//------------------------------// // Wrong Directions // Story: Pony Tales 2- Buck Wrestling // by ChrisText //------------------------------// -----Wrong Directions----- ''Oh that's just wonderful, I'm the only good guy here, and I can't do anything!'', Caramel said in his head. ''I can't make a run for it, there's no doubt there are more traps, if not, I'd get caught anyway...'' ''Applejack's friends should be immensely busy today, most of everypony is today. ''There's one thing that bothers me though, if these guys are so proud of their stupid plan, why would they sneak around Ponyville just to reach the train?'', Caramel thought. ''Fillydelphia is located at the far east of Equestria, so why wouldn't they walk through the forest?'' Not to mention, the way we're going is through Ghastly Gorge..'' ''So, where is the buck wrestling competition gonna take place at?'', asked Caramel. ''The location will be a little well known stadium in Vanhoover.'', replied Iron Will. ''Vanhoover?'', Caramel said confused. ''Don't you mean Fillydelphia, I mean that's where it's been held for the past 10 years y'know?'', asked Caramel. ''Oh, you must be thinking of the wrong buck wrestling tournament, hah.'', Iron Will teased. Caramel was now aware that there was even less of a chance for him now. ''You mean to say that this is an illegal competition?!'', he shouted out. ''I wouldn't say illegal is the right word, try, an unofficial wrestling match, that's being held at my own personal stadium.'', replied Iron Will. ''Every year I roam Equestria in search of the strongest colts and stallions to compete in my own stadium!'' ''So, your competitions, are more like street fights basically?'', asked Caramel. ''Exactly, you know, I like the cut of your jib!'', he replied. ''Haven't I heard this somewhere before...?'', Caramel thought. They were approaching the bridge at Ghastly Gorge, where the waterfall connects to the forest. Applejack and Big Macintosh were both firmly tied up, and being carried by Iron Will's lackeys. There wasn't anytime to enjoy the beauty of the flowing water, but there was a way to change the fates of his friends. ''So, if competitions like these are only for colts, why is Applejack going to be a part of this?'', asked Caramel. ''We have to keep somethings interesting y'know, we wouldn't want to recycle the same things over and over again like they do in Fillydelphia.'', Iron Will replied. ''In fact, we've been recruiting confident country mares as well, they came along with no questions asked.'' ''I doubt they were in their right minds when they made that decision....'', Caramel thought. ''So if that's the case, you came to Appleloosa because most of the mares in your area aren't......as confident?'', asked Caramel. ''They're all a bunch of wimps who turned the offer down, but this has only happened three times.'', said Iron Will. ''We really try and do this in the nicest way possible, but I guess we scare everypony more than we intend to.'' ''It really is a shame about what happened back at Appleloosa, we weren't in the mood for resorting to violence.'', Caramel's eyes darted at him as he said this. ''Is something the matter, buddy?'', asked Iron Will. ''Oh, no it's nothing.'', he responded. ''But if you needed some colts for your competition, why not take Braeburn?'' ''Ya' see, there was this accident that Braeburn had gotten involved with.'', Iron Will said bluntly. Caramel never really understood why of all the buck wrestling stadiums to choose, Braeburn had chose the one in Fillydelphia. ''What exactly caused this accident you're talking about?'' Caramel started asking Iron Will questions, he didn't seem like much of an arrogant minotaur that dived head-first into trouble when you had a conversation with him. He's pretty calm when he's not intimidating ponies into doing something or shouting. ''It actually happened in my stadium, it was his second time there, he was a returning challenger, he lost to our best buck wrestler below me.'', Iron Will said. ''He had to attend the stadium's in Fillydelphia, because he chickened out from mine.'' ''Our buck wrestles were to ''real'' for him he said, he couldn't stand seeing colts being beaten down by our men, especially by me.'' ''So basically, he's been attending Fillydelphia after he had told me, he never wanted to join the team.'' ''It's a sad thing that he turned down my offer, we could've struck some kind of deal, and turned it down a notch.'' ''You know me, being the spokesperson and salesman of my get tough quick sessions, there's always a chance to strike a deal.'' ''He went to the buck wrestling stadium in Fillydelphia because yours was too much to handle?'', Caramel replied. ''Now I understand why you decided to leave him in the hole, but he'll be okay in there right?'' ''Sure, if he keeps his principles in mind, hopefully he hasn't been going easy on his body.'', Iron Will replied. ''Being a casual worker like him, maybe if those four stallions work together, they'll be alright.'' ''Whether it be by digging or climbing, they're not total amateurs when it comes to sheer strength, so it's not like they're going to be stuck in that hole.'' ''Not to mention the fact, that trains normally pass between Ponyville and Appleloosa for shipping related causes.'' ''I sure hope that Braeburn gets out of that hole, if he doesn't, then who in Equestria is going to come and save me!?'', Caramel shouted in his head. ''We're passing around Ponyville now, so I hope somepony notices Applebloom and Macintosh tied up.'' ''If only Rainbow Dash or some Pegasus would hover over our heads right now!'' ''I doubt I'll be saved by Applejack or Macintosh, the train wreck messed them up pretty bad.'' ''The time is around 7:49, the sunset's light is beaming on us, and it's not very often I get to see all of Ponyville over this hill.'' ''You never really notice how beautiful a place is, until you zoom out I guess.'' ''Why am I thinking so calmly right now?'' ''I should be shouting to attract somepony over here!'' ''A--AA-CHOOO!!!'', Caramel let out the loudest fake sneeze he could. But even that couldn't reach Ponyville, the air is too thick as of now, and a scream would echo louder than a sneeze in a windy field. ''That's a pretty bad sneeze you got there, here, have a napkin!'', Iron Will said. ''No, no, it's fine, it's just a sneeze, nothing bad.'', Caramel replied. ''I'm not going to get anywhere like this making tiny sneezes and asking questions, isn't there something I can do", he thought in his head. ''AH-HAH, I THINK I FEEL A BRILLIANT IDEA COMING ON!'', he thought. ''Uh, Mr. Iron Will, I have to take a little tinkle....'', he said sheepishly. ''Yo-you're kidding me right boy?'', he replied. ''Boys, make sure he doesn't go running off to some forest, we have a lot of hiking to get done here.'', he ordered his lackeys. ''Oh, crap, well that didn't work out like I had hoped..'', Caramel said. ''How am I supposed to make a run for it, when I have five muscle-ridden colts with orders to keep me close?'' ''I guess he doesn't trust me as much as I would like him to..'' ''Maybe there's one last effort I could make to escape these guys.'' ''I'm going to get the apples bucked out of me...'', Caramel told himself as he shivered. ''Hey, you dummies, why don't you take a crack at me?'', Caramel boasted. ''If you guys think you're good enough for Iron Will's buck wrestling matches, then why not?'' ''What's this now, does the crybaby colt have some guts?'', the red stallion said mockingly. ''You'll be the one crying by the time I'm done with you!'', Caramel said in the stallion's face. ''What, you think those little zit sized muscles of yours can be compared to mine?'', he continued to boast. ''Alright, you asked for it ya' little punk!'', the stallion said angrily. ''Yeah, that's it, come at me so I can mess you up!'' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''I sure showed that crybaby colt didn't I, Iron Will?'' ''Yeah, I think he won't be running his mouth off like that anymore.'' Caramel had attempted to run away from the red stallion, only to get tackled from behind. He had withstood six blows via hoof to his face, before promptly passing out on the grass with a black-eye. ''I guess I shouldn't have ran my mouth so bad, maybe I should've just taken my chances and ran without all the showboating....'', he thought to himself. ''What, what's going on here?!'', a certain orange mare questioned. ''Oh, I see that you're awake little girl, your friend here got into a fight with one of my boys, and he taught him a little lesson.'', Iron Will said. ''What did you do to Braeburn you monster!?'', Applejack frantically shouted. ''He's okay, just with the exception of being in a hole miles away from us.'', Iron Will replied. ''Ah thought you said you weren't going to resort to violence, what a load of pony feathers!'', AJ replied. ''Actually, Ah think ya' can't do anything but resort to violence, it's bad enough that your buck wrestling matches are illegal!'' ''Shut your trap little girl, we won't mind knocking you out a second time if we have to.'', said the work pony. ''You wouldn't want to end up like your cocky buddy here.'' ''Ugh, what did you do Caramel, could you at least shut your trap when you're being kidnapped?'', AJ thought. ''Ah think it's pretty obvious that he won't make it far in the wrestling matches.'', Iron Will said. ''But we could use a practice dummy down at the stadium, we're on the path of Unicorn Range, so Vanhoover is only three hours away!'' ''Vanhoover, don't you mean Fillydelphia?'', AJ asked. ''Oh, boy, do I have a wonderful story to tell you little girl.'', Iron Will replied. After hearing the news about what happened with Braeburn, Applejack was just as frustrated as she was before. ''Well that's a good thing, Ah don't want my cousin gettin' in trouble with a bunch of dummies like y'all!'', she shouted. ''Why don't you calm down a bit?'', said Iron Will. He was never fond of calling ponies by their names if he hasn't heard it enough. ''Oh, yeah, Ah'll calm down, after you tell me where my hat is!'', Applejack shouted. ''You mean the stetson?'', Iron Will replied. ''It's over where your friend here got his lights knocked out!'' ''Considering the fact that we've been on a few trains since he went out for a spin, I'd imagine that it floated off somewhere, now that you mention it, the wind carried it over to Ponyville.'' ''Don't worry about that old stetson of yours, if anything, somepony will find it and know it's yours.'' This calmed Applejack down, at least for a bit, she had hoped it wasn't in the hole where Braeburn was in. Unicorn Range had some of the most beautiful mountains in all of Equestria, surrounded by a forest and a clear grassy field. The sunset had disappeared, and the moon had risen in the sky. All of the shining stars were enough to give Applejack some sense of security, they were the only things that seemed to shine in her situation. She had learned a very important lesson out of this. Don't trade lives with your friends, spend your time with them the way you would, and certainly don't do anything involving the Wild West. Caramel and Big Macintosh were still knocked out cold, there was a chance for something to happen, but things have turned out to be in Iron Will's favor. ''Ah can't explain it, but somewhere, somewhere, somepony is gonna get bucked, HARD.''