Chapters Flim and Flam, or to put it bluntly a bunch of sly talking brothers that constantly try and weasel ponies out of their things using their charismatic ways. Though they suffered a huge setback after making a huge flaw in Ponyville they still manage to go town to town swindling ponies for just about everything they could. They had built themselves a massive empire out of sheer swindling and pulling strings so to speak.
Out in a beautiful country side sat Mr. Wright, he was an earth pony stallion with an average build and rather gruffly face with stubble. He had navy blue fur and a short brown mane. He had enlisted in the Equestrian military at 18 years old and retired at 40 after serving 22 years in the infantry and he well deserved his peace. After retiring he bought a lot of land equalling well over 400 acres in land mass and built himself a house and panted fields of lemon trees. He didn’t really have to sell lemonade, he made enough money on his military pension, but he did anyway figuring that he could make other ponies happy.
Several ponies waited in line for some of his delicious lemonade. “Thank you Mr. Wright you have yourself a nice day” said one of the ponies as she left with her glass of lemonade. Wright thought that pure lemonade was a little too strong but mixed with a bit of water it tasted rather fine. Living alone and not having any ranch ponies meant he couldn’t produce enough lemonade for every-pony that came by in a day but he kept them rather satisfied and spent the majority of his days making lemonade by himself.
He stood up “sorry every-pony but I’m out of lemonade again, come back tomorrow they’ll be more” Wright told the line-up and several ponies let out sighs and started walking away. Suddenly, some kind of train looking thing zipped down the road. Two stallions dressed in ridiculous clothing hoped off and a blue pony with a wizard cape and hat stayed sitting on the train thing.
The brothers did some sort of musical rhyme about ponies not having enough lemonade and how they should “never fear for the brothers are here”. Wright chuckled “think of that one all night or are you guys leprechauns” Wright laughed. They continued their rant about how they could make more lemonade than he could, Wright sighed “yeah that’s wonderful, so why don’t you go bugger off into town and sell lemons” Wright asked and the brothers looked at each other than to Wright. “Well my dear sir, it would seem that you own the only lot with lemon trees” the brother with the mustache informed him.
Wright chuckled “yeah cause I planted just about every single one of them with my bare hooves” Wright told them with a nod. “Ah, a hard working pony, tell you what my fine sir, how would you like to go into business with us” the stallion without a mustache asked. “No, I’m retired” Wright told them, “ah, well how’s about we buy your farm and give you a percent of the profit” the brother with the mustache informed him.
Wright turned “no, I spent the last 5 years setting this place up, I had to pay ponies to keep it nice while I was serving” Wright told them. “Ah but wait, let me introduce ourselves” the mustache stallion said “for I am Flam and this is my brother” and the other stallion piped up “Flim and never forget the newest addition” he said and all that was missing was the drum roll as the mare on the train thing lept off. “I am The Great and Powerful Trixie” she exclaimed. Wright buried his hoof into his face, ‘are these clowns for real?’ he asked himself.
“No sale, sorry to disappoint you” Wright told them and began to leave, “ah but wait, Mr.…” Flam trailed off. “Wright” Wright informed him of his name. “Ah Mr. Wright please don’t throw away such a good business opportunity” Flam said. “Listen, guys and gal, I’m not selling and that’s all there is to it” Wright told them and began to leave. “How about a duel” Trixie offered, Wright rolled his eyes and turned around “I don’t like violence” he told them and the trio chuckled “of course not a real duel, we meant whoever produces the most lemonade wins the bill for the land” Flam suggested.
“No, no sale, no duel… now have a nice day” he told them and went to leave again. “What’s wrong granddad? Chicken?” he asked and Wright let out an almost animalistic snarl, he was starting to get irritated by their behaviour. “No, now see you later” he scowled and walked down his ever so long dirt road that led to his house.
Finally reaching his house he sat down and soaked in the afternoon sun and pulled out a cold glass of lemonade. He sat there and enjoyed the afternoon figuring he’d take the rest of the day off.
Not even an hour had passed when suddenly the train thing came racing down the laneway, along with a large group of ponies. Flim and Flam quickly hoped off and ran up to him. Wright let out an annoyed groan, “What? I thought I told you to leave me alone?” Wright asked and the brothers laughed. “Ah but you see you have to accept our challenge, it’s the law” Flam told him and they began to sing a rant.
Wright leaned back and grabbed his old double barrel 12 gauge shotgun and leveled it at the two ridiculous bothers. “I hate violence but you try and take over my land and I’ll kill yah both” he threatened and they stopped ranting and took a cautious step back. “Uhm Trixie… a little help” Flim gasped, Trixie let out an irritated scoff as she hoped off the train thing and pulled out a scroll “to all land owners selling market goods, if you are challenged to a competition duel for most quality and quantity production for land rights the owner must accept these terms, signed Princess Celestia” Trixie said outloud so every-pony could hear.
“Give me that” Wright said as he snatched the scroll from her magic aurora. “Fuck, shit… mother fucker” Wright yelled as he threw the scroll to the ground in disbelief that Celestia would make such a rule. “Well how bout it then, will you sell us the property or will we have to take it from you?” Flim asked. “It’s a duel” Wright said, accepting the duel. “Trixie, if you would read out the guidelines” Flam said and Trixie read out the guidelines for the duel. “Only the landowner may compete against the Flim and Flam brothers and no-pony is to interfere, if there is interference from either side the opposing team wins. Each team has only 1 hour to produce as much lemonade as possible… any questions?” Trixie asked.
Wright couldn’t believe this bullshit, he was going to have a talking with Celestia after this. Wright sat down at his lemonade making stand and the contest began.
* * *
The duel could be described simply as over before it began, Wright was only able to produce 3 barrels of lemonade yet the train machine created over 50. Flim and Flam walked up and Flam extended his hoof “the deed to the property please” he sneered. Wright snarled and handed him the deed reluctantly “you have one full day to completely remove yourself from the property, after that you will be considered a trespasser and will be charged accordingly, all of you belongings are still yours except for anything that was mentioned in the deed such as… oh well it was just a clear lot so everything is yours” Flam said as he examined the bill of sale.
“That’s right, so in that 24 hours I’m gonna raze this place to the fucking ground, you won’t be left with shit, and on top of that you’re going to have to pay for the pollution fee” Wright laughed. The brothers eyes went wide “no… we’d simply fine you for the damages and for starting a fire on our property” Flam exclaimed. Wright chuckled and pointed to the train “see that trail of fluid coming from the thing… that’s gasoline, had a hole in its tank the entire time, a random spark ignited the fuel and burned down the property and on top of that the trees are technically mine anyway” Wright countered and the brothers both gulped, that sort of fine for pollution damage could possibly bankrupt them, 400 acres of land pollution at 5000 bits an acre.
“We’ll give you a percent of the company” Flim offered, “go to hell” Wright scoffed. Trixie hoped down “looks like I have to settle things again. Listen Wright, we have witnesses that just heard you say you’d burn down the property, on top of that because the trees are technically part of the earth than it’s theirs so I’d reconsider if I were you” she said with a sly smile and Wright snarled.
That was 5 years ago, now Wright was 45 and his mane was starting to grey and he had begun to grow a very large beard. He sat in a cattle car as it shook along the tracks, he had no idea where the train was going and didn’t much care. After he had been swindled of his land he later found out that the papers were a hoax yet there was nothing he could do because he willingly accepted the challenge, that’s how they got every-pony. After being promised half the profit to not burn down the property he considered it and didn’t burn it down, the first 3 months were easy to get by but after the 3rd month the Flim and Flam brothers stopped giving him money, claiming it was only a temporary thing.
After that he had begun to sell his belongings to get along in life, even his shotgun that had been passed down from generation to generation. Wright began to drink to drown his sorrows and soon he became broke, having to become a begging homeless pony to get money. He rode trains from town to town. In one particular town he met a southern apple farmer that told him a story about how she had the same situation but now that Wright had been drinking so much he didn’t remember that day.
The train stopped in a small town called Appleloosa. Wright hoped out of the train and immediately went to the town’s saloon. He had managed to hold on to a few bits from the last town to buy himself a few drinks here.
He entered the town and sat down in front of the bartender. “Bartender get me a drink, hard liquor” Wright ordered and the bartender handed him a large bottle of Vodka and Wright gave him 30 bits, he now only had 20 left.
As the day progressed Wright got more and more drunk and eventually the bartender had enough. “Alright yah bloody drunk yah’ve had enough, get outta here” he ordered but Wright looked to him and laughed “ha I was in the service… they called me Sergeant Mercy because… uhh oh shit I forget” Wright said. The bartender grabbed him by the foreleg but Wright still had his combat reflexes from the war and snapped the bartender’s foreleg in three places. The bartender hollered in pain and several ponies in the bar lept at Wright, who was fairly drunk yet still somehow able to fend them off. He broke several pony’s hindlegs and ribs in the fight.
Suddenly a gunshot went off and every-pony but Wright backed up in fear, there stood in the saloon doorway a lone pony sheriff with a still smoking Colt single action army. “Alright what’s goin on here?” the southern sheriff asked,. “Ah sheriff so good of you to join us, I was just explaining to these fine gentle-colts that I’m Sergeant Mercy, I served with distinction and… uhm oh fuck it… bartender another drink” Wright ordered, too drunk to remember he had just broke the bartender’s foreleg.
“Alright yah bloody drunk best be bringing you down to the station” the sheriff replied and Wright chuckled drunkenly “not till I have myself a drink” Wright laughed and grabbed a fine bottle of wine. Sheriff Silverstar walked over to him and grabbed him by the foreleg “come along now sunny bout time yah called it a day” Silverstar told him calmly but Wright pulled his foreleg away. Silverstar let out an irritated sigh “Now sunny we can either do this the hard way… or the easy way, your choice” Silverstar told him. “I like hard liquor better than easy” Wright said in a drunken tone. “Well that’s your own choice” Silverstar muttered as he slapped a hoof-cuff on one of Wright’s hooves but before he could get the other one on Wright reacted violently and slapped the other cuff on Silverstar’s hoof and flipped him onto his back, knocking out of Silverstar.
Wright reached to Silverstar’s saddle bags and pulled out the cuff keys and unlocked his hoof-cuff but attached it to a handle on the beer taps, cuffing Silverstar to the booze taps. Wright sat there for another few minutes and drank more alcohol before he became completely wasted. “Well… I’ve had enough for one day” Wright said drunkenly and looked at Silverstar “what the hell are you doing down there sheriff?” Wright asked, too drunk to remember what he had done, but Silverstar was still unconscious. Wright got up and staggered out of the empty saloon. Outside several armed deputies were waiting for him. Wright held up a bottle of Vodka “hey every-pony don’t worry, booze is on the house” and with that statement he fell over drunk and passed out.
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.
I need your clothes, your boots and...
Wright didn’t have time to try and locate his clothes, he had been redressed in prison stripes and quickly discarded the jail clothes and only wore his boxers. He looked at the racks of guns the police had but they were all locked and needed a key. Wright swore to himself and peeked outside the doors to the police station, ponies walked the streets calmly without a care.
Wright crept out the door and snuck alongside the building wall and back around the backs of buildings. As he went from building to building he’d peek down the alleyway to see if there was any-pony looking then zip across to the next building. Finally he reached the back of what he hopped was the clothing store and broke through the back doors and snuck inside the back of the clothing shop, surprisingly it was empty and no-pony was inside, the sign on the front door read ‘Gone fishing, be back later’. Wright let out a sigh of relief “Lucky break” he muttered and closed the door behind him, which didn’t quite stay closed on account of him breaking the door to get in.
He crept around into the clothing section and grabbed: a fine pair of trousers, a plain white t-shirt and a duster coat. For some reason this town didn’t have anything modern and everything seemed to be crafted to resemble the old west clothing. He looked around for a hat and found a black desperado hat with a small quail feather and placed it on his head. He looked around for footwear and didn’t want to get any of the boots because they all looked ridiculously out of his style. But as he was about to leave he saw a nice set of leather boots and some sunglasses with a nice leather jacket.
He was about to take the jacket but realized there was some stupid crafting of a snake on the back that he thought looked kind of stupid so he didn’t take the jacket but did take the shades and boots. He fitted all his clothing on and looked to the cash register, he knew stealing was wrong but at the moment he was technically already a fugitive on account of him breaking out of jail. He walked over and opened the cash register, which was filled with bits and poured them all into his pocket. He felt bad and put back 50 of the bits and left a note ‘Sorry, but I think I need this more than you’ and left out the back door and made his way onto the main street, keeping his hat low on his face so it was harder to depict his facial features.
He heard faint gunshots and looked to where they had come from and saw a small gun shop just out of town. He trotted briskly towards the gun shop and soon was inside the gun shop. Only 3 ponies were inside and one had to be the owner because he was standing behind the counter doing the transaction. The other 2 ponies nodded, put a large caliber rifle in a gun case and left, leaving only Wright and the owner.
Wright stepped forward to the counter and took off his hat. “How can ah help yah today my good fellow?” the owner asked and Wright looked to the large variety of weapons. “I need two revolvers” Wright told him and the owner directed him over to a glass counter where several pistols and revolvers lay. The owner removed the glass lid and set it aside.
“Don’t try nothing funny, they’re all unloaded, an ah’m packin” the owner told Wright who nodded and looked at the revolvers. Wright picked up a semi weathered Colt single action army and stood up on his hindlegs and slid the cylinder along his foreleg. The cylinder was wobbly and didn’t match up nicely with the revolver’s barrel. He started totting with several revolvers to see which one’s suited him best. Unfortunately all had some sort of flaw, whether it be a scorched barrel or a loose trigger, they all had faults.
“Didn’t find one yah like?” the owner asked and Wright nodded “oh I found one I like” he told him and unscrewed the barrel of a Colt single action and screwed it onto a Ruger Blackhawk. He started disassembling a Schofield for its trigger assembly when the gun owner piped up “hey you can’t do that” the owner retorted and Wright shot him a cold glare and continued to disassemble revolvers for their best parts and soon he had two stylish revolvers, the parts didn’t match the original, but they fit together in seemingly perfect unison.
Wright spotted a shotgun that he instantly fell in love with and pointed to the shotgun behind the owner that was displayed in the rack of guns. “Ah...” the owner said and trailed off as he placed the shotgun on the table. “Spas 12, semiautomatic or pump action, switched to the button safety rather than the lever, barrel heat guard, metal folding stock and an adjustable choke. This thing can fire a variety of round as well” the owner said, obviously trying to sell the gun. Wright picked it up in his front hooves and action the gun, it must’ve been brand new because it pumped perfectly, the barrel was clean and there was not a speckle of wear on the gun.
“I want to try them out” Wright told the owner who nodded, grabbing a box of 12 gauge shells and a few revolver rounds he led Wright out back of the shop to a small firing range. “Remember don’t try nothing” the owner told him sternly and Wright nodded and loaded 3 rounds into one revolver and 3 into the other, he also loaded the Spas with a full load of 8 rounds. They were both double action because of the modifications Wright had done to the revolvers and now would be easier to operate, only unicorns could use 2 single actions at the same time with ease.
Wright stood on his hindlegs and pointed one of the revolvers down range at one of the paper targets, his aim was terribly wavy and he couldn’t keep his aim on target. BLAM BLAM BLAM, Wright fired off all 3 rounds in his revolver in less than a second but none of the rounds hit, despite the targets being only 20 yards away. The gun owner snickered as Wright brought up the second revolver and attempted this seemingly easy task with extreme difficulty. He tried furiously to steady his aim, BLAM, the round missed terribly and Wright tried to keep his aim steady but couldn’t. Wright lay down the second revolver and brought up his second hoof to steady his aim further.
BLAM, the round hit the shoulder of the paper target and the target spun, however when it stopped spinning it stayed so the paper target was not clearly visible and was not facing towards them. Wright tried for the near impossible, to shoot the target when it was facing sideways rather than towards him. He again rested his left hoof underneath the revolver’s grip and steadied his aim, he could barely even depict where the target was let alone keep his aim steady enough to hit it. Memories flashed through his mind of when the Flim and Flam brothers laughed at him and took the deed to his property. He snarled and squeezed the trigger, BLAM. The round picked up some dirt in the pile used to stop stray rounds and the gun owner snickered.
Wright turned to him and laughed. The gun owner got a strange look to his face “what’s so funny?” the owner asked and Wright gave the floor boards a little tap with his hindleg and the vibrations reached the target. Suddenly the target tipped in half and the top half fell off the bottom half, Wright had hit the target, despite it being an extremely difficult shot and the gun owners jaw simply gapped in peer astonishment.
Wright didn’t even bother firing the shotgun, he was pleased with the gun. He walked back inside and looked at additional things he needed. “I need 2 holsters, a shotgun shell bandolier, a belt bandolier for revolver ammunition, and a sling for the Spas” Wright ordered then did a quick mental check “and give me 100 12 gauge and .357 magnum rounds” Wright finished his order. “Fixin fer some revenge are we” the gun shop owner commented and Wright scrunched his nose “precisely”.
The owner handed him his order “that’ll be 2000 bits” the owner informed him and Wright dumped the entire sac of bits from the shop he had looted earlier on to the table. The owner’s eyes went wide and Wright holstered his revolvers and slung the shotgun. As he slid the bandolier’s on and began to leave the owner called out to him “you know what happens to stallions who go out lookin fer blood... they find it” he told him and Wright chuckled, Flim, Flam and Trixie had taken everything from him and it was time to pay them back.
As he exited the gun shop he saw a group of law-ponies searching the town, rifles ready. Wright tipped his hat down in front of his face and hurried away from the open. He kept to the alleys in between the buildings and heard the train whistle. He looked to see the train begin its departure. He raced towards the railroad tracks, not to the train but a little further down the tracks.
He reached the tracks and the train was just coming past him, no-pony had spotted him and he planned to keep it that way. As the train passed he hoped into a cattle car and sat down inside against a wall.
Wright pulled out the boxes of ammunition and loaded both the revolvers then placed them back in their holsters and began placing ammunition in the bandoliers. His head pounded and a memory from the day he lost his property flashed through his mind.
“The deed to the property please” Flam sneered and Wright shook off the memory and finished loading the bandoliers. He tossed the empty ammo boxes across the cattle car and leaned his head back to try and get some sleep, he grunted to himself and muttered “jeeze I wish I had some whiskey right about now”.
* * *
Wright awoke suddenly at the whistle of the train and immediately brought his hoof to his revolver then exhaled deeply as he realized that the train was simply stopping in a town. Wright got up and hoped out of the cattle car and trotted into the town, the Spas 12 concealed in his duster coat, slung tightly against his side.
It was night time and the moon illuminated the streets as Wright walked through the town he saw several ponies dressed terribly and looked like they had been through hell. “What the hell happened to this place?” Wright muttered to himself and a voice chuckled from behind him “The Flim and Flam brothers happened”. Wright spun around to see a pony dressed in torn up old clothing, he looked worse than Wright had before he was arrested. “Excuse me?” Wright asked curiously and the pony shrugged “this used to be the town of Berry Hills, used to make a living harvestin blueberries and wild berries, course then them darn brothers came along saying we had to have a challenge or we lost our lot, didn’t even stand a chance in the competition, now the damn harvesting fields are owned by the brothers and they have strict bosses that run the place” the pony told Wright.
Wright sighed “So… these bosses are like employees?” Wright asked and the pony laughed. “No, they’re more like henchmen, they just sit around and whip us while Flim and Flam go acquire more property” the pony told him. The pony extended his hoof “Name’s Wild Berry by the way, used to be the owner of the farmland that they took” Wild Berry introduced himself and Wright shook his hoof “they call me Wright” Wright informed him and Berry nodded.
“I want to meet these… bosses” Wright said with a slight snarl and Wild Berry chuckled “Well friend unless you’re looking for a job… or are a royal guard, I wouldn’t go sticking my nose in things if I was you” Wild Berry chuckled. “Well you’re not me… and I believe in strict justice for those who prey on the less fortunate” Wright told him and Berry chuckled “well the bosses name is Edgar, and I wouldn’t go poking at him, he owns a .45 peacemaker” Berry warned Wright and Wright simply chuckled and pulled the side on his duster coat slightly up, revealing one of his custom made revolvers. “I have my own style of frontier justice” Wright told him.
Wild Berry simply looked to his revolver with widened eyes. “Mr. Edgar is in the saloon, here I’ll show you” Wild Berry said and led Wright towards the saloon.
Inside the saloon multiple acts of profanity went on, stallions gambled, mares whored themselves out to paying stallions. At one poker table sat an extremely fat stallion, smoking a cigar as he held a pair of aces in his hooves. “I’ll bet on that… 300 bits” the fat stallion laughed as he put forth a large stack of bits. Another younger, more thinner, stallion pushed forth a large stack of bits “I call you” he replied and the fat stallion took a puff on his cigar. “Show you’re cards” the fat stallion laughed and the young stallion placed down the queen and ace of spades, resulting in a perfect flush. “Fuck you, this shit’s a cheater” the fat stallion yelled as he brought out his revolver and cocked the trigger. “Whoa Edgar calm down… it’s just a game” another stallion at the table exclaimed, at this point the saloon had become silent and every-pony looked towards Edgar.
“If it’s just a game then why’s this little bitch cheating” Edgar screamed, his cigar fell out of his mouth and burned the poker table. “Whoa, easy Edgar, listen we’ll re-deal if it’ll make you feel better” one of the ponies at the table offered and Edgar holstered his revolver and sat back down. “Fine, but the next som-bitch that cheats is getting a bullet in the head” Edgar threatened and picked his cigar up. A whore walked over to him and started rubbing around his lower region “Oh, what’s wrong Edgar… do you need Lemon Drop to make things better?” she asked in a seducing tone. Edgar punched her in the face “Shut up whore, I’m not interested” Edgar yelled and his brute force knocked the whore to the ground. She sat there and held a hoof to her face “Owe… Eddie that hurt” she pouted, “Shut up you whore” Edgar laughed.
“EDGARRRR” roared a voice, followed by an animalistic snarl. The entire saloon went quiet except Edgar, who stood up. “Who dares use that tone with me” Edgar yelled and the crowd moved away from where the voice had come from and there stood a lone stallion dressed in a duster coat and a desperado hat. The stallion tipped his hat up so the entire saloon could see his scruffy face, Wright hadn’t shaved in the longest of times and his beard had become quite long. “You think you’re some kinda wise guy?” Edgar scowled and Wright stepped forward “I challenge you to a duel, winner takes the farm lot” Wright challenged.
“Ha, why the hell would I accept those terms” Edgar laughed, “Well how’s bout it Edgar? Will you accept the duel or are you
A finely placed hole was made in his chest and blood immediately began to leak out, Edgar dropped his revolver and grabbed his chest and fell to the ground. Wright reloaded the single empty shell then placed the revolver back in its holster and looked to Wild Berry. Wright pointed to Wild Berry, “the farm belongs to him now and all the old workers have their jobs back, if Flim and Flam return tell them that Mercy is coming for them”
Wright sat on the cattle car as the train progressed on its course. He leaned his head back and tried to catch a moment’s rest. His mind subsided to the dream world but his dreams were disturbed with that of the day he lost the farm.
“Ah but you see you have to accept our challenge, it’s the law” Flam told him and they began to sing a rant. Wright leaned back to grab his double barrel. As he pointed the shotgun towards the 2 brothers his jaw dropped as the brothers stood in front of him with, Flam had a Model 29 .44 magnum “goodnight” Flam laughed and his eyes flashed red and the gun erupted in Flam’s hoof.
Wright jumped up and grabbed his Spas. He gasped but soon realized it was simply a dream and settled back down and let out a deep breath.
Elsewhere:
“Mr. Flam sir” said a young accountant pony, holding a letter in his hoof. Flam spun his office chair and looked to the accountant. “Yes, how may I help you today?” Flam asked in a charismatic voice, the accountant stepped forward and gently placed the letter on the table, trembling all the while. “What’s this? A love letter from a secret lover? A business contract, perhaps it’s a…” Flam stopped his rant as he read the letter
“WHAT” Flam screamed and the accountant flinched “Find out who did this, and when you do… kill him”.
* * *
The train came to a stop and it whistled, informing the passengers that they had reached their stop. Wright got off the train, this town he was in was relatively peaceful. Ponies seemed to walk about in fashion and without a care in the world. Wright hoped out of the cattle car and began to walk down the streets of the busy little town. “Red hots, get your red hot chili sandwiches” screamed a street vendor. The town was moving at a very rapid pace, no pony stayed in the same spot for more than a few minutes.
As Wright turned a corner he looked to see the next street bustling with ponies as well. Wright rolled his eyes and began walking around the town, he would have to be back to the train within an hour or he’d be left behind, though he didn’t really know where to find Flim and Flam. As Wright walked down the street a fast pacing mare bumped him. “Sorry Miss” Wright began but she began to have a fit. “Hey watch it cow-poke, why don’t you get back to the country side where you belong” she screamed, she wore a finely made dress and looked a little out of style, but her taste for fashion was undeniable, She was obviously rich. “Sorry ma’am, didn’t mean no offence” Wright apologized.
She scoffed “Well I do hope not, cause if you did well I’d just have to get my husband Rickety Smoke to put you six feet under” she threatened and Wright gave her a small smile and turned to leave, “Hey, don’t you forget it mister” she warned and Wright simply shook his hoof at her, like what a crazy old mare does to young misbehaving foals.
As Wright passed an alleyway a homeless pony held out a can “please sir, can you spare some change?” the homeless mare asked and Wright reached into his duster coat, however in doing so he accidently revealed his revolver. The homeless mare stepped back “Please sir, I didn’t mean nothing by it” she apologized as she fell to her knees and began to beg. “Please sir, don’t kill me, I have a colt and filly, I lost my farm and can’t support our family no more… please don’t kill me” she sobbed.
Wright stepped back in astonishment but bumped into a stallion. Wright spun around, only to see that a large crowd had gathered. “Do it, I ain’t seen one of these homeless bitches popped in a long time” the stallion laughed. “What? Why the fuck would I shoot her?” Wright asked and the stallion snickered. “Don’t play stupid, we all know your part of Mr. Smoke’s posse, the one who owns the cherry farm” the stallion inquired, Wright shook his head “Nope, ain’t one of them, just passing through town” Wright informed him and the stallion laughed and leaned over to him “well, you best not be slinging that gun around or you’ll end up six feet under” the stallion told him with a sneer and he turned to the group.
“A homeless has been chosen” he called out and the group expanded its size, the homeless mare began to sob even more. “WHAT?” Wright roared and the stallion laughed “You have to do it, or Smoke’s posse will come lookin for yah” the stallion laughed. “Please sir… please don’t do it… please I have children” the mare pleaded as she tugged on his duster coat, begging below Wright’s knees. Wright pulled away from her and the crowd began to chant “DO IT, DO IT, DO IT”. Wright snarled “WHAT THE FUCK IS WORNG WITH YOU PONIES… FUCK OFF RIGHT NOW” Wright roared and the crowd became silent.
Suddenly the crowd started shifting and a stallion and mare made their way through the crowd, both dressed in rancher outfits. “What’s this I hear bout some stallion selectin an not doin?” the mare asked as she rested her hoof on her Schofield model 3. Wright took a cautious step back. “Well, who done it?” the stallion asked and the group pointed to Wright, the stallion looked to him and stepped forward and snarled at Wright. “You think you’re some kinda comedian… selecting and not shooting… tell yah what, I’ll give yah one last chance to do right… or I’ll shoot you both” the stallion threatened and the other mare in rancher clothing laughed.
Memories of when Flim and Flam sneered in Wright’s face about his losing. It was almost as if the two ranchers were the Flim and Flam brothers. Wright snarled and shook his head “Fuck-you” Wright told the stallion.
The stallion chuckled and pulled out a Colt Python with a six inch barrel, it was a beautiful chrome finish and the gun had been well maintained. As the stallion brought the revolver up to Wright, Wright brought his hoof down on the stallion’s gun and broke his wrist, snapping the revolver up he quickly took aim on the mare rancher and pulled the trigger, the air was filled with the thunderous BOOM of the .357 magnum and the mare’s head exploded in a crimson of skull and brain matter. Wright threw and elbow into the stallion’s head and spun around and pointed the revolver at the stallion that now lay face down on the pavement.
“Get up… I said GET UP” Wright yelled and the stallion slowly got up. Wright walked over and slid the revolver into the stallion’s holster. “You and me… duel” Wright challenged and the stallion gulped “you can’t… my shooting hoof, you broke it… I’m technically unarmed” he whimpered and Wright laughed.
“Oh but only a second ago you were ready to kill that homeless mare” Wright snarled and the stallion stepped back in fear “please don’t kill me” the stallion begged and Wright took a step back. “It’s time for you to face the judge, I’m giving you a chance to save yourself, now do it” Wright snarled and the stallion began to cry. Wright took several steps back and flattened his hooves on the ground.
Cliché stuck the town as the entire town became entirely silent and a slow gust of wind blew through the town, blowing the bottom of Wright’s duster coat a little, making it sway in the wind, Wright’s desperado hat was tipped forward to cover most of his face, all he was missing was a ‘Make my day’ quote. The stallion wept and with a futile attempt tried to draw his revolver with his less dominant hoof. Like a quick gust of wind Wright snapped his revolver from its holster and the gun let out a terrifying BOOM.
The stallion stood there motionless, his Colt Python fell from his grip and he looked to his chest, a perfectly centered hole had been constructed in his chest that now bled profusely. The stallion looked up to Wright then collapsed on the ground as blood began to pool around him.
Wright walked forward and the entire town kept quiet, Wright picked up the Colt Python and ejected the empty shell and loaded a new one, then placed the gun in his coat pocket and turned to the crowd. “Piss off” Wright yelled and the crowd immediately scattered.
Wright turned to the homeless mare and helped her up. “Why?” she asked and Wright shrugged “Ain’t no-pony should be killed just for being homeless” he told her and she buried her face into his scruffy mane. “Uhm… you’re welcome?” Wright said with confusion in his voice. She took her teary face away from him “doesn’t do any good that you shot those ones, now the rest of the posse will be after you” she told him and he extended his hoof. “My name’s Wright, in case you were wondering” Wright said with a humoress tone, “Oh… I’m Cherry Jubilee, I used to run the cherry farm here in Dodge Junction before the brothers took it” Jubilee informed Wright. “Let me guess… Flim and Flam” Wright said, knowing the answer.
“Yes… how did you know?” she asked and they proceeded down the alleyway, away from the crime scene, “some long time ago I got scammed outta my farm and now I’m on the hunt for them” Wright told her. “Oh… well sorry to hear that. Yes well anyway, our community didn’t rely completely on cherries so when I was ousted from my farm and replaced by Smoke and his goons our community didn’t go into debt while we readjusted to their ways” she informed Wright.
Wright frowned “Where is he now?” Wright asked and Jubilee gave him a worried look “You aren’t seriously going to go after him are you?” she asked and Wright nodded
“There, in that building” Jubilee pointed, she had led them out to the old cherry farm. There were several ponies in rancher outfits armed with lever action rifles. “This day gets better by the minute” Wright chuckled and walked straight through the field, in plain sight. He was within 20 yards of the building when two ranchers approached him “What do you think you’re doing?” the one of the ranchers asked and Wright looked to him “didn’t you get the word already?” he asked and like a blurry flash Wright unslung the Spas 12 from his side, Wright stood up onto his hindlegs and with a blast of the deadly shotgun, filled the first rancher with hot burning lead.
“Oh fu…” was all the second rancher managed before Wright devastated his body with a blast of 00 buckshot. Blood erupted and the pony was knocked off his hooves and sent flying 7 yards into a cherry tree. Wright rushed to cover behind the small tree as gunfire erupted, Wright knew he only had so much time before his train left. He peeked out from the tree and lined a shot up on a pony shooting from a roof balcony.
Wright had left the stock folded and the Spas 12 kicked violently in his hooves, almost making him lose balance. More gunshots pounded into the tree, ponies were now shooting from inside the building, and Wright leaned out from the other side of the tree, and in semiautomatic, emptied the remaining 5 rounds into the building. The wood walls of the house were annihilated by the 00 buckshot and Wright hid behind the tree and reloaded the shotgun. Wright finished reloading and unfolded the metallic stock on the Spas 12.
He leaned out the side of the tree again and once again unloaded all 8 rounds into the building. He once again sought cover behind the tree but suddenly rapid fire began to punish the tree and Wright fell to the ground, just as rounds tore through the tree.
Wright reloaded the shotgun and looked to the house, from the top balcony a lone muzzle flash erupted and automatic fire sprayed the ground below relentlessly. Wright took close aim and fired off 3 rounds in quick succession. The muzzle flash in the window stopped and Wright turned his firepower to the bottom floor and emptied the remaining 5 rounds into the building.
After reloading 8 rounds into the shotgun, Wright folded the stock and stood up onto his hindlegs and walked towards the building. Nothing happened, not a single gunshot, nor cry of pain was heard as Wright stepped onto the porch of the building. Wright attempted to open the front door but it was locked, he stepped back and opened fire into the wooden door, the door was torn to pieces. Cries of pain could be heard from inside as wooden splinters and hot lead filled the air.
Wright took cover against the wall and reloaded the shotgun. Wright took a deep breath the swung around and kicked the flimsy doors open, they didn’t really open they simply fell to the ground and Wright scanned the building. Nothing moved, everything was either dead or eviscerated, he heard moaning from upstairs.
Wright rushed up the stairs and saw a lone pony crawling along the floor, holding a M1928 Thompson with a drum magazine and fore grip. A trail of blood followed him from the room that the auto fire had come from. Wright walked up to the pony and knelt beside him and brought out the Colt Python he had taken from the stallion in town. The bloodied stallion attempted to raise the Thompson but Wright stomped his hoof to the floor and the pony let out a gasp of pain and Wright brought the revolver to his head “I am Mercy”
Later at another location:
“Mr. Flam?” said a shaky voice and Flam spun around in his office chair to see his visitor, it was the same accountant that had brought him the news about Edgar’s death. “Ah, yes… I suppose you’re here to tell me that our little pest has been disposed of” Flam said with utmost triumph in his voice. The accountant stepped forward cautiously and handed him another letter, Flam smiled as he opened it but his smile soon turned into an enraged look of anger and Flam screamed “WHAT”
On a train:
Wright leaned his head back as he felt the cool breeze flow through his hair, the night felt good to him and the moon was in full bloom. He rested the Spas 12 against his chest, he now felt the weight of a new additional gun, the Colt Python he had received from Dodge Junction, resting in a chest holster and hidden by his duster coat. He let his mind succumb to exhaustion and quickly fell asleep.
His mind was flooded with memories from the day he lost his farm, most of them being just a haze. Suddenly he found himself in a forest, much like that of the Everfree but it was very well lit, but lit with a reddish haze. The trees were distorted and looked as if they had spooky faces, suddenly the forest lit ablaze and Wright felt as if his fur was being burned by the flames, suddenly the two brothers known as Flim and Flam appeared before him.
“Well, now that you’ve found us what are you really going to do?” Flim laughed and Wright snarled as he brought out his
“I will be the most powerful unicorn of all time” she laughed, Wright stepped back and readied his revolver for a second serving of lead but suddenly the revolver was tugged from his grasp and the gun turned to him, covered in a blue aurora. “Looks like we win again, this time the price is your life” Flam cackled and the gun went off. Time itself seemed to slow as the gun barrel erupted in a spectacular motion and the muzzle burst with flames and a single bullet projected out the front of the barrel and struck Wright in the forehead.
“GAH” Wright gasped as he once again literally lept up from his sleep, grasping his Spas tightly. He realized that it was simply another nightmare and he rested back down against the wall and let out a deep breath. His grip loosened on the shotgun but only ever so slightly as he leaned his head back against the wall once more.
In the royal Canterlot castle:
A lone guard ran up to Celestia, “Ma’am, if you would follow me, it is an urgent matter” the guard explained and Celestia immediately got up from her throne and followed the guard towards a large war room, where several other guards were typing away furiously at computer terminals. “What is the problem you speak of?” she asked and the guard turned to her. “Maybe you should speak with Shining Armour ma’am” the guard told him and from across the room trotted the captain of the royal guard.
Celestia trotted forward and met Shining in the middle of the room “What appears to be the problem captain?” Celestia asked and Shining Armour looked to her with a serious look. “You remember all the farms that the Flim and Flam brothers have taken over?” Shining asked and Celestia rolled her eyes “Please don’t remind me, the fact that 2 brothers somehow legally own the vast majority of farms across Equestria disturbs me greatly” Celestia groaned and Shining Armour took a gulp “Some-pony has been going town to town and killing the bosses at each farm and giving the farm back to the original owner” Shining informed her. “What?” Celestia gasped “Do my ears deceive me or did you just say what I thought you said?” Celestia asked and Shining nodded.
“On top of that it would seem that our old friend Sergeant Mercy is the one doing it, or rather just Mercy” Shining said. Celestia took a step forward to her most trusted guard “Is he doing it justly?” she asked with curiosity in her voice and Shining nodded “As far as the reports go yes, but Flim and Flam demand that his rampage be brought to a stop, they have good reason to as well, he isn’t a soldier anymore. He’s just a civilian and with that noted he is technically breaking the law” Shining told her and she let out a sigh “Where is he now?” Celestia asked and Shining Armour let out a deep sigh. “We actually were going to ask you if you knew, we have no idea how to find him” Shining Armour told the princess. She stepped forward to one of the monitors and muttered “Follow the bodies”
Wright awoke again to the sound of the train’s whistle. He slung his Spas tightly to his chest and concealed it as he hoped off the train and looked around at the small town. The town was a lot less busy than the last but didn’t have that terrible feeling like the first, but somewhere in this town he knew that the Flim and Flam brothers had taken over.
He paced down the sidewalks briskly looking for a farmer or homeless pony. He wasn’t so lucky to just stumble upon one like he had the first 2 towns. He continued around the town but was unable to find any of the 2 types of ponies he was looking for. He sighed and walked into the local saloon, it wasn’t overly packed but there was a small crowd. He sat in the corner and began eaves drop on conversations, trying to pick up something that might help him out.
Among the conversations were mostly just simply tales about a handful of mares that constantly did good in Equestria or about dragons and wild creatures, even some about mystic adventures to another world were bipedal creatures ruled their world and had strange limbs with things called fingers.
Wright chuckled to himself but then he heard one particular outburst that caught his attention “I tell you I was the best damn farmer in the county and those sons of bitches Flim and Flam scammed me outta my farm” the voice yelled. Another voice yelled out “shut up you old coot”, “I tell you I was” the other voice began but he was cut off and Wright watched as several ponies grabbed the elderly stallion and tossed him out the door. “No-pony cares bout your stupid farm stories” yelled one of the stallions that had tossed him onto the street.
Wright stood and went out a side door then proceeded to the front of the saloon where the elderly stallion had been tossed out. Wright kneeled down next to him “You alright gramps?” Wright asked and the elderly stallion looked up to him, “course ah ain’t alright, them damned brothers scammed me outta muh farm” he coughed and Wright helped him up. The elderly stallion brushed himself off “But these buffoons don’t care, as long as they get their drink at the end of the day it doesn’t matter if our farmland gets taken away” the elderly stallion said and Wright snarled, he couldn’t believe ponies would just sit there and watch as their land was taken by two scamming rats.
“Where are the bosses?” Wright asked and the elderly stallion shrugged “Don’t know, only met em when they took the farm, the guys that run the place now are over at Tanner’s ranch… by the way ah’m Tanner, Tanner Jr.” he said introducing himself. Wright shook his hoof and nodded “Can you show me where, I have a bone to pick with them” Wright asked, “fixin tah show em a lesson ah reckon?” Tanner asked and Wright nodded his head.
“Well in that case let’s go back tah muh place first, got me some stuff ah wanted tah say tah them… but never had the guts tah do it alone” Tanner told Wright and he shrugged, ‘a little help couldn’t hurt’ he thought to himself and followed Tanner as he walked towards his home.
Tanner brought him across the town and to a more rundown area of town. Wright was half expecting a rundown house but didn’t exactly expect for Tanner to be living in an alleyway in a cardboard box. “You… live here?” Wright asked with pity in his voice, “don’t worry yourself none, ain’t got nowhere better tah go… now where did ah put that fuckin thing… ah here it is” Tanner said as he pulled out a sawn-off double barrel shotgun. He slung it around his back and nodded to him “Let’s go pay Mr. Romeo a visit” Tanner said and Wright looked to him “his name is Romeo?” Wright asked and Tanner nodded.
Tanner led Wright out of the town and into a large meadow field, Wright sighed “don’t suppose your farm is invisible?” Wright said with sarcasm in his voice and Tanner chuckled “Nah, it’s that farm over there see it?” Tanner replied as he pointed to a barn in the distance, there was no cover and no vantage points.
Wright looked to Tanner “Follow my lead” he ordered Tanner who nodded. As they got within 50 yards of the building 5 ponies rushed out, bolt action and lever action rifles drawn, “HALT” yelled one of the ponies. “What the hell do you think you’re doing on Flim and Flam property?” yelled another, “What do I think I’m doing… what do I think I’m doing? Hasn’t your boss told you that Flim and Flam were sending a messenger to Romeo?” Wright asked with irritation in his voice.
Tanner took a very quick glance to Wright and decided to play along. “No” one of the armed ponies said, keeping his rifle trained on the duo, “You had better not have simply forgotten and pray to Celestia that the message simply hadn’t reached Romeo or by goddess I’ll ring your neck for incompetence” Wright threatened and each of the ponies gave each other a quick glance.
“Follow us, and don’t try anything stupid” one of the ponies said and brought them into the farm building. It was rather small and obviously a dwelling at one time but it was somewhat fancy. They brought Tanner and Wright upstairs to a single room where a finely dressed pony sat in an office chair smoking a cigarette.
He looked to the duo and with his cigarette in his hoof pointed to Tanner and Wright “Who the fuck are these clowns? They look like something out of a Broadway act” the stallion, who Wright assumed was Romeo, asked. “Boss they said you received a message from F&F about a messenger with some very important details, and they’re the messengers” one of the ponies said, Romeo gave them a cold look.
“You idiots if F&F wanted to tell me something then they would’ve just called me on the cell” Romeo said and the ponies brought up their guns on Tanner and Wright. “No, they couldn’t because they were afraid that Celestia might have had their phones bugged and they couldn’t get a secure line” Wright told him and Romeo’s look changed to that of curiosity “Oh is that so, well please indulge me on the situation” Romeo said and Tanner and Wright took a seat at his desk, directly across from him.
“You can leave now” Romeo told the other ponies who left quickly and closed the door behind them. “So Mr.?” Romeo asked and Wright answered him “Bell and Waves” Wright lied and Romeo chuckled “yeah guess it’s best I don’t know your real names” he laughed and pulled out his cell phone “listen, just to be on the safe side I need to call F&F… just to be sure. You understand right?” Romeo said as he placed an M1911a1 on the table. Tanner eyed the pistol.
Wright leaned back “Well whatever, I get paid by the hour so more for me right” Wright told Romeo with confidence in his voice. Romeo dialed a number and the phone rang for a moment then Romeo began to talk “Trixie? It’s Romeo… yeah I know Great and Powerful… Listen I don’t care right now it’s more important than you’re stupid nickname… yes it is because I got 2 clowns here calling themselves Waves and Bell… did you send them?... Well then put Flam on the phone” Romeo told her and looked to Wright and Tanner “Mares eh?”.
Romeo once again began talking on the cell phone “Flam?... yeah it’s Romeo listen I got these guys here said you sent them… I don’t know they said you needed to tell me something you couldn’t tell me over the phone… okay right sorry for bothering you just wanted to make sure” Romeo finished his conversation. “That clear things up?” Tanner asked and Romeo smiled “Yes many things” Romeo said as he set his phone down, but just as he did Wright flipped the table and a shotgun hidden underneath the desk went off, putting a large hole in the roof.
“What the fuck” Tanner yelled as he jumped out of his seat and unslung his sawn-off. “Could see it in his eyes, no-pony smart puts their only gun on the table without holding it, I knew that he had a gun under the desk. Never took his hoof away from it” Wright told him but suddenly Romeo was getting up. Like a flash of lightning Wright unslung his Spas 12 and pumped a load of buckshot into Romeo’s chest, blood erupted in a crimson as his chest was torn to shreds and his body was hurled through the room’s window and he fell to the ground, Wright grabbed his cell phone hoping that maybe he could get information off of it.
Several ponies burst through the doorway behind them but Tanner let off both barrels of his shotgun and the group was torn to pieces, ponies that weren’t killed by the blast were buried underneath the bodies that were tossed onto them. Wright turned to see several ponies rushing up the stairs and began to unload his Spas into them.
Ponies twisted and turned as the shotgun relentlessly pounded them with 00 buckshot. One of the ponies fell sideways and broke the railing and fell to the floor below with a THUMP. Wright dashed up beside the wall of the bedroom and reloaded, Tanner spent no time in replacing the spent shells with 2 fresh ones. There was shouting outside and gunfire tore through the bottom floor, they obviously thought that they were downstairs. Wright peeked out the window to see that in the confusion that the ponies downstairs had been fired on by accident by the ponies outside and now they were killing each other.
“Let’s keep it that way” Wright told Tanner who nodded. They crept along the staircase, with all the noise produced by the firearms it was easy to sneak past the occupied ponies. “HEY ASSHOLES I GOT SOMETHING FOR YAH” yelled a voice from outside and Wright looked, only to see a horrifying sight. A couple of ponies had gotten a hold of RPG-7s and were now aiming at the building.
“Fire” yelled the one pony and several ponies fired their RPGs. The 85mm explosive tipped rounds devastated the small household and the beams that held the house up collapsed. “Alright, time to scan the area for hostiles see if there’s any left, maybe some of them escaped through a back door or something” ordered the one pony. The small group consisting of a simple 12 ponies got up from their stances, discarding the RPGs and pulling out submachine guns.
Suddenly a hatch opened up and 2 ponies burst from the hatches and opened fire on the remaining group.
Moments earlier:
“Fuck” Wright yelled but Tanner pulled him into a small cupboard below the sink. He opened a secret hatch and they both lept down into the hatch. They raced along the darkened tunnel and felt the vibrations and they knew that the house had been destroyed. “Bastards, that house has been here for 6 generations” Tanner muttered as they reached the end of the tunnel. They listened, “Alright, time to scan the area for hostiles see if there’s any left, maybe some of them escaped through a back door or something” one of the ponies yelled and Wright nodded, they both burst through the hatch, leaping to their hindlegs they started unloading on the group.
Wright’s shotgun thundered in hooves as he chopped down several ponies, only a single blast came from Tanner’s shotgun as he let off both barrels. There was still 3 ponies left however when Wright’s Spas ran dry, he let the shotgun fall and it slung around his foreleg and with lightning reflexes he drew out one of his custom revolvers.
He shot 2 ponies in the head and their exploding blood blinded the 3rd pony, Wright shifted his aim from up high to the pony’s kneecaps and popped of another round. The .357 magnum round shattered the pony’s knee and ripped off his foreleg, he screamed in agony as he fell to the ground. Tanner finished reloading his shotgun and went to finish the job but Wright stopped him “No, I need him” Wright told Tanner and approached the injured stallion and knelt beside him and pulled out the phone, hitting redial.
The phone rang and Flim picked up the phone “Hello?” he asked and Wright pointed the revolver at the stallions face “Talk” he whispered to the stallion. “Hello? Romeo?” Flim asked, “I SAID TALK” Wright roared and pressed his knee down on the stump of a limb that was left on the stallion’s foreleg. He screamed out in pain and agony and a voice could be heard gasping from the other end of the phone line “Romeo what’s happening?” Flim asked and Wright placed the phone beside the stallion’s head “TALK” Wright yelled and the stallion grunted into the phone.
“Flim… it’s him man… that stallion… he’s coming for us all” the stallion groaned and Flim could be heard gasping. “Oh my Celestia what has he done?” Flim asked and the stallion grunted a response “he’s killed us man”. Wright brought the phone up to his own ear “I’m coming for you, you stupid son of a bitch… and that mare Trixie as well” Wright snarled into the phone then placed it back at the stallion’s ear “tell him this is what’s coming” Wright ordered the stallion. “Flim… this is what’s coming” the stallion said in fear and Wright brought the revolver down and placed in in his mouth and pulled the trigger, blood splattered everywhere and got all over Wright.
Wright got up and wiped the blood off his face and nodded to Tanner “Looks like you got your farm back… oh shit” Wright yelled as he looked into the distance and saw his train departing in the distance. “What’s the matter… miss your train… I think I got just the thing tah get yah there, follow me” Tanner said and led Wright over to a barn and slid the door open. There was a tarp over an object and Tanner walked over to it. “Was muh daddies but ah guess that since yah got me muh farm back ah owe yah one so guess this will make up fer it” Tanner replied as he pulled the tarp off of the object.
That object was a Harley Davidson Heritage with a softtail suspension kit and no windshield, it also had saddle bags on the back. “What… what… how do you have one of these?” Wright asked and Tanner chuckled “guess they didn’t take it when they took over the farm, now go catch your train” Tanner laughed and Wright hoped on the chopper. This particular model had an electric start making ignition much easy than the classic kick start. The Harley rumbled to life and Wright peeled out as he took off towards the train.
Wright lay back against the wall of the cattle car, he had hit a slight slope and used it like a jump to land the Harley inside the cattle car, which was now parked on the other side of the cattle car. Lucky his that there was a rifle boot, basically a holster for rifles on a motorcycle, which is where he currently had his Spas holstered. He leaned his head back and drifted off into his dreams.
His dreams were once again disturbed by the memories of the day he lost his farm. “Ah but you see you have to accept our challenge, it’s the law” Flam told him and they began to sing a rant. Wright snarled and began to pull out his double barrel but unlike what really happened Trixie hurled a bottle of Molotov at his house and the house burst into flames. Several burning beams of word landed on him and he was pinned underneath the burning debris. “Help me” Wright called out to the ponies in the crowd, once his faithful friends that had bought lemonade from him, now turned their backs to him.
Pain seared through his body as he felt the burning debris burn his skin. He let out a pained holler and through the tears that now blurred his vision he saw the Flim and Flam brothers laughing together and pointing at Wright. Wright let out a terrifying roar and burst from the confines of the burning debris, Flim let out a high pitch scream as Wright unholstered his custom revolver and plugged a .357 magnum round into his skull, his head exploded in a burst of skull and brain pieces which landed on his brother. Wright tackled Flam to the ground. Tossing his revolver away Wright began to punch Flam in face, breaking his nose and bruising his eye and cutting open his lip.
Suddenly a dark blue aurora encased Wright and he was torn off from Flam, “shit Trixie” Wright swore to himself but rather than the magician mare, an alicorn with a deep blue, almost transparent, flowing mane stepped forward. Her fur was dark navy blue and she was kind of cute, but Wright was too enraged to care.
With tremendous strength and defiance he unholstered his second revolver and pointed it directly at Luna’s head. “Please don’t” she said calmly and it was almost as if her words calmed Wright. She released him from her spell and he fell to the ground, he landed on his hooves and realized that time had seemed to stop. “We know that you seek revenge from the brothers of Flim and Flam but be warned, do not under estimate the blue magician known as Trixie. She may seem like a simple trickster but she is very powerful and should be regarded as so” Luna warned Wright picked up both his pistols.
“Guess you’re here to tell me not to kill them right?” Wright asked and she looked off into the distance of the dream world, “Our sister would have us tell you to stop but we know that you’re true of heart and however harsh your actions may be your cause is true, we see that better than any-pony” Luna told him and Wright scrunched his nose.
“What’s with the we thing?” Wright asked and Luna took an embarrassed step back “We apologize for the un-comfortableness that our speech brings you” She apologized and Wright stepped forward “Nah, it’s kind of… unique, I like that” Wright said with a wink and Luna blushed. “We… I was once nightmare moon and when… I was separated it was like we weren’t completely separated and sometimes it is almost like she is still here with us” Luna informed Wright who took a bold step forward and wrapped his foreleg around her neck.
Looking into her eyes he asked “so… what do you think I should do?” Wright asked and she returned his gaze, “We…I believe you should follow your heart, it will lead you to the right choices” Luna told him and he nodded and took his foreleg off her and walked over to Trixie. “So how do I beat her is the question” Wright said aloud and suddenly a vision blurred through his mind.
“To all land owners selling market goods, if you are challenged to a competition duel for most quality and quantity production for land rights the owner must accept these terms, signed Princess Celestia” Trixie said outloud so every-pony could hear. “That’s it” Wright exclaimed and hoped up on the train thing.
“What is it?” Luna asked and Wright grabbed the scroll, he brought it down to Luna. “They forged the princess’s signature, that’s royal forgery… isn’t that a massive offence?” Wright asked and Luna nodded. “Then this is our ticket” Wright said and smiled to Luna. She stepped forward to look at the scroll, she had a beautiful aroma that filled Wright’s nose and made him feel rather at ease. “This could work… uhm are you okay?” Luna asked, taking notice of Wright’s gaze and Wright shook off the feeling “Yeah, yeah… I’m fine, well Luna looks like this is it eh?” Wright asked and she nodded “indeed, may someday our paths cross again, but in better times” she said and Wright took one last daring move and leaned forward and kissed the princess on the cheek.
Luna blushed, “May we ask why you did that?” Luna asked and Wright chuckled “Well you said follow your heart and besides this is a dream you’re not really here right” Wright chuckled but she blushed. “Oh… eh well at least I’m following my heart and besides I guess I owe yah one” Wright laughed but suddenly the dream started fading away, Wright’s mind faded out and the last words he heard from Luna were “you will soon face your greatest fears”, whatever that meant.
Wright awoke rather peacefully and saw a small town come up over the horizon, he got up and stretched and figured best to be ready to depart as soon as he could. He remembered the scroll and reached into his coat pocket and grabbed the cell phone he had taken from Romeo, though it had been covered in blood he had taken it anyway. He dialed the number for Celestia, the phone rang for a moment then a pony picked up. “Royal castle, how may I” a voice on the other end began but Wright cut him off “Just put Celestia on the line” Wright barked and the voice stayed silent for a moment. “May I ask who’s speaking?” the voice asked and Wright rolled his eyes “just tell her it’s him and she’ll know who it is” Wright ordered.
The pony on the other line raced to Celestia who had spent the last 7 hours sleepless trying to figure out where Wright may be headed next. He handed her the phone, “Who is it?” Celestia asked and the guard stepped back “It’s him” he replied and Celestia brought the phone up to her ear “Wright?” she asked. There was a moment pause “Celestia they forged your signature” Wright told her.
Celestia was taken back by the comment “What?” she asked curiously and Wright rolled his eyes “In the scroll that they bring with them they forged your signature to make it look like you made it mandatory to accept their challenges” Wright told her and she gasped. “Listen, Wright… that is royal for forgery and with that evidence we can bring them to court and charge them with a federal crime, but to do that you cannot under any circumstances harm them do you understand?” Celestia ordered him.
Wright looked out the cattle car door and saw the small town coming over the horizon. He tossed the cell phone out the cattle car door as his answer to her. “Shit” Celestia yelled and pointed to one of the guards “trace that call” she ordered, “We’re already on it ma’am” a guard replied.
Wright sat on the Harley and started it up, the chopper was easily faster than the train and he had to hurry up and find the brothers before Celestia stopped him, her brand of justice may be justifiable but it didn’t make up for what they did. Wright revved the chopper then squealed the back tire and let go of the brakes. The chopper flew out the cattle car and onto a dirt trail, he raced the chopper into the town.
The town was somewhat like the last town except that nearly no-pony in town wore any clothes. Wright paced through town at a slow rate, the chopper idling with a low rumble. Ponies gave him strange looks, obviously he stood out like a sore hoof. He parked the chopper in the center of town by a large building and walked inside, he looked to a secretary “I need to see the mayor” he ordered and the secretary pointed to a pony talking to a cross eyed grey Pegasus mare.
Wright walked up to the cross eyed Pegasus, assuming she was the mayor, “Ms. Mayor, uhm I need your help” Wright told her and the cross eyed Pegasus laughed “Silly I’m not the mayor, I’m Derpy” she said and reached down to his hoof and began to shake it rather erratically. Wright scrunched his nose “Oh sorry I thought you were the” Wright began but the other mare piped up “I am the mayor, how may I help you?” she asked and Wright turned to her. “Uhm a question of history, have the Flim and Flam brothers came through your town before?” Wright asked, “Why yes, in fact they went to Sweet apple acres and” she began but Wright cut her off “Where is the farm?” Wright asked. “Well go out the western road and it’ll be at the end of the road” the mayor informed him. Wright nodded “Thanks mayor… see yah later Derpy” Wright said, ‘Wonder just how she got that name in the first place anyway?’ he thought to himself.
He lept onto his motorcycle and Derpy came rushing out as Wright started the Harley. “Hey wait Mr.” she called out and Wright put his hindleg down to balance the chopper. “What’s up?” Wright asked and Derpy rushed up to him. “I need to deliver a letter to that farm, do you think that you could drive me out there? I’m not the best flyer” Derpy asked politely. ‘Oh man, was this Pegasus a messenger telling this farm to be ready for me… wait if I drive with her then I could easily sneak in undetected’ Wright thought to himself and nodded.
“Yippee” Derpy cheered and hoped on the back of the chopper. Suddenly Derpy began to place an object on Wright’s head, “What are you… what is this” Wright asked as he realized Derpy had placed a helmet on his head. “Safety first, it’s why my eyes are crazy, because I wasn’t wearing my helmet when I crashed so I always tell ponies to wear a helmet” she informed him and Wright shook his head. She wrapped her forelegs around his chest and Wright let out a quiet sigh of discomfort, he hopped that this wouldn’t take long because this mare was really creeping him out.
Wright raced down the dirt path, the chopper bounced along the trail but thanks to the customized suspension the bumps and hard terrain were hardly noticeable. He saw a farm coming up on the horizon and Derpy pointed “That’s it there” she commented and Wright nodded.
He pulled up to the barn where a large red stallion and an orange mare where pitchforking hay. They stopped their work at the sound of the rumbling Harley and looked to Wright and Derpy. Wright parked the Harley and Derpy lept off the chopper and ran to the orange mare “Applejack I brought you your mail” she exclaimed and the Applejack nodded in appreciation.
“Who’s yer friend Derpy, ah never seen him before?” Applejack asked as Wright removed his helmet and walked over to the trio, he didn’t really mind Derpy, she was a little strange, but he hopped that she wasn’t involved in this somehow. Wright approached them, Applejack extended her hoof “Name’s Applejack friend, nice tah meet yah” she said with a charismatic smile, Wright’s face was blunt and expressionless. Applejack took her hoof back “Not the sociable type huh?” she chuckled and Wright asked in a blunt voice “Who’s in charge here?”
Applejack shrugged “Well we all pitch in but ah guess Granny Smith runs things, but ah am the one that usually gives out the chores fer the morning” Applejack informed him and Wright nodded “So you’re like the foreman?” Wright asked seriously. Applejack shrugged “Well ah guess yah could put it that way” she replied thinking to herself.
Wright stood up onto his hindlegs and reached into his duster coat and unholstered the Colt Python .357 magnum, “Than I’ll start with you first” he said with a snarl, the large red stallion charged him. He was bulking and fairly muscular but Wright was simply more talented and slid down and spun his hindleg, tripping the big red stallion, who fell onto his back with a THUD. Wright regained his footing and brought the revolver’s barrel up to Applejack’s forehead, her green eyes filled with fear. Wright snarled thinking to himself that this was another of Flim and Flam’s henchman, “You’re a stupid…”
Her eyes began to tear up but Wright’s mind wouldn’t be changed, this pony whether she was a mare or not, was part of the Flim and Flam’s organization, or so he thought. Wright cocked the hammer back on the Colt Python and Applejack closed her eyes, tears streamed down her face when suddenly a figure tackled Wright with extreme speed, knocking Wright to the ground and making him loose his grip on the Colt revolver.
He spun up to see Derpy, with an extremely pissed look on her face. Wright spit on the ground “I was hoping you weren’t part of Flim and Flam’s organization Derpy but if you are then I have to kill you as well” Wright called out and Applejack gasped “Wait what’re yah” she began but suddenly a flash of rainbow coloured blur streaked past and lifted Applejack to safety. Wright turned to see a cyan coloured Pegasus with a rainbow coloured tail and mane. Wright snarled, ‘just how many of them are there exactly’ Wright wondered to himself as he pulled out his Spas 12.
As he began to line up a bead on the rainbow coloured mare she zipped strait towards him, tackling him through the barn wall. “AJ, get Applebloom and Big Mac to safety, Derpy get back, I’ll handle this guy” the rainbow coloured Pegasus yelled out, suddenly she zipped through the roof. Wright looked up, she had flown incredibly high into the air and was now flying back down towards the barn. “Meet the sonic rainboom” she yelled out and Wright’s eyes went wide as he tried to cover his face with his forelegs.
The rainbow coloured broke the sound barrier as she fly into the barn, a mushroom cloud with rainbow colours erupted and the barn was annihilated into millions of pieces. Smoke obstructed the view of the barn and Rainbow Dash stepped out of the smoke, dusting off his wings. She trotted up to Applejack, “That sure was a close call, lucky I showed up when I did” Rainbow Dash said with triumph in her voice.
Suddenly Wright burst from the smoke, he had minor cuts on his face and forelegs but other than that he was uninjured. However his duster coat had taken a severe punishment and was now tattered. He pulled the broken sunglasses off his face “Those were my glasses” he snarled as he tackled Rainbow Dash to the ground and smashed the grip his custom revolver against her head, now dazed from the blow she was unable to fight back. Wright stood up onto his hindlegs and holding Rainbow Dash in with his left hoof and his revolver with his right he placed the revolver up to her head.
“Time to meet the real sonic boom” Wright snarled. Suddenly there was a thunderous BOOM and Wright was literally taken off his hooves and sent careening through the air. Sliding along the ground he felt a sharp pain in his side and realized he had just taken a load of rock salt. Subsiding the pain he quickly stood up and leveled his Spas 12 at the group.
“Applebloom, get outta the way” said an elderly voice, Wright turned his attention to an old granny that was wielding an old double barrel shotgun. Applebloom turned to the elderly mare “No granny, ah won’t let no-pony die today” Applebloom told the granny. “Kid get down, these ponies work for Flim and Flam, they take ponies farm’s and kill homeless ponies” Wright yelled. This comment resulted in a gasp of confusion from the entire group, “Wait what?” Rainbow Dash gasped, “You heard me and you know what I’m talking about, you’re a bunch of goons hired by Flim and Flam to control the farm while they sit their office building” Wright snarled.
“Whoa nelly, hold yer horses their hotshot, thinkin yah got yer information mixed up” Applejack replied and Wright looked to her. “Prove it” Wright snarled, Applejack rolled her eyes “Well some long time ago Granny Smith and her father came into what is now known as Ponyville and set up a small farm, later when business blossomed they built what you see here before you” Applejack informed Wright. Wright let out a sigh of guilt. “Sorry I didn’t know, every town I’ve gone to Flim and Flam have taken over and I just thought that this town was no different” Wright apologized, “Well yah shouldn’t just go assuming” Applejack laughed.
Wright began to lower the Spas, “Didn’t just go assuming, asked the mayor and she told me that Flim and Flam had been to the farm” Wright explained and Applejack let out a hearty laugh. “Yeah, they had been here but we sent em packin… right RD” Applejack said with a wink. “Right got it AJ” she said and zipped towards Wright, “No RD I meant” Applejack yelled out but it was too late for the Pegasus to change her course, she was going to drive her hooves right into his chest at high speeds, probably breaking most of the bones in his body.
Wright snarled and like a flash of lightning swung the Spas 12’s handle forward in a striking motion, connecting at the very perfect moment. The handle of the shotgun collided with Rainbow Dash’s nose and she lost her momentum and was slammed into the ground. Blood gushed from her nose which was smashed sideways, it was obviously broken, Wright leveled the shotgun at her head “You’re stupid” he snarled and once again the entire situation resulted in a standoff between Wright and Granny Smith as they leveled their shotguns at each other.
In one fluid motion he kneeled down on Rainbow Dash, his right knee resting on her chest so she couldn’t move, and took aim on Granny Smith. “ALRIGHT ENOUGH” bellowed a tremendous voice. Wright looked to the voice’s origin to see it had come from the large red stallion, “You” Big Mac ordered, pointing to Wright “Put down your gun, and Granny put down your blasted shotgun” he ordered. Granny Smith laid down her shotgun and Wright followed suit but he never took his hoof off his revolver’s handle, keeping ready just in case this was another trap.
“Explain tah me how exactly yah think it is” Big Mac asked and Wright brought his knee off of Rainbow Dash’s chest, she gasped heavily and took in deep breaths of air. Wright fell back to all fours so that he was more balanced, but quickly moved his right hoof to his revolver again. “You’re all henchman hired by Flim and Flam, just like every other town, mayor even told me that Flim and Flam had been here” Wright explained. “So what’re yah doin, killin every-pony that’s involved?” Big Mac asked making it sound like it was unjustifiable. “Precisely, I kill the henchmen and give the farms back to the original owners” Wright told him and Big Mac took a gulp.
Applejack stepped forward “Sorry bout muh friend’s bashful behaviour, guess she thought ah was tellin her tah attack yah” Applejack apologized. “Deadly mistake… listen I’m sorry that I almost killed you all… minus the filly” Wright said and Applebloom interjected “Well if yer goin around killin every-pony why didn’t yah just shoot me dead?” she asked with fear in her voice. “As cold as I may seem, I’m not ruthless… I have morals and I would never kill a foal” Wright explained and Rainbow Dash staggered up, flinching a little in pain, she let out a pained howl as she cracked her nose back into place.
Wright picked up his shotgun slowly and slung it back around his chest “Well I best be getting on then, sorry for the mishap” Wright said. “You owe me one” Rainbow Dash said, he voice was kind of distorted because her nose was broken, “Then yah shouldn’t have charged me… for a second time” Wright chuckled. He began to start his bike but realized that he still had no idea where Flim and Flam were hiding out. He put down the kickstand and got back off the Harley, Derpy gave him a strange look… wait no that was just the look she always had.
“Don’t suppose you know where Flim and Flam are hiding do yah?” Wright asked and Derpy raised her hoof “Oh I do… I can show you to” she began but Applejack covered Derpy’s mouth with her hoof “On one condition” Applejack said. “Oh boy… I wonder what it could be. I love surprises” Wright asked with sarcasm in his voice. Applejack pointed to the destroyed barn. “Well, we’re gonna need some-ponies tah help us out and if yah really are sorry yah’ll help us fix the barn… then we’ll tell yah bout Flim and Flam” Applejack offered.
Wright looked at the barn, it was pretty much just a heap of rubble now. Wright sighed “Alright deal”
After an hour of cleaning up, multiple other ponies showed up to help and they were introduced to Wright. There was Pinkie Pie, she was erratic and jumpy and very energetic and able to keep working for a vast amount of time. Then there was Rarity, more of a fashion designer than that of a worker but she contributed lots of building materials. There was Twilight, who used her magic to heal Rainbow Dash’s broken nose and she was also able to use her magic to make repairs on the broken barn. Finally there was Fluttershy, like her name would imply she was very timid and didn’t like to spend too much time around Wright unless she had to, something about his appearance made her want to shrivel up into a fetal position and whimper.
After many long hours the barn was finished, Wright stepped back. It was late and the sun was starting to set. A bell rang and the group looked to the house where the ring had come from, “Dinner’s ready” called out Granny Smith. “Alright I’m starved” Rainbow Dash said as she zipped towards the house. The group began to depart, all except Wright. Derpy noticed that he wasn’t coming inside and called out to him “Hey Wright ain’t yah coming inside for some food?” Derpy asked and Wright looked away from the group as they turned to him.
Applejack trotted up “Hey don’t worry yourself none sugar cube, what’s past is past and besides Granny even cooked some for you too” Applejack said with an enthusiastic tone. “You promised to tell me where Flim and Flam where if I helped you… so where are they” Wright asked and Applejack chuckled “Well now ah reckon ah can’t remember on an empty stomach so ah’ll have tah eat first tah jog muh memory so why don’t yah come in and join us” She offered.
Wright grunted and turned away “I’m not hungry” he grumbled. “Oh… okay ah’ll just…” Applejack trailed off her sentence in a seemingly saddened tone. She stood there for a moment and Wright gave her a glance that made her blood run cold and she turned to her friends, and as she made her way into the house she shuddered. “How could any-pony be so cold” Rarity exclaimed, “ah don’t know Rarity… ah just don’t know” Applejack replied and they all sat down for dinner.
Outside Wright looked to the sky as the moon came into full bloom, stars illuminated the sky alongside the moon. It was so bright out that a pony wouldn’t need an artificial source of light to see. Wright rolled Harley towards the barn and parked it beside a wall and Wright leaned up against the wall and sat down, letting out a deep sigh of exhaustion. The smell of home baked goods filled the air and his stomach grumbled. “Shut up” he grumbled to his stomach, though he was terribly hungry he didn’t want to waste anytime eating while he could be hunting down Flim and Flam. ‘But then again I’m just sitting around not doing anything’ Wright told himself ‘Ah fuck it… I don’t need to eat anyway’ Wright assured himself
His stomach grumbled again and he looked down to his stomach “I SAID SHUT UP” he yelled. “Yah alright out there?” Applejack called out from a window, “Just fine. I’m waiting to get some information about 2 particular brothers” Wright scoffed at her, “Alright, just so yah know we got leftovers if yah want tah come in… every-pony’s having fun without yah” she called out, tempting him to enter the home. He considered it for a moment, well more like his stomach considered it, but he shook off the idea. “No thanks” he called out and grumbled to himself and moved away to the other side of the barn so they couldn’t see him.
He grumbled to himself as he sat down. He pulled out his custom revolver and brushed them off and spun them in his hoof as he tried to pass time. “How long does it take to tell some-pony where the fuck other ponies are?” Wright grumbled to himself. “Uhm excuse me Mr.?” asked a little southern voice from beside him. He looked over to see Applebloom standing there with a slice of apple pie, it was fresh and the smell made Wright’s stomach grumble. He hit himself in the gut “I said shut up” he growled at his stomach, he winced in pain as the hit he had dealt himself was a little severe.
“Uhm… Mr. Wright ah thought yah might be hungry so ah brought you out a slice of pie… ah cooked it myself” she said in a shy tone. She edged ever closer towards him and placed the plate of apple pie beside Wright. He shuffled away from the pie “Thanks kid but I’m not hungry” he grumbled. “But won’t yah just try it please?” she asked and Wright shook his head. “But… but why?” she asked, starting to pout a little. “Because I just want to get out of here” Wright said in a rather irritated tone, “But don’t you like it here?” she asked in a nearly crying voice. “It’s not that I don’t like it here… it’s fine, I just want to leave” Wright said and Applebloom nudged the slice of apple pie closer towards Wright.
“Please won’t yah try it… please” she begged, “No kid, I don’t want any of your damn pie, I’m not hungry” he said in an irritated voice as he got up, ‘Fuck this, I’d rather just take a train to the next town’ Wright thought to himself but then his thoughts stopped as he heard a quiet whimpering behind him. ‘Oh no… please Celestia, don’t let her be crying’ Wright thought to himself than realized his actions were a little cold, but he wasn’t thinking strait due to the fact he was quite hungry.
He turned around to see the little filly huddled up on the ground, beginning to cry. Wright raced to her side, “Please don’t cry little filly I was just being stupid was all” Wright tried to coo her but it didn’t work, she began to cry heavily. “Please don’t cry… I think you apple pie would be delicious it’s just that I’m not really hungry” Wright told her, she looked up to him with teary eyes “Yah don’t mean that, yer lyin, yah just don’t want tah try the pie I cooked cause yah think it’ll taste bad” she cried. Wright sighed to himself, ‘I feel like such a dick’ he thought to himself. He thought of a possible solution but could only think of one, he’d have to eat that friggin pie.
He reached over and picked up the pie, it smelled delicious and made his mouth water but he really just wanted to go and find Flim and Flam and make them pay for what they did. “Hey Applebloom look” Wright said as he took a bit out of the pie, the taste was like nothing he had ever tasted before, his mind subsided ad all he thought about was the delicious pie and he devoured the rest of it. “Holy shit… pardon my French but that’s friggin good kid… you said you cooked that?” Wright asked and Applebloom looked up to him “Yup all by myself” she sniffled as she wiped tears from her eyes. “Oh look, you’re all dirty… here let me help you” Wright said as he began to wipe the dirt and tears away from her face. “Mr. Wright there’s lots of good food inside, you should come in” Applebloom suggested, Wright was about to say yes but ended up being stubborn like he always was and simply replied “No thanks”.
Applebloom began to cry again “Yah didn’t really like the pie, yah just ate it and said it was good tah make me stop cryin” she cried. Wright sighed, he knew she was giving him the puppy dog treatment and he couldn’t really deny it either and simply gave in. “Alright, alright calm down. If I come inside will you stop crying so much?” Wright asked and Applebloom looked up “Promise yah’ll come inside?” she asked and Wright nodded. “Yippee” Applebloom cheered as she grabbed Wright’s foreleg and pulled him towards the house.
As they entered the house Wright saw the group playing games together, conversing… they were partying. Wright sighed as Applebloom dragged him into the center of the party. “Hey, Wright thought yah said yah weren’t hungry” Applejack teased and he rolled his eyes “You put her up to this didn’t you” Wright replied. “Actually no I did, she’s done it to me before and I knew she could do it to you” Twilight informed Wright, who sighed.
Applebloom brought him some more food “Here I brought you some food, don’t worry I warmed it up so it wouldn’t be cold” Applebloom told him and Wright took the food gracefully. “Thanks kid… hey sorry for being so harsh earlier, I just kinda wanted to get outta here and finish my work” Wright apologized, not just to Applebloom but to the entire group. Rainbow Dash flew up and gave him a friendly punch to the shoulder “Hey don’t sweat it, besides I’ve nearly forgot about you breaking my nose… don’t think for a second that I wouldn’t have beaten you though” she said in a serious tone, obviously trying to keep some sort of high pride with herself.
“Don’t worry I think you would’ve beaten me” Wright said, obviously lying but his lie was believable and Rainbow Dash smiled proudly and went to go drink apple cider. Wright looked at the food but just before he was able to take a bit Rarity interrupted him. “Oh sweet Celestia, you can’t be seen in such rags… take off your clothes immediately and I will have them stitched by morning” Rarity ordered. “I uhh” Wright trailed off, he didn’t really feel comfortable without clothes but then again none of them were wearing any clothes so he figured ‘why not’. He undressed himself and handed his tattered clothes to Rarity.
He finally got a moment to himself and chomped down the food quickly. He felt much better and the food really hit the spot. “Ha, yeah not hungry my flank” Applejack teased, “Hey I just wanted to” he began but Applejack tugged his foreleg and brought him into the group. “Hey what’re yah doin” Wright asked as she stood them both onto their hindlegs.
“Well duh, dancin silly, ain’t got no-pony tah dance with so might as well dance with yah” she laughed, Wright felt a little uncomfortable of the thought at first but then figured ‘Couldn’t hurt could it?’ and began to dance with Applejack. As they danced Wright grabbed a rose out of a vase, ‘Wait why the hell did a redneck have a rose vase?’ Wright thought to himself but then subdued the thought and tucked the rose into her hair. “And whatta yah think yer doin Romeo?” Applejack asked and Wright simply chuckled “Ain’t this how ponies dance?” he asked in a naïve tone. Rarity scoffed “Why couldn’t Blueblood have been this romantic” she sighed.
At the comment Wright immediately let go of Applejack, “Wait hold on I’m not being romantic” Wright argued but when he let Applejack go she lost her balance. “Shit” Wright said as he caught her but then soon realized this was looking like one of those really cheesy romance scenes. Applejack looked into his eyes and they fluttered, she blushed and leaned forward, her eyes closing very slowly as she leaned forward to kiss him. “Yeah-no” Wright said as he lifted her up and dropped her onto all fours. He fell down onto all fours as well. Applejack brushed her mane out of her face “Sorry bout that… don’t know what came over me” she apologized and Wright gave her a nod “It’s okay… I think I was being a little too… romantic” Wright said and shuddered at the comment he had just given.
As the night progressed Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Derpy, Pinkie Pie and Twilight departed. “Well dearie, I’ll have to see you tomorrow… oh and I’ll have your clothes ready for you” Rarity told Wright and she nodded a goodbye to Applejack and she began to depart. “Well I guess that means I can’t leave tonight… it’s a damn shame” Wright chuckled in a sarcastic tone, though he had begun the night rather harsh and cold towards the group he had actually became friends with each and every one of them, even Fluttershy who, despite her shy nature, actually warmed up to Wright when he started talking about having animals on his farm when he got it back.
“Well ah reckon yah can have the guest bedroom, if that don’t bother yah none” Applejack told Wright who nodded. She led Wright to the bedroom and opened the door, “Sleep tight Wright” she said then chuckled at the fact that it rhymed. Wright nodded and flopped down on the spare bed, it was amazingly comfortable, considering that the last five years he had simply been sleeping in alleyways and cattle cars. As he passed out he thought to himself ‘Maybe settling down isn’t such a bad idea, maybe I should just let the law deal with it… nah’
Wright awoke suddenly when the door to the guest room opened. He sat up to see 3 shadowed figures standing in the doorway, “Don’t make a sound” said a muffled voice. “Did Flim and Flam send you?” Wright asked as they stepped forward into the light protruding through the window. They were masked and they wore ridiculous capes with some sort of logo inscribed on the cape.
“No, we are here to take you in” one of the figures informed Wright, Wright simply chuckled “So Celestia sent you, shoulda known it was stupid to stay too long in one place” Wright muttered. They walked up to the edge of the bed “Come with us… oh and try not tah wake any-pony, sis gets made when we’re up late” said a southern voice. “Wait… Applebloom?” Wright exclaimed, “Ah said hush” she ordered him and Wright chuckled “Alright… take me away” he muttered and they all snuck outside.
Closing the front door behind him he looked to the 3 cloaked figures “Alright, what’s the deal?” Wright asked curiously, wondering why exactly Applebloom and 2 other fillies had ordered him to go with them. “Follow us” one of the figures said and Wright obliged willingly, still wanting to know what exactly the meaning of all this was.
They led him far away from the farm house and into a forested area, then finally they came to a stop in front of a wooden tree fort. “Nice place” Wright commented, “Inside” Applebloom ordered, Wright rolled his eyes and followed them inside.
They closed the door behind them and a dimly lit light somewhat illuminated the play house, they all removed their masks, revealing to be Applebloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo. “You are now in the Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse and you will” Sweetie Bell began but Wright flicked on a light switch and the entire clubhouse lit up. “Hey turn that off” Scootaloo yelled, Wright shrugged and flicked the light back off.
“As I was saying, you are now in the sacred Cutie Mark Crusader” Sweetie Bell began “We have brought you here tonight because you are blank flanked”, Wright let out an embarrassed sigh. He was indeed blank flanked and was teased about it during the war, because every other soldier had their cutie mark but Wright had never gotten one and just figured that he’d never get one and eventually when he became a hero the teasing stopped but now 3 fillies were teasing him.
“Hey, don’t you dare start this crap, I’ve been teased about it before and I don’t need to be reminded that” Wright began but the 3 fillies flipped their capes up, revealing that they too were blank flanked. “You see Mr. Wright our cause is to help ponies without their cutie mark to find the thing they’re good at” Scootaloo said, “And we” Sweetie Bell began but Applebloom interrupted her “Will yah join us” she blurted out. Sweetie Bell shot her an annoyed look “Applebloom, you interrupted me” Sweetie Bell said with an annoyed tone. “Oops sorry” Applebloom apologized, “It’s okay” Sweetie Bell turned back to Wright who had begun to drift off. “HEY” Sweetie bell scowled and Wright immediately sat up in attention “What… wait I… oh yeah” Wright said in confusion as he remembered what had happened.
“As we were saying will you join the Cutie Mark Crusaders in their quest to find our true special talent” Sweetie Bell asked, “Yeah sure whatever can I go back to sleep now” Wright agreed to the terms rather bluntly. “No” Applebloom began and Wright rolled his eyes, “Ah know that yer goin tah fight Flim and Flam and from what ah heard they ain’t exactly unarmed” Applebloom informed Wright. “Hey I told you that” Scootaloo argued, “Well duh, ah just said ah heard it, not ah seen it” Applebloom argued back then turned to Wright. “We have a deal for you if you agree to come back when you’re done and help our cause” Sweetie Bell offered, “Alright… what’s the deal?” Wright asked and they pointed outside a window to a pile off metal and a body frame for some sort of carriage.
“We’ll help you defeat the brothers so they can’t hurt no-pony anymore” Scootaloo said and they all proceeded
“No… a Trojan apple” Applebloom laughed, Wright laughed as well. “Okay… so how do we do this?” Wright asked curiously and out of nowhere Scootaloo pulled out a welder. “We build a giant apple outta all this” Applebloom said and Wright picked up a piece of metal scrap, “Alright… let’s do it”
* * *
Within a few hours they had completely built a fine looking apple carriage out of scrap metal and even painted it. “Only one problem, once I’m inside I’m gonna be seriously out gunned and when those sides on the carriage flip down it ain’t gonna be a sitting duck” Wright told them. “Oh don’t worry yourself, I have just the thing” Scootaloo said as she led Wright back to the clubhouse, but rather than go inside she led him underneath to a secret passageway in the tree itself. “Fluttershy showed us how to make the inside of the tree into an addition of the clubhouse, but this part is really secret and only we know about it… well and Fluttershy” Sweetie Bell informed him as they entered the secret passageway.
Scootaloo moved a small bookshelf revealing a small room with an object that was covered by a tarp. “Alright I’ll bite… what’s the object under the tarp?” Wright asked suspiciously, figuring it would be some stupid contraption, like maybe self-propelled wings or something. Scootaloo ripped the tarp off revealing an old 10 barreled crank-operated Gatling gun.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa… okay where the hell’d yah get that thing” Wright asked, confused in how 3 young fillies owned a friggin Gatling gun. “Oh well we were crusading through the Everfree and we found this thing in an old military base that was abandoned so we decided to take it” Scootaloo informed him. Wright looked at the Gatling gun and cranked it, it worked like it was brand new.
He picked up the gun and put it on his shoulders “Got any ammo?”
They had finished the ‘Trojan apple’ and Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell left to return home before any-pony realized they were gone. Applebloom and Wright sat on the clubhouse steps and looked at the giant apple. “Scootaloo said she’d convince Rainbow Dash to pull the wagon… so ah guess you’re all ready to go” Applebloom said in a somewhat saddened voice. “What’s wrong?” Wright asked but Applebloom switched the subject “We’d better get back before muh sis or brother finds out that we’re gone” she told him and they stood up.
Applebloom was terribly exhausted and could barely even walk straight, Wright stood up onto his hindlegs and picked up Applebloom in his forelegs. “Thanks” she whispered and Wright walked back to the farm house.
He snuck inside quietly and made his way up to Applebloom’s room. He tucked her in and was about to leave when she whispered out to him “Wright?”. “Huh… uhh yeah?” Wright asked curiously as he trotted back over to the side of Applebloom’s bed. As soon as he was close enough Applebloom lept up and gave him a tight hug “Promise yah’ll come back” she whispered and Wright could feel tears trickling onto his shoulder. “I uhm” Wright stuttered.
Applebloom tore away from the hug “But you promised” she whimpered. “Listen Applebloom… what I’m going to tell you won’t be easy to hear but…” Wright trailed off and Applebloom sat in full attention. “Listen tomorrow when I go to fight Flim and Flam we won’t simply just be fighting each other… we’ll be killing each other” Wright said in a saddened tone “If he kills me then I won’t be coming back… ever” Wright said and a lone tear trickled down his face.
Applebloom grabbed him and held him tightly “Ah don’t want yah tah go” she cried softly. Wright rubbed her back with his hoof and sighed “Yeah I hear yah kid… I don’t want to go either” Wright sighed. “Then why don’t yah just stop… stay here?” Applebloom asked, Wright broke away from the hug “Because if I don’t do it then no-pony will” he told her in a saddened tone.
He laid her down, “Now let’s just go to bed and try and forget about it alright?” Wright said as he tucked Applebloom in. He smiled to her and rubbed his hoof through her mane “Goodnight, sleep tight don’t let the bedbugs bite” Wright said soothingly and went to get up but Applebloom grabbed his foreleg and wouldn’t let him go. “Wait… Wright?” she asked and Wright turned back to her “Yeah?” he asked back. “Could you give me a kiss goodnight?” she asked. Wright was taken off by the comment “I uhm… uhm” he stuttered and Applebloom looked to him with hopeful eyes “Muh sis doesn’t mind kissin me goodnight but Big Mac is too shy tah kiss me goodnight and well… ah’ve never really had a fatherly figure” Applebloom told him.
“Applebloom I… I’m not exactly the greatest pony to call a fatherly figure” Wright told her but her expression didn’t change. He sighed and leaned forward, kissing her on the forehead. “Goodnight Applebloom… when I’m done I promise I’ll come back and be like a father to you… as best I can” Wright promised and Applebloom lept up and squeezed him tightly “Cross your heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in your eye?” she asked, “yeah… I promise” Wright promised her. He tucked her back in and kissed her on the forehead once again “Goodnight Applebloom” Wright told her and gave her a nod and left her room quietly.
He staggered down the hallway, absolutely exhausted and opened the door to a bedroom and flopped himself down on the bed and immediately passed out, the bed seemed comfier than before.
* * *
He woke up and felt a little groggy and felt a body underneath his foreleg. He immediately jumped back as he saw the face of Applejack right beside him. “GAH” Wright gasped as he lept off the bed, “Mornin sleepin beauty, was wonderin when yah’d get up” she chuckled and Wright was struck in confusion.
“I am sooo sorry… I uhh must have fallen asleep in the wrong room” Wright apologized as he staggered back. “No worries, yah were up late last night… and ah was gonna get outta bed but yer foreleg was wrapped around me like I was some kinda stuffed animal and I didn’t want tah wake yah… yah kinda looked cute when yah were sleepin” she said as she got out of bed.
Wright let out a sigh and rubbed his eyes. “Don’t worry none, honest mistake… but ah heard what yah promised tah Applebloom… and yah better keep yer promise” she told him as she left the room. Wright leaned up against the wall and slid down the wall and sat against the wall. Big Mac passed the doorway which was still open and gave Wright a curious look “Nothing happened so don’t get any funny ideas” Wright muttered. Big Mac nodded “Eeyup”.
Wright sat there for a few minutes then got up and trotted downstairs where Rarity was talking to Applejack. “Oh dear Celestia, no offence sweetie but I can smell you a mile away. You must have a bath… and I’ll give you a shave as well” Rarity said, well more like ordered. Wright nodded and he could smell eggs being cooked and his stomach grumbled. “Okay fine after breakfast, but you are not putting on these clothes until you’re properly bathed and cleaned, I spent all night fixing these and I will not have them soiled by your stench” she scoffed and trotted off into the dining room.
They all sat down at the table and ate breakfast. Wright was barely even done eating when Rarity grabbed him by the foreleg and began to drag him upstairs to the washroom. “Hey… save me” Wright joked, Rarity gave him a little nudge and tossed him a towel, “and don’t forget to wash behind your ears” she ordered. “Yes MOM” Wright chuckled and she closed the door, ‘Jeeze was she ever picky’ he thought to himself as he hoped into the shower and began to wash himself off.
He finally decided he was clean enough and dried himself off. He walked downstairs, his mane was still quite wet and Rarity looked to him “Now don’t you feel refreshed?” she asked. “I feel wet” Wright joked and Rarity rolled her eyes “Outside, we’ll cut your hair and give you a shave” she ordered and Wright obliged.
She hat a chair set up outside along with hair cutting tools. Wright sat down and Applebloom ran up “Can ah help?” she asked and Rarity thought for a moment. “Well dearie… it is a rather complicated process and” she began but Wright cut her off “Yeah sure, go ahead” he said with a wink and Applebloom squealed with delight and grabbed the scissors and began to cut away at his hair.
Rainbow Dash soon arrived with Scootaloo and began to howl in laughter “Ha look at his hair… he looks like Frankenstein” she laughed, Applebloom gave a look of sadness. “I like it” Wright said, and Applebloom smiled. “Well Applebloom I hate to say it but could you let Rarity cut my hair, I need it done short and she is real good at cutting hair” he asked with a warm smile. She nodded and handed the scissors to Rarity who looked at his hair which was cut terribly uneven and there were patches of hair that were way longer than any other spot on his head. He kind of looked like an old 80s hipster.
“How do you want it?” she asked, “short, maybe a number 2” he told her and she nodded and cut the rest of his hair away and made it look very respectable. “And your beard?” she asked and he rubbed his excessively long beard. “Cut it off” he told her and she took out a can of shaving cream and lathered his beard with it and took out a straight razor. “Now hold still” she said and began to shave away his beard.
All that was left was a small patch of beard on his Adams apple. “Hold your chin high and try not to move, this is the hardest part” she said and shaved the last bit of beard away. She took out a wet cloth and wiped away the leftover shaving cream and took out a mirror and showed him his new look. “Look like a true gentle-colt” she commented and Wright rubbed the side of his mane, where the grey hair was clearly visible. “Yeah, an old gentle-colt” he muttered, when his hair was long no-pony could see the grey but now it was clearly visible.
“Oh please dearie you aren’t that old” Rarity said with a laugh. “Yeah only 45” Wright chuckled, Applejack placed her hoof on his shoulder “Don’t worry, we’re all in our twenties and you barely look older than us” Applejack reassured him. Wright chuckled “You’re a bad liar” he laughed. “No, actually she never lies, well almost never… so if she says you look young then you probably do” Rainbow Dash stepped forward. Wright looked forward at the mirror, minus the grey hair he actually looked fairly young and a pony might mistake him for late twenties.
He got up “Yeah, you’re right Dash… heck I look younger than you” he joked. “Hey… not even, I’m way younger and cuter than you, I’m not even 23 and I got the look of a young teen” she argued and Wright chuckled. He looked to see the carriage was waiting in the yard. “Well… I guess we should do what we need to do” Wright said and they nodded. As Wright was putting his duster coat on Applebloom ran up and grabbed him in a tight hug. “Be safe” she said and Wright returned the hug “I will, cross my heart… hope to fly and stick a cupcake in my eye” he said, resaying his promise that he made before.
He broke away from the hug and stepped into the wagon, he gave the group one final glance “Doesn’t matter what happens, whether I die or not… they’ll know that they messed with the wrong pony” he told them and closed the hatch on the carriage. “Okay, when we’re ready I’ll tap the side, give me a few seconds to get out of the firing zone then bust outta there” Rainbow Dash told Wright the plan.
* * *
She stopped and she was obviously talking to some guards. “Yeah I’m on behalf of Sweet Apple acres, they’re sending this as a token of friendship” Rainbow Dash lied, she was a better liar than Wright and they let them through.
Rainbow Dash stopped the carriage and unhitched herself. “What is this thing” a pony asked and Rainbow Dash lied again. “A token of friendship” she lied as she tapped the side of the metal carriage. Wright waited a full 20 seconds and heard Rainbow Dash trot away. Pushing on a rod that would bust the carriage open he revealed himself, none of the ponies were quite expecting it. They were all armed with some sort of firearm, whether it be a simple handgun or a full sized assault rifle. He mounted the Gatling gun and began to twist the crank.
On the ground level of the building gunfire erupted and the bottom floor was pounded relentlessly by bullets. “Trixie” Flam yelled, both Flim and Trixie were in his office, “What the hell is going on down there” Flam screamed. Trixie brushed off her cape “It would seem a certain pony is coming back to get revenge” she said calmly. “Well do something, I’m not a soldier” Flam yelled.
Trixie sighed “And I’m just a magician, I only wanted to be seen as Great and Powerful, and when you promised to be the most famous group in Equestria I jumped on the opportunity to once again be known for my magical abilities” she explained. “Yes, yes you’ve already told us that millions of times. Now we need a way to kill this guy” Flim said frantically. Trixie swung her head to one side “Fine then, Flim come with me, we shall ambush him on a lower floor, Flam you stay here and… do whatever it is you do” Trixie ordered and with that Trixie and Flim left Flam’s office.
In the Canterlot palace:
“Princess” a guard yelled out and Celestia ran over to the guard. “What is it?” she asked curiously, “Ma’am we confirmed reports of weapon discharge at F&F enterprise” the guard replied. “Wright… Shining” Celestia called out and Shining Armour raced over to her side. “Yes ma’am” Shining replied, “get a battalion of your best guards, have them ready to deploy ASAP” Celestia ordered. “Ma’am, are you expecting a battle?” Shining asked, Celestia looked at the computer monitor “No… I’m expecting World War 3”.
Back at F&F enterprise:
“GET SOME” Wright yelled out as the Gatling gun spat out 30-06 rounds. Several employees tried to take cover and shoot at Wright but he currently had superior firepower thanks to the Cutie Mark Crusader’s Gatling gun. The hopper stick magazine ran dry and Wright quickly replaced it with a new magazine, he began to crank the gun again and it spit out more lead death at any-pony foolish enough to oppose him.
He caught a glimpse of a pony kneel down with a large rocket launcher. “Fuck” Wright snarled and lept off the carriage just as the 85mm rocket round ejected out of the launcher. Wright slid along the tile floor and the carriage erupted behind him in a large explosion that literally rocked the ground floor of the building. He rolled behind cover as bullets began to strike the floor around him, He unholstered his revolvers and began to take pot shots at ponies in the open. The pony with the rocket launcher reloaded and stood up onto his hindlegs and aimed the launcher at Wright. He snapped his aim immediately to the pony and fired off a single .357 round.
The round slammed into the pony’s forehead and his head exploded into a mess of gooey brain matter. As the corpse fell to the ground his nerves twitched and he triggered the rocket launcher, sending a rocket into the ceiling. The rocket exploded and the roof collapsed, several ponies from the floor above were killed in the initial explosion and other were killed as debris fell on top of them.
Wright stood up onto his hindlegs and reloaded both revolvers then started ascending the stairs. “If I was a treacherous scum where would I hide?” Wright said outloud and a pony suddenly lept from a doorway and tried to get a shot off at Wright, Wright simply lifted his foreleg up and trigged the revolver, which boomed in response and the pony was knocked to the ground, a hole placed in the center of his chest which now leaked blood onto the fine tile floor.
“If I was a treacherous scum I would hide on the top floor” Wright told himself and suddenly a group of 5 ponies burst into the hallway and began to shoot at Wright. He simply sidestepped into a room and waited for them to stop shooting. They all continued to fire until their guns were empty, Wright spun off the wall and holding his custom revolvers at hip level opened fire on the group with rapid succession. They all let out a scream as .357 magnum rounds tore through their bodies and shredded them into a bloody mess. Wright spun the revolvers in his hooves then reloaded each of them.
He walked into a stair well and looked up, their must’ve been at least 10 floors on this building. He sighed as he began to race up the stairs.
Suddenly a group of ponies burst out from the hallway 2 floors above him, they hadn’t spotted Wright yet and Wright lifted both revolvers above his head and opened fire. Their screams echoed in the stairwell as they were struck by hot lead and they tumbled to the ground, their guns clattered to the ground and 2 of the ponies assault rifles went off and the shots echoed in the stairwell. He began to race up the stairs, reloading his revolvers once again. However he stopped on the ninth floor when he felt an eerie felling pass through his body.
He turned and looked into the 9th floor of the building, it was filled mostly with offices and other appliances you’d find in an enterprise building. He walked into the office and looked around. A group of 6 ponies burst from an office, armed with G3 assault rifles. Wright snapped his revolvers up and unleashed a torrent of .357 rounds into them. One of the pony’s nerves twitched as he died and he triggered his assault rifle, rounds burst all over and tore through the roof, plaster and drywall cluttered to the ground.
Wright dove to the ground , reloading his pistols as he looked around. He couldn’t spot anymore ponies. He holstered the custom revolvers and brought out the Colt Python as he began to walk around on his hindlegs, holding the revolver with his front hooves.
As he passed by an office a pony smashed through the window wall of the small office and tackled him to the ground, he lost his grip on the Colt Python which slid along the ground. Wright bucked his hips and the pony on top of him lost balance. He wrapped his hindleg around his aggressor and flipped both their bodies over, the pony turned out to be Flim. “Payback time” Wright snarled but Flim punched him in the face with brass-hooves and Wright fell back. Wright lept up onto his hindlegs and Flim followed suit.
“Time to settle things” Wright snarled and they charged each other. Wright was easily more powerful and tackled Flim through the drywall and into an office. He began to punch Flim in the face but once again Flim punched him with his brass-hoof and knocked Wright off him. Wright back flipped off his back and landed on his hindlegs, bringing his front hooves in front of his face. Flim charged at Wright and swung with a haymaker punch which Wright simply ducked and threw a punch into Flim’s exposed stomach.
He staggered back and gasped, obviously having the wind knocked out of him. Flim regained his breath and the two engaged in a hoof fight. Flim threw multiple straight punches which connected with Wright’s stomach. Wright growled and threw a knee into Flim’s chest. Suddenly Flim wrapped his hooves around Wright’s neck and pushed both their bodies through a washroom door. Flim grabbed for one of Wright’s revolvers while Wright grabbed the other one, then using their opposite hoof grabbed the other’s hoof that held their gun. They struggled for a moment then both threw a knee to the other’s gut at the same time.
They grunted in pain and both of them threw a head-butt into each other’s head. Wright’s head was more used to pain and Flim fell to the ground but he pulled Wright down with him. The 2 continued the struggle on the ground. Wright slammed Flim’s wrist into the post of the stall and Flim gasped in pain and released the revolver which slid along the ground, out of their reach. Flim head-butted Wright and knocked Wright’s revolver out of his hoof. Wright snarled and lept up, picking Flim’s body up and slamming his head into the toilet of the stall. He flushed the toilet “Don’t forget to flush” he quoted and staggered out of the stall and began to unsling his Spas 12 when a revolver thundered in the bathroom, a .357 round chipped the concrete wall beside Wright.
He turned his head to see Trixie levitating his Colt Python “Dammit, The Great and Powerful Trixie was never very good with these things” Trixie muttered as she muttered and fired off another shot, which missed him by inches. Wright dived behind a stall door, BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM, his revolver thundered as Trixie tried furiously to shoot him down. Wright breathed heavily then spun out of the stall and leveled his shotgun at her. “Foolish pony, Trixie will kill you now” she laughed and pulled the trigger. Wright didn’t even flinch, CLICK. “What” she screamed and looked to the revolver “what is the meaning of this? Trixie demands to know what’s wrong with this revolver” she screamed.
Wright chuckled as he cocked the Spas in his hooves “That thing only holds 6 shots before you have to reload, but don’t worry it wasn’t the biggest mistake you’ve made, the biggest mistake was cheating me out of my farm” Wright snarled. “Cheating, Trixie never cheats” she scoffed. Wright rolled his eyes “No surprise for you” Wright said as he went to pull the trigger on the Spas. At the last possible moment Trixie’s horn flashed and she disappeared into thin air, along with Flim. “Fuck” Wright yelled, grabbing both his revolvers off of the bathroom floor and holstering them he charged out of the bathroom and looked around “ARRR TRIXIE” Wright roared but there was no response, she had obviously transported them somewhere safer.
Wright charged out into the stairwell and raced up to the final floor and burst into the top floor of the building. He walked through the hallways when suddenly Flam burst out of a doorway with an M16 in his hooves and let out a burst of auto fire. Wright lept through the drywall beside him and into an office and got his Spas ready. “Come on out Wright it’s just me and you” Flam yelled out. Wright snarled and yelled back “The name’s Mercy”.
Wright burst through the drywall and triggered the shotgun in semiautomatic, sending a wall of buckshot straight at Flam. Flam ducked around an office wall and just barely missed the lead death. Wright followed where he thought Flam had gone. As he entered an office he saw a pony in body armour holding Rainbow Dash by the throat “Don’t fucking move… or I’ll cut her fucking throat” he hissed as he brought his knife closer to Rainbow Dash’s throat. “You know I was wondering what happened to you RD, what you just give up or something?” Wright joked.
“Well I didn’t have a gun and these guys just surrounded me so I really didn’t have much of a choice” Rainbow Dash commented. “Put down the gun” the henchman ordered, “Alright” Wright said as he set the Spas onto the ground carefully. “And the revolvers” the henchman ordered, Wright slowly took out his revolvers, holding them by the cylinder and having the handle pointed towards the henchman. “Here I give up” Wright said. The henchman’s grasp on Rainbow Dash loosened and the knife was brought away from her neck as he took a step forward to grab the revolvers from Wright’s hooves.
Quicker than the blink of an eye, Wright spun the revolver in his right hoof and grasped the handle. The henchman’s eyes grew wide as he realized his mistake and Wright pulled the trigger on his custom revolver, the .357 magnum round bursting out of the gun’s barrel and slamming into his head. The henchman’s head exploded into a crimson of grey matter and her fell to the group, Rainbow Dash just stood there in pure shock at what had just happened. She was covered in blood and skull fragments. “Wait here… but uh maybe hid under the desk” Wright ordered as he grabbed his Spas and ran out into the hallway and charged down the hallway.
He found an office labelled ‘Flam’s office’ and booted the door down. “Knock-knock” Wright quoted and Flam turned to him, his M16 at hip level. “Wright” Flam said in a deep tone as he went to pull the trigger on his M16, but the gun clicked, it was out of ammo. “Wrong” Wright quoted and pulled the trigger several times on his Spas 12, the shotgun chugged as it expelled 12 gauge buckshot and riddled Flam’s body mercilessly. Flam’s body was torn apart and his chest was torn apart, blood gushed from his wounds and littered his office. He was tossed out the window like a ragdoll and fell to the ground below with a comical scream, (you know like the one from Star wars that the storm troopers always make).
“The name’s Mercy” Wright said as he left the office and made sure to get Rainbow Dash as well. The descended the flight of stairs when they heard carriages and helicopters fly by. As they walked out of the building they were greeted by the sight of dozens of royal guards, armed to the teeth with assault rifles and shotguns.
Wright and Rainbow Dash walked down towards the large assault force. Celestia and Captain Shining Armour stepped forward. “Leave anything for us” Celestia asked and Wright looked back to the building, which had smashed windows and bullet holes. “Just bodies” he said and walked passed her with Rainbow Dash at her side. “Wright is there any-pony left?” Celestia asked and Wright shrugged “Trixie and Flim got away, goddess only knows where they are” Wright commented as they continued to walk away. “Wright just let us handle things our way” she commented and Wright turned back to her and smiled “No chance”
Wright sat on his Harley, he had washed himself up and was ready to depart. The group that he had met before, that he had later found out were the element of harmony bearers, stood before him. Wright gave them a nod, Derpy waved a funny little wave. “Well… I guess this is goodbye for now” Wright told them but suddenly Applebloom raced forward and lept onto him and held him tightly. “Please don’t go… please ah don’t want yah tah leave” Applebloom cried, Wright could feel her tears seep into his fur.
He hugged her back then after a moment he took her off of his body and set her back down. “Don’t worry, reports have it that Trixie and Flim are traveling on a train headed for the border” Wright said with a nod. “So why not just stay here?” Applebloom cried, “Applebloom I know I promised but right now I haven’t finished my work yet so I have to go” Wright told her and she looked up to him and nodded. “Yah promise tah come back once yer done?” she asked and Wright nodded. “Of course… that is if you’ll let me” Wright said with a wink and Applebloom turned to Applejack with a hopeful look.
“Yes he can stay with us when he’s done” Applejack said with a smile. Wright looked out to the western horizon, the sun was starting to set. “Guess this is like one of those cliché moments when I ride into the sunset” Wright chuckled to himself, he set Applebloom down and he started the Harley. Rainbow Dash landed beside him and gave him a friendly nudge “Hey… thanks for saving my flank back there, guess that makes us even” Rainbow Dash said. “Hey… RD, we’re cool and for the record… you could beat me in a fight” he said and Rainbow Dash gave him a quick hug.
Wright turned his head to Applebloom “Hey when I get back we’ll make apple-pie together and go cutie mark hunting… okay” Wright said with a smile, “Promise” Applebloom said and Wright made the motions of the Pinkie Pie promise and started his Harley, giving a final wave he departed off into the sunset.
“Oh wait” Derpy gasped, “What’s wrong Derpy?” Applejack asked and Derpy pulled out a box “I need to deliver this and meant to ask for a ride, well see you guys later” Derpy said as she zipped away, Rainbow Dash chuckled “That mare sure is something else” Dash chuckled.
Wright felt extra weight land on the back of the Harley and he looked back to see the cross-eyed Pegasus sitting on the back of the Harley. “Derpy” Wright exclaimed, Derpy gave a nod “I need a ride, don’t suppose you could give me one?” Derpy asked and Wright chuckled “Alright but I choose the music” he said as he flicked on the radio.
Only the names have changed
Everyday
It seems we’re wasting away
Another place
Where the faces are so cold
I’d drive all night
I’m a cowboy
On the steel horse I ride
I’m wanted…dead or alive
As Wright rode off into the sunset a lone tear trickled down Applebloom’s face. Applejack and the element bearers walked up to Applebloom, “I’m going to miss that ruffian” Rarity said as they watched Wright drive off. “Don’t worry he’ll be back” Applejack said reassuringly. And finally after a minute or two Wright disappeared over the horizon and into the sunset.
Wanted
Dead or alive
Sometimes I sleep
Sometimes it’s not for days
The people I meet
Always go their separate ways…
Author's Note
Yes, for all you reader who are like "That' Wanted Dead or Alive, by Bon Jovi" it is, the song belongs to Bon Jovi, they own the rights to the song etc. et. don't sue me
