First Town

Dear Diary,
Today was officially the first day I travelled with the outlaw, Arthur Morgan. Aside from what my friend Applejack told me, I don't know anything about him. This pounding headache doesn't help much either. Whatever Zecora made for him was strong enough to make me forget how anxious I am around crowds, but I can honestly say the taste isn't something I like much. In fact, the most I remember is talking about how handsome he-
I remember nothing about what happened, diary. Nopony can tell me otherwise. After travelling for a while, we finally made it to the outskirts of the Everfree-only to find ourselves near the Badlands. Only one town was here on the border, and none of us liked the look of it.
Despite that, Arthur insisted this town was perfect for us to start our search for the missing ponies. I just hope it doesn't involve anything violent...

"Alright everypony, stop!" Holding up his hoof, he gestured Big Mac and Carrot Cake to come with him. Everypony else doubled back a little to find a clearing to properly set up camp. Bringing out their binoculars, he called out what they were supposed to be looking for. "Now the key is for us to find at least one of 3 things: a saloon, a general store, or a casino. Those're gonna be the best shot at getting any information. There, look at that building-"

The other two zooming in on their binoculars, he pointed to the outskirts of the town, where a dilapidated saloon sat by itself near what looked like a long abandoned train station. "Uh, what're we lookin' at, Arthur?" Mac asked. "All I see is a run-down saloon."

The outlaw smiled. "Exactly! Best place for info underground. Now come on, let's see how the gang fared setting up." Lingering behind, the outlaw made a few notes and drawings, then joined the other two.

A few yards into the Everfree, the camp was coming along fine; their one wagon was emptied and upturned to make a platform in the center of the small clearing, with Arthur's tent made right next to it. Zecora's medicine cart was set up right next to Fluttershy's tent, with Carrot Cake's workstation set up on the opposite side. Lyra and Bon-Bon shared a tent near the trees that served as cover- both volunteering as lookouts. Big Mac's tent was pitched on the opposite side, also volunteering as lookout.

"Good job everypony! This looks great!"

"Um, we moved the cart just like you said. Now what?" Fluttershy asked.

Fishing out two cedar boxes from his saddlebags, Arthur set them on the upturned wagon. "This here-" he pointed to the first wood box. "Is our tribute chest. We're gonna need food and water as well as supplies to make my ammunition and Zecora's medicines. Right next to it-" he pointed to the other box. "Is gonna be our information box. Any info you gather in or around town about any of our missing ponies gets put in there, unless it's a major lead. Bring those to either me or Big Mac. Anypony got questions?"

After a few moments, Bon-Bon's hoof shot up. Nodding, he motioned for her to speak up. "Yeah, these leads, tributes, gathering info... How exactly are we supposed to do that?" A few grunts of agreement followed.

Pondering for a moment, Arthur thought. "Alright, look-" he sighed, not sure how they'd handle what he was about to tell them. "On this voyage, we're gonna need to blend in with the city folk. That means we're gonna need to find odd jobs or even, *sighs*, even less than savory ones. Such as barmaids or ring fighters." A cacophony of murmurs followed. "Our ultimate goal is to get as much information as possible. Remember, we got little foals to save. Nothing else matters, and whoever took 'em already proved themselves clever enough to evade the law."

"However," he paused, setting down his hat and leaning against the makeshift table. "I ain't gonna force ya to participate. Plenty to do here in camp, like foragin' or preparing hot meals for us when we come back from town. A third, though less savory option, is to steal. Nimble hooves make for good pocket change and we need that for supplies as well as improvements to camp. Any other questions?" Nopony spoke. "Alright. Now who wants to come to town with me? We need to get our bearings, and ask around for some work. Mac as well as Lyra and Bon-Bon already offered to stay and keep a lookout around camp. Anypony else coming?"

Carrot and Zecora volunteered, while Fluttershy stayed behind to help tidy the camp up a bit. "Alright, now we need to blend in with the locals so until then-" he nodded towards the Zebra's cloak, Zecora understanding what he meant. "Alright, time to move. Just in case- MAC!" He tossed his saddlebag towards the red stallion. "Inside my guns is a flare round. I dont know rightly how they work now with magic, but you should be able to fire it with no problem." Nodding, he set them near the lookout he was stationed at.

With no other objections, everypony set on their way, the small posse making idle chat along their path to the town. Noticing the other stallion's nervousness, Arthur bumped shoulders with him, trying to get him to ease up. "I know you don't have much experience on the road, Carrot, but you'll do fine! In fact, you remind me a lot of one of my old travellin' companions."

"R-really? Me?" Carrot asked, only to receive a hearty chuckle back.

"Well sure! His name was Lenny, and just like you, he was a nervous wreck when he first joined up. I tell you what though-" he leaned into the lanky stallion's ear. "He sure knew how to throw a party! It'd put Pinkie Pie's to shame."

"I really doubt that!" Carrot chuckled. "Even when she was a filly, she had too much energy!"

"Knew her long, I reckon?" Arthur asked.

"Oh most of her life! In fact, me and the wife were the first to offer a home for her once she got settled in Ponyville." He smiled, recalling the day. "Thinking back on it, i think she was the inspiration for us to have Pound and Pumpkin."

"Yeah, I can see that... What about you, Zecora? I can tell you've been on the road a lot before Ponyville. Not everypony sets up shop in the Everfree willingly, I reckon."

Smiling, the zebra nodded. "I was a snake oiler to most ponies, quickly being called a phony."

"You mean to tell me snake oil don't work?!" The outlaw exclaimed.

She chuckled. "No ordinary tonic, they work through belief; more often than not giving instant relief! However, don't be fooled by it's clever tricks, for it won't instantly heal common scratches or knicks!"

"The 'magic' of Belief, huh? Heh, I guess I could see that!" He chuckled.

After all, that last week I had TB, just drinking the stuff made me cheer up. Didn't take the pain away though...

A few minutes later, and the trio finally made it to town. Standing just outside the abandoned train station, a rickety sign hung above its abandoned platforms. "Dusty Trails. Huh, that's an... Interestin' name." Arthur spoke, noticing the char marks all across the banner- obvious signs of spellwork if Twilight's notes were to go off of. Opening up his journal confirmed it: the small encyclopedia the Princess penned in before they left had all the tell-tale signs of spellwork listed- charring among them.

"Well we're here. Now what, Arthur?" Carrot leaned down and whispered in Arthur's ear.

Looking around, the outlaw spied the potential targets from earlier, the closest being the run-down saloon just on the other side of the station. Nodding to the saloon, Carrot took the hint and headed that way. The other two leads, which Arthur kept to himself, were not far. The first was a decently sized casino- excellent for high risk gambling. It was halfway in town, just a few blocks in and located right across from the Sheriff's office.

Let's keep that as "Option C" for now, Arthur. He thought to himself. The second, more noticeable risk, was the small bank on the outskirts all the way downtown. Away from prying eyes, it would be the perfect target. "Hey Zecora," he whispered in the zebra's ear. "Can you keep a secret?"

Nodding her head, he continued. "Just in case findin' information and gettin' decent pay don't pan out, we might need to take, *ahem*, drastic measures, if you understand my mannerisms."

"You mean to say steal-" Quickly, he muzzled Zecora with his hooves before any curious ears heard their whispers while trotting to the saloon.

"L-like I said," the outlaw let go of her muzzle. "We'll need funds, and we already have a reputation-" he motioned to the nearby wanted posters, causing the zebra to pull her hood tighter. "Plus, Princess Luna gave me a promise to offer amnesty."

"While Princess Luna did give us permission, I don't see how robbing can help our mission!" She whispered.

"Think about it- at most, this town is only going to last, what, a few years? The only thing keepin' it from going belly up is that casino-" he pointed to the luxury building in the distance, barely noticeable through the other buildings. "And I bet you if we ask anypony where their money went, we're gonna find that the local mayor favored the gamblin' hall over repairing the train station. Seen it before, and I'm probably gonna see it again. Now come on, we gotta see if Carrot snagged us some seats."

Trotting over to the saloon, Arthur pushed open the swinging doors and immediately felt at home- the whole bar was a small corner of hell, with lively piano music playing in the background and a few fights breaking out. Ducking his head to avoid getting hit by an incoming bottle, Arthur noticed where Carrot sat and made his way over there. "Nice little corner you got for us, Carrot!" He chuckled, waving the barkeep as a good gesture. "Right in the corner, away from unsavory types. Smart move."

"Heh, if you say so, Arthur! To be honest, this table was the only one that didn't have any vomit or broken glass on it!"

"Even so, good place to start." He said, looking around. In one corner, the outlaw noticed a small group playing the pony equivalent of five finger filet, and just opposite them were a small group of ponies that had their eyes on them before they even sat down, he reckoned. "Get any leads yet?" He eyed the group out of the corner of his eye, preparing for a fight. In all the years evading the law, Arthur learned the telltale signs of a group of bounty hunters from even a glance.

"No, not yet. I barely sat down. Why, what's wrong Arthur?" Carrot asked.

"Behind the counter, look for wanted posters." He motioned to behind the bar on the board clearly marked for bounties, having his suspicions high.

Cautiously glancing over, the lanky pony looked for posters that looked familiar, when he finally spotted them. Hyperventilating, he tried to stammer out what he saw, but to no success. "*sigh* I knew it... Luna sure works fast." Arthur mumbled. "Just calm down, Carrot. It's okay." He reassured his friend.

"B-but I... Wanted? What about my kids?!"

"Listen, you need something to calm the nerves. Zecora, can you watch him for a sec?" Leaving him to the zebra, Arthur walked to the bar to look for refreshments.

"What'll ya have?" The barker asked.

"What do ya have?"

Gesturing to the selections of bottles setting behind him, he began to list the drinks on tap. "We got Root Beer, Absinthe, Bourbon, and some Apple Cider. Anything else costs extra." He explained, polishing the counter he sat behind.

"I just need somethin' strong. My friend over there-" he pointed to carrot currently hyperventilating. "Just found out he's having twins." A small lie, but convincing enough that the pony went straight to work brewing something special.

"Tough break, that. Twins're a handful. Here, this should pep him up. I call it the Lunar Knockout." He handed the outlaw a mug full of some sort of black glittery substance. It looked like the night sky.

"Thanks, partner." He slowly made his way to the table, not trying to make much attention. The bounty hunters never once took their eyes off of him. It made sense, considering his bounty was the largest. "Here, drink this."

"W-what is it?" Carrot stammered.

"Tonic, for the nerves. Now drink up."

Eyeing the black brew with a suspicious eye, he gave it a sniff. It didn't smell bad, so he swiftly drank it, hoping it would calm him down. "Thanks, I-" was all he got out before passing out.

"Sweet Celestia, how strong was that brew?!" Zecora yelled in a hushed tone. "If it put him out that fast, it holds no candle to your brew!"

"That's 'cus mine's a classic from where I come from. Something of that caliber is only to be expected from a place with Dragons and, from what it sounds like from the stories, two gods controlling the lights. Now help me carry him out, we're bein' hunted." Together, they heaved the currently babbling and unconscious Carrot on Arthur's back and swiftly made their way outside.

Changing a glance behind him, Arthur's suspicions were right: the group eying them were following close behind. Nudging Zecora, he pointed to a narrow alleyway and they both galloped out of site for a moment and into a small alcove behind a few buildings. "Oh great plan, Arthur!" He chastised himself. The small space was a dead end.

"No need to fear, my friend." The zebra spoke again, fishing something out of her cloak. "This is not the end."

"Is that-"

"You are not the only one with secrets to hide. Now lay our burden down and off to the side."

"Well Cletus, you see where they went?" One of the country hunters, a lanky Earth Pony stallion piped up with a thick southern drawl.

"Shut up and keep quiet, Brine!" A dark brown unicorn stallion replied with a smack to the pony's muzzle. His mere presence intimidated the other two into submitting, let alone his grizzly voice. Straightening his bowler hat, the burly pony approached the alleyway he saw them turn down with caution, keeping his horn lit in a soft white glow. "Come out all peaceful, and we promise not to cause you any trouble." Nodding to the other one in his party, a white Pegasus with jet black hair, he took off and kept the airspace secure. Cletus had no clue who that pony in the hood was, and wanted to cover all exits. "I know these streets, you're trapped!"

"You can shove your 'kind graces' right back up that manure factory you call a face! I know your kind, so I know you got ropes ready to tie us up and haul us back- dead or alive." Arthur spoke up.

"Why you-" The Pegasus made to dash, but the bounty hunter gestured him to back off a bit.

"Easy, Quill." He uttered back to the pegasus. Dusting his black vest off, he went with Plan B. "How's about I come in alone?" He shouted, throwing his rope in plain view of the alleyway's sight line. "I can assure you, I make good on my promises." Deactivating the magic in his horn, the bounty hunter continued to slowly make his way down the narrow passageway.

"Alright then, if what you say is true, come on back so we can discuss terms."

With a nod, his two associates stepped away, preparing for anything to happen.
"If I don't come back out Brine, Quill;" he got that serious look he always had on when it meant business. "Kill them, damn what the posters say."

Trotting back to the alcove, he slowly approached the space, checking corners for an ambush only to discover the alley was... Empty. "What the... It's empty?! How in the-" Suddenly, a small red stick with a lit fuse rolled near his feet. "Oh sh-"

Big Mac was patrolling the clearing, making sure no traveler came close to their encampment, when suddenly, he felt a massive tremor from under his hooves. Becoming ever more worried, the stallion headed for the cliff face, hoping it wasn't what his gut told him it was. Unfortunately, his instincts never lied; There, just a few blocks to the right of the saloon Arthur went in with Zecora and Carrot Cake, a massive plume of smoke jutted out above a set of buildings. "Tartarus, you didn't!" Galloping back to the camp, he went to go explain the situation. Apparently, Arthur decided to skip the first few letters of the alphabet and went and made an impromptu Plan C...

"Dynamite?!" Arthur exclaimed, now galloping through the streets and away from any officials running after them. "You brought Dynamite with you?!" He ducked his head to avoid another spell blast whizzing past him.

"You said 'prepare', so I prepared!" She shouted back, forgetting to rhyme.

"For a bar fight!" Another spell shot past them, narrowly avoiding the still unconscious Carrot thrown haphazardly over Arthur. "Why would I need Dynamite on a scouting mission?! Now the whole town knows our faces!" Kicking over a food stand to buy some time, the outlaw pointed to another alleyway, this time with more than one exit. Setting the still-sleeping unicorn, he disguised the entrance they came from with some nearby trash cans and litter. Ducking down, he peered through the cracks, hoping the police lost their trail. A cacophony of voices could be heard, as well as a distant whistle being blown. Waiting a little longer, he was certain they lost the trail and let out a sigh of relief.

"What's the plan now-" Zebra began, only to be interrupted with a stinging slap to the cheek. Shocked, she rubbed it with a hoof, tears welling up.

"Are you DENSE?!" Arthur seethed with rage.

"I said I was sor-" a loud stomp of the outlaw's hoof silenced the now scared Zebra.

"You ponies have it too easy! Y'all think it's gonna be a GODDAMN walk in the park! Well it ain't! We don't have a 'band of merry mares' to save us from every little problem! We got no money, little supplies, and not a whole lotta time!" He threw down his hat in frustration.

"I-I d-don't know what t-to do..." Zecora sputtered through segmented breaths.

"Yeah, well now neither do I!" Sighing, he looked through the notes jotted in his journal and came to a decision. "I think it's time we head back. It's obvious that we have a lot of work to do..."

Author's Note:

Took a hot minute, but I'm finally back from my break in writing this. I put up another few stories while setting this one aside, but modern day stress brings me back to this one again.

If you're liking this so far, give it a like. Or don't if it isn't the best, either one helps me.

Comments are appreciated, especially since I've been away from this one.

EDIT: I highly recommend listening to Paying a Social Call from the RDR2 Soundtrack once Cletus is introduced until the end. In the future, I'll mark soundtracks or clips of music that work well with the bits of story.

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