Equestrium: Agency

"So where do you want to go next?" I hoisted her up in my backpack, the limbless pony refusing to stay stuffed in.

Clover wiggled around until she was facing forward, her chin set against my shoulder. "I don't know, I don't even know where we are!" She looked up at the distant pine trees. "I hear water."

I nodded. "I think there's a stream around here." I started off down the grassy path once again, the road old and half overgrown, the stepping stones covered in moss or dirt, now uncovered as my boots tore into the earth. "Yeah, there's a bridge." I kept on, the smell of clean cold air coming down from the distant mountains send a chill up my spine. "Valley is beautiful, isn't it?"

Clover nodded, ear flicking against my head as she bobbed. "Still don't know where we are, but yeah."

I smiled, my beard rustling loudly. "I think we're outside Trottingham. Somewhere in the valley between Canterlot and Vanhoover if not in the woods." I walked over and onto the old stone bridge. "Weird, isn't it?"

Clover leaned over, her white coat soft against my bare cheek. "What?"

"No one's out here." I looked towards the west. The massive plains leading to the edge of the autumn woods was clear save for a few birds. "I guess maybe everyone's already getting ready for winter." I shrugged, letting Clover sink deeper into my backpack. "Smells like aspen trees."

Clover sniffed the air, donning an ugly look as she wrinkled up her nose and stuck her tongue out. "Tree smell, no... pollen smell."

I started off towards the treeline. "Smells good right?" I heard a loud crunch behind me. "Oh...great." I swept my hand down my jacket to my belt. My thumb sat on my gun as I walked.

Clover shook her head. "Smells like crap, stuffy crap."

I shook my head. "It's nature."

"It's crap." Clover sank down and rested her chin on my shoulder. "Coulda stayed in Canterlot, mountain air is a lot nicer."

I shook my head. "Oh come on, this is worse than the hospital?" I wrapped my entire hand around my gun as the crunching grew closer. "There's no--"

I felt something press against my lower back, up and under Clover. "Hands up, no sudden moves."

I let out a long sigh and raised my hands. Clover let out a small gasp as she turned around. "Red!"

"I know sweetie, you're okay." I felt my pistol pull away from my side. "You're fine, he's not here for you."

A loud grunt came from behind me. "Red, hi."

I licked my lips. "Nick, how are you?" I slowly turned around, a soft jade unicorn was standing behind me, gun drawn and sitting heavily in his magic. "You look...different."

Nick rolled his eyes. "Yeah, so do you. No more suit?"

I grumbled angrily and dropped my hands. "Nope, hiking suits me better anyways."

Clover nuzzled my cheek. "Red...what's going on?"

I sighed loudly. "That all depends on Nick here. Seems like he's already pretty set on how this is going to happen though." I waggled my hand towards his gun. "Something about ponies with guns feels really off."

Nick shook his head and holstered his pistol. "There, better?"

I nodded. "Very. Now, you here to kill me or what?"

Nick shrugged and let his head slump to the side. "Orders were find and contain, you seem pretty contained right now."

I shrugged. "Not really about to run with her in my pack." I leaned against Clover, getting a deep nuzzle back. "So, you got me."

Nick nodded gently. "So, what happens next? You going to come peacefully?"

I shook my head. "I'm not going back." I reached up and pet Clover's head, her mane soft. "I've done everything they asked, if they really want me to keep quiet, then you're gonna do what you have to. But I'm not going anywhere with you."

Clover leaned over. "Yeah! Nerd!"

I shook my head. "Clover stop...."

"Sorry." She laid down across my shoulder. "He still has a gun you know...."

Nick frowned and looked at his side. "Yeah, and it looks like I'm going to have to use it." He looked up at me, a few sparks falling off his horn. "You know I could let you drop her off somewhere safe if you came with me."

I nodded. "I also know you're not going to leave her out here on her own."

Nick leaned to the side, peeking around at my side. "She doesn't have any legs...does she?"

Clover puffed her cheeks out. "I could still kick your ass."

"Clover...stop it." I undid my pack and set her down. "She doesn't. I was taking her around Equestria before she went in for treatment."

Nick clenched his jaw. "Prosthetic?"

I nodded. "Four new legs waiting in a season or so."

Clover fell onto her side. "Red...what's gonna happen? This is getting weird."

I took a deep breath and walked up to Nick. "This is what you're--" He drew his gun and pointed it straight at my chest as I dug into my pocket. "You have my gun...." I fished my wallet out and tossed it against his neck. "Dumb ass."

He slowly put his gun away, sparks shooting down from his horn as he picked up my wallet. "They want you, not your badge. They're putting you on the board for treason."

I shrugged. "I told them I was quitting. I sighed all their nondisclosure papers and turned my badge over three months ago. What else do they want?"

Nick shook his head and folded my wallet back up. "The gun was probably a start."

I nodded. "Bears out here, Equestrian or not, a bear is a bear."

Nick looked off towards the woods. "Bears and murderers."

"Screw you!" Clover wiggled around after Nick. "He's not a murd--"

Nick stepped back away from the wiggle-worm pony. "I was talking about me."

Clover stopped half way between me and Nick. "Oh.... Murderer! Murder pony!"

Nick grunted and slapped his pistol into his holster. "Yeah I guess I am--" A single shot rang out. I dropped to the ground. Clover screamed at the top of her lungs.