Hunters

The halls of the holy sun were bustling. Students of all shapes, sizes and colors scampered about. Some headed to their class. Others made their way to the cafeteria hoping the meal would be hot and fresh.

Still others mingled with their friends in the hall. They talked about many things. They talked about who was the number one teacher. What their latest missions were. And more importantly who was the top Hunter in the school.

However these were talks of people who merely wondered who was the best. They had given up long ago. None of them quite possessed the strength of Big Mac. Or the raw magic prowess of Blueblood. They couldn’t even blend into the background as good as that new student Raiken.

Even so there were some Hunters still filled with hope they could claw themselves to the top. These students converged near the entrance of the school. There was a large wooden board on a wall. The young Hunters eyes were transfixed on the board.

“Search and rescue? Pass.”

“Ugh! Why aren’t there any good civil missions?!”

“Oh no. Looks like that boar got loose again. Not touching that.”

“What about this one? It says to rescue a damsel in distress?”

“That says they want you to help sell a dress!”

“Oh. So?”

“No, we aren’t doing that one!”

“Another assassination mission? Who even does those here?!”

“I bet it was Blueblood. He is always trying to sneak those in. Says they pay more money. This has got to be a joke.”

“Well if it is it isn’t funny!

“How about this mission?”

“That one is already taken. It has Thunder Lion’s mark on it. See?”

“How bout this one about fighting a dragon?”

“Has Mac’s mark.”

“Dang. How do they get at this so quick?!”

A thunderous boom entered the conversation. Everyone fell silent. Who would bring a gun into the school? And who would be willing to use one in the school? Whoever it was had to be insane. Or perhaps the crowd was insane themselves. Despite their fear their collective eyes, independent of their bodies, made their way to the person who had dared to fire a gun on school grounds.

At the entrance stood a tall young women. She wore a large brown cowboy hat. It hung over her eyes like her brown coat hung over her arms. Her hands were covered in thick brown gloves. The gloves of a marksman. It was said Hunters with those kind of gloves could pick off the wings of a fly with a single shot. Her pants were a light blue. The woman stomped the ground. Her once brown boots becoming a shade of black. Even so the one thing that made everyone go silent was what was around her neck. A vibrant red bandana hung from her neck.

The tall woman raised her head. Her long blond hair tied into a ponytail was covered in thick knots. Her emerald green eyes were calculating. Her skin was a tanish brown. She gave a forceful spit to the ground.

Everyone eyed the woman with bated breath. What mission would she choose? Would it be the boar? Would it be the one with the dress? Or, they feared, could she have come for the assassination one?!

The tall powerful woman gave a quick nod. From behind her emerged a much smaller woman.

The smaller woman’s head was covered in a beautiful light purple hood. Her body was petite yet each part looked hand carved by a master craftsman. Each part of her body echoed a gentle warmth. A long flowing vest hung over this kind woman’s upper body. Her delicate legs were shielded by a pair of pants. Much like the blond woman she also had boots. Though hers were the same shade of purple as her hood.

She walked hesitantly forward to the missions’ board. The other Hunter could barely breathe. Surely if they touched her they’d be damned by the gods themselves.

The young woman quickly scribbled two marks on a mission. Then she made her way swiftly to her friend. As she ran her hood fell down.

Her face was no different than the rest of her body. Still the crowd of Hunters gasped at the sight all the same. Her pink hair flowed like the magnificent mane of the lion. Her blue green eyes pleading for the world to be kind. Her porcelain face was a bright shade of red. She promptly made her way behind the large woman once more.

“Ya got the right one, Shy?” The blonde spoke softly.

“Uh. Y-yes,” the smaller female squeaked.

“Good job, Flutters.”

The pair slowly turned around and walked. The crowd of Hunters stood there in silence. In a few minutes they had feared for their lives, fell in love, and had both of the embodiments of those experiences talk to one another. They didn’t know what to do.

“I think we can do that dress one. I feel like doing something I understand.”

“Me too.”

“Hey I was gonna take that one!”

“No its mine!”

“Hey! Look!”

The crowd looked at the board again. The mission with the dress had been marked. Written on it was the symbol for Mac.

“Oh, come on!

~~~~

“Um, Applejack?”

“Shy, I told ya. You don’t need ta call me by my full name. AJ is fine.”

“Oh. R-right. Sorry.” Fluttershy shrunk a bit. “I just wanted to ask something was all.”

“Go right ahead.”

“Where are we going to get the bloomberg seed?”

“Over there,” AJ said pointing at a nearby shop.

The shop was made of simple wood. Outside there was nothing to distinguish it from any other shop. It was just a shop. With nothing extraordinary about it at all.

“Bloomberg seeds are easy ta come by. So a simple shop like this outta have a few,” AJ explained. She opened the door of the little shop and the two entered.

“Welcome ladies!” A deep voice called to the Hunters as they entered. A middle aged man appeared at the counter of the shop. His eyes had enormous bags under them. His hair was moppy and unkempt. An odd substance dripped from his hands. His clothes were rags.

 AJ tipped her hat to the male. Shy offered a small wave.

“What can I do for you today?” the clerk asked.

“A bloomberg seed,” AJ said with a smile.

“That is if you don’t mind,” Fluttershy added.

“Hm. I don’t think we have anymore left. Let me go check in the back.” The man walked into the backroom to search for the desired seed.  Shy slowly looked around the shop. The smell of the various kinds of flowers brought her peace.

There were several flowers she recognized. She saw a bouquet of roses. A group of dandelions sit comfortably in a jar of water.  Two lilies twisted and turned around one another in a sort of dance. It reminded her very much of the grove near her home.

“You enjoyin’ yer self there, Shy?” AJ giggled.

Shy blushed slightly playing with her hair. “I’m sorry. I just feel calm here.”

“That’s fine darin’.  This place is pretty calmin’.”  AJ patted Shy’s shoulder lightly.

A few seconds passed before the man returned with the seed in a small plastic bag. He smiled kindly at the two young women.

“Thank ya kindly. How much do we owe ya?”

“Hm,” the man said holding his chin. He snapped his fingers. “Forty bits.”

“Forty? Ain’t that a bit much for a common seed?”

“Common to other stores perhaps. But this is my very last seed. I won’t get another shipment for two entire weeks.”

“Oh you poor thing,” Fluttershy said sympathetic to the man’s plight. She turned to her friend. “AJ we should give him eighty bits instead.”

The man began to tear up. To see such a sweet soul was a sight to behold. Just a moment before she was willing to pay him eighty bits for a common seed. Surely she was an angel. He must repay her in some way.

“Shy, he’s tryin to play us! I could buy a dozen seeds for ten bits!” AJ said sternly. “Forty is too high a price!”

“Oh. I’m sorry Applejack,” Fluttershy said bowing to AJ.

The man’s jaw dropped. She was so easily convinced. Maybe he could convince her back to his side.

“Ten bits,” AJ stated. “And no more.”

“Sure I’ll give you a ten bits discount,” the man replied.

AJ’s eyebrow twitched. “I ain’t gonna give you seventy bits for one seed!”

“Well then how about fifty?”

“No.”

“Thirty?”

“No.”

“Fine. Eighty?”

“Isn’t that where you started?” Fluttershy chimed in.

“That’s my final offer,” the man said crossing his arms. He turned away from the angry blond. “When you feel like paying I’ll feel like turning around.”

A vein popped on the right side of AJ’s temple. Her patience with this man had run out.

“Uh. Sir?” Fluttershy tried.

With a swift motion AJ’s right hand grabbed one of her guns. She picked it up and aimed it at the man’s head. Her finger moved to the trigger.

“You might want to turn around now,” Fluttershy pleaded.” Or else something bad is gonna happen.”

“I’ve said my piece,” the man said stubbornly.

“You warned him, Fluttershy. Was nothing you could do,” AJ said as she gave Fluttershy a comforting grin.

She licked her lips. She took her other hand and placed it on the gun. She wanted to make sure she was absolutely steady for the shot. Her shoulders loosened as her grip grew tighter around the trigger. She took a deep breath. Then she pulled the trigger.

A mass of dirt exited the gun and hit the back of the man’s head. He collapsed to the floor. AJ grabbed the bag and walked out.

Fluttershy looked on as she pitied the man. His dirty clothes were even more dirty now. If only he had just given the seed. She let out a tear for the man’s laundry bill. Then she too left the man’s unconscious form.

~~~~

Applejack had made her way to the road very quickly. So quickly Fluttershy doubted she could get back to her friend’s side. Which was very bad since they were on a road which could have many dangers ahead. She had to do something to slow AJ down.

“Uh AJ? May I ask something?”

“Sure.”

“What is Appleloosa like?”

Applejack came to a halt. She turned back to the small woman. Her brow was slightly raised.

“Well, to put it bluntly it’s sort of like most towns. Except they like ta use earth magic for pretty much everythin’. The folks in appleloosa like gettin’ their hands dirty. No pun intended.””

“Is that why we aren’t taking a train?”

“Yup.”

“I-I see. How far is it?”

Applejack gave a small sigh. “A few hundred or so miles.”

Fluttershy gave her arm a squeeze. She had no trouble with walking. She enjoyed it. Though the idea of walking several hundred miles for who knows how many days was a thought she didn’t wish to entertain.

“O-oh. Why do they want this seed?”

Applejack was stunned. “Uh. Well I guess it may be for planting stuff.”

“That is what seeds normally do,” Fluttershy agreed quickly. “But why this seed?”

“I reckon the folks there are running short.”

“Running short?”

“Yep. Ya see Flutters the town is very traditional. They’re right stubborn on it.Shoot they are that same way for a mess of things. Particularly with the number of plants they grow. They’ll only grow one big bloomberg tree in the middle of the town. They let it run its course and then replace it.”

“Can’t they get more seeds from the trees?”

“Bloomberg trees don’t work that way. They have to be a seed for at least a year until they could be planted. I heard that they could be used in a month but Appleloosa folk don’t do that.”

“So its like it has a birthday before it becomes a tree?”

“Now that you mention it, ya. It kinda is.”

“Oh my,” Fluttershy giggled.

“Ordinarily this would just be a D rank mission. However because the tree died sooner than they expected they are willin’ ta pay more. So it got moved up to a C.”

Shy nodded as the continued down the road passing a group of rather shady looking fellows. Shy took a quick glance at the group. A shudder traveling down her spine.

They wore jackets that had their sleeves torn off. Their pants were shredded and overflowing with holes. Their teeth were a rotten yellow. Their eyes were distant. As if they were grasping at something not there. That something was off putting.

“Shy?” Applejack’s voiced snapped Shy back to reality.  “You alright?”

“Um. Y-Yes! I’m fine!” she lied wearing a false smile. They had just passed them. Surely they would stay sitting. They looked tired. Clearly that is why they were sitting on the road.

As they continued up the road they came across another group of equally shaggy looking men. That same feeling of unease returned to Shy.

The shaggy men rose and turned to face the two women. Their eyes full of malice. Two of the men drew out daggers.

Fluttershy turned back around. The group that they had just passed now blocked their way. She had hoped they could run for it. Her hand began to shake.

“So I’m reckonin’ ya’ll want the seed?” AJ asked calmly. Fluttershy turned to her friend. How could she be so frightened when Applejack was so strong? She had to be strong too. Fluttershy steadied her trembling hand.

“That’s right. So hand it over girl,” one of the men said stepping in front of the Hunters. “And we won’t have to cut you.”

“Looks like we got ourselves an impasse. Ya’ll want the seed and I ain’t gonna give it to ya. So looks like ya’ll are reckonin’ for a fight,” AJ said raising her guns. “I’ll warn ya boys. None of ya’ll are gonna get away without a scratch.”

“Why you little,” the man snarled. “They want it the hard way. Lets show them what happens when they mess with us!”

“Well? What’cha waitin’ for? You want the seed right?” She dangled the bag in front of man. “Come get it.”

The man charged Applejack as he drew out two short swords. He swung his blades wildly at the young Hunter.

Applejack swayed back and forth easily avoiding the assault. The man quickly began to fume. He stopped for a brief moment. He lunged one of the blades at Applejack’s head.

Applejack hastily rolled out of the way aiming both of her revolvers at the man. From each gun three little dirt spheres flew at a blinding speed.

The man’s eyes widened. The first bullets hit his legs tripping the man. The next ones hit his shoulders. The man’s mouth opened wide in agony. The next one made its way to his mouth. As the man choked the last bullet hit him square in the forehead. The man fell down defeated.

“Geo Rapid Shot!” AJ said as she smiled proudly.

“Get’em!” Another man shouted furiously. The groups of men slowly advanced on the girls. They surrounded the two Hunters. Applejack backed up until she was standing back to back with Fluttershy.

“Any ideas?”

“Help is on the way,” Fluttershy said as she moved her hands to her temple. Her head began to glow a brilliant yellow.

“How long?” AJ asked. She pushed up her body behind her friend.

“Should arrive in five minutes.”

Applejack smirked. “Plenty of time.”

The vagabonds smiled at their captured prey. From the circle stepped forth to men of similar build. In tandem they drew their sickles.

Sickles are the tool of the farmer. They were specialized to cut grain. They were short and sweet lacking any kind of elegance. Which may be why these two men fit their weapons so well.

The men swayed from side to side. It was as if the men were becoming one and splitting back into two all at the same time.

AJ aimed a pistol at each of the men. She wouldn’t be tricked by such a cheap tactic.

The men’s feet were a blur. Their tools were raised in the air. The first man’s target was the neck of the blond. While the other man’s was fixed on the pink haired one.

The first man swung his sickle at the powerful woman. He aimed to dig into her belly. The second man ‘s sickle was mere centimeters away from the gentle neck of the shy one.

Applejack rolled away from the two men. She was beyond annoyed. Not only were they being thieves but they were using the tools of farmers to do it. They were disgracing honest work. AJ bite her lip.

She raised both of her guns. Each one aimed at the head of the men. She fired.

Hearing the oncoming bullets arrival the first man turned. With a quick swing of his arm the bullet was reduced to dust.

The second man having been behind the first man had little time to react. He rolled but one his hands took the hit. As he winced in pain he dropped his weapon.

The man quickly scrambled to grab his weapon. He shot a fierce glare at the Hunter.

He felt himself suddenly pushed to the ground. He began to pull himself up when suddenly he felt his body grew stiff. He raised his head to find his arms and legs were encased in mounds of dirt.

“Geo mound,” AJ stated.

The man struggled trying to pull himself free. He had to get out. He had to cut that neck wide open. He needed to see the blood spill onto the floor. The blood of an angel.

The other man wasted little time. He ran toward the gunman. He swung his weapon at the blond’s legs.

She jumped and flashed a grin at the man. She aimed her right gun at the man. His body grew tense.

“Geo clot!” she roared as she fired a bullet. In a second the small dirt bullet transformed into a large clod of dirt. The sudden additional weight forced the man to join his friend on the ground.

“A few more minutes!” Fluttershy yelled. Applejack gave a nod. “Got ya!”

“Did she just take out Tony and the Twin Sickles?!” one of the men yelled.

“Maybe Tom should handle her.”

“Yeah. Send in Tom!”

Another man emerged from the back of the group of men behind the Hunters. He was the size of a small mountain. And unlike his companions he held a large gun.

“Hah! Now you’re in for it!” the first thug laughed. “You should’ve just given us the seed! Tom, blow her head off!”

The hulking behemoth nodded raising his gun. It was slim and very long. Red splotches littered its frame.

“A shotgun?!” AJ said in shock. A gun of great power but it lacked maneuverability. It was like the antithesis to her pistols. She raised her own guns.

She fired a barrage of dirt bullets.Tom paid them no mind as he slowly strided towards the pair.

AJ mumbled a swear. Her barrage did little more than dirty his cloak.

“Geo Clot!” AJ snarled.  She launched a larger dirt bullet at Tom. Without losing a step Tom picked up his gun and blasted the bullet to oblivion.

AJ gritted her teeth.Her bullets had no effect on him. So that means no bullets. He was able to shoot her even larger attack into dust. So that meant that was out. And he was clearly much larger than her. Even if she could be guaranteed his friends wouldn’t interfere she doubted she could take him down that way. So even a fist fight was out of the question.

AJ sighed. She closed her eyes as she tightened the grip on her pistols. Her body shined an amazing shade of orange.

Tom looked in awe at his adversary. It was concentrated magic. However unlike others who allowed their magic to run freely AJ’s magic seemed very controlled. It clung to her body as an infant to its mother.

Tom watched as AJ’s magic flowed from her body to her guns. It was like watching a river make its way to the ocean. It was nature taking its course. He stared as she lifted her now orange glowing guns. Then the unexpected happened. Her eyes opened.

“Geo Beast: Bull!”

An enormous burst of orange energy shot out of AJ’s guns. The energy burst forth striking the ground with tremendous force.  Various pieces of earth shook and rolled behind AJ. They piled on top of one another slowly taking form.

Its form was thick and wide. It eyes were made of granite. Its head sported long stone horns. And its body was a mass of dirt. What was once a pile of rocks and dirt was now a bull made of earth.

The earth bull stomped its giant hoof. It’s nostrils flared. It stood by its master and awaited commands. AJ aimed her guns upward and fired.

Like a flash the bull was in front of Tom. With little time to react Tom dropped his gun. Their eyes met. Despite the fact its eyes were made of rock Tom could feel just how alive in this instant the bull was. And what’s more how its anger grew as it stared at him.

With a simple grunt the bull rushed forward. Acting quick the man raised his hands. The bull’s anger rose. The man had been spared from its wrath by grabbing its horns.

The bull’s head swayed to the left. Tom was pulled along for the ride. However he did not let go. The bull swayed to the right side. And once again the man held on. He knew he could not keep this up forever. Which is why he had dropped his gun earlier.

Nostrils flared as the bull came to the same conclusion as the man. It pushed the man away from his means of salvation.

The man’s teeth grinded against one another. He pushed back against the bull. The bull stood strong and kept pushing the man further and further away. The group of thugs had to expand their circle in order not to be crushed by the behemoth made of rock.

Time seemed to slow down for the man. He could not best the bull in a shoving contest. If it continued surely it would dig its large horns into his neck. He had to get away before then. He had to escape. The question was how.

The bull rushed the man. As he felt the rush begin Tom let go of its horns. He crouched and leaped to the side. Even with its target now gone The bull’s body launched forward.

Somehow the beast had managed to turn its attention back to him. Tom was sure it was the work of the blond woman.

He had not a moment to lose. Which meant he could not risk a look back at his attacker. He had to move forward. With that in mind he dove for his gun. In a single motion he grabbed his gun, lifted it, and fired. The head of the bull arched backward.

The beast stood there for a moment. Chunks of earth fell from it’s head. A moan of pain escaped the monster’s lips. It swayed back and forth. It collapsed onto the floor becoming a mound of dirt.

Tom picked himself up. His mouth was in an expression of complete elation. He was victorious. He had survived.

Then he heard a click. His heart sank. He turned his head to find the fearsome blond had one of her guns aimed at his head.

“Ya know I like your gun. I’ll take it,” she said grinning. Tom’s lips grew dry. He heard the click of the gun. And like the bull he fell. Applejack grabbed the gun of the man as she moved to stand near her friend once more.

“I don’t believe it.She beat Tom and took his gun.”

“He’s gonna be pissed when he wakes up,” another one of the thugs added.

“I told you guys we should’ve just kept walking down our lonely road. Its the only one we’ve ever known!”

“We still outnumber them! Let’s just gang up on them-” A howl interrupted the first thug. Various noises came from the forest around them. There was the rushing sound of foot steps pounding dirt. Loud banging on wood joined the footsteps. It was as if the pounding was the drum of an advancing army.

“B-boss, what is that?!”

“How the hell should I know?!”

“I always thought Tom was the boss,” a third voice muttered.

“They’re here,” Fluttershy said serenely. She opened her eyes. What once were eyes filled with innocence now looked full of judgement. Each of the thugs gulped at the gaze.

Suddenly a large wolf emerged from the forest. Then the forest grew quiet again. No pounding, walking, or even howls could be heard. The wolf sat down.

The thugs were stunned. All that noise was the work of one animal. This wolf was the sole cause of all of it. Their shock soon turned to anger at the animal. How could such a beast disrespect them? They would make it pay.

Each of the men drew out their weapons. Murder was in their eyes. Yet the wolf did not move one inch. Even when they surrounded the wolf it stayed sitting. The men raised their weapons

Growls came from the forest. The men stopped their advance as they turned. They found that this was no lone wolf they faced. It was the leader of a pack. And its pack had just taken the time to surround them.

Just then more steps could be heard from the forest. The men turned their heads to find a herd of deer had come from the forest. Surely this was the work of the gods. The wolves would turn their attention to the deers. At which time the men could escape.

The deer made their way next to the wolves. The wolves eyed the deers for a long moment. Then the circle of wolves spread out further. The deer had taken the new gaps in the circle. They now stood beside the wolves. These deer pointed their antlers downward.

“They joined forces?! That just ain’t natural!” the men screamed in horror.

He made a mad dash for the opening. The wolves and deer stood where they were. As if the man was no concern of theirs. The man did not dare question his luck. He continued running. Just before he reached the gap though his vision went black. He could not see anything in front of him.

The man’s face began to itch. So he raised his hands to scratch it. However as soon as he did he felt what seemed like small needles dig into his face.

The pain was excruciating. He had to get away. He tried moving forward but that just made the pain worse. He slowly walked back and the pain stopped. He walked even further back and he found he could see again.

The first sight he saw was a large flock of red birds. He recognized them as woodpeckers. He was lucky they were content with attacking them with just their feet. He didn’t want to imagine the state his body would be in if they pecked at him instead. It's no wonder he ran back to join his friends. One of the woodpeckers laughed at the man’s frantic dash to safety.

The thugs found themselves outnumbered by the forest dwellers. AJ watched the sight in awe. She slowly turned to Fluttershy who still wore her fierce judgmental expression.

“W-wow, Shy. This is amazin. I’ve never seen you call this many critters before.”

Shy didn’t reply to AJ’s praise. Her eyes still locked solely on the men before them.

“Uh. Boss, what do we do?”

“It’s times like this we have to ask ourselves what Tom would do,” the boss said nodding his head.

“That’s why you’re the boss.”

“Just this once we will allow you two to take the seed. But only because we have to go soon. We have a date with another gang back home. We are gentlemen. And gentlemen are never late.”

“Seriously?” AJ said dumbfounded.

“Y-yes! So you two better appreciate this act of kindness from us! Grab Tom and the others and let’s go!”

The thugs did as their boss said. One went to collect the man who had tasted dirt. Two went to grab those two people who wielded the sickles. The remaining three went to collect the man who dared to grab the bull by the horns.

They stared at the two women. They slowly inched away from them. Step by step they picked up their pace. Once they got far enough that the two imposing Hunters were mere dots only then did they turn around.

“Ugh,” Tom moaned as he was being carried. “Hey, where is my boomstick?”

~~~~

The pair continued down the road for sometime. After what felt like days of walking they finally came upon the entrance to Appleloosa.

“Are you sure yer head is alright, Shy?”  AJ asked the the petite woman. Fluttershy nodded slowly still holding her head.

“It’s just a mild headache. I’ll be fine.”

“Ya sure? Cuz I’m sure we can find a healer in town.”

“No, no. Really. I’m fine.”

“Honestly darlin’ you should really consider using some magic that won’t scramble your noggin’.”

“It’s not that bad, Applejack. I like being able to speak with the animals. If that means a headache every now and then. It’s worth it.”

AJ shook her head as they entered the town. Fluttershy was in awe of the town.

AJ was right it was a rather small rural town. The buildings themselves were brown and could store a small family. They were spaced evenly apart from each other. The roads lacked any kind of stone or rock. There was just flat dirt roads for as long as one could see.

All the roads seemed to lead to a very large mound of dirt. This area was mostly likely where the mighty  bloomberg tree stood. It was truly a great tragedy that needed to be rectified.

“Wow,” Fluttershy gasped.

“Told ya. The people of Appleloosa are a simple lot.” AJ flashed a smile. “Come one. We need to drop this fella off.”

The two Hunters made their way to a slightly larger building. It resembled the smaller ones in color and material used. However there was one clear difference. On either of its side was the image of a large red tree. Various fruit hung from the tree’s numerous branches.

They entered odd building. Once inside they found a fairly older gentleman. His hair was a chocolate brown. On his head was a big black stetson. Like Applejack he had a red bandana around his neck. His pants matched the color of his hair. He wore a short blue vest. On his vest hung a grey star. On his face was a magnificently thick and bushy black moustache.

“Howdy there Mayor Silverstar,” Applejack greeted tipping her hat to the man.

“Is that Applejack? It seems like it's been forever since we last spoke,” the man said his moustache moving ever so slightly.

Fluttershy was compelled by the facial hair. Fluttershy silently wished she could hug it. It looked like a large caterpillar or a small chinchilla.

“It’s been a few years since I’ve seen ya last,” Silverstar chuckled. He gave her a bright smile.

Applejack returned the chuckle with one of her own. She picked up the seed in its little bag. She presented the bag to the mayor. “Here ya are. A new Bloomberg seed.”

“Much obliged.” Silverstar tipped his hat to the blond. He slipped her a check.

“Tell Braeburn I said howdy,” Applejack said giving him a nod. He flashed her a quick grin. With another tip of her hat she made her way to the exit.

Fluttershy gave a quick bow to the mayor. Then she ran after her friend.

Fluttershy emerged from the building to final AJ standing. For a moment she saw Applejack’s eyes look at the mound of dirt in the middle of town. AJ smiled at the mound.

AJ shook her head. She then stretched her arms as she let out a long yawn. “Whooo wee! This mission’s finally over! Hopefully gettin’ home shouldn’t be as much of an issue this time around.”

“If you want I could call some of my friends to give us a lift back.”

“I’d prefer to walk. Speaking of those critters. How’d they show up like that?”

“I called them AJ,” Fluttershy said helpfully.

“I know that. I mean they don’t got those critters around here. They ain’t got wolves they got coyotes. They ain’t got woodpeckers they got vultures. And they sure ain’t got no deer.”

“What does that mean Applejack?”

AJ paused. She slowly turned to her friend with a puzzled expression. “Frankly darlin’? I just don’t know.”