Chapter 5
“Joan we’ll be right behind you, your making the prisoner exchange in the middle of town, and don’t expect them to play fair.” The marshal said as Snipes threw Walton in front of her.
“Fair my flank!” yelled Walton as he stood up, hobbling around a bit in his hoofcuffs.
“You bet, besides, silly ol’ Walton here is going to be my shield.”
“Oh it’d be my pleasure!” Walton sarcastically replied as he shuffled forward, Walton and Joan walked towards the middle of town. “That gangs probably having so much fun with that lil’ cowmare. I hear they like it r-” WHACK! Joan hit Walton with the butt of her revolver. “Now little girl, don’t be to hostile or they’ll take that pretty little face off as soon as they see you.”
“I already blew a hole in your leg once, I’ll do it again.” Joan smirked as they entered the center of town. 3 Bandit ponies walked out of the shadows, Joan recognized the pony on the right of the center one, the one who shot her. “Where is Gala MacApple?”
“We don’t make deals with the law!” The center pony drew his revolver; Joan kicked Walton forward and flew to the right as quick as she could. The bandits fired a shot, they all missed but Joan’s wings folded in, that strange feeling of adrenaline pulsing through her body. As if her mind feared the imminent dangers of being shot once again. This happened for all pegasi, flight is a delicate procedure, not a simple movement of wings but an art of beauty, when a corrupted projectile spreads the disease upon its beauty then it will no longer maintain its graceful nature. Joan’s inertia carried her into the building she was flying towards, she tumbled and rolled into the cabin. She coughed as she inhaled some dust that was kicked up by her flying body.
“I like guns, but I hate what they do to your wings.” Joan said forcing her wings to spread out then another gunshot caused them to fold back in. “Like our bodies naturally react to he sounds of bullets, the adrenaline flows to fast and your wings collapse in fear.”
“Joan, I ain’t no scientist, but you sure as hell sound like one now!” Marshal Dash peeked her head around the corner to see the 3 bandits still standing where they had first appeared. A bloody body lay in front of them, “They shot Walton, It was a trap!” (Thanks Marshal Dashbar, see what I did thar! :3)
Then a rifle shot rang through the abandoned town, the mare to the left of the center stallion flew backwards. Blood trickled out of a fleshy hole in her chest. The center stallion flailed his revolver about looking upon the hillsides for who was shooting at them. BANG! Blood splattered across the muddy ground, the stallion stood there for but one more second, then he collapsed. The pony that had shot Joan stood there, she did not move, she did not even blink. Joan walked out of the hut. “Joan Wait!” yelled Marshal Dash, but Joan did not stop.
“Why don’t you move? Why don’t you run? Why don’t you fight?” Joan asked the mare, her curly hair refused to even sway in the wind. “Why? You don’t even have a gun on you.”
“I know when the gun is in the other hoof, when the power lies beyond my own. I gave in to that charlatan and now I’m here in front of my own personal grim. It’s only right to return the favor ain’t it. Besides, there are only 2 mares left in Dyslex’s, she said I’ve been used up. I’ve heard the others get those words, then…they was gone.”
Joan drew her revolver, “Do you really wanna die by my hooves?”
The mare stood firmly, “Better your hooves than hers.” She spoke this with undeniable confidence that this…was how it should end. Upon hearing this, Joan shot the mare in the forehead with out even glancing at her.
“And now there is 1.”
Snipes and trails ran down to the Marshal from the hillside, “Did she just kill an unarmed pony?” gasped Snipes.
“She was asking for death, and Joan wasn’t going to deny her that.” Marshal stared at Joan who had doffed her hat to the mare she just killed. “Good Shooting, Snipes. Trails what is a good way for us to attack from here?”
“Well, we could attack them from the marsh sides of town, but there’s lots of Everfree muck in that area. Other than that a straight forward attack is our only other option.” Trails concluded his statement by looking at Joan strangely, “Hey where are you going?!”
Joan had run off down the hill a small group of the bandits were gathered around the town gallows, a light orange mare was standing in the middle of the gallows. The ropes tied around her neck.
“Welcome Joan Derpston. To the Hanging of Gala MacApple! Joan would you care to do the honors or is the pleasure all ours? HAHAHA!” The stallion standing by Gala laughed out, soon his comrades joined in.
“Joan, I’d appreciate it if you were to give me a hoof here.”
“Shut up you lascivious prick!” The stallion screamed at Gala. “Now for the MANE EVENT!”
BANG! A bullet flew into the stallion who was about to kick the chair out from Gala, the stallions body flew back a tiny bit but his leg continued to move towards the chair. The back chair flew out from under Gala’s hooves, her backside sunk down and her front hooves kicked the other chair away with her panicked kicking. The hanging had begun.
“NO!” yelled Marshal Dash from behind Joan. Joan grabbed her revolver, the groggy atmosphere became inflated in warmth the sun barely visible behind the mansion on the hill, with the warmth came a calm vibe a ritardando of red encased Joan’s vision. Her left eye drooped down and her right eye moved inward. BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG! Six shots, six bloody pools. The remaining bandits grabbed there weapons.
“Joan look out!” yelled the Doctor, he pointed his strange screwdriver device at a bandit in the middle of the small group had something giving off a shimmering light. The Doctor pressed a button with his hoof, the shimmering light blew up in a glorious explosion. The Doctor let out an exasperated breath.
Joan jumped in the air, she gripped her hunting knife in her hoof. Joan flew into the rope holding Gala up, with one quick slice the rope cut in half. The last bandit standing in front of Joan shot at her, the bullet caught part of Joan’s ear. Her wings folded in and she fell on top of the bandit. Anger, rage, despair, revenge. Her heart beat pounded through her shaking the very ground, “DON’T EVER,” Joan stabbed her silver blade into the bandits chest, “EVER” she thrusted downward into the stallions throat, “HURT MY FRIENDS!” she continued to stab the corpse, thud, thud, thud, blood caked the decaying surroundings, Joan’s silver hunting knife was now scarlet with death. Each stab yielded more and more blood splattering about, with each stab a break, a snap, or a squish that made your eyes turn inside out in there very sockets.
“Dear Celestia, Joan. He’s dead!” yelled Marshal Dash. Joan stopped with her blood drenched blade in the air, droplets of blood dripped to the ground. She let her blade slide out of her hoof, she stared…her hooves her coat, her clothes…her face. Were all caked in this stallions blood.
Joan looked up into the moon that now shone above her, “That…that wasn’t me. I-I…are you sure?” The wind blew heavily around Joan. She leaned her head to the right as if to rest it on her shoulder. Rain drops began to fall on the stained town. “Thank you…” Joan stood up; the rain had now washed away most of the blood on her, though some still remained. “Doctor, how is Gala?”
The Doctor was holding Gala in his arms, the SS in his mouth, pointed at her throat. He spit the SS into his hoof then said, “Well good news and bad news, good news: she is going to be fine. Bad news: she will probably catch a cold. I’m going to have her stay at my office over the night. And I recommend we get her back there as fast as possible.” Gala was unconscious but everyone there trusted the doctor was right. They carried her off to the cart they had carried Walton in. Everyone had trekked up the hill, but Joan sat staring at the bandit’s body. “Hey, go ahead without us. When you get into town, put her in the beds in the back of my office,’ the Doctor yelled. He trotted over to Joan. “What was with you out here?” His voice was calm but with a tone of curiosity, he was searching for an answer.
“I…I don’t know.” Joan looked at the ground, staring at her hooves. “Doctor, am I crazy?”
“What do you mean crazy, Joan? Were all a bit looney. Somepony will always think your stories and your life is farfetched. What do you think would happen if I went around yelling; I TRAVEL THROUGH SPACE AND TIME! Ponies would think I belong in the Canterlot Correctional Facility.” He wrapped his hoof around Joan’s shoulder, “Now come on dear, we need to get out of this rain.”
“DOCTOR I TALK TO THE MOON!” Joan yelled suddenly creating a great surprise in the Doctor. “I talk to the moon, it answers back. I’m crazy aren’t I?” Joan stared at the doctor. “What am I, I just got done murdering this pony here. And then the mare on the hill, I killed her too.”
The Doctor reached a hoof out and touched Joan’s right ear, the tip of it seared in pain. The Doctor’s hoof had a small streak of blood on it, “Well you may have forgotten that he shot your ear a bit. Only the tip put some gauze on it, it will heal up in about a day or so. But still Joan, I’m not gonna lie to you, you did take it a bit over board with the stabbing.”
“Between my anger and pain, I guess I just…couldn’t help it.” Joan began to walk forward away from the town and the Doctor followed. Every step they took, they’re hooves sunk a little into the mud. Joan stared up at the moon again, the Doctor observed her; she blankly stared at the moon. Then, suddenly she blushed and glanced at the doctor, he raised his eyebrow curiously.
“What’s it saying? The moon?” The Doctor stared up at it, the moon didn’t seem to stand out or have anything like an evil smile or eyes to stare at him, it was just…The Moon.
“I don’t know.” Joan looked at the doctor and he gave her a curious look. “We could…I say this rain you brought is deffinatly making my decision easier.” The rain had soaked The Doctor and Joan, both there manes were now lying down, becoming flat with water weight. “…Wait? New Paradise? What do you mean?...” A strong gust blew by…the rain stopped…all was calm.
“She’s a cryptic one ain’t she?”
Joan blankly stared at the Doctor, then she just giggled, “Yea, let’s go home.”
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“She’s fast asleep, that’s good. She needs it.” The Doctor said, “Are you staying or going home.”
Joan smiled, removing her hat, her wet mane flopping out from under it, dripping water across the floor, “I’ll be staying here tonight.”
“Then go upstairs and lay your clothes out to dry…I’ll be up in a few minutes.” The Doctor smiled back. Joan quickly thought to herself, ‘I hope he doesn’t dry off while he’s down there he looks…’ Joan entered the Doctor’s room. The room itself was decently sized and had one bed with one nightstand at the right of it. Joan removed her still sopping wet clothes and laid them out neatly on a chair. Joan jumped on the Doctor’s bed then she laid on it with her legs tucked under her. Staring, staring at the doorway, waiting, just waiting…waiting for the Doctor.
The Doctor walked up stairs to find Joan lying on the bed…asleep. The Doctor giggled at the sight. She had passed out, don’t blame her, saving your friends(and murder) is tiring stuff. Joan’s head laid on its side, her mouth open with a small amount of drool seeping out of it. The Doctor trotted lightly over to her sleeping body and looked her over; her sleek gray coat was littered with droplets of sweat and rain. The Doctor smiled a tiny bit then climbed into the bed and snuggled in next to Joan.
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“Thanks Joan and thank you too Doctor. I’d be dead if it weren’t for you two.” It was the morning after and Gala MacApple had awoken. “That’s twice you’ve saved my life.”
“Well you seemed really busy down there so I decided to help out” laughed Joan.
Gala smirked at Joan, “Now if your expecting me to joke about being ‘all tied up’ then you got another thing coming. But, I’d like to add myself to your roster of fighters for the attack on Fort Cloudsdale, that is…if you’ll have me.”
“It’s a dangerous mission, you, me, the Doctor, and Marshal Dash and her deputies, we could all die. Are you sure you want too?” Joan asked, she feared for the young mares life. She had already put her through unwanted terrors but…if she were to die. “I would never forgive myself if you died.”
“And I won’t forgive myself if I don’t help. So will you have me?”
Joan smiled under her hat, “Only if you promise not to get killed.”
“You got yourself a deal then.”
The Doctor trotted in, “Ahem, but for now, you need to rest, you’ve been through a lot and we don’t want you to get hurt before our ‘suicide’ mission.”
“I can help even more.” Gala said to Joan, she sat up in her bed, wincing a little bit from the soreness of her body, “In Pegasus Landing, search for a stallion named Celt, he’s a strange drunkard, but he’s also a strong fighter. He’ll help, tell him about the Burning in Baltimare, he’ll understand.” The bruising underneath her eyes had started to show since last night and v-cut into her right ear.
“Thank you Gala, I’ll head there right now,” Joan ran to the stairs and up them, she burst into the Doctors room and grabbed her jacket in her mouth. When she turned around the Doctor was standing behind her. “Yes Doctor, what is it?”
He trotted up to her, circled her, “Ahhh! Yes, I thought I noticed something strange last night.”
“Strange, Doctor, the time lord is saying something about ME is strange…”
“Yes, but strange for a mare like you, so care to share with me about your lack of cutie mark?” Joan stood where she was and did not move, she was the same age as Gala, and Gala had hers. In fact, Joan believed she was the only pony her age in Equestria that was like this, well that and.
“You see, nopony in the gang had there’s, Epileps, Schizo, Dyslex, me, and even the others that were in it before me, none of them had there marks. I guess gunslingin’ and outlaw behavior gets you nothin. Why do you think I wear PANTS, Doctor.”
The Doctor walked in front of Joan and began nuzzling his face against hers, “Maybe you and our daughter can get it at the same time. Wouldn’t that be nice?” His voice calmed and reassured Joan, she smiled, a genuinely happy smile. “Now, Pegasus Landing is a…well we need more then one word to describe how vile that place is. Lascivious, derisive, toxic, prideful, opulent, backstabbing and all in one cliff-side…just be careful dear.”
“Am I ever not?” Joan said chuckling.
The Doctor wrapped his hooves around her, “Just don’t come back with new bullet wounds.”
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The sky was blank today. No clouds, only blinding and blistering sunshine. The Cliffside town of Pegasus Landing was visible from even the Doctors office. The large cliff cave-ins as well as the protruding “landing” that gave the place its name. As Joan flew over small forests and hill-sides, one thing stuck out of all those. A strange stallion stood on a small hillside, the hillside contained a small rocky drop off beneath it. Joan landed behind the strange stallion; he was wearing a navy blue suit with a matching top hat. His white Pegasus wings stuck out from his suit. His white face stared off into the now setting sun.
“Welcome Joan. Joan Derpston.” He spoke. Joan didn’t move, nor say anything but she stared at the strange stallion. “Beautiful isn’t it. The setting sun on a ‘peaceful’ Equestria day. Oh. That’s right, you prefer the calm glorious nights, the sight of the white glowing moon. Does it, speak to you Joan? Speak to you more than the sun?”
“Do I know you?” Joan asked.
“I’d hope so. I seem to know you.” He continued to stare at the setting sun.
“I’m pretty good at remembering faces.”
“Are you? Do you remember Minuto Colget’s face?”
“Who?”
“She was a mare Epileps van de Lia shot in the head on that raid on the train a few years back. Same one you got shot on. Pretty girl…until her eyes was hanging out by a tendon, and her brain was painted over a wall.”
“Not really.”
The strange stallion turned around, his eyes were an icy blue, “Then why would you remember me, friend? You’ve forgotten far more important ponies than me.”
“What’s your game, friend?”
“I don’t have a game, Joan. Listen, sometimes I just wish I knew more about life. I wish I’d had better guidance, friend of mine, he’s drunk as a salt miner, in the saloon in Pegasus Landing. I think he’s going to cut out his dear life. Why don’t you head over there, and see if you can advise him on how best to proceed.”
Joan’s eyes began to droop, “What do you think I am?” she asked angrily.
“I know what you are, Joan. Just if you’ve got the time, friend.” The strange stallion turned around and watched the sun continue to set.
Joan turned around and began to fly towards her initial destination, if she was lucky she’d run into Celt and the strange stallions friend.
The town of Pegasus Landing came closer and closer, lights and buildings became more detailed and flying bodies became visible in and around the landing. Joan set all four hooves down upon the gray and rocky landing. Only pegasi and unicorns could get to this place easily. Unless taken by a flying coach although such services were only for the richer in wealth rather than the richer of skill. Though who would want to go to this place. It was cold and bland to look upon, yet it felt more…more like a home to her. The stone and wood buildings were bright and busy with ponies running and flying about, colts and fillies played about in the streets. Joan entered the mouth of the cave and was astonished, this place was huge.
“When do you think the renovations on Fort Cloudsdale will be done?” a pony asked another one she was talking to.
“I ain’t sure, she said that cloudstruction had begun but, that was a couple months ago. Something must have happened. Plus I heard there plannin’ to move it northwest of Ponyvile.”
The other mare smiled, “well at least it will be closer.”
Joan found the saloon in a dimly lit corner of the giant cave, lights and music rang out of the saloon. A small group of mares stood outside of the doors, they was all prim and gussied up, “Howdy-doo~ there miss mare.” One of the mares cooed at her with her eyes half closed, “want us to make your time here…worth while~” The mares giggled and swung around Joan. “Come on, haven’t you ever wanted to visit the dark side of the mare?”
“I have heard plenty of sick jokes in my life before, but your hookers game is the worst of them all!” Joan laughed hysterically and even snorted at the mares who had stopped dancing about. “I’d rather pay you to leave me alone, then for your services.”
The middle one stomped her hoof down, “Come-on girls! She’s no fun like that teary eyed stallion.” The other mares mimicked after her, “No Fun, No Fun, No Fun!”
Joan thought to herself, ‘teary eyed stallion eh?’ She trotted around the corner of the saloon and saw a small stallion behind a box near the back door. He was sniffling, snorting, and mumbling to himself. A small revolver laid at his feet, “Ahem, excuse me mister.”
He looked up at Joan, his yellow coat glistened with tears, his fusillade of tears streamed out of his eyes, he cleared his throat and cried out in a shaky voice. “Y-yeah?...What the b-buck d-do you want…?”
“Look, don’t ask how, but” the stallion looked down at the revolver on the ground, eyeing it with melancholic intent. “I know what you’re about to do, you don’t wanna do this.”
The stallion smiled ever so slightly though the sadness in his eyes burnt straight through it, “The hell you t-talking about?” His tone was sarcastic, but it betrayed himself, he knew that Joan could tell.
“You know what I’m talking about, mister. I’m just here to say I don’t think you should go through with it.” She reached a hoof out to comfort the stallion but he brushed her off.
“My wife left me, my son’s gone to Celestia knows where, I’m the only earth pony in Pegasus Landing…I was born this way, a-and I’m too poor t-to afford the sky wagon trips. A-and because of t-that I’ve got enough hard cider in m-me to kill a filly. What reasons d-do I got left…” He picked up the revolver in his hoof, but did not move it from there.
“Your son, he loves you, your wife might be gone, but I’m sure you still have friends and family that love you. I’ve seen a lot of ponies take this way out…let me tell you, it’s the cowards way. And you ain’t no coward are ya?” Joan lowered the stallion’s revolver and took it in her hooves. “Are ya?”
The stallion stood up and wiped his face off, though it was quickly covered in tears again, “Ma’am, yous right, I ain’t no coward. I ain’t! I-I don’t know w-who you are, but I guess I’m grateful. Yous right. T-there’s others out there. I’m better than…THIS!” He raised his head up to look into Joan’s face.
“Don’t mention it, go on now.” He nodded and walked into the alley, Joan put a hoof to her muzzle and thought for a second, “Hey wait!” she yelled at him, he stopped and turned around. “Do you know a Pegasus by the name of Celt?”
The stallion’s teary eyed expression melted into a smile, “Yea, he’s a bartender in this here saloon. Tell em’ Dusk sent ya, that should get ya at the least, a drink on me.” He smiled again and trotted off around the corner.
The saloon was very moody; the whole area was entombed in the smell of smoke, though it was a sweeter smell than that of Joan’s own smokes (which she hadn’t delved into since her daughter was taken). The dim lights added a strange atmosphere to the saloon, it was much more calming than the noise of the Ponyvile saloon. A bluish unicorn was playing a calm and swinging tune while a maroon pegasus plucked along on an upright (bass). Joan made her way through the smoky bar, the large scarlet stallion behind the bar spoke to Joan first, “Welcome to The Landing, how can I help you?” he had a strange accent, sounded like a higher pitched version of the doctors accent, yet he maintained a strange rough hearted ness.
“Dusk said I got a drink on him, and…I’m looking for a pegasus by the name of Celt.” Joan asked the stallion, he heaved his large body off the bar table and filled up a wooden mug with cider.
He grunted and threw himself on top of the table again, “There you are, and here I am.”
“Hello, Mr. Celt.”
“It’s pronounced Selt”
“How’s it spelled?”
“C-E-L-T”
“Wouldn’t it be pronounced Kelt?”
The stallion smiled, “It would, but I prefer it pronounced my way. Now missy what do you need.”
Joan took a sip of the cider cup, the warm apple drink slid down her throat and spread throughout her body; it gave her heart a strange happy feeling. She needed to get the Doctor to drink some of this. “A friend of mine said that you could help.”
He got really close to Joan, his hot breath reeked of cider, “I ain’t known by many ma’am.”
“She said that I should mention the Burning in Baltimare. Does that ring in your head?” Joan took in another gulp of cider, the warmth flowing in her, she felt herself sinking into the atmosphere of the bar, the music melting into her ears.
Celt spoke and brought her back, “Now only 1 mare I know would be able to get my help out of that old fiasco. That Apple family gal.” He hopped off the bar and took off his apron, he then spoke to the other bartender, “Welsh, I have some business to take care of, might not be coming back…ever. So your in control round here now, buddy.” He walked around the bar as Joan finished her cider, “Follow me missy, we needs to talk.” The two walked out of the bar and back into the dim caves of Pegasus Landing, with the change of scenery was a change in temperature, from warm to a disturbing cold.
“My name is Joan, by the way. And what exactly happened at the Burning in Baltimare.”
The stallion held a straight face, “I used to be a sergeant in the Royal Air Force, she saved my life, and I traveled with them after that till they settled in Ponyvile. Then I came here, so what’s your story ma’am.”
“Mines not as…clean as yours….I used to ride with a gang. They left me to die after I’d been shot. I left the gang after the gang left me. I tried to go straight, and I did. Then I got in more trouble.”
He laughed, “Ha! Trouble, seems like that’s all we got in these times. Tell me miss, you got a family?”
Joan looked slightly towards the ground, “Got a daughter by the name of Jackie and my husband is the Doctor in Ponyvile.”
“Well that’s more than I got, all I have is me mum back in Baltimare. Now what’s it ya be needin me for.” Celt and Joan reached a small stone house near the edge of the cave. They entered.
“I’m attacking Fort Cloudsdale, Gala MacApple said you could help.”
The house they entered was very tiny, consisting only of one room with a bed and trunk in it. Celt took out a hat, a revolver, and a double barreled weapon, he placed them on his being, then he spoke, “So your going after Dyslex’s gang.”
“I have to save my daughter…and this is how I am going to do it.”
“There occupation of Fort Cloudsdale is the reason Pegasus Landing has an overpopulation problem. I’ll do it. For these ponies, for all of the ponies there hurtin.” Celt placed his hat upon his head and walked out the door, Joan followed suit.
“We got our reasons for everything don’t we.”
“That we do missy, that we do.” Joan and Celt walked to the edge of the Landing, “so where to?”
Joan pointed a hoof towards Ponyvile, “There, though we won’t be there for long. We attack in the morning. Come-on…let’s go.” Joan and Celt flew off towards Ponyvile, the moon had just became visible past one of the hillsides. “Watch over us now…will ya?” she whispered towards the moon.
Next Chapter: Attack on Fort Cloudsdale