Rough Rider

I was flung off my bedding as the train lurched to a sudden stop. "Sonofa." I cradled my head as I searched for my hat. With my hat back on my head I leaned my head against the door of the booth.

I could hear the stud from earlier shouting with someone else. "I don't have anything I swear!"

A rough female voice rang out, overpowering his. "Don' ya lie ta me ya no good-" I pushed off the door and pulled my rifle out of my bag. I racked it, sending a single shell to the floor.

"Aw shit...it was loaded." I racked it a few more times to make sure it was empty. With the gun now just an improvised club, I hurried out of the booth and towards the stud. I slid the door open and was immediately met with a surly looking mare brandishing a handkerchief tied around her neck. I didn't wait for her to turn around, swinging my rifle's butt into the back of her head and sending her to the floor.

The stallion jumped back as she collapsed. "Oh dear Celestia you killed her!"

I turned to him and gave him a quick slap. "Calm yer uppity ass down! She ain't dead, she's just...in pain." I looked down at the pained mare, I yanked her handkerchief off her neck and tied it around her mouth like a gag. "Hey...you got...like a rope or somethin'?"

"Why would- uh...maybe." he slowly reached up into his bag, letting it drop to the floor and explode into bondage gear. "...Don't tell anyone, okay?"

I looked at the leather straps and special toys. "Wow...charmin'. Don't suppose yer the one who wears it?"

He gave a nervous look. "My brother said...it...you know...I mean...it...." he ducked down and hid in the corner of the booth as I tied up the mare.

I finished, admiring the mare's new look. "Heh.... I'm gonna go check out the rest a the train, don't...don't do nothing creepy to her okay?" the stallion nodded feverishly. "Good." I charged out of the booth with my rifle. I hurried into the main seating car, a few people, both ponies and humans were harassing the passengers.

I charged over planting the heel of my boot into a man's foot, quickly shoving all my weight into him and causing him to smack his head on a railing. I quickly pushed off his ribs, kicking a stallion in the gut and sending him into a women's lap. I flung myself towards the last man, tackling him and sending a loud bang ringing through my ears.

I scrambled around, realizing I wasn't the only one with a gun. I grabbed his wrist and held the barrel of his gun to his own head. "Do it partner, I fuckin dare ya, shoot!"

He struggled, thrashing about and slamming my back into the seats. I reared my leg up, dropping my knee straight into his groin. He let out a guttural cry as he let of the the pistol, sending it skidding down the isle. I continued to slam my knee into his groin, reducing him to a crying heap until being pulled off of him.

"It's enough darlin'!" a smoke worn voice rang out from behind me. I felt myself get pulled back as the passengers subdued the downed aggressors. "It's done and done!"

I pulled free of my unseen captors and spun around. Two men hand pulled me off the bandit, a pale beige stallion with a mustache and a bronze star on his vest was staring at me. "Ya did good, but we can-"

"Shut yer mouth ya damn fuck! Who the fuck you think ya are!?" I snapped, my accent crumbling to near incoherent levels as I struggled free.

The stallion glared at me. "Marshal Buckshot. Been having trouble with robbers for a few months, now might I ask who you think you are? You're stepping in on government business."

I picked my hat up off the floor and found my gun, it had gotten tossed into some pony's lap. "Apple family sent me down here ta help out. Something bout varmints...an I think I found em."

The marshal looked around, then back to me. "That ya did, that you did...now go find a seat and let us handle this."

I walked over to him, grabbing him by the ear and yanking it. "Left one tied up in the second booth in the luxury car, might wanna go get em." I gave the marshal's ear a final tug before letting go and going back to my booth. I settled in and waited for the train to start up again, laughing as the marshal's boys found the tied up mare in the adjacent booth.

I busied myself cleaning my gun until the train finally started moving again. I watched out the window as the terrain started to grow dusty and barren, a far plain in the background reminding me of home. I closed the window and drew the curtains, angered by my memories of home. "Fuckin' Oklahoma...." I settled back in my seat, now annoyed with the scenery.

The train carried on for about an hour until we rolled to a stop. A soft voice started coming from the hall. "Last stop, Appleloosa!"

I pulled my bag down and stuffed my gun into it and started heading out. I bumped the booth stallion back inside with my hip and left the car. I stepped to the departure point and stepped down from the train, a small cloud of dust kicked up as I landed.

I plodded around the open area in front of the train station and took in the scenery. It was nice, nothing green besides a few trees in sight. A pale orangeish brown stretch out for mile. Yep, I was home, a new dusty home on the flats.

I took in the local ascetic, fitting right in as I walked around. Everything was perfect, the sound of metal being hammered filled the background, bustling pony folk were going about their days, and here I was, sauntering through the middle of town. It was everything I wanted it to be.

"Howdy." A light green stallion tipped his hat to me. "Ya lookin for someone?" he sounded Canadian, it irked me slightly, but not enough to ruin my joy at my new western style paradise.

I turned to him, walking over to the landing he was occupying and flicking the tip of my hat. "Heck partner, it'd be great if ya pointed me to uh...wass his name...Brae sumthin?"

"Braeburn? He's in the sheriffs office...seeing Silver Star off."

I rubbed the back of my neck, my rough gloves digging in slightly. "Seeing off?"

The stallion just shook his head. "Better you ask him bout that...if'in you're who I think you are."

I nodded weakly and tipped my hat downward. "Thanks partner." I pressed on towards the marked building, a broken window catching my attention as I walked inside. A neat hole was surrounded by hundreds of cracks, the trademark sign of a bullet.

I walked to a wall and leaned against it while two stallions talked, the paler looking one's leg was wrapped up in blood stained bandages. "Heck I know Braeburn, I never thought it'd happen like this neither."

"Heck Silver, ya did what ya could. I can't ask ya for much more."

The brown stallion with the bound leg sunk his head down. "Hopefully this'll get cleared up soon, can come back and settle back in. But I ain't that young Braeburn...I can't be runnin round like you young folk."

The pony now identified as Braeburn finally noticed me. "Sorry miss, ya can't be in here."

I ran my fingers through my hair and adjusted my hat. "Sorry partner, but I ain't leavin, got sent all the way here to help yall out and yer not scarin' me off that easy."

The brown pony looked at me with a knowing stare, a hard stare. "Heck...don't think she'll leave fer nothin'...gonna be fine Braeburn, yall gonna be fine." the brown stallion tipped his hat to me and walked out with his bags bouncing heavily as he left.

Braeburn watched him leave before turning to me. "You the-"

"Yep." I preempted him and pushed my hat up. "Sent by some Apple folk."

He looked me over. "Not exactly what I was expecting...but ya look the part. Welcome to Appleloosa." his voice was slightly down, his welcome equally disheartened. "Any questions?"

"Three, where'm I stayin', when do I get up, an what happened to him?"

Braeburn looked at the bullet hole in the window. "In that order. Here, dawn, and that." he thrust his hoof to the window. "Filthy human ass named Tanner been harassing the trains, started a little group and got brave. Sorry to say we never had this problem before you humans showed up." he seemed slightly bitter about it.

"Well now I'm here ta sort it out. Now really, where'm I stayin?"

Braeburn tapped his hoof on the dusty wood floor. "Right here, beds upstairs, get your food from the saloon, showers are in the commons so I hope you ain't squeamish."

This place was raw, primal, I liked it. "Last question, ain't no deputy?"

Braeburn started walking out. "Tanner was the Deputy. Now I got work to do, get settled in and be ready tomorrow, we got the town all worked up for the night so take it easy. Oh...and welcome to Appleloosa." he walked out and let the door creak shut.

This was both amazing and horrific at the same time. It's like I had been thrown into an old fashion western, but the danger was real, the bullet hole in the window didn't fill me with excitement, so much as turning my stomach over. I was alone in a small sheriffs office, smell of dust in the air, steel bars making a cage in the back, this was heavy.

I pulled the drawers of the sheriffs desk open, checking the place out before setting backpack down on the desk. I traced my hand up and down the metal bars of the cell. This place threw my perception of my job upside down. This wasn't just some week long gig, this was gonna be a long dug in process.

I smiled to myself as I let my hand fall from the bars. This was exactly what I wanted, the danger, the feel, the dust, everything. I was gonna be the hero of my own little cowgirl odyssey.

I grabbed my backpack and headed upstairs. A large dresser and a bed were the only things left by the old sheriff. I set my backpack in one of the drawers, pledging to sort it out eventually. I kicked my boots off and fell back in the creaky bed. I watched as the dust caked window glowed a bright red as the sun went down. Soon enough I'd be back on my feet and doing god knows what out in the desert. And I couldn't be more excited.