Nothing but the Shirt on your Back.

Apparently, few ponies heard Lightning and they already scattered in many different directions after they arrived in Stableton. Shrugging, he would walk home to drop off his saddlebag with a sigh. Pulling his armor off, he would look at the hole the raider made with the single bullet that hit him. "Great...got to this repaired..."

Taking his SMG out and leaving it on his desk, the pegasus took a moment to look around the empty house. The night was still young and he still needed to get his hunting rifle back from Silver. Lightning walked back out the door to his house with only his 10mm pistol now and locked his door behind him. He would head down to Tesla's store as that was where he expected Silver to be.

Instead, when he walked in, he found Tesla, Sound, Atriark, and the zebra's friend, Sunny, instead. Lightning cleared his throat as he walked in, noticing some fresh liquor in the store now. "Oh, hello ponies. Have you seen Silver Tongue? I need my hunting rifle back and he just disappeared once we returned to Stableton."

Entering into his house/store, the unicorn placed the drinks on the front desk, before turning to the assembled ponies. "Well this is it really...I mean whats mine is yours, there are two rooms upstairs, along with this room, the office, and the backroom where I work." The unicorn felt rather nervous, not only was Sunny here, but now, but he had never actually had so many ponies in the store at the same time. "Basically do what you want. I brought drinks, for everypony, as a thank you for all you've done for me today."

Before he could continue, the door to the shop opened as Lightning entered, "Oh, hello ponies. Have you seen Silver Tongue? I need my hunting rifle back and he just disappeared once we returned to Stableton."

"Um...no I haven't seen him." the unicorn replied, "Have you tried the bar? We talked to a caravan head their this morning. Knowing him he's probably trying to strike up some sort of deal."

The Pegasus couldn't help but glare at the strange smudge on the ground, making sure as to keep a GOOD distance away from him, he made a hoof gesture that he will be always watching it. It was a GOOD thing a walk through the wastes was what it took to get rid of the gunk from his hoof, he wasn't sure if he could stand the itching (and the stench) for much longer! As he made sure to STAY AWAY from the strange gunk, Tesla was just welcoming him and the rest into his home. "Basically do what you want. I brought drinks, for everypony, as a thank you for all you've done for me today."

As if on cue, the Pegasus popped up from behind the Unicorn, two liquor bottles in hoof and raised them up in a celebratory manner. "DRINKS FOR EVERYPONY!" With a toss of the bottles into the air he caught them with it teeth and gave a good YANK, the caps popping off with a hiss before offering a bottle to Tesla.

"Cheers!" Gulping down a mouthful, the Pegasus let out a sigh as he plopped down onto the floor, his saddle bags removed and now sat on a nearby table, free for anypony to pick a drink from it's contents as his wings lay folded to his sides.

As Silver Tongue scans the crowd in the bar, he indeed sees the light blue earth pony from before, Honey Dew. Like last time he saw her, Honey Dew was still at the bar, a bottle of scotch sitting next to her. She is still wearing her leather barding, as well as the hunting rifle on her back.

Looking up from her drink, she notices the unicorn. "Well well well if it isn't the little raiding pony. How goes the hunt? You clear out the raiders from the roads for me like I asked? Or are you here to simply try and get my weapon again, or hey maybe you are here for a drink. How should I know."

Silver walks up to her, grabbing somepony elses drink when their not looking. "Well Miss Dew, I came here for a celebratory drink and to finish our bargain. Th raiders are dead. I held up my end of the bargain, did you hold up yours?" Silver looks at the drink he took. It's whiskey. He takes a drink.

Lightning gave a nod before quickly excusing himself from the party. "Thank you, Tesla. I'll make sure to go check." However, he had a nagging question in his mind. The battle was still being replayed over and over in the pegasus' mind and no matter what, he could not recall Silver's position nor could he remember a shot coming from his direction. Lightning would turn around and say, "One more question, Tesla. What were you and Silver talking about after the battle? Just...out of curiosity."

"What were we talking about?" Tesla said with a slightly confused look on his face, he had thought Lightning had heard them...oh well, "Silver wanted to have me look over his pistol and the rifle you let him borrow. That was it." The unicorn said grabbing a beer of his own. Taking a sip, enjoying the sensation of the cold drink. "Basically, I told him that his pistol looked fine, and that the rifle he might want to not use until I could get some real parts to make it function to its maximum potential."

Honey Dew looked at Silver, with a cocked eyebrow, "You did did you? Well thats good, So I can send out of my caravans, right now, and first expect them to see bodies and bodies of Raiders, and second that they will get to New Appleoosa without a single issue?"

Taking another gulp of her scotch, the earth pony decided to change the subject to Silver's second question. She remembered the stallions smooth talking from before. She fell for it once, she wasn't going to fall for it again. "But yeah I did take care of my part of the deal. There are three more caravan heads interested in you and your friends business. That is...if the roads are as clear as you say they are."

Lightning frowned a bit and let out a small, "Hmm." So Silver broke his gun. That was not pleasant to hear. "Alright then. Let me know how many caps I owe you for the parts and for the repair once you get started. I'm going to go get my rifle back." Turning, the pegasus walked out of the store and went into the nearby bar. He looked around, trying to find Silver in the small crowd. Luckily, it wasn't too hard to find him.

The unicorn, though, looked busy so he stood silently against the wall by the door, watching him from a distance.

Sound Wave wrote:"Cheers!"

Atriark took a bottle of scotch and raised his bottle. "Cheers!" He shouted with Sound, taking a short pull of his favorite alcoholic drink. He savored the flavor as it went passed hsi taste buds and down his throat, making his bully feel warm.

Sunny too took a bottle, but hers was Whiskey- Wild Pegasus. She too held her bottle aloft and shouted along with the two bucks, "Cheers!" She took a long pull, draining a good portion of the bottle. "Today was hell, nearly lost a good friend." She clamped Tesla and Sound on the back. "If these two hadn't stepped in and if Lightning hadn't either, we may have lost him. So now we drink!"

Tesla shrugged as Lightning, left, he had never said that Silver broke the gun, just wanted it better. Oh well. It was Silver's issue not his, and besides, Lightning was a friend, if anything the repair would be on the house...literally more than likely, he eyed the many scraps that made up this building, yeah he could definitely use them if worse came to worse.

"If these two hadn't stepped in and if Lightning hadn't either, we may have lost him. So now we drink!" The unicorn smiled, as he felt the weight on his shoulder, trying not to get nervous. Sound knew it and he knew it on the inside, he liked Sunny...but he had never been around mares, the most he would ever talk to a mare would be if she was a customer and Powder was busy.

Swallowing his nervousness, Tesla raised his beer, "I'll drink to that, and may we have the same luck tomorrow as today!" Bring the bottle back down, the unicorn gulped down more of his drink enjoying the bitter taste and lingering after taste. Turning to the mare, Tesla decided to finally try and strike up at least a some what conversation, "So Sunny, where are you from? How did you get mixed up in all this? I mean aside from the fact that you were in the caravan of course, I guess I'm asking why?"

. "Today was hell, nearly lost a good friend." Sound Wave laughed a bit and tilted himself a little lower just as her hooves clamped around his back as well as Tesla's as she, in a way, thanked the two for their deeds. "If these two hadn't stepped in and if Lightning hadn't either, we may have lost him. So now we drink!"

"I second that!" The Pegasus laughed as he swallowed down his second gulp, his cheeks gaining a pinkish tint as the alcohol burned his throat in a slow traveling tidal wave. "Hoooh! Tesla! You have good tastes!" He beamed, lifting up his bottle to get a better look at the label. Although of course that was just a cover, in reality, he was peeking at the Unicorn's face from the corner of his eye, a smirk concealed in his celebratory mood and smile.

Awww, he was squirming! How cute He was definitely taking a mental picture and stuffing it under 'most adorable moments in life'. "I'll drink to that, and may we have the same luck tomorrow as today!" Tesla downed his drink and finally turned to the mare beside him. Oh ho! Really!? One gulp and he's willing to talk to her? Sound Wave made another mental note to remember this just in case!

"So Sunny, where are you from? How did you get mixed up in all this? I mean aside from the fact that you were in the caravan of course, I guess I'm asking why?" Hmm, simple.. doesn't really start anything.... perfect neutral stance.... He's good for a first timer! Nodding his head in sagely satisfaction, the Pegasus gulped down another mouthful. "Hooo!!" Letting out a bit of a whinny, Sound Wave tilted his head back as he pulled his drink away from his lips for a breather and a sigh of pleasure.

Arc watched Tesla bring the booze, then picked one bottle at random and floated it to his small calm corner. He checked the label, it was one of the Coctail's newer attempts at whiskey. Close enough.

"To tommorow's mornings!", he joined the cheer, and took a gulp of the brownish substance. Ah, that was what he needed. Horrible taste, horrible aftertaste and throat feeling like he just swalloved hooffull of razorblades. Everything started to feel better.

Arc watched Tesla's endeavour in silence, looking over his bottle."Maybe one day too, Arc. In any case, Tesla, good luck mate." They made a cute couple, but that may have been just the booze already talking, or in this case, thinking.

"Well Miss Dew, it's the wasteland. I can't guarantee that some other band of raiders, with just enough brain cells to camp there, are gonna bother you. Nor can I guarantee that they won't encounter trouble. Wish I could, but I'm not Celestia or Luna. Theirs feral ghouls, the wayward hellhound, radiation, and other thing the wasteland likes to smack you in the face with. But I can guarantee that the raiders that kept y'all here are dead. Now if you can give me the names of the other merchants and a few days to gather and sort the supplies for y'all, we can both get out of here and do more business."

"Oh...well I can understand the fact that you can't promise COMPLETE safety, even though last I checked there were very few to absolutely no hellhounds between here and New Appleoosa, Feral Ghouls, I can promise you any of my caravans can handle them. Radiation is another thing they can avoid."

Honey Dew took yet another sip from her bottle. "However I've noticed you are avoiding my first question, you haven't mentioned that my caravan trains will see bodies and bodies of those crazy ponies. So tell me again, how many of them did you kill?"

"I did answer your question, you just chose to ignore it. I said their all dead. Last time I checked I checked, all meant every single one. Now am I gonna get paid for risking my life and the lives of my friends? 'Cause I have other things to do, and I'd like to get to them."

"You know what fine!" Honey pulled out a bag, tossing it to the unicorn, "Thats the amount I got from the other caravan heads, but I expect you to give at least some of that to your friends, if they risked their lives as well. Also, when I get back, I expect some products as good as that pistol of yours if not better." The earth pony said getting up from her seat, heading toward the door.

Picking up the bag, you see that it certainly is weighty, by rough estimation, you determine that inside is 450 bits.

Silver puts the bag away. "Thank you. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get to my other appointments." Silver stands up and walks out of the bar. He walks towards Black Powder Repairs.

Tesla waited for an answer from the mare, but unfortunately in his more light headed state, the unicorn failed to notice that the mare was not paying attention. Seeing this now, Tesla, felt rather defeated, and more embarrassed that he had failed to notice that. At this point, the unicorn decided to move on, or simply to to bed due to the fact that it was indeed night, and tomorrow they were heading out into the wastes once again. {Meh, one more drink wouldn't hurt.} the gunsmith thought as he turned back to the counter grabbing a bottle of whiskey.

Opening the bottle, the unicorn gulped down a some of the drink, enjoying the bitter taste, and the new burning sensation from the liquor as it went down, followed shortly after its after taste. As he was about to take another sip, the unicorn stopped, {Wait a minute, wasn't there a rhyme about drinking beer and liquor...um...liquor and beer...your all in the clear? or something like that. Meh doesn't matter now} pushing the thought aside, Tesla resumed drinking as he heard the door open, seeing Silver tongue come in. "Sup Silver, grab a drink, unwind, we have more to do tomorrow, might as well enjoy the rest of today."

As Silver walks in, he see that some sort of party going on. He heard Tesla say to grab a drink and relax. Silver stares at the booze longingly. Oh sweet booze. Why I haven't had any since, wait I had some at the bar. Well it was only a half full glass of watered down whiskey. I guess one drink couldn't hurt. No Silver, that's what you said in Pegasus, and look where it landed you. A dirt town full of morons. And they're poor morons. "N-no thank y-you. I'm a, I'm quite g-good. I'm g-gonna go lay down." Silver quickly scurries off to the shops bedroom.

That was close. Well better lay down before temptation sets in. Silver takes his armored suit off and goes to sleep.

Lightning squints his eyes slightly as he watches Silver finishing up his deal and walked out of the bar without even taking a glance at him. 'Now this is just getting out of control.' The pegasus quickly turned and walked out of the bar, glancing around for the unicorn. Once he had located Silver, Lightning began to follow him, watching him go back into Black Powder Repairs. By the time he walked inside, the slippery unicorn disappeared again. 'Oh, come on...'

Lightning quickly looked around the room for Tesla, walking straight up to him once he found the green pony. "Hey, Tesla. You were right, Silver was in the bar. But he walked out and missed me apparently. I followed him and I saw him walk back in here. Do you know where in the store he went?"

Tesla turned toward the pegasus addressing him, it was Lightning....when did he get here? Oh well that didn't matter right about now. He was still loopy, but he was still able to piece together cognitive thought, and he would remember everything that went on in his store.

"Hey, Tesla. You were right, Silver was in the bar. But he walked out and missed me apparently. I followed him and I saw him walk back in here. Do you know where in the store he went?"

"Heya Lightning, Um...yeah yeah I know where he is, he's in the upstairs, in the rooms, more than likely the biggest room, knowing his attitude. You gotta calm down though Light, we had a rough day, grab a drink and be merry!" The unicorn said, pushing his levitated drink toward the blue pegasus.

Lightning simply frowned and wondered when was the unicorn going to return his weapon to him. Holding up his hoof, the stallion refused the drink, "No, thanks. I don't drink." Glancing around at the others in the party, the pegasus had to decide if he wanted to knock at the bedroom door politely, barge in rudely, or just walk away and find the unicorn in the morning. Finally just giving up, the town wasn't very big anyways and he knew all the guards so he had eyes all over the town. "I'm late for a patrol right now, tell Silver tomorrow morning to meet me here. I expect to get that rifle back." Bowing his head to Tesla, Lightning made a fast turn and walked out of the store.

Sunny finished her bottle and vaiguly became aware that Tesla had asked her a question. Feeling bad and a little rude, she trotted up next to the unicorn stallion.

"Hey, sorry about that. I sometimes loose myself in the drink." Sunny said apologetically. "I feel so rude ignoring you like that." She kissed Tesla's cheek. "I will try to not do that again. So please, what was it you wanted to know?"

Tesla had to fight once again to keep his face from going ruby red as Sunny kissed him. {Goddesses damn it all! why can't I keep myself under freaking control!} the unicorn yelled to himself mentally, yes he definitely liked this mare, and adding the fact that he had no experience or confidence in talking to mares...it was like the freaking perfect storm of bad! "Um...I-I was wondering why you...I mean why and how you got into being a Caravan guard. I-I mean you are clearly good with medicine, so why join in something as dangerous that?"