~{Chapter Four}~
After getting back on the road, Dom followed the I-15 towards Vegas, from there he would then head towards to Builder City and follow the highway to the I-40 going east. It wasn't the most direct route but he had some business to take care of in Henderson. He looked in the rear view at the two ponies in the back seat.
He noticed they didn't seem to do well in the heat and considered changing his plans and going more north towards Utah before heading east, hoping the cooler air would help. He knew Arizona and New Mexico would be hot this time of year.
"Fuck it," he said causing the two ponies to look up at him with strange look on there face. "Don't worry bout it," He said smiling at them pushing the gas to pick up more speed, he didn't want to speed though. He would have a hard time explain the two in the back if he got pulled over for speeding.
It wasn't long before he saw the turn off that would take him to Henderson from the interstate following the road until he got to where he was going. He pulled the car into the parking lot of a large garage and honked the horn twice. One of the bays opening up and pulled in parking the old Dodge Charger looking in back.
"You two wait here, I wont be to long." He said smiling before getting out of the car and going over to talk to someone. Starbloom peeked her head up and looked out the window watching quietly. She tilted her head lightly looking around out the different windows.
"Something.... doesn't feel right Sweetie." She said looking over at Sweetie who nodded at her. Something caught her eye and looked out the windshield seeing someone coming out of a back storage room tilting her head lightly. She climbed into the front to get a better look.
Starbloom looked over at Dom who seemed to be arguing with the guy he went to meet. The guy he was arguing with threw a punch but Dom managed to duck under it and return a punch of his own to the guys side. "Oh no... they're fighting." She said and frowned seeing the guy who came out of the back start to run over holding something in his hand.
She gave a shove with her magic knocking the guy over, the thing in his hand making a loud noise causing Starbloom to duck and cover her ears. But it got Dom's attention who yelled something and run over grabbing the item.
When Starbloom peeked back out she saw Dom holding the item at the two moving it back and forth. "I don't know what that is... but I don't like it." She said looking at the pistol in Dom's hand. The guy from the back storage room tried to rush Dom and he fired the gun into his leg causing him to fall down clutching it.
The noise made Starbloom flitch and hold her ears again. Her eyes going wide seeing the guy bleeding. "Oh... my... goodness..." She said her eyes going back to the gun in Dom's hand then back at the guy on the ground. The guy Dom had been arguing with before threw a bag to Dom, which he caught.
Dom moved to the car and opened the back driver side door putting the bag in the back. Sweetie moving out of the way so he wouldn't drop it on her. "Thank you, now open the door and I'll leave." Dom said, and the guy said another one of those words Starbloom assumed was bad before opening the door.
Dom closing the back driver side door before getting into the front and taking a seat. He put the gun on the passenger seat near Starbloom and started the car backing out of the garage and started back on the road. He quickly made his way back to the interstate and headed north on the I-15 to Utah.
Starbloom stayed quiet, her eyes fixed on the gun quietly. Dom was also quiet, and Sweetie was looking at the bag next to her wondering what was in it. Dom spoke up after a few minutes. "I'm sorry about that girls... I know where your from is peace and harmony. But here sometimes violence is the only way to get things done."
Starbloom looked up at him then looked at the gun. "What... is that?" She said softly not wanting to touch it or use magic on it just incase it made noise again. "It makes a loud noise and I saw it hurt that one guy with out touching him."
"It's called a gun." He said opening the glove box, he picked up the pistol and put it in the glove box. "They are very dangerous if you don't know how to handle one." he said reaching over and softly rubbed Starbloom's head. "Don't worry about it, hopefully I wont have to use it again."
"I.. don't like it..." She said softly wiggling her ears at the rubbing looking over at Sweetie and the bag. "I hope it stays in the little cabinet" she said looking at the glove box.
"You and me both," He said looking in the rear view mirror at Sweetie as well seeing her eye the bag like it would attack her at any moment. "Don't worry bout that bag Sweetie, it's just something I was owed for work I did a few months back."
"You mean it's bits?" Starbloom asked looking at Dom then at the bag tilting her head lightly. "Or whatever type of money you use here.." She clarified seeing him look confused at the word bits.
"Yea, it's money. If you want you can put the bag on the floor board." Looking in the mirror at Sweetie again. Her horn light up and she moved the bag off the seat onto the floor board laying out on the back seat. She was feeling hot again and wanted to rest.
"I guess this heat isn't something she is use to is it?" He asked Starbloom glancing over at her for a moment.
"No, this is pretty hot, Ponyville... the town we live in doesn't get this hot. Not even during the summer." She said settling onto the passenger seat now that the gun wasn't on it. She glanced back to see how Sweetie was doing.
She watched Dom lower the window to let more of a breeze in, she looked over at the window crank on her side of the car and used her magic to lower the window some to help.
"Dom... I hate to be a bother, but do you think there would be a place nearby we can stop at so me and Sweetie can stretch our legs?" She asked looking up at him.
Dom considered the question for a moment then nods at her. "I think I can find a place." He said and started to keep an eye out for rest stops, small ones that might be a good place to let them roam around for abit.
It didn't take to long when he saw one and pulled into the rest stop area. He drove around to the back area of it looking around. The place looked empty so he got out and opened the back door for Sweetie, Starbloom got out on his side.
He watched as they walked around the area stretching out there legs. He went over to the vending machines and checked to see what they had to offer. But the selection was pretty limited, he tilted his head hearing singing and looked over seeing Sweetie Belle had started to sing as she walked around.
It wasn't loud enough to make out the lyrics, and it didn't sound like anything he was familiar with. He smiled and turned back to the vending machine getting a soda before going back to the car leaning against it as he sipped his drink. Starbloom walked over and joined him sitting next him.
"So, our young friend over there likes to sing?" He said looking down at Starbloom.
"Yea, it's her special talent, if only she'd realize it... she'd earn her cutie mark." She said looking over at Sweetie who was still stretching her legs and singing quietly to herself.
Dom raised an eye brow looking at Starbloom, "Cutie mark?" he asked looking down at her.
"Yea, it's a special mark we get when we discover out special talents." She said and looked at the gray patch of fur on her left hip. "I had one, before I was punished. A purple star with five smaller stars around it. I lost it when I lost my horn."
"I'm sorry to hear that, must of been tough." He said looking at her ruffing her mane softly. "Will you get a new one?" He asked keeping an eye out for other cars pulling into the rest stop.
"To be honest... I don't know, it's never happen before. But I'm holding out hope that I will, someday, get a new one." She said smiling at him before looking over at Sweetie who was coming over to them. "Feel better Sweetie?" She asked who nodded.
"Yea, feels nice to stretch my legs again." She said smiling at both of them.
"Good to hear, very lovely singing voice you have to." Dom said smiling at her finishing his drink he tossed the plastic bottle away in a trash can near where he had parked. Sweetie turned bright red blushing at the complement on her singings.
"Y.. you heard that?" She said softly looking up at him.
"Yes I did, don't be embarrassed about it. You have the voice for singing, a rare gift." He said opening the doors so they could get in. Sweetie getting into the back still blushing softly. Starbloom got back into front passenger side settling herself in.
Dom smiled and got in as well buckling himself before starting the engine closing the door. He backed up and pulled out of the rest stop to continue on towards Utah and the I-70. It would take him longer and out of his way, but it should help keep them from getting to hot again.