He gave a slight grunt. “It’s… so tight. Is it supposed to be this tight?” he asked through another discomforted grunt. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

“Of course it’s supposed to be tight. It’s never been used before. Now just put it in already.” I ordered him and he wiggled around a bit.

“Well if it’s never been used before then maybe it should stay that way. I don’t like this very much.” He complained and I let out an irritated groan.

"It's not gonna fit. It's too tight."

"Of course it'll fit. It's meant to go in there. Now just give it a little shove."

"Well maybe mine isn't meant to go in there. Maybe some-pony else's was meant to be in there."

“Haven’t you ever done this before?”

“No! I never needed to. I lived alone in the woods. Why would I ever want to do something like this?” he asked and I rolled my eyes.

“Stop squirming and it’ll be done faster.” I told him as I tried to keep him from squirming so much.

“How’d you get me into this? I never agreed to this.” He told me then pulled off the rather tight fitting t-shirt he was trying to put on and threw it to the ground. I rolled my eyes.

“John, you need to look somewhat decent. It’s hard for me to stand near you unless you’re somewhat decent.” I told him and tried to get him to put the t-shirt back on. Maybe we should have checked to see if the shirt fit him back at the general store but John was rather uncomfortable without clothes on and quickly bought the shirt then hurried back to the hotel room where he now was trying in vain to get the shirt on.

“Well then maybe you shouldn’t have thrown my other shirt into the tub with water… and besides you didn’t seem to have a hard time ogling me when I first stepped out of the washroom.” He told me. I blushed heavily, I hadn’t meant to look at him but he was rather breathtaking when he first stepped out.

“I…uhm… you… the uhm…” I stammered as I tried to think up an excuse but ended up getting flustered and blushing even more. “Never mind about that! Now just get this shirt on!” I told him as I lept to my hindlegs and tried to force the shirt over his head.

He squirmed and deterred about as I tried to slip the shirt on. It was a size or two smaller than he was but would fit. It would just look silly is all. He grunted as he lost his balance and fell backwards, me following close behind.

I landed on him resulting in an ‘Oomph’ from John. We had made a pretty loud ‘Thump’ as we hit the ground and John groaned in discomfort as I continued to try and fit his shirt on. The dress pants had fit fine on him and only cost six bits.

The door suddenly opened and the bartender came through the door. “Are you too… ohh… I’m sorry for interrupting. I heard a loud thump and thought someone was hurt… I’ll just leave you two in privacy.” He stammered. I quickly realized how much of an awkward position we were both in.

I turned to tell the bartender that it wasn’t what he thought but he was already gone, closing the door behind him as he left. John let out a sigh as the shirt finally fit on him, though it ripped a bit at the neck, creating more of a V-neck shirt then a regular t-shirt.

“One of these days Ms. Do… I’m gonna get you back for this.” He said as he stood up and holstered his revolver belt around his hip. I simply rolled my eyes. He began to walk towards the doorway.

“And just where are you going?” I asked him and he shrugged.

“Well… my clothes are washed and drying… I have fresh clothes… tattered clothes on. I figure I best see the town.” He commented then stepped out. I rolled my eyes as I flopped back on the bed and sighed. He was sooo… ‘Ugh’ I let out a rather disgruntled sigh. John was impossible.

John’s perspective:

I trotted along the dusty road of Dodge Junction. A single Tumbleweed blew across the ground nearby and bounced along gracefully. It was about five o’clock now and the sun was starting to set.

I decided to maybe see the sheriff’s office and see if he could inform me off Black Mane’s whereabouts. I casually strolled over to the sheriff’s office and opened the door. Inside were two jail cells. One had a stallion in it and the other had two deputies passed out. One slept on the wall cot while the other rested in a pile of hay which was probably meant as a washroom for the inmates seeing as how there wasn’t a toilet.

I looked over to the front desk where a finely kept stallion sat puffing on a rolled cigar. I went to tip my hat but remembered that was one of the items that Daring had tossed into the wash.

The stallion looked up to me. “Well howdy Ranger. You look… different, then when you first rode into town.” The stallion commented.

“Thank you sheriff. You’re looking fine today.” I commented, figuring that this was probably the sheriff. He chuckled to himself as he pulled out a bottle of yellow whiskey, pouring two glasses.

“It’s marshal. Marshal Ray, if that’s your taste. Drink?” he offered but I politely declined.

“Thank you but no thank you. I don’t drink.” I declined and he nodded then downed both shot glasses.

“Well Mr. Ranger… might I ask why you enlighten me with your presence?” he asked and I shrugged.

“Well… I was wondering if you could help me with a little problem I have. Specifically a problem with a Mr. Black Mane.” I told him. He raised an eyebrow and took another puff on his cigar. He lowered his raised eyebrow then chuckled.

“Ha… okay. Let me guess. You want to take the bounty on his head, right? Well Mr. Ranger I have heard the stories of you and I wish you the best of luck.” He told me. I nodded.

“Well… actually I was wondering if you could help me find him. I know that he’s around here somewhere. Not in this town but somewhere in this county.” I informed him. He let out an even louder chuckle.

“Well… I hate to say this but I can’t help you. Not with everything that’s been going on.” He replied and I raised an eyebrow. “Well, let me enlighten you so that you needn’t ask. You did a fine job with those bandits this afternoon but that was the least of my worries. Got some no-good cattle rustlers been killing live stock at a local farm recently. Sent one of my deputies to check it out but he hasn’t come back ye…” was all he managed before the building’s door was booted open and a bloodied deputy rushed in.

“Marshal!… ah tried tah stop em… ah really did… but were to many a em” the deputy gasped. The marshal immediately lept up to tend to the wounded deputy who had been shot three times from what I could see.

“Now just take it easy boy. What happened?” Marshal asked. The deputy gulped painfully.

“Ah was on patrol when… when the rustlers showed up. Ol’ Mr. Cream wouldn’t have non a their shenanigans so he whipped out his old rifle and blasted one a the rustlers and that’s… that’s when it all went bad. The rustlers open fired on the family. Killed Mr. Cream an his wife along with both his sons but they kept the three daughters… they doin awful things tah them marshal… ah tried tah stop em but they just laughed an shot me up. Sent me back tah town as an ‘Example’ tah what they’d do tah any-pony who tried tah stop em” the deputy informed the marshal.

Ray looked to the two deputies in the jail cell that were still napping and whistled loudly. They both immediately sprang up and rushed over, gawking at the bloodied deputy.

“Rose, Carnation, get Dandelion to the clinic. NOW!” He ordered and the two deputies immediately picked up the wounded deputy and rushed him out the door. I watched as the two deputies rushed the other down the street then looked to Ray who sat back down.

“What are we gonna do?” I asked Ray who simply shrugged.

“We can’t do a whole lot. Those rustlers have killed five of my deputies in the last month. No-pony will join the department now so we’re a little short hoofed.” He told me. I unholstered the Colt single action army from my right hip holster and spun the chamber.

“Tell you what marshal… you an me, right now. We go over there and take out those rustlers for good then you help me with Mane.” I suggested. Marshal simply chuckled to himself.

“Ranger… you realize that there’s probably at least twenty of them… right? And only two of us?” he asked and I nodded. He shrugged then unholstered his own Schofield model 3 revolver and checked the load. “Well alright… I’ll meet you by the front of the saloon.” He told me and I nodded.

I quickly left the building and rushed down the street. After untying Marry I mounted up then waited for Marshal Ray to gallop up beside me on his horse. He had a nice old Spencer lever action rifle in his hooves.

“Come on, this way. I know a quick way to get there.” He told me and spurred his horse. I spurred Marry, though rather lightly, and followed up beside him. He looked over to me as we galloped along. “So… what are your intentions with Ms. Do?” he asked and I shrugged.

“Well… I tried to send her home after she was almost killed by Black Mane but she refused and decided to tag along with me while I went after Black Mane.” I informed him.

“Well you did a good damn job of bringing her home. She grew up in Dodge I’ll have you know. Good mare. You better not try anything with her.” he told me sternly.

“Try any… No Mr. Marshal. Trust me when I say between me and her it’s strictly business.” I replied with a chuckle but his serious face didn’t deter.

“It better be or so help me goddess… I watched over her like a father and have seen lots of stallions break her heart. She’s very vulnerable in her own way. I never had children but if I did I’d want them to be like her. If you ever hurt her then I swear I’ll kill you myself.” He threatened.

“Well then I have nothing to fear.” I replied bluntly. Sure Daring was an alright mare but I just didn’t see her that way. She was cute but my thoughts about mares didn’t go beyond… well actually she’s the first mare I’ve associated with since… a long time. So least to say my thoughts about mares were pretty bleak if any.

We continued to gallop along on our horses until we reached a hill peak that overlooked a small dairy farm. We dismounted our horses and Ray took out a pair of binoculars then quickly gave the underlying area a once over.

“Alright… we’ll head in from the right, use the barn as cover then take those sick bucks by surprise.” He told me, formulating the plan. We both crouched down then descended down the hill, staying in the tall grass to keep out of sight.

The sun had finally started to set past the horizon and only speckles of orange light illuminated the area. My heart rate began to rise as I pulled out one of my revolvers, crouching along on three hooves as I held the Colt revolver in my right hoof. Marshal followed a similar fashion, with his Spencer rifle slung across his back.

We approached the barn then snuck around back without being noticed. I saw three stallions on guard standing on the second floor balcony of the house. I quickly trotted over to the other side of the barn while Ray unslung his rifle and got it ready. I pressed my body up against the barn wall as I neared the corner then looked back to Ray. He nodded and I turned back around just as a cattle rustler rounded the corner of the barn.

He hadn’t noticed me and was probably just going to take a leak. His eyes went wide as I stuffed the barrel of my revolver against the center of his chest and pulled the trigger.

His blood splattered against my chest and fouled my new clothes. ‘Sorry Daring, things happen.’ I thought to myself just as all hell seemed to break loose. I spun out from the corner and quickly acquired three targets, all of which were rushing over to their fallen comrade with rifles drawn.

I extended my foreleg to its full extension and fired the revolver with one hoof, quickly cocking back the hammer each time in a blur of motion as I fired the single action revolver just as fast as one could fire a double action.

All three stallions just fell like sacks of potatoes as my bullets found their marks. From the roof, a stallion saw me and fired a round at me with what looked to be a muzzle loader, judging by the muzzle flash that erupted from the gun. I ducked back behind the barn just as Ray fired his rifle.

There was a small pause between each one of his shots as he had to manually cock back the hammer to half-cock position, action the lever then cock the hammer the rest of the ways back. Spencer rifles were nice guns and all but the way to action the rifle was just a pain.

Soon enough he had fired all seven shots from his rifle then ducked back behind cover. I drew out my second revolver in my left hoof as I stood to my hindlegs. I cocked back the hammer on both revolvers then spun off the wall. Five stallions were rushing me.

I fired the revolvers in synchronization, one after the other, so that I could get a volume of fire. After two shots, the revolver in my right hoof ran dry and I fired the remaining rounds with my left revolver into the group.

I ducked back behind the wall and holstered the left revolver as I began to reload the right revolver in a flash of motion. After fully reloading it I proceeded to reload the second revolver and kept it handy rather than go wielding both again. I looked to Ray who nodded then we both broke from cover and assaulted the house.

A few stallions took cover on the walkway around the house, hiding behind wooden posts or the flimsy wooden railing. One of the stallions on the top floor fired at me with his muzzle loader again but before I could get a shot on him, Ray fired his Schofield twice.

The stallion let out a scream as he fell of the balcony and landed on the hard ground below. A stallion burst from behind cover and fired his lever action rifle from a battle saddle. I quickly popped off two rounds. The first round slamming him in the shoulder and made him spin, the second slammed his head and dropped him instantly.

More stallions rushed out and I fired my entire revolver’s cylinder then drew the second, firing all but one shot. The cattle rustlers outside were all dead. Lucky that there wasn’t more or I might’ve ran out of ammo. I quickly reloaded both guns then proceeded to the front door.

I looked to Ray who readied his Schofield. I went to open the door but it felt as if something heavy had been placed behind it. Ray chanced a quick glance inside from a nearby window then cursed to himself.

“They’ve put a bunch of bookshelves and stuff in front of the door. We’ll never get in this way.” He told me. I cursed. I didn’t want to risk jumping through a window due to the glass and on top of that I’d be exposed for a few moments while I tried to situate myself.

“Does this place have like a basement entrance or something?” I asked and he nodded. We quickly raced around back and found the cellar doors. I quickly opened them and we proceeded through the basement.

It was rather dark and musty, having a rather foul odour to it. The basement was small with only a small square room, with a single brick pillar in the middle supporting the floor upstairs. We went to proceed to the stairwell when suddenly three stallions rushed down the stairs.

Holding both revolvers up I fired a magnitude of rounds that slammed into them and knocked them off their hooves and clumped them on the ground. I should have been counting my rounds but if I figured correctly then I had three rounds left with my right and two with my left.

I edged towards the stairwell and glanced up it. No-pony was waiting at the top so I quickly crept up the stairwell, making sure to stop at the top as well. I peeked out into the hallway but still no-pony was present. I entered the narrow hallway and the hair on the back of my neck prickled up. I lept forwards through a doorway just as an ear-piercing KA-BOOM echoed in the house. A large chunk of wall was blasted away where I had just been standing by shotgun buckshot.

I saw Ray quickly enter the hallway and fire three consecutive shots with his own revolver, followed by the agonizing scream of a stallion. I got up and Ray smirked. “Got em.” He told me with a half assed smile. I spotted a stallion on the second floor walkway pointing a double barreled shotgun down at Ray.

“RAY GET DOWN!” I yelled as I quickly snapped up both revolvers and fired the remaining shots into the stallion who screamed then fell over the railing and down onto the floor below with a THUD. I held both revolvers at full extension as their barrels continued to wisp out smoke.

I looked to Ray as I brought the barrels up to my mouth then blew out the smoke. He chuckled as I then quickly reloaded the revolvers. I holstered my left revolver, fell down to three hooves then followed Ray up the stairs as we searched the house for the daughters which we both prayed to be alive.

In the last room we found two sisters that we tied up and had obviously been through heavy abuse. The third had unfortunately died from her injuries. We cut the two free then Ray looked to me with a faint smile as he lit a cigar. “Well… I guess that’s about as good as it’s gonna get huh? Listen, it’s late. Get back to the hotel and rest for the night. Come see me in the morning and we’ll discuss Black Mane.”

Author's Notes:

The beginning was awesome, totally cracked me up. And then to top it we got a kickass (Re-enacts fight scene) oh yeah. I love this story. I think I have a new favourite character. Not Daring Do, she's alright but John just is (Re-enacts fight scene again but with louder gunshots) oh yeah