Daring’s perspective:

I yawned as I stretched out but suddenly fell off the side of the couch… ‘Wait… why was I on the couch?’ I quietly thought to myself. I quickly recalled last night and groaned to myself. Hopefully John didn’t take this the wrong way… wait where is he anyway?

I looked around the immediate area only to find that he wasn’t here. I heard a soothing chorus of lyrics come from the washroom as I heard the sink turn on.

It sounded like John but he had a very depressing and sad tone to his voice. He hummed a sad tune to himself then continued.

He paused for another moment as he continued to hum to himself then soon continued.

He stopped again as he began to hum tunes to his song. I wondered what it was. I never really listened to music that much but this didn’t sound like anything I had ever heard before.

His rhyming wasn’t the greatest but the melody and the way he sang the song was just beautiful. Suddenly he stopped and opened the door, only to be startled by my presence.

“GAH! Daring! Uhm… what are you doing here?” he stammered as he concealed himself back behind the door, obviously shy about his indecency… or maybe it was his vocal abilities.

“John… that was beautiful. What song is that?” I asked him but he didn’t answer. “It’s okay John. I won’t think it’s silly.” I assured him and he nodded.

“My m… my mentor used to sing me that song… before I went to sleep.” He told me. Though I hadn’t known him that long I knew that he had a mentor that he didn’t really talk about. Now whether that’s because it brings up bad memories or something else, I wouldn’t pry into it. I had my own emotional memories, some more tragic than others.

“It’s beautiful.” I whispered to him and he nodded then scratched the back of his head.

“So last night…” he trailed off and I face hoofed.

“Yeah about that… I uhm… I kind of woke up last night sweating pretty badly and you were snoring. I tried to stop you so that I could get back to sleep but ended up passing out. As I was falling asleep, in my sub-conscious, I thought you were a blanket.” I explained and he nodded.

“Well uhm… yeah I was just kind of confused this morning when I woke up with you lying on my arm. Anyway uhm…” he trailed off then stepped out of the washroom, having nothing on but a towel around his waist, allowing me free passageway into the washroom.

“Thank you John… for understanding.” I told him and he nodded. I entered the washroom and closed the door behind me, not bothering to lock it. I still can’t believe I actually passed out on John last night. Oh well at least he understood and didn’t take it the wrong way.

I leaned my face over to my shoulder and took a quick whiff of myself then gagged in disgust. I stank terribly. Usually I didn’t mind the foul smell of body odour due to my rather long adventures but the stink had set deeply into my fur this time. ‘John’s own stink probably latched onto my fur… it’s all his fault.’ I mused to myself with a chuckle then ran the bathtub full with steamy water.

I slipped off the night wear which I had slept in and tossed it aside before slipping into the bathtub. I let out a sigh of relief as I felt the water seep through my fur and wash me clean.

I washed for the better part of a half hour before the water started to get cold then quickly got out and dried myself off. I looked over to see that John had folded all our laundry. ‘Such a gentlecolt.’ I thought to myself as I searched through for my adventuring clothes.

After slipping on my shirt and pants I stepped out of the washroom, still drying my mane with a towel. As I entered the room I found that John was still indecent and he gasped.

“I uhm… can you pass me my clothes? I left them in the washroom.” He stammered. I nodded then quickly grabbed some of his clothes and tossed them to him. “Thanks…” he trailed off but didn’t start putting clothes on.

“Well? Are you going to get dressed or not? We can’t go around town with you wearing nothing but a towel around your waist.” I told him and he motioned for me to look away. I almost face hoofed from my own stupidity. I should have already turned around but instead I had stayed watching him like an idiot. Even I didn’t like ponies near me when I change.

After a moment or two John called over to me. “Okay… I’m decent.” He called out and I came back out of the washroom. He had slipped on his brown trousers, white t-shirt, and matching brown duster coat.

He quickly grabbed our saddle bags and equipment, holstering his guns and heaving my equipment over his shoulder. ‘Definitely a gentlecolt.’ I thought to myself as we left the hotel room.

As we began to leave I heard John’s stomach grumble then mine grumbled back. I looked to John who licked his lips. “I think… we should get something to eat first.” he told me then quickly trotted over to the bartender’s counter.

Though it was a saloon it still served food due to the lack of a restaurant or any sort of food service building in the town. We both ordered a hay sandwich with an apple for the road. I looked over to John.

“We’re stopping at the general store before we leave. I don’t plan on starving out there.” I told him and he nodded in agreement before wiping his lips and paying the tab, along with a two bit tip.

We finally left the saloon and John saddled up our horses then looked over to me. “We need to stop by Sheriff err Marshal Ray’s office. Says he knows where we can find Black Mane.” He told me and I nodded.

We didn’t mount up our horses and simply untied them then led them down the street with their halters. It was still early morning yet most of the townsfolk were out and about already.

We reached the end of the main road strip then tied up our horses before proceeding through the front door of the marshal’s building.

The door swung open and John entered first. Inside sat Marshal Ray and his three deputies: Carnation, Rose and Dandelion, sitting in chairs by the front desk. In the back cell sat a lone earth stallion with beige fur and a blond mane. His eyes were blue with an icy look to them.

“Howdy Marshal.” John greeted and Ray simply tipped his hat. The three deputies also tipped their hats respectively and John returned the gesture with his own black Stetson hat. It had a slight incline on both sides but the front was brimmed perfectly.

As I entered Ray gave me a bright smile. “So Daring, back in town?” he asked and I nodded. “I guess you’ve come to know Ranger here quite well huh?” he asked and I nodded again but then quickly shook my head. He gave me a strange look.

“Well I mean yes, I know him, but I don’t call him Ranger. I’ve called him John and he seems to like that name. Right John?” I asked and every-ponies’ attention turned to him. He simply shrugged then nodded.

“Well Marshal, it’s been fun and all but we really must be…” John was cut off by a few gunshots that rang just outside the front door. John, Ray and the three deputies immediately drew their revolvers and rushed outside to see a red stallion unicorn on the back of a black horse.

“What’s the meaning of this?!” Ray asked in an irritated voice but the unicorn simply laughed then pointed his revolver towards Ray whose eyes went wide. Like a flash of lightning, John snapped his aim to the unicorn then fired a lone round which blew off the unicorn’s horn. His magic quickly faded from around his revolver which then quickly fell to the ground.

The stallion cried out in pain. “Arg you bucker… you’re gonna get it now! When James Jonas finds out what you’ve done… You’re all gonna die. THIS TOWN’S GONNA BURN!” Screamed the stallion as he quickly spurred his horse which in turn neighed then galloped off.

John turned to Ray as he holstered his revolver. “Who was that and who is James Jonas?” he asked and Ray simply sighed then motioned us to all come inside, which we did.

He offered us a seat and we quickly sat down. “John… Daring. That there was one of the Jonas gang. They are the cattle rustlers that been causing so much trouble round here lately. Now when John and I taught them a lesson last night they weren’t too pleased. Sent an angry letter saying that they’d be sending some-pony in the morning to collect ‘Taxes’… I guess that was the stallion. Now we’re really in for it.” Ray muttered and John raised a curious eyebrow.

“Why not just arrest him?” John asked then the stallion from the jail cell, whom had kept quiet this entire time, piped up.

“Because he can’t. Doesn’t have enough men to stop the Jonas gang. No Marshal in this region would dare take on the Jonas gang… not without heavy backup and some serious firepower.” The stallion chuckled.

Dandelion, one of the deputies, chipped in. “Yeah Ray. Even if we did stand up to them. We’d be heavily outnumbered.” He told the marshal who nodded.

“I’m not gonna let those guys come through our town… without a fight.” He told us then looked to the stallion in the jail cell. “Whatta yah say?” Ray asked and the stallion stood up then trotted over to the iron bars and gave them a tug.

He pondered the question as he moved his tongue around inside his mouth with loud slurps. “One condition. After this is all over you let me go. A free stallion.” He bargained. Ray shook his head and the stallion simply chuckled. “Fine, be that way. You need me but I don’t need you. I’ll just break out as soon as they kill all yah.” He laughed.

John leaned over to Ray. “Who’s that?” he asked and Ray scoffed.

“Billy the Foal. Notorious wagon robber. Never killed no-pony in his life but is one mean son-of-a-bitch.” He informed him and Billy laughed hysterically.

“Yeah well you tell yourself that marshal. I’ve killed dozens of ponies in my day and I’m still a youth of seventeen.” He laughed. I could tell that John was less impressed than Ray was.

Ray let out a defeated sigh then trotted over to the jail cell. “Swear on your life that you will help us until the job’s done?” he asked and Billy nodded reluctantly. Ray pulled Billy’s hoof forwards then placed a silver deputy badge in his hoof palm.

“Consider yourself deputized. Just don’t try nothing stupid or I’ll put yah down myself.” He told the stallion before unlocking the cell door. Billy trotted out with great pride and a sense of honour about himself which made me have a large dislike for him already.

Rose called out to Ray. “Okay Ray, so we got Billy on our side and probably John and Daring as well… but still. How we supposed to go up against all that firepower with just a couple a revolvers and shotguns?” he asked.

Ray smirked, “I think I have an idea.”

Author's Notes:

Hmm Billy the Foal... sounds like a notorious gunslinger that I heard about as a kid. As for the song I sort of just threw it together myself so you probably won't find that song on Youtube for a reference to what it sounded like. I guess if you wanted to know the lyrical tune it would probably go along with 'Stairway to Heaven' by Led Zepplin but other then that I just threw some rhyming words together that made saddening sense. Not a poet so there's probably a few things wrong with his sad and depressing song