, is uh..." He didn't want to think of his dead father right now. "not here right now." He said, trying to hide his expression but failing. "If that doesn't really work, i can always try to break you out of this place with the help of others. If they kick you out, who cares? This place is boring enough anyways. Ive been here for as long as this town was established," He said, stopping for a minute to look around. "And not a little has it changed aside from the new mayor and a couple of other miscellaneous things. I'd be glad to help you out, and id be glad to break you out. Either way, im going to help." He said, in a tone like he was pledging himself to help him. "But what mission would the Mayor accept? Supplies? Guns? What could we actually say to have an excuse to bring you along?" He said, pondering this as he talked his current thoughts.

Dash put a fore hoof to his mouth as he too fell into thought. It sounded as if this was very quickly sidetracking him from finding and saving Leafrun. But it sounded as if this dragon was stuck in the same sort of rut he was. Perhaps these ponies he would be alongside in this would be potential allies as well in his main goal. At least he hoped they would. Nevertheless, this would give him some much needed experience, as well as possible equipment, if he was clever enough.

"Im noticing that everypony here has had a little bit of their past torn out, though that could only be me. Am i wrong?" He said, looking at Galactic Dash and Breeze.

Dash was knocked out of his consideration by the comment by Blazen. It took him a moment to regather his thoughts about what he was referencing, but he knew that the brown buck had hit the nail quite on the head with what he was feeling right now. He nodded slowly, "Two pieces of it, actually. About two months ago, my little brother, a foresty green unicorn colt... He was taken by slavers..." he sighed heavily, "I had been armed at the time, so they, of course, shot me straight away. It nearly grazed my heart and had me in a coma until about a week ago... I'm out looking for him, and I had to leave a marefriend behind... A white-coated, cream-maned Pegasus named Meadowsong, back in Friendship City."

Gently stayed silent. She gave Dash and Blazen both looks of sadness. "Well," she said, beginning to say something, but then decided against it. "We'll find a way to get you out of here," she promised Spark. "I now consider you a friend, and as a friend, I must do everything possible to help you. Maybe we can pool some caps together and... no..."

Twisted Vision was walking into a town that was not familiar to her, and she liked that. We should burn it you know, have a nice fire show tonight A cheerful voice said, but she shook her head. "No... I like this town. It's... out of place, not normal... Not planned" She said whimsically. She figured that she could see if there was anyone she could get to follow her.

She was however pleasantly surprised when she heard screaming. They must be expecting you! Why not show them who there true god is! The voice in her head said ecstatically. Twisted just shook her head and smiled lightly "We are hardly gods my friend, but I can see if I can point them in the right direction" She said walking towards the screaming

Not a few minutes later she saw the cause of the screaming and was in awe. Never had she seen a creature so close in resemblance. Next to the Draconequus, dragons were the next most Glorious, Chaotic beings around and could not help herself. Even with the warning her friend gave her, she still walked out into the clearing.

She was taller than most of the ponies here, but she was much thinner as well. Her short hair covered one of her eyes, but the other was pure blue, and lacked a pupil. She stared at the group with a distant smile on her face "My aren't we... Chaotic this fine evening? I could hear you from quiet the distance my regal friend, and may I say I have never seen one as majestic as you... I could only imagine what you would be like..." She trailed off and stared into the distance.

Now dear you just met him The strange voice said, causing Twist to laugh "Hush friend, I am meeting new people" She whispered looking at the group again.

Sparks couldn't help but be wary of the newcomer, he was becoming more and more cynical about the intentions of others ever since he had met Cross Roads.

"err thanks?" the Dragon Stammered, not sure how to respond to... A compliment.

"Still she was an outsider, perhaps she could be of use." he thought. EKG! Was he know thinking like them? Those that have used him in the past? It didn't matter, if she helped him with him reuniting with his dear Faith.

"Sorry you had to hear any shouting all of you. I kinda loss my temper, and now your helping me..." he apologized sheepishly.

"I'm especially sorry to you, Breeze, you of all ponies shouldn't be the target of my anger." he said as he put his hand on her shoulder.

Breeze smiled at his touch, and put a hoof to his clawed hand. "It's alright," she told him. "I'm an easy pony to upset, but a hard pony to offend. It's no problem; you're right to get upset."

She looked to the newcomer curiously. Twisted Vision seemed a bit... off, but Gentle Breeze would never judge a pony based on how they first seem. She stayed silent, though, being somewhat shy, and rather wary of ponies she'd never met after the whole Hospital circumstance.

Dash narrowed his eyes slightly as this newcomer arrived and started speaking. He couldn't quite place his hoof on it, but something about the mare quite irked him. Perhaps it was her height, her look, the way she used the word 'Chaotic' in a compliment. He of course just tried to push the thought away for the moment and return to his conversation with Blazen, he ultimately figured that the Wasteland would be having many oddities such as this one.

Twisted Vision just gave everyone her smile and laughed lightly "Everyone seems a bit tense, especially you dragon. Maybe..." She suddenly stopped talking, and Sparkfire could feel hooves drape around his neck, and the weight of a pony on his back "I could help with that" The pony now on his back said.

The real Twisted Vision still stood there, right in front of Spark but only Spark could see, hear, or feel the copy that was on his back, and that is just what she wanted. "What are we all... planning... Here" She said, practically spitting the word planning into the ground as if it had a bad taste. "Surly this even is not deserving of a plan!" She growled, her face going dark while the copy on Sparks back continued to lovingly caress him.

"help... With that?" Sparks asked quizically only to be answered with a back message. 

He could feel his stress disappearing and his knees grew weak. He climbed down to all fours to better acomedate his... Passenger.

He just laid there calmly, occasionally moaning as he recieved the much needed, yet imaginary back rub. Completly oblivious to the conversation taking place.

Who ever this pony was, as long as she kept this up she was on his good side.

Once again, that awfully strange-looking and sounding mare's voice dragged away Dash's attention. He looked at her as she spoke, this time his expression was tinged a bit with mild annoyance, "What are we planning? What are YOU planning?" he said accusingly. He honestly wanted to pretend that this mare didn't exist, but it seemed as though she was making that impossible for him now. His ears dipped down slightly when he saw that the dragon now seemed rather... enamored with... Nothing? Dash raised an eyebrow, "What the hay is going on with him." he asked.

A few dozen feet away, sheathed in the shadows of the night lurked a predator. A hybrid of bird and lion that hunted and prowled the wastes for many years now, and had earned itself a reputation as a efficient, if brutal killer. This It was in fact a He however, and his name was Kestrel; most just called him Kes. He had just arrived in the small sleepy burg of Stableton, intent on picking up a few things before heading out.

His gaze, cold and predatory, locked on the group ahead of him. Scanning over each one, making note of small details that could mean the difference between life and death should they attack him. It wasn't too hard. It was obvious all but the Dragon were rookies of varying degree. Though the newest member of the group seemed to have some kind of strange power, if Sparks current behavior was anything to go by. The dragon was cooing and groaning like a dog getting a belly rub, and for all of Kestrels sharp senses he could not figure out what was causing it.

Probably magic, the weak looking newcomer was a unicorn after all.

Finished with his distant observations, the big black gryphon know as Kestrel prowled forward towards the group. Those cold, golden eyes of his locked on one dragon in particular. So he was still around eh? Time to see what Spark had been doing these last few months on his own, after the banishment of Faith.

He footfalls were nearly silent as he approached the group, his natural dark coloration making it easy to blend in to the darkness that filled the wastes at this time of night.

Upon reaching the group he would stand there, like a statue. Stoic and silent as he studied them each up close. Yup. Rookies, each and every one; again excluding the Dragon.

Then with a single, simple statement. Kestrel broke his silence. His signature gravelly, icy, monotone rumbling out into the night air.

"Howdy"