-Arizona, train to Appleoosa, three months, one week and several days after Jade-
I was suddenly woken up by a hardy kick to the face and I reflexively slapped a hoof out roughly against something soft and squishy making it yelp loudly.
“Did you just slap my teats?” Velvet asked as she sat up groggily.
“Did you just kick my face?” I asked rhetorically, I knew she did.
“Of course not, why would ever do that? At least by accident, when I could be doing it on purpose.” Upon giving Velvet a scathing glare, she only blushed a bit. “Sorry, what am I thinking, I should have slapped you across the face for getting fresh with me. That’s how most ladies do it.”
“Says my dear deer who’s certainly lacking in the lady department.” This was going to be a long journey, I could already tell. Life would mean nothing if I wasn’t at Velvet’s throat as much as she was at mine, we had a clear understanding between us. We despise and loved each other in equal measure. “You kicked me in the face and retaliation was warranted, I couldn’t slap you in the face so I chose the next best target within reach and you just woke me up.”
“You are very dirty minded cow then.” Instead of responding verbally to Velvet’s statement, I just grinned. “You’re not going to deny it?”
“Why would I with someone as beautiful as you always on my mind?” Double blush, I charmed her well.
“You’re infuriating.” Velvet groaned out as she shoved me out of the seat while taking up the entire space.
“And you’re comfortable.” I said as got back on the seat by laying myself over her body, this annoyed her to no end as I wasn’t about to let her get out from being under me.
I snuggled against her and all Velvet did was huff loudly and look away, I knew she liked this. If she didn’t, then she’d be immediately trying to throw me off.
“Last stop, Appleoosa!” A conductor said as he trotted in, he stopped to stare at us. “If you’re going to make a mess, please put down something to soak it up.”
“No, we’re cool, just snuggling.” I wasn’t about to push anything with Velvet, but teasing her was too fun. Like say sticking my nose in her ear and flicking my tongue into it.
I heard Velvet gasp and she gave off a tiny squeaking sound, afterwards she just looked at me with a small smile.
“Whatever, just don’t make a mess until you’re off the train and maybe bring a thick blanket next time?” The conductor grumbled, he continued on while complaining about something we were both embarrassed about for a few seconds. “It’s always so hard to clean up after young lovers these days!”
-Appleoosa, burgeoning town-
We just got off the train and we were greeted by a friendly, read desperate, looking young pony that was almost still a colt. His green eyes spoke of excitement and wanting to do something big.
“Welcome to Appleoosa!” Pale yellow fur with oranges streaks in his hair, he seemed to be the town greeter. All pony towns seemed to have one, Manehattan didn’t some to have one and I thought that was only because it was a city. “I’m Braeburn and… hey where are you going?!”
The two of us just walked on past him.
“Yeah, yeah, don’t try to run the spiel through us about finding a good home here, we already have one and we’re just passing through and heading on out on a journey.” I of course was the coarse one, but Velvet at least tried to address him in a manner that was a little less callous than mine.
We were going to find out what happened to my mother, I’ve been with Grace for a long time.
“We could stop for some food and water before we head out Zone, we’ve been on that train for a while and I’m a bit parched.” Okay, so Velvet had a decent excuse and complaint for us stopping here. She leaned in towards me and followed up. “Besides, we can always ask for information here.”
“We stop for snacks, but we’re not asking for directions.” Why did I receive such a loud huff of derision? “All we need to do is head west until we hit some plains.”
“Of course you’d be like that in this relationship, typical.” I had no idea what Velvet was talking about.
“I’m sure that we’ll eventually find someone that lives out here to give us directions fluff butt.” I enjoyed the feeling of dirt under my hooves. The train ride wasn’t all too great for me, I liked flying or hoofing it better. “We only need said directions when we don’t know where to go from when we get there, because I doubt anyone here in this relatively new town would know anything.”
“I could still give you the tour of our humble...” This Braeburn tried, he really did, we both just glared at him and he backed off. “Know anything about what?”
“Do you know anything about a world snake or a large cow named Minnesota?” when I asked this, Braeburn just gave us this rather blank look and the shook his head no sadly. I turned to Velvet. “See he doesn’t know a single thing about where we’re going. Snacks, drink and then we’re getting out of here.”
We both went past him into town and then he quickly followed us.
“Hey, wait up, I know a place where you can get some vittles for your journey at least!” Well we didn’t know Appleoosa too well, maybe we could give him a shot.
I looked to Velvet and she looked to me. My tail flicked about, her ears wiggled a bit and we stared into one another’s eyes for a second.
“Okay.” I finally said after a minute of silent contemplation.
“Yes, you won’t regret getting help from me!” He then led us to the town’s saloon, salt lick, drinks and snacks all were available or so he advertised. Being too young for a salt lick personally, I wondered why he advertised it.
“If they have sea-salt ice cream, I’m going for it.” Yeah, Velvet was an ice cream addict. It surprisingly didn’t impact her figure whatsoever. All our fighting certainly kept my reindeer fit.
“This backwater place? Not likely to have any ice cream at all, but I will pay if they do.” I muttered back, buying Velvet ice cream always made her happy.
I walked up to the bartender and sat down on a stool and Velvet sat down on my right.
“So is it too soon to ask or do you have the rules set up yet.” He gave me a narrowed eyed look and then looked to Braeburn before returning a questioning gaze to mine. “Not him, but I do feel like throwing a chair to throw down with my girlfriend here.”
The bartender nodded as he cleaned his glass and gave of noise of acknowledgement.
“You are of course right he’s a bit too young for it, not nearly as spry as you two seem. Hearty Stock, so are you sticking around or are you travelers?” Hearty asked as we started shooting each other glances of determination.
“Travelers, special companions even, and we’re going to be heading out west towards the plains and grasslands.” I didn’t know where we were going once we got there, but it was sure to be interesting.
“Heading towards the lambkin settlement? Not much else out there, aside from that giant snake skeleton being a tourist attraction.” A snake skeleton was informative at least, mom must have taken it down. “Don’t rightly know why it is there or how something that big could be taken down by anything unless it starved to death, but with all Tatzlwurms in the area that’s kind of unlikely. They say its bones will never crumble, I think that’s a load of hooey though.”
“I guess it was a good thing we stopped.” I muttered to Velvet who just smiled at me. “Water and whatever fruit snacks you feel are good.”
Once we ate and also paid for Braeburn's snack, I got off my stool, lifted it up and looked to the bartender. This place had some pretty good apple pie and the water didn’t taste funny so this place had something going for it.
“What are the rules?” I asked of Hearty.
“No breaking things, so please don’t break the chair when you throw it, no below the belt hits, if your opponent gives up you stop immediately, no weapons allowed, no death and since this saloon is relatively fresh no wrecking it by tossing each other into things.” Huh, that was a challenging bunch of rules to follow for a saloon brawl. “Anyone throws up all fighting and fun stops immediately, our local clinic is not up to snuff with supplies to handle anyone being sick.”
“Okay then, let’s fight Velvet!” I tossed the stool to the side and it clattered to the floor, several ponies were now watching. “We’ve had our fill, now let’s put on a show!”
“Just remember that I won’t be able to use any magic for this, but if I must fight with my hooves alone… I can do it.” She pushed her stool gently into place as she stood up and then she lowered herself down, I followed her actions in mirror.
We then launched towards each other with our front right hooves pulled back for a brawl of the likes these ponies have never seen before.
-Thirty minutes later, Velvet-
“Okay that was a fun warm up, but we need to save our energy for the road.” I stretched out my spine with a pop, Arizona was really brutal with that strength of hers. “I need something to drink or cool me down, you wouldn’t happen to have ice cream would you?”
“Velvet, you might want to admit that you have a problem.” Arizona sat right down next to me. “But, yeah, you’re right about us needing to save energy for the road.”
"I admit nothing." I stated loudly.
Everyone in the room were staring at us, like regular deer with a flashlight shined into their eyes. I would have a different reaction to that being a reindeer. Throw out a wall of ice and hope that the light didn’t pierce through it if it is anything like a unicorn spell.
“You two are more seasoned than I thought, you fight like pro’s and I don’t think that was even the best you could do with my restrictions was it? Also no, no ice cream, but we have cold cider alcoholic and not.” We had more snacks and drinks, while Braeburn went on about what he saw.
“That was completely amazing you two, you were like kapow and she was like rapid fire with her hooves and then…” It sounded like he would go on forever, I just had to interrupt him.
“Yes, yes, Arizona and I are quite fantastic when it comes to us fighting one another, Arizona was pulling her blows because I couldn’t use my ice magic.” Bar fighting was not beneath me, as long as Arizona was there to put up a good challenge. “She’s strong enough to flip an elephant… probably stronger since her muscles healed from that. Dr. Bones said that you shouldn’t overdo it on the super strength you have Arizona.”
Arizona’s response was to hold up a hoof and flex her leg, her toned muscles bulged upwards and she gave me a smirk. I blushed and looked away, my heart aflutter.
“Thanks for the snacks and drinks, how much for the second round?” Letting Arizona pay for this second round of food and drink would be a faux pas on my part, I could use my own money too. I wouldn’t ever deny her paying for ice cream though.
I was about to open my mouth to speak when the Mr. Stock spoke up.
“Well shoot, you don’t need to pay for this second round. Watching you two go at it was payment enough, though I don’t think we got the full show.” He chuckled amiably. “Wouldn’t want one, you two could destroy this whole town on your own.”
We didn’t answer that statement, for he was correct, we were actually that strong.
“Well let’s go Velvet, we have to get a move on…” Arizona was about to step outside, when she backed up and pulled out a map. “Where is this lambkin settlement located?”
“You’re actually asking for directions?” I was a little surprised, she had previously wanted to wing it and now she’s asking for directions?
“Eh, maybe these lambkin he mentioned have seen something.” She took up the map once the bartender marked it down and we bade the town of Appleoosa farewell. We made our way along the dusty trail badlands to the west with our loaded packs full of dried fruit snacks à la Kuril on our backs.
-Several days later-
Okay I was getting quite tired of the dusty landscape, I really needed a bath and I could see the green hills on the horizon.
We were almost to the plains. I’m surprised that we didn’t run into any trouble.
We’ve been traveling west for several days and if it hadn’t been for the passing buffalo tribe, I might have been low on drinking water.
“Finally, we must be leaving the desert and badlands.” I might have complained a little about it all.
“Yeah, you can finally stop complaining about how dirty you are, personally I’m enjoying this!” You would my dirty, dirty cow.
“One to talk when said cow wants all of this to be at her finest.” I stopped to motion at my whole body.
“I’ll take a quite a big slice of that at the very least.” Arizona commented with a hint of humor in her voice.
We both giggled and I sighed upon first touching the grassy hill of the plains before us.
“Happy to be back on firm grass huh? It probably tastes as good as it looks.” Only cows would comment on how green the grass is, unless you’re a pony that is a naturalist or too poor to pay for more nutritional food.
I think we may have taken a good fifty feet worth of steps into the plains before we ran into our first sign of trouble. After nothing had happened in the badlands, aside from our constant fighting and bickering as per usual, it was about this time that something interesting happened.
For upon cresting the first hill near a river in this flower heavy meadow looking place, I saw something that filled me with horror, dread and existential fear.
“No, it can’t be, this is the worst possible thing ever!” I received a curious look from Arizona. “Don’t you see Arizona it’s that darned evil eldritch abomination of a fluffmancer!”
In our path sat Paprika Paca, who was rolling around in the grass and innocently chasing butterflies. Her nose twitched and she sneezed sending dandelions seeds floating into the air.
She was pure unadulterated evil for someone so cute!
Her nose sniffed again, her ears perked up and her purple eyes landed on me in an instant.
When her pupils changed into hearts, I ducked behind Arizona.
“An alpaca. That’s what you’re afraid of?” Arizona, you fool! “She doesn’t look dangerous."