Incognito
Chapter 5: Incognito
“Do I...do I really have to dress like this?”
“Dan, we’ve been over this...the Princess-”
“Yeah, yeah. The Princess said she doesn’t want anypony to recognize me. Big deal! Everypony so far has just thought I’m a phony anyway!”
"There could be somepony who truly recognizes you, and what then?”
“I...I guess you’re right...it’s just...why must I dress like a guard?”
“So that you can get away with saying you are on Royal business if anypony asks... and you...you look...pretty good, actually...”
Dan turned and looked at himself in the one mirror in the armory they were in. Twilight had provided him with a chest of dark blue Royal Guard armor. It was the traditional kind the Princesses personal guards still wore, as opposed to the Revolutionary Era outfits most of the guards now wore. Dan also wore a brown cloak over his back with enough space for his wings to extend, but with enough coverage to hide his Cutie Mark. The whole facade was topped off with a brown hood that overshadowed his face and a crude musket pistol holstered at his side.
“Hm...” Dan nodded. “I guess so.”
“You know how to shoot those things...” She pointed a hoof at the pistol at his side with a disgusted look. “Right?”
“This?” Dan drew it with a forehoof, “Oh, yeah. I got plenty of training with weapons on Earth, being an actor n’ all...” He re-holstered it.
“Good.” Twilight adjusted her ponytail before trotting up to him and levitating a small piece of parchment over to him, “This is your zeppelin ticket to Dodge Junction. It’s the second stop on the that particular travel route.”
Dan held out one of his forehooves and grasped the ticket, tucking it inside his armor, “Gotcha. And the stations at the top of the castle?”
Twilight nodded, “Yes, where the observatory is. It’s on a platform outside.” She gulped. “You...you remember where that is, right?”
Dan sniffed and looked down, “I do.”
Both ponies stood in silence for a moment before Twilight broke it, “Alright, well, I’ll let you be off then.”
“Yeah.” He nodded and smiled slightly, “Thanks for everything, Twi.” He trotted up to her and embraced her in a hug, “It’s so good to see you again.”
Twilight sighed, “You too, Dan. And...” She broke the hug and looked him in the eyes underneath his hood, “I’m so sorry again about Rainbow.”
Dan looked away from her and sighed, “Yeah.”
That was all he said as he slowly brushed past the Unicorn representative and out the door of the armory.
Twilight sighed again and shook her head, “Poor Dan...”
After a few moments, Twilight trotted out the door as well, making her way back to the throne room.
“I have to try and fix this...” She thought as she made her way down the massive corridor. “I HAVE to...”
“Wooow...”
A disguised Dan stood in awe at the sight before him as he pushed open the doors to the observatory he had seen last when he left Equestria fifteen years prior. By all means, it was the same place he remembered from his last visit, with the addition of a massive balcony outside big enough to be an airport terminal on Earth, but instead, docked next to the balcony, was a zeppelin.
A huge zeppelin.
“That’s at least five times bigger than the one Gear Grinder took us to the Gala in fifteen years ago...” Dan mused in his head.
This zeppelin featured an outdoor deck suspended safely below the giant oblong balloon with a cabin for passengers to sleep in during nighttime rides.
“Your ticket, Captain?” An attendant asked as Dan approached the ramp that led onto the zeppelin.
“I must be wearing Captain’s armor...” Dan hesitated. “Right...here we go...” Dan thought. Just like Twilight instructed, Dan lowered his hood a little more to cover his eyes. “I’m off to Dodge Junction on royal business...” Dan said in a lower register.
The stallion questioning him cocked an eye at him. “Royal business, eh? Where’s your decree?”
Dan rose his head just enough for the attendant to catch a glimpse of his golden eyes. “The Princess has ordered me to Dodge Junction on business. Official business. Are you really going to impede on my business? And risk time on the moon?”
The attendant fell for it. He gulped nervously and stepped aside, “My apologies, sir. Enjoy the ride to Dodge.”
Dan lowered his head and walked past him, his armor clanking around as he boarded the flying boat, “Many thanks, friend...”
As he boarded the ship, he smirked underneath his hood, “I guess acting has it’s benefits outside of the field...”
“Clever display, Captain...” A voice sounded from behind Dan, who turned to see a dark-magenta Unicorn with a fiery red mane and tail looking at him as he appeared to be working on the turbines of a mechanism of some kind. The Unicorn turned his head back to his work, revealing his Cutie Mark; a simple hammer, “Or is that even your real title? Are you even from Canterlot?” He finished.
Dan retained his lower register as he looked at the repair pony, “What makes you think I’m not who I appear to be?”
“Haha, no, no, my friend.” The Unicorn returned to his work, “You most certainly do. I can just tell when somepony is fabricating...”
“Fabricating, huh?” Dan resisted the urge to snicker at the Unicorn’s use of a big word.
“Haha...I know terms...” The Unicorn chuckled. “Name’s Fix-It. I’m assistant engineer onboard the ESS Concordia.” He gestured around, using his magic to pick up his toolbox. He walked up to Dan with a smile and looked him over, “So, Captain, who are you really?”
Dan gave a small smile and looked down and off to the side. “I...I’m not sure you would believe me if I told you who I am...” Dan kept his register low, as a few more ponies were boarding the Concordia after him and trotting by.
“Oh, come on, now...” Fix-It nudged Dan’s armor. “I told you my name. Give me the same courtesy, friend.”
“Better make up a name...” Dan thought quickly. “Blue...Bolt.” Dan hesitated for a moment, then quickly recovered. “I’m...undercover...”
Fix-It’s eyes widened as if he understood all of a sudden, “Ah, you’re one of those Red Hooves, then?” He lowered his voice, “The agents Celestia sends out on top secret missions?”
Dan widened his eyes underneath his hood, “So that’s what the Red Hooves are up to these days. They’ve essentially become the pony CIA.”
Dan nodded curtly. “Y-Yes. You’d be right there, just...” He leaned in, “Keep on the DL.”
“DL?” Fix-It cocked an eye.
“Down-low...” Dan smirked slightly before turning around and saying in his lower register, “Glad we have you onboard to keep things running, Fix-It.”
“Heh...” Fix-It shrugged and turned to walk into the cabin.
“ALL ABOARD FOR DODGE JUNCTION!” A gruff earth pony worker wearing overalls shouted as he pulled the lever that reeled the ramp back in.
“Copy that!” Fix-It dropped his tools inside the door of the cabin and quickly leaped up to the steering wheel. The zeppelin swayed slightly as it separated itself from Canterlot Castle. Fix-It expertly turned the wheel a few times and maneuvered the zeppelin away from the Castle. As he did so, his eyes again drifted down to the “Royal Guard” who had boarded. He was standing near the railing, looking out over the horizon, while most of the ponies onboard stayed away from the railings. “He’s got heart, whoever he is...” Fix-It remarked as he turned the wheel.
Dan’s head turned slightly as he turned the ship, as if he were looking at one thing and keeping his eyes locked on it. Fix-It followed his line of sight until he found what he was looking at.
The City of Ponyville.
“Ponyville?” Fix-It shrugged, “Must have family there...”
Underneath Dan’s hood, a lone tear slid out from under his hood and splashed down onto the wooden deck of the ship.
A close observer would have noticed that he was not just looking at Ponyville.
He was looking at a very large cloud that floated in the distance above the town.
One he knew all too well.
One he could probably never bring himself to visit ever again.
“Applejack!”
The orange mare turned her head to see who was calling her as she stood near a tree in Sweet Apple Acres, “Applebloom?”
The yellow Earth pony, now the size of a full grown mare, ran over a hilltop towards her sister, her red Stetson placed neatly on her head and her mane braided with pink bows on the end. She skidded to a halt and smiled up at her sister, “I just saw Blazing Dawn flying this way. Can he stay a bit?”
“Well, sure, sugarcube...” Applejack smiled at her little sister, “I know he ain’t yer special somepony anymore, but booooy howdy, ya’ sure do hang out with ‘im a whole lot.”
Applebloom blushed, “Applejack, ya’ll know why ah du—”
Applejack rose a forehoof, “I don’t need ta’ hear it again, sugarcube. Ya’ll coulda been nicer to him, though...”
Applebloom sighed, “Ah know...it’s just...ah’m still his friend, and...” She brushed her forehoof against the grass. “AJ, he looks mighty upset...” Applebloom finished.
“He looks upset? Why on-oooh...” Applejack stopped herself, remembered Dan’s return in the town square, “He must not o’ taken his coming back welll...”
“Can he stay then?” Applebloom looked worried, “He’ll be here any minute now...”
Applejack gritted her teeth and tried to think of an excuse, “Well...er...thing is hun, ah...um, how do ah put this...”
“You don’t, Applejack...” A familiar teenage, male voice sounded from behind the two mares.
Both of them turned in surprise to see Blazing Dawn standing before them, his head hung low and his golden eyes gleaming with sadness from underneath his long, golden hair.
“Blazing Dawn!” Applebloom ran past her older sister and embraced the alicorn in a tight hug. “Blaze, wut’s wrong? Is Rainbow okay? What about-?”
“Dad’s back.”
Blazing Dawn’s remark was met with chilling silence, both from Applejack, who had a hoof pressed against her forehead, and Applebloom, who just stared at Blazing Dawn in shock.
“Are ya’ll telling us that...” Applebloom gulped. “After fifteen years o’ bein’ gone, he’s...he’s...”
“Back, yes.” He lifted up his head and brushed aside his unkempt, blonde mane, revealing tears in his eyes. “The stupid...i-idiot is...b-back...” He sniffed and looked down again.
“Aw, sugarcube...” It was Applejack’s turn to embrace the alicorn this time, patting his head with a forehoof, “Ah...ah understand how ya’ feel...”
Blazing Dawn buried his head in the cowpony’s shoulder, and AJ could feel tears staining her fur as Blazing Dawn openly cried into her embrace.
“What’s going on over here?” A voice sounded from the air.
Everypony looked up to see a red Pegasus with a long brown mane and a full beard land and fold up his wings. It was the Red Hoof, Papyrus. He wasn’t wearing any of his armor and it appeared as if he had just returned from errands in town.
He smiled at the sight of Blazing Dawn, “Oh, hey Blaze!” He trotted over to Applejack, who had since released Blazing Dawn, and kissed her on the cheek. “Honey, what’s going on?”
Applejack nuzzled Papyrus. “I’ll tell ya’ later. Go on inside and check up on the foals, okay?”
Papyrus looked at Applejack, then at Applebloom and Blazing Dawn, then back to Applejack. “Okay...” He turned and smiled at Blaze. “You can talk to me about anything, okay Blaze?” He winked before taking off towards the family house.
“I...I thought you’d be happy, Blaze...” Applebloom again placed a forehoof on the sobbing Blazing Dawn. “Didn’t ya’ say he helped save us from the Nightmare somehow?”
“I...well...I don’t know!” He stomped on the ground. “T-That was probably just my imagination!” He shook his head, “Dammit...just...j-just dammit...”
Applejack sighed before cracking a small, “We’ll figure somethin’ out, sugarcube...”
Before anypony could say anything else, a bright light flashed in the middle of the group, causing them all to cover their eyes.
“Applejack!” Twilight’s voice rang through the white light.
“Ugh!” Applejack shook her head and blinked a few times, regaining her sight. She beheld a heavily panting Twilight Sparkle standing before her, with Blazing Dawn and Applebloom still rubbing their eyes behind her. “Consarnit, Twi!” Applejack frowned. “How many times have ah told ya NOT to teleport right in front of ponies like that?!”
“Not important right now!” Twilight grabbed Applejack by the shoulders. “We need to gather our friends and meet back here, quickly! OH! Except Rainbow Dash!”
Applejack cocked an eye, “Why not Rain-?”
“She told him about Fyre Bolt!” Twilight shook Applejack this time, causing her hat to fall off of her head.
Applebloom and, surprisingly, Blazing Dawn exchanged looks of shock and horror with each other.
Applejack sighed, frowned, and then shrugged, “Well, this day jus’ keeps gettin’ better n’ better, don’t it?”
“Daddy!”
“Hey Dad!”
Papyrus walked in the front door to the house and was immediately greeted up by two Pegasus colts who zoomed through the air and embraced their father as he walked in the front door. He wrapped a forehoof around each of them, laughed, and smiled, “Hahaha! Flying Sunstar! Applecrusher! I was only gone for an hour!”
One foal was orange and had his father’s brown mane, and the other contrasted in that he was red like his father and a blonde mane and tail like his mother. They both shared the same Cutie Mark; a Red Hoof.
The two foals released their father and dropped to the floor in front of him before the orange one, Sunstar, bounced happily and smiled cheekily, “It was a really, really long hour!”
“Haha, I bet...” Papyrus bent down and kissed each of them on the cheek before walking past them into the kitchen, “Has mommy made you dinner yet, you guys?”
“No, she’s been out bucking apples with apples with Uncle Big Mac all day...” The red one, Applecrusher, hopped up on one of the bar stools in the kitchen. “It’s Applebuck Season, Dad! Remember?”
“Oh, shoot, it is!?” Papyrus feigned confusion. “Haha, yeah, I know, son. I promised your mother we’d all help out tomorrow, ok?”
“Awwwww...” Both Pegasi whined simultaneously.
“No whining now...” Papyrus chuckled as he started getting miscellaneous ingredients out for the dinner he was preparing. “We all need to pitch in. It is your mother’s farm, after all.”
There came a knock on the door. Papyrus looked up from what he was doing and sighed, “I’ll be right back kids...I’m making Apple strudel!”
As he left, he chuckled as he heard his sons start cheering.
“Apple strudel! Yey!”
“Mmmm...so strudeley...”
When he got to the door, he took in a breath before opening it. “Oh, well, hey there, Commander!”
Standing outside was Blue Arrow, the Commander of the Ponyville Division of Red Hooves for over twenty years. He had changed a little in the past ten years since the Nightmare incident. His mane and tail were completely greyed out in some places and a stray wrinkle could be seen here and there. He wore armor that looked similar to the old plate armor they used to wear, but was now made of ballistic leather to make it easier for them to move around.
Blue Arrow smiled as he heard the kids in the other room, “I see the bloody munchkins are alive and well, lad...”
"That they are...” Papyrus smirked. “You finally here to take them away for training?”
“Hah...you wish...” Blue Arrow walked inside after Papyrus motioned for his grizzled commander to walk inside. “They are still too young to see combat...”
“Oh, come on...” Papyrus closed the door and grasped Blue Arrow’s extended forehoof. “I’ve had to combat them more than enough times!”
There was a crash in the kitchen. Blue Arrow turned his head and chuckled while Papyrus placed a forehoof on his face in despair. Blue Arrow turned back towards him with a smirk, “I bet, lad...”
“So...” Papyrus plopped down in a chair in the living room. “What’s up, old man?”
“I’m not that old...” Blue Arrow narrowed his eyes.
“Grey.” Papyrus said simply.
“Representative Sparkle also has a little bit of bloody grey, lad! We’re not old, we’re middle aged!” Blue Arrow retorted.
Papyrus rose his forehooves in defense, “I’m joshing you, sir. What’s up?”
“We have new orders from Celestia in wake of these recent disappearances...” Blue Arrow sat down in a chair adjacent to Papyrus and produced a scroll from under his armor.
“The cities along the border?” Papyrus sighed and shook his head, “Have you heard anything from the Whinnypeg division yet?”
“Nothing...” Blue Arrow frowned. “Nothing, lad...”
“I see...”
“However, Celestia just dispatched an agent specially trained in these matters to investigate.” Blue Arrow opened the scroll. “While he’s gone, six of us from the Ponyville Division have been asked to protect the Elements of Harmony.” Blue Arrow chuckled, “Of course, you have been assigned to protect your wife, Applejack.”
“Whoa whoa whoa...hold up...” Papyrus held up a hoof. “Seriously? Do they think the Elements could be in danger?”
“For some reason, yes.” Blue Arrow nodded, rolling up the scroll. “I think it’s a good idea as well, seeing as how we don’t know what’s going on.”
“Who’s defending who, then?” Papyrus cocked an eye.
“Take a look.” Blue Arrow handed him the scroll.
Papyrus opened it and his eyes widened. “Wait...Dynamo’s on this list to protect...Pinkie Pie?!”
“I need your help, lad.” Blue Arrow said. “We need to convince some Red Hooves to come out of retirement...”
“To get Dynamo as a bodyguard to Pinkie?” Papyrus rolled up the scroll and smirk. “I’d pay a thousand bits to see that...”
“ALL PASSENGERS TO DODGE JUNCTION, PLEASE DISEMBARK! WE HAVE ARRIVED!” The shrewd Earth pony worker from before hollered to the passengers on the zeppelin.
Dan had been leaning on the railing the whole trip, taking the beautiful scenery of Equestria. “Finally...” He took his forehooves off of the railing and started walking across the deck, nodding briefly at Fix-It as he working on another mechanism, who smiled and waved back as Dan disembarked down the ramp onto the zeppelin tower that had built above the town of Dodge Junction.
The disguise was working for the most part, aside from Fix-It. Most ponies weren’t giving Dan any strange looks at all and were hurriedly going about their business, which was good. “They must think I’m here on Royal business, just like Twi predicted...” Dan thought with a small smile from underneath his hood.
Dan headed over to the railing of the tower and put his forehooves on the edge, leaning over. The setting sun painted the sands of the desert around the town a golden yellow. Down below, he could see Dodge Junction, the small Western Town Applejack had referred to frequently when he was in Equestria last. “How quaint...” Dan muttered. “Reminds me of where a spaghetti Western would take place...”
“It is beautiful, isn’t it?” A sweet, female voice said from his left.
He turned his head and saw a very strange looking pony. A Pegasus mare, she looked like. Her hide was a turquoise blue and her messy mane and tail were a brilliant lavender. He eyes were a mild green color and her Cutie Mark was a paintbrush and a color pallet. Coincidentally enough, she was wearing an apron and sitting on a stool in front of an easel, painting a picture of what looked like the landscape.
Her defining feature, though, was her ears. He’d never seen anything like them. Instead of one tip on each ear, there was two, her ear splitting in half as it reached the top. There was a mystery about them that intrigued Dan.
“Yes...yes it is...I’ve never seen anything like it...” Dan said in his lower register.
The mare didn’t turn her head to look at him, but rather, continued work on her painting. “You a city colt?”
“You...could say that...” Dan responded, trotting over towards the mare.
“Those cities are becoming urbanized so fast, there’s hardly any more of...this...” She gestured out at the horizon. “For ponies to see anymore...”
“Yeah...it is a shame...” Dan said, looking at her picture. “That’s really good...”
For the first time, the mare turned and looked at him, smiling. “Why thank you, Mister...?”
“Crap...what was my fake name again...?” “Captain Blue Bolt, miss...?”
“Violet.” She giggled and smiled, turning back to her work. “Out on Royal Business, Captain?”
Dan nodded once, “Yes, ma’am. I’ll need a place to sleep before my business tomorrow...” He looked out at the town down below. “Is there an inn where I can rest tonight?”
“Oh yeah. Try the Bannered Mare.” Violet nodded. “It’s a little old fashioned. It has a pub and everything, but...” She chuckled. “We’re an old fashioned town.”
“It’ll do...” Dan nodded. “Thank you, Miss Violet.”
“Farewell, Blue Bolt...” She waved before Dan nodded curtly and trotted off towards the stairs along the outside of the tower.
Violet continued painting for a moment when her ears suddenly perked up. “Blue....Bolt...?” She turned her head to look at Dan just as he was about to walk down the stairs. His cape waved in the wind as he walked, and she caught sight of his Cutie Mark.
“A...bass clef...?” Violet dropped his paintbrush and palette. “He...can’t be...” She gasped when he turned to walk down and his golden eyes glinted briefly from underneath his hood. “He is!” She slammed her hoof onto her face. “Blue...Bolt...? How could I not see it! Dad was right!”
She looked again, but he was gone.
“I’ve got to see if he’s real...” Violet quickly threw a tarp over her piece of art and threw off her apron before starting to gallop after Dan.
“If he is, Dad’s not gonna believe it...”
Dan was provided with a bag-full of 500 bits for expenses during his travels while investigating these disappearances, so paying for food and shelter was not a worry of his.
As he traveled through the dusty streets of Dodge Junction, he took note of how rural it all seemed compared to Ponyville. It reminded him of old Ponyville, actually. Vendors selling produce and hoof-crafted bags and jewelry from the mines he assumed were nearby. He sighed and shook his head as he walked. “The same thing is happening on Earth...”
As he pushed past the occasional group of ponies wearing old west attire, he couldn’t help but feel as if somepony was watching him. Wanting to avoid attracting too much attention, he avoided turning around quickly to catch whoever was watching him. All he could do was stop, turn his head slowly around, and look.
But he always saw nothing.
He turned and continued walking until he finally found what he was looking for. “The Bannered Mare...authentic...” He eyes fell on an old west styled inn with a hanging sign out front that read “The Bannered Mare” in old west font.
Dan trotted up the stairs, past some shady looking earth ponies who were hanging out outside the inn, and in through the doors.
Violet was breathing in and out heavily as she dove behind a barrel just before the Captain could turn and see her. She heaved a sigh of relief, “Whew...”
She carefully peeked over the barrels at the Captain once more just in time to see him push through the doors to The Bannered Mare. “There he goes. I wonder what-”
She stopped abruptly when she saw the trio of shady looking Earth ponies in cowpony hats and musket pistols strapped to their flanks nodded at each other and followed the Captain inside.
“Uh oh...” Violet put a hoof up to her mouth. “The Bandito Brothers...not now...” She muttered as she took flight from her hiding place and shot towards the doors to the inn. “Gotta warn him...”
“Medium salt-lick, please...” Ace muttered in his lower register again at the bar-keep.
The bar-keep nodded briefly, reached under the table, and pushed the salt-lick in front of Ace. Ace took out a few bits and tossed them on the counter to pay, nodded, and took a lick of the salt, shuddering as the wonderful taste of the salt filled his mouth.
“I forgot how strangely good salt-licks were...” Dan thought, casually looking around the pub from under his hood. He saw a few groups of ponies playing what appeared to be Texas Hold-’Em, or whatever it was called in Equestria, and a few mares walking around serving drinks. A lone Earth pony stallion with a fancy mustache plunked on the piano on the far side of the room.
He resisted the urge to swear, however, when the three shady-looking Earth ponies from outside filed in through the door, their eyes fixed on Dan.
Dan lowered his eyes and concentrated on his salt-lick, taking another lick. The piano playing stopped as the sounds of gasps from the patrons and hushed whispers filled the room behind him. In front of him, the bar-keep slowly, but surely, made his way to the back room, not turning around as he did so.
Dan heard three pairs of hoof-steps echo across the floor. He took another lick of the salt before the hoof-steps stopped behind him.
“What’s a namby-pamby city guard doin’ in Dodge Junction, Horseshoe?” Dan heard one ask another.
“Well, can’t say ah know fer sure, Pecos...” He responded. “But ah reckon he is on Royal business...”
The third laughed stupidly, “Hurr hurr yeah! Probably from the Princess ‘erself!”
“Shut up, Derryl!” The first one barked, and a slapping noise was heard.
“Well, ah reckon that Royal Guards get quite the pay, wouldn’t you say?” The second chuckled sarcastically.
“Ah agree, brother...” There were gasps as the sounds of a pistol being cocked were heard behind him. He felt the barrel of the musket being pushed up against his back.
“Cough up yer bits, guard.” The first one smirked. “An’ ah won’t splatter you internal organs all over the damn place...”
Dan sighed, slowly shook his head, and said in his lower-register, “You don’t want to do this...”
The three brothers laughed before the second one nodded, “Oh, ah think we do!”
Dan just sat there, staring at his salt lick, unmoving. The first brother growled as the other two pulled out short knives from their belts. “Ah’ll give ya; to the count o’ three, partner...” He closed one eye and took aim at Dan. “One...” Dan’s right forehoof twitched. “Two...” There was a whimper from somepony in the corner nearby, afraid of what was about to happen.
“Thr-”
The doors of the saloon suddenly burst open and a familiar female voice yelled, “ACE! It’s the Bandito Brothers! Look out!”
“Ace?” Dan felt the barrel of the gun leave his back as the brother’s turned around. “Who the buck do you think you are, li’l missy? Callin’ this guy Ace?” The brother took aim at the mare who had just barged in.
The familiar voice screamed and Dan instantly knew who it was.
“Violet!”
Dan leaped into action. He back-flipped off of his stool and kicked the first brother with the gun in the head, knocking him down. The bullet discharged into the air and embedded itself in the ceiling.
Dan landed on the floor between the brothers and Violet, who was cowering in the floor. The two brothers that were still up charged at him, their knives at the ready.
Dan lunged forward, grabbing the third brother’s forehoof, twisting it with a sickening crack, and flipping him over his head and smashing him down onto a table, annihilating it to pieces.
The second brother stabbed at Dan, but Dan sidestepped, took to the air, and slammed both of his hooves forward into the second brother’s face, sending him flying across the pub and crashing into the bar, bottles of cider breaking ot bits as he slid to the floor, blood ozzing from broken glass wounds.
Dan smiled, happy at dispatching all three of them, when he heard a click of a pistol being cocked. He whirled around and saw the first brother up and standing behind Violet, holding the pistol to her head. She was in tears and whimpering.
“Ah’ll shoot her, guard!” He barked, breathing heavily. “Don’t think ah won’t, ‘cause ah will! Ah’ll blow her brains out!”
Dan smirked from underneath his hood, “You don’t have the balls, hotshot...”
“RRRRAAAA!” The brother growled and turned to end it all for Violet, who screamed.
A gunshot echoed throughout the bar, and everypony who was taking cover flinched and covered their heads.
Violet was fine. Breathing heavily in panic, she looked at the brother who was holding her. His grip went limp and he fell over, crushing a chair. A pool of blood started forming around him from a wound in his side.
“Oh Celestia...” She gasped, looking over at Dan. He was holding his musket pistol in his forehoof. The barrel was smoking and it was clear that he was the one who discharged the bullet. He shook his head looking at the dead body of Horseshoe, flipped the pistol around, and holstered it.
He trotted past the two groaning younger brothers who Dan had beaten up with his bare hooves and walked up to the barkeep, who was staring at the spectacle in awe. “Sorry about the mess...” Dan murmured, casually dropping a good amount of bits on the table from under his cloak. “I’ll be going up to my room now...”
“Y-Yessir, Captain...” The barkeep saluted and nodded slowly.
Slowly, everypony started to go about their regular business. The various ponies returned to their card games and the piano player continued playing.
Violet was staring at the dead body of the oldest Bandito Brother is shock. “O-Oh my...I-I...wow...” She shuddered suddenly when she felt a hoof grip her shoulder.
She whipped her head around to see Dan grasping her shoulder, his golden eyes glinting from under his hood. “I don’t know where you got that I’m Ace...” Dan whispered. “But so help me, if you tell anypony, I can’t guarantee your safety like I did back there, you understand?”
Violet stared at him with widened eyes then whispered, “You...you ARE him...”
Ace looked around quickly before turning back to Violet. “Like I said, I don’t know how you...”
“My father-”
“I don’t wanna know! Just keep it to yourself!” Ace released her shoulder and started trotting over to the stairs.
“But...but...” Violet tried to say, but it was too late. Ace was already ascending the stairs.
Violet sighed. “Huh...” She looked over at the alive Bandito Brothers, who were now just scrambling to their feet. They gasped when they saw the corpse of their brother and, crying in terror and defeat, grabbed their brother’s corpse and galloped out of the saloon.
Violet smiled, “Well, it’s definitely Ace...” She muttered, walking up to the bar and sitting down. “Only he would defend an innocent like that...”
Meanwhile, back on Earth...
Night had fallen over the human city of Los Angeles, and only one police patrol car remained in front of Dan’s building. The investigation was done for the day and John remained there, worried about his brother.
Up in Dan’s penthouse, John sat on the couch, holding in his hand a glass of Dr. Pepper. he sighed and took a sip, looking around. “I just don’t get it...” He leaned forward, spinning the ice cubes in the glass with his finger. “He wasn't kidnapped...no evidence of a break-in...” He put the glass down on the table in front of him and gripped his head in frustration. “ARGH! It makes NO SENSE!”
Wheatley’s AI core descended from the ceiling and blinked at Dan’s police brother. “Ghostly gargoyles are still a possibility, you know...”
“Shut up, Wheatley...” John groaned, massaging his temples and leaning back on the couch.
“Just saying...” Wheatley rolled his eye.
“I’m done for today...” John murmured, kicking off his shoes and laying on the couch. “You think Dan would mind if I stayed here tonight?”
“Does it matter?” Wheatley chuckled. “The blighter IS missing...I’d worry about your superiors thinking you were tampering with evidence...or some poppycock like that...”
John chuckled, taking off his windbreaker and curling up on the couch. “True enough...”
As he was about to close his eyes, the lights in the room started flickering.
He sat up. “What the-?”
The room started to rumble and his glass of Dr. Pepper spilled over on the table. John looked up at Wheatley. “Wheatley! Status!”
Wheatley was non-responsive. His AI core was twitching and the blue light that highlighted his eye was flickering as well.
John stood up and ran to the window, looking around. First, he looked down. The people didn;t seem to notice the sky. Strange thunderheads were surrounding the penthouse and thunder cracked through the air, causing the glass in front of him to explode and send him flying back into the penthouse.
John groaned and sat up, shaking his head. “What the hell-!?”
There was a snap as Wheatley’s AI core fell to the floor, his light out. “Wheatley!” He tried to get up and run over to the damaged AI core, but a horrid ringing filled his head and he collapsed, his hands gripping the side of his head, screaming in pain.
To make things even weirder, he started hearing a voice in his head. An evil, distorted voice that filled his heart with dread.
“So this is Earth...how convenient this rift in time is still here...”
“AAARGH!!!” John tried to stand again, but collapsed on the shattered glass, pain shooting all over his body.
“I think I will enjoy tearing this world apart bit by bit...hehehehe....HAHAHA!”
“NOOO!” John barked in pain before he finally fell forward, unconscious.
A/N: Earth? In trouble? Naaaah, it can't be. Stay tuned to find out for real! Also, wouldn't Ace make the best Old West action hero? With Braeburn as his sidekick? I think so. :3
OCs:
Blue Arrow, Papyrus, and the Red Hooves (c) QTXAdsy
Fix-It (c) Crimson Valor
Violet (c) ...my girlfriend...BloodyOkami :3 Yeah...the truth's out. And don't worry...they won't be getting together haha. (Much to her dismay :P)
Thanks to Robsa990 again for more epic art.
Stay frosty and thanks for your patience.
-Thunderhawk
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I love how you add the pics. Brings you into the story more. Keep at it!
WOOHOO UPDATE!
Yes. Ace is best Old West action hero. I love this series. Can't wait for more.
Words cannot describe how much I was waiting for this. Funny, you now, earlier this day I wished for a new chappie of this!
You should have posted it sooner.
WAIT A MINUTE! I FOUND A WORD!
YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAAYAYAYAYAYAYAYA.
Okie I'll stop.
So much awesomeness... i think i just died.
Oh, and keep up the good work.
I can't believe how awesome that was! You the best bro!!!
.................................
>Complete English assignment way ahead of time
>Have way more fun than usual in Animation class
>Hilarious lunch period
>Next teacher is lazy, and so have a period to laze around
>Only review work in Algebra
>Get all homework done in 2 hours
>See RotSE updated
GOD IS ON MY SIDE. I CAN DO NO WRONG.
"The Bannered Mare"? REALLY? TOTALLY NOT OBVIOUS.
Blue Bass looks like a badass, by the way. Probably comes with the whole "Night Captain Armor" bit. Hooded cape doesn't hurt either.
And OH SHIT. That can't be...Nightmare? Maybe a new villain? Guess I'll have to wait...
...Is the new chapter up? How about now? Now? Now? How about-
1255917could be Discord, could be Nightmare, could be the Zebra dude, could be a new villan, could be ANYPONY with someone like Thunderhawk writing this. BTW i got Discord, Nightmare and that Zebra dude from the thought of Celestia's "cheating" might activate that "we're all bucked" think she was talking about when Dan had to leave.
One word comes to mind to reading this update.... YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Awesome chapter and the Earth is dooooomed I tells ya......DOOOOMED! (Madame Pinkie's prediction btw)
Should'nt Lyra and Bon-Bon look older in that picture after fifteen years?
lol. jk.
Great chapter though
I WILL DO ANYTHING FOR A NEW CHAPTER!!!!!!!
*Looks in updates*
Nevermind!
Great story, still inspiring me to keep my story going.
Yay! Another chapter!
But what's this? Earth's in danger too?!
i761.photobucket.com/albums/xx251/Mr-QTX/fuuny/OhShitFace.png
YES! An update! :D
I bet Dan's brother will get sent to Equestria as well, eventually.
Anyway, this is awesome!
Dan is an awesome actor so he can easily act the part, so that's awesome.
But ,when Velvet mentions that her Dad knows Ace I can't seem to figure out who...
I had no idea who at first but they would have to be good friends.
Anyway, can't wait to see what happens next!
Update soon!
I see Ace is taking care of Equestria and the Doctor will come in the TARDIS to save the Earth once again!
I just realized the skyrim reference
Dude i have a brain implant designed for fimfiction the only prob is that it keeps trying to turn it into a movie
Evil voice...
Oh bugger me with a power sword...