Chapter 22

The amount of confusion, shock, and tensity hung so heavily in the air, it managed to drown out any noise around the campsite. Arthur sat next to Johanna, after putting on a fresh set of clothes, while Sean sat next to Raven. Across from them sat the pegasus stallion whom Arthur and Sean didn’t think to see again in this world. Kieran Duffy, the former O’Driscoll gang member who had previously been taken captive by Arthur’s gang as a prisoner until they trusted him just enough to let them ride with him. Kieran sat on a box, fidgeting in place as he glanced from side to side, nervously.

“Erhem…Kieran?” Arthur spoke up, making Kieran flinch. “I gotta say, son, you were the last feller I’d think to see again after…well…” Arthur trailed off, rubbing the back of his head.

“I got my head chopped off by those goddamn O’Driscolls?” Kieran said. “I-I didn’t say nothing to none of them, Arthur! I swear! They tried, b-but-!”

“Easy, son, take a breath,” Arthur said, as Kieran took some deep breaths.

“Jaysus, they offed ya like they did in the old days?” Sean said grimly.

“Pardon me, Mr…Duffy was it?” Johanna said, eyeing the nervous stallion. “What exactly do you remember before arriving here?”

Kieran adjusted himself in his seat and took a deep breath before he responded. “Well, it was after I was killed by Colm I found myself in some weird dark space until I was blinded and woke up in this body of all things,” he gestured to his frame with both his hands. “Thankfully, my head was still attached but I sure as hell didn’t know where I was. Just as I was getting my bearings, a forest of all places, I was attacked by some wolves made of wood of all things!”

Johanna gasped and placed a hand before her mouth in shock. “Timberwolves! How did you survive?!” She asked bluntly.

“Sheer dumb luck,” Kieran chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. “It wasn’t like I could take on those vermin all by myself, especially when I was starved after not eating anything for so long. Just as it seemed I would lose my head again, some big stallion…I’m talking as big as Paul Bunyan! He just jumped in and swung a giant log that was on fire at them. It did the trick as they skedaddled on out of there.”

Kieran took a sip of his drink and continued. “Afterwards, he invited me to his camp and fed me real good and told me how he was gonna to see some rodeo...at a castle city of some kind.”

“Canterlot?” Sean interrupted Kieran’s story.

“Yeah that’s it! Canterlot. He said he loved watching rodeos since he was a kid and he even told me about this event the winner not only got some blue ribbons but also cash money.” Kieran explained further. “Well, after we arrived in Canterlot, I wanted to thank him but he was just gone…like he vanished into the wind of all things…Now, just out of a whim, I decided to partake in this rodeo since I needed money for food and other things too. Turns out, the lessons my pappy taught me really paid off, as I won first place.”

“It was you?” Arthur said, making everyone turn to him. “You were the one Applejack said stole the show. Made a name for yourself but skipped town before any congratulations could be shared.”

“Yeah, I did do that,” Kieran said, looking nervous again. “But not by choice.”

“How can that be?” Raven said. “Surely the stallion who had won first prize in all the events of the Canterlot Rodeo would want to receive some praise?”

“I sure as hell did, since it was one of the few times I ever felt so damn proud of myself,” Kieran agreed. “But that was before I was…threatened.”

“Threatened?” Sean said.

“I didn’t do nothing to no one!” Kiearn said, as if sounding desperate. He fished a crumpled up piece of paper in his pocket. “After the rodeo, someone passed this on to me in my pocket.”

Arthur unfolded the paper and Sean leaned in to read as well.

You made somepony I hold dear to me quite unhappy, you cocky little shit.
Don’t expect to enjoy your winnings too much.

“Who the fock would threaten ya like this?” Sean scowled. “Sounds like a sore fockn’ loser.”

“All I know is that I had to get outta there as soon as I could,” Kieran said. “So I quickly purchased a pack and whatever other necessities I could get with my winnings and hopped on the first train.”

“Which ended up taking you to Dodge Junction,” Arthur guessed.

“How’d you know?” Kieran asked, surprised.

“Ran into a feller saying how ya helped him around his farm,” Arthur answered.

Kieran cleared his throat with a cough before he continued. “Well, I was in Dodge Junction for some days until some minotaur was looking for me to teach me a lesson about humiliating mares. I swear it was that darn stallion who dressed up like them rich folks in Saint Denis who sent him after me!”

“Even in this world, you get some sore losers it seems…” Sean commented and shook his head as he looked up at the sky. He smiled before he let out a laugh. “Look at this way, if you didn’t depart Dodge Junction, you would not have run into the old guard O-Kieran.” He said with a nervous smile when he corrected himself, lest he met Arthur’s fist again.

“I suppose, but damn…it actually feels good to see y’all down here in Ponyville.” Kieran’s eyes landed on the badges Arthur and Sean were wearing. “And law me-ponies to boot! I can see you working just fine as a Sheriff, but I never pictured the Irishman to turn a leaf.”

Sean tsked and mock glared at Kieran. “Oi! I’ll have you know I make a fine deputy of these pastures here. Before that though, I did make my mark as Lucky Charms in Canterlot.”

“That was you?! I heard some of those Canterlot snobs mention you and how you stained the prestige of our beloved city!” Kieran mimicked the pitch of a Canterlot noble and gestured with his hands a dramatic pose.

All ponies present chuckled at the antics of Kieran but paused when Johanna’s neck looked over Kieran’s frame to see three familiar fillies walk up to them. “Oh! Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo…are you all feeling better?” Raven asked the fillies curiously and once the other stallions turned to look at their new arrivals. Scootaloo walked up to Kieran and stopped just a feet away from him.

“I wanted to say thank you for saving my life.” Scootaloo said to Kieran with a wavering smile, her eyes still moist from the tears of her near death experience. “If you weren’t there, mister, I don’t know what would have happened…”

Kieran smiled kindly and placed a hand on Scootaloo’s shoulder. “All in a day’s work, young lady. And please, call me Kieran.” He laughed but abruptly stopped when he was hugged by the little pegasus mare, her arms not long enough to reach around his frame. He looked back at a smiling Arthur and snickering Sean.

“Well ain’t that just precious,” Arthur said with a slight chuckle.

“C’mon, Scoots! Let’s go get a snack!” Apple Bloom said.

Scootaloo let go of Kieran and ran after her friends. As she left, she gave Kieran one last wave goodbye before continuing on.

“She’s a good kid,” Kieran sighed.

“That she is,” Sean said.

“Kieran, I gotta ask,” Arthur said. “Have you been just wandering around all this time?”

“Pretty much, yeah,” Kieran said. “Not to mention that I’ve been on the run too.”

“Well that ends today,” Arthur said. “I think I finally figured out a way to pay you back for saving my life back in that forest. You’re staying here, with us. We’re gonna get you a tent, new clothes, even a job. And since you’re living here, you’ll be under my protection from anyone who’d wanna do you harm.”

Kieran was speechless at Arthur’s offer. He didn’t expect for him to offer sanctuary in Ponyville, let alone a chance to finally settle down. A warm feeling filled his heart as he felt his eyes begin to water.

“Th-Thank you, Arthur,” Kieran whimpered. “I-I don’t know what to say.”

“Then don’t say nothin’,” Arthur said as he stood up. “C’mon, let’s get ya geared up.”

“Now hold on a moment, dear,” Johanna said standing up with him. “I believe there’s a better way to help Mr. Duffy get settled in.”

“And that would be?” Arthur wondered.

“Simple, we’re taking him to the spa,” Johanna answered.

“Ooh! A spa day?” Raven cheered. “It’s been ages since I went to the spa!”

“Spa? No thanks,” Sean said and started to walk away before Arthur grabbed his shoulder.

“That don’t sound half bad,” Arthur said.

“Ya can’t be serious, English! I ain’t been to a spa before!” Sean said.

“Neither have I, and I been in this town longer than you,” Arthur pointed out. “Besides, it sounds interesting enough. Plus, Johanna’s right. Poor boy looked like he needs a day to relax, ain’t that right Kieran?”

“Erm…I suppose?” Kieran shrugged sheepishly.

“Then it’s settled!” Johanna said. “Come, everypony! It’s my treat!”

The three stallions were led to the spa by Johanna. Along the way, the residents of Ponyville took notice of the newest pony face. Most of the residents just smiled and waved at Kieran, others kept their eyes on him for a time, which made the stallion nervous and tried to hide his face with his hat. Once they arrived, the doors opened before Johanna or any of the others could reach for it. They were greeted by two light cerulean earth pony mares.

“Vell, hello there Ms. Mayor! How can my sister and I be of service today?” One of the mares, who named herself Lotus, asked politely in, what the stallions could identify as, a foreign accent.

“Hi Lotus, I was wondering if you could give us the full course today? And a platinum treatment for our newest pony?” She gestured to a flustered Kieran, who felt the eyes of both spa ponies gaze at him like he were a treat to them.

Lotus whispered something into her sister’s ear who in return giggled with a fiery blush on her face. “Aloe and I will be delighted to assist.”

“Wonderful! You can put this on my tab with the-”

“Non non non! Zis is on ze house as zey would say in Applepaloosa!” Aloe replied as she waved her hands before her. Once she was done, she grabbed a hold of Kieran’s arm and started to drag him inside. “Especially vith our newest guest here. You can just feel ze tension just by looking at him. Don’t worry, my sister and I will treat you just right.” And we can be treated too, hopefully!

Kieran gulped and looked back at Arthur, who merely chuckled at the scene before him. Once they were inside, the sheriff was led to a room with Johanna whilst Sean stepped into one of the changing rooms to undress into a robe. Once he stepped out, he was placed in the spa bath with another familiar mare present.

“Oh my! Deputy MacGuire, I didn’t expect you of all ponies to be here.” Cheerilee greeted Sean with a soft smile on her face.

“I keep telling ye, Cheeri, please call me Sean.” Sean replied and reclined back in the spa. “Reason why I’m here is ‘cause our beloved Mayor decided to treat us law ponies to a day of relaxation. Especially after we found an old friend of ours.”

Cheerilee beamed at Sean’s words. “That’s wonderful! But where are they?” She looked around and saw nopony around aside from her and the deputy.

“With the Spa Sisters, something about platinum treatment, so I think he’s going to be busy for a while,” Sean shrugged.

“Platinum treatment?” Cherrilee said, blushing a little. “Goodness, she must really want to make this a special occasion for him.”

“So how often do you come around here?” Sean asked.

“Once every so often,” Cheerilee replied. “Being a teacher for those foals is not as simple as you think. They can sometimes be a rambunctious bunch.”

“Not to mention that night class ya mentioned,” Sean pointed out.

“That too,” Cheerilee said.

Sean soon noticed Cheerilee rolling her neck from side to side and rubbed her shoulders a little.

“You alright there, lass?” Sean asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Cheerilee said. “Just a little sore is all. Standing up straight for most of the day can be quite taxing.”

“That right?” Sean said, then thought of a way to help ease her pain. “If ya don’t mind, would ya like it if I gave your shoulders a rub?”

Cheerilee gave Sean a curious look. “You want to rub my shoulders? That’s sweet of you, but I wouldn’t want to interrupt your soak.”

“Aw, it’s no trouble at all, lass,” Sean said as he moved towards the school teacher. “Think of it as a way of thanks for when ya teach this illiterate deputy how to read and write.”

Cheerilee had to stifle a laugh as she obliged with Sean’s request and turned around. Sean cracked his knuckles and gently placed both hands on her shoulders. The Irishman pressed his thumbs into her shoulder blades and began kneading her muscles gently.

Sweet merciful Saint Patrick! She’s stiffer than a plank of timber! Sean thought. As Cheerilee sighed in content, Sean couldn’t help but glance just a tad over her shoulders to see her very generous cleavage under the towel that covered her large bust. Not bad, not bad at all-wait! The fock you doin’?! Ya already got a lady, ya daft git! “Ehem, that feel alright, Cheeri?”

Cheerilee pouted when she felt Sean’s hands stop and she turned around to face him. “I must say, you have quite a pair of hands, Deputy.” She winked at him, but her eyes looked downwards when she felt her towel depart from her body to reveal her breasts. A blush emanated from her but she didn’t cover them with her arms.

“I-I’m sorry!” Sean turned around and closed his eyes. Damnit! Rainbow’s gonna geld me if she finds out! He thought to himself and turned around, wanting to get out of the bath but was stopped by Cheerilee when he felt her hands rest on his shoulders.

“It’s okay, Sean…I don’t mind at all,” Cheerilee said softly and began to rub his shoulders. My oh my! He’s so buff and well toned, I could just melt on his- She stopped and shook her head. Cheerilee, stop it! He’s a law pony and a future night student of mine, but he’s so strong and those hands are just magic to me- Stop it! She scolded herself in her mind.

Sean sat awkwardly in the bath and looked at the doors, hoping no pony would see him in this position. If anypony sees me like this, I might as well be tarred and feathered with me own feathers! “Um Cheeri, I think we should-” His words were interrupted when he heard a mare’s loud moaning from the massage room where Kieran was taken to earlier. “What the fok was that?”

Cheerilee swatted his head playfully. “Language, Deputy. That sounded like Aloe, must be having fun with your friend.”

“Is he now?” Sean said, then suppressed a laugh. “Not even a day in this town, and he’s already gettin’ frisky. Good on him.”

Meanwhile, Arthur, Johanna, and Raven were laying on massage tables on the other side of the room as two other massage ponies were rubbing their backs.

“Sweet mercy, this feels nice,” Arthur sighed as the masseuse kneaded his lower back.

“I agree, these ponies truly do wonders for the body,” Johanna said.

“Think Kieran is enjoying himself too?” Arthur wondered.

“I would be shocked if he wasn’t, considering he’s currently being given the platinum treatment. Not many ponies in town have the bits or public rank to afford such a treatment,” Raven said.

“That a fact?” Arthur said. “I suppose I’ll just take your word for it.”

Raven stood up and stretched out her arms. “I think I shall join Sean and Cheerilee for a soak,” she said before walking to the bath.

“Have fun, Raven!” Johanna said.

“Sir, Madame Mayor, your steam room is ready,” one of the other staff ponies said.

“Steam room?” Arthur said as he and Johanna stood up.

The two were led down the hall and entered a wooden room filled with steam. It was quite toasty in the room, but Arthur found it to be quite pleasant in a way as he and Johanna sat on the bench. Once the door was closed, more steam flowed into the room and Arthur’s body felt like it was melting.

“Oof, this is heavenly,” Arthur said, slicking his mane back with his hand.

“Nothing beats a steam room, dear,” Johanna said, letting her robe fall loosely off her shoulders.

Arthur glanced at Johanna’s nearly exposed breasts and smirked a little. Johanna noticed his eyes on her and decided to tease him by pulling the front of her robe so it would slide down more, showing off more of her bosom.

“You’re playing with fire, darlin’, especially since we’re in a steam room,” Arthur said.

“Well then,” Johanna purred, pulling her robe completely down and letting her breasts bounce free. She proceeded to slide down onto her knees and shimmied in between Arthur’s legs. “Better hope I don’t get burned~.”

LIGHT CLOP!!!

Arthur leaned back as Johanna fished his already stiff cock out from under his robe and began to jerk him off. The aroma emanating off his cock would likely make any mare go into a frenzy, if given a chance.

“You sure you wanna do this here, darlin’?” Arthur asked as Johanna kissed the tip.

Instead of answering, Johanna plunged her mouth onto Arthur’s length to envelop the entire piece inside her mouth. She heard the pleasurable moans from her lover and began to bop it as she felt the tip hit her throat inside. So glad we ponies don’t have a gag-reflex, or this may have been uncomfortable…

Sweet Jesus! Arthur screamed in his head as he moaned from the pleasure he experienced and instinctively grabbed hold of Johanna’s head to push it downwards into his hips.

The mayor always enjoyed the feeling of Arthur pushing her head down so he could feel more of her throat around his shaft. She wasn’t one to disappoint her stallion as she bobbed her head up and down, leaving a sheen of her saliva with each pass she made. Arthur’s eyes met with Johanna’s as she suckled on his dick like a lollipop. Those blue eyes of his told her how much she appreciated her ministrations, and how much Arthur loved his mare. The mayor slowly swirled her tongue around Arthur’s medial ring and cupped his hefty balls in her hand. Arthur gently scratched behind her ears, earning an approving hum from the mayor and she continued sucking on him. It was as if the taste coating Johanna’s tongue and throat was an addictive drug that she wanted to get a constant fix of every day. More so, the creamy essence he would soon fire out and fill her belly. Speaking of which, Arthur began to feel a familiar tension in his groin as his voice began to hitch.

“Darlin’, I’m gonna-!” Arthur was about to say, but Johanna already knew.

Johanna took a deep breath and plunged Arthur’s cock deep down her throat and braced herself. Arthur grunted loudly as rope after rope of his thick seed shot out of his cock and down to Johanna’s stomach. With every blast of cum that Arthur shot, Johanna wouldn’t dare waste a single drop as she swallowed all that was given to her. After about a minute of cumming and Arthur beginning to come down from his climax high, Johanna slowly pulled his cock out of her mouth and let go with an audible pop. She licked her lips at Arthur as she stood up and daintily put her towel back on before sitting back next to Arthur.

END OF CLOP!!!

“Goddamn, Johanna, you sure don’t mess around,” Arthur said after catching his breath.

Johanna merely giggled and planted a kiss onto Arthur’s lips. Once she let go him, she rested her head on his shoulder. “When it comes to the stallion I love, I give my all to him. Just as you give your all to me…and hopefully another too.” She teased him and saw the his cheeks burn even redder.

Arthur sighed and shook his head but still smiled regardless. I wonder if Luna would fancy this kind of loving?

“Achoo!” Luna sneezed suddenly when she picked up a bundle of lavender to replace another bundle she hung up last night to help others with restorative sleep. “Somepony must be speaking of me…”

When Arthur and Johanna exited the steam room, they found three ponies lying on the massage tables with other masseuses working on their backs. “And the barpony said, Excuse me, may I push in your stool?” Sean said and was greeted by the laughter of others in the room, save for the two new ponies who entered.

“Was that the Barman and the Hobo joke, Sean?” Arthur asked Sean rhetorically.

“Can’t beat the classics, Arthur. You ought to know that,” Sean replied but paused when his masseuse pressed on a certain point on his back. “Oh ye, that hits the spot! Now just go bit lower, that’s it! That’s good!” He instructed and was greeted with satisfactory results from her handiwork. “Say, where’s our stallion of the Hour? And why did he get platinum instead of us?”

“Trust me, Sean, Platinum is very expensive both in terms of costs and-” Johanna’s words cut off when the opposite door opened to reveal Aloe who entered with a skip in her walk, but a slight limp was present. Behind her, a very flustered Kieran was guided into the room by Lotus who had a sultry smile on her face.

“I hope everypony has had a very pleasurable experience,” Lotus looked around and was greeted with nods from everypony. “Good, our esteemed guest here is now ready for his massage by my sister and I.”

“Didn’t he already get a massage?” Sean asked.

“N-Not exactly…” Kieran muttered as he was laid down on his stomach on the massage chair.

“Then what the bloody hell were ya doin’ all this time?!” Sean wondered.

“Sean, it’s best ya don’t worry about it,” Arthur waved it off.

“But-!” Sean tried to say.

“By that, I mean don’t worry about it ever,” Arthur corrected.

“Ugh, whatever,” Sean scoffed.

“I need a drink…for the rest of the day…” Kieran groaned as Lotus massaged his back. The spa pony leaned in to whisper in his ear.

“Next time, I shall be the one to service you~,” Lotus purred, making Kieran tense up.

“Au revoir, Madame Mayor! Sheriff Morgan! Thank you for coming!” Lotus waved goodbye to the group.

“Aaah~! I feel like a new mare!” Raven said as she stretched her arms above her head.

“Nothing beats a massage, especially from that fine establishment,” Mayor Mare said.

“Gotta admit, it sure was relaxing,” Sean agreed.

“How’d you like it, kid?” Arthur asked Kieran, who seemed to be in a daze.

“Huh?! Wha?! Oh, um…” Kieran said, not sure how to respond. “My wings feel more loose, that’s for sure.” Kieran looked over his shoulder at his wings. The two appendages were preened, cleaned, and looked like they had been replaced by the old ones. “Still feels weird having wings, though.”

“Preacher to the quire, boyo,” Sean said. “Took me a good minute to get used to me own wings.” He then turns to Cheerilee. “So, what’ve ya got planned now, Cheeri?”

“I have some grading to do for the little ones homework, so I just excuse myself,” Cheerilee said. “It was nice speaking with you, Sean.”

As she walked the other way, something stirred in Sean that made him a little antsy. He knew it wouldn’t be right to say anything that would mean going against his relationship with Rainbow Dash, but the way she walked away seemed to call out to Sean.

“Cheeri!” Sean blurted out, making the teacher turn her head. The Irish gunslinger took off his hat and rubbed the back of his head. “Erm…would ya…um…would ya kindly like to, ya know…maybe grab a bite sometime?”

Yes! Cheerilee cheered in her mind as she smiled broadly at Sean’s request. She blinked once to look at the stallion with half lid eyes and walked back towards him. “I’d be delighted to,” she replied and gave a quick kiss on his cheek. She giggled and blushed and walked off fast. “Goodnight Sean! Goodnight everypony!” She called out as she disappeared from sight.

“Yeah yeah, goodnight…” Sean mumbled to himself as he stood frozen on the spot. What seemed like an eternity, was only finished after a few seconds when Arthur slapped him on his back. “Ow! What the hell, English!?”

“You better tell Rainbow Dash about her, seeing as she’s gonna be the Alpha,” Arthur said.

Sean rolled his eyes and groaned. “Yeah yeah, I will tell her once she- Wait, Alpha? What the fok ye talkin’ about, Arthur?”

Arthur blinked as she stared blankly at Sean. “Johanna, I think ye better explain this to him…seeing as you’re my Alpha.”

“Certainly, Arthur,” Johanna replied and turned her attention to Sean. “Ponies tend to form herds because of the male/female ratio being one stallion for every four mares. So it’s common for mares to form a herd.”

“...Oh shite, I just opened Pandora’s fokin’ Box…” Sean said, his voice cracking.

Kieran stood at the side and grimace. No wonder Aloe and Lotus were sharing me…

“Trust me, partner, even I’m having trouble wrapping my head around this herding business,” Arthur said.

“Is it because you’ve caught the attention of a certain lunar princess?” Johanna teased.

“Hey, you’re the one who gave me permission to meet with her next week,” Arthur said back.

“I did, and I look forward to the juicy details upon your return,” Johanna said.

“Of course you are,” Arthur said, rolling his eyes. “Now then, I believe it’s about time we get ya settled at the camp, Kieran. So let’s get you a tent.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that, I got my own tent,” Kieran said.”Bought one on my travels, comes in real handy since it’s magic.”

“Then we’ll just leave you boys to it,” Johanna said and pecked Arthur on the lips. “See you tomorrow, sugar.”

“Of course, darlin’,” Arthur winked.

As the mares left, Raven snuck a quick glance at Sean before following after Johanna. Sean could almost see that she looked a tad disappointed, but thought he imagined it. With nothing left to do, they returned to the lakeside camp with Kieran.

“Mayor,” Raven said. “Shouldn’t we have told them about the interloper that was reported snooping around the borders of town?”

“I’m sure it’s nothing to be concerned about,” Johanna said. “I’ll just pass on a request to the barracks to keep a closer eye out from here.”

The Next Day

Another day in Ponyville as the sun rose into the air. Yesterday was a day with an unexpected reunion that neither Arthur nor Sean could have foreseen. Kieran, on the other hand, was just glad to be in the presence of someone he knew from his previous life. As promised, Kieran had set up his tent next to Arthur’s and Sean’s and even helped fortify the campfire in the middle. Similar to the other gunslinger’s tents, Kieran’s tent was bigger inside than it looked outside. The inside of his tent had wooden floors and even a small staircase that led to a lower level, which was a decent storage space. The now three gunslingers stood by the edge of the lake, each with a fishing pole in hand, and were fishing together.

“Oi Kieran,” Sean said. “How good are ya with them wings?”

Kieran looked back at his wings and furled them a bit but didn’t spread them out. “Eh, I’m average. Haven’t had time to practice flying with them considering I’ve been on the run for some time now.”

“Ye’ll have all the time to spread your wings here, boyo. Nothing too dramatic happens around here, unless of course you’re an apprentice of one of the monarchs.” Sean quipped as he waited for a fish to bite. “Fish must still be in slumber if they aren’t biting even after nearly an hour. Ye sure this is good spot, Arthur?”

“Positive, took that boy Pip out fishing hare and he caught a beast of a largemouth on his first try!” Arthur stated proudly as he smiled at the memory of the colt’s face that was lit up in joy and fulfillment.

“You kidding right? That little boy caught a largemouth on his first try?” Kieran asked dubiously as he arched his brow. “That colt looks like a breeze could take him down.”

Arthur shook his head and turned to Kieran. “You know what they say, Kieran. Dynamite comes in small packages.”

“Was that what Johanna said to you on your first night together?” Sean asked deviously with a snicker but it died instantly when he saw the glare from Arthur’s face. “Kiddin’!” He surrendered and flinched back from what he thought was a punch coming his way.

Arthur’s withering glare subsided as he looked back to the lake where the lures were still drifting in the water untouched. He looked to Kieran with thinned lips when a thought came to his mind. “I gotta ask ye, Kieran…but how did Colm and those bastards get the jump on ye?”

Kieran almost dropped his fishing rod when the question came to him, but he quickly caught it in time before it landed on the ground. He scrunched his face in grimace as he recalled the day he died. “It was just me and that bastard Micah,” he paused when he heard a growl escape from Arthur’s throat. “We were out hunting for some deer, but I was the only one who actually wanted to get some food. All that bastard wanted to do was just shoot up a store or two. Then we ran into them O’Driscolls and before I could even react, Micah just threw me to them and ran off like a pig from the slaughterhouse.” Kieran’s brows furrowed at the memory.

“Next thing I knew, I was knocked unconscious and woke up bound in rope upside down from a tree and Colm was there to gloat about my so-called desertion. He offered me a chance to live and run off if I told them where you were, Arthur, but I told him to go to Hell and spat at his face. Too bad it landed on his chest.” Kieran tsked and shook his head. “Then he became mad and shot the rope holding me. He dragged me to some stump and forced his men to hold me down whilst he got the axe…” He shivered and rubbed the back of his neck. “He then told me that I would be the first to go before the rest followed. All went black after intense pain and you know the rest…”

“Fokin’ Sweet Jaysus, he decapitated you like William Wallace!?” Sean exclaimed with wide eyes in shock. “I’m sorry for still calling you an O’Driscoll, boyo.”

Kieran waved it off. “It’s alright.”

“You’re here now, Kieran, ain’t nothing’s gonna happen to you while we’re around,” Arthur reassured the young stallion.

“I sure hope so, it would be nice not having to constantly look over my-”

“Well, well, well,” a sudden gruff voice said, making Kieran gasp and drop his fishing pole. “You’re a slippery little bastard, aren’t you?”

All three gunslingers turned around to see a large figure stomp towards them. He looked like a bipedal cow-man with black curved horns. His fur was white with brown patches in spots on his arms and chest, and he wore a leather jacket with the sleeves torn off, cargo pants, and had a metal ring piercing in his nostrils. Arthur knew this creature as a Minotaur, thanks to some previous conversations with Twilight. Kieran’s face went pale as he tried to back away, but his legs betrayed him.

“Excuse me?” Arthur said as he and Sean set their fishing poles aside and stood in front of Kieran. “Who the hell are you?”

The minotaur stopped just in front of Arthur and Sean. The bull was easily a head and a half taller and twice as muscular as both stallions combined. The bulk merely smirked as he crossed his large arms.

“You must be the sheriff of this pony town, am I right?” The bull said. “Read about you in the paper.”

“That right?” Arthur said, unamused.

“Name’s Dabur,” the bull introduced. “And I got business with that stallion you two are standing in front of. So if you wouldn’t mind? Kindly get out of my way.”

Arthur did not move an inch at Dabur’s words and merely crossed his arms on his chest. “I don’t think so,” he replied. “What business do you have with my friend here?”

“That stallion has a bounty on his head and I aim to claim it with my fists! Just like I was instructed to do by my employer,” Dabur boasted.

“Dabutt, right?” Sean interrupted the minotaur. “Who would hire ye to harass our friend here?”

“It’s Dabur! And mind your own business, lackey!” Dabur snapped.

“I don’t much care for your tone, boy,” Arthur sneered. “And I don’t give two shits who hired you and why. So you best turn around and walk away.”

“Oh? Are you sure about that, sheriff?” Dabur grinned. “You two are interfering with some official business of mine. I’m a bounty hunter, see? And law ponies like you don’t have the authority to get in my way.”

“Official my arse!” Sean said, glaring at the bull. “Ya just wanna beat our mate’s teeth in ‘till he’s shitn’ his guts out!”

“That’s just what I was hired to do,” Dabur shrugged. “If I don’t do as I was hired to do, it’ll make my employer look bad. Not to mention, I wonder what the ponies might think if they find out you’re harboring a wanted pony?”

“But I ain’t wanted for nothing!” Kieran tried to say.

“Not my problem, I’m just here to give you a beating. Maybe even break a leg,” Dabur said as he cracked his knuckles.

Arthur had to think fast in order to prevent Kieran from getting knocked into next month. He didn’t want ponies knowing Kieran had a bounty, regardless of whoever put it on him in the first place. If he kept trying to push Dabur away, he worried that things would only get worse in the coming days. It wasn’t until he glanced down at his badge that an idea sparked in his head.

“Would ya really want to assault a law pony?” Arthur challenged.

“Neither of you are my target, he is,” Dabur said.

“Wasn’t takin’ about us,” Arthur said, stepping to the side and placing his hand on Kieran’s shoulder. “I was talkin’ about my newest deputy.”

Dabur merely laughed at Arthur’s words. “Yeah right! I know for a fact that this stallion here hasn’t been here for more than a few days! And look at that puny little thing,” he gestured at Kieran and snickered when he heard the latter huff. “No way you would want that loser as a lackey!”

Kieran clenched his fists and was about to teach this minotaur a lesson but was stopped by Sean who shook his head but surprisingly stayed quiet during this exchange.

“Well, that’s for me to decide, partner. Now you can either head on back to wherever you came from and tell your employer that my deputy’s off limits. Or ye can find ye self in a cell making it yer new home.” Arthur glared at Dabur with unblinking eyes as he stepped closer to be merely inches away from the towering minotaur. “So, what’s it gonna be, boy?”

Dabur snarled and was about to throw a fist to the sheriff but the intense glare from the veteran gunslinger caught him off guard. The minotaur could swear he saw his own corpse lay before the sheriff as he stared into the eyes of the stallion. He could swear he saw his own death at the hands of this pony.

This sheriff…is no pony, he’s a monster! Dabur gulped as a trickle of sweat trailed down the side of his head and stepped away from his adversary. He turned around fast and ran off away from town and the lake, leaving the other stallions behind.

“Yeah! Dat’s right! Roehn ahff back to yooehr bahss!” Sean yelled with a cocky tone. “Blimey! Ya sure showed him what fer, English!”

Arthur took a deep breath and lowered his hand away from his holstered pistol. He turned around to see Kieran shaking a bit.

“Kieran?” Arthur said to the young stallion.

“I…I’m sorry, Arthur,” Kieran said sadly. “I caused you trouble once again…” Kiran looked down as small tears formed in his eyes. “I wanted so much to be accepted by you and the others in the gang after you took me away from Colm. You might’ve just wanted to use me as leverage, but I saw it as a way to finally get away from that maniac. I thought after I saved you, and if I just proved myself, I’d finally belong somewhere.” Kieran whimpered a little and hunched over. “And now, after ending up here and finally seeing you again, that bull was after me and would’ve hurt you and Sean! It’s official, I’m a walking case of bad luck…”

Arthur and Sean felt great pity for Kieran after hearing his words. The poor colt just wanted a place to belong but ended up in Colm’s clutches in his previous life. Sean rubbed the back of his head and looked at Arthur, but the gunslinger kept his eyes on Kieran for several minutes. Arthur then stepped towards Kieran and put his hand on his shoulder.

“Eyes up, boy,” Arthur said, making Kieran look up at Arthur. “You don’t gotta prove nothing to me or anyone. You’re your own man, ya hear? You ain’t some bad luck case, like ya said. What Colm did to you, what that bull wanted to do, it was just a series of unfortunate circumstances. Back home was then, and this is now. That bull won’t be coming back for a good long while, I reckon, and you deserve to be proud of yourself.”

“How can I be proud of myself after the trouble I caused?” Kieran asked.

“None of that, boyo,” Sean said. “No use crying over spilled milk, as me ma used to say.”

“But I do know how you can start,” Arthur said and stepped back. “How would you feel if I told you that what I said to Dabur was something that might actually be a good idea?”

“Y-You mean…?” Kieran said, already starting to see what he was saying.

“Kieran Duffy?” Arthur said, flashing his sheriff badge. “Would you like to officially become my newest deputy?”

Kieran smiled broadly while wiping his tears away and nodded vigorously. “Yes please, Arthur.” He replied but his eyes landed on one of the fishing rods that began to move towards the water. “Hey! It’s a bite!” Kieran exclaimed and jumped towards the rod and began to reel the fish in. Only problem was, it was beginning to drag him into. “What the?”

“I got ya, boyo!” Sean held onto Kieran but felt the great force of the pull. “Mother of Saint Mary! This is a big one! Are there sharks in these waters Arthur?!” He called out to the sheriff.

“Doubtful, only though it might be a muskie for all I know,” Arthur guessed.

“Well, are ye gonna help or just comment?!” Sean barked out when he too felt himself being pulled towards the water alongside his newest fellow deputy.

What the hell? Arthur thought to himself and began to pull Sean and Kieran back. He looked over the deputy’s shoulder and saw the water splashing and a rather big fish flaying in the water. “That definitely looks like a muskie to me!”

“On three, partners! One…two…three!” Arthur said.

“HEAVE HO!!”

Using their combined strength, the three gunslingers pulled with all their might on the rod as hard as they could. In one fell swoop, a massive fish sprang out of the water and landed right on Kieran. The fish flopped around a bit as Kieran looked down at the massive fish with the widest grin he’d ever had.

“Look at the size of this thing!” Kieran shouted.

Both Kieran and Sean had to work together to lift the behemoth of a fish up and they looked down at it with pride.

“Now that’s a big fish!” Arthur laughed.

“And we did it together!” Kieran cheered.

“Damn right we did!” Sean said as they raised the fish up in the air.

They of course knew they would return the fish back to water, but for now, they chose to bask in the proud moment of their catch. This would only be the beginning of the good times these three stallions would share with one another.

Later That Evening

“I’ve never been so insulted in my life!” Dabur grumbled to himself when he was walking alone just outside of Canterlot after stepping off the train. “Tsk! That bounty on that pony’s head, I knew it was too good to be true! That darn employer will have to pay me double for the wild goose chase I went on…” He trailed off when he arrived at his destination, which was a mansion of modest size.

Dabur let out a loud snort through his nostrils and marched towards the mansion. There were a couple security guards outside and they saw Dabur approach.

“Sir! This is private property!” One of the guards said.

“Outta my way! I got business with your boss!” Dabur snorted and shoved them aside. He forcefully opened the doors and looked around. “MAC! CIDER MAC! GET YOUR SORRY FLANK OUT HERE NOW!”

There was a moment of silence within the mansion until Dabur heard something from the top of the stairs on the second floor. A set of double doors opened up to reveal a calm, yet slightly disgruntled, Cider Mac. He wore one of his luxurious suits as he and Duke Venture walked towards the railing. Once Cider looked down from the second floor to the entrance, his brow furrowed but he kept his stoic appearance.

“Mr. Dabur,” Cider said calmly. “To what do I owe the sudden visit?”

“You set me up!” Dabur said, pointing at the stallion walking down the staircase. “That sheriff is no normal pony! He’s a killer! A cold-blooded killer! You nearly sent me to my death!”

Cider blinked and tilted his head. “I beg your pardon? Nowhere did I say you had to confront the Sheriff of Ponyville…”

“Yeah! But ya didn’t tell me that Duffy fellow was a Deputy under him! You know I can’t take down a law pony for a bounty.” Dabur retorted

“I see…” So that Duffy colt is connected to Morgan in some way… This is an interesting development… “Well then, I guess that’s that then. Kindly see yourself out, Mr. Dabur.” Cider turned around to walk back up the stairs towards his office but paused when he heard hoofsteps that were closing in towards him from down the stairs.

“Oh no! You’re not cheating me out of my money, Cider!” Dabur pulled Cider towards him by grabbing his shoulder and turned him roughly around to face him. The minotaur was surprised though when the stallion countered his movement and punched him hard in the stomach.

Dabur groaned as he kneeled down in reflex, only for his head to be bashed into the railing and then flung over to fall back first onto the first-floor landing. The minotaur was in immense pain, unable to get up from the fall.

“You come into my house, demanding money from me for a job I hired you to do but failed to do so. I gave you the chance to just walk away, but you just attempted to assault me in my very own house.” Cider monologue as he and Duke walked back down the stairs towards the injured minotaur. “You claim to be the big bad sadistic bounty hunter, but you cower in the face of a law pony because he is a killer. I thought you dealt with others like him before?” He asked rhetorically but was met with a groan from Dabur.

“You…You darn rotten shit-heel!” Dabur cursed Cider, only to be met with silence and a strange tool that was pointed at his head.

Cider merely sighed and shook his head. “Let this be a reminder to you, that we ponies can also be sadistic.” He finished his sentence and pressed the trigger on the device.

BANG!!

The device let loose a bullet that impacted Dabur’s forehead and went right through his head and out of his back bleeding out. Dabur’s body flinched for a brief moment until it went limp. After a few seconds, it was confirmed the minotaur was in fact dead.

“Well, I guess Kerfuffle should get a raise for this,” Cider eyed his personal handgun and placed it back into his pocket. “Get this mess cleaned up,” He ordered Duke.

“Of course, sir,” Duke said and snapped his fingers twice.

Two servants came in and helped Duke drag Dabur’s body out the front door. They dragged it around the large mansion and down the hill until they arrived at a river. Duke and his assistants pushed Dabur’s body into the water and watched it be carried downstream until it was out of sight and sunk below the water level. Duke adjusted his glasses and then reached into his jacket to pull out two bags of bits. He handed the bags to the assistants and looked them in the eyes.

“This never happened,” Duke said, and the assistants nodded before taking their leave.

Duke glanced once more down the river where Dabur was carried away. Not saying a word as he too made his way back to Cider Mac’s mansion.

Author's Note

Dark times loom in the coming future. But for now, Arthur rejoices with his newest deputy.

Side Note:
Thank you all for waiting! I’m back and better than ever!

Hope you enjoyed!

~WurkyWilk has left the building…