Chapters The Legend of Poison Apple
The carriage bounced over every little rock in the trail. The Sun was taking a heavy toll on Poison. She was sweating so much, her handkerchief wrapped around her neck was changing into a darker color from the sweat. To pass the time, she began to play around with the cylinder of her revolver, spinning it around. Every second was a clicking noise. Shortly after, the trail led into the shadow of a nearby cliff. The shade never felt so good. She closed her eyes for a second and relaxed. But then, she was interrupted as a explosion blew up in front of the carriage. The sound was extremely loud. The sound of explosions was quickly replaced by the sound of gunfire, all coming from behind rocks.
The colts pulling the carriage fell to the ground, a pool of red liquid pouring from all four of their bodies. Poison jumped off and took cover behind the carriage. She fired at the rocks. At one point, a small spat of blood came out from behind one of them. But she used all six of her shots. She quietly cursed and struggled to release the cylinder. As it finally fell, she quickly pushed the bullets into the six chambers. Afterwards, she pulled the hammer back, ready to fire. The gunshots stopped.
But she knew it wasn't safe. She heard a creaking noise. She looked up at the carriage. A colt jumped onto her. A bag covered her face. She tried to get it off, but whoever was holding her had a good grip. She quickly ran out of breath and fainted.
The bag was removed from Poison's head, letting the light from the single light bulb shine on her face. She was tied tightly to a chair. She struggled to get free, with no success.
"Hey! Somepony! Anypony! Help me!"
"Oh quit yer blubberin', Poisin. No pony's gonna rescue ya."
Out of the shadows came a pony. He had two repeater rifles attached to his back. He had a ripped-up scarf covering his mouth and a dusty old jacket. It was Poison's old friend, Rocks. Although she knew Rocks changed, she didn't want to hurt him. Back in the day, they used to run a gang back in Zavrios. But Rocks hated her after she decided to go to Equestria. He's been at her throat ever since. Following him were two other colts. They both had scarves covering their faces.
"C'mon now, partner. Be reasonable, will ya? Ah never did anything to ya, and ah never will," said Poison in her sweetest voice.
"Pah! You left me in Zavrios to burn in hell! 'My' gang fell apart after you left!"
Poison began to get irritated. She spoke again, putting a little impatience in her voice this time.
"Listen, Rocks. Our gang may have fallen apart, but that doesn't mean that ya have to hunt me down! We can just start over!"
"Shut up, bitch! Ah know what ah have to do, 'n ya ain't gonna stop me!"
Rocks lifted up a revolver and aimed at her head.
"Please, Rocks. Don't do this."
"It's too late now, Poison."
Right before Rocks had a chance to fire, Poison ramed him into the wall, making him drop his gun. The other two colts tried to fire, but missed. Poison then used the chair she was still tied to and struck both ponies and launched them hurdling to the wall. Poison slamed the entrance door shut behind her and kept it jammed with a nearby barrel. The only other ponies in the area were two guards in the front of the door.
Poison snuck up from the edge of the frame and slammed one of the guards with the chair. The other guard began shooting. Poison used the chair to stop the bullets. She jumped onto her back and crushed the guard under the chair as she landed. Next to the body, Poison found a knife. She used it to cut herself loose. After that, she grabbed the guards' revolver and all the rounds he had. But as soon as she picked the last bullet, she heard a clicking sound. She turned around and saw Rocks, along with over a dozen armed bandits.
"Ya had practice, didn' ya!?", yelled Rocks.
Poison couldn't help but let out a small smirk.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Ah was hoping ya would have 'n open mind n' just die with honor. Now, ah see that ain't happenin'."
A shot rang in Poison's ears. Then, a sharp pain hit her gut. Her eyes grew wide. She looked down and saw a medium-sized hole in her stomach. She looked at her hooves. It was soaked in dark blood. Getting shot was more painful than she remembered. She slowly fell to the floor. On the way down, she experienced one of those moments where ponies feel as if everything was in slow motion. Where their whole life flashed before their eyes. Another sharp pain hit the back of her head as she felt the hot, dry, sandy, ground. Her hat landed on top of her face, making it harder to breathe. She could barely hear voices, but they began to fade. All to black.
The Legend of Poison Apple
Poison's eyes slowly opened on their own. It was so bright. Her eyes were not used to it. She sat up and looked around. There was a bandage wrapped over her injury. It still stung. She was in bed. The sheets were clean and smelled like flowers on the Plains. The door flew open. A colt came through the opening. She could already tell he was a cowpony as well, judging from his clothing.
"Howdy, partner. You took a real beatin' out there, didn' ya?"
Poison hated losing, and she certainly didn't like it when others talk about it. She cocked her hat down to hide as much of her face as possible.
"Hey, ain't no shame in losin'. How ya feelin'?"
Poison tried to speak, but only mouth motions and a small amount of blood came out.
"Don't talk right now. Ya aren't in th' best shape. Ya can stand up if ya really wanted to, though. But ah don't recommend it. Yer clothes and weapons are on that chair when yer ready to come out." then he left the room.
Poison nodded her head in thanks as he left and changed. Shortly after she came out of the room. The house was fairly fancy. Lights hung from the ceiling. There were paintings on the walls too. Most were quick sketches of the nature's finer works. The rooms were fairly spacious. Enough to fit about 5 ponies.
Poison spotted the front door. As soon as she opened it, light flooded into her eyes, making them watery. She cocked her hat down more to shield her eyes from the light. Outside was a small town. The colt was leaning against a wall of a building across the street. She was about to trek over when a couple of ponies ran by. They seemed to be draggin away another colt. He was gagged with a rag and was tied up.
Poison brought out her revolver, carefully aimed slightly above their head, and opened fire. Every shot hit, except for one. Poison cursed at herself for being out of practice. With all six shots fired, Poison had to reload. But the missed bandit was already running towards her, ready to kill. With no time to think, she gripped the barrel of her revolver and smacked the incoming bandit with the grip of her gun. The hit knocked the bandit out. Poison then checked on the gagged colt.
He was bleeding from the mouth and face. Poison ran towards the body and pulled the gag out of his mouth. He immediately coughed up blood.
"Are ya alright?"
The colt looked up and began shaking her hoof.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
"Hey you!" called Poison "Get a doctor!"
Seconds later, two ponies came out of another building. They picked the injured colt up and quickly, but gently, got him to the doctors. The colt who rescued Poison walked up to her. He looked like he had something to say.
"That was some mighty fine shootin' there, miss?"
"Poison."
"Ms. Poison. Pleasure to meet yer acquaintance. Ah'm Renard."
"All mine." Poison looked back at the spot where the bandits' bodies were. The one she knocked out was being dragged to the jail, while the dead one's bodies were being thrown into the nearby river. "Who were those ponies?"
"Jus' a couple o' bandit bastards. Nothin' to worry 'bout. Now come on. If yer gonna be a sharpshooter, we're gonna need some real weapons. Ah'll take ya to the general store."
Poison sheathed her revolver. She was slightly offended by that comment about her gun. She had that revolver since she was a filly. It was a gift from her brother who she never knew. She never really used it until recently, but she treasured it with all her heart.
The store was not a pretty sight, but in that specific area, it was pretty high-class. There were items, but mostly either guns, ammo, or food. There was a mare at the counter. She had a warm smile as soon as they entered.
"Howdy, partner! What can I do ya for?" she asked.
"Howdy. Ya got any weapons fer sale?"
"We sure as sugar do! Come with me!"
She went over the counter and motioned for Renard and Poison and to follow.
In another room, there was a room filled with weapons and rounds. All ranging from knives and lassos to double-barreled shotguns and semi-auto repeaters. Poison's eyes lit up. She wanted all of them.
"What'll ya have?"
Poison didn't even know where to start. But before she began to choose, she heard the cashier say "Excellent choice!" Poison looked behind her. Renard was already purchasing a gun for her. She groaned.
The Legend of Poison Apple
Poison gripped her pre-bought rifle, wishing she chosen quicker. It was a Minotaur Rifle. It was a lever-action rifle that shot .44 rounds. It weighed about 9.5 pounds. Poison hated it.
"Why in tarnation did ya buy me this worthless junk?" yelled Poison in annoyance.
Renard turned around. "Worthless? Back in its day, it was th' most powerful o' its kind!"
"It's still worthless..."
"Ah don't suppose ya want t' find some change o' clothes too, do ya?"
Poison gave him a look big enough to kill. It was enough to make him realize that the answer was no.
"Alrighty, then..."
"Look, Renard. Ah appreciate what yer tryin' to do, but ah would feel plenty better if ya just leave me be, 'k?"
"Fine. Ya can use th' bed ya woke up in. Ah'll be back later t'night t' check up on ya."
"Thanks."
Poison laid in her temporary bed, looking up at the ceiling. She didn't know how long she was staring at that ceiling, but the next thing she knew, a knock came to the door. Poison got out of bed and opened the door. It was Renard.
"Howdy, Poison! Sleep well?"
"Sleep well?" asked Poison. "How long was ah starin' at the ceiling?" Poison looked out the window. It was already nighttime.
"Well... Yeah. Ya've been up here fer three hours. Ah came up here to invite ya to dinner wit mah family. Wanna come?"
Not wanting to be rude, she accepted.
"Sure. Why not?"
Just by the general store, there was a small square of houses enclosed around a table with ponies of all kinds already sitting in it. Cowponies and farmers were sitting together, side by side. The fillies were still playing and running around the huge table. Renard rang a bell. All ponies turned their attention towards him and Poison. The fillies sat down politely.
"Howdy, y'all! It's real nice ta see y'all after such a long time. Ah'd like to introduce y'all to mah friend, Poison!"
Everypony clapped and waved at her. Poison gave a nervous smile and waved back. Renard continued to talk.
"Ah want all of y'all to be on yer best behavior for the lil' missy. Am ah clear?"
"YES RENARD," yelled all the ponies at once. Poison jumped back.
Not too much longer, the food was set up on the table and the ponies began to dig in, Poison being the only one with no appetite. The fillies running amok and the mares and colts talking all at once was not helping. Poison just played with her food on her plate.
Renard sat next to her.
"Mind if ah join ya?"
"Sure."
Renard looked at her with a concerned expression.
"Ya alright, sugarcube? Ya don't look t' good."
"Ah'm fine. Really."
Renard thought there for a minute.
"Say, how 'bout you join me on my ride t' town?"
Poison needed to see more faces than just the ones at the farm. Maybe a quick trip to the town would be good for her.
"That sounds great."
"Alrighty then. Ah'll see ya tomorrow, then. Ah'm dead tired."
"Night."
Poison finished her food and went straight to bed.
The Legend of Poison Apple
The sun was unusually bright that day. Not even Poison’s hat could shield her eyes from the blistering light. The dust and dirt being blown around by the wind was not making the day any better. But she agreed to accompany Renard on his travels to Deadwood. Poisons recalled hearing about the town before, but it was not pretty. No laws, killing, rape, fillynapping, the works.
Since the beginning, Poison’s only goal was to bring some law and order to the chaotic kingdom, but she knew it would be impossible without help. Apparently, Renard would be one of her first. As soon as breakfast was finished, Renard excused himself to get the wagon ready.
Being polite, Poison offered to help clean the dishes with his sister, who he called Tia. She had white fur and a long, pink mane. Poison couldn’t tell why, but she knew she was different from the other ponies she’s ever met.
With the dishes cleaned and put away, Poisons grabbed the Minotaur rifle, which she still hated, her revolver, and her hat and left the house. Soon enough, she found the barn where Renard had the wagon prepared and the supplies ready to be sold. She and Renard climbed on and they set off.
The trip was very peaceful. But for Poison, boring. She craved excitement and gunfights, which was not what she was receiving. The town was located just off from a cliff that led to the Horseshoe River. The town was made of just six buildings. A schoolhouse, a jail, a general store and a small hospital, train station, and a saloon. It seemed like a pretty nice town compared to what the rumors said about them.
However, their goal was not to sightsee. They were heading for the store to sell some animal skins and meat. While Renard was selling the supplies, Poison wanted to grab a quick drink from the saloon. The long trip parched her throat and she didn’t like the feeling.
The inside of the saloon was like any other. Drunk cowponies, mare hookers, and odd-looking bartenders where he looked as though he wanted to kill every single pony in the room. Upon entering, some of the drunken colts began to stare at Poison. She could even hear somepony talking about her.
She sat down at the bar, away from the others, and ordered a drink. The bartender quickly got a small cup and poured in Dandelion Alcohol, the strongest whiskey in the kingdom. But Carvios is famous for it’s unrealistically strong alcohol, so it was no problem for Poison.
Remembering what happened last time she drank too much, she controlled her drinking and slowly put the cup down as she finished. She could hear somepony walking up behind her. Suddenly, she felt something touch her flank. Thinking it was just a joke, she just giggled it off. But then she felt it again. She turned around. One of the drunken cowponies was behind her, pretending that he wasn't doing anything. As soon as she turned around, she felt him touch her flank again. This time, she was getting annoyed. She pulled out her revolver and pointed directly at the cowpony's head. Immediately, his friends pulled out their weapons and aimed at Poison. The bartender took cover behind the counter.
"Ah wouldn't keep doin' that if ah was ya, partner," said Poison. The cowpony slowly back up, surprised by the mare's quickness. Keeping her revolver aimed at the cowpony, she got off her stool and placed a bit on the counter. The bartender took the bit and continued to hide. She left.
Damn, this town 's worse than ah thought, thought Poison. Renard was waiting outside the general store. Upon seeing his fiend, he begins to climb in the wagon and waits for Poison to get on.
"Where in tarnation have ya been, Poison? Ah've worried sick. Was afraid some bandits got ya." said Renard as he helped her up.
"Ah was at th' bar. Some cowponies began to touch mah flank, so ah gave 'em a piece 'o mah mind." explained Poison.
"Ya killed 'em?"
"Nah. Just made 'em understand who they're messin' with."
Renard smiled. "Ah like that 'bout you, Poison. You're a kind and caring mare, but ya aren't afraid t' get dirty either." Poison blushed and put a straw in her mouth. As she laid back, covering her hat with her face. A question suddenly came out of the blue.
"Hey Renard. Ya got 'ny parents?"
He looked down at Poison. "Huh? Why do ya wanna know?"
"Jus' outta curiosity."
"Well, both my ma and pa went t' the capital to rule the kingdom."
Poison sat up immediately, letting her hat fly off. "Yer part o' th' royal family!?"
"Yeah. Ah'm supposed to be th' aire, but who th' hell wants to do that?"
"Are ya kidding me?"
"It's jus' not too adventurous. It's too boring."
"Ah suppose ya have a point there."
