Losing feathers: A long road.

“Rejoys citizen of Stableton the word of the Electric Father of Creation has come to your town.”

It was during the more darker days of the year when a strange sighting have been seen in many settlements all over the equestrian wasteland and a strange rumour have been spreading and been ignored equally as much by the settlements that have heard it. In the main square of New Appaloosa, in the atrium of the island settlement of Friendship City, outside the gate of Tenpony Tower, and even by the slave capital of the wasteland Fillydelphia. In all these settlements the sighting of three ponies dressed in heavy red robes had been seen and whispers had followed these ponies, whispers of pre-war ghost and creatures that was not quite ponies, as they moved on to their new goal a town made up of metal shacks and have not been in the waste for that long. Stableton.

“Look at you all, you all wear the gift of Electric on your forehoof and yet you still live with the lack of the rest of his gifts. Why could you not have the same gifts as you once had in your Stable?”

It have been two days since the hooded ponies had arrived in Stableton and had not wasted long time with gathering at the main market street of the settlement and started to speak their message. During the first day the residents of Stableton was frightful but interested in what they said and had even gathered in small groups to listen to what they said, but on the second day there was a clear decrease in interest and even some hidden hostile speak. They did not want to have them in town any longer but was not ready to throw them out just yet.

“I say you can have the same gifts again and why should you not. The Steel Ranger try to steal it from you with violence, not us we will share it with out as we improve it and ourselves though it.”

Still not everypony felt the same distrust against these strangers, some really took in what they said while other were curious about what they said and some even saw an opportunity in this. A city full of the best pre-war tech that was a real treasure, if you knew what to do with it all. But these ponies that believe the tales they told were few in between and not many was able to see if they told the truth. Yet there was the few assortment of ponies and did believe and could travel the long way to the city of technology, to Detrot.

“Then I say if you find that you want the gift returned to you seek the city of the Order of the Watts, seek Detrot far to the east. Us from the Order are waiting for you, and maybe you will find what you really seek.”

One that felt an interest in the strange ponies words was Stabletons own boom gryphon. Kira the white stopped gryphoness had been unaware of the ponies that had come into town at first and had not really any idea what all the talk about the strange ponies that had come into town, but even the most inattentive gryphon can after some time see what was going on in front of her face.

Kira had finally gone to listen to the things the hooded ponies had said and she did indeed listen to what they said. Some of the things they talked about was just really strange or plain mad but other things sounded too good to pass up the chance. They had been speaking about medical technology that could fix anything and with that the thought for Kira had immediately gone to one thing, her wing. She had been suffering from being flightless for almost 2 years after the escape from the Stable and she had tried to find someone that could help her but everywhere she had turned before they had said it could not be done. But now here was ponies that said they could do it so she would be stupid if she did not look it up.

There was just one problem with getting to the city of Detrot. It was not to find the way to this city far of to the east as the ponies had been happy to give her pipbuck the coordinates, no it was the journey there. What she had been told was it a several weeks trot to the city though an to her unknown part of the wasteland and such a journey was not something you did alone. But who would be as stupid as her to go after something she did not even know was true and might as well just be a huge trap.

This was what she was contemplating as she sat by the bardisk in Cocktail’s bar, this was not that a strange sight to see as it was not a secret that the gryphoness was kind of a drinker but with her not drinking as she sat there showed that she was really trying to figure something out. She looked down to her pipbuck’s map that showed the small green arrow to a point far away from Stableton. She was not good at planning things like this but had nonetheless placed some pamphlets around the town at places she knew ponies went too and could see them.

Still there was a lot more thing she had to think about. Food was not really that hard she might be stable born but she knew how to hunt, clean water on the other hand was something she would need to have as well as healing potions as radway as well as some other essentials. She knew that small things like that was easy but she had to remember them anyway.

But for now she would have to wait and hope that some ponies saw her pamphlet and was directed here to meet her if they were interested as well to find out more about Detrot and what was there.

Rad had been lazily flying through the streets of stableton, pretty much at a walking pace, flying because he could, not needed to, he just loved it. He had currently forgotten why he had even come to the town, and as he drifted through the streets, only really half paying attention he ran all the possible reasons through his head. Money? No... Rest? He looked up at the sky, seeing it was nowhere near time for rest. Nope... Gah! Why am I here? Visit Bake and Scrap? No... Might do that anyway... Food? "Food!!" He shouted out, drawing a few looks from passers by. "Silly pegasus... How did ya forget you were here for food?"

With the reason he was in town back in his head, Rad headed off to get some food for himself. So he headed off to the market, hearing some ponies shouting out something about some new thing, he took a casual glance at the red robed preachers, not paying much heed to them. He assumed they were just some new cult trying to find members. Though then something in his mind clicked... Rad stopped, dropped to his hooves, and looked at the ponies... He was sure he had seen them in New Appleoosa not too long ago... With a shrug Rad lifted into the air again and continued on, looking at the various market stalls, mainly for food, but at other stuff too. Stuff he couldn't afford really, but a pegasus could hope.

As he got towards the end of the market street, still undecided he spotted a couple of ponies looking at something new on a notice board. New things always interested Rad, so he drifted over to take a look. He read the note, something about a journey to Detrot... He had never been there before, and since he'd been just about everywhere else, it only seemed logical he should go! It was decided, he'd go on this adventure, for whatever reason the pony who had left the note wanted. The thought then occurred that Rad hadn't looked at who wanted to go. Looking again he saw it was from Kira... Not a pony at all! He thought, remembering the gryphoness from the time they had worked together, and the crushing hug at the Nightmare Night party.

And so Rad headed off to the bar. The food he had come to get once more completely out of his head. Upon approaching Rad dropped to his hooves and trotted inside, easily spotting the white spotted gryphoness he trotted up to the bar beside her. "I hear your headin' on an adventure. Count me in!" He said with a grin.

Scraps had been trotting back into Stableton, some spare parts from a quick scavenging run on his pack, when he first noticed the robed ponies. Figuring that they were just crazies from some wierd cult, he payed them no heed and went on about his business. Later on that day he had to go out again, this time to grab some stuff and he spotted those hooded ponies again, so this time he figured he may as well humor them amd stopped to listen to whatever spiel they were pitching.

As do most ponies who've spent their entire life in the wastes, Scraps had a more then ample dose of cynicism-so when they started to preach about a city of marvelous tech, of miracle cures, of an a electric god, Scraps was understandably skeptical. And it was in that state if mind that he left the ponies.

As he continued his errand, their words continued to bounce around in his head, nagging at him and picking at his doubts-after all if one gleaming gem of a city could have made it through the war, couldn't another? Maybe all the cities weren't hellholes or warzones like Filly and Stalliongrad? Coukd he really pass up the chance to experience all that technology-with his brilliance and those resources, who knows what he could accomplish.

Eventually he shook off all the stray thoughts, dismissing it as a trap amd continuing on with his errand-that was until he saw a flyer looking for ponies to head there and he turned around in a full sprint, running home to tell Bakey, completely forgetting to get what he came for.

A tad bit later, after convincing Bakey that he'd be fine amd getting her to agree that it was okay for him to go he trotted off towards the bar, to tell whoever that he was coming along. Once inside he spotted Rad and Kira talking over by the counter, amd walked over to them. "Hiya! You guys here for the Detrot trip too?"

Starry was on another trot around Stableton. She wore a frown on her face, something that Stableton residents had grown accustomed to seeing on the rare occasion that they saw her outside her house. What she was doing around town was nopony's business, but Starry couldn't help but notice the robed strangers, preaching whatever nonsense it was that they were saying.

Starry was never a fan of religion or, more specifically, faith. They spoke of some sort of 'father'. Even if it weren't a god, that sort of reverence of any individual was enough to make Starry's blood boil. She had engaged them several times, trying to debate whatever it was they believed with Starry's own skepticism, but nothing productive came of those conversations.

Starry didn't necessarily doubt the existence of a city named Detrot, or the idea that there might be some useful technology there, as the hooded ponies suggested. It's existence seemed plausible enough; Starry might recall hearing about it in a prior conversation, though she wasn't entirely sure when or where she heard of it, if at all.

When Starry happened upon the recruitment poster, it was enticing. Starry didn't plan to spend the rest of her days cooped up in her shack, and some time out in the wastes sounded very appealing.

Starry didn't know Kira too well; she vaguely remembered her being at one of the parties Starry held a long time ago. Still, she had heard of Kira's reputation for drinking(it's a small town), and she figured the best place to start the search would be the bar. First, though, she went back to her shack to prepare.

"Kira, right?" Starry inquired, as she trotted up to the gryffoness. Starry was wearing her combat barding with her metal helmet, and a broadsword and a knife strapped to her hip. She had two large saddlebags, filled with supplies for her travels, and a waterskin strapped around her waist, opposite her weapons. Her frown was still stuck on her face.

"I saw your poster, and I'm coming with you. I've already packed my things," she told Kira.

Nova had been walking around Stableton, before she'd heard the 'preaching' that was going on. On a whim, she decided to stay and listen a while. Admittedly, a little of it intrigued her, but at the mentioning of a 'Father' Nova simply trotted off, uninterested.

Probably just some other crazy cult. Nova mused.

Nova approached the noticeboard she'd grown accustomed to checking regularly. After her last adventure... she didn't really want to think about it. But one thing she definitely needed was a change of scenery. Every day, Nova would check the board, hoping for something, anything, that would give her an excuse to go somewhere else for a little while.

Yeah... Like that'll happen. Probably just empt- Nova noticed that something new had been put up.

Nova examined what was there, every detail she could. Once Nova was sure she'd read it correctly, she began to debate whether or not this was the best thing for her to do. However, as she looked to Kira's name she simply nodded her head, decided on her course of action.

Nova trotted to gather up her supplies. Everything she would need for a big trip like this one. Caps. Weapons. Ammo. Food. Water. Anything else..? Nova then looked over to an old pencil and sheet of paper nearby. Carefully she approached them, and began to write down a note to explain her sudden disappearance.

'Arc,
Gone to help Kira in Detrot. Sorry I couldn't say goodbye in person. Be back as soon as I can.
~ Nova'

Nova nodded to herself before leaving the note somewhere prominent enough for Arc to find it. She took one last look before stepping outside and trotting towards the likliest place to find Kira. The tavern. Once Nova had arrived, she spotted Kira easily enough. And it appeared she'd already gotten approached by Rad, Scrap and Starry. Nova smiled slightly, glad for the familiar faces. Nova then trotted up to the others, and looked to Kira.

"I'm ready to do my part. If you'll have me."

Kira looked up and smiled at Rad as he approached her, she had not expected to get a reply so quickly and from a pony she had been doing some work with together before. She was not sure how ago that was and she could not really remember where and when this was, it was kind of fuzzy in her mind. Still it was good to know at least he was interested in her pamphlet and that meant that she did not have to go on this fools errant alone.

"Rad it is good to see you again I have no idea how long ago it was." She said as she turned around on her seat. "And yes I am looking from some one to go on a, well I guess you could call it an adventure." She stopped talking as she notice a grey unicorn that also came up to her speaking about joining her on the little tip as well.

"Oh... hey well the ponies seem to fall in right now and yes that is the plan." She said with a nod, well with all the ponies falling in at once maybe putting out the pamphlets was not that a bad idea. She could not really remember the name of the unicorn but she knew she had been out it the wastes with him at some occasions. "I hope that you know that I am not sure..." She stopped as she looked to another unicorn, a blue mare this time that looked some what depressed, who came over to her.

"Yes I am Kira and also before you ask yes we are going. Also it is good to hear that you are ready already for the trip." She took a pause looking to the door of the tavern expecting for another pony to come in and interrupt her again.

"Well okay then if not any other pony want to interrupt me. This will be a long journey over the wasteland, I am not sure if we will run into settlements on the way so we will need to pack fresh water for a long trip I guess..." She stopped again as a black and bright green pegasus she knew by name came up a bit later then everypony else.

"For for the love of..." She said as she lifted her claws to the air. "Sorry Nova, right? I meant nothing against you, but if you are talking about the little tip I talk about yes I will have you. You helped me get my fluffeh back so i trust you with my life." She turned back again to the other and motioned to Nova to come up to the others. "As I said we need to pack and prepare of a long tip with the thought of not finding resupply soon."

"I've already prepared for the journey, as I said, so I will wait for the rest of you by the town's exit," Starry responded. She barely acknowledged the other ponies in the party, before trotting her way toward the door and pushing it open with her hoof.

Starry paused in front of the doorway, before turning back to Kira, "Was there anything left to discuss before we departed?" she added.

Scraps was a bit confused as to why Kira had to introduce herself, they all knew her, to some degree or another, but he shrugged it off as pure formality. Listening quietly to what Kira had to say he nodded occasionally, absorbing the information.

Once the gryphoness had finished talking, Scrap nodded and got up from where he was sitting, and headed to the door," I've got to go grab my gear first, so I may be a while."

Once home, Scraps commenced getting ready, stapping on his newly repaired Al Honor guard armour, slipping his ghost goggles onto his forehead, ready ti be pulled down at a moments notice, and slipping on his MoP saddlebags, already full if his weapons from last time. Giving Bakey a quick goodbye kiss, he trotted back out and headed towards the market.

A bit of time and a lot of haggling later, Scraps was ready to go, loaded up with fresh water, food, and the like. A smile on his face, he turned and headed out to meet up with Starry amd the others.

Rad listened to Kira. "Get ready to... Food! I was meant to be gettin' food!" Rad checked himself over, the guns were on his sides, the power hooves were on his hooves... Everything was accounted for... Except for that all evasive food. "I'll be with you guys at the gate soon!" He said, and before it even looked like he had taken off, he was flying out the door, straight past Starry who had stopped to ask something, and headed to the market, dodging around rather surprised, and sometimes irritated ponies. Not many liked a pegasus flying at high speeds past them... Understandably.

It didn't exactly take him long to reach his destination, it wasn't even that far anyway, And after some buying, and haggling/arguing with a few ponies that wanted far too much for what they were selling, Rad had his supplies. He hoped it would be enough. But the pegasus didn't exactly eat much anyway, so it should do.

Loaded up and ready, Rad made his way to the gate, once more flying along at a casual walking speed, his sudden rush now over. Though his excitement about this journey was evident on his face.

Kira looked to the blue unicorn as she asked the gryphoness a question. She was not really sure what she was going to add, was she going to add why she really wanted to go to this city? No she hated to talk about her broken wing so what ells was going to say to the mare.

"No, it is a long road and if we are lucky nothing will happen, but be ready for anything anyway." She finally said before she looked as the others moved to get ready. "Will see you all at the gate then we will head east." She just about to leave to get the supplies she would need but she turned around and to the bar and bought a large bottle of whisky for her to have on the journey.

She went over a list in her head as she thought about what she would need, food, water, basic ammo... well she was not going to find that here so scratch that, healing potions and rad-away. It was going to cost some caps but surviving in post-apocalyptic Equestria was funny enough expensive.

Nova simply watched as the others began to disperse and make preparations. However, Nova had already prepared what she would need, and simply decided to go and wait by the gate. It would both give her time to think of how she would react in certain encounters, and get a rough layout of the journey ahead. With any luck, all would go well.

Nova trotted outside, and made her way to the meeting point.

The ponies and the one gryphon all went their separate ways to do what preparation they needed for their journey though the wasteland and whatever it might meet out there. There was a lot of ponies in the market area as the ones that was gathering supplies had to made there way though the crowd up to each market stand and then make themselves heard before they finally managed to get the supplies they needed.

The time passed as Nova and Starry who was already ready waited by the gate to the east for the rest of the newly formed group to gather. It did take about an hour before the first of them to arrive at the gate and meet up with the two ponies that was waiting for them, finally last of them all did the one that had arranged this little adventure arrive carrying her supplies packed neatly in to her saddlebags.

Starry was checking her pipbuck for the entire duration of her wait by the gate with Nova. She didn't attempt conversation to pass the time, she would just constantly switch between screens on her pipbuck, checking the radio among other things. She let her saddlebags lie by her side, simply for comfort as she waited.

She barely acknowledged the others as they arrived, until Kira had finally approached the gate. "Good," Starry affirmed, finally letting her hoof down, "After you, Kira."

Starry hoisted up her saddlebags, and stretched briefly before embarking on their journey.

Scraps arrived somewhere in tue middle of the group, Nova and Starry were already there, but Rad and Kira had not arrived yet. Since neither of the earlier arrivals seemed like they wanted to talk, he spent the time breaking down and reassembling his trusty lightning pistol, making sure it wouldn't break on him when he needed it.

Once everyone arrived, Scraps simply waited for orders, ready to move when the others did, planning on staying in the middle of the group.

Nova knew that Starry was there, but didn't want to bother the mare. If she wanted to talk Nova would be happy to, but as it was they remained silent as they waited for the others to arrive. Nova decided to shirk her saddlebags and simply lie back on them and gave upwards. To most, it would have seems like she were napping or staring into the sky. However, as she lay there, Nova was running over some of the maneuvers she knew, how best to execute them and in what sistuations they'd be most useful in.

As everyone began to show up once more, Nova slowly got back onto all four hooves, settled her saddlebags on her back, tightened her rapier at her side and prepared to head out with the others.

Kira came walking down the main street of Stableton, her deactivated lighting claws making a clicking sound each time she took a step on the well travelled dirt road that have been made since the settlement had been created. The gryphoness saddlebags that she carried was filled with what necessities she could got her claws on, 5 health potions, one bag of rad away, food and water for her for at least a week. She still hated how little she had managed to get but just hoped that what little she had would be enough.

Kira adjusted her grenade luncher as she looked the ponies that had gathered by the gate and smiled that she now knew they meant business with going on this trip.

"Okay you ready?" She asked as the gtyphoness looked at the ponies that was there. "Also I am happy to see that you all made it here."

Rad arrived last of all, he probably would have been first if it weren't for some stubborn traders, he hadn't got as much as he would have liked, but since he didn't eat much it should still be enough. All other supplies he had managed to get enough of at least, he hoped... As he arrived, floating along on his wings at a slightly faster pace than before, he saw everypony else was already gathered and waiting. Rad hoped he hadn't kept them all waiting too long.

He dropped onto his hooves near the group. "Sorry if I kept ya waitin'... Some of them traders are just too stubborn for their own good... But i'm ready to head off if all of you lot are too!" He said with a smile. "This is gonna be so much fun!"

Kira sighed as Rad came a sometime after her and the rest of the ponies, she had actually almost given up that he would come along with the other but it pleased her to see that he did come here after all.

"Good to hear that you think this will be fun Rad." She said as she once again looked down at her pipbuck and flipped the screen over to the map and looked at the way point she had programmed into it. "Well now that we are all here lets get going, I want to get as far as possible before nightfall." She turned and faced the small green arrow on her EFS and started walking in a brisk trot.

Scraps nodded when Kira told them to move out and quickly followed behind her, keeping quiet and to himself, as what seemed to be the precedent. He was only half keeping an eye on his surroundings, as he was rather busy daydreaming about all the things he could do with the technology, the robots and other wonderful mechanical things he could make if Detrot was anything like the mechanical paradise the ponies from there made it sound like.

The group of ponies followed after the gryphon as she started to walk off into the wasteland heading off to the east and to them the unknown part of the wastes and leaving the safety of the metal shanty settlement behind. The road leading of the east was seldom travelled both by beast or pony only occasionally had one or two scavengers come from the east and they did not tell of anything great beyond Canterlot and the mountain range. The small group started to walk off on the broken road that lead off from Stableton, the road and mostly been made safe and almost all raider activity and sized around the settlement. As they walked they could see the occasional rad hog running over the road they walked after but the animal did only stop for a second before running on to what ever errant the creature was off to.

The day started to grow darker without anything really special happening, only once was they walked hard they heard the sound of gunfire in the distance but had not seen any signs of the shooters. The group was close to a couple of ruined buildings as the gryphoness leading them stopped while what little light there was during the day slowly faded away.

"We'll make camp in one of the ruins over there." Kira said as she stopped with the group behind her, it was getting late and it was not wise to travel the wasteland at night there was never any telling what ponies or worse that lurked out in the dark.

The trip up to this point and not really been that interesting but the wasteland was really not that interesting at time, something that is expected from a big ruined wasteland really. Still the sound of fighting in the distance had worried her some but it was so far away there was no telling what it was all about.

The gryphoness turned her attention to the building again and watched then in the slowly disappearing light. There was no telling what the building what once was in this light but two of them looked good enough to take shelter in. But that also meant that there might be something ells taking shelter in them as well.

Nova followed behind the others for a while, saving her energy and deciding to walk rather than fly. That didn't stop her from keeping a watch on what was going on, making sure that she could hopefully see something if it were to come at the group. Once Kira spoke up about stopping for the night, Nova looked up towards the buildings, or at least what was left of what they once were, and nodded.

Nova knew that nothing was that easy though, and that the building would likely have something waiting for them. This made Nova pause and think, looking it over once again as the beginnings of an idea began to formulate in her mind. Eventually she trotted up next to Kira to speak.

"I'll fly up to the roof. Work my way down. At least that way if there is something inside, they likely won't see it coming." Nova reasoned, flaring her wings and taking to the sky. "I'll either meet you at the bottom or half way up." Nova then took off and made for the roof.

Rad had followed along with the group, on his wings most of the way, but after a while he had switched to his hooves as even he was starting to get tired out from the constant flying. What made it worse was how dull the journey had been so far. He knew the wastes could be boring, but this seemed to be boring even by boring's standards. So when he heard the gunshots far away, Rad almost hoped they'd encounter something, before realising how stupid a thought that was.

When they arrived at the old ruins Rad's interest was peaked. Places like this usually had some interesting things in, also usually something that wanted them dead. He heard some of what Nova said to Kira, and as she took off to head for the roof, quickly figured that it would be better if she didn't go into an unknown and probably dangerous building alone. "I'll go with Nova." Rad said before taking off after the pegasus, catching up to her. "Figured goin' in there alone prob'ly ain't the best idea."

Scraps had passed the time with his idle daydreaming, even with that he was starting to feel the monotony of their trip as of so far. The sound of gunfire that broke the quiet, didn't even warrant him looking up so he continued on until they reached the ruins.

He was still appraising whether he thought the ruins would be a good place of shelter or not when Nova and Rad took of to make sure the other floors and the roof were clear. Pulling out his newly aquired Multiplas, he turned to Starry and Kira, asking.

"Gonna meet them in the middle?"