Ruins [open]

After the battle for Stableton, things were different fore sure. For some, more than others, and Storm was not an exception. He stood on the corner of the street where his little shack use to stand. The tin-sheet building he and Kira shared, which was so tragically lost during the battle. Though Storm hadn't done a lot of fighting, mostly running and hiding- especially after he lost track of Kira. Who seemed to have not only survived the battle but fought intently.

Still, at the end of the day and with a victory at heart; many's hearts still ached. Storm considered himself lucky to have survived, and had done so well to keep out of sight. Even managed to kill a few. He and Kira had noplace to live. The sheets of tin long-sense pulled away from the wreckage and used to fix other buildings- the ashes and other metal objects, such as bedframes, remained.

Storm wandered closer, and kicked a half burned board further onto the pile, sending up a cloud of ash. He remembered when the town was first made, and he and the others from the stable all pitched in to erect the structure. He remembered every nail he pounded, every board he held in place because he was one of the only ones who could fly. All gone.

He let out a sigh, and fell back onto his haunches. He had no idea what he would do after the battle, and even after all the time of just scraping by, he still was clueless. He had no money. He couldn't afford the materials to build a home, he couldn't afford to have one built, or buy a new one. He was out of options... And he had no idea where Kira had been.

“Yours?” asked a quiet and respectful voice from the edge of the ruined building.

Bakewell had been through a lot mentally after the battle. Thoughts of what she should have done plagued the pony’s mind near constantly. She was happy that she had managed to save somepony, but felt as if it hadn’t been enough. The battle had been her turn to finally step up to the plate; instead she had bolted before even getting shot. As she watched Storm mill around his ruined home, part of her insisted against all likelihood that she could have prevented his loss.

The white and brown mare bit her lip as her eyes traced the burned wreckage. This had been a home, a special place for at least one equestrian. It was some place special that could never truly be replaced. Even if they rebuilt its walls, memories and precious objects would surely still be lost.

That didn’t keep her from wanting to help; to try and fix everything and make life in Stableton go back to the way it had been before that Celestia-forsaken yellow unicorn and his bucking slaver army. She wanted to help so badly, but how could she? What gave her the right or even the ability?

“I’m sorry.”

Storm glanced up at the pony who had just approached. He had spotted her approach, griffon eyes being as keen as they were. He didn't know her, but she had a pip buck, which meant she could've been from Stable 113 just as he was.

He turned and looked at her, his sad eyes searching for a response. He couldn't exactly come up with anything pleasant to say... But he would never be able to speak rudely to somepony he didn't even know.

"Yeah... It use to be. I haven't been around here since a few days after the battle. Looks like everypony's been taking what they wanted from it..."

He looked back to the pip buck above her hoof, and turned his gaze back to his wrist where he use to have one.

"You're from Stable 113?" he asked, turning back to face her.

How long had it been two months, no it most have been more close to three months now since she had left Stableton. Kira could not believe that she had been wandering the wasteland that long all to overcome what had happened back then. And had she managed to do that, not really but the gryphon had started to learn that she would probably never overcome it instead she would have to just live with it and find some stability with it.

The streets had changed some after the reconstruction and some new building had been constructed where some had burned down still there where many charred remains spread around the city.

She came up to the square of the city where her home have been burned down so long ago, she had expected the ruin to be removed or rebuild but this time but she was surprised to see that is was still there this actually made her feel a sting of pain as she watched the remains.

She were even more surprised when she saw a small bright coloured gryphon that she had not seen in a long while but she still recognize that gryphon anywhere. She walked slowly up to the ruin and noticed that Bakewell was there too.

"Yes she is." Kira said shortly before Bake could answer. The time in the wasteland had really changed the gryphon, she looked more gritty in a way having picked up a few scares but the biggest change was her eyes and the way she looked at the pare there was something different from before she had left.

"Hello Storm, long time no see."

Storm turned slowly and watched the new addition to the conversation. He couldn't believe his eyes. "K... Kira? Is that you?" he beckoned with doubt.

He stood slowly, and stepped closer, still considering that she could just be a figment of his imagination. Perhaps some other griffon his mind was placing Kira's face on. She did look different to him. Her face, her eyes- even the way she looked at him was unfamiliar. Perhaps it wasn't her... But perhaps it was.

He wandered closer until he was in her shadow, and spotted unique details of the barding she had always worn, and her pip-buck. His eyes widened with sudden realization. She was no mirage, she was the real deal!

"Kira!" Storm cried, lunging himself at her and wrapping his arms around her neck in a tight embrace. He had thought her dead for the months they had been separated. It was like seeing a ghost, he couldn't believe it- but the figure he was wrapped around clearly was not a fake.

Burying his beak into the feathers on her neck, and clenching his eyes shut in an attempt to force the tears in, but in vein. Tears squeezed through the corners of his eyes. His best friend was not dead, but alive! Storm felt like his life was almost back to normal.

"Kira, I missed you so much! I was so worried you were gone, I didn't know what happened to you after the battle! We got separated and I couldn't find you, and I was so scared!" He panted desperately for air as the volley of tear-soaked mumbles and cries bled through the gagging sadness in his throat; but was then lost to a fit of sobs as his words trailed off into babbling.

“I hope it was out of need, rather than greed.” Bakewell sighed as she stared back into Storm’s sad eyes. She realized that he probably didn’t care who had taken the materials. The needed tin walls were gone regardless of whether they had been used to keep a weak foal alive or had been simply sold to the highest bidder by a slightly corrupt opportunist capitalizing on the rebuilding effort.

The mare opened her mouth to answer the question of her birthplace, only to find someone else’s voice answer for her. She turned and watched with a slight smile as Storm and Kira embraced before backing away slightly to give the two a respectful distance. She didn’t want to intrude on the apparent happy reunion and risk ruining it.

Kira actually smiled a little was Storm hugged her, she had her self would have though that Storm was dead if he had disappeared for several months the wasteland was not a kind place and she knew that better now then before.

She stepped back from her old friend breaking the hug not sure how long she could keep it together if he kept hugging her, and she was not sure what she would do if she were to brake know that she could actually hurt him if she really were unlucky.

"Don't worry Strom I am back..." She was not sure she had the heart to tell him that she would not stay for long. She had this strange feeling that she did no longer belong here in this town, it was no longer her home and she could almost feel that the wasteland was calling her wandering was her new way of life.

Storm stepped back, sniffing and rubbing tears from under his eyes. He could barely believe it still. He looked her up and down. She looked different. More mature, more still... calmer. Yet, dangerous. And that look in her eyes... He could feel it burning into his soul. He smirked a bit, and noted a brilliant scar which was definitely not there the last time he had seen her.

"Kira, what happened to you? Where did you go? After the battle, I couldn't find you anywhere- nobody had seen you-... I was just so worried..."

Kira smiled a little she forgot how much she actually missed her friend he had not changed much in her eyes maybe he was a bit thinner but that could be her imagination. Perhaps the battle had take some toll on him as well just not in the same way as it had taken on her.

"The wasteland have been wandering trying to come to terms with... things." She answered him. Even if Storm a childhood friend and had almost been a bother to her did she not really have to talk about when she just snapped. "I have been just been through much."

Storm was thinner. He had not noticed it, but he had been eating less, and working more. Spending more caps on expanding rather than staying alive. Most of what he hunted, going to the market rather than his stomach. Storm smirked at his friend. He knew, though he had never truly experienced it, that the wasteland can be a cruel bitch. It changed people. People you'd never think could change, even. But it had changed her.

He looked down to the ground, then back up to Kira, unsure of what to say. "Well... There's nothing for us here now... All of our stuff was burned along with the house, all our caps... One of the guns, all the food. Whatever was salvageable has been dragged off by others."

He frowned, lowered his head and peered up at her. "What should we do?"

Kira looked over the few remains of her former home, almost noting was left of it noting that was worth anything to anypony, or gryphon for that matter. She looked over to Bakewell who she had almost forgotten was with them but then looked back at Storm.

The loss of anything of the home and all their possession was something she had long ago come to terms with it even before she had left, but Storm had been staying in the town during this time seeing this ruin every day.

"Survive and move on." She simply said to him. "This town might have been our home but we have to leave the nest at some point."

Storm's face turned somewhat flush. He turned his head and looked to the side, toward the wall and what lied beyond. He thought then about how he had only gone as far as the outskirts of Filly, and of course, Stable 113. Then he gulped, and turned back to face Kira.

"O-outside? There? Where the rest of those slavers are? And raiders? And monsters??" he cried with fear in his voice.

"The wasteland might be dangerous yes, but it is better out there then in this place." Kira was not sure if what she had said made any sense to Storm she just knew that she could not stay in Stableton for long periods of time there was to many bad memories here for that.

"I can force you Storm you are like a brother to me but you most choose for your self, make you own way in this world." This was much harder for her then she let out. She where not sure what she would say if Storm just said no, that he would not what to follow her in to the wastes and not being there to support her.

Storm shrank back a little in his form. He rubbed his hands together and looked around at the ground nervously as he thought. He wasn't sure at all what he should do. He was frightened, of course. But he knew he couldn't stay in Stableton forever and continue his self-destructive path.

He reached slowly behind his back, and ensured his hunting rifle was still strapped to his back, and replaced it in his lap. What would he do in the wastes? He didn't know if he would actually be helpful to travel with Kira, or if he would just be slowing her down.

He looked back up to her. "Are... Are you sure I won't slow you down?"

The way Storm shrank and moved unconformable told her more then what he could say with words, it was true that this might be a bit fast for him but she had made up her mind so long ago it was hard for her not to see this decision as something that is of the past.

Kira did not answer him for sometime she just kept quiet looking at him. She had not really wanted to talk to him why she left and wanting to leave again. The gryphon move closer to Strom as she knew that this would not be easy for her.

"Storm, during the battle I when I saw our burning home I... I snapped." Even if she had come to terms with what she had done did it still hurt when she talked about it. "I killed some of the slaver in a way that nobody deserves to die... I, I ripped them apart. I know they did deserve it but I killed them even if they were defenceless."

Storm grimaced a bit as he listened to Kira's explanation. He looked around a bit, processing what he had just heard. Had he heard correctly? She did things to ponies he wouldn't ever expect her to be capable of. Still, Storm wasn't too put off by it.

"Kira..." he began slowly. "We were in a war. Like, an actual war. I don't know what was built up inside you to make you snap... but anger. That's a lot of anger. More anger than I thought you could ever have."

Storm lifted his claws, and rubbed his face before returning them to his lap. "Look, what you did helped against the slavers. Who knows, maybe if you hadn't done what you did, they might have won... I don't think there's anything wrong with you, but... if you think there is, then... I want to help."

He lowered a claw and put it on top of her claw, and gave her a warm smile. "You're my best friend, and you're like my sister. I'm going to help you like I'm your brother... I want to go with you. Anywhere you go, I will follow."

Kira was more happy about Storms understanding what she did and actually accepting it while still wanting to support her through it. "Storm I could kiss you, but that would make us just unconformable." She laughed as she hugged him close, still she was afraid what she would do to him if she where to ever snap with him around but that was something that she tried to hide with the hug.

"So you will follow me when I leave town even if I am not sure where I would be going?" She was not sure why she tired to talk him out of it perhaps it was because she did not what him hurt but if he would stay here he would hurt him self in a more slow manner then with her.