//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Years ago // Story: The Unforgiven // by Trigger_Finger //------------------------------// It was a beautiful sunny day, Ponyville was calm and quiet. Applejack trotted along briskly towards the general store in search of formula for her new born sister Applebloom. Applebloom had only been born a few months ago but she ate like a horse, no pun intended, so Applejack would constantly have to travel to town for formula. Along her way she bumped into Rarity. “Oh why hello Applejack, fine day isn’t it?” Rarity asked. Both mares were still in there teen years, Rarity being 17 and Applejack being 18 but they were only separated by a few months’ time. “Oh uhh… yeah it is. Sorry Rarity but ah gotta split. We’re all outta formula again” Applejack told her close friend. Rarity let out a very feminine laugh. “Oh yes, Sweetie Bell is the same way. Gosh sometimes I wonder if her belly is just an abyss” Rarity commented. Applejack chuckled. Sometimes she felt the exact same way about Applebloom. “So how has your day been so far dear?” Rarity asked, Applejack really didn’t have time for small talk but she stayed anyway. “Well uhm… really nice so far. Hopefully it stays” she began but she spoke too soon. A thunderous BOOM rang through the town followed by several others. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. Ponies scurried about in fear. The booms were as loud as a crack of lightning, the shots echoed through the town. “WHAT IN TARNATION” Applejack yelled. Rarity gave an irritated ‘Humph’ knowing exactly what was happening. “I have had just about enough of that old stallion. Applejack come with me. We are going to report this directly to Mayor Mare” Rarity ordered her friend and dragged her off to town square where others scampered about in fear from the gunshots. Their two other friends Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash where at town hall helping to put up a banner that said ‘Welcome to Ponyville’. “You know Dash you should really have it say ‘Welcome to Ponyville, Ignore the constant gunshots’” Rarity scoffed. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Yeah tell me about it. Jeeze it happens like every day” Rainbow Dash muttered. Rarity nodded. “Goddess I wish that stallion would just knock it off sometimes” Rainbow Dash wished. “Indeed, well your wishes may come true. Come with us, we’re going to have him tossed out of town” Rarity told her friend. Fluttershy quickly flew down to her unicorn friend. “Oh well Rarity I don’t know. That seems a little harsh don’t you think?” Fluttershy asked. “Ha! Harsh? That old mangy stallion has had several warnings about shooting guns within city limits. He deserves to be put out” Rarity scoffed and with that they all entered town hall. Several office phones were ringing with complaints. Receptionists were doing their best to answer every call but they all said pretty much the same thing. The receptionists all said the same thing as well. “Yes we are aware of the shooting, police will be there soon to handle the issue, have a nice day” they would say frantically. “MAYOR!” Rarity screamed out. Mayor Mare looked over and quickly paced over to them. “Yes we are aware of the shooting and” the mayor began but Rarity cut her off. “No, don’t give me those horse apples. I want him banished from town never to return” Rarity yelled. The mayor’s eyes went wide. “You heard me. Banned from town, never to return. Have the town vote against him” Rarity told her. The mayor gulped. “Isn’t that a little… harsh?” the mayor asked but Rarity shook her head. “Not at all, he has been warned dozens of times not to discharge firearms in the town. And the town wants him out” Rarity said. The mayor rubbed her eyes as she sighed. “Alright… if you bring him to town hall I’ll have every-pony here to vote” Mayor Mare said. With that Rarity and the others quickly trotted out of town hall and towards Metal Jacket’s house. Fluttershy quickly trotted up to Rarity’s side. “Rarity… don’t you think you’re being a little harsh?” Fluttershy asked. Rarity shook her head. “Not at all. This stallion has had too many chances to clean up his act and if he won’t abide the law then he shall be thrown out” Rarity said as they approached the dwelling of Metal Jacket. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. More gunshots rang out and the group flinched in fear but soon found that the shots weren’t directed at them. “GET OUTTA MY GARDEN YA VARMITS” screamed a voice then more gunshots rang out in quick succession. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. The gunshots ceased. Rarity and the others walked over to the fence that surrounded the back yard garden of the property. “HEY, Metal Jacket!” Rarity yelled out and the stallion looked over to her. He was somewhat old, being 51 years old, but he looked to be only in his late thirties due to the fact that he kept himself in shape through rigours training. He had left the military only last year after his wife Karen died of disease. He had found residence in Ponyville where they had first met and built a home where they had first expressed their love for one another. Fluttershy screamed in utter horror as she saw the bodies of dead rabbits that had bullet holes in their bodies. “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!” Fluttershy screamed as she flew over to try and rescue the already deceased rabbits. “Bastards were in my lettuce again. I’ve tried to keep them away by feeding them elsewhere but they just wouldn’t stay away from my lettuce” Metal Jacket replied bluntly. “You horrible, horrible, AWFUL STALLION!” Fluttershy screamed as tears came to her eyes. “That’s it! Come with us, you’re being evicted” Fluttershy ordered but Metal Jacket simply chuckled. “Evicted? For what?” he asked as he laughed. But Fluttershy looked at him with angry eyes. He laughed. “Alright, alright. I’ll come with you” Metal Jacket chuckled as he stood up and slung his SKS across his back. He also had a .45 caliber M1911 holstered at his hip. The group led him away from his home but not before Fluttershy buried the deceased rabbits. They led him to town hall where Mayor Mare had rallied the entire town. “Good now that we are all here we can begin” Mayor Mare said through a microphone stand. “Metal Jacket, you have been warned on several accounts that firearm discharge within town limits is illegal” the mayor said and Metal Jacket chuckled. “My bad” he yelled out to the mare and she face-hoofed. “Regardless if you take the blame, our citizens have had enough of it” Mayor Mare began but Rarity and her friends quickly rushed up to the stand. Rarity moved Mayor Mare away. “Enough of the whole speech. Metal Jacket you are being banished from town. All in favour?” Rarity asked and every pony raised their hooves except Metal Jacket. He grunted to himself and his smile became an angered snarl. “Metal Jacket, you have twenty four hours to leave town, after those twenty four hours if you are still in town you will be forcefully removed by the authorities” Mayor Mare told him over the speakers. Metal Jacket curled his lips in anger then stormed off to his home. A few hours later, The town all waited to see Metal Jacket leave. He pulled up in an old black 1975 Chevrolet K5 Blazer that was towing a trailer with a 1968 Blue Camaro with a fastback that had a white racing strip right down the middle of the car. He looked out the window, which he had rolled down, and stopped the truck just at the edge of town. A fat Cuban Cigar hung out of his mouth as he looked out to them. “I better not ever see any of you good for nothing fucks ever again cause if I do… I’ll put a bullet right between your fucking eyes” he snarled then pulled out a detonator and hit the plunger. In the background a massive explosion erupted that blew up his home. He moved his tongue around in his mouth then pulled away the cigar. He spat a large glob of spit at the hooves of Rarity then drove off in a fury, leaving the group that had come to see him off in a cloud of dust. After the dust cleared Rarity coughed a little from the dust. “Well I hope we never have to see his good for nothing hide ever again” Rarity scoffed then trotted off. Applejack looked off into the distance as the truck sped off leaving a cloud of dust behind it. She sighed to herself as she remembered what she had originally come to town for.