They reached Turves mid-morning the next day. It hadn't been a long trip out to begin with, and coming back was, in many ways, the easier leg of the journey. They passed a guard on the way in. The purrsian cocked a brow, his hands on his shotgun and a twitch in his tail. "Welcome back," he offered to most of them, but his eyes were on Fast. "You just passing through?"
Fast snorted softly. "You know the deal. Just fetching some supplies, and finishing business with the rest of them."
Bullette bobbed her head. "We are doing the same. Are the traders present?"
The guard shook his head. "No out of town ones if that's what you mean." He pointed with a lone finger into town. "The local market's open though, so have at."
"Affirmative," she sang joyfully, pronking forward on her own little hooves. She did not require a ride within safe places.
Vinyl sidled up next to Fast, who had slid down from her horse. "You know, you could read the guard as being suspicious of you."
"And I do," she casually agreed.
"But I don't see it that way."
Fast Shadow quirked an ear towards Vinyl. "Go on?" she prompted with mild curiosity.
"He isn't scared of you." She smirked a little. "He's thinking 'Oh great, here's the mare that just won't stick around. Why does she keep throwing her life away in the wastes? She must be crazy.'"
Fast snorted at the very idea. "An interesting theory, but it will remain as only an untested one, I should think."
Vinyl shrugged at that. "Not like my rock magic lets me peek in people's heads, though that would be pretty awesome."
Octavia hiked a brow, hearing the discussion. "I would not trust you with those powers, dear Vinyl."
Vinyl's smirk deepened into a grin. "Afraid I'd find out just how wild you are under that calm shell of yours? Your secret's safe with me, 'Tavi."
Octavia rolled her eyes before moving towards the market. "Come, let's sell those guns for something more easily divided. Then we can pay back the town and our brave savior here." She tossed her head towards Fast.
"Speaking of that, what about the--" Vinyl didnt get to finish her words.
A forelock had been thrown over her mouth and she was pulled right up off the ground into a sudden embrace by No Name. Her words became muffled and lost as she squirmed and fought, but he was as strong as he looked, and she was as weak as one might have guessed.
No Name laughed awkwardly. "Let's get to selling the three guns we found in the bunker."
Fast cocked a brow at the display. "If you have secrets, keep them, but don't insult me with paper thin bluffs." She shook her head as she advanced. "Since you obviously have something you don't want to split, I'll take the full value of one of the guns to not ask questions. You could just give me a gun, it'd be easier."
Octavia held up a hoof. "Wait. Bullette?"
"Yes?" She stopped mid-hop, landing and pivoting towards Octavia.
"If we gave Fast Shadow one of those guns, would we have sufficient remaining value to pay our debts?" She pointed at the guns, then Fast Shadow.
"Processing..." Bullette tapped a hoof slowly. "Complete. Affirmative."
Octavia turned to No Name. "Then I nominate we do just that. Her help was both timely and selfless. She didn't even ask for payment until she saw we had something we could pay with. I believe she would have not complained had it turned out we had nothing to our names."
Fast Shadow did not agree or disagree. She calmly looked to No Name, her horse watching him as well over her shoulder.
No Name hissed softly through several snakes at once. "Fine. Pick one, enjoy." He turned to the side, making it easy to see the guns strapped to him.
Fast stepped forward. "You really should relax. I don't know how you keep the company of these two--" She tossed her head towards Octavia and Vinyl. "--with that attitude." She looked over the three before selecting one with a nod. She grabbed it in her teeth carefully and pulled it free of the straps that held it down. "Gorgeous. Best of luck to you all."
Vinyl watched Fast as she slid the gun up onto her horse much like it had been strapped to No Name. "Hey, are you going?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Fast smiled a little. "I'll get supplies and move on. You all have your own story to write, and you don't need me making it awkward. Good luck getting home." She swung up onto her horse with a practiced motion. "Until next our narratives meet."
Octavia softly cleared her throat beside No Name. "That wasn't very welcoming."
"Friendship error," agreed Bullette. "I was getting close to level two friendship."
Vinyl burst into laughter. "Wait, they come in levels now?" She leaned towards Bullette. "What friendship level are we?"
"Four," merrily reported Bullette, bobbing her head. "We cannot progress further."
She blinked at that. "Huh, why not?"
"Because you are leaving. Do not worry, I have plans." She bounced in place. "Friendship points will continue to be accrued."
Octavia shook her head mildly. "Let's get to the market, without a potential new ally." She led the way.
"Ah ain't apologizin'," insisted No Name as he followed behind everyone else.
Octavia twisted an ear back towards him. "Then explain this; why are you alright with us and our strange magics? Bullette said that mine was especially unusual. Shouldn't you be just as wary?"
"Nah." He advanced on her, easily closing the distance. "I'm protecting you, and her." He looked to Vinyl. "Protocol 'Lost Puppies', remember?"
Bullette bobbed her head in quick agreement. "Statute 22, any abnormalities in lost puppies is to be ignored if not utilized for the protection of the lost puppies. Statute 23. If any abnormality cannot be ignored due to safety conditions, consider rescinding lost puppy status."
"You didn't have to mention the next rule," noted a different snake as No Name huffed.
Octavia smirked softly. "Well, I can understand that, in part. You gave us a chance because you were protecting us. So long as we don't turn out to be ready to explode violently, you'll put up with our quirks."
Vinyl suddenly reared up just to cross her arms in what she assumed to be a striking pose. "We are ready to explode!"
Bullette shook her head. "Your application of sonic weapons has already been deemed acceptable."
Vinyl fell back to all fours. "Oh, sure, just take all the wind out of my sails."
"Sails not detected." Bullette tilted her head. "Are you wind powered? Should we obtain sails at the market?"
Octavia smiled at the two's antics, but was turning her gaze onto No Name. "Alright, here we are. Time to trade, yes?"
"Yeah, actually..." He coiled back and looked at the guns, considering. "I think we're in the wrong place."
"Error!" Bullette looked around the market they were on the edge of. "Market detected."
"Yeah, sure is, but Lunarquills should have first crack at these. We owe him that much, and I bet he'd love to get his talons on these."
Bullette bounced, a smile on her face. "Affirmative! Uncle Lunar!" She began in a new direction, pronking with obvious joy.
Vinyl tried to match Bullette's bouncing, even managing it for a bonce or two before she fell back to trotting. "How do you even do that? It's so tiring! Anyway, Uncle Lunar, isn't he the one that got Octavia her gun?"
Octavia raised a hoof to her holster. "He showed me how to use it as well. I have no objections to selling these to him if he wants them."
They soon arrived at the workshop of one Lunarquills, griffon gunsmith. He was at home and was facing the door as Bullette bounced through it. "There you are, I heard you coming a mile away."
"Your audio sensors are working at full capacity," spoke Bullette in complimenting tones. "We have come with gifts!"
No Name poked his head in. "Ya can't call it a gift if ya want somethin' back fer it."
Lunar waved towards No Name. "He has a point. Still, what've-- Oh, hey." Octavia and Vinyl were filing into his workshop as well. "The gang's all here. You're all lookin' better than before, good to see."
Vinyl grabbed a gun with a glowing horn, yanking it free of No Name easily. "Look what we have!"
Lunarquills was on his feet in an instant. "Holy hell!" He rushed across the workspace to place his talons on the gun in a reverent caress. "A touch of rust, but I can clean that... Mmm..."
Octavia smiled softly. "Just imagine his expression when he realizes we have two of them."
"Stop it! You'll kill me." He looked to the second. "A shotgun? Wonderful!" He soon had a gun held in either hand, looking unsure which he should be worshipping first. "I don't even know where to start..."
Bullette shook her head. "You should sit down. Causing you harm was not our intention."
"I'm fine, promise." He returned to his workbench and carefully laid both guns down. "These were bottled up somewhere relatively dry. Did you bust into a bunker to drag these out?"
Vinyl shrugged softly. "We didn't get into the bunker bunker part."
Lunar dropped the small tool he had just about to start using. "There's more?"
No Name squirmed his way in carefully. "Full military bunker, exposed and ready for lootin', if you want to face the obvious danger of that."
Lunar tapped several claws together with a soft grumbling. "Time to get the boys together. You owed the town, right? Tell 'em I say you're even. Assuming we don't all die, we'll owe you by the time we get back." He hopped to his feet, leaving the gun behind and instead grabbing another off the wall. "This is worth a trip into the ashes."
His retreat was stopped by a metal filly clinging to one of his legs, wailing electronically, "Nooooo! Danger level: ultra violet! Do not proceed!"
Lunar reached down to give Bullette a little pat. "I won't be alone. We'll take it slow and careful. The boys and I can handle this, or run like hell was chasing us if it goes wrong." He winked at her. "Remember, ain't gotta be fastest, just not the slowest."
Vinyl snorted at that. "Cold, dude, cold."
"But true." He gently pulled his leg away from Bullette. "See you when I get back, if you're here. Don't touch my damn stuff!" He stormed out, eyes full of the fire only an adventurer with potential loot in front him could have.
Octavia rubbed behind her head lightly. "Hmm, not what I expected... still, it does mean we've done our part. This also means that... what was it? Lap?"
"L. A. P.," corrected Bullette, bouncing back to all fours. from a compartment, it spat out onto the floor for her to grab it up in her mouth, then drop it onto a hoof. "I cannot use it."
Vinyl hiked a brow behind her goggles at that. "Why not? You have an arm, two of them in fact. You just... put it on one, right?"
Bullette nodded quickly. "Affirmative, but it will not activate without... a pulse. Life signs are required to begin its function. The cessation of life signs will end its function. That is why we could remove it."
Vinyl snorted loudly. "It's loss. It could have been on the arm of the best filly ever, but nooo, it's gotta be stupid. Whatever." She strolled up to bullette and bumped noses. "More Bullette for me!"
Bullette smiled brightly, the sting of admitting she was not really alive insofar as the average pony was concerned fading rapidly. "You could have it." She held it up towards Vinyl.
Vinyl eyed it curiously but looked to No Name instead. "Before I go grabbing that, your thoughts?"
No Name looked surprised in a pleasant way. "You're growing... That thing's priceless, but once you put it on, it stays until death do you part. It, uh... charges itself. Don't ask how, dunno. Pretty useful, last I heard." He shrugged softly. "We could sell it for a lot, trade it for something big, or a lot of small shiny thin's."
Octavia lifted her shoulders. "You have done so much for us; I'd be hard pressed to feel even slightly upset if you were to want it, or whatever you bartered it for." She gestured towards No Name. "These 'lost puppies' as you refer to us, are grateful for your help."
"Should I not have put it on then?"
All eyes turned to Vinyl who had the LAP strapped onto one of her arms. "Ow," she hissed. "It just bit me, is that normal? Ack, tight, tight tight!" She bounced around in place. The devilish thing squeezed quite hard a moment but relented, finding just the right amount of pressure to apply to be securely attached.
The same pony whose doll Octavia had appeared on the screen of the LAP, giving a confident wink at the user. Below her displayed 'Luminated Assistance Piece: Operating System 2.03.4h' The image faded to instead show a profile of an alicorn in a circle, a scroll floating in front of her. That too faded, leaving a blank screen.
Octavia put a fetlock over her eyes. "Vinyl... We just agreed to not take it, and you just put it on?!"
Bullette tilted her head. "Issue closed."
No Name huffed. "Yeah, sure is... Unless we want to cut it off of Vinyl, it's her's now. Whatever. I ain't meant to be rich anyways." He turned and wriggled his way out of the workshop carefully. "We should leave his stuff alone."
Vinyl shrugged a little as she followed, glancing constantly at the new adornment on her front left arm. "He said it was useful and he wasn't reaching for it, so--"
Octavia bopped her over the head with a hoof. "We--" She gestured between herself and Vinyl. "--will go home, where we don't need that--" She pointed at the LAP. "You just stole from two dear friends that have sacrificed so much for our benefit, and for what?! You don't even know how to work that thing! I am... very disappointed." She strode past Vinyl with a little frown.
Vinyl frowned back at Octi as she departed. "Yeah whatever. I can learn how to use it." She reached with her right hoof to poke at the LAP. A touch was enough to make the screen come back to life. It showed an outline of a pony. Lines pointed to various parts of the pony, reading 100% on each of them. The pointer at her head read 97%. "Huh... health meters? Awesome! I have health meters!"
She hurried after the others, quickly discovering that using her horn allowed for faster manipulation of the device she had strapped to her arm. "Woah..." She found a selection of the spells she knew, though their names were far less cool than the ones she'd come up with. "Cure light wounds? There wasn't anything light about the wounds I was curing." She shook her head, but was smiling the whole time, captivated at the marvelous piece of information strapped to her arm.
Octavia was next to No Name and Bullette. "I don't even have words... Please, know that I understand what she did... was wrong. I can't even properly express how mortified I am right now. This is not... what Equestria should be presenting itself as."
Bullette perked a metal ear. "Equestria... That is the name of your home world?"
"A country within the world," corrected Octavia with an unsure smile. "We don't... normally just steal things like that. If it wasn't... attached to her I would rip it away from her right this very moment. This... isn't right."
No Name shook his head. "Don't even worry about it. Wouldn't know what to do with that much stuff anyway." He put an arm around Bullette, drawing her closer with a happy squeal from the filly. "I have her, not much else I need anyway."
"Happiness rising!" sang Bullette, clopping her metal hooves. "Vinyl has lost friendship points. Cause: Selfishness. Friendship not terminated." She tilted her head a bit. "If she had asked, we would have said yes."
No Name nodded. "Really... Ah ain't gonna walk around with that on my arm, makin' me a target. I woulda thought the same fer her, but at least you two are headin' to a place where you won't get mugged for having a nice thing."
"Yes!" Vinyl raised her left arm and waved it as it began to play her music. "It can connect to my headphones without a wire! Oh Celestia yes! What, copy the music? Yes yes yes!" She could not hammer the proceed button fast enough, giggling wildly in joy with her new toy.
Bullette smiled at Octavia. "It is pleasing to know she is having fun with it, even if she was rude getting it."
"There is that." No Name nodded a little. "So let's look forward again. We've arrived at square one. We don't owe anyone nothin', and they don't owe us nothin'."
Vinyl trotted forward to catch up. "That isn't true, big man." She grinned as he looked over at her. "He said it, he owes us for pointing the way to a huge treasure trove. We can use that favor, right?"
"This is D U K!" came over Vinyl's LAP, clearly playing the radio. "I hear my friends are back in town, Quack! Be sure to give a big welcome back to them!"
"Yeah," agreed Quarter Inch. "You can't miss them. One's a huge pony the size of a horse with snakes for a tongue."
"Another's the most adorable filly ever," added Duck.
"And then there are two mares. They're usually all together. Hey, if you're listening, swing by!"
"Quack! Oh, over."
Dolan's voice joined them, "you don't need to say over, they're not broadcasting to you."
Vinyl shook the arm with the LAP attached. "Have I mentioned how much I love this thing? It even has a map!" She willed the selection and a map of the area appeared, buildings included. None of the buildings were marked with what they were, but their outlines were clearly visible. "How awesome is that?!"
No Name smirked at the little thief. "You make it hard to stay angry at you. You have a point. We can call in that favor, so we ain't all out. Alright, so, we do have somethin' we need to be doin'"
Bullette nodded quickly. "Begin the next phase!"
Octavia frowned a moment before it struck her. "Right, we have to get the portal generator back. It's... in... Trash Heap was it?"
"Affirmative!" Bullette pointed in the direction that was likely their target.
No Name nodded as he trundled towards the market they had left not long ago. "Then I'll let you shop for supplies. This'll be the longest trek we've made so far, so go for a solid two weeks for each of us."
Octavia winced softly. "That is a great deal of food and water. Will you be comfortable carrying it all?"
"You have another idea?" He shrugged softly. "Beats starvin' to death out there. If we're lucky, we can pick up some more on the way, or even when we get there."
"Affirmative. Trash Heap is a city." She tilted her head. "Not a good city, but commerce is possible."
"What she said. We can trade there if we keep our guard up. Consider is as bad as the wastes, with more bathrooms and warm food available."
Vinyl glanced up from her new toy. "We're getting ready for the next adventure? Sign me up! What's my job?"
"Stay out of trouble," grunted No Name, plodding away from the rest of them.
Bullette tilted her head at Vinyl. "You lost more friendship points with him than originally estimated."
Vinyl watched him go. "I... wasn't trying to."
Bullette patted Vinyl on the shoulder gently. "He will recover and more opportunities for friendship point accrual will present themselves." She leaned in. "You are not tagged as a responsible adult, I expected something like this, causing your friendship point loss to be lower than it could have been."
Vinyl suddenly crashed to her haunches. "Woah harsh... You're literally telling me 'I didn't expect any better out of you'?"
Bullette tilted her head left and right, considering the words. "Affirmative."
"Ow..."
Octavia snorted softly, looking between Vinyl's stung face and Bullette. "If you want ponies to expect more responsible behavior, you can start by behaving responsibly! I swear... Bullette, would you care to go supply shopping?"
"Affirmative!" She pronked over towards Octavia, the two of them heading off to shop.
Vinyl was left alone. A soft chime caught her attention. The LAP was flashing a warning about some fancy thing being too high. "You don't need to tell me that I'm sad." She rolled her eyes and stood up. "I'll go visit a friend..." She headed towards Duck's radio station. As she got close to it, her LAP chimed once more. "What is it?"
She looked at it as she walked along on her other three legs. 'Radio source detected. Do you wish to set a waypoint?'
Vinyl blinked at that, smiling. "Hey, that's kinda cool... Yeah sure." She willed the yes button and the map flipped up, with a little tag on Duck's building and a blinking cursor. "Oh, do I have to name it?" Those words appeared on the tag. "Aw crap, erase that!" The words vanished. "Duck's Radio." New words appeared. She pressed the same affirmative button and the cursor stopped blinking, the waypoint saved properly. "Aw yeah..."
"Is that who I think it is?" asked a female voice just a moment before Quarter Inch scrambled into view, half-dragging Duck behind her. "It is! Vinyl!"
"Hey!" she eagerly greeted in kind. "Mind your faithful mount there, not sure he's getting his air."
"Quack," he got out when she released the cord that had gotten caught around his neck. "Hi hi!" He bounced forward, smiling happily. "Did you hear us asking about you? Welcome back!"
Quarter nodded in solidarity. "Good to have you back. Did you find what you wanted?"
"Didn't get hurt?"
"Find priceless artifacts." All eyes turned to Dolan's head peeking out of Duck's saddlebag, who was staring at Vinyl's new LAP.
Vinyl tried to hide it behind her other arm. "We did great, all taken care of."
Quarter Inch would not be so easily dissuaded, approaching with naked curiosity. "I heard about those! My grandpappy on my mother's side saw one of 'em once." She dropped to a knee in front of Vinyl. "Wow, and it even works! His was all busted, but he kept it anyway."
Duck trotted up next to Quarter. "Looks like a funny bracelet. Looks good on you, Quack!"
Vinyl arched a brow. "If he 'saw' it once, how did he have it?"
Quarter blinked slowly. "Do you usually have things you don't see? That's weird. Stop being weird, Vinyl." She gestured at the LAP. "Since yours is working, you can tell me, what's it do?! Grandpappy went on and on about how it could do everything, but he never had specifics."
Duck bobbed his head. "Yes, I would like to know too." He tilted his head then. "Just curious, you know, quack."
Dolan folded a wing over his face. "That depends on the attachments and expansions installed, but even a minimal LAP can do many things to make life more convenient for the person wearing one."
Vinyl's fear of showing off her LAP faded away as she thrust forward her left hoof so they could gawk at it. "Look, it has a map." She pulled it up.
Duck's eyes went wide. "Look look, it has the radio on it!" He pointed with the end of his nose at where it was clearly labeled.