My Little Wastelander

Rusty Fortune

The house was empty aside from one Rusty Fortune, who was currently curled up on Minuette's couch like a crying dog. He'd paid the mare's hospital bills, and now the fires burning in him had settled down, enough to let him doze off. He'd miraculously managed to sleep into the next day it seemed, he tilted his head to look at one of the many clocks covering the walls. Ten AM. His lazy eyes studied the room, nothing was interested about it... Aside from a calender hung on the wall.

His deflated ears perked up and he unsteadily got to his feet to check the calender. Finally! He'd put off figuring out where he was, relative to time, for too long. X's marked the planning boxes up to the fifteenth of March, which was probably yesterday. March 16th. The four-digit number in the top-right implied the year was 4001.

"Wow, just couldn't resist giving me a odd number could you?" Rust deadpanned.

The sound of a bell announced the arrival of somepony at the door, Rust reluctantly tore his eyes from the calender and stumbled over to the door. He pulled it open to find a pale yellow earth pony. She had green eyes and a dark red mane with a light raspberry streak to the side. She let out a shrill noise of surprise when she saw the stallion.

"Sorry, I must have the wrong house." She said, retreating.

"If you're looking for Minuette you're in the right place." Rust replied. Slipping his shades back on. Deal with it.

"Oh, good." The mare said, letting herself in. "Where is she?"

"Erm... Hospital."

She looked at him quizzically in reply.

"Minuette got caught in that Pinkie Pie stampede." Rust continued. "She's in the hospital."

The mare's jaw dropped and she was silent for several moments. Rust began to wonder if he should close it for her when she spoke again.

"Oh no, what kind of friend am I when I don't notice this stuff?!" She pleaded, looking at her hooves.

"She's alright, just a broken leg." He mentally facehoofed as soon as those words left his mouth, ponies here probably thought of broken legs as a big deal. "I managed to get her to the hospital quickly and pay her bill."

"Oh, well still I should've known."

Rust shrugged. "It just happened late yesterday, you can't know everything that happens to your friends immediately."

"Good point, I guess." She mumbled. "Anyway i'm Roseluck, nice to know Minuette found a good stallion."

Rust's face turned red before he cracked up. Attracting a glare from Roseluck, whose face soon turned red as well.

"Ah... It's not like that." She mumbled.

"No, not quite." The stallion continued to chuckle. "When I arrived here the other day she took me in as a roommate kind of, anyway i'm Rusty."

"Nice to meet you, welcome to Ponyville then."

Several awkward moments passed between the two, looking the ground, the walls, sometimes at each other. Eventually Rust realized she had nothing better to do and was counting on him to say more.

"So hey, i'm not too familiar with this place, would you mind showing me around?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

She stared at him with wide eyes as a smile spread over here face. "I would love to!" She practically squealed. "First I can show you to Rarity's!" Rust smiled and grabbing his Stetson, the two began their journey.

As they began walking the streets Rust quickly regretted the decision to set hoof outside, it wasn't paranoia, ponies were actually giving him looks. Most of which were confusion, the others being fear, coming from those Rust recognized were nearby when he lost it in the Pinkie Stampede.

"I think it's because they've seen you around before you getting your Pinkie Party." A voice came to the side of him.

"What do you mean?"

"Well..." Roseluck started. "When a new pony arrives in town they're usually acquainted with everypony else by Pinkie throwing a welcoming party, all of us attend, usually, so all of us get to know the newcomer."

"Wow." Rust deadpanned. "Pretty tight little society then."

"Meh, kinda. So why hasn't Pinkie thrown you a party?"

At that moment, a certain pink mare impossibly popped up from behind Roseluck.

"Hi!" She yelled. "Did someone mention Pinkie and party in the same sentence multiple times?"

"Yes, actually." Rust said, trying to work out where she came from. He'd noticed Pinkie's smile falter at his voice, even as she tried to hide it.

"Hi Pinkie!" Roseluck started. "I was just explaining to Rust how ponies are usually introduced to Ponyville, i'm surprised you haven't thrown him a party."

Pinkie looked at Rust with one of those "What do I say to that?" faces, so the stallion spoke up and filled in for her.

"She's throwing Minuette a party after she gets out of the hospital, I told her not to worry about throwing me a party and just do hers."

"Hah, that wasn't too smart on your part." Roseluck replied, referring to the stares of random ponies walking about.

Rust gave her a deadpan look and she continued. "Well Pinkie, we were going to visit Rarity, so we got to head off."

"Okie-Dokie-Loki!" She exclaimed, and as fast as she had appeared, she was gone.

Rust looked around, double checking for any sign of Pinkie and then looked back to Roseluck. Then checked a third time before speaking.

"Should I even ask how she does that?"

"Nope."

The next quarter hour would see that they reached their destination. Rose, as Rust had taken to calling her, trotted leisurely up to the door and pushed it open.

"Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique and magnifique!" A certain marshmallow unicorn exclaimed, not yet bothered to look at who entered.

"Hello Rarity, I brought you a new pony."

"Roseluck! Dear who could that-" Rarity stopped as she faced the two. "Why Rust, hello." She continued smiling.

Either you're somehow happy to see me, or you're just really good at hiding your disappointment. The latter, probably.

"Hello Rarity. It seems like most ponies in this town will figure out my name before I get theirs."

The mare laughed. "I'm afraid so, you've been the subject of many conversations in town, with the lack of anything interesting really happening here."

"Really?" Rust asked, tilting his head. "How often does something interesting like what i've been doing happen here?"

Rarity's face drooped slightly. "Almost every week, most of it happens to do with the girls and I. It's refreshing to hear about something I haven't been there to see."

The room went silent, the fashion designer gave Rust a funny funny look and approached him. She began to circle him while seemingly study his every feature. Oblivious to the uncomfortable stare she received from the stallion.

"Don't worry," Rose whispered. "She's doing her 'fashion diagnostic'."

He almost failed to keep himself from making a rude inquiry of what the hell that was.

"I know what you need. Why, with those shades you need a hat more... Sophisticated." She tutted.

"What do you have in mind?" Rust said cautiously. What was wrong with his stetson and shades combo? It was legendary in the wastes. Surely it had to mean something here.

Rarity walked to the hat racks on the other side of the room, it was as if there wasn't even a wall, just hats, mostly jaw-dropping in size, keeping it from being seen. Rarity looked through the hordes of head wear until her eyes eventually rested on one suave black hat, not overwhelming in size. As she pulled it from the others Rust could see what she held in her aurora.

It was a fedora, or just a gambler's hat, as it came to be known by many ponies, never bothering to learn the actual name. Rust had seen fedoras before, but covered with dirt and grime, worn to the brink of recognition. He looked it over, eyes full of want. Before if somepony had asked him if he'd ever consider wearing a different hat he was sure he'd laugh and walk away, but now he doubted that theory.

"Dear, I know I did a good job," Rarity said smugly. "But it's not just for eye candy, try it on."

He obeyed and took the hat in his own magic, jet black with a red ribbon, to match his mane. He took his stetson and laid it on the ground, donning the fedora in it's place.

"Why yes, it looks quite marvelous!" Rust agreed with a nod of his head.

"I'd be glad to take this off your hands..." He began. "If I had the bits to pay you."

"Nonsense." The mare chuckled. "Why don't you take it as a gift?"

Rust gave her a cautious look before she continued. "On one condition, we simply must get together for a chat sometime."

He shrugged and laughed a bit. "I'd be honored." Even as something did seem a bit off about the request. He was no stranger to traps, and the more he thought of it, the more it seemed like one. A hat that just happened to matched the color of his mane? Not to mention how out of place the hat was among the racks of its behemoth neighbors.

No matter, he'd play along either way.

For the next few minutes small talk was made, Rose made the announcement that they were leaving and the two had done just that. Rarity had even offered to repair Rust's stetson after realizing it's sentimental value. Knowing how worn down it was, he accepted the offer.

"What next?" Rust asked Rose, trying to sound as eager as possible.

The mare put her hoof to her chin and pondered, then a light bulb seemed to appear over her head. "What about the library?" She said hopefully.

Rust however, indeed remembered who owned the library. "I'll have to pass." He said, shaking his head.

Rarity popped her head out of the Boutique. "Why Rust, I almost forgot, Applejack wanted to see you, she'll probably be at the market around this time of the day, ta-ta."

Rust grinned at Rose. "Hey, there's a plan."

She shook her head. "My 'friendship' with Applejack has seen better days, to say the least, i'll show you there but i'm not coming with."

He nodded and gestured for Rose to lead on as they got out of sight from the Boutique, Rust took the hat off and examined it in his magic aurora scouring every thread of the hat for spell coding, they walked for what seemed for a minute or two, being lost in focus on the hat. He was sure he found something when he tripped over a convenient basket of apples. Unicorns had one very special weakness, if a unicorn is channeling magic, and somepony else takes hold of that unicorn's horn the flow of magic will stop. If something hits it whoever, it causes extreme pain and nausea. It was almost like being hit in the stallionhood. His horn hit the ground before he could stop channeling, he hit his snout pretty hard, but he was more concerned about the horn.

He yelped in surprise and pain, slamming his eyes shut, every curse he knew wanted to flow free as he grabbed his horn in agony. The nausea came quick, he hadn't ate since yesterday, but given the circumstances he was sure his body would find something to throw up. He opened his eyes and groaned as nothing in the world seemed right.

"You okay sugarcube?" Rust looked up, Applejack was leaning over her stand looking down at him.

"I'll be fine, just need a moment." He grumbled, rubbing his horn.

He eventually (after much suffering) got up and looked about, he was back in the market area of town, he began to burn up as he realized he was the focus of everypony in the area.

He cleared his throat. "Nothing to see here," He said, waving his hoof. "Move along."

They kept staring at him. Damn it! Go away!

Applejack eventually stepped out from behind her stand and approached the crowd. "Now ya'll don't want to go makin' Mr. Fortune here uncomfortable, after just arrivin', go on, get back to what ya'll are doing!"

The ponies dispersed, by the goddesses, Applejack's voice must be magic. Rust looked at her and nodded gratefully.

"Hi there Rusty, your day doesn't seem to be going well." She said, picking up his hat and dusting it off. "What happened t' the other one you had?"

"Rarity, said I need a hat more 'sophisticated' to go with my shades, i'm just glad she didn't give me one of those monstrously huge ones she had, anyway, she said you wanted to talk to me."

Applejack looked truly uncomfortable as he spoke. The mare looked down almost guiltily.

"Yeah, I do." She shuffled, looking unsure. "It's about your, uh... Behavior lately. I-... Well, Twilight..."

Rust only tilted his head in response.The mare was very uneasy, searching for words that would probably never come. It must've been something she'd need to choose just the right words or-

"Ah the hay with it. Rusty, Twilight's tryin' t' get you sent to one of them crazy ponies hospitals! She's drilling everypony that's seen ya for information!"

"Seriously?" Rust deadpanned. He thought for a moment, he'd been seen by many ponies in town, but interacted with few. His mind recalled Minuette, Rose, the disc jockey-looking mare, Nurse Redheart, the Elements of Harmony, and even the small dragon, Spike. How much info could Twilight get out of them, right?

Minuette was still hospitalized, she'd be vulnerable!

"Then I have a problem with her." He deadpanned. "Applejack, your friend is trying to get info that i'd rather leave in the past. If I told Twilight if I wanted her to leave it alone, what're the chances of her accepting that?"

Applejack frowned and shook her head. "Not'a chance, sorry Rusty, I can't help but be curious myself even."

Rust sighed, if he was back in the Canterlot Ruins, his request would be respected, and nopony would try to dig up his past. But then again, his past wasn't too different from everypony there. He needed a plan, he didn't think Minuette would just go and tell Twilight everything she'd learned about him, but with all the magic she had... She could probably just pry out the information if she wanted. Would Twilight, the Element of Magic, do that? He couldn't help but wonder, maybe the mare was just crazy enough. Suddenly he realized Rose was no longer following him.

"I hate to ask, but can you spring me a few bits and point me in the direction of the nearest flower vendor?"

"Uhh..." Applejack mumbled, giving him a funny look. "Sure, Roseluck sells them pretty cheap."

She slid two bits over the stand, Rust could have sworn she said something under her breath about Rose, but decided not to question it, and imagine that, a earth pony named Roseluck sells flowers, should've seen that coming.

"Thanks, I really appreciate this." He said, smiling.

"This is a one time thing Rusty." She said accusingly, but smiling back. "Rose's stand is on the other side of the market, not sure if she'll be there or not."

With a nod of his head, Rust turned and walked away, it was midday now, and ponies were lining up at market stalls to acquire goods or talk with the vendor and fellow patrons, by Celestia, the town was so peaceful, he felt at ease for once. Only interrupted by the occasional uneasy look from some random pony. But none of them spoke to him, and all of them looked away once he looked back at them. The crowd had thinned out a little by the time he reached the opposite side of the market, and a certain pale yellow earth pony became visible, trotting over to her stand she noticed Rust and gave him a innocent smile.

"I really wish you would've warned me when you decided to walk away." He deadpanned, still feeling sick from hitting his horn.

"Sorry it's just that... We were getting close to Applejack's stand and I wasn't thinking." Rose mumbled.

"Right, what's up with you and Applejack anyway?" She was kind to Rust hardly knowing him, how could she have fallen out like this with Rose?

"We disagreed on some very sensitive subjects, let's leave it at that." She said darkly, whatever happened was probably pretty personal. A few seconds passed and the mare managed to regain her happy atmosphere. "Anyway, wanna look around town some more?"

"No, sorry, I need to go to the hospital, Twilight's there, and I need flowers."

"For... Twi... Light?" Rose said slowly, giving him a funny look.

"No, i'm wanting to check on Minuette, Twilight will probably be trying to get information out of her and I need to seem inconspicuous, like I wasn't counting on her being there, as I gradually shoo her away."

**

Roseluck

"That's, uh... Okay, well what kind were you wanting?" Rose asked.

"Well..." Rust scratched his chin in thought. "If you give me something not seen as romantic, that'd do."

"You probably don't understand the difference of which flowers are casual and romantic huh?"

He chuckled, "Nope, not at all. Don't really have 'em where i'm from."

Rose tossed a couple ideas around in her head. On one hand, she could give Rust the kind of flowers he'd requested, and he wouldn't look too suspicious. On the other however; she could give Rust a rich red rose and perhaps get the ball rolling in the direction of romance? Rust seemed like a decent stallion, good build, Minuette would finally have a nice guy and that'd probably prevent any suspicion!.

Okay, the other hand it is.

"Well..." She started. "I have some roses. That should be just what you need. Here, take one. That'll be a bit."

Rust nodded and slid a single coin over the counter, Rose pulled a rose out of her deepest reds with her mouth and held it there by the stem for a moment as she spoke around it.

"Oh, and you should hold it like this." She said.

"Any reason why?" Rust replied, unsure.

"It'd be casual, instead of using magical energy to hold it." She smirked, setting the flower down.

Rust picked up the rose in his mouth, looking unconvinced, but he eventually shrugged, mumbled a thanks, and headed off in the direction of the hospital.

"It's that way Rusty." Roseluck said, pointing in the opposite direction.

What's the worst that could happen right? Sure Rust met Minuette just the other day, but she seemed like such a solitary mare aside from the few friends she had, never revealing anything about herself, hardly coming along on social events, and not a single date. Minuette wouldn't have taken in Rust if she didn't see something in him.

Or Rust was a extremely mysterious and potentially dangerous stallion that Minuette knew something about and wasn't revealing it to anypony else.

... Nah...