The Wrong Stallion

Wright awoke with a massive hangover, to him it was the worst feeling because he knew that meant the alcohol was wearing off and that he’d have to face whatever memories he was trying to escape. Wright looked around and realized he was in a jail cell, he could hear voices outside and he got up and staggered over to the cell bars and eavesdropped on the conversation.

“Sergeant Mercy was an amazing soldier” said a voice that Wright thought he could remember but couldn’t quite remember. “Listen, princess ah call’d yah here cause he’s unstable and he said he used tah serve in the military so ah figured yah could talk some sense inta him” the voice which Wright could remember belonged to the sheriff. “I can only try” the other voice said and hoof steps could be heard coming towards his cell.

Soon enough Silverstar along with Princess Celestia stood in front of his jail cell, no matter how drunk Wright got he would never forget Celestia, she was the one that pinned most of his medals to his chest during his military service. “Oh my… Wright what the hell happened?” Celestia asked, obviously worried for his state of condition. Wright shrugged “don’t remember… too drunk” Wright said in a semi-intoxicated voice and then laughed.

Celestia turned to Silverstar “let me in there” she ordered and Silverstar gasped, “ma’am with all due respect he fought an entire saloon a ponies and even knocked me out” Silverstar told her, she nodded “don’t worry, I’m familiar with his techniques and could easily defend myself” she informed the sheriff who reluctantly opened the cell doors. Celestia turned to Silverstar and nodded, Silverstar nodded back and left the princess alone with the hung-over Wright.

Celestia sat next to Wright and stroked his mane “what the hell happened to you” Celestia asked and Wright chuckled “ha… I told you I’m too drunk to remember and besides whatever it was must’ve been bad because it still makes me depressed even though I can’t remember what it is” Wright laughed. Celestia sighed “Wright, you were robbed of your property and belongings by the Flim and Flam brothers and you weren’t able to get you things back” Celestia told him and Wright remembered exactly what she was talking about.

“Son of a bitch… sons of a bitch… a bitch and sons of a bitch” Wright yelled remembering that there was a mare and 2 brothers. Celestia rested her hoof on Wright and sat him back down, “Wright if you want to stop them from ever doing this again you’re going to have to help us with an investigation to bust them for what they’ve done, currently they’ve won all their court trials and their challenges are seemingly fairly but we’re investigating a way to arrest them for something” Celestia told Wright who chuckled. “Only way to get them is to…” Wright trailed off and Celestia shook her head “Wright, what can you tell me about that day you dueled them?” Celestia asked and Wright scrunched his nose.

“There were two brothers… and a mare… and a train looking thing that leaked gasoline… and they made lemonade faster than me” Wright told her but she shook her head “there’s nothing we can use there to get a large enough court case to win back all the properties” Celestia told Wright and Wright simply shrugged “bah whatever, I need another drink” Wright said but Celestia got up quickly and shut the cell door before he could even stand up. “I’m sorry Wright, but I’m going to need your help, and to get your full help you need to be sober” Celestia told him and left.

Wright got up and went to the cell bars “hey Celestia… One stallion had a mustache” Wright called out and chuckled to himself as he laid down on the jail cell bed and passed out.

Hours passed and soon it was night time. Wright rolled off the jail bed but quickly got back on and went to sleep, not waking until morning.

* * *

Wright woke up, his hangover had mostly subsided and memories flocked to him, most everything before he had started heavily drinking returned to him. Wright rubbed his face with his hoof and groaned and realized he was in some town or city that he didn’t recognize. “Howdy their partner good tah see yah awake” a southern voice said and Wright turned to see a young stallion, no more than 20, dressed in a deputy outfit. “Where am I” Wright groaned and the deputy shrugged. “Well ah’ll be jiggered, never did once meet a fella who drank so much he didn’t know where he was” the deputy said as he placed a plate of salad inside the jail cell.

“Where the hell am I?” Wright asked as he peeked out the jail cell window, which wasn’t really a window but rather 3 iron bars. “Well friend yer in Appleloosa” the deputy told him with a high pitched introduction voice. Wright turned his head to look at the deputy then back out to the small town outside.

Wright let out a sigh and took his head away from the window and walked up to the jail cell bars that kept him locked in. “So, what’s your name?” Wright asked and the deputy simply replied “ah’m Johnny friend, nice tah meet yah” Johnny replied and tipped his cowboy hat. Wright half remembered what Celestia had told him last night but it was hazy, he also remembered the names of the bastards that screwed him over: Flim and Flam, and there was of course that magician Trixie but she really just seemed like eye candy and something for stallions to look at when the brothers were doing their show.

“Hey Johnny listen I need to go and talk to Celestia so can you let me out now?” Wright asked. Johnny stepped back “whoa, wait a minute don’t get any funny ideas, ah can’t let yah out” Johnny told him and Wright pointed to the key ring around Johnny’s belt. “Sure, you have the keys right there” Wright told him and Johnny took another step back and placed his hoof on his Colt Single action, “no way, only the sheriff can give me permission tah let yah out, and if yah try anything… ah’d have tah shoot yah” Johnny said in an unsure voice.

Wright took a step back “sorry… I just don’t really know what’s going on” Wright explained and looked to the salad that was in a dish on the floor and back to Johnny. “What is this?” Wright asked and Johnny chuckled “it’s salad silly”. Wright scoffed at the sight of it and pushed it back to Johnny “Huh? Yah don’t want this?” he asked and picked it up and looked to Wright who shook his head “nah, that stuff looks worse than my old military rations I used to have in the service” Wright chuckled.

Johnny took a bite of the salad “yah know… yah don’t seem like a bad guy, ah really don’t think yah meant tah break that bartender’s arm” Johnny commented and Wright gave him a curious look. “I broke a bartender’s arm?” Wright asked curiously and Johnny nodded as he continued to eat the salad, “sorry… I don’t remember, I must’ve been pretty drunk” Wright told him and Johnny laughed “yeah when yah came out a the saloon yah hollered ‘drinks are on the house’ then fell over drunk and passed out” Johnny informed him and Wright turned away in shame, he must’ve been so shameful when he was drunk.

Wright looked to Johnny and extended his hoof through the jail bars “My name’s Wright by the way” Wright informed him and Johnny extended his hoof to shake it “nice tah meet yah Mr. Wright” he replied but as he began to shake Wright’s hoof, Wright pulled Johnny’s face into the jail bars with tremendous force. His head clanked against the bars and he was knocked out cold and fell to the ground. “Sorry Johnny, I just don’t have the time to wait around for the sheriff to let me out” Wright apologized and grabbed the key ring and unlocked the jail cell and crept out of the jail cell area.