Daring’s perspective:

The horses trotted along at a fast pace. John continued to chat with Brixie and my thoughts continued to scowl at the blue mare and John. ‘How dare they?! That stupid… ugh…’ I thought to myself as John continued to talk with the blue unicorn which had somehow found her way into our group.

“That’s so heroic.” Brixie said in a very feminine voice. Ooh I’d just like to… I made actions as if I was strangling something.

“Uhm… you okay?” Billy asked and I looked back to him then remembered that I was sharing my horse with him. I nodded then rolled my eyes. He chuckled. “You’re a bad liar. Go ahead, you can talk to me. I’m not gonna go spill the beans.” Billy told me. I let out a sigh.

“It’s that Brixie… she’s so…” I made the gestures as if to strangle something again. Brixie and John were busy talking so they paid us no mind. Billy chuckled to himself. “I just don’t know why I’m so conflicted about this… I mean I don’t even like John but when those two get all bubbly with each other it just… makes me sooo irritated that I just want to scream.” I told him and he laughed quietly from my statement.

“Well, whether you believe me or not I’ll tell you this. You have feelings for John. I can see it in the way you look at him and how he looks back at you. You may want to think otherwise but trust a fool who knows.” He told me and I laughed.

“Ha, I don’t like John. Not that way at least.” I told him and Billy simply shook his head and sighed. I began to think to myself. Could I have feelings for John? No! I can’t! Not after… him. After what happened last time, I can’t allow myself to become attached to any-pony, at least not romantically anyway.

I quickly subdued my thoughts about John and thought back to Billy. “So what about you Billy? What was your life like before all this?” I asked and he shrugged.

“Nothing exciting really. Just lived on a cattle farm. A while back I was riding into town when I heard gunshots. Went to go investigate but by the time I got there the bank wagon had been looted. Police arrived soon after and arrested me, saying that I was the robber.” He told me.

“I’m sorry to hear that…” I trailed my sentence off but he didn’t say anything. I guess he’d gotten over it.

“So what about you?” He asked and I turned back to him with a curious look. “You know? Your life. What was it like back in the day?” He asked and all I could do was shrug.

“A little bit of adventuring here and there… not much else though.” I informed him.

“How about love interests? Any coltfriends?” He asked bluntly. Whoa, hold on! He couldn’t be for real could he? Where does he get off asking me about that?

“What?” I asked in a somewhat stern tone.

“Well you know, coltfriends, stallions? Any?” He asked and I shot him a rather irritated look. That was personal stuff that he didn’t need to know about. “Didn’t end well huh?” He replied, almost as if he was able to search my memories.

“Billy… I don’t want to talk about it.” I told him then with that I dropped the subject. He simply shrugged.

“So after all this is through, where do you see yourself?” He asked and I shrugged. “Another adventure I suppose?” He asked and I nodded. “What about John? You going to take him with you?” He asked and I looked back to give him another stern look. “Well just think it over. Next thing you know the moment will be upon you before you’ve had time to think about it.” He told me.

Jeeze, you know for a teenager he spoke like he was some elder stallion who had seen all over the Equestrian frontier and been on many adventures himself. I simply didn’t answer and we continued along quietly though John and Brixie stilled conversed.

Just before the sun began to set we entered the outskirts of Baltimare city. It was pretty vast and populated. The streets were paved and ponies walked along casually. A few of those motorized vehicles could be seen driving down the streets by high class citizens.

We slowed our horses to a slow trot. Our horses’ hooves clopped as they proceeded down the pavement streets. ‘Wow, how different the sound of pavement against hoof sounded.’ I thought to myself.

As we neared a more populated part of town Brixie spoke up. “Wait, stop here.” She ordered and John stopped his horse. I stopped only a few feet past him with a slight irritation.

“What?!” I asked with heavy irritation. Brixie simply ignored me and looked to John.

“How good are you with a gun?” She asked and John simply scratched his forehead.

“Well uhm… pretty good I guess.” He answered modestly with a blush. “Why do you ask?”

“Brixie is going to go set up a magic show. You will come soon after so it looks as if we don’t know each other then I will cast a spell on you that will make you a better shot than any of the ponies in the crowd and win the shooting competition I will hold.” Brixie stated.

“That’s fraud!” I hissed and Brixie swung her head and fluffed her mane as she hopped off John’s horse.

As she trotted away she looked back to me with a smug look. “It is simply intelligence.” She told me and I gritted my teeth from her snooty attitude. ‘Goddess, why does John even like her?’ I thought to myself.

We led the two horses over to a hitching post then tied them there. We waited for a few minutes until Brixie had her act in full bloom. Somehow she had gotten hold of a stage wagon and was doing some magic tricks.

“And now for a challenge. Who among you is brave enough to allow Brixie to bestow her magic upon them?” She asked. There was a moment of silence in the crowd. “I said, WHO AMONG YOU IS BRAVE ENOUGH?” She yelled out.

John, taking that as his cue, stepped up to the stage wagon. “I am Ms.” He told her and Brixie helped him up onto the stage.

“To show you all that Brixie is the best I shall cast a spell on this pony that will make him the best shot in the land. No-pony will be able to best him. If you do not believe me then place a wager of five bits. With that than you can challenge him to a shooting contest. Whoever can shoot the most of the bottles fastest wins. If you win then you win the grand prize money of one thousand bits, and if not then let it be known that Brixie is the best in all EQUESTRIA!” She announced.

At this many stallions rushed up to the wagon to place bets. “Wait, wait. First I must cast the spell.” She announced. She looked to John. “Prepare yourself stranger.” She told him and John stepped back, closing his eyes and preparing himself for what was to come. Even I didn’t expect what she did next.

Instead of casting an actual spell with her horn she simply stepped forwards, wrapped her front foreleg around his neck and pulled him in for a wet kiss. I gasped in shock as I watched Brixie deliberately make out with John on stage. She was doing this on purpose, I just knew it.

They stayed like that for several moments but for some reason it felt like an eternity. Billy chuckled to himself. “Damn… almost makes me wish I had volunteered.” He said with a laugh then noticed my agitation. “Don’t worry… I don’t think that John was willing… well maybe he is now.” He said with a hearty laugh.

Finally Brixie pulled away, leaving her tongue to slowly trail out of John’s mouth along with a sling of saliva connecting the two. I gritted my teeth, ooh the nerve she had. Billy chuckled, “Yeah, you don’t like him, remember?” He told me and I quickly tried to make up an excuse but ended up just getting flustered.

The first stallion stepped up onto the wagon and drew a small six barreled Derringer pistol. Both John and the other stallion readied themselves then quickly fired upon the bottles on the wagon stand. John easily bested him without even trying. For the next hour the streets were echoed with gunshots as John bested stallion after stallion in the shooting competition. I did have to admit, he was a sure shot and would hit every time.

Eventually, before we knew it, several police officers arrived on the scene. “You there! Carnival folk! Get down here!” One of the officers ordered. Brixie and John did as they were asked.

As they approached, one of the officers grabbed Brixie and placed her in hoof cuffs. “You’re under arrest for fraud and public disturbance. You, cow-poke… get gone before we decide you were in on this.” They ordered and John quickly obeyed. Brixie screamed and hollered as she was hauled away by the police.

John came over to Billy and me. I smiled. I was kind of happy to be rid of that two timing mare. John looked to us, “We have to rescue her.” He informed us.

“WHAT!?” I exclaimed. And he repeated himself but my answer was still a question. “You can’t be serious?” I asked and he nodded.

“The offences didn’t sound that bad. We could just pay the fine.” John offered. Billy shrugged and quickly agreed with him.

“You two can’t be serious? She’s just some two timing mare. You aren’t seriously that attached to her after just one day are you?” I asked but the statement didn’t change their minds. I let out a rather irritated sigh, “Fine! Let’s go save John’s ‘Damsel in distress.” I scowled.

Author's Notes:

Ooh she did it on purpose... I just know she did.