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// 6 - Pack it Up 
// Story: Duet in the Dust 
// by David Silver 
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The cart they'd brought was burdened with the generator and a wealth of other bits and bobs they'd pulled from the basement. Though they'd appear of little value to a modern person, each of them contained valuable metals and parts that could be turned to other ends.

Vinyl reached with her magic, plucking up the round bubble of an electrical meter. "Trippy, what even is this anyway?"

Octavia was, with a look of satisfaction, not the one pulling it. That went to Sandy. Octavia shook her head at Vinyl though. "I'm afraid I'm not skilled on those levels. I couldn't discern what manner of function it once served."

Tim intercepted the bubble of glass and metal from the air, grasping it in his hands carefully. "Tell how much power," he explaining in his strained sylvan. "Use for parts." He carefully set it back in the wagon to join the others.

Octavia looked ahead of the wagon to see Sandy stoically bearing the weight as they trundled back through the ashen fields towards the camp. "I'm certainly not complaining, but one wonders how I avoided even being asked for that duty? Did Miss Scratch request it?"

Vinyl threw a hoof over Octavia suddenly. "You know I would."

Sandy smirked a little. "Actually, in this case, I just got the least stuff. Everyone pulls their weight, and I pulled the least, so I get to help haul it home." She hiked a thumb back, pausing her walking just long enough for the act. "Vinyl and Tim won this by far, Hank assisted in them not dying, hard to argue that. Even Octavia secured something of value." Her shoulders rolled as she took a step. "Sometimes you win, sometimes less so. Nothing to get stressed out about either way, seeing as we're all going home intact."

Tim hurried up to her side. "<If you want me to take a turn, I'm alright with that.>"

"<You're a good person.>" She smiled at him as she worked over a bump. "<How about you take one and I'll take the other?>"

She released one of the two handles and Tim came in to grab it. They walked side-by-side, cutting the burden in half with the power of teamwork.

Vinyl smirked softly and leaned closer to Octavia, even if she was forced to swerve around a jagged bit of concrete. "Do you think they're, you know, interested in each other?" She waggled her brows salaciously.

Octavia's refined eyes rolled skywards. "If they are or not is none of our concern." She looked towards Hank. "I'm more curious about that one... He has entirely kept his feelings to himself."

Vinyl leaned around Octavia to get a better look. "Yeah... I wouldn't sweat it though. He's a kind of roadie. Strong, reliable, quiet. He's totally cool. Hay, I'm always happy when one of him shows up for a tour, 'cause I know he won't mess it up."

Octavia suddenly remembered something. "Before I become a rogue... I borrowed a figurine of yours, Vinyl. I hope you don't mind too terribly."

"Huh wha?" Vinyl patted herself down with a hoof as she walks. "I had a what now?"

Octavia reached back, producing the figurine of the super-mare and held it up on the end of a hoof carefully, balancing it on her stubbornly-not-sticky hoof. "This one. May I keep it?"

Vinyl relaxed as she saw it. "Oh, figurine! That's not a figurine, that's an 'action figure'." She stuck out her tongue. "And if it makes you happier, it's all yours. I hope she uses her awesome action move to hoof-chop your sad days away."

Octavia smiled, deep but not silly, an expression of her genuine thankfulness. "She has an action move?" She looked closer at the mini and saw a little lever near her rump on her back. She paused to mess with it, but Vinyl's magic wrapped around the figure.

Vinyl plucked it way. "We have to keep up, but here." She pulled the lever in her magic and the super mare's left hoof shot forward as if trying to punch or kick something. "She's a hoof-fu master! And now I bequeath her to you." She floated the figuring towards Octavia's waiting hoof.

Octavia stuffed it back in her pocket as soon as it touched her hoof. "I'm only sorry I waited this long to ask. I admit, I was scared you might insist on having it back."

Vinyl bumped up against Octavia. "How long have we been buds? How many things of yours have I busted?"

"Too many?" ventured Octavia with a wry smile.

"Exactly, what kinda pony would I be to say no the one time you ask for one of my things? 'Sides, you ain't breaking it, just want to hold it. What's the harm in that?" She grinned brightly. "Besides, imagining you playing with it is too cute to say no to."

Hank suddenly thrust a hand out in front of Sandy and Tim. It was just in time for figures to emerge from a dune of ash, the sooty stuff tumbling around them. A human and a foal. The foal wasn't shaped... right. Both were grey from the ash that clung to them.

The maybe-not-foal raised a hoof, speaking in some new language, "(Hello!)" They sounded happy to see them. "(We're not raiders, promise.)"

Sandy let the cart come to a stop, releasing her side of it. "(Gravetenders, what can we do for you?)"

The unknown human gestured back where they'd come from. "(The smell of death clings, but you have lost no members.)"

The not-foal came forward, bright brown eyes dancing from one person to the next. "Ponies!" Apparently he did know sylvan, and switched to it when he saw the two ponies with the group. "Since when did they have any of those? Hi!"

Vinyl waved at the little pony. "Hey there little colt."

The not-foal blinked through his own goggles. "I'm not a colt. They'd never let a colt wander away into the ashes, not even for Soft Whisper."

Tim hiked a thumb back at the ruins they had left. "(Does undead count?)"

"(Ah. We will tend to it.)" The human clasped his gloved hands together. "(Even the undead deserves a proper burial, that their souls may return.)"

Octavia looked over the curious not-foal. He had short legs that had to pump quickly to get the rest of his body in motion. He had one of those weapons, though smaller, attached to his side. He didn't give off the feeling of an immature pony, just... odd. "I hope this will not offend greatly, but what are you?"

He raised a little hoof to point at himself. "Me? I'm a grave tender, one word. Name's Goodnight Hug. What are your names?"

Vinyl's smile was wide enough to force a squeak from her cheeks. "This is adorably messed up! Heya Goodnight. I'm Vinyl Scratch, that lovely mare is Octavia Melody."

"Musical," spoke Goodnight with a happy smile. "Are you performers?"

"(We should go,)" called out the other human. "Goodnight (We have dead to tend to.)"

Goodnight fixed a great pout on his friend. "(But I just met two friends. They're musicians! I think the white one's interested in me...)"

The human walked past Goodnight, heading towards the ruins. "(You think most ponies are interested in you. We have a duty to Soft Whisper, let's go.)"

Goodnight sighed wearily. "I have to go. Maybe we'll meet again?" He turned to follow his friend. "Be safe, I don't want to be tending you anytime soon." He raced off in a flurry of short legs to catch up with the human.

Octavia waved lightly as they walked off. "He was an interesting one."

"Kinda cool," agreed Vinyl. "Why can't everyone be more like that?"

Octavia moved ahead to be at Sandy and Tim's level. She watched them share the burden of the wagon before gesturing with her head back at the others going down the road. "What language were they speaking? It didn't sound like yours."

"A trade language." Sandy lifted her shoulders. "It's a little miracle it exists. Blame the merchants mad enough to walk the ashes, and the gravetenders. They keep the language going."

Octavia looked away, then ambled closer to them with a subtle sideways leaning to her walk. "I know I don't have to... but I will take my turn now."

Sandy smiled at that. "You're coming around. Thank you." She swung around the handle and tim did much the same, giving space for Octavia to step between the handles. They threw a strap over the top and lowered it onto her back, allowing her to support the weight and walk normally. "My hand was getting sore. Let us know when you want a break."

Vinyl hurried up as Sandy and Tim broke away from Octavia. "Hey, I thought you didn't want to, you know, do that?"

Octavia walked forward, unimpeded by the burden on her back. "They did have a point, but... I think I feel better for knowing it was a choice on my part, rather than being forced to. I do have the strength needed to make this task reasonable."

Vinyl suddenly smirked. "It's easy to forget that my classy mare is also strong enough to twist me into a pretzel if I make her angry enough."

"I would never!" gasped out Octavia, scandalized.

"Yeah, probably not." Vinyl nodded in agreement. "I can think of worse ways to go though." She bumped sideways into Octavia. "Tell me if you want me to take a turn, since we're sharing the chore today."

"Vinyl, dear..." Octavia's lips twitched with the hint of a smile. "This would crush you."

"Harsh!" called out Vinyl, though her own smile didn't diminish. "Now you're just rubbing it right in my face, and I love it! Are you feeling better then?"

"You know... I believe I am." Octavia's eyes turned forward, focusing on each step coming down on sturdy patches of the ground and keeping herself and the haul moving at a good pace.

The trip back to the town was free of further interruptions. Almost as soon as they passed the first building, other people emerged to examine their haul, though none dared to actually take a piece.

Quarter was there, bouncing up and down to get a good view of it. "Did you find a thing for me?"

Vinyl grabbed the gnome in her magic, hefting her up for a better view, which only made the gnome burst into righteous laughter. "Yes! I knew you'd come through for me, my awesome magic steed," she cried, eyes hooked on the haul as it rolled along. "Which one's mine?"

Vinyl reached up and poked the floating gnome. "Not in there, now shhhh."

Quarter got the hint quickly and fell uncharacteristically silent.

Randal approached on long legs, the distance devoured, his eyes on the wagon. "<You are all safe, an excellent start. Your wagon overflows with finds, making your return all the sweeter. Tell me what you've found.>"

Sandy waved over each part, rattling off what she thought it could be used for. "<But you know I ain't the expert on this. The grand-daddy of them though is this.>" She knocked on the generator. "<Looks almost intact. It'll need patching, sure as anything, but once it's working, we have power.>"

Octavia gestured back at the cart attached to her. "Even I found something."

Randal glanced at her, but his attention was on Sandy. "<I see she's hauling. Is that all she did?>"

Sandy put up her hands dismissively. "<I'm the one that didn't find a thing.>" She reached into a pocket and pulled out the small racecar in one hand, and the batteries in the other hand. "<It works, when the batteries are in it. I took them out on the way back.>"

Randal hiked a brow at the find. "<A small find... Better than nothing.>" He turned away from it. "<Add it to her owner's tally. How did she do?>"

Tim slapped the side of the cart. "<She found this, shoulda seen it. She pushed aside a pile of debris and found a basement we haven't been in before.>"

Randal nodded appreciatively. "<She is a very useful pony.>"

Vinyl could tell she was being talked about, what with Randal looking at her and speaking his funny language. "Hey, don't forget to give Tim some of the credit, and Hank saved our flanks." She pointed to each of them as she called their names."

Tim gave a nervous half-laugh. "<Yeah, I had to crack the lock, then Hank helped us not get killed by the undead wolf hiding in there.>"

Randel crossed his arms with a firm nod, a foot tapping. "<A successful hunt by every measure. You and the pony look injured, go visit the doctor, just to be sure. You're both invited to a celebratory dinner afterwards.>"

Hank was not invited, but didn't seem upset by it. His duty done, he departed into the town without a goodbye.

Sandy translated, "He says go visit the doc, then you're eating with him and his wife as a sort of 'good job' dinner."

Vinyl glanced aside at Octavia. "Yeah, thanks, but Octy's invited too, right?"

Octavia set a hoof on Vinyl's shoulder. "Go on. No need to ruffle their feathers by insisting on my presence." She leaned in a little closer. "Give me whatever Quarter's waiting for, she looks like she may suffer a fit."

Vinyl suddenly pounced Octavia, hugging her tight, and slipping her a little something in the act. "You're the best. I'll be back afterwards, alright?"

Tim led Vinyl towards the doctor. The crowd was starting to thin, the goods being distributed to where they were needed most. One man was already sizing up the generator for repairs before he grabbed one of the handles attached to Octavia and pulled it free. "<Time to get to work.>" And off he went with the cart and the generator.

Quarter hopped up to Octavia with a smile. "Good job, they didn't look so prickly about you today. Where'd Vinyl go though? She had... you know."

"Actually, I do not know. Let's find out." She turned for the inhuman house and they left together.

She held open the door for Quarter before kicking it shut to latch with a soft click. "Now then, shall we?" She sat down and reached into her pocket to find what Vinyl had slipped in there.

"Welcome back," called Shiela, cross-legged in the middle of the room. "Did things go well? You seem... less burdened."

Quarter waved a hand wildly. "Shhh! Vinyl left me a treat and I, Oooo!" She clapped her hands together with a loud sound, eyes shining behind her goggles. "Wouldja look at that! It's amazing! It's stupendous! It's... what is that?"

Balancing on the flat of Octavia's hoof was a mess of parts that seemed to be connected as if all part of some device of unknown origin. Octavia gently set it down. "I couldn't even hazard a guess, but I should imagine Vinyl wished for you to have it."

Quarter was fast to snatch up the collection, cradling it in her hands, eyes shining. "Look at this tube, and that gear! And... Ooo... This is gonna take some 'me' time, if you know what I'm saying." She scampered off with her prize. "Tell Vinyl she's the best magic pony ever in the history of all things!"

Shiela watched Quarter race past before her gaze returned to Octavia, silently awaiting a reply.

Octavia smiled gently at the elf. "Things went well, aside of one terrifying moment... Vinyl outperformed me, again, but I did not come in last. That privilege went to Sandy this time."

Shiela wriggled a few fingers before she rose up to her feet smoothly. "I am certain Randal will forget that swiftly. He likes Sandy, but he has no favor for you. Do not hold it against her; she is truly a hard worker and a good soul."

Octavia nodded softly before she pulled free her Sunset Sally doll, or action figure if Vinyl had any say, which she did not. "Do you recognize this?" She held up the plastic figure.

Shiela raised a brow. "Propaganda. It was used by the ponies to convince one another that the war would end soon, favorably for them." She crouched down near Octavia, peering at it. "It is in excellent condition. Did you find it?"

"I did..." Octavia considered the doll in a new light. "What was she like? Do you know?" She pulled the doll closer, hugging it without thinking about it. "Was she aggressive or kind?"

Shiela shook her head at that, sinking back into her cross-legged stance to converse with her low-set companion. "I've heard of her, but the war was many generations ago. Even I was not born at that time."

Octavia perked an ear at that. "The way you say that implies you expect to live an especially long time."

"Such is the way of elves." She smiled thinly. "When violence does not force the matter, which it often can, in this day and age. I have not even seen another of my kind, aside of my mother, and I already know she is gone."

Octavia shrank away from that. "I'm most terribly sorry for bringing up such an uncomfortable topic."

"It is not you who caused it." Shiela reached out a hand but did not touch Octavia, inches away. "I live as I am. If ever I get... that urge, I could select a human to raise a family." Her face darkened with a frown. "I do not know how they do it, to willingly bring life into misery."

Octavia's ears perked up. "It's not all bad, dear. We met two on our way back from the ruins. One was an especially short pony that seemed quite chipper really."

Shiela quirked a smile at that. "Ah, yes, the short legs. The war was a chance for freedom, and they took it. They are numerous and their goddess is close at their side. These times are as much a blessing for them as they are a blight for me. I envy him." She waved it as she took slow breaths. "I am becoming sullen, pardon me..."

"Think nothing of it." Octavia coiled, mounting the doll on her back to ride her as she stood up. "If you need to let it out, I am here for you."

Shiela smiled gently. "Whatever that doll's origins, it has brought a fire to your spirit. I like it. I doubt anyone here will tell, but you should know that what Vinyl did was against the town laws."

"Hmm? Whatever did she do?"

The elf gestured to where Quarter had run to. "Those were usable parts. Quarter was not given leave to have them. I will not speak of it, but if I am asked..."

Octavia's ears flattened. "Fortunately, they have very little reason to come seeking what they don't know is there. Provided Miss Inch does not display whatever she constructs too boldly, we should have little issue."

"Provided," Shiela softly agreed. "Where is your companion, Vinyl? It is not oft I see you two seperated for any time."

"She is being tended to." Octavia pointed to the door of the inhuman house. "She was injured during the hunt, but she seems to be in well-enough health. I'm still glad she didn't resist the idea of seeing a doctor though. I shouldn't want her to become infected, or worse."

Elsewhere, Vinyl sat on a table made for human patients. Still, a table was a table, and it held her just fine. "How's it looking, doc?"

"<Remain still, please.>" He made a soft patting motion to emphasize the idea of staying put. With careful fingers, he peeled the bandages free of Vinyl, inspecting the injuries. "<You're not bleeding, good...>" He cleaned the wounds carefully and got to redressing them.

Vinyl flinched as the efforts pulled at the injuries enough to send a lance of pain through her. "Easy there, doc. I'm still living in this body." Not that he understood her. Not that she understood him. Talking was still better than silence. "You don't sound upset. That's good, right?"

He gave her chest a soft pat before moving to her side to continue his treatment. "<This could have been much worse very easily. You are very fortunate.>" The gauze he applied was cleaner and more sterile than the bandages Hank had carried with him. They could have been cleaned recently, still stiff from whatever cleanser he had used.

"Yeah, it was amazing," she agreed. "Big ole dead dog came rushing out, woofing and biting. I slapped the thing with the power of rock and Hank put a new hole in its head." She raised a hoof to her head before cocking the hoof back and jerking her head to the side as if she had just been shot. "Bang, like that."

"<I'm glad you were treated before coming back here.>" He said, mostly for his own benefit. "<You could have bled terribly without these stitches.>" He stood up tall. "<You'll live, and maybe learn to be a little more careful?>"

"Thanks, Doc." She hopped up to her hooves. "You're the best. I'll come back if I get torn apart again." She hopped to the ground, ignorant of any of the words he had said. She gave him a sharp salute, then trotted out onto the street. She spotted Tim on the way. "Hey, your turn."

"Thank you." He rose from his chair and headed inside. "<I'm back.>"

"<Again?>"

Vinyl left them to their business, looking around. "Now where's that fancy dinner supposed to be?" She didn't know where Randal's house was. Would it be the biggest one? Nah. Randal struck her as way too utilitarian for that. The biggest house would be big because it had to be big. Maybe storage?

She shook her head free of distraction and looked around for a familiar face. She heard it before she saw it. The soft twanging of someone plucking at a guitar. Vinyl trotted towards it with a happy smile, her tail swaying with each step. "Hey!" she called out as soon as she saw the human with his guitar in his lap. "Nice to see you again."

"Vinyl, Good see again." He tipped his head towards her and let his fingers run across the strings, teasing a gentle note from them. "Come play again?"

"I'd love to!" Vinyl sat and clopped her forehooves together. "I'm supposed to go to Randal's. Do you know which of these houses is his?"

He looked surprised at that. "Randal want you? There." He pointed between two buildings, to a third. Vinyl peered at it. If she hadn't been told, she would never have guessed. "Good luck."

"Yeah, thanks!" She held out a hoof and he met it with a balled fist. "We'll play later." She turned and got to an energetic trot. Dinner awaited! A thought tickled at her. If Octavia was still her 'pet', then her having special dinner meant none would be given to Octavia. "Mental note, get a to-go bag." She nodded to herself, happy with having thought of it ahead of time.

The home of their leader was entirely unremarkable. There wasn't even a special guard or two standing in front of it. It was just another house. Vinyl approached the structure of wood, sheet metal, and clouded glass curiously. Was there a proper way? Hay if she knew. She went for the default, approaching the door and knocking on it with a hoof. "Hey, Vinyl's come to rock your house! Let the party mare in."

The door creaked inwards and a new face emerged into view, female, not as tall as Randal. She was about Sandy's height, but she was not Sandy. Her skin was a pale olive tone, with her hair done up in a bun on her head. She eyed Vinyl strangely. "<There is a horse at our door,>" she said with clear disgust.