Chapter 7 Town Hopping

The Morning was calm as I still felt the ringing of Fire Bolt’s anger. Everypony else was still sleeping around the abandoned home. Waiting for them I decided to load up fresh mags. The clicking as each round flowing into the magazine creates a somehow soothing feeling of the repetition of the task that creates a feeling of zen. This feeling was interrupted by the hoof steps of Steam Belt looking at me with confusion.

“Flag Waver, what are you doing?” He asked looking at me loading the mag.

Looking at him dropping my work startled by him talking out of no where.

“What do you want Steam Belt?” I asked seeing him staring at the half loaded magazine next to me.

I then went back to the magazine loading waiting for his response.

“Where are we heading to next?” he asked taking a quick glance at his pip-buck.

“Haycago, where else dumb-ass!” I responded seeing his giggling face.

“OK then” he followed by walking away to the next room.

The next few hours the others started to wake up looking around the abandoned home that takes on our shelter. I was able to load up 10 mags and then took out a ration bar and bit into the peanutty rectangle. Outside it was cool but somewhat pleasant with the permanent cloud overcast creating a dull feel. T-hoof walk out after also staring at the ominous landscape.

“So, what know?” He asked in a low but calm tone.

“To Handcolt tower.” I retorted as he nodded.

After everypony ate we headed back out to the east all to see in old ruins and constant cloud cover. Out of boredom I turned on the pip buck’s radio to keep me amused. I landed on the the DJ-PON3 station right at the end of a song.

“Good morning wasteland! This is your Favorite disk jockey DJ PON-3 back from some same old same old. Now for some fun that’s going on in the wastes. You know that stable that opened a few days ago. they’re back in the news. We heard heavy gunfire in the ruins of Niehperville in a ghoul hive. I got to tell them this everypony. Ghoul hives are dangerous as hell and shouldn’t be messed with. And now you know, and knowing is half the battle.”

Hearing that last sentence I couldn’t help but laugh. For the next few hours I fiddled with my pip-buck searching through the other entries that was on that computer from the other day.

September 31st
Home has changed a lot lately. Trains carrying military supplies care coming through everyday. This war is only gonna get much worse. Celestia please bring this madness to the end.

November 5th
Yesterday I heard that several tenants were arrested by the M.O.M. This is crazy hope they don’t come for me. I’ll be shipped back out soon to the front line.

Got bored of the logs quite fast not really caring about somepony during the war. quickly turned back to the radio with some nice catchy tune. I looked around for a moment still humming the music from my pip-buck. i Started to see rail tracks and overturned cars lying on their sides. Many of them carrying large howitzers that have corroded from the years weathering.

“Looks like Equestria loves big ass gun.” Steam Belt said with a snarky tone to his voice.

Thunderhoof then tossed a rock at his face with everypony else giggling at his pain. I still listening to the the music from the radio. For the next 40 minutes I hummed the tunes my mind almost blanked out to the world.

Another hour passed through the abandoned rail-yards with a tower of smoke piles what seems a few miles away. I quickly decided to head to that source. We subconsciously started moving towards to source of the smoke. The smoke gave out a scent of barbecue that we’ve never felt before. The scent started to get to Steam Belt seeing drool starting to flow out of his mouth.

“Looks like we’re getting close to whatever what smell is coming from.” I noted with the smell lure us to hopefully safety.

Within twenty minutes later we see a gate with several armed guards with large bolt action sniper rifles dressed in heavy barding.

“State your business.” One of the heavily armored ponies using his magic to point a light machine gun at us.

Blue Rose nudges me forward to the gate. Steam Belt giggled at the awkwardness holding back his laughter. I swear to luna one of these days I’m gonna kick that sorry fuckers ass.

”Just traveling to Haycago sir and me and my buddies here just want to get some rest maybe some food.”

The heavily armored buck stared at us for a second before signaling another to open the gate. The gate was a rail car on a track creaking to the side.

“Welcome to the Railyard everypony.”

Like back in Rover the settlement was small but appears to better equipped, as well there was that distinct smell that brought us to this place. Most of the ponies were wandering around some drinking. It didn’t feel too much different from Rover. One thing felt a little strange seeing some of the settlers giving me and Fire Bolt weird stares at us.

“I’m going to get some of whatever they’re cooking.” Steam Belt said before running off.

I decided to follow him as I was also somewhat curious of that smell. The building we entered was filled with smoke with that smell grabbing me and Steam Belt to it. to the side there was a grill filled with food I have no idea what it is. I then sat down next to a unicorn buck with a grilled carrot cutie mark. Sitting down I tapped on the table signaling for a drink. The bartender then took out a bottle of beer and gave it to me. Nodding to him I took a swig bringing a uncomfortable taste that didn’t go down well.

“You call this beer! I’ve drank piss that tastes better. And where the fuck do you get this shit?”

The other ponies stared at me with annoyance many with half the mind of fighting me.

“Look asshole!” the bartender yelled. “We don’t have a working still and all the booze we have pre war shit. Now shut up or get out.”

I then grumbled for a bit before going for the bottle and resume my drink. I then chugged through the rest of the bottle trying to keep it down.

“What’s going on with that grill over there?” I asked seeing it as well as smelling it miles away from the place.

“You don’t know? The Railyard is famous throughout Haycagoland for some of the best Barbeque in the wastes.”

Hearing of the best BBQ in the waste really caught my eye and stomach with a bit me salivating over the idea. Back in the stable we had barbeque but at it was grilled hay burgers drenched in BBQ sauce. Then a unicorn mare levitated a chipped plate of some cut of Celestia knows what but has such a pleasing smell that it much restraint not to scarf it down.

“I want a tip kid.” The waitress said followed by a wink.

Next thing I knew I was already munching down on whatever it was. It was great with a slight saltiness to it as a pleasant smoky taste.

“What is this?” I asked with everypony staring.

“Its brisket dumbass.”

I shrugged and continued eating the brisket slab. The waitress came back for what I assume is the bill. She laid a crudely written check with it saying 60 caps.
Seeing this I went straight to my saddle bag and took out a small sack of bottle caps.

“Will this cover it?” I asked nervously.

She looked at the small sack of caps for a sec.

“Yeah. Enjoy the rest of your stay.”

I came outside a little tired from the brisket and looking at my pip-buck it showed 7:00pm. I decided to search for the others, but then found Steam Belt walk out of the restaurant smiling while humming some random tune.
“So where’s the others?” I asked Steam Belt

He then to a moment to respond

“Um I think the girls are in a rented room and and T-hoof is in the market.”

I decided to find T-hoof first heading to an area filled with boxcars retrofitted into stores selling stuff from guns to clothes. There was that smell of BBQ moves through the market with other ponies selling the stuff. Scanning the area I saw T-hoof trading with a weapon merchant where he was trying to buy ammo.

“Hay T-Hoof we got a place to stay finish up.” He then responded with a nod.

I spent the rest of the evening back at the BBQ place drinking till goddess knows when.

I woke up the next morning with an annoying headache in the rented room that was an old boxcar. a few feet from me was the other 4 already awake which drove me to check the time. 9:30 damn I really slept in! I then saw Rose with her smiling face.

“Good morning Flag Waver.” She said with a smile “So what’s next?” She then asked.

“Continue to Handcolt tower.”

She then nodded then went to brush her mane.

I went outside heading back to the bar wanting a pick me up even though I’ve felt my head pounding a bit. the Bar was empty other than a earth pony buck behind it wiping the rusty tabletop. This followed up by tapping the table signaling a drink. The buck slid a bottle to me.

“Don’t bitch about the quality again.” He said as I took a swig.

“What are you up to?” He asked me

“I’m heading to Handcolt tower.” He have me a shocked look followed by a response.

“Why the fuck would you want to go there? Its full of super ponies and goddesses knows what. I heard the place was a Ministry of Magic hub back during to war where they did some fucked up shit.”

“Me and my friend are going to stop whatever is going on there.”

He then took a good look at me while I took another swig.

“Good luck with that I guess.”

“Anything going around?” I asked out of no where

“Um there’s some weird stuff going on near the arcane science and industry museum near the south side. Also there’s rumors of steel rangers in the old baseball park up north.”

I looked with some confusion suddenly seeing something on my pipbuck lit up on the map with the locations marked down. I finished the beer then headed back to my friends.

Back in the rented room everypony was awake ready to get going.

“I think we should to get going soon.”

footnote nxt lvl at 60%