Even though I rescued Rainbow a few days ago, we have been getting to know each other, but one thing I realized and noticed is that she isn't a mutated abomination that was created by the radiation 200 years ago. From what I gathered from listening to her story, she claims to be from a land of peace and harmony called Equestria and that she is the element of loyalty. However, I remember our encounter with a mole rat the day I rescued her, she can fight and stay on her hooves, but she did end up getting bit in a few places around her leg area, so I figured she needed a little bit of training if she was gonna be with me when I'm not around to protect her, so I gave her some lessons on combat in the Wasteland.
I may not of been the most violent type of person, but in the Wasteland, survival is the game and the only thing to do to survive is to kill for your life. Another thing I was thinking about on the walk back to Megaton just outside of Springvale so I could get back home was even if Dash could protect herself withing my lessons, wouldn't she need some armor? Even if that was the case, I don't know where I could even make such an item. The only standard type of armor around here that is common is leather armor and it is for humans, but who knows? I could practice making a suit for her from an original. I just hopes it would help her from getting too roughed up in a fight.
''Alright, Rainbow. You see that helmet over there?'' I pointed at a power suit helmet on a large wooden pole as I handed her my pistol.
''Take this and try to hit it with it.''
As I held the weapon in my hand, she stared at it in utter confusion, almost as if she had no idea what the thing was or if I was being serious. She kept her gaze on it for several minutes and looked back up to me with a raised brow.
''What is that?'' She asked innocently with those cute magenta eyes of hers aimed at mine. ''I've never seen anything like it.''
''Wait. You don't know what a gun is, Rainbow?''
''No. What's a gun?''
Is she being serious? She doesn't know what a gun is? Well, I got my work cut out for me. Since she didn't know what they do, I decided I should show her first. I looked back down at her and pointed back at the power helmet on the pole and raised my gun.
After aiming down the sight and holding my breath, I squeezed the trigger, creating a loud bang from the muzzle of the gun in a flash of light, followed by a metallic clang that confirmed I hit the helmet. I may not of had the gun long since I left the vault, but I was definitely used to using it.
After I shot the round, I saw her flinch and cover her ears to block out the sound the projectile. She looked at the helmet, which now had a hole through the top left above the visor with her mouth agape. I could quite easily tell what she was thinking.
''See, Dash? It may be dangerous, but its a reliable weapon to have. Here.'' I placed the gun in her hooves. Now to think of it, I noticed that even though she had no fingers because she is a pony, she can hold it. I myself was feeling confused, but I shook it off and continued instructing her. ''Now, aim down the sights on the top of the gun and try to get the helmet in between the first two at the rear sight.''
As I instructed her she did all I said in the exact order that I told her, and I gotta say, she already is impressing me.
''Okay. Once you got it in line of sight, breathe in and exhale slowly while you squeeze the trigger.''
Dash inhaled and exhaled slowly and steadied her aim and fired a round at the helmet. The bullet whistled as it passed the helmet and hit a rock in the distance, just missing the helmet by an inch. But hey, she did alright for her first time shooting a weapon.
After she looked to see if she hit it, she winced back at me and back at the target and let out a soft sigh as she repeated my instructions, this time I squatted behind her and tried to see where she was aiming and before she could shoot, I whispered near hear ear, trying not to startle or distract her too much and told her to wait. When she looked at me, I placed my hand under her hoof she was using to hold the gun up and the other one to support it, and she seemed to have a steady hoof for someone who didn't use weaponry too much. I helped her keep aim and once I aligned the sights on the helmet, I let go of her hoof and watched closely as she readied to shoot.
In seconds of keeping her steadiness, she gently pulled back the trigger, the projectile keeping steady and fast in the direction of the helmet and to her surprise, the bullet hit and shattered the visors left socket. They say the visor on T-45d armor was bulletproof, but I saw with my own eyes that it shattered to little black crystals of glass to the floor.
I got back up, Dash smiling at me as she took her concentration from the target and looked back me, to which I returned the smile and gave her a small congratulatory hug. The only thing I had to admit, I didn't think she could get it, but she did!
''Nicely done, Rainbow! So you can handle and shoot a gun, but you need to learn to use them in combat against enemies and Raiders if you want to survive out here.'' I informed her as I took my gun back and snapped it in my holster and took out my knife from my boot. ''Melee weapons are one of the most commonly used weapons from traders to wastelanders and merchants, along with their side arm in case it breaks or becomes blunt, depending on what it is.''
I continued telling her. I knew she maybe didn't like weapons or killing people, but I'd hate to see her getting hurt by something when I'm not around.
''For me, that weapon is this knife.'' I said as as spun and threw my knife in the air and caught it so the blade was facing downwards to the floor. ''I know that you may not like weapons yet, but you'll soon get used to it, and I'll be honest, I didn't like them much either until I grew accustomed to them.''
''Wait. Oscar, where did you get that?'' She pointed to my back holster with a hoof at the baseball bat.
''The bat? Oh, before I found you at that school, I was scavenging and found it in a footlocker along with this ball and glove.'' I reached into my leather pouch and displayed the decayed items to Rainbow.
''Mind if I use it? You know, until I can use one of them knifes?'' She asked me calmly in an innocent manner.
''Sure, Dash. Here.'' I undid the strap to the back holster holding the bat and handed it to Rainbow who took it in her hoof and gave it a few practice swings.
''Oh! Rainbow?''
''Yeah?''
''I've been thinking, even if you do know how to use a weapon, you'd still need armor to protect your body from oncoming attacks and damage if anything happens to you, so why don't I take you up to see one of the shop owners called Moira? Maybe she could help you get one? Just try to be careful around her sometimes...even though she's a friend to me, she can sometimes never shut up talking. It's almost like she takes chems by the hour and all she does is experiment with weird concoctions that are stupid.''
I laughed a little. ''But she's a nice women, non-the-less.''
''Oh, okay. Where is she?''
''Up there.'' I pointed to a shop with a full metal construction and a plane nose hanging from the top with single words that spelled ''Supply''.
''We should go now, to see if she has what we need to construct a suit for you.''