Ryan, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and the two Apple sisters were in Appleloosa, helping Applejack train to replace her cousin Bradeburn in a rodeo show. "So AJ," Ryan said as he brought a bale of hay over. "Excited for this?"

"You betcha!" AppleJack replied.

"LOOK OUT!" the teen shouted suddenly, dropping his hay-bale grabbing the country mare. BLORP! the bracelet wrapped an individual shield around everypony as the hay AJ had already stacked fell over. CRASH! "That was close!" Ryan said, his and AJ's shield disappearing.

"What the hay just happened?" AppleJack asked.

"Not sure. After making sure all the shields were gone, Ryan joined the sheriff, who was looking at a strange mark in the dirt. "What's that?" he asked.

"Troubleshoes." The Sheriff replied.

"Who?" the teen asked, having never heard the name before.

"He's shut down all our rodeos." The Sheriff explained.

"Any motivational patterns you've seen?" Ryan asked. "You can't do something without a motive to do it." The Sheriff raised an eyebrow.

"Come again?" he asked. A thought came to Ryan as he knelt to examine the marking.

"What if Troubleshoes isn't what you think he is." the teen was sure the Sheriff was one of those stubborn, keen-to-abide-by-the-law types. Sure enough...

"Your kidding right?" The Sheriff's glare faded into a smile.

"No I'm not." Ryan said calmly. "Where I come from, people are discriminated against all the time, without even being heard. What if this is a similar case?"

"Impossible." The Sheriff shook his head.

"Suit yourself, but I'm sure I'm right." the brunette human said, standing up to his full hight again. Later on, Ryan was walking in one of the forests around the town, when he heard what sounded like three fillies screaming! "APPLEBLOOM! SCOOTALOO! SWEETIE BELLE!" he shouted, following the sound of their voices. "What are you doing!?" the human shouted when he caught up to them. "It's like your looking for trouble!"

"We are! TroubleSHOES, that is!" Applebloom explained.

"Why?" Ryan asked. "What's your reason?"

"So the sheriff can capture him!" Scootaloo replied.

"Are you CRA-!?" Ryan started, but then stopped. "Sarcasm?" he asked. Scootaloo nodded. "Thank god." Ryan clutched his heart. "Scared me there. C'mon then, let's do it."

"Do what?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Find Troubleshoes?"

"Yup." Ryan nodded.

"But isn't he a dangerous criminal?" Sweetie Belle continued, scared.

"I doubt it." the human replied, shaking his head.

"Huh?" Applebloom scrunched her nose up at Ryan's comment. "He's shut down all our rodeos."

"I think he's just accident-prone, even if the sheriff doesn't." Ryan elaborated. Applebloom looked at her friends and shrugged, then kept walking. CRACK! Lightning flashed, and it started to rain. Ryan made a disk-shaped shield, and used it as an umbrella to protect both himself and the CMC. "W-w-w-wish I th-th-th-thought to p-p-put on-n-n-n a j-j-j-jacket." the teen said, his teeth chattering from the cold. Suddenly, SPLAT! Ryan and the CMC were splashed with mud, and knocked out from under their feet/hooves. "IT'S A MUDSLIDE!" Ryan shouted. "You girls okay?" the human asked when it was all over.

"Uh-huh." They all nodded.

"Rarity's gonna kill me for this." Ryan muttered, looking at his wet, mudstained clothes. "Look, shelter." he said, looking at a rickety old wagon. Ryan walked towards it, and the three fillies followed him. Peaking into the window, Ryan saw someone inside. "C-c-can we c-c-come in please?" he asked.

"It seems abandoned." Applebloom said.

"Saw someone." Ryan said. He knocked on the door. A few minutes of crashing sounds later, the door opened. "Hello?" the human asked warily.

"It seems nopony's home." Scootaloo said. Just then, a large pony appeared.

"Hello." Ryan repeated, smiling as much as he could. The human was so cold, he wasn't sure if his nerves were going to respond to his attempt to move his mouth. "May we come in out of the cold?"

"Surely." The stallion replied.

"Are you Troubleshoes by chance?" the human asked. "I didn't believe the sheriff when he associated the name with an outlaw type of pony."

"That's me." Troubleshoes replied, nodding.

"As soon as this storm clears, we're bringing you to Appleloosa." Ryan affirmed, slamming a fist into his hand. "The sheriff needs to listen."

"You cant do that! That's Troubleshoes!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

"Hush." Ryan said to her. "Toubleshoes, the sheriff thinks you're wreaking the rodeos around Equestria, and I think otherwise. Would you mind coming to appeal?"

"I don't know if that's such a good idea Ryan..." Applebloom said.

"I wish to help you end your identity as an outlaw." the human continued, ignoring Applebloom. "I just can't stand an innocent pony being branded with a personality he or she doesn't have."

"And how exactly do you plan to do that?" Troubleshoes asked.

"I...don't know." Ryan admitted. "But I-." Ryan suddenly got an idea. "You can participate in the rodeo!" he shouted.

"I wish I could, but bad luck follows me wherever I go like sour on old milk." Troubleshoes explained.

"No it doesn't!" Ryan had another idea. "What if you're looking at it all wrong, like the sheriff?"

"Pardon?" Troubleshoes asked.

"I assume the reason you think this way is your Cutie Mark." the teen said, pointing to the upside-down horseshoe on Troubleshoe's flank.

"Upside-down horseshoe. Bad luck." Troubleshoes explained.

"What if that's not it?" the human continued.

"Beg your pardon?" Troubleshoes was confused.

"Rodeo clowning!" Ryan said, jumping up from his seat and pacing back and forth. "What if THAT'S your talent?"

"Well, its worth a shot!" Troubleshoes said. However, not even within a foot of Appleloosa, the sheriff found them!

"Idiot!" Ryan kicked himself, having forgotten to leave a note. "No!" he shouted, the sheriff having cuffed Troubleshoes and starting to lead him away. "He's not wrecking the rodeos, he wants to be in them!"

"Just my luck." Troubleshoes said with a sigh.

"WHY WON'T YOU LISTEN!?" Ryan shouted.

"Troubleshoes is underarrest for destroying the property and peace of mind of the good rodeo-loving ponies of Equestria! Not to mention fillynapping!" The Sheriff exclaimed, ignoring Ryan.

"I ENCOURAGED THE FILLIES TO GO INTO THE FOREST!" Ryan shouted, hoping to help Troubleshoes's situation.

"Braeburn, get these four some place safe!" Applejack shouted, pointing to them.

Taking out a pin, the teen jiggled it inside the lock. "Got it. Lucky the Sheriff's at the rodeo. C'mon!" Ryan led Troubleshoes to the rodeo, grabbing assortments of clown stuff along the way.

"Ready Troubleshoes?" Ryan asked, smiling.

"Well, how do I look?" Troubleshoes asked

"In the words of a favorite fictional character of mine," Ryan replied. "Fantastic." The teen led Troubleshoes to the rodeo ring. "Good luck." he said, smiling to encourage the stallion. Troubleshoes smiled at Ryan. Ryan did enjoy the show, despite secretly being afraid of clowns. That is, until Troubleshoes...well...got in trouble. his outfit had come off, and his cutie mark was exposed. Without thinking, Ryan leapt over the gate, and ran in front of the misunderstood stallion, shielding him with both arms. Among the ponies who were ready to take down Troubleshoes was the sheriff.

"Step aside Ryan! This one's goin' to jail!" said The Sheriff.

"HOW ABOUT YOU LISTEN TO TROUBLESHOES FOR ONCE YOU THICK-HEADED DIRTBAG!" Ryan shouted, the rage from the injustice he felt Troubleshoes had gone through getting the better of him.

"What has gotten into you Ryan?" Applejack approached the human teen glaring angrily.

"Troubleshoes wants to BE in the rodeos, not wreck them!" Ryan replied. "Why can't any of these idiots see that!?"

"What he says is true." Troubleshoes piped up. "This here entertaining y'all with my clutzin'. That's what I'm supposed to be doing, I know it now. I didn't mean no harm, I just never love nothin' like I love the rodeo. So I kept on sneakin' back and makin' a big mess ol' mess of things. Turns out I was just lookin' at my cutie mark all wrong." Ryan smiled as the stallion avicaded for himself.

"And he didn't kidnap Applebloom and her friends." he added. "All of us wanted to clear Troubleshoes's name, so we went to find him. I also encouraged them to go."

"That may be true, but he still has to face charges for the problems he's caused." said The Sheriff.

"I'll help." Ryan volunteered.

"Us too!" The CMC added

"If I've done wrong I'll see to it that I take my medicine and square my account." Troubleshoes said to The Sheriff.

Later, Ryan and the CMC were helping to clean the mess Troubleshoes had caused. "Sorry about taking the girls into the forest AJ." the teen said to the farm pony.

"Its alright." Applejack replied.

"I think Troubleshoes is going to be alright now." Ryan added, looking over at the stallion.

"Ah think so too." Applejack said. Ryan suddenly raised his arm, sniffed his armpit, and pulled a face.

"Can't believe I forgot to shower the whole time we've been here." he said in disgust.

"You can take a shower here if you need to." Applejack offered

"Nah, I can deal until we're back home." Ryan replied. "Besides, It'd be a waste if I showered and then worked again."

"Suit yourself." Applejack said.

THE END