//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Ponyville // Story: The Hunter's Heart // by Silentpegasus //------------------------------// Chapter 2 Ponyville. Cross woke up to a pale of cold water being dumped on him, he shot up to see the white rabbit staring at him with an angry look on his face. The excess water hit Fluttershy as well, causing her to fall out of the bed. As Cross looked over at the bunny his face became cross. “Hey, What was that for?!” he barked the rabbit proceeded to scream at him and point with his paw, the rabbit hopped off the bed and left the room. Cross got to his hooves and a small amount of pain hit him, he powered through and helped Fluttershy to her hooves. “Sorry about that, Angel is a tad overprotective of me.” she said as Cross helped her up. “It’s fine, I’ve woken up to worse things.” “Still he shouldn’t have done that, I’ll talk to him later and get him to apologize.” “Wait you can do that?” “Yes it’s my special talent. I take care of the animals around Ponyville.” “Ponyville?” he said as he cocked an eyebrow. “Oh that’s the name of town I live by, I actually need to go and get some supplies and-” “Well let’s go then!” he said with a smile. “Wh-what but you’re injured and-” “I’m fine. I’m mobile now, plus the pain isn’t as bad as it seems.” he said as he gave a small jump, as he landed he gave quick wince in pain. “See.....totally fine.” “I don’t know I-” “C’mon Fluttershy I’ve been out cold for six days, I gotta stretch my legs.” he said as he cracked his neck. “Well....okay. Let me just get my things.” something clicked in the back of Cross’s mind. “Hey Fluttershy, there was a bag and a hat with me before I passed out. Did you grab it by any chance?” “Oh yes I got them, they’re down stairs in the living room.” the two ponies trotted down stairs, Cross noticed that the house was filled with small creatures. Cross looked around to see the small creatures glaring at him in wonder. Fluttershy then walked over to an old dark brown stetson hat and a pair of saddle bags .“Here they are, I just kept them here for safe keeping.” Cross threw the hat on his head along with the saddle bags on his back, his horn began to glow and his hat and bag blinked for a second. “Thank you, shall we go?” he said as he looked back at the mare, she smiled and trotted out of the door with Cross close behind. The two ponies trotted along the dirt path and continued to talk, once in a while he’d catch the mare staring at him. “What’s up?” “Oh...it’s nothing.” “C’mon Fluttershy what’s on your mind? We might as well talk to pass the time.” “Okay...I was wondering what you do for a living...but you don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to.” she said in a timid voice. “Oh, that all? I’m a hunter.” Fluttershy’s eyes shrank at the statement. “Y-you hunt?” Cross’s eye’s shrank at her reaction. “I’m so sorry, I should have clarified. I ‘hunt down’ lost animals.” he said as he looked back at the mare. “Oh! You find lost animals?” she said with a sigh of relief. “Yes, some-pony who has lost a pet tells me and I go and find it, among other things.” “Other things?” “Sometimes the police give me a job to track down an escaped convict or find a missing pony.” he said as he looked back at the mare with a grin. “There’s an official job title for what I am but Hunter has a nice ring to it.” “Oh my, it sounds like a rewarding job.” she said as she smiled at him. “It is, I like helping ponies.” he said in a cheery tone. “You?” “I mostly treat injured pet’s and animals.” “What kind of animals?” “All kinds, bunnies, birds, butterflies manticores and-” “Did you just say manticore’s?” he said in surprise. “Oh yes, they may seem scary but they’re really sweet once you earn their trust.” “Well....if you say so I-” his eyes shrank, he grabbed Fluttershy and they both ducked to the ground as a cyan blur passed over their heads. Cross looked down to see a surprised and blushing Fluttershy looking at him. He got to his hooves and made his way over to the crater to see a cyan pegasus mare with a rainbow colored mane and tail. “Ugh...my head!” she said as she got to her hooves and looked up at the stallion. “Oh hey what’s up?” “Well you nearly turned my friend and I into a pancake!” he said in an annoyed tone. “Oh sorry I didn’t mean to.......oh Hey Fluttershy!” she said as the yellow mare trotted up next to the grey unicorn. “Oh hello Rainbow Dash, how are you today?” she said with a smile. “I’m fine shy, who’s he?” she said as she looked at the stallion. “Oh this is Cross Hair.” “Friend of yours?” he asked. “Yes, Rainbow is my oldest friend.” “Oh, nice to meet you. You can call me Cross by the way.” he said as he outstretched a hoof, Rainbow shook the hoof with a smile on her face. “So your the stallion Fluttershy’s talked so much about.” she said with a sly grin, Fluttershy’s face turned red as her friend said that. Cross looked back at her and gave a slight grin. “Well I’m not surprised. I mean she’s been taking care of me for six days now, I’d feel a little offended if she didn’t mention me.” Fluttershy shrank back from the two. “Oh....sorry.” she said in a timid voice. “I’m just kidding.” he said with a laugh. “So Cross, what do you do?” “I’m a hunter, now before you freak out let me explain.” Cross then began to explain what he had just told Fluttershy, as he did the three ponies continued to trot along the path. “Oh, so you find animals and bring them back to their owners?” “Sometimes, what do you do?” “I’m the weather manager and future Wonderbolt!” she said with a cocky smile. “That’s cool.” Fluttershy rejoined the conversation. “So how do you catch the animals?” “Sometimes I stun them with a spell, get them in a trap or just out run and capture them.” Rainbow’s ears perked up at the statement. “So you can run fast?” “I’m not one to brag but....yes.” “Wanna race?” she said with a smile on her face. “Maybe some other time Rainbow, I’m still getting over my injuries.” “You mean your eye?” Cross then frowned at the mare. “No. My eye is a preexisting condition. I’m talking about the wounds I have on my side.” he said as he pointed to the bandaged spot’s. “Oh.....sorry. What happened?” “Got attacked by Timber Wolves and left for dead, until Fluttershy found me and patched me up.” he said as he looked at the yellow mare with a warm smile. “I-it was nothing. I was just being a nice pony.” “No a nice pony would have left me there and brought back a medic. You carried me to your house and healed me yourself, You went the extra mile and I’m grateful for that.” he said as he put a hoof on the mare’s shoulder. Fluttershy began to blush brightly at the stallion’s motion. “So what did you need to get in town again?” “J-just some supplies and-” the trio was surprised bay a pink earth pony with a bouncy pink mane popping up in front of them. “I’veneberseenyoubeforeI’mPinkiepiebutevery-ponycallsmePinkie,wellalomostevery-ponyiguessonlymyfriendsdobutevery-ponyismyfriendso- “PINKIE PIE!” Rainbow yelled stopping the mares constant waterfall of words. “Oops, sorry Dashie you know how I get when I meet some-pony new!” she said as she looked at the confused grey stallion. “Hello, I’m Cross Hair, but you can call me Cross.” “Hi I’m Pinkie Pie but you can call me Pinkie, all my friends do. Do you want to be friends?” she said with an excited look on her face. “Sure why not, I take it you’re Fluttershy and Rainbow’s friend?” “Yup we’re super best friends!” she said as she put a hoof over the two pegasi’s shoulders. “Wait you know him Fluttershy!? “Yes......we met seven days ago.” she said in a timid voice. “WHAT! THEN WHY DIDN’T I MEET HIM TILL TODAY!?” she yelled in surprise, she then felt a tap on her shoulder. “I’ve been bedridden for the past week, Fluttershy was taking care of me till I get my strength back.” Pinkie’s eyes grew wide at the realization. “Oh! You’re THAT stallion.” she said rolling her eyes. “When Fluttershy first told us she was taking care of some-pony I wanted to throw you a party, but she said that you weren’t feeling well, since your better now want to have a party?” she asked with an even bigger smile on her face, Fluttershy’s face had turned bright red again. “Um....sure.” he said with a nervous grin. “YAY! I’d better start planning!” the pink mare then zoomed away from the group. Cross stood there stunned and looked at the two pegasi. “Is she always like that?” “Oh yeah. That’s just Pinkie being Pinkie, you’ll get used to her.” Rainbow said with a smile. “Was she serious about throwing me a party?” “Yeah it’s kind of Pinkie’s thing. She throws parties for all the new ponies she meet’s.” “Not sure how to handle that.” “Why?” Fluttershy asked. “Never been to a party before.” he said as he avoided eye contact. Rainbow’s jaw dropped. “What! Why?” “Never invited to one and never threw one.” “Oh....sorry to hear that.” Fluttershy said as she put a hoof on his shoulder. “WHAT! REALLY!?” Cross gave a slight nod. “Then tonight is going to be the best PARTY EVER!” she said as she gave him a slight punch on the side. “RAINBOW! I’m..........wait it doesn’t hurt.” he took the bandages off to reveal that his wounds were fully healed. “Look at that, it’s healed. I guess your better than you give yourself credit for Fluttershy.” he said grinning back at the blushing mare. “Well since your up for it.....WANNA RACE!?” Rainbow said with a grin. “You’r on!....But let’s even the playing field!” a beam hit Rainbow and a tight rope formed around her wings. “What the-” “Just to ensure there’s no cheating, you can’t use your wings and I won’t use my magic. On my honor.” he said as he raised his right hoof. Dash let out a low grumble. “Fine, how about from here to Sweet Apple Acres!” “Um...don’t know where that is.” he said in a blank tone. “It’s a straight shot through town. It’s pretty big, you cant miss it and don’t worry just follow me.” she said in a cocky attitude. “Oh we’ll see about that!” the two drew a start line and took their positions. Rainbow noticed that he still had his hat and bag on him. “Maybe you should take that stuff off, you might loose it.’ “Nah, I enchanted them so that the only way these come off is if I take them off. Try and take my hat off.” the cyan mare shrugged and attempted to take the hat off of the stallions head. She ended up picking the stallion off the ground by his stetson. “See? They’ll be fine.” he said as she let him down and the two took their positions again. “3........2.1-” “GO!” Cross yelled as he took the lead, with Rainbow close behind and gaining ground, the two ponies were neck and neck when they entered the small town. Cross began to weave in and out to avoid the ponies. He eyed an incoming cart and quickly vaulted over it. Rainbow took advantage and sped ahead of the stallion with a cocky look on her face. Cross increased his speed , catching up to the cyan mare. He pulled up along side her and grinned, soon the farm came into view. “Well it’s been fun Dash but, time to finish this.” he shot forward surprising the mare. Rainbow doubled her pace she was just behind the grey stallion as they entered the farms’ dirt road. Rainbow was now side by side with the stallion. As he gave one last burst of energy he rocketed past the mare and stopped after he got in front of the barn, he looked back to see a surprised and worn out cyan mare. “Where.......did you learn.........to run......like that?” “You’re talking to a stallion who’s had to out run a pack of timber wolves.” he said with a smile, his horn glowed and the restraint’s around Rainbow’s wing evaporated. Suddenly an orange blur knocked him to the ground. Cross looked up to see an orange earth pony mare with a blond mane and tail, she had an angry look on her face. “Gotcha hat thief!” she said as she tried to rip the brown stetson off the stallion’s head. “Get off me!” he said as his horn glowed and a cage formed around the mare. “What in tarnation!” she yelled in a southern accent. “Why did you just attack me?!” he said as he glared at the mare. “You stole mah hat!” “I did not! This is my hat, has been mine for years!” Rainbow then trotted over to the orange mare. “He’s telling the truth AJ. He had it when we got here.” Cross looked between the two with a confused look. “I take it she’s a friend of yours Rainbow?” he said as he eyed the mare. “Yeah.” Cross let out a sigh and dissolved the cage holding the mare, who glared at him with anger in her eyes. “Look miss, I-” they were cut off by a large stallion holding a brown hat in his jaw. “Found this under your bed sis.” he said as he gave her the hat. The mare quickly put it on her head and smiled. She turned back to Cross with an embarrassed look on her face. “Ah’m might sorry about that misunderstanding. I’m Applejack.” she said as she put out her hoof. Cross shook it and let out a sigh. “Cross Hair, but Cross is fine.” he said keeping the blank look on his face. “How do yah know RD?” “We met just this morning.” he said as he looked over at the cyan mare. “This is the stallion that staying with Fluttershy.” she said as she put a hoof over the stallion’s shoulder. “Oh your that stallion!” “Okay, how does ever-pony know me?” he said as a familiar yellow mare landed next to him. “I mean she didn’t even know who I was until yesterday evening, not that I’m complaining. I’m just finding it a little weird.” “S-sorry.” Fluttershy said in a sad tone. “It’s fine, it’s just that I’m in a new town and I’m still getting used to things around here.” he said in an apologetic tone. Fluttershy gave a weak smile, suddenly his stomach let out a loud growl. “Heh-heh. Sorry I skipped breakfast this morning.” Fluttershy’s stomach made the same noise ten second’s later, she squeaked and began to blush. Daaaaawwwwwww. She's cute when she's blushing. Snap out of it! he thought to himself. “Well why don’t ya’ll come inside and eat. We got plenty of food to go around.” she said with a smile. “I don’t want to pester you for-” “Pleas ah insist. Plus ah still feel bad about accusing you like that.” she said with a guilty smile. “Okay. Lead the way.” he said with a sigh.