Fallout Equestria: Hunters
If you find this log, then something happened... Or not! Yay! Don't you just love plot twists? But I keep these on me! Am I dead? Hi, dead me! Anyhow, to right get down to it, I started recording these because... well, I'm not sure why. But everypony else is doing it and I wanna see the hype behind it. But you need some background first! Everypony does!
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My name is Sunny Gust and I come from Stable 44, a Stable built out of the Las Pegasus city in Neigh Mexico. My name is pretty ironic considering the fact that no one was probably ever going see the sun or feel a gust. In our Stable, it was one of half ponies and half griffons. And because of the fact that everyone would start bitching and murder each other, we had an overmare (or stallion), and an overgriffon representing each party. Except this didn't end too well, either. The griffons and ponies mostly stuck to themselves and there was constant animosity between the two. There was a coup in each party's leadership and the successors combined both to form a single democracy consisting of both party's representatives. Everyone wins! But this was way before I was born.
Most of the original pony's ancestors who came into this Stable were ordinary citizens. Most had little to no training in the art of war, so they had nothing to teach to their successing children. The griffons, on the other hoof, were bred for this kind of thing. After the formation of 44's new govenment, the griffins and ponies had elected the decision that we have to venture outside. Under the idea that each side had to share their areas of expertise, us ponies had shared our technologies, and the griffins had taught us how to fight. Only, it wasn't the conventional 'in-your-face-jackass!' kind of fighting. They taught us how to become hunters.
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The atrium was not pitch black, but still too dark to make out any far-away figures. This was done so that our eyes adjusted to the dark easier. Most lights in these areas are dimmed or out so our eyes do not adjust back so suddenly. What's a hunter if they cannot adapt to both dark and light? A familiar sound of a reinforced string snapping back into place, accompanied by the sound of an arrowhead piercing into metal snapped me out of my thoughts.
"While it may be difficult for the earth ponies without talons nor magic, you'll just have to make do in the hindleg stance." A young-adult griffon announced to all the griffons and ponies learning from him. That was Erő, one the griffons who instructed us in the art of archery and a close friend of mine. I never bothered to learn or even ask what his name meant. I just knew it was some language spoken far, far away from our Stable. Probably Hoofgarian or something, but that's not really important.
"Gust, what are you doing here?" Erő asked me, still walking across the catwalk above me in a hindleg position. It was kind of creepy and amusing at the same time. Unfortunately, I had to learn that skill too. Upon working age, everyone is given a series of jobs. Whatever they excel in best will be their job. Upon recieving a cutie mark for the ponies, or a hunter's brand for the griffons, we can opt to keep working our jobs, or we can join the Fighters of 44. I didn't want to end up doing silly stuff like repairing toasters in the maintenance field, so I joined in the fighting force.
"I-I, uh, I'm here to receive archery training, sir." I brought my other hoof above my head into an awkward salute to Erő "I chose to join the Fighters instead of the maintenance field, sir!" He arched an eyebrow at me at the display of assumed rank. Only then I realized that nopony or griffon was doing that and I looked like a complete idiot. Another sharp ping of an arrow into the metal of a makeshift target board made me jump. Oh geez, first day and I'm already killing it.
"So, you're joining the Fighters, eh?" I noticed a slightly smug grin forming on his beak. "No offense, Gust, but I never took you for a Fighter. I'd always think that you would become a toaster repair-pony." Damn it, what's it with these whackos and broken toasters?!
Erő flew down and landed next to me. "Don't sweat it, Sunny. By the end of the week, you'll be shooting almost as good as me." He said as he pulled me into an upright position. I nearly fell backwards before catching myself on a wall. This was going to be a long week, wasn't it.
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By the end of the week, I found myself walking back to my room with a small payout of the week's training: A recurve bow for hunting, hoof-crafted arrows, and a freaky upright walking position. I'd say that was worth being woken at 4:00 every morning and having to sleep in the Fighter's barracks. Too bad we were doing this again at the beginning of next week.
I passed an open door near 44's council room and heard voices. Now, I'd like to say that I'm not a bad pony who doesn't eavesdrop, but that would be a lie.
Listening in, I heard the voices of the head griffon council, Ares, and the head pony council, Autumn Gust. My father. Oh jeez.
"Look, Autumn, I understand your concern, but he has shown an aptitude for the stealth field. I think he'd make a great addition for the scouting party." I heard Ares say with a tone of compassion in his voice.
"I know, Ares, I know. But he's my son. I should be proud, but he's all that I have left. If something happens to him out there, I don't know what I'll do. I mean we're only two weeks away from opening the Stable, how's he gonna survive with three weeks of experience." My father spoke in a very distraught tone.
Fuck. Why me? I'm a nobody. And, two weeks!? We weren't planning to open it for atleast another few months. I was shaking too hard to think clearly at this point.
"My son is going to be in the same party as yours, I can understand the fear of the unknown. I'm sure it's not gonna be sunshine and rainbows when they get out there, but you need to have faith that they'll be okay." Ares spoke softly as he put a wing on Autumn's shoulder.
Fuck! Erő is gonna be in this too?! This can't get any worse.
"Thank you. For the kind words, Ares, it means a lot to me." My father flashed a brief smile before turning to the door. By the time he started trotting towards it, I was halfway down the hall.
I knew I wasn't on bad terms with Fate, but I guess I wasn't on good terms with it either.