Chapters The streets of Canterlot were as one would expect. They were beautiful, well crafted, and busy. Every part of the street had a pair of feet on it. The residence went about their day and worked as if it was any other day. Nothing interesting seemed to be going on, well, at least by Canterlot standards. From anyone else looking at the display of behavior, it would look like a shining example of peace and prosperity. Even the poorest of Canterlot residency had money to lend to a traveling tourist who needed a few extra bits. So, one could well imagine the success of the city and that of its residence.
Adjacent to the Royal Canterlot Castle, stood the marvelous Equestrian Junction. Trains from all over the country were sent in and out of the station every day. Passengers ranging in great varieties to and from the station flowed from the junction. Whether it is for business or pleasure, the Equestrian Junction was run twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. A ceaseless dance of screeching halts or whistles blowing from the steaming mouths of the trains that only brought the best of the best.
Then there was Canterlot castle itself. A gleaming, white example of power and prestige. The tall ivory spires tickled the heavens with their points, and the flags they bared waved with the breeze in a gentle dance. Naturally, the castle itself was at first built as a fortress made for the specific purpose of defense, but over the centuries, it became a symbol of the royal family and its responsibility to shine as an example to all of Equestria as a flame of hope. Hope for a bright and certain present. Even more so, a brighter and more certain future. Just looking upon the structure gave one a sense of safety. Yes, it was one of the most magnificent things that human eyes could lay on.
However, inside Canterlot Castle, it was a different story. The inside was even more regal that the exterior, but something hung in the air that seemed to steal the glimmer and shine from the whole castle. If one was to enter that royal palace of white, it almost seemed to mirror the opposite of what was happening outside of it, at least in a particular portion of the structure. A stain glass window adorned with the image of a starry blue sky over the rising sun drew the gaze of one particular royal. Princess Celestia, the co-ruler of Equestria, gazed at this window for so long that one would think that it had hypnotized her. Contrary to popular belief, Princess Celestia would have preferred that that be the case. Instead of being entranced by the craftsmanship of this window, she looked upon it with a sense of grief and solemn sadness. For among those heavenly pieces above the sun was a newly fitted star. The princess looked to it and a lone tear left her eye. She took in a shaky breath and let it out slow as another tear trailed down her fair face.
As the sun goddess stood entranced by the small star, she felt a hand grace her shoulder. She didn't need to turn on the person to know who it was. "Sister." Princess Celestia said in a choke.
The princess of the moon put her arm around her taller sibling's shoulder and gave her a kiss to her cheek. "You miss him, don't you?" Luna asked in a sweet, motherly tone.
The princess of the sun just nodded her head as a response. A huge lump filled her throat preventing any form of vocal communication.
"He was a good man." Luna said. She looked up to the star that her sister was gazing upon. She read the small lettering that was on the small piece of glass.
Marshal Buffalo Scroll
"The three things I will always
love are: my wife, my job,
and mustard!"
A tiny chuckle escaped from Princess Luna. "He always had such a way with words." she said with a small smile on her face.
The corners of Princess Celestia's curled slightly. She always did enjoy the talks that she had with Marshal Buffalo Scroll. She let a small giggle slip out. "Do you remember what he always used to call us?"
Princess Luna rolled her eyes as she laughed. "He called us the Two Cougars." Both Celestia and Luna slowly lost their sense of grief and were joined in tandem laughter. "Remember when . . ." she had to take a breath. "Remember when we found out what he actually meant by that?!"
"O-Oh!" the sun goddess howled as she politely covered her mouth. "Our faces had to be as red as tomatoes that day!" Celestia recalled the event. Her faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, was present and had told them what the nickname had meant. It had been an embarrassing moment for the sisters, but as they look back on it, they couldn't help but smile as they remembered how the older gentleman was.
Although, calling Marshal Scroll an 'older gentleman' didn't really fit the criteria. He was actually a curmudgeony, old sob who had a bad temper, and often cracked dirty jokes. The princesses took note of this whenever they would see him, but then they also took note of how people would react to his jokes. Even the more 'proper' set of people understood that he was just some old fart of a man who was stuck in his ways. Of course, the Marshal had the common decency not to be too obscene in front of children. That earned him some points from a few people who took objection to his behavior. All in all though, the marshal was loved by everyone in town. Ponyville, now just climbing out of their mourning after his death, had never seen a better lawman. He was polite, at times, and he helped out with whatever he could around town. The Marshal was also great with the young ones. Making appearances at the school, and giving advice and direction to those who needed it. These were only the little things he did in the grander scheme of things. On top of that, he wasn't afraid of anybody, or anything. He stood his ground in more than a few scraps with a couple outlaws and took more than his fair share of lead. No matter the task, it was never too great for Buffalo Scroll.
Even after all he had been through, the thing that killed him was the thing that made him such a good man, his heart. During one of his usual rounds, he had suffered a fatal heart attack. It all happened in the early part of the morning when the sun was just starting to creep up. No one was awake at the time. When someone finally found him, he had already been dead for an hour. How awful it must have been for that person to find him especially because that particular person was a child.
Both princesses knew him well, and even though he wasn’t their only law officer, he was a great friend. The older sister sighed deeply. "I think it's time we left." she said somberly.
Princess Luna gave her sister a tight hug and led her out of the corridor. Further down the hall, a pair of guards that had been stationed there to leave the princess time to grieve, now took up their positions at the princess' flanks. Their gold colored sack coats and hats gleaming in the rays of the sun that came through the windows. Their neatly polished and silvery trapdoor rifles also gave off their own blinding glow as they were carried at the position of shoulder arms.
Luna spoke out. Keeping her voice at an understanding tone she said, “I know it may be early sister, but considering the circumstances, I think my question may stand. Have you given any thought as to who will precede our departed friend?"
The sun goddess shook her head. "No, I haven't." she said. "Though, even if I wasn't grieving for the loss of one our dear friends, I don't think I can even supply Ponyville with a proper Marshal."
"How can this be, sister?" Luna asked. "We've never run out of Marshals."
"Every available Marshal that we had was deployed to Germaneigh to clean up the mess that the crime syndicates have made out there.” Princess Celestia explained.
"Couldn't we just send a Ranger there?" Princess Luna reasoned. "They do the same type of work as a Marshal, though they are a little more violent."
The older sister shook her head. "Sending any Ranger to a place like Ponyville would be a mistake."
"Why?" Princess Luna questioned.
"Well, first off, the Rangers are not properly trained to be lawmen. They exist to do the job and leave. So, they are not the occupying type. Secondly, they have very little understanding of the law. They only know enough to keep them out of trouble, but nowhere near close enough to even pass a beginner course as a Marshal. Lastly, it's because of that point you brought up. They are much too violent. Get them just a little bit angry, and they go off like a stick of dynamite. No, a Ranger is much too extreme for such a job. Their training is geared toward taking on nothing less than anything ranging from organized thugs to mountain trolls. Not the duties of an officer of the law."
"Hmm." Luna grunted. "So, we need someone who is both well educated in the law, but still has the grit to stand up to those who would threaten the safety of the citizens."
"Not only that." Celestia added. "But they would also need to be able to participate in the community. One that is well-rounded in both high and lay society."
The floor seemed to become very interesting to the lunar princess. "It seems that we are asking for a lot." Her words spoke true. No one seemed to have these qualities on hand at this time without the necessary training. She turned her head up to her sister. "Are you sure that we have no Marshals available?"
Princess Celestia nodded. "The next cycle of Marshal training isn't to be out for another month, and Ponyville has already been out of a proper police force for two weeks."
"So, it seems we also need someone who can be here on a whim."
"Um . . ." a noise shot from their flank.
The two sisters looked to one of the soldiers at their side. "Is everything alright, Private?" Princess Celestia's voice was soothing and motherly.
"Yes, Private?" Princess Luna's tone was much sterner. "Is everything alright?" She had no love for undisciplined troops.
"I-It's nothing, Your Majesties." the guard's tone was rather quick.
"If you have something to say that might help, we would be more than glad to hear it." Celestia asked.
"No, Your Majesty." the guard said in a hurried tone. "I have nothing to say on the matter." The guard started to sweat under his sack coat. He kept his gaze straight as he marched out of step with his partner.
The two princesses gave each other a look. It was one that they gave each other when something such as this came up. "So," Princess Celestia said. "Private . . . um" the guard's name slipped her mind.
"Private Crimson Blaze, Your Majesty." the guard said coolly.
"Yes." she said embarrassingly. "Private Blaze. Do you enjoy this job?"
"Yes, I do." he replied.
"Do you have a court mate?" Princess Luna asked.
"A what?"
"A girlfriend." Princess Celestia clarified.
"Uh, yes." the private said. "I do."
"Is she pretty?" Luna asked.
"Ye -" he answered too slow.
"Is she as tall as you?" Celestia asked quickly.
"Well, she's-" the guard tried to answer the new inquiry.
"How long have you two been courting?" Luna asked with lightning.
"About a yea-" he was trying to keep up with the questions, but the royals kept spitting them out like a Gatling gun.
"Are you thinking of marriage any time soon?" Celestia shot.
"Well, I was planning-"
"What's the man's name?" Luna asked.
"His name is Cross!" he answered in a hurry. But when he finished his sentence, he covered his mouth and silently cursed behind his hand.
The two sisters looked at each other in triumph. They had learned this trick from their father all those years ago and it was an effective interrogation technique.
The party stopped in the middle of the silent hallway and every eye turned on the guard. Even his comrade was on the edge of the seat he didn't have. The other guard was just going to soak this up while Blaze was eaten alive in the spotlight.
"Cross?" Princess Luna said the name skeptically.
Crimson Blaze went to the position of attention to speak, but was told by Celestia to stand at ease. He took the position and said. "Yes." the guard sighed. "His name is Cross."
"Cross, what?" Celestia prodded for a sir name.
"That's it." the private said. "It's just Cross. He doesn't have a last name."
"Why would he be relevant to the conversation I am having with my sister?" Luna took her respective role as "bad cop". She didn't need to, but Celestia knew better than to try to snap her sister out of it.
"He's relevant because he might be the type of man that you are looking for." Blaze explained. "He not only has incredibly fast hands and a wit that's sharper than an adamantine sword, but he also knows the law. Very well, actually. He also is a 'likable' person and has the love of everybody in the town he lives in."
"He sounds like he might already be a Marshal." Princess Celestia said with a growing smile.
"Well, that's where you're wrong." Crimson Blaze shifted his stance to get more comfortable. "Cross isn't an official Marshal. He's a peacekeeper in the town he occupies, but that's just what he does on the side."
"What does he really do?" Luna snapped at the guard. The sun goddess rolled her eyes at her sister.
"He's a bounty hunter." the young man said as he flinched backwards when he caught the edge of his interrogator's voice.
"Why would a bounty hunter want to know the law?" Princess Celestia questioned. "Let alone, be on the same side as the law?"
"He originally studied the law because he wanted to keep himself from breaking it while still being able to do his job." Blaze enlightened the sisters. "However, when he started to become a peacekeeper, he started to get in depth to written law so he could keep the people of the town in line."
"Where does Cross live?" asked the opposite guard. "By the sound of it, he lives in a pretty rough neighborhood." The question stood well enough with the princesses for them to turn their attention back to Crimson Blaze.
"Nowhere." he said flatly.
"Nowhere?" Celestia skepticized. It took a tick or two, but then the princess' eyes nearly flew out of her head when she was mentally slapped. "You mean the town of Nowhere!" Crimson Blaze gave a nod in response
"What is this town, sister?" the younger sibling asked with confusion.
The sun goddess didn't take her eyes away from the one thousand yards she was starring at. "Cross is the peacekeeper of Nowhere?!"
"Sister?!" Luna demanded. "Tell us what the matter is with this town."
"Yeah." the other guard said. "Don't leave all of us in the dark." The soldier looked to the party for a laugh. All he got was Princess Celestia shaking her head at him, and a sour look from the lunar ruler. 'Fuckers.' he thought to himself as his face put out a defeated frown.
Celestia explained to her sister. "Nowhere is a town out in the badlands next to a large natural spring. It was established well over two hundred years ago. The reason for the town though, wasn't a settlement for westward expansion, but rather it was built as a haven for outlaws to hide out in. With the help of magic and the geological landscape, Nowhere is hidden from those who have no idea how to get there. The only people that know the exact whereabouts of the town are either those who were born there, or outlaws seeking refuge. And even if a criminal would like to get there, they would have to be SHOWN where it is, and how to find it again. I've sent many spies to find the place, but no such luck prevailed. We had caught outlaws in the past who have taken residence there and tried to have them lead us to the location. Upon their return, they always seem to end up getting away. They would either sneak off in the night, or a hidden sniper on top of one of the canyons would kindly send a bullet their way." The princess sighed when she remembered that she had lost a whole team of police because they had gotten lost. "However, if you do go there, you will actually find that there is little to no crime in Nowhere. Save for a petty theft or two."
"Why is that?" the partner guard asked.
"Because of Cross." Crimson Blaze spoke up. "After he showed up, he started to make laws. Not too many people were happy about that, but after a few speeches made with the muzzle of his weapons, he gained favor in the town. Once the outlaws realized that the settlement could be a place that it was safe enough where they could walk the streets without their guns on them, they started to go along with it. The reason for the low crime rate is because Cross implemented laws that applied to everyone in town. The laws were fair and provided a system of checks and balances for every citizen and their well being. Under Cross' laws, Nowhere became a place for outlaws to unwind and relax. Sure, he's had to bust a few skulls in the past month, but all in all, crime is still lower there than it is here in Canterlot, and the town is relatively peaceful."
"If all of this good came from Cross," Princess Luna interrogated. "then why were you so hesitant on bringing Cross up?"
"That is a good question." Princess Celestia backed up her sister. "If Cross can handle law enforcement with criminals, then regular people should be easy. What is it about Cross that one would think that he would be a bad choice?"
Private Blaze looked away. He gritted his teeth behind his lips. His face bore the mark of grief. "I just . . . "he turned back after a few seconds."Listen, it's a long story." he said in a somber chord.
Princess Celestia nodded to him in understanding. She didn't want to press the issue if all it would do is cause pain.
Crimson Blaze took in a few breaths to steady himself before he spoke. "I bet you all want to meet him now, don't you?" The floor became very interesting to the young man.
"That would be best." the princess of the sun said.
Without another delay, Private Blaze went into his haversack and pulled out a small statuette of what looked like to be a ruby vulture. "Stand back." he said as he made a call with his mouth that mimicked that of a buzzard. From the figurine shot a cascade of furious flame. The red blaze didn't produce any heat, but the light that shone form it was just as bright as the sun. From the inferno shot wings of flame, and when the wings beat mightily the remaining fire created the rest of the shape of a terrifyingly hideous vulture. It expanded its wings and shrieked at the trio before it with an open beak of steely razors for teeth. The two sisters flinched back as the guard was already aiming down the sights of his rifle at the monstrosity.
"I wouldn't do that, Private Price." Blaze said with a smirk. "You'll only make him angry." he tossed the bird with his wrist and sent the bird flying out the open window next to him.
"W-What was thing?!" Price exclaimed as he slowly lower his weapon.
"A Tartarus messenger bird." Private Blaze explained. "A fiery buzzard that flies just under the speed of sound and is built to relay messages at a pace just under the speed that almost matches that of magic."
"What message did you send?" Luna asked with a hint of fear in her voice.
"None at all." Crimson said coolly. "Which means to Cross that he is needed. Fast." The flapping of wings resonated behind him. This made the guard jump. He turned to see that a similar bird of flame perched itself on the window sill. This one however, was a sickly green color.
"Well, that was quick." Princess Celestia said.
"Too quick." Blaze said as he collected the bird back into a figurine. "I hadn't even sent that other bird out a minute ago."
"So what does that mean?" Price asked.
"It means he's close." he looked out the window and squinted to see a train roaring its way across the tracks in the distance. But next to it, was the unmistakable shape of another Tartarus animal. This one was a horse, and Crimson Blaze only knew one man who rode such a steed. "Real close." he cackled softly as he smiled wide.
Author's Note
This story is monumentally different from the last one. Please ignore all previous comments. Please send constructive criticism my way.
'This day was supposed to go off without a hitch.' thought Rain Maker. He dug through his pockets frantically as he looked for bits. He found another two and dropped them into the hand that was before him. When he did, he was tapped on the side of the head with an icy cold revolver by the man who he just gave the coins to.
"Is that all you got?" said the outlaw in a drawl. One could plainly see he was an outlaw on the count that the pudgy man with the six gun was wearing a bandana around his face and had his pockets full of stolen valuables. The smell and the stains on the man also suggested as much.
"That's it, I'm afraid." said Rain Maker in his thick Manehatten accent. "It's all the gold that I got on me."
The outlaw gave a grunt. "Alright." he said as he went on to his next victim while stashing the coins.
"Hurry up, damn it!" a revolver was cocked back in May Flower's face. She dug through her purse in a blaze to find any more gold to give the horrid wretch before her. She started to hyperventilate from all the stress. She finally found a bit or two along with some earrings that she had stashed in an interior pocket. She quickly deposited the treasures into the hand before her.
"Thank you." he said as he aimed his pistol at the man across from her and shot him in the heart. The music of terror filled the murderer's ears and he reveled in every last note.
"Why would you do that?!" called the other fat thief.
"Because!" he said. "I didn't want that bullet in my gun anymore." From under the yellow bandana came a loud cackle. "Finish up in here, Blue." the murderer commanded. "I'm going to the other car." He turned away from the crying woman and the dead man and went on his way.
When the door closed a heavy silence filled the room. The fat marauder scratched his head with his gun. "No one was supposed to die." he thought to himself. The blue bandana clad outlaw shrugged and went on with collecting. As he was putting a silver pocket watch into his coat, he caught a glimpse of something out the window. What he saw made his blood run cold and his hands shake. "Uh, uh, uh . . ." he stammered. "Oh shit. He's here." he was about to bolt after his friend, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a muzzle in his face. He whimpered loudly as the piece's owner cackled loudly.
The murderer from before was in full pleasure. Not only did he have the equivalent of one thousand bits in his bag, but he was about to also get some good, old fashion felacio. The woman he held a gun to was crying softly as not to draw too much attention to herself than what was already being put on her.
"Hurry up, you whore!" the putrid man said. The woman choked a bit but had no choice but to comply. She slowly undid the buttons to the fly. She was working on the belt after, but was stopped when two shots rang out from the previous car. "Huh?'' the robber flinched. The yellow masked thief recoiled when the door at the back of the car flew open.
The fat robber with the blue bandana came bolting through the open portal. "We got company!" he cried as stumbled inside. His six gun was clutched so tightly in his hand that his knuckles turned white.
"What kind of company?" the other thief questioned. "Lawmen? Peekers?"
The panting fat man leaned on one knee as he pointed to the window. When the other outlaw looked out the glass, the same feeling that was felt by the pudgier thief was now felt by both men. Outside, running tirelessly alongside the train at gaining speed, was a riderless Tartarus Hell Steed. "Cross." said the yellow masked outlaw. "That's his horse, but where is he?" The sound of a hammer clicking to full cock next to his head was all the answer he needed. The outlaw turned his head to find that a man a head taller than him wearing all black was aiming a Remington at his head. "Son of a bitch." he blew.
"HEY!" the bounty hunter said taking obvious offense to the statement. "My mother was a whore, not a bitch." He pulled the trigger and the train robber's head exploded as the .45 caliber bullet tore into it. "So, you shut your mouth!" The woman that was being forced to give the outlaw oral pleasure was still kneeling there in astonishment. The shooter looked down at the woman and raised his eyebrow. "What are you still doing down there? Get back in your seat." He holstered his gun and walked out the front door of the train car.
In the train car ahead, the four outlaws that were collecting valuables were halted by the sound of gun fire. First they heard two shots, then another. Then a riderless horse rode by that could only be owned by only one man. All four stood in the doorway in anticipation. Their guns were already drawn, cocked, and aimed. All they needed was just that one man to burst through the door and then drop their hammers. Half a minute went by. Then a full minute. Still, after two minutes though, no one came through that door.
"Where the hell is he?" one dared to speak up. The others where in similar agreement on the subject. Where was the man in black? Then, one of the outlaws noticed something. "Hey, boys. We ain't movin' nowheres." The other robbers looked outside and found that the statement was true. One of the outlaws took it upon himself to open the door to the back and saw a large metal pin sitting on the wood outside the door and the rest of the train was hauling ass away from them. "Son of a fucking BITCH!" he exclaimed. "YOU COCKSUCKER!" the shouts were directed towards Cross, but something else was directed towards the outlaw. He turned to his right to find a whole company of solar army troops were pointing their rifles at the man. "Uh, Lance?" said one of the outlaws. "I KNOW, DAMN IT!" he shouted back in frustration. "I KNOW!"
"Well." said the company commander. "This seems rather embarrassing for you."
Cross looked back to the car he had left behind. The train was supposed to stop for the troops to get on, but because of the train robbery, that seemed like a pipe dream. So, the bounty hunter did the next best thing by giving every one of them a good pay day. The Rainbow Gang had a substantial bounty on their heads. So, giving up six out of the fourteen, not counting the leader, was of little consequence. Especially when it came to honest troops.
Cross climbed on top of the tail baggage car and hopped from roof to roof like a jack rabbit over the next ones. When he made it to the first car, and stopped dead in his tracks. He heard commotion from inside the car and sure enough, when he peaked down in there from a hole in the ceiling, he found some men rustling through the cases and chests for valuables. Whatever they found, they put into their sacks. One of them was rummaging through a lady's bag and had found a large bra. The only thing a man like him thought it could be was a hat. So naturally, he promptly replaced his brimmed Stetson with it.
Cross retreated to the top of the car again to come up with a plan. Only one came to mind, but with six people in the car, he thought that going through with his plan would be risky. "Oh well." he said to himself as he shrugged. Cross flipped himself off of the roof and onto the platform outside the door. When his feet touched the ground, the bounty hunter exploded upwards, drew both of his Remington pistols from their holsters, and kicked in the door. The outlaws with color coated bandanas didn't have enough time to draw their pistols before the bounty hunter started shooting. The first two men were dead before they hit the ground when they received ventilation for their overheated heads. The other two would take the next two or so seconds to die because they got their hearts pumped full of lead. The other two were delivered to their makers when their guts fell out of them when Cross shot them both two times each in their stomachs. The bounty hunter smiled at his handy work. The inward sweep was his favorite method of dispatching his enemies. However, if the opponents were fast enough, they would find time to shoot back. This time, like many others, left Cross unscathed.
Cross reloaded his Remington revolvers with lightning speed and efficiency. Being at this for a while mixed with practice almost made his hands blinding when he was reloading. He had to hurry up though, this train was on its way into Canterlot station, and if these thieves got there before he was able to bag them all, he would have a whole fiasco on his hands. The bounty hunter hopped back up top. He ran at first, but went into a dead sprint when he saw the spires of the royal castle grow ever larger. He would end up missing a couple bandits, but that was of little concern compared to letting the biggest pay day of them all getting away. Cross' feet skipped over the metal roofing with as light a touch as a squirrel.
It was right ahead of him! The engine was right there. Just skip past the coal car, and . . . When Cross' feet touched the contents within the coal car, the hammer of the gun pointing at him dropped and sent a bullet flying past the bounty hunter's head. Cross bent himself out of the way, but in doing so, he threw off his own balance and ended up rolling off the edge of the car when the train hit a bump. He caught the lip with one hand before he fell onto the tracks and died. Cross hoisted himself up but quickly set himself back down when another bullet almost took his hat. The bounty hunter hung there for a second and tried to figure out what he could do. However, that second was too long of a time to think. Cross already had lead flying too close to his digits. It was then that he looked over his shoulder and saw his horse was trailing the side of the train. The magic around the steed seemed to still be strong, so instead of sitting there and hoping to the gods that his fingers don't get blown off, he shimmied over to the edge of the car and threw himself onto the back of the equine. The charging steed didn't seem to notice the extra weight and kept up its speed. Cross threw a leg over and settled himself in the saddle.
"Come on, Hell Fire!" the bounty hunter cried. "Giddy up!" He kicked the demon horse in the flanks to get the beast to run faster. The beast picked up enough of its stride to get Cross right along side of the engine car.
Cross bent left a bit to dodge another bullet fired from the same gun from before. In the conductor's cab was none other than the leader of the Rainbow Gang himself. Light Spectrum. His matted and long hair was a cascade of hues. Even under his hat, his strands mixed with one another to make colors that no one had ever seen before. Spectrum cocked back the hammer on is Colt Single Action Army and let fly another round. It nearly caught Cross in the shoulder, but with Cross being lucky, the bounty hunter was able to dodge the bullet by hugging his body against the horse. Cross weaved in and out from the train, but found it hard to keep himself out of the line of fire. Light Spectrum, being the pegasus-born man he was, had incredible speed. From the draw, to the aim, he was as fast as they come. Cross knew that by going up against him, he would have to contend with such speed, and at this point in time, it was twelve times a pain in the ass to deal with. The train didn't seem to be slowing down, and Canterlot was closing fast. It seems time was not on Cross' side. Dodging another bullet, the bounty hunter decided that shooting back would be a good start to buy himself some time and put his formulating plan into action. So, the bounty hunter drew one of his revolvers and fired. One of his bullets got close enough to Light Spectrum to make the outlaw flinch. The second round left Cross' gun before the former blinked. Then a third round and a fourth followed. Two more after that burst from the muzzle of the pistol as the outlaw took cover behind the metal plating of the conductor's cab. Cross didn't wait to draw his other Remington and fire another barrage of lead at the gang leader.
The covered outlaw counted the shots that were just barely hitting the metal rim above his hat. When he heard six, he popped back up. Only to find that his sights were empty. The horse and rider were gone.
"Now where did you go, Cross" the raspy, pack-a-day voice of Light Spectrum whispered. His question didn't go long unanswered. The cocking of a revolver resonated over the sound of the steam engine and the clacking of railroad tracks. The gang leader uncocked and lowered his gun slowly. "There you are." he said without turning around and submitting a smile of gross, yellow teeth.
Cross had pulled the old make-the-enemy-turn-away-long-enough-to-get-behind-them trick. The bounty hunter gave a throaty chuckle. "I was wondering if this plan was going work."
"It seems it did." Light Spectrum holstered his gun and turned to face Cross with a smile. A devious look that the bounty hunter. "Unfortunately," he said. "it means nothing."
Cross raised an eyebrow. "What do ya mean?"
"Even if you kill me," Spectrum explained. "you won't be able to stop this train. I broke off the break and this whole thing is going to go off the cliff because, let's face it, nothing can go at forty miles per hour and make that turn before it tumbles over and falls off the mountain. You and I can both walk away safely. But everyone else . . ."
"Was that Plan B?" Cross asked with a load of skepticism. "Was that what you were going to do if you got caught?"
"Oh, heavens no!" the gang leader exclaimed. "I was just going to do this anyway." He let out a chilling giggle. "I just wanted to let you know." Light Spectrum knew full well that Cross would get out alive, but that didn't mean that the passengers would. The knowledge that he let innocent people die while he escaped or took off after his target was not the bounty hunter's style.
Cross narrowed his eyes. "That would work if you were facing off against someone of lesser caliber." Cross snuck a smile across his lips. "Unfortunately for you, that's not the case." He took out his other revolver from under his armpit and shot one of the brass pipes while still looking at his prey. White clouds shot from the tubes in between both of them.
"What was that supposed to do?" Light Spectrum asked without even flinching as the steam whistled out.
"It seems you don't know much about these trains." Cross said while his lips curled more. The gang leader felt the train start to slowly decrease in speed. It's heavy, metal frame kept the inertia, but with how slow it was going to go and with the steady incline on the way, the train would make a complete and gentle stop in Canterlot station. "These locomotives got a flaw in 'em. If you break just one pipe, then the whole thing shuts down. Kind of a sucky design flaw, but at least it's good if the brake takes a shit on ya."
The pegasus-born man growled in frustration as he saw the end of the suspiciously empty station slowly creep by and hear the last breaths of the engine die as the train came to rest. The steam between the two men finally died down. Cross had two handguns pointed at the outlaw and both were screaming for the hammers to drop. Unfortunately for the outlaw, Cross would not end his life so easily. Bringing him in and have him tried for his crimes would humiliate the living hell out of Light Spectrum. He always said that he would never be caught, and now Nowhere would finally have some peace and quiet instead of listening to his incessant rambling and snide remarks.
Although taking him in was the plan, it was wishful thinking when a stone cold reality came back to bite him. Cross turned his head slightly to find that a pair of bandana clad men were pointing their guns at him.
"It seems that you, Mister Cross, are not the calculating man that we thought you were." Light Spectrum chided. "One would have thought that you would have tried to stay away from this place." the gang leader sauntered over to the bounty hunter and took both his guns from his hands. "I mean, with you being what you are and all."
"How much do ya think that we would get for bringing in a man like Cross?" one of the other outlaws said.
"Nothing." a voice stated from the criminals' flank. When the trio of bandits turned their heads to see where the voice had come from, they were met with the sight of a platoon of trapdoor rifles pointed at them.
Light Spectrum made a quick move and dashed behind Cross and used the changeling as a human shield. The other two outlaws put their hands up high. From the side of the ranks stepped a private. "Come on out of there, criminal!" Crimson Blaze said.
"Why don't you come and make me?" the gang leader laughed. The outlaw put both guns barrels in Cross' back.
"Oh, I'll make you, alright." Blaze said. He whistled loudly. "HELL FIRE! ATTACK!"
The Hell steed burst from the other side of the tracks and whinnied loudly as it rammed Light Spectrum out from the cab and onto the cold tile of the boarding platform. The outlaw still had both pistols in his hands, but before he could begin to move his arms to level them for a shot, Crimson Blaze's gun was already aiming at his head. The Colt Single Action Army revolver was already cocked and ready to send the outlaw to the makers. The prone villain didn't have a prayer.
Cross said a command to his horse and the beast seemed to disappear into a cloud of smoke. What was left was a small onyx figurine. He scooped up the little thing and stepped down and took both of his weapons back from the rogue. He replaced them in their respective holsters with a twirl or two. The bounty hunter turned to the young man as a smile spread across his face. "Nice to see you again, Fire Crotch." The nickname derived from Crimson Blaze's fiery, red head of hair.
"It's good to see you too, Cross." Blaze didn't take his eyes off of the bounty target. The other outlaws were already being taking care of. One of the soldiers cried out that they had found the other gang members. "So, who do we have here?" Crimson asked.
"Rainbow Gang." Cross answered. "And this here is the leader, Light Spectrum."
"Light Spectrum." Private blaze repeated. "Wanted for nine counts of murder, eighteen counts of theft, and one count of assault and battery of a woman. Tck. Tck. Tck. I would have thought that you would have had a better plan than stopping in Canterlot Station."
"He was actually going to have the rain run off the tracks at the bend up yonder." Cross clarified.
"Oh!" Crimson Blaze said with a raised eyebrow. "Now I guess we can add 'attempted to commit mass murder' to the list."
Light Spectrum gave a low growl in rage. This was humiliating! He had never been caught by anyone, and to be brought in by an aging bounty hunter and a lowly private was like taking a sledge hammer to the groin of his pride.
"Hands behind your back, Spectrum." the private barked. Through gritted teeth and reluctant cooperation, the gang leader complied. A pair of soldiers came and snapped heavy metal rings around the outlaw's wrists. Two other soldiers hoisted him up and dragged him over to a wagon where the rest of his cohorts, living and dead, sat.
"More are coming." Cross said. "I left them other motherfuckers in the care of a company of soldier heading along the tracks."
"I know." Crimson Blaze said. "We got a telegram from the 73rd's company commander and we already have a transport picking everyone up."
"Did they happen to see me?" Cross asked with a chuckle.
"They didn't say anything about it." Blaze smiled. "So, my guess is no."
"AW!" the bounty hunter whined. "I wanted them to see me the flip I did off the roof!"
Crimson Blaze just shook his head and internally chuckled. He looked at Cross and couldn't help but be reminded of all the good, and trouble, the man was. Though the man was more than capable of taking care of himself, he still needed help from time to time. Even in the situation that had transpired, Cross would have found a way out, but it didn't hurt to accept a helping hand from one of his friends to speed up the process.
The private was smacked out of his reminiscing when a trio of guards came up to him and Cross. "What do you want us to do with . . . him, sir?" All three of them were ready to make a firing line and cut the man down where he stood.
"Nothing." Crimson Blaze said for the second time that day. "Cross here is in my care. Until he leaves, that is."
"Are you sure?" one soldier asked. "You do realize he is a . . .?"
"I know full well what Cross is." the private explained. "Then again, any idiot in this city knows exactly what he is. However, I have the privilege of knowing WHO he is. Cross won't cause any trouble while he's here. So long as no one gives him Vodka."
"What happens if we give him Tequila?" one soldier dared to ask.
"That's exactly what happens." Crimson Blaze cryptically answered. "Listen, you boys stay here and make sure that the next train of soldiers that comes through gets off here safe. Understand?"
"Yes, sir." the trio said in unison. They wasted no time in taking their positions at points along the platform. Watching vigilantly for the next train to come by.
Cross hopped up onto a waiting horse and got comfortable in the saddle. He wanted to bring back Hell Fire, but Crimson Blaze insisted upon letting the beast rest. Cross' duster draped over the horse's grey back almost like a blanket. It was understandable considering that the bounty hunter was an inch over six feet tall and the long coat almost went past his ankles. Crimson Blaze rode next to the changeling on his own blazing, white steed in front of the wagon carrying the Rainbow Gang.
"So, Fire Crotch." Cross spoke up. "How is life treating you?"
"As good as one could be treated by the heartless banshee." Crimson Blaze retorted.
The bounty hunter chuckled at the sarcasm. "So, how is it that a private can order around other privates? It doesn't seem to make sense."
"First off, I'm a Private First Class, so I do outrank them." Blaze explained. "Secondly, because I am actually in the Royal Guard, and not the regular Army, that also increases my standing."
"So, rank and position make you more influential among the military." Cross elaborated.
"That is correct." Blaze confirmed.
"Something tells me something." Cross said.
"Explain." Blaze said.
"Something tells me that you aren't just collecting me because you wanted to say hello."
Crimson Blaze was silent for a moment, and then he spoke. "There is a . . . job opening, and I may have made it apparent that you may be a worthy candidate to fill the slot."
"Well shit." Cross chirped. "I'll help ya." Cross' enthusiasm was genuine. Sure, he may be a little tired from the whole train robbery, but he never had too little energy to help out his friend.
"Good." the private said. "I just hope you don't mind working for royalty again. I know that business with the Zebra Kingdom didn't go over very well for you."
"Aw, shit. I'll get over it." Cross blinked when a thought raced through his head. "Does the people we're gonna meet have sawmill gravy mix?"
Crimson Blaze belly laughed aloud. "Do you really think that I would have forgotten your favorite topping you love to make?"
"I guess not." Cross cackled as he pulled on his hat. The bounty hunter noticed a lot of whispers coming from the people in the street. One of the women he saw dropped her bags in shock when she saw the mounted man. He kept his gaze forward as he said. "A lot of people don't seem to appreciate someone like me coming into town."
"They're just going to have to get used to it. Sure, you may be an abnormality, but that doesn't mean that gives the right for people to stare." Crimson Blaze shot more at the crowd than Cross.
"I don't blame 'em." Cross said. "Not every day you see someone like me anyhow. I mean who else can do this." Cross pulled on the rains to make the horse turn sharp into a spin. The beast circled around, but was still able to move forward at pace. "That's right! Fuck ya'll and ya'll's rules!" Cross cackled until he finally stopped spinning because the horse fell over in a dizzy haze. The bounty hunter ended up hitting his head against the cobblestone and getting knocked out.
Crimson Blaze just chuckled and moved around to help him. 'This is probably going to end up being more interesting than I can handle.' He thought to himself.
Princess Celestia tapped on her chair with her finger in a cascaded rhythm on the arm of her throne. The flowing multi-colored hair danced lazily as her head rested upon her other hand. Her gaze was set firmly on the guard before her. His fiery red head matched with the gold sack coat he wore. The guard stood before the princess in the position of attention. His body cocked straight and his palms facing outward. He kept his face as still as stone, but in his head it was a different story.
'Shit. Shit. Shit .Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.' was all his brain could process. He knew he was in deep trouble. However, maybe this was a good thing. One could only keep a secret for so long.
"So," Princess Celestia said. "How long have you known Cross?"
Crimson Blaze gulped before answering. "Since I was eight, Your Highness."
"Mhmm." was all the princess said. She was silent for a long time before asking, "So, you knew him all of your life. And it never occurred to you that you should tell 'someone' about him?"
"He wasn't really relevant to anything." the guard said flatly.
The sun goddess perked her eyebrows at that. "Nothing?" she said. "He wasn't relevant to 'anything' at all'?" an annoyed smile spread across her face.
"No, Your Highness." Blaze stood firm. "He was irrelevant."
That annoyed smile stuck to the princess' face. "You do know he is a changeling, right?"
"Well, of course, princess." the solar guards tone made it sound like the answer was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Then why is it that you see him as irrelevant?" The sun goddess asked coyly.
"Well, Your Highness, Cross is a bounty hunter." Crimson Blaze said to state the obvious first so his mind could catch up. "He drifts from town to town looking for people to bring in for cash. He doesn't have anything to do with anything outside of himself."
"So, what your saying is that because he is so far under the radar that one would just miss him entirely?" The princess inquired.
Princess Celestia's question was barbed and drenched in poison. Crimson Blaze knew that if he answered wrong, he would be looked at as a traitor, or a conspirator, on the account that he had someone like Cross hidden away. So, he did the only thing he could think of.
"Your Majesty, what is it that you're thinking?" He knew that the only way to win was to play the same game Cross played to get information out of people in his interrogations. Mental Chess.
"Why are you asking me such a question?" the royal asked with a little venom.
"Because, Your Highness, I have reason to believe that you think I'm some sort of traitor." The outburst made him lose his rook, but he knew what was going to happen.
"That seems rather strange that you would say that." the shimmering haired woman chimed. "Because I might have reason to believe that you are." The royal came forward a bit in her chair and propped herself on both her arms on the rests of her throne.
"So, what you're saying is that the whole time I have been enlisted in your 'personal' guard, that I have been in contact with a changeling, and even after the attack on Canterlot, I hid it so well that it took me to reveal myself for you to realize that?" The raised eyebrows he received told him he struck the blow perfectly. Knight takes Bishop.
"You're playing a very dangerous game, I hope you know that." As she spoke, Princess Celestia rose from her sitting position. Her looming presence made the room, and as a result, all of Equestria grow a little darker.
"And I hope you know that I've played this game thirty-eight times." His boasting only earned him a pawn, but that pawn opened a door.
"Oh, really now?." the flowing mane of multi-neon-color no longer swayed happily in the breezeless room, but hung down in a firm, iced over waterfall. "Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but I've been playing this game for over one thousand and half years!"
"So, you're telling me that with that much experience under your belt that you couldn't detect that one of your own guardsman had a relationship with a member of your most hated enemy?" Queen takes Queen which set it all up. This move was strategic as it revealed the end of Princess Celestia's rope. The royal fists clenched tightly and her teeth were now grinding steadily in her mouth. Her magenta eyes burned with fires that put her pet phoenix's to shame. However, Crimson Blaze would now have to deal with the other player after they had flipped the table. The crystals that were embedded into Princess Celestia's hands, which gave her the power of magic, glowed steadily brighter as her rage mounted. She was about to send a barrage of lightning that would devastate the pegasusborn man before her, but the sound of clapping made her halt all movement. Next to her, Princess Luna smiled gently and clapped her hands together in a congratulatory fashion.
"What do you find so amusing, sister?" older sibling interrogated.
Luna chuckled a bit first before answering. "You, of course, sister." She giggled some more before saying "You always seem to keep your composure so much better than I do in heated situations. I tend to be the angry and frustrated one, but it seems you now have taken that role." Princess Luna's mastery of the modern language was apparent, but her words were cutting deeper into her sister than anyone could have anticipated.
"Please, dear sister." Luna bade. "Calm yourself. Lest all the magic you wield won't be able to piece the poor boy back together after you've blown him to smithereens."
"YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS LIKE!" The sun princess shouted in her royal Canterlot voice at her sister. "You weren't made a fool of in front of your subjects and put in a cocoon suspended above your court room! I was made an example of because of those monsters and their horrible, bitch of a queen!"
It took a while but soon, the sun princess could see her sister's eyes become moist. She had only used the royal voice once before, and when she did, it was the night she and her had the largest fight of their lives. Next to the one where she was banished. Celestia saw her sister's fear, and took a deep breath and let out the longest sigh.
"Perhaps," she said through lightly gritted teeth. "I am being a LITTLE harsh."
"If it makes you feel any better, Princess." Crimson Blaze said in a shaky voice. "Cross had nothing to do with the invasion."
Princess Celestia turned to the Guard Private and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean he had nothing to do with it?" her voice was more inquisitive than interrogative.
"It would have been impossible for Cross to participate in the invasion here in Canterlot." Crimson Blaze explained. "If you remember, Boris the Beast was caught that same day, and it was the changeling bounty hunter in question who brought him in."
"How could you know for sure that it was Cross that caught him?" Celestia asked.
"I was standing right next him when he did." Blaze said proudly.
"And where was this, Boris the Beast?" Luna asked.
"In the Gryphon Empire." Celestia said solemnly. That was a two week trip overseas and then a ten hour train ride inland to get from the coast of the empire's mainland to Canterlot. "So, I guess Cross really didn't have anything to do with it." the royal pondered this for a while before speaking again. "But what about the hive? Surely, Cross wouldn't allow his fellow changelings to just be decimated like that and let things be."
"You'd be right if Cross HAD a hive." The guard sensed the confusion and continued. "You see, Cross, from a young age, never knew anything about what it was like to be in a hive. From birth he was molded into being a bounty hunter because he was raised by people of that profession. He actually has so little knowledge of his own people that he can't change his form for more than four minutes. Otherwise, his head starts to hurt and he becomes dizzy."
"Is that why he is passed out in my parlor?" Princess Luna asked.
"No." Crimson Blaze said begrudgingly. "That's because he tried to spin a horse in circles while moving forward. The animal got dizzy and then fell over, which resulted with Cross hitting his head on the ground."
"Oh, my." Luna said worriedly.
"Yeah, he's not terribly smart." Crimson Blaze said with a sideways smile.
While the conversation between her sister and her guard went on, Princess Celestia pondered her current status. She had a changeling in her midst that one of her guards suggested to be the marshal of a town that only had inexperienced personnel in law running things while bandit gangs roamed the countryside attacking travelers and towns folk in equal measure. She was in a precarious position and she needed to find a way to ease this problem. She looked to her sister for some sort of support.
"Sister?" Princess Celestia called to her sibling, who turned her head to acknowledge her. "Perhaps, I am being too hasty in judging this changeling. I say we invite him to dinner and see what kind of person he is. You know, evaluate him. See if he is qualified to fill the role as Ponyville's new marshal as Crimson Blaze has suggested."
"I agree, dear sister!" Luna exclaimed. "I believe having a little insight on this man would definitely prove beneficial."
"I'm glad you agree." Princess Celestia smiled happily at her sister's unusual enthusiasm. She then turned to the guard and spoke. "Retrieve Cross and have him ready for dinner by five-thirty. You are dismissed to your duty."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Crimson Blaze issued a salute and spun on his heels and toes in an about face. He then went off to revive Cross from his slumber, but not before retrieving his rifle from the guard before the door.
"You poke him."
"No, you poke him."
"Quit being such a pussy, and poke him."
"I don't want to be murdered by a changeling."
"I don't want to hear it! I've been in longer than you!"
"By like, twenty days!"
"That's still a good bit!"
As the two guards in the room argued in whispers, Cross issued a large set of snoring to his sleep. Both of them froze when they were reminded that a dangerous changeling, with four handguns and plenty of ammo by him, was not ten feet from the pair. His hat covered his face slightly as he lazed on the couch enjoying a nap.
"*Snore* Huh? Twenty percent of my bounty being taxed? *Snore* How 'bout FORTY percent of my foot in your ass?! *Snore*" The changeling, to the surprise of the two in the room, talked in his sleep. They both figured that he was negotiating a slaver for the slaves he brought back. They both recoiled in horror at the thought of both of them chained together and being beaten and flogged by coal-skinned shape shifters. Since they were both female, their blood ran cold when the thought of rape came into it.
"I don't know if we want to wake him up?" one of the guards stated. "He might try to change into one of us, and then we might have to choose which one to shoot. And if we choose wrong, the other might end up dead too."
"What are we going to do?" the other guard asked in a shaky tone.
"I don't know!" the first guard cried. "We're supposed to be waking him up, but we're both too scared."
"Okay, I have an idea." the second guard said. "We BOTH go over there and wake him up. We have a better chance if both of us are against him."
"Okay, I like that plan." On the three, both guards moved forward in unison to the other side of the room where the changeling still happily slept. He muttered some curse words as he continued to talk in his sleep. The pair of militants gave a look to the other and nodded, then said as one, "Mister Cross. It's time to get up, Mister Cross."
The bounty hunter stirred a little but then his eye lids, like heavy doors, slowly cracked open. The amount of light in the room, blocked by the shadow overcast by the two female in Lunar Guard attire, gave Cross a small glimpse of the people who spoke. Even with his vision slightly blurred, he recognized their uniforms. "I already paid the front desk! Go away!" he said as he turned over and lazily waved his arm to swat away the annoying fly that those two were. Within seconds, Cross was once again drifting in his dream lands.
"Great!" one guard said. "We did our jobs so poorly, the changeling thinks we're bellhops."
"Oh, quit with the cynicism!" the other guard shot. "And quit tapping your foot! You know it annoys me."
The first guard looked at the other in a confused way. "I'm not tapping my foot."
Both guards jumped when a clearing of the throat was heard from behind them. In his dress gold attire and brown low quarters stood Crimson Blaze. Both females not only respected the pegasusborn soldier, but actually had a huge crush on him. Coupled with their fear of the changeling, the nervousness of having their man crush before them in his best dress was a little over their normal capacity.
"Might I ask why Cross isn't up yet?" the Royal Guard inquired.
Both lunar soldiers gulped loudly before the first spoke. "Sir, we um . . . we . . ."
"Are both incapable of waking an aged changeling from his slumber because you're both too scared?" Crimson Blaze's assessment of the two was so accurate that they both flushed red with embarrassment at the same time. The soldier sighed and stepped past both of them.
Crimson Blaze shook his head and said. "Let me show you how to manage these sorts of things in the most proper manner." He stepped passed both rooky guards and placed himself at Cross' feet. With a snap of his leg, Crimson Blaze sent the side of his shoe into Cross' boot heal.
"Uh-I wasn't drinkin'!" Was the first thing that Cross uttered when he shot up from the sudden impact. He did a take around the room and snapped his head to his younger counterpart. "What was that for?" he questioned. "And what's with the get up?"
"You and I" The private explained. "are to attend this evening's supper with the ruling sisters. I came to make you presentable."
"So, uh" Cross stammered as his brain caught up. He rubbed his face with one hand and muttered. "We're going to spend the
"That's right." Blaze affirmed. "Now get up and follow me to the washroom. I'm not going to have you stink to high heaven while at the same table as those two."
"Lead the way." Cross said as he stood up and stretched. "Ladies." Cross took off his hat and bowed slightly as he passed them both.
The lunar guards couldn't help but lean on their carbines as they tried to process the event that just occurred before them.
