//------------------------------// // Came a Stranger One Fine Day // Story: A Tale of the West: The Marizona Ranger // by DarkParable //------------------------------// The sun hung, hot and oppressive, over the desert-like scrub studded plans of western Equestria. The air shimmered slightly with the heat, a heat that the long time residents of the small town of Appleoosa barely noticed any more. For them, and for any other westerner, this was a damn fine day to be alive. Sure, the ambient temperature was comparable to an oven, sun burns were highly likely, and there wasn't an AC unit to be found for a good many miles. It was a good day all the same. The reason for this however had to do with the fact that the local villain was no where near town at the moment. Big Red wasn't there to dampen everypony's spirits like some kind of dark cloud over their collective parade. The local town-lead, Braeburn, was damn near close to calling it a holiday. Felt enough like one to know that nopony'd be dying today at the hooves of the aptly named outlaw. It was of course right then and there that Murphy decided he'd be bucking up the fine day with extreme prejudice. To the town of Appleoosa came a strange this fine day, the winds whipping her leather duster about and exposing the handle, a well warn handle, of a rather large pistol at her side. She came plodding slowly, head down slightly and her wide brimmed hat shading much of her face. The first to spot her frowned slightly at the sight but trotted out to say hello all the same. "Howdy pardner. Wel'cum tah Appleoosa. What brings ya 'round these here parts?" came the question from the local doctor. The only answer was silence and a disinterested glance from the stranger. A silence that persisted for several long moments, moments that would've had the Doc sweating bullets were he not already doing so due to the heat. Finally she spoke up, accent thick and voice pitched low. "Bet'ness..." was all she said. Up close as she was now, more of this stranger was available for the cautiously curious eyes of her welcome wagon. From the lack of any bulges or wing holes in (or under) her coat and lack of a horn the strange mare could only be an earth pony. Nothin' strange there really. Her dusty coat was an orange color stained darker by days obviously spent on the road. That brief glance from the stranger had shown her eyes to be a brilliant emerald color. It was those eyes what gave the doc pause though. They were the eyes of somepony who walked with a purpose that would never been set aside for anything. The kind that no matter how soft the gaze they gave you, you could always see the steel behind them. Stumbling over his words, the doc managed to get his next question out, unsettled by what he'd glimpsed in that brief eye contact. "Peaceful kinda business ah hope?" "...Depends..." came the response as the stranger kept right on walking into town. She obviously didn't have too much to say. Frowning slightly, the doc let her go. Answers from her seemed akin to blood from a stone... And he had a heat stroke to go treat... Namely the one he was working up to right then and there. A day had passed since the stranger'd come to town. A day since she'd disappeared into the well kept rest house that the town prided itself on. A day that had allowed rumors to spread like wild fire throughout the town. Of course the doc's the one who started most of them. "Bet she's one of them big name outlaw ponies, ya know, tha train robbin' kinda outlaw." was his theory, one he happily shared. "Naw cos, I bet'cha fiddy bits she some kinda small time bandit what's lookin' tah get her hooves on summat out this'a way." was another popular rumor flying about at the moment. "Well, did'ja see that duster? 'At was leather or Imma mule! She must be some kinda murderer what skins all 'er kills and wears 'em round like 'at pink monster we dun heard 'bout las' year." Came the opinion of the local drunk (who just so happened to be a mule.) No matter what the truth really was, one thing was agreed upon by all, even the rather eccentric undertaker. That was that, whatever her business in town was, it revolved around her firearm. It was the kind of business that took their good day and made it just another day in the hell hole of a desert in which they lived. The business only done with the big iron at her hip. Meanwhile, not too far off, there sat a massive red stallion who gazed down at his target with a faint smile on his face. At his side was a pistol with a notched grip and the words, "Widow maker" carved into it. Calmly this stallion got to his hooves and walked calmly to the farmstead he'd been watching not a moment before. As he walked he silently counted to himself, already mentally adding the next three notches to his pistol's grip... That'd make an even twenty he'd put in the ground. That suited Big Red just fine... To the town of appleoosa came a stranger one fine day Hardly spoke to folks 'round her, didn't have too much 'ta say. Just one dared ask her business, though his wits gave him a slip. That stranger there among the town wore a big iron on her hip. T'were about mid-afternoon when she trotted into town, steely eyes slowly lookin' all 'round. "She's an outlaw, loose and runnin'" came a whisper from each lip. "Here to do some business with that iron on her hip." Softly the voice of the undertaker rang out as he sat at his work. The white pegasus was busy carefully shaping a large coffin out of the best quality apple wood he had... Somepony was going to be needing it real soon after all.