Apples Wild

by niftykoala

The Badlands

Wild Card sat up with a start…his head swam as his eyesight wavered at a small campfire. He lay back down. His head felt like somepony had run over it with a stage coach and then a dropped the luggage atop him as well. He looked up into the sky and let his eyes slowly focus on the clouds.

Clouds.

Not the wooden rafters of a jail cell.

His head still throbbed as he slowly sat up again. Dirt, cactus, and high cliffs were all around him. The sun had just crested behind the hills, leaving a wisp of ash orange as dusk was beginning to settle over landscape.

“The Badlands.” He thought.

Across from him on the other side of the fire the large red earth pony was dusting the caked on dirt from his flank. A large yoke, a saddle bag and Wild Card’s satchel, weapon and bandoleer, empty of ammo, sat next to him.

“So Big Red.” Wild Card eyed the red pony carefully. “How many did you have to kill?”

Some green began to show on the red pony’s flank ask he cleaned.

“None.” He said plainly, still dusting himself. “There was another way out.”

“Horse apples! There was only one way out, I know that building, and earth ponies can’t wink out like unicorns.” Wild Card pressed. “Trick shooting? Tell me the truth Red. Magic Amulet? Is that why I blacked out?”

The red earth pony stopped grooming and looked Wild Card directly in the eyes, “Did you want the foal to get hurt?”

Wild Card blinked and then looked away briefly into the fire. “What the hay does that have to…” he said, studying the flames for a moment.

Wild Card’s satchel FLOPPED next to him. His eyes went from the fire to the bag. The sound made his left ear twitch slightly. It was empty. “You save my life. “He spat out. “You get all the bits, because of it?” Wild Card’s eyes darted towards his weapon next to the red earth pony. His right front hoof slid down towards hind legs. They were gone! His knives were gone!

“It’s back at the Post office.” The red continued to work the dirt out of his fur.

Wild Card glared at that red earth pony. “What kind of fool idiot robs the stagecoach delivery then leaves the loot behind? I know you hid it somewhere out here! ” He waved his hooves at the cliffs around them.

“See…here’s the thing…I’m not Big Red.” The red pony kicked open his saddle bags to show Wild Card’s knives, and a few supplies, but no gold.

Wild Card rolled his eyes. “Yeah sure, and I’m Celestia’s favorite #1 student.” For some reason the red earth pony laughed at that. “Okay let’s say for a second that I buy that you’re not Big Red the most wanted outlaw in the Badlands and beyond. Who the hay ARE you?”

The final bits of caked on mud and dirt fell away from his side showing a bright green apple cutie mark. “Name’s Big Macintosh” the red pony answered. “But my friends call me Big Mac.”