private FoE: Aftermath; After the Fact (1x1 with Meson Bolt)

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

"I'm gonna hit you a couple of times, you fall over, then you run for the exit. Whatever happens, don't come back for me. I'll be fine, I swear," she replied. "Just wait outside for me, okay?"

 

Another moment of silence passed, interrupted quickly when a mass of raiders descended on them. Leaping from behind cover and making herself fully visible, Foray decked Kronos as hard as possible, hoping he'd follow through with his part of the plan.

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

"Wait, what do you me--AHHH!!!" Kronos was about to ask before Foray knocked him over. When he got up, he limbered himself up. I'm getting too old to get pushed over like that, he thought to himself before recalling that Foray wasn't near him, Oh, shit, Foray!!!!!

 

Now, initial instinct would tell him to come back for his partner, however, Foray specifically told him that she'll follow him. The problem was that he wasn't sure how long he was gonna wait until his partner comes right out. Nevertheless, he followed through with Foray's plan. He wandered around until he found some light outside of the passage he was going through. Sticking with Foray's plan, he went out into the light. When he was outside, he turned back towards the passageway and kept his weapon drawn at the entryway, preparing himself for any incoming trouble.

 

I pray that you're right, Foray, Kronos thought to himself, I don't know how I could forgive myself if my absence leads to another one of my companion's deaths.

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

A moment after Kronos had bolted off, the channel was filled with sounds of four miniguns revving up. Firing for several moments before realizing that Kronos was gone, the scanning flashlights reappeared and quickly fell on Foray.

 

"All clear!" someone shouted, and a loud echo of several voices followed as the raiders retrieved Foray's limp form from the river.

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

((Sorry for the absence, I've been sick for quite a while))

 

((Timeskip to midnight))

 

The day passed on by slowly, with Foray unconscious for the entire morning and a good portion of the afternoon. Fed and tended to by the raiders, Foray had insisted upon heading out immediately, but was only able to escape at night after persuading the night watch to let her go. She only hoped that Kronos hadn't done anything to get himself in danger... it had been nearly 22 hours and she wondered what a long wait like that would do to him.

 

Emerging from the end of the cavern and carefully inching her way down, Foray squinted as the light from the moon was still much brighter than the darkness of the cave. A sturdy bandage had been applied to her forehead, where one of the stray minigun rounds had struck her.

 

"...Kronos?" she called out weakly.

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

During the 22 hours that he waited, he casually watched the radioactive wildlife go about their business and only shot at certain creatures whenever he got hungry. Whenever his bloodlust was about to overtake him, he went up close and personal with his hunt to satisfy it. He noticed there were occasional ponies and other raiders that passed by, but the mere sight of a pony in Power Armor seemed to deter some of them, however it was the sight of the animal corpses around him repelled the rest of them.

 

Kronos was sitting at the sides of the exit, where he hoped he could get the jump on some raiders. However, upon hearing the voice of his companion, he jumped up and readied his weapon for whatever may have followed her through the passageway. 

 

"Foray?" Kronos called out excitedly but quietly, "Hey, you alright? I got some leftover meat from my hunts here if you're hungry."

Edited December 30, 2016 by Kronos the Revenant

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

At the sight of her companion, Foray rushed up and gave him a quick, gentle hug, before guiding him quickly away from the direction of the cave.

 

"I'm good thanks," she replied in a low voice, turning down his offer. "We've gotta get moving, those raiders will be pretty upset when they find their prisoner... 'escaped'." Glancing around to make sure they weren't heard, she added, "And they'd be really upset if they found you here..."

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

When Foray went over to embrace him, it took him by surprise as he didn't think that she would do such a thing to him. Then again, he also thought that they've been around each other for so long, it might've been coming up eventually.

 

Gradually, Kronos, he thought to himself, Don't think too far ahead too quickly.

 

"Hehehe," Kronos laughed along before replying, "Alright, you're the expert around these parts, you lead us outta here."

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

Quickly scurrying to the edge of the riverbank, Foray hastily led Kronos downstream. Night had fallen again, and the moon and glowing water illuminated their path. It wasn't long before the pair were a safe distance from the cavern that Foray slowed down to a casual pace.

 

"Sorry I took so long..." she breathed, only now making conversation with her companion. "Getting shot in the head is pretty rough." She looked at him apologetically, adding, "I bet you have a lot of questions, huh?"

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

"Well," Kronos replied, "You did say that you have a reputation amongst the Raiders around here, so, there's a few of my questions answered, however, I gotta ask, what happened back there, exactly? That and how did you survive a bullet wound to your head? I mean, sure, it's most likely a few centimeters away from being fatal, but you don't feel like you're having migraines? Where are we? How much longer until we reach our penultimate destination?"

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

​​Foray chuckled weakly and shook her head. "Figured you'd want answers. Once we're completely safe we can have a talk about everything, but for now, I'll try and be brief."

 

Sitting down gently, she cocked her head to one side as she stared at him. "There's something I neglected to tell you when we started out for the Domain... something that I really didn't remember until a little while ago, and that's that ponies in power armor aren't welcome... pretty much anywhere. It's mostly due to the use of the Leviathan-class Armors by the Silvers against the Free Hooves, but the general understanding is that anypony wearing a metal suit, or in this case, I suppose... having lots of cybernetic attachments... are unforgiving killing machines that can't be stopped with anything less than the most extreme of force." Pausing for a moment to let her words take effect, she added, "I personally know a few snipers who'd take your head off without a second thought."

 

"Secondly, the group we ran into last night wasn't just a band of raiders... they were a squad of Conscripts -- a nomadic gunner gang that's new to this Domain region. The tunnel we passed through must've been one of their weapon smuggling routes, so pretending like I was driving you off seemed to be the best way to get out unscathed." She paused. "Well, mostly, anyway."

 

"To your other questions... yeah, it hurts like hell, but it's really just a graze. They weren't aiming at all for me."

 

"As to our location, we can't be far from Moonlight Lake, which is only about a half-day's journey to Fetlock." Foray motioned to the pool in front of them, where the glowing water spilled out of the cavern and formed a stream. "If we follow the stream, it should take us to the south side of the lake. We can rest there and make it to Fetlock by noontime..."

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

Kronos took the time to process Foray's answer.

 

Well damn, then, he thought, So it doesn't matter whether or not I'm in this Power Armor or not, I'm still perceived as a viable targets for some of the assholes out here. Maybe I can show them that I mean others no harm in some way, but how? I guess I'm gonna have to try to figure that out myself.

 

Kronos looked out towards where Foray was pointing out. "Oh, okay," Kronos replied, "That doesn't sound too bad."

 

Then again, he thought again, the longer we're out here not in the safety of a settlement of any kind, the more dangerous it becomes for us to linger about in the Domain, and considering my lack of experience here, I don't want to stick around and find any other potentially dangerous creatures, regardless of the potential thrill of the fight. I've got a companion to look after who looks after me as well, so we can't risk a lot of unnecessary encounters.

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

Foray gave her companion a light smile and began walking downstream.

 

The brightly glowing water was easy enough to follow in the dark, with gravel beds lining both sides of the rushing current. Large riverbeds that had long ago dried up indicated that the stream was once a deep creek. A feature common to the rivers in the Domain, raiders and caravans alike used these spots as campgrounds. The natural cover provided made knowledge of these spots crucial for clashing factions.

 

Foray kept quiet as the pair traveled along. Glancing up at the stars to make sure they were still heading in the right direction, she noted that the sky was far too cloudy to make a judgment.

 

Looks like rain... and I don't really want to be caught out in it. We'd do well to get to the north side of the lake... she mused.

Edited January 16, 2017 by Meson Bolt

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

Kronos noticed Foray looking up towards the sky, trying to map out the stars to his guess. When he looked up, he saw a cloudy sky with no stars to be seen.

 

Damn, he thought, the sky is blocked out. I guess we may have to wait until the sky clears up. Or maybe Foray has a different means of navigating.

 

With that in mind, he asked Foray, "Hey, Foray, you still know the way over to the place we're headed even with the stars blocked out?"

Edited January 18, 2017 by Kronos the Revenant

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

​Foray cocked her head to one side, genuinely surprised by his question.

 

"We're headed to Moonlight Lake," she responded, obviously confused. "Following the glowing stream. That's really all the direction we need." She finished her sentence with a slight chuckle.

 

A few raindrops began falling from the sky, turning into a very light drizzle. From the looks of things, it would probably continue to rain harder later into the night.

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

Kronos looked back up into the sky as the rain drizzled on his head. Then, it started to rain harder and harder.

 

Oh, crap, Kronos thought, I hope this rain isn't radioactive or worse acidic. Either way, clean or radioactive, we should find some shelter. We're both susceptible to fever in the rain.

 

"Foray," Kronos asked, "You don't think there's any chance that we can find shelter from this rain? I may be a cyborg, but I still get colds, you know."

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

"Not in the open, no," Foray replied, flipping up the hood of her jacket as the drizzle turned into a sizeable shower. "You're right though... we better find some shelter soon. These storms can get bad."

 

Picking up the pace a bit, even though she was clearly exhausted, she watched as the glowing stream fell through a small slit in the ground, continuing under the surface as the terrain slanted into an incline.

 

"We've gotta be close now..."

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

"Close?" Kronos asked curiously, "Close to what exactly? Actually, considering the situation, I don't care what it is as long as it gets us out of this rain. I don't want to stay outside all wet and vulnerable."

 

Kronos followed Foray closely, hoping to spot the possible shelter she may be finding and also looking for other places or objects to take cover under. He wiped some rain drops off of his cybernetic arms as it started to drizzle.

 

Well, crap, he thought, the rain is coming in sooner than I'd like.

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

Foray would've answered right away, but felt it would be redundant as their destination lay just over the rise. As they topped the hill, gaining an excellent view of the terrain ahead, a large body of water lay in front of them, dimly glowing in what little moonlight there was. There were a few small trees lining the near shore under which the pair could rest, although it didn't look like they'd provide much shelter. Several campfires flickered on the far side of the lake, indicating activity.

 

Relieved that they'd finally arrived, Foray practically collapsed under one of the trees, clearly winded. Her wounds had taken quite a lot out of her, and it was obvious that she needed rest, or at the very least, a few moments to catch her breath.

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

Kronos looked down on his companion who was clearly exhausted. He followed along with his companion to keep himself company as he was sure that he'll get a hostile greeting if he went on by himself. That and, amazingly enough, his limbs actually felt sore for the first time in a while, which was strange to him since he wasn't aware that his cybernetic limbs can get sore in the first place.

 

"Ahh," he exclaimed as he went down, "Damn, I never thought that my legs could actually get sore." He started massaging his own legs to relieve the strain that was on his legs. He then laid himself down near Foray. He looked up for a little bit and noticed the fires and asked Foray, "Hey, Foray, I forget, but didn't you say that stragglers are a common sight around the Domain?"

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

Foray looked up at Kronos, then at the campfires again, before laying back down. "Caravans..." she huffed. "Moonlight Lake is a common campground... aside from being a huge landmark, they like to band... together here for the increased safety from raiders. It's usually safe for Domainers though... that's where most of the caravans come from."

 

After catching her breath and shakily getting to her hooves, she added, "Much as I really want to rot here for the night, this rain is really cold... and bunking with the caravan would be nice. I could go for a warm tent... or heck, even a blanket and a spot near a campfire. But..." She gazed at the far shore of the lake. "It's a long walk around... and in this rain..." She glanced down at her companion. "Any ideas, Kron?"

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

"Well," Kronos replied, "I certainly can't be the one to talk to them firstly. Secondly, I suppose after you talk to them they'll offer us some shelter and, possibly with the help of your reputation around the Domain, would seek our protection from any raiders and animals that may come around. Also," he went over to the lake and tried going forward a bit, only realizing that the water level slowly but surely went up to his chin as he was going deeper into the depths of the lake, "Nope, scratch that, I can't walk across this lake. However, we could request their aid across the lake, maybe. Plus, maybe one of those caravans has a doctor that can treat your leg, or do you only trust the docs over at your hometown?"

Edited January 25, 2017 by Kronos the Revenant

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

Foray frowned lightly, sitting back down and staring at the campfires. "Only the night guards would be awake at this hour, and I doubt they have a boat or anything. The trail passes on the other side of the lake -- there's almost no reason for caravans to ever cross it." Sighing lightly, she added, "But, I'll try to get their attention anyway."

 

Crouching down and shutting her eyes, her horn glowed as she tried to produce a fireball. However, the pounding rain made doing so impossible, as each of her attempts sputtered and died out.

 

"No good. Unless you've another idea, walking around or staying here look like our only options."

Edited January 26, 2017 by Meson Bolt

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

"I could try an electric discharge through the rain," Kronos suggested, "But that'll most likely do more harm than good. I would've suggested a flare, but..." He held his arm out into the rain. His cybernetics started acting up again. "GAH, dammit, not again." He pulled out some of the repair supplies he kept with him from the cargo ship a few weeks ago and performed maintenance on himself. "Well," Kronos sighed, "I guess our best option is to sit around under some shelter until this rain passes over."

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

​Foray frowned, glancing wistfully at the campfires across the lake. A warm tent and some warm food would do her good right now, but she was already exhausted, and Kronos probably wouldn't make it through the rain. They'd have to wait out the storm.

 

Sighing, she nodded and shrugged off her saddlebags, leaning back against the lone tree that provided shelter from the pounding torrent. Despite her jacket, the rain and chilling wind caused her to shiver.

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

Kronos noticed that his companion was shivering under the tree, chilled by the rain and winds. Despite his predetermined protocols he promised himself to follow for the sake of his companionship with Foray, he reluctantly went up to her and embraced her, keeping her warm. He punched a few commands into his console. The engines inside of his body ramped up, causing his body to gently warm up.

 

"I hope you don't mind," Kronos told Foray, "But this is the best way I can think of to keep us both warm at the moment."