Chapter 11. STAMPEDE
Its not fair. I do a lot of work, capture the cows and what do I get, nothing, absolutely nothing. The boss didn’t even recognise me, we went to school together!
It was a cold night to be on guard duty, but the cattle rustler had drawn the short straw, plus with a bounty hunter and Midnight tied up, nopony wanted to be outside. They were all to scared after hearing about the massacre of Midnight’s gang, the train wreck and the skinning of the Red Vultures.
Huh?, what was that, I swear, I heard something...I wonder what heavy is doing, wait. Did that tent just shake?
The stallion moved towards the tent in question, the door was untied and moving in the light breeze, he stuck his head in.
Completely dark in here. “Hey, heavy is that yhmmmmmm!” Something leathery wrapped around his head and dragged him into the tent, then jolted his head to the side with a snap.
“Sweet Celestia its cold tonight.” the earth pony mumbled as he moved about the camp, trying to get from fire to fire to keep warm. his eyelids felt heavy, and soon began to make the slow journey downwards to its partners. His vision blurred as he drifted between the waking world and snoozing.
A pony stepped out in front of him, the earth pony lazily stopped,“Oh, I know you...you’re..err.” he was still losing the battle to keep his eyes open, so didn’t notice the pony in front of him was not part of the gang. Something heavy landed on his head with enough force to throw him forward and planted into the ground. He decided to stay still, too tired to get up, he didn’t have to worry about waking up again as he suddenly found himself in a land of permanent sleep.
Hot Chocolate, steaming soup, pasta, dammit. Think of warm stuff. The stallion was trying as hard as he could to think of a way to warm himself up, but he shivered in the cold, breezy night.
Why do I have to be on night duty tonight, why couldn’t I be in my sleeping bag? Something rustled in the small grouping of trees behind him. He turned quickly to see a silhouette of a pony.
“W..Who g-goes there?”he stuttered.
“Oh, please help me!” came a mares voice, the silhouette moved, it looked like one of her hind legs were trapped.
“Uhm, okay.”He moved slowly and cautiously towards the pony, a hoof on his revolver, ready to draw at a moments notice. He got closer and closer, when he got closer to the mare, she was smiling, but not a happy smile, an evil grin
“Now you better run.”She ordered as a loud rumble built up and the sound of trees breaking filled the air. The mare shot upwards
“A Pegasus...MIDNIGHT STORM!” he finally recognised the mare. He turned and ran as the rumble got closer.
“BUFFALO!” He cried as he ran.
15 Minutes earlier
Shimmering was quietly sneaking around the camp, while Midnight hovered above a tree, her wing was now almost fully healed and able to hold her in the air. She spotted something of in the distance. Another camp? She lowered herself to the ground and found Shimmering.
“Shimmering, there is another camp over there.” she whispered and pointed a hoof in the general direction. His ears tweaked and he took flight.
“Lets check it out zen,” he said as he flew off.
When he reached the camp, he was surprised to see the Buffalo who had taken him to Appleloosa.
“Help zere, I vas vondering if you could ‘elp me again?” he asked.
“And who would you be?” asked the chief. Shimmering explained the situation and what he needed of them.
“We will help you, those rustles tried to take a few of our females the other day,” the chief said.
“They tried to take my daughter as well” said one bull. They settled on a plan of action and got into position.
“Oh, please help me!” Midnight called out, she saw the stallion moving towards her, his hoof going to his revolver. Her mouth twisted into an evil grin as he got closer.“Now you run,” she took off as the Buffalo Stampeded through the trees, the stallion galloped back to camp screaming.
Ponies started to stir at the screaming and the rumbling that was getting louder, they got out of their tents in all sorts of nightwear and looked around confused. The leader by the name of Lightning Arch stood up.
“Whats going on!” He bellowed, one of the stallions came running past him screaming buffalo.
The trees shook and then, out of the darkness, came a tidal wave of large furry mammals, they kicked up dirt and charged straight through the camp, knocking over ponies in their way and trampling them into the ground. One or two rustlers got shots off before being flung into the air by the mighty beasts.
Lightning looked around at the carnage, his men running in fear as their camp was demolished. The Buffalo headed straight towards him, then split and went around him. Out of the center of the herd, a bat pony came galloping, head down and face covered by a stetson hat, he rammed into Lightning.
“Who the buck are you?” He shouted over the rumbling.
“Zee one and only, Shimmering Honor,” the bat pony replied looking up.
“You can’t be, you’re tied up!” Lightning looked over at the A frame that Shimmering and Midnight were tied up to, but indeed, they were gone. Midnight landed next to Shimmering, the ever present evil grin getting bigger.
“Oh he is Shimmering alright.” She laughed. Lightning growled and charged at Shimmering. Midnight jumped back and watched. Shimmering charged forward, Lightning raised a hoof to punch, Shimmering ducked and headbutted his chest causing Lightning to topple over. He launched his hind legs out, Shimmering flapped and flew up before diving into Lightning’s stomach, Lightning wrapped a leg around Shimmering’s neck and flung him to the ground.
Shimmering got up and ran forward again, Lightning dodge to the right and bucked Shimmering in the side, sending him into a stack of crates. Shimmering got up and threw a crate at Lightning,i t smacked him in the face. Lightning fell over, he drew his revolver and pointed it, but Shimmering was gone. The herd of Buffalo now ran in a circle around him, Midnight had disappeared as well.
“Where are you?!” he shouted.
“EVERYWHERE!” Shouted Shimmering
“Show yourself!” Lightning growled. A grey blur shot out of the herd and hit Lightning in the side, before disappearing into the brown whirlwind rushing around him.
“Coward!”
“OH REALLY, ZAYZ ZEE ONE WHO USES A GUN IN A FIZT FIGHT!”
“Says the one who hides in a herd of buffalo!”
“Who zayz I am hiding?” Shimmering said from behind, Lightning turned in time to see Shimmerings hoof as it connected with his face. He fell over and looked up, Shimmering was gone again.
“Bastard!”
“I don’t think he is.” Midnight laughed.Lighting span around to see Midnight stood behind him with Shimmering next to her.
“Now you die.” Lightning pointed the revolver, Shimmering shot forward, Lightning felt a sharp pain in his neck, Shimmering stepped back, blood dripping from his muzzle. Lightning’s hoof shot up to his neck and felt the warm liquid leaking from two puncture wounds.
“You...you bit me.” He stammered.
“Exactly, now you vill bleed out” he smiled.
“I have a better idea.” Midnight grinned as she held up some rope.
“You can’t leave me here! Let me down!” Lightining’s world had been turned upside down, literally, he now hung on the A frame set up for Shimmering and Midnight as blood slowly poured out of his neck.
“I zink I can, and I zink I vill.” Shimmering walked away as the buffalo left.
“No...come back...I demand it...let me down!”
“Have fun with the vultures!” Midnight shouted as the trotted into the distance, the sun started to rise and shimmering regained his blue fur and feathers, his ears shrank and his fangs disappeared.
“Interesting,” he mumbled as he looked himself over.