Beaten, clothes covered in mud, body in bruises, muscles straining, lungs aching and heaving for breath, despite the fatal injuries Arthur acquired still exerted himself to crawl to the ridge of the mountain knowing his demise catching up to him
The life of the outlaw he now know, he knew he wouldn’t live up to the top. Years and years he pursued scores, money and glory killing many over a dirty money not knowing his path leading him and his gangs downfall. Not once he ever been in his knees, even after being shot and tortured he got back up overtime in his time of outlaw, not once he ever thought he could be reduced to living carcass clinging to live
Tuberculosis, a goddamn disease is what got him but also changed his view of point
Made him aware of his limited life he had made an astute decision to forego his appalling perspective, instead helping stranger and fellers who inadvertently needed his aid
“You’re a good man Arthur”
“You ain’t bad man, it’s just- I wish there could have been more men like you”
“Are we too late to get back Arthur?”
“You’re my brother…”
Tears in his eyes, straining pains and declining of his lungs he wearily noticed the sun shining over the horizon
Well i… I did this time.
A stag could be seen in sunlight through the warm sunlight, lifting his great head and glancing back at him seeming to smile as if to comfort him, with a final breath his vision darkened
And he felt pain no more.
*****
In Equestria, a town called Blackberry not far from Apploosa but noticeably distant, people were restless, or creatures to be exact as the town’s ‘people’ were not exactly one species but myriad
The town activity was constantly a buzz locals going through their daily business or getting their daily dose of liquors in the saloon
But this time the town was much more silent than regular, in the corner of the town sat a small building and a line of people orderly waiting in their turn to enter the building to submit their complaints and requests
“Sheriff! How could ah ever get back to business? It’s all I ever had and it’s gone, that awfull rascals turned out of nowhere and stole my wagon!”
Jo’va a feline local town sheriff sat infront of his desk patiently scribbling another victim’s report
For the past nine years the town was periodically pilfered and robbed by the Mountain diamond dogs, and all Jo’va could do in response was write off a report to the Canterlot and pray for the best
With the town’s increasing theft and few murders Princess Celestia responded by permitting in her authority to town’s locals to at least arm themselves with firearms, but dubiously not reinforce the town with guards.
Some of the town folks knew how to operate the weapons but not adept in handling it as using the guns to take life was not only frowned on so practicing was the least of their favorite activity
“-an’t you do something? This very town’s being robbed and it’s people slaughtered and all you do is write and write to that so called princess sunshine of ol’ wisdom while our town folks getting their properties stolen” exclaimed the owner of the voice, said the owner was a minotaur town’s general store clerk
“You know what I do Cron so does everybody else in this town, it’s fruitless” said Jo’va wrapping up the parchment “And you know the moment I decides to go after them, the town’s defenseless besides but an old cat like me could do against many of em dogs” finished the senile sheriff before litting a tobacco
“I’m not asking you to go after them Sheriff… *sigh* can’t you get another one of you?” asked Cronos pointing at sheriff “atleast write to that stuck-up princess of yours for assistant or- or deputy! Yeah that’s it!” Cron hopefully spoke
“For the last time Cron they ain’t sending not a pony to this cursed town to assist in authority” mentioned Jo’va exhausting his tobacco before throwing the remains to the trash bin “Damn shame they think our town folks doing the robbery and not them mountain diamond dogs, that princess”
“For pete’s sake sheriff then what are we go-” before Cron could continue loud thumping on the office’s door interrupted them
“What are you doing pony! Get in line”
“Yeah! We’ve been waiting here forever!”
“Those damned ponies thinking so…”
A muffled shouts could be heard from the outside the building before loud thumping resumed hurriedly
“Who’s there?” inquired the sheriff agitated by the thumping
“It’s Tempest” feminine voice answered
With a raised brow sheriff stood up before addressing the minaotaur “Cron if you would?” gesturing to the door
Scoffing the bulky clerk owner “her again? That freelancer’s giving you no good but still you listen to her and not us” mumbling Cron opened the door
Stepped inside a unicorn with a buzzcut wearing a cloak with armor underneath
“You gotta do something about it Jo’va the whole town’s crumbling!” said store clerk said leaving the building
With Cron left the building the sheriff turned towards the unicorn
“You’re early, something happened?”
Fizzlepop Berrytwist or better known as Tempest Shadow sat down infront of him
“Indeed” replied Tempest
Face scrunching in acknowledgement “another raid?” probed sheriff worried and unprepared for another assault from outsiders
“No” responded quickly glancing towards the window “Not a raid but something else Jo’va”
Raising his brow in question “Well cut to the chase people are lining up here” hastily went over
“North from here near the Mountain something fell” at the statement sheriff’s brow went higher
“And? You meant to tell me you came here all the way from Macintosh mountain just to inform me of a random object falling down from skies?” asked in incredulously “I thought I told you to brief me if someone comes from the north not a piece of doo-”
“That’s just it” cut him off Tempest “It’s poles apart from a ‘random object’ Jo’va it’s rather someone… I think”
Hands on his chin Sheriff pondered at the statement glancing sideways “Griffon?”
“No”
“No way in Tartarus Pegasus flying here!”
“Neither Jo’va it didn’t just fell from the skies, it bolted from the clouds to the soil as if it was a thunder!” declared Tempest
“You saw what it was?”
Narrowing her eyes in thought recalling
“Briefly, from a distance it wasn’t anything I’ve seen. Though the creature wore a heavy set of clothes it’s face flat and unshaven save for it’s subtle beard, I think”
“Huh… well that’s that then” opening a drawer from his desk he took out a new parchment
Peering at him “What are you doing?” she questioned
“Arrest warrant, it could part of them dogs or better yet! Their leader!” he muttered writing on paper
“You’re not really going up there?” asked Tempest disbelieving
“Of course not, you’re going there?” stated Sheriff wraping up the paper in scroll
Eyes widening in shock
“Jo’va?”
“I’ll compensate Tempest” shoving the paper into her cloak “Town suffered enough as it is, if what you say is true then we have atleast a fraction of hope in this tartarus hole we call home! Now go!”
“I did not say anything of sort, I only told you the thing fell from the sky not far from the Macintosh mountain not fell from the Mountain itself!” Voiced Tempest
“Fourty bits!”
“You’r-”
“Sixty!”
“Jo’-”
“Hundred!” heatedly yelled sheriff “Now just please git before folks stampede in here! They’ve been waiting since morning before you stormed in here Tempest” pleaded Jo’va gesturing with a thumb towards window
Heaving a sigh tempest nodded, muttering in distaste at her task to reclaim the creature
Stepping outside carefully sidestepping to avoid bumping into riled mob she rapidly marched towards route to Macintosh mountain wanting to get over it as soon as possible.
*****
Several hours later
Near the Mountain side a lone figure could be seen laying on a rough terrain of desert
Vultures and lizard alike standing not too far away from the hopeful corpse to devour, but not daring to come in near the unknown figure as it’s chest could be seen rising and falling indicating it’s still alive
“uhh” groaning raspily it’s hand moved up to it’s face before rubbing it’s eyes
“what the hell happened” croaked Arthur Morgan the outlaw
Blearily he opened his one eye
“Gah damnit, did I pass out again?”
His time in Valentine with Lenny and occasional drinking alone in random saloons got him stranded near town or sometimes elsewhere where he couldn’t remember coming there
Covering his eyes he tiredly stood up, feeling thirsty, hungry and overall exhausted
Eyes still covered with one hand he surveyed his whereabouts cussing and swearing for his drinking and passing out in god knows where habit
“where the hell am i?”
Wearily checking his pouch and his satchel for anything to drink before taking out a Kentucky Bourbon
Eyeing the devilish drink he took out the cork from the bottle and taking a swig from the drink
“phew” gritting his teeth he set out to walk towards the desertly landscape, but before he could set a foot to trek towards any civilization he heard a snickering sound come from his rear
“heh heh”
Turning around he swiftly took notice of deranged figures in the distance coming towards him with an odd armors and helmets on their heads, backs hunched and scurrying towards him with rapid pace only demented night folks could
“Goddamn hilbilies”
As the figures got close enough he took out his golden coated Cattleman revolver from his holster cocking the hammer he readied
“what the…”
Bewildered at the fact that approaching hunch backed silhouettes was in fact not night folks or skinner brothers or not even Murfree but a bunch of bipedal canines wearing an armor and wielding what seems to be antique swords and crossbows
In his inspection he forgot the incoming danger as one of the crossbow wielding dog aimed his weapon and fired a bolt
Said bolt barely missed his head, snapping out of his bafflement he briskly took aim and shot all three varmints in the head, not one bullet missing it’s target he put his revolver back in his holster
“Okay” he mumbled slowly taking out the whiskey he drank not a moments ago, assessing the drink if it’s been poisoned or laced with any drug
“I oughta stop this drinking in the middle of the day” he considered before taking another big swig of his whiskey “Tomorrow then” putting the cork back in his satchel
Taking a glimpse of the creatures he killed moments ago he inspected them
“So this is what you’ve been sprouting about Swanson” muttered Arthur as he took note of the unnatural sight
The three bipedal dogs seemed to possess what any dogs should not, arms and legs too long to be running in all four, and their face or rather snouts were strangely expressing shock before death than any normal hound should
In his attentive inspection of the dead bodies he failed to notice someone approaching from the distant
Turning fast on his heels Cattleman on hand he pointed the gun at the potential threat
“Oh you’ve got to be kidding me” muttered Arthur
What he was seeing was another strange bipedal cloaked shape of a woman if it’s hourglass figure was anything to go by, and in armor but all in it’s absurdness was it’s or her head with a broken horn sticking out of his forehead and a buzzcut mane
The stranger took note of his gun pointed at her, hands slowly raising to notify it’s submit
“Crazy walking dogs, a woman with a horse head then what? A town full of freaks?” asked Arthur perplexed
“I mean you no harm” Said horselady
“and she talks why not” chuckling arthur holstered his revolver, gestured for her to wait with index finger “one moment” quickly taking out the Bourbon, with all his might he threw the witched drink away from him
Dusting his hands he turned sharply towards her again
“You” he pointed
“I’m-”
“Where am i?”
“Beside Macintosh mountain”
“Where exactly!”
“Near Blackberry town” she answered with apprehension eyeing his holstered weapon
“I don’t ever heard a will nilly mountain or blackberry town! Be precise!”
With a sudden movement she tried unholstering her own gun from her belt to arrest him
Keyword being ‘tried’
It was fast. So fast for her she didn’t notice him taking out his gun shoot her weapon out of her grip
Walking towards her with guns twirling in his hands “so much for ‘no harm’ you’re lucky I need information” taking a lasso out of his satchel “or that shot could have went into your skull and came out from the other end, now turn around”
Without refusal she turned in advance he forcefully tied her hands
“right so you said bout a town not far from here”
“Yes”
“Start walking, might as well go and see what my imagination could fathom up to me before it goes back to normal” he sniggered
Puzzled at his remark she wordlessly started marching towards the town
She silently attested to herself for getting captured so easily as she could have easily took him out once he got close. Then again she hasn’t slept and eaten properly for the past few days, and his handling of his guns was not only horrifyingly fast she never saw anyone wield firearms like that
Atleast I’m bringing him to the town as promised…. Just not what I imagined it to be.