Advent Of A Gunslinger

In Panthera…

Mio led Spitha around, and through the Capital City run by nothing but catfolk. Everything was newly industrialized with lots of homes, shops, and paved roads. There was also a minority of diamond dogs and ponies who were treated with just as much respect as the abyssinian citizens.

Ponies in particular found jobs as cart-pullers--not unlike the ‘Taxis’ found in Manehattan. It was an easy job, given that ponies were suited to hauling weight and it allowed abyssinians to traverse their city without having to walk everywhere.

Spitha noticed this in particular. Nearby, a well-built earth pony mare had just finished pulling a carriage that contained three abyssinians who all paid well, and voiced their appreciation for her work.

“...Ponies are treated much differently here than in Klugetown,” she remarked.

Mio looked over in that direction, and nodded in agreement. “Tis true. We catfolk don’t exactly have bodies built for walking long distances. The ponies that live here make things a bit easier.”

Spitha clenched one of her fists and sighed. “I can’t believe Ron would treat them in such a way. That isn’t right…”

“It isn’t…” Mio replied solemnly, “But you won’t find any of that here. I can assure you.”

A smile crept back onto the dragon’s face. “Good--oh, I’m sorry. You’re trying to show me around, and here I am making things sad.”

“Don’t worry about it. In fact, I know the perfect place to bring our spirits up,” said the tom as he continued walking.

“Oh? What would that be?”

Mio led her to a rather large tavern that sat right near the middle of Panthera’s marketplace. It was commonplace for visitors and regulars to stop by to grab some refreshments on one’s way to or from work. Right on a corner to boot.

The tom beckoned the dragonnes into the tavern, and she was taken aback by what she saw--her eyes lit up with wonder.

The ‘tavern’ was more like a restaurant. And it was impeccable with beautiful carpeting, well-mannered patrons, and food that smelled impossibly delicious. A far cry from the run-down, shaggy places that littered Klugetown. “...Well this is new…and quite refreshing.”

Funnily enough, Mio knew exactly what she was thinking. “I know. Places like this simply don’t exist in Klugetown because everything is so shoddily run.” He looked over, and noticed that the tables in the middle of the room weren’t occupied, so he approached one and pulled out a chair for her. “I think you’ll like what they have to offer here.”

Spitha walked over and sat down, “Thank you--oh really? What do they serve?”

Mio sat down opposite of her, and picked up the menu. “Coffee, teas, fish dishes, curries, desserts--but my personal favorite is the injera platter. On it, you get various forms of wat--which are like stews that you’d find in bowls.”

“Ooh! I think I’d like that,” the dragoness trilled as she read over the menu.

A few moments passed, and a well-endowed, white-spotted-furred abyssinian waitress wearing an apron approached them. “Selami! Welcome to the Cat’s Pajama’s! What can I get you both?”

“I’d like a dark coffee and I’d also like to try the injera,” Spitha requested, “With all of your spiciest curries. Hit me with everything you’ve got, missy!”

“Ooh, good choice,” said the waitress as she turned to Mio, “And for you, sir?”

“The sambusa plate, please. And I iced latte with--”

The waitress cut him off, “Please don’t say--”

Mio tilted his head and said, “...with pumpkin spice. What did you think I was going to say?”

“Oh, good.” The waitress wrote down what he requested, “Sorry, some losers have been making jokes recently about--anyway, I’ll go get your orders punched in.” With that, she quickly turned, and walked off.

“Thank you,” Spitha said with a small giggle, “The atmosphere is much more relaxed if people can freely make jokes. I’ve always wanted to live in a place like that…”

“You do?” Mio asked.

“Yes, but that’s a subject for another time,” she said, waving her hand, “I’m actually very grateful that you’d bring me here.”

“Ah, yes. It’s time I be straight with her.” With his paws on the table, and twiddling his thumbs, Mio would stare down at himself for a second. “Well...about that.”

“What’s wrong?” she tilted her head with a concerned frown on her face.

“The reason I brought you here,” the tom went on, “I want to explain some things to you. Mainly my childhood and where I grew up.”

“...Tabbytown, correct?”

“...Not exactly,” Mio said with a sigh, “There’s a bit more that I didn’t have time to explain at my home.”

She nodded, and gave him room to speak. “I understand. Tell me anything you want--but you don’t have to force yourself if you feel uncomfortable.”

He shook his head. “After...all of that you went through, you deserve to be told the truth.”

Mio would then go into detail about what he told Leona. Of course, he kept his voice down so that the others around them wouldn’t catch on, but he gave her all of the info about his past and where he was now.

“...That’s...horrible,” the dragoness muttered, “All because you were from a different region?”

“Yup…” he sighed, and looked around the restaurant, “Thankfully, things are much better now.”

Spitha would take a gander also.

Sure enough, there were abyssinians of all kinds in the tavern. Some from Siam--who had shorter snouts like Mio, some from Tabbytown--who were mostly tabbies, some from Catskills--who were spotted like leopards, and of course the Panthera residents who were the tallest and leanest.

“Well that’s good to see,” Spitha said with a relieved smile, “But still...I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that. Now I truly understand why you went through those events and found yourself working with Ron.” She leaned forward with a concerned expression, “But I have to ask...what was the turning point? What specifically caused you to spill the beans to me?”

With a regretful glare, Mio broke eye contact and looked down at the floor. “...I watched as an innocent older gentleman died helplessly in front of his daughter. His parting words to me were to follow my own path--not the one set to me by the world…”

Spitha reached her claws out, and grabbed Mio’s paw-hands. “...If I may be so bold, you’ve already done that as far as I can tell.”

The tom made eye contact with her again. “I have…?”

“You have,” she replied with a nod, “You could have easily followed your manager’s orders and hurt those innocent ponies. You could have easily run off and I wouldn’t have found out a thing about Ron’s true nature. And you could have easily refused to let me in your home, and cast me aside...but you didn’t.” She flashed him a smile, “You’re a swell young man, and I hope you achieve your goals.”

“...” Mio’s ears quivered as he heard that, and he looked into her eyes. Could this really be the motivation he had been lacking? All this time, he had been without anyone to support him and felt that he was truly alone in this world.

But maybe, just maybe--he wasn’t alone after all.

“...Are you alright?” Spitha asked softly.

Mio gently pulled his hands back, and replied with a smile. “Huh? Oh, y-yes. I am.”

“Well that’s good. For a second, you turned as pale as a ghost. I’m not scary am I?” she teased with the tip of her tongue protruding from her lips in cheeky fashion.

To which Mio reacted with a chuckle. Her expression set him at ease. “Not at all...and thank you. I’d be happy to have your help.” That’s when he thought back to something she had said earlier in the conversation. “You said you’d like to live in a relaxed atmosphere such as this, right?”

“Oh yes,” she answered as she placed an elbow on the table with her chin resting on her palm,
“I’d love to be able to enjoy a life of casual living where I have no worries because I know that my books are out there making people happy…”

“Oh, you write?” Mio asked with a curious flick of his tail. “What sort of stuff?”

“...This may be embarrassing...but I love to write comedy and parody stories,” she said with a bashful smile, “Stories that everyone of all ages can pick up and smile at because it’ll take away their worries. That’s the world I’d like to live in...you know?”

“...A fine world indeed,” Mio replied. “A world that I’ll do my damndest to create. You deserve it, Spitha.”

A few moments later, an abyssinian with black fur and yellow eyes entered the restaurant. He had on a white dress shirt and a tie with a pair of thick bifocals.

And as soon as he saw Mio sitting with a dragon, he stopped in his tracks. “...Is that…?”