*A/N* Hey guys what's up, Cdude here or as I'm also known, Colt-Fortune to tell you that well this chapter's done. I would like to thank Kirilia481 for the second OC donation to my story. It was fun writing this chapter, what with the different plotpoints and what not. Also another thanks to for his OC and Cloudchaser the Unicorn for his OC that's been around since chapter 1. He's the one who got me back into writing and the one who's keeping me on track. So go check out his stories… and it's totally not self promotion since I'm in them. Anyways thanks for reading!
Swift's POV
"I… I'm not sure, I've never really been an expert on maps like you. Here let's see what you can make of it." I hand Cloud the map.
"It seem, well ancient from the looks of it… and it seems to be leading us past Ponyville into… the Everfree Forests."
"The Everfree Forests? Isn't that the place where there are all the deadly animals and all that?"
"Yeah that's what I've heard during my trips into Ponyville anyways. This seems like it may be worth something, do you want to see if we can pawn it off?"
"Hmm…" I hesitate. "No, this seems to be more than just a simple map."
"Swift?"
I snap out of my thoughts.
"Uh, yeah sorry."
"Yeah we should sell it?"
"No… no we shouldn't. I have a good feeling about this map."
"Shall we discuss this over drinks? My treat."
"Hell yeah!" I replied enthusiastically.
Cloud takes my hoof and leads me to the nearest tavern from here.
"Ahh, the Hoof and Horseshoe. The finest pit of lowlives, gamblers, and drunks, Care to take a seat?"
"Why thank you good sir. I wonder if they have anything besides their famous piss whiskey."
We laughed at the snide remark and called the bartender over.
"'Ey, what'll you two have?" The bartender asked.
"I'll take a shot of whiskey." I answered.
"Same here." Cloud followed.
"Alright, I'll be right back."
Cloud starts talking to me about some… well to be honest I have no clue what he's saying. But out of the corner of my eye, I catch a glance of Fortune. He returns a quick glance, then I notice he's sitting next to another pony, another stallion, but this one's Tan with a Red Mane and Tail. I notice that he calls the bartender over and whispers something into his ear, Luna knows what he's up to.
"Swift! Are you listening to me?" Cloud interjects.
"Uh, yeah. Sure." I reply obliviously.
"Okay so what was I talking about?"
"How we're going to find the entrance of the ruins."
"…Okay what did I just say?"
""Swift! Are you listening to me?"
He sighed and waved off the comment. And then the bartender returns.
"'Ere you go, that Black Stallion said they're on him."
"Err…" I growl under my breath.
The bartender gives me a strange look then sets the drinks down on the table.
"Who knows why that idiot does anything? Want me to teach him a lesson?"
He motions to the concealed broadsword under his cloak. The cloak that Cloud would always wear, it has his cutie mark on it and for some reason whenever I ask him about it he dodges the question.
"No offense… but he would probably come out on top." I spoil his confident comment.
"Hey just a minute I—"
Someone forcefully pushes the tavern doors open.
"Bartender, I want a shot of whiskey, make it fast!" A suspicious looking mare demands.
"Someone's a tad bitchy today." I remark at the mare.
"Uh, Swift… you may not want to say some of these things. She looks… wild."
"Because she'd publicly assault someone in this bar... Cloud I'm fine."
Colt continues to glance at me from time to time and I eventually get up to talk to him. I start to walk towards him and am stopped in my tracks by the mare sitting at the counter. She gives me an inspecting glance and I continue to walk. I finally approach Colt.
"Hey what's with the free drinks and why do you keep staring at me?"
"I just didn't expect to see you here princess."
"Ugh! I hate that nickname!" I think to myself.
"So you're getting a drink with Fogrunner?"
"It's Cloudchaser. When are you going to let your grudge go?"
"As soon as the damn Canterlot Guards stop chasing after me! You're lucky they barely saw your face. Or at least not enough to give a thorough description of you."
"It wasn't his fault!"
"Really? You want to tell me how the guards all happened to find me at once then?"
"Ahh! You're impossible."
"Only for you princess."
The story behind Cloud and Colt happened a few years back. Cloud had just gotten into the game for selling blueprints and plans to break into houses. He made a decent name for himself so Colt decided to ask him for some blue-prints, he still refuses to tell me where to though. And Cloud wanted to go along with him but Colt refused and said he'd bring profits back for him. One thing led to another and during Colt's escape in a supposedly abandoned tunnel A bunch of guards caught him, he narrowly escaped and now all the guards in Equestria are after him.
"I give up! Thanks for the free drink but I have a heist to pla… damn it."
"Oh? Another heist so soon? It's not even the next day princess, you sure you're ready? What is it this time? Canterlot Castle?"
"Oh haha, you smug jackass."
"I don't see any donkeys around here. I didn't know there were any Donkeys in Canterlot."
"Ugh! Can't you take anything seriously?"
"A grudge."
I shake my head and walk away, the mare peaks out of her cloak giving another more attentive glance. She reveals her Sky Blue Coat and Mane, matching her Dark Blue eyes I return to my seat where Cloud is waiting for me.
"Is he willing to forget one coincidence?"
"Not a chance."
"So what's the story, where did Colt try to rob that made it such a big deal?"
"Well before you Colt tried to rob Fancy Pants' manor as well, and let's just say luck wasn't shining on either of us that day."
"Why? What do you mean?"
"The way that it played out… it was completely coincidental those tunnels were abandoned for years!"
"It's fine, I believe you. So, have you figured out what's up with that mare over there?"
"She seems to be watching you. Want me to go talk to her?"
"No, let's see how this plays out. Maybe she'll come up to us for a change."
After a few more minutes of waiting me and Cloud decide to have a drinking game.
"Okay we have ten shots of whisky each, first to throw up loses. We'll keep the rounds coming until one of us caves." I explain to Cloud.
"Fair enough, loser has to pay for the next visit."
"Deal."
We call the bartender over and he lays out the drinks.
"'Ere you go, try to throw up on the floor and not the counter. We just had it cleaned."
And so it begins.
After the first few rounds I start to get a bit lightheaded. I look over at Cloud.
"Hey you're… you're about to puke, my eyesh can shee it!"
"You're eyesh can't shee anything. You're drunk!"
The next few rounds come and we keep drinking.
"Hey, I'm not giving up any time shoon. I shuggesht you shtop." Cloud insisted.
"Bullcrap, you're about to give in."
The bartender walks over to put a few more rounds down.
"No I'm no-"
And there he goes, exploding right onto the bartender. I was laughing so hard I fell off my stool and kept laughing even after I threw up.
"Damn… that'sh two timesh I have to pay, I'm gonna be broke."
Still giggling I say.
"Hey don't worry, next time we come here I'll be shure to throw the match for you!"
"Cocky little…"
After that the alcohol finally takes it's toll and I black out.
"Hey, drunk-ass wake up!"
My head is pounding.
"What a great way to plan for a heist. Moping around… really it's genius."
"Ow, be quiet! My head… Wait who is this, it's too mean to be Cloud, and it's too girly to be Colt."
I open my eyes slowly and see a familiar yet unfamiliar figure standing over me with a smirk on her face.
"You're… you're that mare at the bar earlier."
"Sweetie, it's the next day, you're in one of the Tavern's rooms, although I have to hand it to you."
"What?"
"You can get even drunker than a stallion."
"Oh wow… thanks." I said sarcastically.
I rub my head because of the pain.
"Where am I?"
"…I just said we're in the tavern. Are you sure you're not still drunk?"
"Yeah well… it's hard to remember things, I can barely remember my name."
"Speaking of names what's yours?"
"First off, you first. And second off, why are you here, waking me up?"
"I heard you overtalking about a heist. I want in."
"Why would I let you join me?"
"Because, if you do I won't give Colt's location away."
"Go ahead, I don't care what happens to the smug sonofa-"
"Alright then, I guess I'll just go to the castle and-"
"No wait! Okay… you can join in on the heist. But what can you even do?"
"More than you, the only reason I'm joining is because the heists you've been planning lately have been… out of the ordinary. I mean first Fancy Pants' manor, and now this mysterious heist that you're chasing because of a map."
"How did you…?"
"I have eyes and ears everywhere, including in Fancy Pants' manor."
"Just think of me as a better, more infamous, and pretty version of you."
"My assumptions last night were right."
"And those were…?"
"You really are a bitch."
She stares violently at me for a moment.
"Live and Learn sweetie."
I roll my eyes, still rubbing my head from the pain. Without a word I tell her with my eyes "I'm going downstairs." I continue out of the room then hear loud moaning, worse than mine in the room adjacent to mine. *Knock knock knock*
"Go away!" A more masculine tone breaches my ears.
"I had to get up, so do you. Now stop being a wuss and get the buck up."
"Shut it Swift."
"Get up or I'm pouring cold water on you."
"You wouldn't…"
"You obviously haven't met me, you know damn well I would and will."
"Va te faire foutre."
"What?"
"It's fancy for "piss off!""
I roll my eyes and bust the door open. I then see Cloud jump up into a sitting position.
"Oh hey, I didn't really mean what I just said."
"Get up… we have a new addition to our crew, unfortunately."
"Wait who?"
I explain to him who the mare was last night and how she wanted to join the squad.
"So… if you would've said no she would give Colt's location away?"
I nod my head.
"And you believed he would get caught…?"
"Y-yes, what's your point."
"My point is, I have the world's largest hangover right now and can still remember that Colt has Charisma and luck to burn a hole through the planet."
*Facehoof*
"Well it doesn't matter now, a promise is a promise."
"You're too nice for your own good."
"Maybe, but at least I don't have the luckiest, most charming pony in Equestria pissed off at me."
"Ha! So you do think he's charming! I knew you-"
"Finish those words and they'll be the last ones you ever say!"
He grips his forehead.
"Not so loud damn it!"
"Oh yeah… but still, shut it. I don't have a thing for Colt."
"Whatever you say, princess."
He chuckles a bit and I respond with daggers piercing right through his eyes.
"Okay, okay. I'm done. So can I meet this mysterious mare?"
"Yeah, come downstairs with me. I want something to clear my head."
"Make it two."
"Hey we had a bet, next time we drank here you were paying."
"Damn… fine, I'll pay. This is highway robbery…"
Colt's POV
"Okay Gambit, you ready?"
The tan pony gives a nod.
"Okay on three, we knock on Fluttershy's door. One… Two… Three… *Knock knock knock*
A small creek in the door opens followed by a hardly audible.
"H-hello…"
"Um hey Fluttershy, I was wondering do you possibly think you could show us where the entrance of the Everfree Forest is?" I ask.
"Hey, why didn't you get directions from someone who's not afraid of everypony." Gambit whispers in my ear.
"Shh!"
Fluttershy looks at me for a second, as if inspecting me. She then gives a barely noticeable nod.
"R-right this way… If that's okay with you."
"Yes, lead on. And thanks Fluttershy."
After a few moments of walking, we approach the entrance of the Everfree Forests.
"Thank you Fluttershy, you've been a really big help."
"Y-you're welcome. I'm going to go back to my house now. Have fun."
The buttery yellow Pegasus walks off back to her house.
"So Gambit, ready to throw everything away for a few bits?"
"I'm surprised you're even asking."
"Okay then. Let's do it."
*A/N* Ohh tensions rise. Will Colt ever forgive Cloud? Will Swift finally meet her match? Who is this mysterious mare? Why am I asking you all these questions when I know the answers? Find out all of these except the last one in future chapters which may or may not be the next! Anyways thanks for reading!