An hour or two later, Anon finally wrestled himself upright and gently shook the head resting in his lap. Her eyes snapped open and she looked around in fear for a brief second, then her eyes found his face and she relaxed. It happened sometimes, and Anon didn't embarrass her by bringing attention to it.
"C'mon girl. Time to do the good work."
She picked herself up and stretched her forelegs over her head, limbs bending in ways no normal horse could manage.
"Alright," she yawned, "I'm up. Let's, ah... let's get going."
"We gotta pick up the goodies first. I was with the guard and couldn't grab them earlier."
"Yep, I saw." She hopped to the floor and slid the door open, peeking out with the edge of her face, then whispered, "Clear."
They made their way down to the buffet car without event. Upon entering, they were forced to amble about and pretend to get some food while another man got a plate of food to bring back to his cab. When he finally exited, Anon dumped the plate of food he'd been gathering and jammed a chair up under the door to the rest of the train. Then he bent low, tucking an arm up under one of the tables, feeling around until he found a bag full of gear, secured there just the day before by a very sneaky Applejack.
He quickly helped her into her saddlebags, hooking her up with her very own weapon: a custom built colt pistol that hooked firmly onto her fetlock and was operated by twisting her hoof the right way. She could even reload it herself with her mouth in a pinch, but it was slow and usually Anon would do it for her. It was also nearly the same color as her coat, so it blended in and was not easily noticed. It was far and away the most illegal thing they owned, and if the feds even knew it existed then the bounty on their heads would at the very least quadruple.
Next he loaded up his own gear: a beautifully carved revolver on one hip called "Cupid" due to the heart on the grip, a plain sawed-off shotgun on the other hip, a very expensive lever action rifle across his back, and multiple knives stowed in various places on his body. One was even tucked up his sleeve and could be produced in less than a second with just the right flick of a wrist--and he practiced the motion religiously to ensure he could still do it under duress.
He and Applejack paused and nodded slowly to each other, then positioned themselves by the door to the Baron's car. Anon very slowly and cautiously turned the key in the lock, wincing at every faintest little click, expecting a shotgun blast through the door at any second. But it turned over without problem and Anon stepped sideways out of immediate sight of the door.
Applejack leaned sideways on the door, turned the handle, and with a feigned startled yelp, made a controlled tumble into the room, landing in a carefully calculated heap of limbs that looked messy but actually helped conceal her equipment while giving her an excellent view of the room.
Until he heard the codeword 'watermelon,' all Anon could do now was listen. He heard a gruff voice that sounded like it had been asleep say, "Uhhh... huh? What? Who the blazes are you!?" The Baron, presumably.
Applejack was all charm, "Oh! Goodness me, I'm terribly sorry, sir! I was only leanin' up against that there door takin' a breather when the darn thing just fell open! Scared the bejeezes outta me, if I'm totally honest. So sorry to bother you, sir, I'll just be going."
There was a sound of sliding furniture and the Baron said, "N-N-Now see here! Halt, I say, explain yourself! The door simply fell open? What a load of rubbish. How did you open my door? Where is your owner? Who lets their pony simply roam about the train? I demand you answer me at once, slave!"
There was more rustling and Anon imagined Applejack attempting to reposition herself to give him easier access.
"I don't much know what yer meanin' sir. P-Please, I need to get back to work! I already shouldn't've been resting."
"So you are trespassing and delinquent? What a disgrace you are. Come here at once--that's an order!"
There were a few clicks of hooves on the hardwood floor and Anon laid a hand on his pistol. Surely any second now...
"Sir please, they'll be wondering why I haven't returned!"
"Silence! What in heaven's name are you wearing? What kind of gear is that. If you continue to avoid my questions I shall have you beaten. Now--"
"Watermelon!"
Anon took a quick peek into the room before acting. In an instant, he took in the layout of the furniture, the distance to the Baron, and Applejack's position relative to him. She had smartly kept herself off to the side so she wouldn't be in the line of fire if Anon was forced to shoot.
"What the devil are you saying? Watermelon? The food?"
Anon quietly stepped out, took three steps forward, and just as the man was turning to investigate this new noise, Anon clamped his arm around the man's neck, the Baron's chin over his elbow, grabbed his first with his other hand, and squeezed. The man never even had a chance. Within seconds he was limp in Anon's arms and he let him drop carelessly to the ground.
"Right, that won't keep him out for long. You know what to do."
She nodded, and Anon jogged back out the door, dislodged the chair from the buffet car's door and replaced it, then jogged back into the Baron's room, shutting and locking the door behind them. Now they had privacy.
Applejack, meanwhile, had hogtied the man in record time and gagged him just as effectively. He would wake in a moment to find himself almost completely immobile and unable to speak.
Anon got a wicked glint in his eye.
"Don't..." Applejack warned.
"Come on, he deserves it."
"He does, be we don't deserve the price it'll add to our heads! Theft, then assault, then murder, that's the order. Each one is a bigger bounty and more sheriffs on our tail. We're here to steal a pony, Anon. Nothing more."
Anon growled, but he knew she was right. Together they approached the rear door, only to discover it was locked. Applejack sighed.
"Alright, go look for the key while I see if I can get the damn pick set to work this time."
She sat beside the door and reached into her saddlebag as Anon began digging through drawers and peeking into cabinets. The Baron began to stir, and Anon realized the key might just be on the man himself. He began rifling through his pockets just as his eyes fluttered, then snapped open and narrowed with hate and fury.
"Yeah, that's right, I dare. Fuckin' stop me you piece of shit."
Then he sucker punched the Baron on the side of the head.
"Anon!"
"Ahh, he'll be fine. Nothing broken. Yet." He leaned down real close to the Baron's face and muttered in his most intimidating growl, "Nobody knows we're here. Nobody's looking for you. It'll be a good long while before anyone realizes something is wrong. An awful lot can happen with all that time... ya catch my meaning?"
Baron Luke Von Brougue's eyes darted around the room, then settled back onto Anon's, and now the eyes were filled with fear.
"Ah, he understands. Good. Now, we're getting into that back room of yours one way or another. It's up to you whether it's the quick and easy way, or the slow and painful way. Which will it be?"
He shook his head, but Anon caught his eyes darting to a spot on the wall. Upon closer investigation, there was a wall-colored envelope glued there, all but invisible unless seen from an oblique angle.
"Oh, clever you. I wonder what's in here?"
Anon pulled out the key and approached Applejack, who swore vehemently, "Damn pick was such a waste of money, ain't good for nothin'!"
"I'm sure it just takes practice."
Anon slid the key into the lock and clicked it open as Applejack replied, "Practice shmactice, I've spent hours on that buckin' thing and still ain't got a single..."
She trailed off as the door swung open to reveal a pale blue pony with a filthy brown mane and tail. The pony squinted at the light, for it had been pitch dark inside. She asked in a scratchy voice, "Are... are you my new master?"
Applejack took a clumsy step forward and Anon noticed tears had begun streaming down her face.
"D... Dash? R-Rainbow Dash, is that really you?"
The pony seemed confused by her words.
"Rainbow... Dash? That... that's not my name anymore. Come on, you know we can't use our old names."
"Dash!" Rainbow it's me, Applejack! We're here to get you outta here!"
"Well... I mean sure, that's a weird way to phrase it, but yeah I'm ready to go. Who's our new master?"
Applejack lunged forward and began tearing at the ropes that held Rainbow Dash in place.
"No--nngh--master, explain later. We need--hnng--to go!"
The rope abruptly snapped under Applejack's enormous strength and it coiled loosely around Dash's body. Anon, who had been surprised by his pony friend's reaction, finally stepped into the room, leaving the door half open for the light, and knelt beside Applejack to help unwrap the ropes.
However, the moment he approached, Dash's whole demeanor instantly changed. She adopted a pitiful expression, her voice raised nearly an octave, and she straightened almost violently upright, staring straight ahead with unseeing eyes and speaking in a rapid, nervous tone.
"M-Master! Um, you're my new master, right? I-It's a pleasure--no, an honor to meet you! My old master called me Bluey, but of course you can call me whatever you like. Sorry, you knew that. Um. I-I'll be good, don't worry! I know what happens to bad ponies who don't listen."
Anon's heart sank. The desperation in her voice was all too telling--this pony had resisted training.
They never resisted for long.
"Th-There's no need for any disciplinary schools, I've already been to them all. N-Not because I misbehave! No, I just wanted to be the best pony I can be for you. My old master didn't return me or anything, I'm n-not like that, I swear. I was actually head mare for a long time, and a good one! He just already had a few other ponies and wanted to downsize, that's all. Um, th-that's what he told me, at least, I don't claim to--"
"Dash."
At his gentle word, she fell instantly silent and utterly still. Her mouth opened, then closed again. Finally, she quietly said, "Um... y-you can call me anything you like, of course, b-but if I could... if I could please just ask... anything but that. I..."
Applejack interjected, her voice choked with tears, "Rainbow, it's okay, you're safe now. We're gonna take you home."
She nodded curtly, "Of course, home. Yes. I'll take good care of your home, master."
"N-No, I mean--"
"AJ, Listen," Anon interrupted, "We don't have time for this. She's been thoroughly broken, and we're not gonna fix her with a five minute conversation. Let's get her somewhere safe, and then we can talk all we want."
"B-But she--"
Rainbow Dash instantly jammed a hoof into Applejack's muzzle to silence her, all but shouting, "Yes master, of course!" She glared fiercely at Applejack, who was left stunned as Dash stood and began walking toward the door. Anon grimaced.
"Like I said, she's been broken. She said she was head mare, too. Getting her to safety is gonna be rough."
Applejack stared after her, mouth still hanging partially open. Anon snapped a finger in front of her face.
"C'mon girl, snap out of it. I still need your help."
In a flash, Rainbow Dash was back in front of Applejack, a hoof hooked roughly around her withers, "Come ON, we have our orders!" said Rainbow Dash. She looked back over her shoulder in Anon's direction without actually meeting his eye, "Don't worry master, I see what's going on here. I'll get this pony back in line for you, you don't have to--"
"No, Dash."
A flicker of anguish flashed over her face, but she smothered it quickly. "O-Okay, sorry master. What do you want me to do instead?"
"Just... you're not head mare right now, okay? Don't start acting like one just yet."
"Oh, um... yes, master."
She deflated as if she was utterly worthless and walked slowly toward the door, ignoring Applejack entirely and waiting patiently for the two of them to exit. Anon approached Applejack and ruffled her mane reassuringly.
"Don't worry, girl. I'm sure once she understands what's going on, she'll start to change back to her old self. It'll be okay."
"You... you don't understand..." Applejack wore a pained expression as she stared at the pony's backside, "This is--was Rainbow Dash, the fiercest, most courageous and strong-hearted pony I've ever known, not to mention one of my closest friends from... from before. To see her like this, it's..."
Rainbow Dash was acting like she didn't hear, but Anon could see her ears turned back toward them and wondered just how much she was comprehending.
"Well, like I said, I'm sure she'll start to come back to herself soon. Just give it time."
Applejack nodded, "I sure hope so."
Anon led the way out of the room and noticed Rainbow Dash jerk with surprise when she saw the Baron.
"You recognize him?" Anon asked.
Rainbow Dash nodded, "He took me away. I thought he was my new master, but he never gave me any orders, never even spoke to me. May I ask--who is he?"
Anon decided to take temporary advantage of the situation to better handle Dash as they escaped the train.
"He was working for me, bringing you to me. Listen, here are your orders."
She instantly turned and sat facing him, ears perked, eyes wide and focused, but still never quite meeting his gaze.
"We are going to leave this train by unconventional means. You are not to question this, nor hesitate when the time comes to depart. Follow me from beside Applejack, do not step in front of her, and if a gunfight breaks out, you stay beside Applejack. Understand?"
"Yes, master!"
"And don't call me master. Call me by my name 'Anon' or, if you must use a title, use 'sir'."
"Yes, sir!"
Anon nodded, feeling a little awkward, then gestured toward the Baron, who was on his side attempting to scooch his way closer to the door. Applejack slid him back to his starting place with no apparent effort, then returned to Anon.
"Right, so how are we doing it today?" Applejack asked.
"I was kinda thinking we disconnect the car and let it just coast to a stop this time."
"And the Baron?"
"Ah, someone'll find him eventually."
The Baron made a grunting sound through his gag, but Anon ignored him.
Applejack glanced at him, then said, "They might find him by crashing into his car with another train."
"True. We'll roll him outside then."
"You really hate this guy, huh?"
Anon grimaced, "If you knew half of what I knew about how he treats ponies, you'd hate him too, and he don't treat humans much better. Trust me when I say no one will be missing him very much. I mean, if you think Rainbow Dash is bad now, be glad he only had her for a few hours."
He noticed a little shudder from the pegasus when he used her name again.
"Alright," said Applejack, "I'll disconnect the car. Hopefully it'll be a while before anybody noticed."
Anon knelt beside Rainbow Dash, who averted her gaze when he approached.
"You alright girl? How you feeling?"
She seemed surprised by the question and unsure of how to answer at first. Eventually she said, "Um... I'm kinda hungry?"
Anon nodded and reached into his knapsack, pulling out a small package of crackers, saying, "Here you go. Enjoy."
She took it almost reverently and hesitated before biting into the paper wrapper to tear it open, her ears perked toward him as if expecting him to command her to stop. Anon spied something in her mane and, slowly to avoid scaring her, reached up with a hand to brush aside a clump of hair. There was a stripe of vivid red in her mane.
Anon felt a gentle lurch as Applejack got the car disconnected and she came trotting back up to them. Anon ignored her for the moment and asked Dash, "Why do you hide your mane?"
She hesitated, then awkwardly said, "Um, it just hasn't been, well, cared for in a while. After my old master had to give me up , I spent... I dunno, a few weeks or so in one of the pony kennels. It... wasn't a very good one."
Anon could imagine just how 'not very good' it was.
"Sorry to hear that, but we'll get you cleaned up soon. Looking forward to seeing what your mane really looks like under all this grime."
"Yeah... I guess." She gave him a small smile then, the first he'd seen on her face, and it looked good on her.
He stood and checked the opening at the front of the car and saw they had already slowed quite a lot. Soon they would be stopped entirely and it would be time to get moving. Anon squatted beside the Baron.
"Alright. I can either leave you in the car and you risk getting hit by another train that doesn't see you in time, or I can have Applejack drag you outside and leave you in the dirt. Nod your head to stay on the train, shake it to wait in the dirt."
He nodded vigorously, then grunted again, more urgently this time. Anon rolled his eyes--he was going to regret this, he knew. He loosened the Baron's gag and slipped it free of his mouth.
"Oh, thank the gods... bloody savages." Anon held the gag up again and his tone immediately softened, "W-What I mean to say is, well, why?"
"It's simple really."
Anon's voice was casual as he slowly stood and walked to the man's desk.
"You're an evil piece of shit."
He grabbed the Baron's crop and returned to the man.
"N-Now see here, th-there's no cause for--"
Anon leaned down close until his face was just inches from the man's and hissed, "I want you to think about this moment next time you raise a whip against another sentient being."
Then he lashed out with the crop, whipping the man hard across his back. His fancy clothing, useless for protection, immediately tore and revealed a bright red line where he'd struck.
"Ah--AAAA!"
Anon raised the whip again, then jerked to a stop as Applejack leapt in front of him, shielding the man with her body.
"Don't you buckin' dare!"
The Baron looked curiously at Applejack but Anon just scowled, "Dammit girl, you know he deserves this!"
She scowled right back at him, "And you know damn well you ought to leave him be!"
Anon gritted his teeth, his arm still raised. Applejack hated whips, she'd collapse in an instant if he brought it down on her... but he couldn't, and she knew it. His arm slowly lowered and he dropped the crop at the Baron's feet.
"Alright Applejack. I don't get why you're defending this scum, but alright."
"Applejack..." Her ears flipped back as the Baron said her name, "You're that wanted pony. They... They say you killed a man!"
She snorted and turned away from him, "I just save ponies, I ain't killed no one."
Anon tapped the man's gut with a boot and laid a hand on his revolver, "But I might."
The Baron just looked scared and kept his mouth shut after that.
Applejack approached the coach door and said, "Come on, Anon, quit scaring the man. Let's go."
Rainbow Dash blinked in surprise when he nodded and approached her, but she followed them without question just as he'd told her to. The train car was ambling slowly down a gentle hill towards a broad valley, so it wouldn't stop fully for a long while.
Anon stood on the edge of the car and turned to Rainbow Dash, "Just jump straight sideways and roll to the ground. Don't try to stay upright; tuck and roll."
Applejack smirked, "I don't think a pegasus needs to worry about that. Right, Dash?"
Rainbow Dash didn't answer, only looked down at the ground. That's when Anon noticed her wings for the first time--or rather, what was left of them. They'd been pinned to her back, plucked of every feather, and left there to wither away until they were no more than strange blue tentacles coming off her shoulders. They were thin and frail, as if they hadn't been used in a very long time.
Applejack gasped, tears springing to her eyes, "Dash, your--"
"Yeah, my wings! Get over it. I have."
"But--"
"Whatever!"
She pushed past Applejack and leapt sideways off the train. Applejack whinnied in surprise and leapt after, and Anon rolled his eyes, following after them both. He tucked his head in and let his momentum twist his legs out from under him, shoulder bouncing off the grass, then he splayed his limbs out to stop himself rolling any further. He skidded a bit further on the grass, then slid to a halt directly next to Applejack.