//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5 - Friendly Partings 
// Story: The Dweller's Tale: Of Mutants and Magic 
// by Appy 
//------------------------------//

	Nash jolted upright, sweat pouring down his face, black hair matted to his head. Looking upwards, he saw a ceiling, which caused him to think he was still back in the Vault and that his entire wasteland experience was an all-too-vivid dream.

He looked around frantically. He was laying on a thin mat on a stone floor. To his left was a shelf against a wall with various books and knick-knacks on it, while a bucket full of reeking muck was on the floor by his head. To his right was a person he didn't recognize laying on a mat similar to his. A break in the wall on his left revealed itself to be a window, the blue sky and a rising sun proving that he was still in the wasteland. Looking forwards, he saw a curtain covering the doorway out of the room.

He felt his insides proceed to flare up, prompting him to lean over and vomit into the bucket.

At least now he knew what the bucket was full of.

After several failed attempts at spitting in an effort to rid the taste of bile from his mouth, Nash gave up, falling with a thud back on the mat. He stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.

The last thing he could recall was a blurred mishmash of memories. Getting slapped by Twilight. Running. Shooting. Shoving Ian away from a stinger. From there on all he could remember was pain.

Nash wasn't sure how long he had been laying there, but by the time a man with white robes and a goatee of matching color pushed his way past the curtains, the sky was a bright blue.

"Ah, so you're finally up, Mister Nash. I was wondering when the antidote would start working."

"Antidote?" Nash grunted.

"That's right, antidote. I was able to make several doses of a poison-neutralizing antidote with the radscorpion stingers Ian gave me. He told me it was your companion who suggested collecting them in the first place. But, where are my manners? I am Doctor Razlo, resident physician of Shady Sands, the town you, Ian and that curious companion of yours saved."

"Companion...? You mean—" Nash's eyes widened. "Twilight! How is she? Where is she? Is she alright?"

Razlo chuckled. "Relax, relax, she's alright. Currently resting in Ian's room, from what I hear."

"And what about—"

"Ian and the young boy? They're both perfectly fine. James and his mother were reunited with no issues, while Ian carried you here with surprisingly few complaints on his end. Ian and Twilight then retired to the barracks while I tended to both you and Jarvis with the antidote I brewed. All in all, the only casualties had were on the end of the scorpions, for which the entire town is grateful."

"Well, in that case, I'm — I'm..." Nash paused, putting a hand to his chest for a moment before leaning over and vomiting into the bucket again. With the (what he hoped to be) last of the bile rid from his mouth, Nash flopped back onto the thin mat, muttering, "The wasteland sucks."

Razlo once again chuckled as a middle aged woman carrying a cup pushed past the curtain. She glanced at Razlo for a moment before kneeling down at Nash's side to hand him the cup. "Water. Should help a little."

Nash took the cup gratefully. The first mouthful he swished in his mouth for a moment before spitting it into the bucket. The second mouthful contained the remaining contents of the cup, which he drank with gusto.

Nash slowly sat upright, handing the cup back to the woman with a nod. She took the empty cup without a word and exited through the curtain. Running a hand through his hair, Nash said, "I appreciate your help, Doctor. How can I repay you?"

"You already have repaid me, Nash. Your ridding this humble village of the radscorpions was payment enough. And, with Ian's retrieval of the radscorpion stingers and my subsequent creation of an anti-venom, I was able to save Seth's brother Jarvis as well."

"So that's who that is?" Nash pointed to the man on the mat beside him. "Seth said something about him when we first met. I'm glad to know he'll be alright."

"'Alright' is subjective, I'd think," Jarvis said with a groan as he rolled to face Nash and Razlo. "But I'm still alive, so that's a plus."

"And your brother will be glad to hear it, I'm sure," Razlo said as he made his way to the curtain. "If you two will excuse me, I need to fetch something."

Jarvis looked at Nash, saying, "So you're the person I have to thank for the life of both the town and myself."

Nash held up his hands. "It wasn't entirely me. I had help from a friend, and Shady Sands' very own Ian helped as well."

"Still, you were a part of it, and that's enough to warrant my thanks. If there's anything I could help you with, just ask."

"Well... tell me about your brother. And Shady Sands, for that matter. I don't know much about this place's history."

"Seth? He's a very good fighter, and very determined. A little too much, sometimes. Still, he's devoted to the welfare of our village. As for Shady Sands itself, it was founded by Aradesh years back. We're all mostly leftovers from Vault 15, and unless you happened to pick up that suit from somewhere, I'd say you're from a Vault too."

Nash smiled. "That I am. Vault 13, born and raised. The Overseer sent me out to look for a water purification chip, since ours has broke. The first place I plan on checking for a replacement will be Vault 15."

"Well, I wish you luck. You'll probably need it."

"Alright you two, time for another dose of antidote," Razlo said, entering the room again with two glass bottles full of a viscous red liquid. He handed one to both Nash and Jarvis. Nash studied the bottle and its contents, giving it a light shake. Several sizable chunks of something brown floated within, prompting him to ask, "Uh, Doc? What are the... floaty bits?"

"Radscorpion flesh," he responded with a smile. "Drink up!"

Nash froze for a moment before gently setting the bottle down on the mat as though it were a volatile explosive. He stood up quickly, swooning for a moment from light-headedness before he found his footing. With a smile and a wave, he said with a nod to each of them, "Well Doc, Jarvis, it's been a pleasure. Bon voyage!" Nash sprinted to the nearest window and dived out it.

Razlo and Jarvis stared out the window, where they could see Nash sprinting madly into the town. Jarvis turned towards Razlo.  "Uh, Doc? You sure that's the guy who killed the scorpions?"


________


What Twilight expected to see of Nash that morning was him still bedridden, perhaps turning over in a light and fitful sleep, or sweating profusely from the effects of the poison.

What she did not expect to see was him diving out of the clinic's window and running towards her as if the grim reaper was on his tail. When Nash had finally caught up to her, he doubled over, resting his hands on his knees and breathing heavily.

Concerned, Twilight asked, "Nash? Is something wrong?"

He answered quickly, "What? No! Of course not! Doc gave me a clean bill of health and to prove it I jumped out the window, nothing to it! Now let's go, we've got things to do." Twilight eyed Nash suspiciously but said nothing as he quickly started walking in the direction of the town hall, where Ian had told them Aradesh usually was.

Trotting at a brisk pace, Twilight caught up to Nash and together they entered the building. Its interior was similar to that of other Shady Sands buildings they had seen, though much more spacious. They saw Aradesh sitting behind an old desk in a corner, talking amicably with two other people. Twilight and Nash waited out of earshot until the two strangers left, and Aradesh gestured them over. Nash took a seat in a chair facing Aradesh, while Twilight opted to rest on her haunches.

"Thank you for your patience, wanderers. As you are no doubt aware, I am Aradesh, leader of Shady Sands."

"Name's Nash, I hail from Vault 13, to the east."

"And my name is Twilight Sparkle, newly crowned princess of Equestria."

Aradesh nodded. Addressing Twilight, he said, "You are a most unusual sight, Sparkle. Never have I laid eyes on one such as yourself. Is this 'Equestria' very distant from here?"

"I get that a lot," Twilight said with a smile that faded as quickly as it arrived. "As for Equestria, it's about as far away from here as you can get."

Aradesh clasped his fingers together and hummed in thought. Unknitting his fingers, he said, "Shady Sands may not be a village of open hospitality, but the two of you have done more than enough to earn its trust. You are welcome here at any time, and we will be glad to accommodate you in any manner possible. But, what is your purpose here? I am doubtful that it was solely to aid us, though we are not ungrateful."

"I was on my way to Vault 15 to get a water purifier chip from there. The one from my home Vault broke, limiting our water supply. If I don't find a replacement soon, the entire Vault will die of thirst. I found Twilight on the way, then we just happened across your village and figured we'd stop in for supplies," Nash answered.

"And I'm just tagging along with Nash until I can get the strength to return home. He saved my life, so I plan to return the favor somehow," Twilight said.

"You are a most honest pair. Quite uncommon in the wasteland. I wish to personally thank you for your assistance in the matter of the radscorpions, and more importantly the safe retrieval of young James. Our village would be nothing without its young. As Dharma said, 'Many sticks can be broken. A bundle cannot.'"

Twilight put a hoof to her chin. "I hope I'm not crossing any lines in asking, but who is Dharma? Does he live here? I've heard his name several times prior, and you speak it with the same sort of reverence that ponies back in Equestria give to princesses Celestia and Luna."

"Dharma was a great, religious man, from many years ago. You would do well to listen closely to his sayings. And now, if there is nothing else, you are free to go. May the water you find in the desert not shine at you in the dark."

Twilight nodded as she rose to leave before Nash stopped her, saying to Aradesh, "Actually, there is something else. What can you tell us about the raiders?"

Aradesh sighed, the wrinkles on his leathery face deepening in his distress. "There are two bands of raiders that we know of. They call themselves the Khans and the Vipers. The Khans are nastier than the Vipers, and they attack us from the southeast, with spear and gun alike. But, you mustn't concern yourself further with our problems. As Dharma said, 'tough times tan the human hide.' We will persevere. You, though, have your own quest to fulfill. I wish you luck in your journey."

Nash locked gazes with Aradesh for nearly a full minute. Finally, seeing no give in the old man's face, Nash stood from his seat, with Twilight following suit.

"One more thing," Nash asked. "Where might we be able to pick up some supplies?"

"When you exit this building, follow the path around it on your right side. That shall take you to the market."

"Thanks. Goodbye, Aradesh," Nash said with a nod as he turned to leave.

Twilight gave a short bow, saying, "So long, Aradesh, and may your village prosper."

"Farewell, wanderers. May you find what you seek."


________


After learning the basics of the bartering system the wasteland used from various locals, as well as a method to gauge the value of most common items, Nash and Twilight got the hang of the market's dealings and purchased what they needed for only a moderately overpriced sum.

Not that they knew the difference.

Included in their hagglings were discussions about which possibly irradiated fruit looked the least deadly, how many bullets a lighter was actually worth, and an argument over the necessity of purchasing a 15 meter coil of rope which went something along the lines of,

"Rope is always handy."

"I don't know, Nash. We're going to be traveling through the blank desert, how often are you going to need rope?"

"It's always good to be prepared! You never know when—"

"When a child might fall down a well? Please, Nash. Don't get the rope."

"I'm getting the rope."

"Well, I'm not carrying it!"

In any case, they got what they needed.

"I'm surprised we got so much," Twilight began as Nash packed away several lumpy green fruits he had picked up at the cost of one of his flares. "This bartering system is fascinating. Ancient Equestrians used to barter like this, until they moved up to trading various gemstones as differently valued currency before finally settling on the gold bit we use today."

Nash patted his now even more overstuffed bag, struggling with the straps a bit. "I'm willing to bet that our helping out with the scorpions probably had something to do with the deals. Word got around, and we got some 'friends of the family' discounts or something," Nash said as he jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding being bowled over by three running and giggling children. "Sure is a friendly little place though, once you get on their good side."

"I'll say. Though it isn't even half as big as Ponyville, they're still quite lively here. And everyone seems to know everyone else."

They wove their way through the throngs of dark-skinned passerby, many dressed in extravagant robes and gowns. The market seemed so alive that one could almost forget there had ever been a nuclear holocaust. "Most of these wares must be hoofmade, considering the terrain we encountered on our way didn't have much of anything but desert," Twilight noted as they dodged around a man balancing a large pot on his head.

"'Hoofmade?'"

"Er, what are those things you have? Claws?"

"Hands."

"Right. Handmade. Sorry, I'm still getting used to your human terms. The only other race I know of that has hands would be the minotaurs, and they're a rare sight at best in Equestria."

Nash stretched, lacing his hands behind his head as they walked. "Well, at least you managed to stop using 'everypony' and such. So that's a start."

"Still, I wonder how they made all these beautiful clothes. I'll bet even Rarity would be impressed."

"Brahmin hairs," spoke a young voice behind them. The duo stopped, turning around to see none other than James, clutching a small sack. "Most of the clothing here is handmade from woven brahmin hairs which are treated with a chemical that makes them less uncomfortable to wear, and then dyed. Other times we manage to find or trade for scraps of prewar clothes and use those to make new clothing."

James suddenly looked down, embarrassed. "Um, my mother is a seamstress. She has a stall here at the marketplace."

Nash ruffled James' hair, which only further reddened his cheeks. "Glad to see you're doing alright. Just don't go running off again, I'd hate to have to save you a second time," Nash said with a cheeky grin.

"Says Mister Confident who was crying like a baby on our way back from the caves," Twilight said with a grin of her own.

Nash gave an exaggerated pout as he crossed his arms and blew a raspberry at Twilight. He turned back to James, asking, "So, what brings you out here? Shopping for your mother?"

"Um, well, I was looking for you, actually..." he said quietly.

"Us? Why?"

"Well, um, first I wanted to, um, thank you. For..." James trailed off, unable to finish.

"I think we get the idea, kid. Don't sweat it. Second?"

James seemed relieved that he wouldn't have to say what was on his mind. Continuing with a little more confidence, he said, "Second, Doctor Razlo asked me to find you, and he told me to give these to you." James put his bag on the ground and dug through it, pulling out four glass bottles of a red liquid Nash recognized very well.

Noting the way Nash was cringing away from the bottles, Twilight asked, "What's in them?"

"Some of the antid—"

"The most vile, despicable, unpalatable 'medicine' that has ever been concocted!" Nash interrupted James.

Twilight paused, mentally connecting the dots as she examined a bottle's contents. "Is that why you ran from the clinic earlier today? Because the doctor told you to drink this?"

"Yes! I mean, no! Or, uh..."

Twilight facehoofed. "You're such a foal, running away because you don't want to take your medicine."

"It has radscorpion flesh in it! You don't just casually drink the meat of a giant goddamn scorpion like it's nothing!"

Twilight faltered in her confidence a little, but still said, "While I admit it would be a little... distasteful, that's no reason to not take it."

"I happen to think it would give me every reason not to, thank you very much," Nash said, still looking indignant.

Twilight sighed, but smiled as she said, "Well, we aren't about to turn down a gift. Thank you for bringing this to us, James. Was there anything else?"

James looked down again, abashed. He kicked his foot in the dirt, focusing intently on the ground. Nash crouched to James' eye level, putting his hands on the young boy's shoulders. He said with a smile, "Look, kid, if there's something you want to say, you can say it. We're not going to hold anything against you."

Taking a deep breath, James sighed. Digging into his sack once more, he pulled out his BB gun, and handed it to Nash, followed by a box of BBs. Holding one in each hand, Nash looked the rifle over. He noted the worn out brand marking "Red Ryder." Confused, he asked, "What's this for? Wasn't this—"

"A gift from my father? Yes. I — I want you to have it. My mother has moved on since he's been gone, and I think I should too. So, I... I hope it helps. Somehow."

Nash looked at James' expressionless face, but the boy's watering eyes said all he needed to know. Nash nodded, carefully packing the box of BBs away while shouldering the Ryder by its strap.

"I'll take good care of it, don't you worry."

Unable to hold back any more, James choked out a sob before he pushed past Nash and ran through the crowded market, being lost among the veritable sea of legs.

Twilight looked downtrodden as she stared in the direction James ran, saying, "I can't help but feel like that was somehow our fault."

Nash stood up. "The wasteland sucks."