Chapter 12
Welcome to Santillama
Far from Ponyville, high in the mountains in the city of llamas, Applejack, Fluttershy and Donald all had been trying to gather information about the troubles they had been facing. The ones that Donald spoke to didn't seem to want to cooperate, and the ones that Applejack and Fluttershy spoke to didn't understand what they were saying without Donald around.
"Um...Excuse me," Fluttershy greeted a pink llama who was walking by.
The pink llama paused briefly, shrieked loudly and ran off as fast as her hooves would carry her.
"Now, what in the name o' apple seeds was her problem?" Applejack wondered.
"M-Maybe some of them are afraid of ponies..." Fluttershy meekly said, hiding behind Applejack.
"Don't talk crazy, sugarcube. Ya remember what Donald said: folks'd probably be happy to have visitors in this isolated place."
"I know...But, look at all these llamas. Most of them don't even look at us when we talk to them," Fluttershy said.
Applejack nodded an agreement, as she exhaled quietly.
"Looks like Don's havin' some luck with them," she said.
Down the road, Donald was talking to two llamas who quickly trotted away after a brief exchange. The only thing they mentioned was the same as everyone else: the sheriff was a monster, and it was best to avoid him.
"Hmph. This is exasperating," Donald grumbled. "WAK!!!"
The duck was taken completely by surprise when a green blur ran right past him. After he stopped spinning, he found that he was now holding a package in each hand, each one wrapped in a colorful cloth. On his head was balanced a piece of clay pottery that was painted with many vibrant colors.
The green llama turned around and came to a screeching halt in front of Donald.
<"Hey! What's the big deal, stealing my packages like that?">* the green llama said, after she took her packages back.
[*Translated from llama]
Donald, taking the packages she was delivering? That was completely off base, and the duck had to defend his honor.
<"I didn't steal nothin', ya crazy speed demon!! You knocked me over and covered me with dust!"> Donald rebutted.
<"Whoops! Sorry about that,"> the delivery llama apologized.
She picked Donald up by his shoulders and stood him up.
<"Don't move.">
Don't move, she said. What did that mean?
The delivery llama bucked the packages off her back, and into the air. She then fell onto her own back, still holding Donald, and used her rear hooves to spin him quickly. And with a quick buck of her hooves, Donald was in the air next.
The duck found himself back on his flippers, and watched as the llama rolled to her hooves and caught all of her packages on her back.
<"What's the big idea, ya big palooka!! Why, I oughta--"> Donald's tantrum was cut off by the llama's hoof on his chest.
<"Quit making a fuss, stupid! You're clean now,"> she told him.
Donald looked at himself to see that he was indeed cleaned off. Not a speck of dust was left on him.
<"Oh. Uh...Thanks, toots,"> Donald answered.
<"No problem, duck. Sorry I can't stay, but I've gotta get back to work. These packages won't deliver themselves.">
And with that, the green delivery llama was off like a shot to complete her deliveries, past Applejack and Fluttershy, who both coughed loudly from the dust she kicked up.
"Sunday galloper!" Applejack wheezed, as she used her hat to fan away the dust.
"Do you think maybe the llamas just don't want to talk to us?" Fluttershy suggested.
"Then, we're just gonna have to try a greetin' nopony can turn down,'' Applejack said. She put on her friendliest face, and approached another llama who was walking down the street. She stretched out a hoof to shake, and greeted with an enthusiastic, “Howdy.”
The llama simply looked at her, then walked past.
"What the hay is wrong with all these llamas?"
"Try greeting them with 'hola,'" Donald informed his friend.
Out of the corner of her eye, Applejack caught sight of a red llama wearing a colorful manta and a simple necklace of wool and leather. The farmpony felt she may have some luck with this one, as the llama was engaged in an activity that she herself was often occupied with: setting up a fruit stand for business.
Now that she had some common ground with one of them, Applejack knew that this was her chance to make an impression and learn about the town. She confidently strode over to the llama at the fruit cart, followed by her friends.
"Hola," Applejack said, extending her hoof again.
Quicker than she knew, the llama clasped her hoof in her two hooves and vigorously pumped it up and down.
"Ho-LA, amiga! Una placer hacer su conocimienta!" the llama heartily greeted Applejack. "Mi llamo Hitapaya. Pero, puedes llamarme Paya"
Applejack retracted her hoof to keep from being shaken even more, though she thoroughly enjoyed the hearty greeting. "Well, thank ya kindly, ma'am. Name's Applejack. This here's Fluttershy an' Donald," she answered.
"Oh. Um..." The llama stopped briefly, contemplating what to say next. When she finally spoke, she said rather shakily "...Welcome to Santillama...My...name is Hitapaya."
"But, we can call you 'Paya?" Donald finished for her.
"Si!" Paya answered. "Hablas llama?"
"Si, si, toots," Donald answered. "Wa-aa-aa-aa-k!!!"
Suddenly, the duck found his own hand clasped in Paya's hooves, getting shaken up and down.
"Todos estamos felices de tenerte en nuestra ciudad! Incluso si tenemos nuestro propio conjunto de problemas," Paya said.
"There's that word again: 'problemas.' You llamas been sayin' that a lot, an' I'm startin' to think it ain't good," Applejack said.
Paya let go of Donald's hand, leaving the duck shaking momentarily until he stopped.
"It's not good," Donald answered. "'Problemas' means trouble, or problems in their language."
"Si," Paya said, “Much trouble. For everypony."
"Desde el alguacil, correcto?" Donald asked.
"Correcto," Paya nodded. "Acaba de regresar del banco--"
"Excuse me..." Fluttershy interjected, making Paya pause and look directly at her. After the initial flinch, Fluttershy spoke up again. "I'm sorry, but we don't understand what you're saying."
"Don't worry. I'll translate," Donald said. He turned to Paya, and urged her to continue speaking.
Paya continued where she left off and Donald translated her every word, pausing intermittently to allow her to speak.
"She just came back from the bank before she ran into us--She needed a loan to pay off the property taxes on her farm--Ever since the sheriff came, mortgages, property taxes and rent have all quadrupled--shops have been closing, families have had to move away--she hoped some extra bits from the bank would help keep her home and her business--But, the sheriff's reach is long. He even has the bankers, who everypony's trusted for years, withholding loans--Her friends have already had to leave town. She's afraid that it won't be long before she and her family have to leave too."
They knew that wherever they were going, there would be trouble, but they couldn't have guessed how terrible it could be. Applejack was the first to step forward and offer her comforts.
"I know how tough it is when yer business is in trouble. It's happened to me too. But things always turn out alright," she said.
When she thought about what she said, Applejack realized that her home was never at stake the way Paya's was. And that she always had her friends to help her. Paya's friends had all moved away, leaving her alone in her battle to keep her home. Having reflected on her words, she thought it may have been the wrong thing to say. But, Paya's smile made her feel otherwise.
"Puedo ver que eres un buen poni. Ha pasado mucho tiempo desde que tuvimos visitantes decentes. ¿Quieres venir a mi casa más tarde? No recuerdo la última vez que mi familia y yo pudimos acomodar invitados como solíamos hacerlo. También puedes unirte a mí para un poco de eslingan más tarde," Paya answered.
"Thanks," Applejack said, before turning to Donald. "Uh, what'd she say?"
"She said you're a good pony. And she invited us to stay at her place for the night. And something about joining her for 'eslingan.'" Donald said.
"Si. Eslinga," Paya said.
She illustrated her offer by taking off her necklace and holding the two braided pieces of wool in her teeth. She picked up a stone from the ground and placed it in the leather between the wool.
"Coges una piedra. La pones aquí. Y--" She finished her explanation by swinging the stone around at a blinding speed, then let it fly loose.
The stone flew down the street, spun all of the hanging merchandise at a jeweler's outdoor shop, flew through the open spaces of the scarf a llama was knitting, skipped across the tops of an artist's paint pots, bounced off the side of a clay pottery and back into Paya's hoof.
<"I also do bolas,"> Paya proudly proclaimed, as she fastened her necklace back around her neck. <"I'm probably the best boladera on the mountain.">
"I bet you are," Donald said, awestruck by the incredible display of slinging.
"I...hope I'll see you home," Paya said in her shaky pony language.
"Will do, sugarcube," Applejack answered.
Before leaving, Paya craned her neck back to her cart and tossed each of her new friends a piece of the pink fruit she was hauling.
"Toma estos. No te preocupes por el pago," Paya said, tossing them all one piece of the fruit she was hauling.
"Alright. She said it's free," Donald translated.
"Thanks," Applejack said, examining the fruit, not sure what to make of it. "What is it?"
"Payahita," Paya answered.
"No, not yer name--Wait: didn't ya just say yer name was Hitapaya?" Applejack said.
"No, no. Payahita. Dragon fruit," Paya said, pointing at the fruit in Applejack's hooves.
"Oh. Thanks," Applejack said.
"De nada. Mire alrededor de la ciudad, si lo desea. Pero ten cuidado con los policías del alguicil. Y no se sorprenda si Fiesta de la Piñata viene con una celebración para usted."
"If who comes with what?" Donald asked.
"What did she say?" Fluttershy said, finally speaking up.
"She said that Piñata Party would come with a--"
"FIIIIESTAAAAAAA!!!!"
A shrill call pierced the air, and soon the street was flooded with colorful banners, and music was playing seemingly from nowhere. The pink llama that Fluttershy had tried speaking to earlier sprang in front of her and her friends. She was now wearing many layers of many different colored skirts. In her mouth, she held two small bags.
<"Welcome to your 'Welcome to Santillama Welcome Party!'"> The pink llama enthusiastically greeted the newcomers. Quick as anything, she gave the bags to the apparent party guests, beginning with Fluttershy.
<"Here's a gift for you!">
She moved to Applejack, and handed her a bag.
<"And for you!">
She moved to Donald.
<"And for--">
Something was wrong. She was all out of gift bags.
"Aw, wouldn't ya know it, ya run out of gifts as soon as ya get to me," Donald grumbled.
"But, Donald, you shouldn't be upset with her. She is throwing this party for us," Fluttershy reasoned, and whose gift was a flower made from many colorful fabrics to wear in her mane. Next to her, Applejack put the decorative pins she received into her hat.
"Yeah, but there's this joke my friends always talk about: 'Who gets stuck with all the bad luck? No one, but Donald D--"
<"Here it is!"> Piñata declared, pulling another bag out of one of her skirts, and offering it to Donald.
"Hey. You're pretty swell after all," Donald said.
He opened his party favor, and a great, big cork on a string shot out and bopped him in the bill, knocking him off his feet. Having thrown his dragon fruit into the air, it landed right on his head.
"What the--'' Donald said, pulling the string out of the bag, and finding a wooden popgun attached to it.
<"A big, tough gift for a big, tough sailor! Be careful with that! You might sink somepony's ship!,"> Piñata said with a beaming smile.
"Big and tough, my webbed foot," Donald grumbled, tucking the popgun away in the back of his shirt.
As suddenly as the pink llama's smile appeared, it faded completely.
"What are you lookin' at?" Donald said.
<"Wait just a piñata-punching second! You're the sheriff!">
"I'm not the sheriff! I just got here!"
Donald's words did nothing to change Piñata's mind. She was convinced that she was looking at the feared authority figure.
<"IT'S THE SHERIFF!!! EVERYPONY, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!"> she called to the town.
<"Stop that, right now!"> Paya called from her fruit stand.
Piñata stopped making her racket, just as Paya told her, and froze when the farmllama came stomping toward her.
<"You're gonna cause panic over nothing! This duck looks nothing like the sheriff! And he's been nothing but pleasant since I met him,"> Paya said.
"Yeah! Don't throw the town into panic! I'm a nice guy!" Donald agreed with Paya.
<"I'm sorry..."> Piñata meekly apologized. As though an idea occurred to her, her face changed to a beaming smile again. <"I know! You can have the first dance with me after I set up! Wait here!">
Fiesta de la Piñata took off down the street, her many skirts billowing like a colorful trail behind her.
<"Don't mind her. She's kind of an institution around here for throwing parties all the time. Surprisingly, she's not in an institution,"> Paya explained.
<"I can see how she'd get on your nerves,"> Donald grumbled.
<"It's kind of sad. Everypony loves her parties, but she's so hyperactive and obnoxious that she has very few friends,"> Paya said.
<"Really?>
<"Really. Still, you have to appreciate how hard she works to set up these parties. She's had to work even harder since her magic was stolen from her.>
Donald's mind clicked suddenly.
"Applejack. Fluttershy. Come here," he bade his friends. He turned to Paya, <"Alright, Paya: tell me what happened, and I'll translate again.">
Naturally, Paya was a little confused about the strangers' interest in the town's troubles, but elaborated anyway, while the duck translated for his friends.
"She says that like everypony, they used to have magic that helped them with their daily lives--Small things, like producing more impressive art, crafting more numerous clothes, and growing larger, more plentiful fruits--Until he came--He was like some kind of monster, who stole everypony's magic with his evil light."
"Land sakes! That's what happened to us!" Applejack exclaimed. "Who was the guy that took your magic?"
Donald translated for Paya.
The farmllama tried to think of a way to best describe the beast who stole her magic, but her eyes widened when the answer came to her.
"Him!"
Donald, Fluttershy and Applejack looked down the road to where Paya was pointing.
There, coming toward them through the festive roads was the Big Bad Wolf, carrying a book he had marked with his thumb, and wearing glasses on his snout. He stopped not five feet from them, and held up the book in front of himself.
"*Ahem*" Big Bad began, before reading from his book, "Olluco con carne. A colorful and satisfyin' dish to prepare for company, or just when ya need a delightfully spicy treat for yer palate. The zing the spices add to the vegetables is complimented nicely by the ingredient that makes this dish truly unique: fresh llama meat." He finished the last three words with a sinister smile that bared his fangs.
The sight of the glutton that tried to eat her made Applejack step back slightly.
Paya stepped back from the one who stole her magic.
Fluttershy too lowered herself to the ground and tried to back away out of sight.
Soon, Donald found himself alone facing Big Bad.
"Is that supposed to be some kind of threat?" the duck asked, trying to sound brave.
"Naw. I'm just sayin' there's more than one way to skin a llama. Heh-heh-heh." Big Bad answered, taking off his glasses, and putting both them and his book in his pockets. "More to the point, you do-gooders got no business bein' here. If ya had any sense, ya woulda let that avalanche roll ya off the mountain."
"What d'ya know about that, fuzzy!? Your ugly face showin' up exactly means we got business here! So, what's your deal, huh? What're you tryin' to do by pushin' these llamas outta their homes!?" Donald said.
"I don't know what yer talkin' about, Duck. I don't give two shakes of a lamb chop what happens to their homes. That there's the sheriff's business."
"Then, you ain't the sheriff?" Applejack said.
"Heck no. I wouldn't be anywhere near that guy, even when he's in a good mood. I just take care o' the folk he don't like," Big Bad explained, licking his chops.
"¡Aléjate, matón peludo! Tu haber asustado a los demás, pero no abandonaré mi granja tan fácilmente!" Paya rebuked the glutton.
"Ain't no use talkin' to me. I'm gettin' ya off yer farm one way or another," Big Bad said.
The Big Bad Wolf was not the sheriff, but it was clear that he was involved with the troubles the llamas were facing.
To Applejack, it seemed like something more was going on. With the sheriff going to such lengths as hiring an enforcer like Big Bad to get the llamas off their property, there had to be. And, as long as she was around, that wasn't going to happen.
"Ain't no use gettin' her off her farm nohow! I seen plenty o' crooks in my time, but I ain't never seen one a low-down and greasy as you! As long as me an' my pals're here, Paya's stayin' right where she is! An' if you got somethin' to say about it, I'm buckin' ya where it hurts!" Applejack said.
"Now, don't go makin' a scene, lunchmeat. There's a party here. Don't wanna spoil everyone's good time," Big Bad said provocatively, as he unsheathed the first half inch of one of his cleavers from his pocket.
Donald and Applejack looked tensely at Big Bad's weapon, and then into the eyes of the glutton. He was waiting for one of them to make a move. Slowly, they both took a step backwards.
It was what Big Bad wanted. He advanced forward, slowly drawing his weapon.
Since the beginning, they had been falling prey to his scare tactics. Them retreating from him was evidence of that. Applejack knew that if they completely succumbed, it would be the end of them. Something had to be done to fight back.
She quickly tossed the dragon fruit she still held into the air, and bucked it toward Big Bad. The fruit flew straight and true...over her target's head, not even brushing the top of his hat.
"Can't make a country-ism. Can't make a shot. Yer goin' down like a fly in a leaky washtub!"
He would have guffawed, if not for a sudden impact on his nose.
Donald had taken his popgun out of his shirt and fired the cork at his opponent. Not that it did much good, but it did allow an opening for another attack.
Paya took hold of the front of her cart in her teeth, and rolled it into Big Bad, knocking the wind out of him, and blowing her fruit across the ground.
Fiesta de la Piñata had shown up for the dance with Donald, only to stumble and trip over the rolling fruit.
Fluttershy had chosen to hide behind Paya's fruit stand, but now that her cover had been moved she was forced to crawl out into the open.
Big Bad noticed the pegasus trying to escape, and quickly snatched her up before the others could attack again.
"Now, don't go tryin' nothin' funny! Or the pigeon-horse gets it!" he said, backing into the crowd, as he held Fluttershy by her mane.
"Help me..." Fluttershy quietly called to the others.
Big Bad was slowly disappearing with Fluttershy, and in the crowded streets it didn't look like anyone was paying much mind to them.
Donald's mind raced furiously for a solution, and found one with the dragon fruit at his feet.
"Don't just stand there! Fluttershy needs our help--What the hay!?" Applejack said, as Donald took the decorative pins from her hat.
"Ah!" Paya exclaimed, when Donald took her necklace, tied the pins to each end, then stuck the pins into the dragon fruits on the ground.
"Bolas!" Donald quickly explained.
"Bolas?!" Paya asked. It didn't take long for her to catch onto the duck's plan. She took the weighted necklace in her teeth, swung it around, and let it fly down the road.
Big Bad continued to carry Fluttershy through the crowd.
"If ya keep real quiet, I'll make ya somethin' real good. Maybe a pony burger. Or a pony stew," he said to Fluttershy.
Fluttershy was too terrified to pay any attention to him. What scared her more was that even though they were at a crowded outdoor party, nopony was helping her. Were they too engrossed in their festivities, or were they turning a blind eye to her trouble. Whatever the case, her panic spiked when Big Bad suddenly tumbled forward with her still in his grip. They came to a hard stop against a decorative artwork of feathers, cloths and cacao leaves.
Once they stopped moving, the yellow pegasus could see that something had wrapped around Big Bad's neck and made him lose balance. It had also loosened his grip on her, allowing her means to escape.
Big Bad looked up from the mess he made, his face now stuck with feathers and leaves to make him look like an Incan emperor, which he quickly shook off. Surveying the crowd, he thought he had lost Fluttershy, until his keen eyes noticed something.
A figure wearing many colorful skirts and a wide hat would not seem suspicious at that festival. But, were Fluttershy's distinctively equine tail not peeking out from the back, it may have escaped notice.
The glutton mentally traced the path she was likely taking based on her direction, and lowered himself to all fours, slinking stealthily through the crowd.
Fluttershy wove her way through a crowd of costumed performers, who were all wearing clothes that reminded her of different animals. Normally, she would have been delighted by the display. But not when a predator was after her.
She hurried as quickly and quietly through the festivities as she could, desperately searching for her friends. Until she bumped into something wearing a woolly poncho.
Looking up, she shuddered when she saw the fierce, fanged face, but quickly realized that it was only a mask, decorated with turquoise and round, coin-like metals that dangled from strips of wool. Still, the face was eerily life-like, and made her quickly start trotting away. Only, Fluttershy became more distressed when she found more of the life-sized figures surrounding her, along with more ponchos and more masks hanging on display.
"Fluttershy!"
Fluttershy looked to the direction her name was called, and saw her friends rushing toward her.
"Applejack! Donald! Paya!" Fluttershy called back, and quickly ran into Applejack's hooves. "I don't want to stay here anymore! Let's leave, before that wolf finds us!"
"You come to my home. Now," Paya declared.
"Your home?" Fluttershy asked.
"Si. Safe there," the llama nodded.
"Don't go gettin' ahead o' yerself!" Big Bad's voice came from somewhere unseen.
"Wak!! He's got us surrounded!" Donald yelled, clubbing the cloaked, masked figures around him with his popgun.
He was joined by Applejack and Paya, who both bucked wildly to weed out their attacker. Soon, all of the figures were knocked down, but Big Bad was nowhere in sight.
"Aw, now lookit that: ya just ruined some feller's hard work. Ya coulda saved a lotta trouble, if ya bothered lookin' where danger wasn't starin' ya in the face! Gah-ha-ha-ha!!!" Big Bad’s voice taunted.
Quicker than any of them could perceive, a black poncho whirled itself around the rope it was draped over, revealing it was actually the Big Bad Wolf, fangs bared, and swinging two cleavers.
Donald and Applejack dove to get the other out of danger. The tassel on Donald's hat was only barely clipped by Big Bad's swinging cutlery.
"Yer all gonna make a tasty dish, once I'm done with ya," the glutton said, scraping his blades together.
Paya grasped a round mask in her teeth and hurled it at Big Bad's head, making him rattle momentarily.
"Eat that, muchacho!!" the llama shouted.
Donald quickly started stacking up more of the round, decorative masks and used both hands to fling the mask on the bottom toward his opponent.
Big Bad tried to deflect the projectiles, only to get bombarded by most of Donald's payload. Soon, he was backed out into the street, where he was engulfed by the dancers dressed like animals. Among them, Fiesta de la Piñata peeked out from under her duck costume to engage the wolf
"Oh, no estés tan triste en una fiesta! Aquí! Ten algunos de los collares que hice para todos!" she gleefully said, as she heaped necklace after necklace of strings with tiny, colorful stones on top of the glutton.
Big Bad reached out from under the pile and grabbed Piñata by her neck, before tossing her aside. As annoyed as he was by her, she had given him the means to fight back at his opponents. It started with him putting each necklace into his gaping maw, and breathing deeply through his nose.
Down the road, the others were escaping. But, not before Paya had a chance to make one last stop.
<"Which way are we goin'?"> Donald asked.
<"Up the mountain trail. My home is further up the slope,"> Paya answered.
<"Then, why are we goin' the other way!?">
<"I need to get something back!">
They came to a stop where Fluttershy had initially escaped from Big Bad, and Paya looked through the mess of leaves, feathers and fruit, until she found what she needed.
<"Got it!"> she declared.
<"We came back for your necklace? Why couldn't ya just make a new one when ya got home?"> Donald angrily questioned.
<"This isn't any old necklace!>" Paya defended, <"It's an irreplaceable memento from--">
Before she could finish, the wall of tapestries behind them started shredding itself.
Everyone ran for cover, as the Big Bad Wolf came charging down the street, spewing decorative stones from his mouth like a machine gun.
The festivities turned to panic, and llamas started running through the streets.
Donald and his friends all took cover inside of a clothing shop, along with many other llamas.
Fluttershy was having trouble putting up with the situation, already well past her limits of anxiety.
"Don't worry, toots! I'll fix 'em!" Donald declared.
He shooed the others behind the counter at the shop, took cover by the door frame, grabbed a hat with two tassels on the sides that was hanging in the shop, and loaded anything he could find into it. The first was a decorative clay pot, which he hurled out the door toward his aggressor.
Big Bad saw the projectile, and spewed a stream of stones at it, shattering the large pot into four tiny teacups, complete with saucers.
Donald took a handful of colorful stones and loaded them into his hat. He swung them out the door at Big Bad, who ducked under the attack, and shot forth a cluster of his own stones. The cluster happened to be in the exact shape of Donald.
"WAK!!"
The duck was hit by every stone, having stood in the exact position the stones were arranged.
He rolled to the back of the room and hit a wall, where a poncho on display slid off its hook and over his head.
<"Ay ay yah,"> said a silver llama with sparkling silver spots behind the counter <"You know, with the right accessories, you could pull off that poncho marvelously!">
Donald ducked his head down, as another burst of stones was blown at him.
<"Not the time for fashion advice, toots!"> The duck answered.
Donald needed something heavy, and fast. He found the head of a mannequin, which had fallen off its body rolling around. That would do. He loaded that into his hat, and hurled it at Big Bad, who had the wind knocked out of him again, and spewed forth every remaining stone in his mouth.
"Yes! Got him!" Donald said triumphantly.
Big Bad burst through the door, past the crowd of llamas toward Donald.
Donald saw the trouble he was in, and quickly took cover behind the counter with the others, hoping they could sneak away before the wolf reached them.
A sudden bang cut through the room, making everyone present stop cold.
That bang came from the unmistakable noise of a certain weapon. The weapon carried only by the new sheriff.
Sure enough, there stood the sheriff in the doorway, holding a smoking rifle in his hands. The weapon rocked forward on a lever the sheriff held, chambering the next round, and rocked back with two loud clicks. He then slung his weapon over his shoulder and clomped through the wooden floor of the shop. Behind him, another llama with a turquoise coat, with blue mottling was keeping back, as if he was trying to keep his distance from the new authority figure in town.
"Hrm..." the sheriff grumbled.
Fluttershy started whimpering behind their cover, prompting Applejack and Donald to cover her mouth.
Paya glowered at the sound of his voice, wishing she could get out there and attack him. But, not when he was more well armed than herself.
"So," the sheriff began, his llama companion translating into the llama's language. "This is what you bring me down here for? You llamas start a fight, interrupt my time at the honky-tonk, and make me come all the way here from the other end of town so I can break it up?"
Everyone in the room gave the sheriff a wide berth, keeping as far from him as they could. Even The Big Bad Wolf was keeping at least two llamas between himself and the sheriff.
"Listen up: I'm gubba-gubba-gonna make this real clear," the sheriff said.
His translator repeated, even adding the gubba-gubbas.
"He's a turkey!?" Donald whispered aloud.
Applejack put a hoof over Donald's bill to keep him quiet.
Donald peeked up from behind the top of the counter, and saw a turkey wearing a wide-brimmed hat, a wool jacket, aviator sunglasses, a handlebar mustache and a silver star. Slung over his shoulder was a gigantic, lever-action rifle.
"This--" the sheriff said, his free arm swinging wide. "--is my town!"
Donald crouched back behind cover when the turkey faced him. He motioned to his friends that they should move out from behind the counter toward the door.
"I like my town filled with peace and quiet,” the sheriff continued. “Because a quiet town is a gubba-gubba-good town. And I aim to keep it that way."
Applejack had reached the end of the counter, and made a beeline for the door, escaping without alerting anyone.
"If any of you-- and I mean any of you-- tries to mess that up: I'm gubba-gonna to make sure you never cause trouble in this town again. You understand?" the sheriff finished, threateningly holding his rifle.
Paya was next, and reached the door safely.
"¿Entiendan todos?" the sheriff’s translator finished.
Fluttershy went next, keeping so low that she was almost flat against the floor, before she went out the door.
Some llamas answered. Others remained silent, only nodding. The Big Bad Wolf slowly backed out of the room and disappeared out a back entrance.
"Perfect," the sheriff concluded. "I hope you all remember this talk we had. I'd hate to have to remind any of you."
Donald was the last to go, having kept an eye on the sheriff for his friends. Now that the turkey had his back turned, he was able to leave. But if only he had been watching his escape and not the sheriff, he would have seen the poncho he was about to tangle himself in.
Though he did his best to keep his bill shut, Donald's struggle against the poncho made enough noise to alert the sheriff, who whipped around and fired his rifle in the duck's direction.
Donald pulled his body down low, while the bullet broke through the wall, right between where Fluttershy and Applejack were waiting for their friend.
Inside the shop, Donald slowly poked his head through his own poncho to face the sheriff's smoking gun barrel.
"Don't you sneak out while I'm layin' down the law, punk. If you missed anything, you might end up a stuffed trophy on my mantle. You hear me?" the turkey asked, his translator repeating in the llama language.
"Y-Y-Yes, s-sir," Donald stammered.
To the duck's relief, the sheriff slung his gun back over his shoulder. However, he was still pinned to the ground by the sheriff's stare.
"Haven't I seen you somewhere before?" the sheriff asked, his translator still repeating in the llama language.
Donald swallowed hard and sweated profusely.
"N-No, sir," the duck stammered. "I'm just a tourist backpacking across these mountains..."
He hoped the sheriff would buy his lie, and make things easier for himself and his friends. But he became more nervous when the turkey knelt down to level his gaze, and peered out from behind his sunglasses.
"You know, it's real dangerous to backpack across these mountains alone. And even more when you don't even got a backpack," the sheriff said, using the barrel of his rifle to pull the back of Donald's collar, nearly lifting the duck up. "You oughta get yourself some new supplies and get outta town quick as you can. And watch every step you take while you do."
Donald was dropped back to the floor, and the sheriff stepped out of the shop, his translator following.
Outside, Fluttershy hid behind Applejack as the turkey passed them by.
The sheriff stopped momentarily to glance at the ponies to his side, then continued to walk along.
He passed by Paya, who was glaring intensely at him. The sheriff did not even stop to acknowledge her, only glancing in her direction. And for a split moment, Paya was sure he smiled slightly.
"Mama pajama," Donald shuddered, as he exited the shop, still wearing his knit hat and poncho, "I don't know who's scarier: that fuzzy glutton, or that fat bird."
"I don't think we should think about it..." Fluttershy answered.
"It's alright, sugarcube. We'll all keep ya safe," Applejack assured her friend. After helping Fluttershy to her shaking hooves, they approached Paya. "Hey, Paya. Let's get outta here, 'fore somethin' else happens."
"Si," Paya nodded. "Sígueme."
Nopony needed Donald to translate that. Paya's intentions were clear. She was going to lead them to her home to stay in safety. However, the work of the visitors was not done. As long as the town was under the rule of the new sheriff, there would be nowhere safe to stay.