Hello, my name is Striker and I am a courier, or at least I was a courier, It's been so long since I actually have been hired to deliver anything. Doesn't really matter now, I’m just your average pony that wanders though the ruins of what used to be equestria. But when it comes to weapons, I am one of the best you can find, though nopony really wants to find me. I haven’t really have made a name of myself out here, unlike that pony that came out of one of those Stables, she really has ponies talk about her, and then again I wouldn't really want ponies talking about me anyway, personally I would feel really weird about it. I’m not a pony who likes to have attention brought to myself, I usually like to mind my own business, but there are the rare occasions that I would help others cause I feel like it, and others where if I am being paid to. I was born in the wastes, never had the luxury of being raised in a stable, though I do like being able to not be kept in a compact area where you can’t move 5 feet without there being a wall, I like to move, I like to travel, that’s on reason why I had become a courier. But I think that’s enough right now. I should probably get to the reason why you are here…

*** *** *** ***

It had been an average day, well as average as you can get in the Wasteland. I walked into the Haysville bar, it was a small building in the middle of the town I had been visiting. It was vary well kept than most of the other buildings in the Wasteland, but even though it looked pretty well maintained, it still wasn't the best. I trotted over to one of the stools in front of the counter, it was loose and the soft part of it had badly repaired holes while the white material was partially leaking though them. I sat down onto it anyway, I had been walking for Luna knows what amount of miles and my legs were killing me.

There was a pony sitting in the stool next to me, he was a light gray pony with a even lighter gray mane that hadn't been cleaned in a while. He had a bent fishing hook with fishing line for a cutie mark on his flank. One of his eyes was a light pale color with a pair of scars on his brow. They had looked recent, I wouldn't really want to know what could have caused it, I don’t know many creatures with two claws, I don’t like not knowing either. What I had also noticed was that his other eye had been dilated while the damaged one was a non-changing size that looked about regular. What I found a little strange about him was that he had a limited edition modified stable tech Pip-buck 3500, I don’t think he originally owned it, they were rare to find. It seemed to not be in perfect condition with oil and scratches over it and on the screen. I should ask him about it later. There was a box of Mint-als set on the counter and he was putting a few into his mouth at a faster pace than he probably should have been.

He then stopped eating them and suddenly turned his head in my direction making me nearly fall out of my seat.

“Why you look at me?” He had said with a mouth full of Mint-als. I could already tell that he probably had maybe one or two more than he should have had, though any of them Is too much.

“Huh, no reason…” His dilated eye had been fixed on me while his other was lazily drifting over to who knows what.

“Din't dink so.” He then turned back and dumped the entire box down his throat. I don’t think he even swallowed them.

I don’t think I could really get anything out of him about the pip-buck.

I just sat there slightly disgusted and turned over to the oldish looking stallion running the bar.

“Uh, so. What are ya selling?” I said with some nervousness due to the pony now sleeping next to me.

“Look at the sign.” He pointed to a sign that I can’t believe that I had missed, must have been paying attention to the odd pony than it.

“Oh, thanks.” I started to look though the choices of drinks and small amount of food that there was to buy.

He didn't have very much of a variety to pick from. Most of the items I could have easily gotten from the wasteland.

“Could I get a Sparkle-Cola, some cooked Radroach and Bloatsprite meat?”

He simply nodded and went though a door in the back of the room.

I started to look around the bar to take in the view of it, I personally liked finding new ones that I haven’t been to before.

I turned my head to the left to find a young mare shouting at some raiders in the corner of the room sitting at a table with a fire I had guessed that they caused. They had been laughing in their seats while the mare stormed out of the room and came back out with a fire hose in a magic aura. She then sprayed the fire and them with what looked like radiated water.

“Get out!” She had yelled while pointing a hoof to the door.

Each one started to slide out of their seats and head for the door, still chuckling to themselves as they left.

I turned to the bartender as he set my “food” down in front of me.

“Thanks.” I said as I started to eat the small pieces of radroach.

“No, prob.” He said as he started to clean a pre-war cup.

I took a few bites of my food, it tasted better than it would have normally tasted, slightly spicy and a little less rad-roach flavored.

“This actually isn't that bad.”

“It is my special recipe. Combinations of some spices that I made. Some to help with the bad taste and something to help make it taste better. I also was able to remove some of the radiation using a prewar machine I found, couldn't remove it all though.” He said while giving a smile.

I continued to eat my food and drink, which I liked and should come here more often to get more sometime.

The mare I saw before that had dealt with the raider’s had slumped onto the counter face first and exhaled into it.

“I don’t know how long I can deal with those ruffians.” She said to I would guess nopony In particular.

“How long have they been coming here?” I said feeling some concern for her.

“About three or four days, I’m assuming they are coming from that raider camp that had been set up a couple miles down.”

“I could try to talk to them if you want” I said to attempt to relieve her apparent stress

“If you would I would be grateful.” She said will relief in her voice.

“You sure have a lot of ponies here. It’s been a while since I have seen this many in one place where nopony is planning for raiders or something.”

“Yeah, right now it is little much. The only reason I let half of them stay is because they give good business.” She then turned her attention to the pony sitting next to me.

“Him on the other hoof, he is too far out of control with his Mint-als and drug addictions.he is going to kill himself one day.” She sighed
“He is mostly a kind pony, but his addictions have made him, eh, a little bit dull.”

“Do you know anything about his Pip-Buck? Its kinda rare and was wondering if you knew where he found it.” I said with curiosity in my voice.

She put a hoof to her head
“I think he found it near Waterworks Gulf in a broken caravan wagon. But that’s just what I had heard.”

Interesting, I should check that out later.

“Thank you for telling me if you knew.” I said

"By the way, my name is Striker."

"Jem" She said, she smiled and went into the room in back of the bar.

I sat there finished my food and thought about the wagon, it might have been looted already, but I might find a clue to where it came from. It might even lead me to more items like it.

I heard some footsteps from behind me.

“Are you a courier?” a voice had asked.

I turned to see the owner of the voice. It was a whitish brown stallion unicorn with a light and dark brown mane. His cutie mark was an hourglass with musical notes forming a star in front of it. He had a device around his leg that seemed like some sort of camera for a use I couldn't guess yet..

"Who wants to know?" I asked. I don't just blow off ponies unless I know they won't be of any good to me.

"A friend, that's all you need to know. I have a job for you to do, a delivery of sorts, if you are interested." He looked at his device for a quick moment and pressed a couple of buttons and then looked back to me.

"I have a feeling that you would be perfect for the job."

A job? Firstly how did he even know I was a courier? I don't really have the usual courier attire and saying I'm "Perfect for the job" is kinda creepy.

"I guess it really just depends on the job, and by the way I haven't really been in the courier business for a while, still a bit rusty. I am better at using firearms nowadays." I said with a shrug.

"That's why you would be perfect for the job" He said with a grin.

"Okay, enlighten me, what exactly do you want me to do?" I asked, ready to listen.

"I would like you to deliver some items and a message to a friend of mine. He stays within a place in the Valestone Valley." He gave me the message and a package.

"The path there will be dangerous, something I cant do myself. I'm sure as you said before, you have good weaponry skills?"

"Yes, and another question, will I be paid to do this or am I doing this out of the goodness of my heart?"

"Indeed you will be paid, quite a lot actually. This is a very important delivery and you will be paid according."

Well I haven't done anything productive in a while, so I might as well do it.

"Sure, I'll do it."

"Excellent, You can start at any time, but I would advise you to start as soon as possible." He turned around and walked to the door.

"I wish you luck." He said as he smiled and walked out the door.

I was now left alone in the room, other than the remaining ponies and the chem addict. Well, now I'm not bored anymore.
I walked to the counter and placed the caps for my meal onto it. The stallion took the caps and smiled.

"Come again soon, we don't get many new faces here."

I walked to the front of the building and opened the door to the wasteland.