An Unexpected Stop and an Unexpected Friend
"But I don't understand, how are they supposed to work I mean I don't see how the wheels could balance on these straight metal things, it makes no sense" said Luna as she stepped multiple times on the railroad tracks and tapped them a couple of times as she examined the rails.
"No the wheels don't exactly work like that, instead they kind of slot into the rail and the wheel runs along it, that's why it doesn't require much control or concentration and can go really fast without fear of crashing or making a mistake" I explained as I waited for her to finish her curious little investigation.
"But it can't be that full proof!" she exclaimed as she put her ear to the cold metal. "Well no, some trains have been known to derail sometimes if there is an obstruction or if they're going to fast but generally these things are pretty efficient" I said.
"I would love an opportunity to actually see a train in action" said Luna quite longingly considering it was just a hunk of metal. "Well it's not that exciting, mostly metal and steam but I guess some ponies know more about how it works but for me it will always be a way to get from A to B" I told her as I began to walk away from the track.
"Well if it took a thousand years to create such an amazing contraption there must be more technology that you have yet to explain to me" said Luna as she caught me up and followed with my brisk walking pace. She looked better than she did two days ago in the forest and now that we had traversed half the desert and ahead of schedule she got a lot more talkative which was a problem since generally I wasn't a very knowledgeable pony about anything other than how a sword worked.
"Hay…did I um tell you about the…the gas stove already" I asked hoping I hadn't but I was dismayed when she nodded and my shoulders sunk. "Shouldn't you be thinking of like a plan to take back your crown or something Princess I mean I remember that there were stories of you and your sister in the library" I said and Luna instead jumped to that topic, asking "What kind of tales weave of me"?
"Oh I don't know, hay I didn't really know there was a connection between you, Celestia and Nightmare Moon until the castle and even now I'm struggling to make sense of what six other ponies were doing there and blasting her with rainbow magic and then her pretending to be defeated, I'm just a Guard give me something to protect and I'll do it fine" I complained not knowing what to say.
"Oh there are stories about me and Celestia before my wrongful imprisonment for instance how about the tale of how we defeated Discord?" she asked but I shook my head and she grimaced offering "How we helped in the Unification of the three tribes?" I frowned and thought a minute before asking "that's the one with the winter spirit things and stuff correct"? Luna just frowned and said "I'm not even going to bother with the invention of the telescope".
I sighed wishing I could be better company but then I remembered her Cutie Mark and asked "Why is it that despite you and Clearwater changed bodies you retained your cutie mark"? Luna chuckled and explained "Well despite changing the bodies around successfully a pony can't change their true selves and even Clearwater can't which is why she's probably going to struggle keeping it a secret if she's hiding right under my sister's nose".
I think I understood since I remember what it was like getting my cutie mark. "What does your cutie mark symbolise anyway Captain?" asked Luna as if she was reading my thought (wasn't quite sure if she was). "Oh well you know the standard for a guard really you go to school you defend somepony and ta-da you've got yourself a cutie mark" I told her but she didn't except the explanation, stating "But what does the fire symbolise I mean there's a sword there for defence sure but what does the fire mean"?
I sighed and explained "Well when I got my mark I was defending some filly from some other colt and his friends who were doing the typical bully thing". Luna simply nodded and asked "So that's the defence past so what's the fire"? "Well my parents and teachers believed it was vengeance since instead of stopping when he was down I lay into him and broke three of his teeth and gave his buddies black eyes" I explained in a somewhat embarrassed tone.
Luna was silent for a moment before asking "What did the kid do"? I coughed as I said "He broke the doll her mother had given her". Luna now understanding my Cutie Mark was mercifully silent for a full twenty seconds before she asked "Does Tia still like cake"?
I was about to sigh but I held in a breath as I stopped walking and looked down at some shiny object which was on the ground which was all shiny and black. At first it looked to be a smooth rock but upon leaning down to touch this strange object it uncurled itself and was revealed to be a black scorpion.
I quickly made to withdraw my hoof but I was too late and its unmerciful tail coiled out and swung back with the force of lightening, stinging me on the hoof. I didn't scream or say anything; I just looked at the big welt on my hoof and remembered the Guard Training Manual Poison Section.
Upon the poison being injected into the blood stream by a black scorpion, the pony will have about forty seconds before they are paralyzed and in the case of the white scorpion forty seconds and then three minutes to death, however the black scorpion has an antidote which must be administered within twenty-four hours or death will also occur and in that time it is good to note that the pony will be in agony.
That section of the manual flooded into my brain in about a second and I quickly turned round and grabbed Luna by the hooves and quickly told her "Luna I've been poisoned and there's no time, I have about a day you need to go on without me I'll slow you down, get to Dodge you must take my stuff I won't be able to move soon".
Luna was taken aback by this sudden outburst and she asked "What poison I don't understand"? "It's poison of the black Scorpion and I'll be paralyzed pretty son, you have to take my bags, there are mercanaries in dodge that know my name tell them it and show them a lot of bit and they'll get you to the Bad lands, leave me I will slow you down" I explained again as I began to sweat profusely.
"I'm not leaving you, it was the deal that you got me to the Northern Mountains and I keep my deals" she told me in defiance but I began to protest saying "You ca…." but suddenly my mouth stopped moving and I collapsed, taking Luna with me.
I had about three seconds to get used to the numbing paralysation when suddenly the pain started. My muscles began to convulse on their own as I began spasm but I could barely feel them so it was merciful however my mind felt like it had caught fire and If I could I'm sure I would have screamed.
"Captain, what do I do I can't…I don't" I heard Luna say faintly before I passed out and instead of dreaming everything went nice and black. I could hear Luna faintly calling my name but it was lost in the embracing darkness which in a way comforted me more than any medicine could.
An eternity could have passed in the darkness for all I knew but suddenly I saw light and a syringe and somepony calling "Ok it's in, you are lucky you got him just in time". "Yeah well knock him out Thorne bush" said some other gruffer Pony and suddenly I felt something scrunch against my head and my hearing went back to silence.
I began to stir however and wished that I hadn't as I was hit with a raging headache which threatened to make my brain explode and squish all over any object near it. If this was meant to be heaven then I wasn't impressed and if it was hell I was even more disappointed.
I groaned as I made to get up and off of the cold hard surface I was lying on. I don't know how I'd survived but my guess was that Luna had totally gone and saved me which was against what I'd said and now I was going to have to thank her.
However as I pulled my back legs up I was slowed down by a heavy clanking object attached to my back right hoof. I cracked my dry eyes open and was immediately hit by rays of merciless sunlight which felt like they were burning my eyes out of their sockets. I looked down at my hoof and immediately saw what the problem was.
There was a concrete ball and chain attached to and as I looked around partially blurry room I saw lots of concrete and bars which led me and my great investigation skills to deduce that I was incarcerated in a prison. This might also explain why I had one heck of a headache.
"Well howdy there partner thought you were dead when they dragged you in here, weren't breathing much and by the way you have a very nasty gash on your head and your mane looks like you washed it in blood so just wanted you to know that it wasn't me and If I ever robbed you no hard feelings" came an arrogant Western voice from behind me so suddenly and loudly that I flinched and fell over.
"Yeah I have that effect on ponies, name's Slick Pick" said the voice which belonged to a pony who was cast in shadow in the corner of the cell we seemed to be sharing with a cowboy hat similar to the one that orange mare had been wearing in Ponyville but a bit more masculine.
"Backwater" I said as I slowly got up a sat down on the bench I'd been sleeping on before. "Do you know how I got here? Why I'm in here?" I asked him as I rubbed my head and groaned in pain. "Well I think that poster over there might have something to do with it" said the pony and I looked to the outside bars of the cell where a small desk was and a few Wanted posters were pinned up.
Unfortunately I was too disorientated to read them so the arrogant Pony (whose voice got on my nerves) kindly obliged reading "P.I Backwater wanted for the attempted murder of Princess Celestia and the recently restored Princess Luna and a haystack load of bits in the reward section".
I groaned and looked over at my new temporary friend. "So Mr Pick I'm guessing you're a thief then?" I asked and he came out of the shadow and revealed himself to be a dark reddish pony with bright blonde mane and an arrogant look in his golden eyes which spoke his character more than a full detailed report ever could.
"Why me…a thief?" he asked as if I'd made a stain on his honour. "You sir insult me, I am an artist at what I do, I can pick any lock and break any vault hay I don't even need some fancy horn to do it nope just the brains and brawn of an Earth Pony" he said proudly.
I wasn't surprised when I saw his Cutie Mark was gold and a set of lock picks in some kind of coat of arms but to me he just spelled young and arrogant thief the kind I despised. "You're a thief who steals and by the looks of it gets caught easily" I said but he shook his head in denial stating "nonsense I just like putting my lock picking skills to the test, so I take the odd diamond necklace now and then big deal".
"Besides you're an assassin, don't get many of them around nowadays al murder in Equestria is hushed up and allowed if it's done quietly and the pony never turns up floating in the parks pond" said the Pick, pointing a hoof at me.
"I was framed" I said, realising it was the most stereotypical thing to say and Pick replied "Weren't we all, I didn't mean to take that golden horseshoe I just happened to stumble upon in the Mayor's Safe in her Safe Room in the bank no I was framed by my evil twin!" mocked Pick in a very cackled voice.
"Well look what finally woke up" came the voice of a pony that was the colour of chestnuts and had a greying mane and brown jacket with a golden star pinned to it. "I'm Sherriff Justice of Dodge City and you boy are going to be my ticket out of here boy" he said as he paced the outside of the cage I was in. When that little lady brought you in off the tracks with absolutely no weapons and showing up almost dead I recognised you from the poster and had the local doc fix you up before my boy Deputy Thorn stomped your light out" he said whilst he chewed what looked like nicotine gum.
"Well Sheriff as much as the odds are against me and the fact that you are the law of this town and have to follow what Celestia has decreed I am telling you that it is all lies and that Princess Luna is actually an ancient imposter who wants the throne for herself" I said putting the wacky in the art of on the spot story conjuring despite this one being real.
"Whatever boy, all I know is that when those guards show up in an hour and take you away I'll get an award and so many bits I can retire to somewhere nice and calm like Ponyville and buy that Apple Farm I've had my eye on for the last ten years" he said actually licking his lips as if he could taste the money.
"But sir you can't" I began but he stormed over to my cell hit me square in the stomach through the bars. "Don't go telling what I can and can't do boy oh and Pick don't you dare escape again or I'll beat your ass so bad you're going to want to never see another diamond ring again" he said menacingly as I collapsed to the floor in pain.
"You got it boss" said Pick with a tip of his hat. With that the Sheriff started whistling and walked out of the Prison and I was left on the floor in a ball clutching my stomach. "I think that went well, you caught him on a good day" said Pick.
"Yeah whatever kid" I said as I got up and brushed myself down. Pick looked at me and said "You don't look like the murdering type of pony you know, did he mention a mare brought you here" he asked and I said "Yeah her names Luna and she is very good at ignoring what I tell her not to do" I said as I strode over and shook the bars.
"So she's your wife" he asked looking at me with slight begging in his eyes. "No she's not and no she's not my age either" I said as I went and sat down on the bench once more. "Well then, if this mare is your friend then I always wanted to help a damsel in distress so how bout we get on out of here" he said in a rather optimistic voice to which I replied "How you need a pick and…" he stopped me when he showed me the Sheriff's badge.
"How did you?" I began but he stopped me by explaining "I'm darned right good at taking things from people when they're looking the other way too, just like picking a lock you have to be delicate he said as he slid the needle of the badge into the locking mechanism and after twiddling around for five seconds decreed the door is now open.
I at first thought he was making a very non-funny joke but when the door swung open I just looked him up and down. He gave a rather arrogant smile and I said "For a start she's way out of your league and once more she might look young but she's over a thousand years old" I said as I pushed the door which creaked open and stepped out into the Sheriff's Office.
Pick looked down for a minute but said "I've always loved puzzles so let's see if I can solve this one and following me out of the station. Before we left I took some hanging keys from the wall and unlocked the concrete ball from my hoof and then his before I kicked the doors open and stepped into the city of Dodge.