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>>154110“Um, well, I don’t know. Maybe a museum. Or something. I’d like to go out of the city.”
>>154111"Out of city sounds interesting. I remember you bought camping supplies last time we were out. Is that what you would do, go camping?"
>>154112"Camping would be fun" he says
"I think I remember my father saying something about going camping in the White Tail Woods once. We didn't actually go, I think. I was very young."
He pauses for a moment
"Or maybe not. It's been a long time
>>154113"Would you like to go camping sometime? I could teach you survival skills, how to properly use rifle, it would be fun."
>>154114“A rifle?!”
His mouth is partly open, and his eyes are giant
>>154115Silver nods.
"Unless you rather would not, yes."
>>154116"Yes! That sounds like fun"
He wags his tail more
>>154117Silver smiles at the colt.
"It will be. Next time I take you out, we will go camping, sounds good?"
>>154118“Yes!” He says, wagging his tail
>>154120"Okay"
He trots out next to Silver, heading outside
Mala follows a distance behind
>>154121Silver follows the colt's directions towards the burger place.
>>154124White Orchid's directions leave something to be desired, but Silver is able to locate a street with a burger location.
"I think that
might be it" He says of the white building. It's Daydream Diner
>>154125"Great, let us see then..."
The group goes to and enters the establishment.
>>154126The ponies plus Mala enter into the location
White Orchid looks around
"Hey. This is the place... I think" He looks unsure of himself, but mostly happy.
Going inside, the booths and tables tend to be white, with red synthetic fiber seats. You must approach the counter to order. Food items are listed on a black chalk board behind the counter, and include things like hayburgers and fries and such.
>>154127Silver reads the board for a minute before going up to the counter.
"Hello, can I have hayburger with cheese, with fry and cola? And whatever my companions wish to have as well."
>>154128The stallion accepting the order is a little older than may be expected for the role, but he looks physically disabled in his left foreleg. He answers “sure,”
But White Orchid answers,
“Oh! A hayburger and fries. Can I get a milkshake? Please? Please, can I?” He looks up at Silver
[1d3 = 1] >>154129Silver looks down at White Orchid. Even if he was going to say no, there is no way he could deny the colt.
"Of course you can."
>>154130He asks for a milkshake. Chocolate.
And the order is placed
>>154131"Thank you!"
Silver looks to White Orchid again, and motions to the available seating.
"Pick seat, White Orchid."
>>154132There's a round, semi-circle booth. White Orchid sits down on the edge.
>>154133Silver goes to the other end and sits in the middle.
>>154134Mala sits on the edge, leaving the three alone in the booth.
The order number is 43, for what it matters
>>154135That is good to know.
"This is cozy atmosphere. They certainly did not have places like this when I was colt in St. Petershoof."
>>154136"Um... what was that like?" White Orchid asks
"I can't imagine you as a colt"
>>154137"There were few restaurants when I was colt, though sometimes stalls in market with foreign food goods, especially candies."
He smiles at his statement.
"I was not so different from you at your age. Though I was just
little bit bigger. And spoke Cyrillic."
>>154138“Really?” He asks. “You were like me?”
>>154141"Oh. Well, I was strong, brave, full of adventure...among many other things."
>>154142“D’awww, you think I’m like that?” He asks
>>154143Silver nods wholeheartedly.
"Very much like how my own sons were when they were your age, as well."
>>154144"You have sons?" He asks, surprised
>>154146"They are grown, now, but they are still my children."
>>154148Silver tilts his head at the colt.
>>154149White Orchid has nothing to say.
The food, however, is on its way.
>>154151Does that mean it's being brought to the table, or does it have to be grabbed from the counter?
>>154152It is brought to the table by the same dark orange stallion with a limp leg who was previously working the cash register. Two hayburgers, two sets of fries, and a milkshake.
>>154153"Thank you, sir!"
Silver divvies up the food, and looks to Mala.
"You did not want anything?"
>>154157Mala turns his head, looks at Silver, and slowly shakes his head.
The stallion who delivered the food, however, does not move away.
“Sargent Silver Sword?” He addresses Silver
>>154158Silver pauses, looks at the stallion, and tries his hardest to remember who he is.
"Yes?"
>>154159The stallion is a darker orange, with a reddish brown shortcut mane and yellow eyes. Looking at him closely, he is probably around about 30, though at first glance he looks older. He attempts to place weight on his left foreleg, and tries to raise his right leg above his head. He winces, however, and lowers his right leg quickly, placing his weight on that leg again.
"Private Frizzle Loop. 23rd Infantry Division. You were my Drill Instructor for a time at Camp Boysenberry."
>>154160"Oh, I am sorry Frizzle, I did not recognize you. It is good to see you made it."
He smiles, thought it lessens slightly when he looks at his bum leg.
"Though not unscathed, it seems."
>>154161He has a wide smile under his disheveled mane. The smile fades a little
"Wounded in the withdrawal out of Wald. It was, uh, uh, artillery. 105 shell landed about about 15 yards away. Shrapnel knicked me. Some of its still there. They had to send me back to a hospital in Cloudsdale to recover. I was there until the city was captured."
>>154162"Damn, it is very fortunate you survived. Who was it who captured Cloudsdale, Changelings or New Mareland? All I know is that it is right on border between two."
>>154163“New Mareland. They gave it up at the end of the war though. An advance battalion found the hospital. They didn’t care to capture everypony in the hospitals, at least at first, and I was in the later stages of recovery, so I… slipped out.”
>>154164"That is good. We need more ponies like you out here, not in work camps in far remote reaches."
He motions to his companions.
"By way, this is my friend Mala, and over here is White Orchid."
>>154165"Far too many have not come home." He says, solemnly
But he places a smile back on his face as he looks over. That smile goes away when he sees Mala, whom he is not sure how to react to, and White Orchid, whom he smiles at.
"Is he your grandchild?" He says, asking about White Orchid
>>154166"He could have been, and it would be honor if he was, but no, just orphan colt rescued by party I was in for mission. Taking him out for burger, fries, and milkshake."
>>154167"Well that's really sweet of you. Mission?"
>>154168"Since getting here I have been taking jobs to make money. Last job I did was from local government to destroy group of traffickers in city, and before that was job from development company to clear abandoned quarry of ancient undead."
>>154169"Oh wow. Can't get enough of the War, huh?"
>>154170"I would not say that, but one of few things I am good at is fighting bad people to protect good people. If it is something you are good at, it makes sense to make living from it."
>>154171He nods
"Yeah. I see. What you taught me... what you taught us... helped keep us from routing after they pushed us out of Wald. It kept us disciplined. I knew I wanted to run instead of staying low to the ground. And if I had stood up and run, well, that shell may have taken more than my leg. I would say you're good at protecting ponies. Even when you're not there."
>>154172Silver smiles wholeheartedly.
"I am very glad to hear that. Thank you."
>>154173He smiles back
"And thank you, Sergeant Sword."
>>154174"I assume you live here in city? It would be good to keep in touch. Not many veterans I know of here."
>>154175"There are some. All over these lands. Yeah, I'm living here in a small rented apartment, in the north of the city. I would like to keep in touch. To have a beer, maybe."
>>154176"Absolutely. When we do, I am buying."
>>154177He smiles, and
almost seems to wag his tail. He's missing a tooth, and a couple are discolored.
>>154178Silver finally takes a bite out of his hayburger, and speaks to Frizzle after finishing with it quickly.
"Are they treating you well here?"
>>154180"Just this business in general."
>>154181"Ah. It's alright. Not great, but it pays the bills."
>>154182"That is good. Ever think about doing what I do, going back to fighting life?"
>>154185"Heh, I didn't want to go into the fighting life the first time, to be honest." He says
>>154186"Heh, I kind of figured. Nopony really does, for good reason."
Silver takes another bite of his burger.
>>154189Silver pauses, and looks up at Frizzle.
"Not exactly. I wanted to become adventurer when I grew up, fighting just came along with that."
>>154191“Heheh. What makes it worth it?”
>>154194Silver answers without hesitation.
"Saving people."
>>154195He nods
“I should have figured. Good job, and keep it up. You’ve lasted so far. You’ve clearly got luck on your side.”
>>154196He crosses his forelegs in faux offense
"It is not all because of luck."
>>154197“No… I’m sure it’s not. But I feel lucky just to have come away from my few months of it.”
I don't suppose you remember where I was last?
>>154200>>151708 →The drone continues in a dry, two toned voice
"And what did the assailant look like?"
>>154201"I don't know. The whole thing happened in the blink of an eye. Why don't you do a check of who is missing from the train?"
>>154202“
We are doing that now.” He retorts
“And where did they come from?” He asks
>>154203"I saw something swoop by, so I assume it is a pegasus or something of the sort. As to where, I can only assume he kept quiet, and flew right past me out the window."
>>154206>>154204He nods
“Thank you for your cooperation. You and your traveling companions, however, will not be allowed to proceed through the border crossing without proper state issued identification. You must either return to Whinnyapolis, or get off at another stop.”
>>154207"Well, thanks for looking into it. I hope you find that low life."
>>154208He nods curtly, maintaining eye contact with Spark with those wall-blue eyes. He turns, abs walks away slowly without a word, until he says something to another drone in a language that cannot be understood.
>>154209Spark looks towards his friends.
>>154210The doctor asks “what was that all about?”
Wellspring remains silent, lowering her head into her long coat so as to hide her eyes and face. Waabishki seems slightly annoyed, but strangely is handling it better.
Makade says sharply
“Our stop is coming up. Stay calm, stay quiet.”
>>154212Spark takes his seat once more.
>>154213There is more talking, and more movement amongst the drones, the guards, and the passangers. Spark and party are not affected, however. It’s perhaps 25 minutes later that the train arrives in Blackwood, slowly coming to a stop at that short, wooden platform.
>>154214Spark motions to the rest to head on to the platform.
>>154215The doctor takes a moment, but comes along. Makade is the first to move out, though he looks back to make sure he is followed, and directs the others to move quickly. Makade carries his own suspicious looking tube of the type used to hold rolled up maps and posters, while Wellspring drapes herself in her winter clothing. Waabishki follows.
>>154216We head back to the wolf village.
>>154218Perhaps Spark choses to walk through the town of Blackwood, and by the doctor's office. Or perhaps he side steps it all together, walking directly north, and then to the east. Spark inches his way along the forest.
>>154219Spark turns to Wellspring along the way.
"So, know where we need to head next?"