The rickety old cart’s wheels continue to creak as they scrape across the dirt road. Wiping the sweat from your forehead, you glance at the scenery once again. Trees are beginning to spring up alongside the road and the temperature has lowered quite a bit since you left Dodge Junction. The once barren wasteland was now a grassy plain, littered with wild flowers, herbs, and the occasional tree or two. You lean over the edge of the cart and poke your head in the window. Pinkie is fast asleep and Applejack is reading over the old newspaper again.

“How you holding up?” you ask her.

“Alright, Ah guess,” she grunts, not taking her eyes off the paper. The way she just sat there reading that thing over and over again had to be unhealthy. Bringing yourself up, you take your seat again and fiddle with your sleeved slingshot. The thing was in good condition, but it was kind of awkward to aim with. You would have prefered a regular slingshot, but it was kind of obvious that a normal slingshot was useless to ponies since they don’t have hands to grab the handle, thus giving them no reason to produce them.

Extending your left arm out, you grab a marble from the sack holstered on your belt and place it into the pocket of the slingshot. Bringing back the elastic, you close one eye and aim down the small sight at a branch hanging by a few splinters of a tree about fifteen feet away. Releasing the air from your lungs, you steady your arm and let go. The shot misses by a few inches and whirls into the field behind the tree.

“At least your shots are getting closer. Earlier today you couldn’t even hit Miss Jubilee’s backside with your aim,” says one of the stallions pulling the cart. You roll your eyes and load another marble into the pocket when an idea hits you. Maybe...

Letting go of all distractions and noise, you enter your focus state, ready your arm, and aim for the branch again. Time feels as if it comes to a halt as you adjust yourself for the shot. The only thing you can hear is your own heartbeat and the heaviness of your breath. You retract the elastic band and release. Your focus breaks as you watch the marble slowly gain momentum towards its target. In a quick blaze, it make dead contact and breaks the limp branch off.

“Well, would ya look at that. Ya actually hit it!” Leaning over the edge of the cart, you look down and see Applejack with her head poking out of the window. She climbs out and takes a seat next to you.

“You’re so bored that you had to come see me, huh?” you joke, nudging her in the side. Her cheeks turn a rosy shade and she nudges you back.

“Ah just wanted ta relax a bit, is all. It ain’t like Ah didn’t want to hang out with ya.” She rubs her hoof against her her thigh as you continue to play with your slingshot. “Hey, Anon? Do ya mind if we talk?”

“About?” you mutter, not taking your eyes away from the device.

“Well, Pinkie’s been kinda worried.” You turn your head and lock your eyes with her gaze.

“Where did this come from all of a sudden?” you ask, eyebrow cocked. Applejack breaks eye contact and looks out into the field, letting out an exaggerated sigh.

“Pinkie and Ah waited for you ta come ta bed all night.” A small, evil grin works its way onto your face as Applejack turns around to regain eye contact. She blushes as her eyes meet your face. “Not like that, ya git!” You can’t help but chuckle at her frustration. She tries her hardest not to smile and continues.

“Pinkie ended up staying up all night waitin’ fer ya and didn’t even get so much as a wink of sleep. She was afraid that ya’d gone out and found trouble like ya did in Appleloosa.” Your smirk quickly fades. Pinkie was really concerned about your well-being and you were busy getting your dick wet. Looking down at your feet, you can’t help but feel a bit guilty for making her worry. Leaning over the edge of the cart, you peek into it. Pinkie is sprawled across the seat, making up for her missed sleep from last night.

“She really cares for ya, Anon. All she wants is fer you to be safe and happy. As one of her friends, Ah just don’t want her gettin’ hurt, emotionally or physically.” You continue to look at your feet, not uttering a word. There was nothing you could say. All this time, you selfishly thought about yourself and no one else. Not once did you even think about the feelings of your partner; the one who had your back, through thick and thin. Taking a deep breath, you turn to Applejack.

“I get it. Don’t worry. I’ll be sure to take better care.” Applejack smiles before something catches her eyes. You draw your attention towards the same direction and immediately see what’s up. A cart sits on the side of the road with a damaged wheel as two stallions wave you down.

“Looks like they need help,” Applejack states.

‘Really? I could have sworn they were selling waffles,’ you think to yourself sarcastically. Grabbing your staff by its end, you yank from its sheath.

“These guys might be up to no good. Stay on your toes,” you whisper to Applejack as you both jump off the buggy. “You guys might as well take a break,” you mention to the two drivers. They give you a nod and head under a tree to relax.

“‘Ello! We are needing of assistance if you do not mind!” says one of the refugees. His accent is as thick his greasy mane and coat. “Our wheel ‘as fallen off the cart and we be needing an extra hoof to fix.” The other stallion stands behind him, glaring daggers at you, his horn giving a slight, barely noticeable glow. Applejack advances forward to assist them, only to be stopped by the end of your staff.

“What’s yer problem, An—” Letting out a quick breath, you enter your focused state. You watch in slow motion as the stallion doing the talking drops down on his belly as the unicorn behind him cocks back a knife. In one fluid motion, you drop your staff, reach into your pouch, and load a marble into the pocket. If this shot wasn’t perfect, that knife was going to hurt like a bitch.

Taking aim, you fire your only shot at the unicorn’s horn, muttering a silent prayer as it moves forward. Before the unicorn can tell what has just happened, the marble makes direct contact with the base of his horn, cancelling out the magic aura. You quickly kick up your staff, catching it with both hands, and smack the talking stallion on his noggin. He yelps and covers his head with his front hooves, howling in pain. At this point, Applejack and the two drivers have finally registered what’s going on and tackle down the unicorn. Grabbing her rope from her saddlebag, Applejack hogties the two perpetrators.

“And ta think Ah was gonna help ya’ll. Yer nothing but a bunch of petty thieves!” The decoy stallion shakes his head in protest.

“It wasn’t my idea, I swear!” His ‘accent’ from before was gone now. “It was all Hale’s fault! I swear, I never wanted to hurt anyone, I just wanted to make a quick bit was all!” The unicorn stallion gives him a malicious grunt and butts heads with him.

“Applejack, can you do me a favor?” Her ears perk at the mention of her name as she turns around. “Can you grab the roll of silver tape from my bag in the cart?”

She gives you a strange stare but follows your request. Returning with the roll, she gives it to you. “What’re ya gonna do with that? I already got ‘em tied nicely.”

Unraveling the roll, you rip of a strand and wrap it around Hale’s horn. He tries his best to get away from you, only to get nowhere. Applejack stares at you, completely bewildered.

“What in tarnation are ya doing?”

“Well, when I was reading that Marelock Holmes book, I made a mental note. She wasn’t able to perform any magic because her horn was in pain. That’s why I shot the marble directly at his horn. As for the tape...” You finish covering his horn and turn to her. “... his horn is useless if covered. That’s why the Royal Guards have their horn exposed outside from their helmets and why most unicorns are so protective of them.”

Applejack gives you an impressed smile and turns back to the two stallions.

“So what do we do about these two?” she asks, pointing at the two assaulters. Giving a wave of the hand, you peek into the cart at the pink mare who’s still asleep. She is one hell of a heavy sleeper.

“I say we leave them here. Someone, or something, will eventually find them. Let it be their problem,” you suggest as you climb on top of the cart. Applejack gives you a scorned glare and shakes her head.

“They might have tried ta attack us, but it makes us no better than them if we just leave ‘em here.” Rolling your eyes, you tap one of the drivers with your foot. He looks up at you with a confused gaze.

“Listen, pal, here.” You hand him ten bits and point at the two stallions. “Think you can handle fixing that cart and getting these two back to Dodge Junction?” He greedily eyes the coins and nods. Turning to Applejack, you shrug.

“There, everything’s fine. Now let’s get going,” you say, impatiently tapping the empty spot next to you. She exhales an annoyed sigh and climbs on board. A little while goes by as you lay down and look up into the sky.

“Hey, Anon?” starts Applejack.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks fer helping me back there. At least I know that Pinkie’s in good hooves.”

You close your eyes and smile, slowly fading into dreamland.

“I don’t have hooves, Applejack.”

Opening your eyes, you look around. You seem to be stuck on a pillar of some sorts, surrounded by nothing but a void of darkness. Applejack stands besides you, digging her hooves into the ground with a disgusted look on her face. The Flim Flam Brothers stand before you two, mocking you with menacing smiles. Reaching for your staff, you pat at nothing but bare skin. For a moment, you stop and look down.

“Why am I naked?!” you scream, getting a full glimpse of your birthday suit. “Why am I always fucking naked?!” Nothing at this point made any sense. Flam steps forward, patting his mustache in a sinister manner.

“Do you two really think we’re that stupid?” he asks, staring down Applejack. She rolls her eyes and stomps on the ground.

“Yes! The only place you’ll be safe from that fella will be in jail where yer protected by the law!” Flim steps forward and laughs, only adding to Applejack’s frustration.

“Listen, missy, we know you’re upset about losing, but we’re not giving ourselves up that easily.” Applejack turns to you, a gleam in her eyes. You attempt to cover your naked body from the peering eyes in hope that no has noticed yet.

“Anon, it’s time to wake up.”

Your eyes shoot up to a eye-full of Applejack’s face. Sitting up, you let out a heavy sigh and shake your head. Applejack lays a hoof on your shoulder with a concerned look stretched across her face.

“Are ya alright, Sugarcube?”

“Yeah, just had a weird dream,” you reply, trying to wave off any suspicions. A smile cracks on her face as she chuckles.

“Do ya always have dreams about ya being naked or was it cuz ya were around a mare in hopes of gettin’ some?” she jokes, jabbing you in the side with her hoof. You scoff before realizing the scenery change.

Tall brick buildings loom over you, blocking out the setting sun. It feels like you were in your hometown again. It wasn’t Manehatten, that was for sure, but this place wasn’t exactly a small town like Ponyville. Jumping down from the cart’s roof, you turn to the driver and nod.

“Thanks for the lift buddy. Before you go, do you mind pointing me in the direction of the town pub?” He point down the road with a worried look on his face.

“The pub is down two blocks and to the right. I’d be careful; that area ain’t exactly safe.” He looks at your slingshot and staff and breaks out into a smirk. “Not that it’ll be too much of a problem for you.”

You chuckle and thank him again for his help before carrying the luggage with Pinkie and Applejack into the hotel. A small bell sits on the counter, ready to be rung. As you reach your hand out over the bell, a mare pops her head out from behind the counter, wearing a creepy smile.

“How may I help you today?” she asks in chipper tone. You retract your hand and dig into your pocket for your coin purse.

“I’d like to rent out a suite, please.”

“Certainly!” she exclaims, clicking the buttons of the small register. “That’ll be thirty five bits.” Well, now you have to catch them, with prices like this. Grabbing the desired amount, you place it on the counter in exchange for the room key. Hauling the luggage up to your room, you place everything down on your bed and enter the living room. After a short moment, the two mares enter the room and sit down on the small couch.

“So, what’re we gonna do next, Anon?” Pinkie asks, her eyes shining with excitement. You look over at the clock on the wall and check the time.

“Well, it’s getting kind of late. If we want to catch these pricks any time soon, we’re going to have to start tomorrow pretty early. I still have to deliver the package to that Bruce guy, so I’ll just head down to the pub and give it to him.” They nod their heads and venture into their rooms for the night. After grabbing your staff, slingshot, and package, you make your way for the door only to be stopped by Pinkie.

“Nonny, can you do me a favor?” She looks at you with wide puppy-like eyes and a pout. You can’t help but grin; she never does this unless it’s something serious.

“Depends on what it is,” you say, placing your hand upon her head. She leans in a bit closer, lowering her voice down to a whisper as you kneel down.

“Please don’t run off like last time.” Her eyes begin to fill with tears as she attempt to finish her request. “If something like that were to happen to you again, I... I won—”

You lean forward and wrap your arms around her. She lets out a small hiccup as you tighten your grip. Her mane gives off a strong bubblegum scent as she quietly sobs into your shoulder.

“You don’t need to worry, Pinkie. I’m only delivering a package. I’ll be able to take care of myself if anything happens now that I have proper training,” you say in a calm voice. “I’ll be by your side no matter what. That’s what partners are for, right?”

She pulls her head away from your shoulder and nuzzles her nose against your chin. You lift her up and place her on your shoulders.

“Come on, I’ll tuck you in.” She halves her eyelids and sneers.

“Hopefully the tucking I’m thinking of,” she mocks, giving you a wink. You shake your head and place her in her bed, making sure to tuck her in nice and tightly. Walking to the door, you stop and place your hand over the light switch.

“Hey, Pinkie.”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for everything you’ve done for me so far. I know I don’t show it, but I really do appreciate it.” You hear a faint giggle behind you as she shifts around under her sheets, followed by quiet snores. Giving off a small snort, you flick the switch and head out of the hotel. As you exit the front door, you follow the directions given to you earlier to the pub. Once you round the corner, the look completely changes. The once-clean street is now a small ghetto. Stallions sitting on their stoops stop their conversations and crack their heads towards your direction.

You can feel the stares burn against your skin; all of them were looking for signs of fear, weakness, or anything they could use against you. Continuing your walk, you head down the street with your package in hand and enter the pub. The place looks like something straight out of the movie ‘Road House’. Lots of yelling, fights starting in the dark corners, sketchy bar games: It was cliché as hell. Scanning the room, you catch sight of your drop off. A rather large stallion with a black mane and eyepatch sits in a booth by himself, sipping away at a glass of cider. He looks up from his cup as you take the seat in front of him.

“Can I help you?” he questions, staring you down. Placing the package on the table, you slide it towards him and sit back.

“Miss Jubilee sent me to give you this package.” His eyes widen as he hears the name.

“Cherry sent you? This ain’t something to play around with, then.” He tears open the package and pulls out a newspaper clipping. Your heart sinks when you see what’s on it. It was none other than the Flim Flam Brothers. Along with the picture is a bag of bits.

“Half now, and half after I finish the job, I suppose.” He looks back to you and waves his hoof. “Thanks kid. You can go now, I don’t need you for anything.”

The same question keeps repeating in your head as you leave the table.

‘Why was there a picture of the Flim Flam Brothers in there with money?’

Maybe it wasn’t best to question it. Maybe he was just going to help you out. You turn around, ready to ask him, only to meet face to face with an empty chair. You look around the bar with no sight of him.

“That’s just weird,” you mutter to yourself. There was no need to get all high-strung about this. You were just getting yourself worked up for nothing. Maybe a nice drink will calm you down.

Taking a seat at the bar, you beckon the barkeep over. He hesitates at first, but ends up coming to you.

“Listen, I don’t want any trouble,” he pleads. You furrow your brow in confusion.

“You what?”

“You know Bruce, right? I don’t want anything to do with him.” Scratching the back of your head, you stare at him, dumbfounded.

“What so bad about Bruce? He seems like a tough guy, but he’s not all that bad from what I saw.” The bartender returns the confused look.

“Didn’t you just pay him for a hit?”

“Hit? Like, an assassination?”

Your heart sinks as the bartender nods. Cherry set a bounty for them as well, but she wanted them dead. Jumping from your seat, you sprint out of the pub towards the hotel. As you enter the building, the creepy teller screams out, “Good evening, sir!” as you run up the stairs. Bursting through the door, you run into both mare’s rooms and flick the lights on.

“We’re having an emergency meeting. We might have a small problem.”

Author's Notes:

I got a big bottle of Jack Daniels. I'm ready to go.