//------------------------------// // Tchernobog // Story: At The Drop of A Hat // by Tchernobog //------------------------------// “Where is this train even going? The Appleloosa Stetson Convention?” Rainbow muttered as she stared at the imposters, willing Applejack’s hat to jump out and make itself known. Sighing, she lay the one she’d already tried aside, and picked up another - one that looked a bit smaller, a closer fit than the first. She realized she might need to get her eyes checked, as the hat perched upon her head. The thing was tiny, sitting on her head instead of covering it. She frowned and took it off, glaring at the offending headwear. She tossed it aside, moving on to the next. Too wide, too new, too tall... oof! ...Too heavy. Her eyes widened as she placed the next hat on her head. It felt the same, looked the same. It was perfect. She pumped a hoof in the air, and turned back towards the door to go find Applejack. Rainbow stopped dead in her tracks as a sudden doubt struck her. What if it wasn’t the right hat? What if there was something Applejack knew about her hat that Rainbow didn’t, and she brought the wrong one? For once in her life, Rainbow opted for the side of caution. She set the stetson she was wearing aside in a pile of its own, and tried the rest, one by one. In the end, she was left with not one, but three hats. All three felt like the right one, and she had no idea how to identify Applejack’s. Her eyes bored into the headwear, urging them to reveal their secret, or at least some name tag that identified their owner. After smacking her forehead for not having thought of that beforehoof, she quickly checked the hats for such a marker, but her bad luck seemed to hold - not a name anywhere. She shrugged, picking up all three up and set them on her head. After all, the easiest way to figure it out which one belonged to Applejack was just to show them to the earth pony. With a skip in her step, she started her way back to the front of the train. Several thumps paused her hoof in mid air as she was about to open the first door. It had come from the roof. Rainbow briefly wondered who would try to board a train while it was moving, blushing as she remembered how she’d gotten there in the first place. Maybe these ponies were just latecomers? “Alright, ladies and gents! Team A, get any valuables you can from the luggage. Team B, move up the cars and free these ponies from their bits! Team B, you’re with me!” Or maybe it was a train robbery. The voice had made that pretty clear. In a flash, she sped to the back of the train car, and fluttered up to the ceiling. She pressed herself against it, directly above the door, ready to drop in on whoever came in. Rainbow smirked as she waited. Found AJ’s hat, stopped criminal scum… all in a day’s work! Maybe her day wasn’t going so badly after all. She tensed as the door swung open, revealing a large stallion poking his head in. He turned his head left and right before stepping further into the carriage. “All clear!” Rainbow counted off each pony that stepped into the carriage. She knew her best chance was to take them quietly, one by one, taking out the last pony first. At least, that’s what some of Spike’s comic books said. One… two...thr-Trixie?! She was so startled by the appearance of the unicorn that she didn’t notice one of her hats slide off her head until it was too late to catch it. With a quiet wumpf, it landed on one of the bandits’ head. “Aah! I’m blind!” The bandit cried out, rearing up and kicking his front hooves in the air. Seeing her chance, Rainbow dove towards him, intent on knocking him out first, stealth be damned. Unfortunately, Trixie had been right behind the bandit, and had seen the hat land. Before Rainbow could close the distance, she felt a tug on her tail, and screeched to a halt in mid air. “Lemme go!” She shouted, glaring at the unicorn who held her at bay. Wordlessly, Trixie glanced around. Finding what she wanted, she tore open some suitcases, floating some clothing out of it. In a flash, she transformed them into rope, and quickly spun it around Rainbow. “Hey, quit it! What’re y-mmmph!” Trixie smirked as she stepped past the now bound and gagged Rainbow, flinging her back into the pile of luggage. Rainbow could only stare helplessly as the bandits laughed at her. “Y’know, I don’t look half bad with this thing.” The now stetson hatted bandit said, looking at himself in a mirror he’d procured somewhere. “I’m keeping it!” “Whatever.” The big stallion growled, rolling his eyes. “Just search for valuables!” “And what of the pegasus?” Trixie asked, glancing back. Rainbow could see it in her eyes - she knew Trixie had recognized her too. “Leave her for now. We can deal with her on the way out.” Rainbow gulped, her ears flattening against her head. That doesn't sound good. Meanwhile, on the other end of the train, Applejack was looking up at a large, very familiar conductor. Unfortunately for her, he was staring right back. “Hey, I recognize you!” “Well, y’see, Ah got a good reason fer bein’ here, sir…” “Save it for the guards, missy.” He said, placing a firm hoof on her shoulder. “Come with me.” Applejack’s ears flattened, much like Rainbow’s further down the train. “Oh horseapples.” She jumped as a loud voice shouted above the din of the conversation. “Nopony move! Hooves in the air! And no fancy magic business either!” Were it not for the large hoof on her shoulder, Applejack would have pressed a hoof to her face right there. Oh, horseapples!