Once Upon a Time in Applaloosa

by Pony Bones

Big Saddles to Fill

High Roller didn’t know why but something wasn’t right, he didn’t remember waking up or how he found himself flying down an unfamiliar canyon. The sun was a little brighter than usual and it gave everything a glowing haze, it was a beautiful day but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something horrible was about to happen. In the canyon ahead of him he spotted Filly the Kid just as she darted around a blind corner, High Roller took off after her. Somehow he knew she had seen him, this was affirmed when he heard her laughter bouncing eerily off the canyon walls, it was musical and beautiful but haunting and unnerving at the same time. He called after her, “Kid, wait for me there’s something I want to tell you!”

From further down the canyon he heard her voice teasing, “You’ll have to keep up.”

Great, he couldn’t keep up with Kid she flew daytrips to Canterlot just for fun, still something told him he should try. High Roller kept catching glimpses of Kid just around the next bend in the canyon, he couldn’t remember the last time he had seen her look so stunning.

Then things started getting weird, Kid looked back at him with a feral smile that sent a chill through his bones she started speaking gibberish and shaking her head from side to side so fast it became a blur. “Did you see? No you didn’t, no one will hear, sharp, you’re trash! Shut up you’ll hear, snap trap, don’t yell at me! It’s not like you would know, white as snow, silence, don’t look I’ll hurt you!”

High Roller had a sinking feeling in his stomach but he couldn’t turn back he had to find out what was going on. Diving around another corner he just caught a glimpse of her tail and hooves darting down a cave, as he looked into the black depths he knew if he went in he wouldn’t make it back out. Slowly working up his courage he flew down the cave listening, waiting the silence ringing in his ears nothing but darkness before his eyes.

He turned around but the light from the entrance was no longer there, then the cave around him erupted with a roaring voice, “You will never be half the leader Mirage was, nothing you do will matter, you are going to die afraid and alone.” High Roller was thankful for the silence, Kid stepped out of the darkness in front of him her eyes were closed, something about her made his mane stand on end. “Kid?”

Her eyes snapped open solid black and a look of pure hatred crossed her face as she took his throat in her hooves forcing him to look her in the eyes as she began to strangle him, “Did you think I didn’t know you loved me?”

High Roller sat straight up, it was so hot that he had rolled around until the sheets had wrapped themselves around his neck. Gasping for air he threw them off and looked at the clock, Celestia it was 2:30 and he was wide awake.

Who was on weather watch tonight, Kid? High Roller didn’t fancy flying out to check on her after his nightmare, but what else was he going to do? “It’s just a nightmare, Kid wouldn’t actually do that and nopony else is going to be awake to talk to. Come on High Roller you’re a grown stallion grow some wings and just talk to her.”

High Roller took off without stretching and flew like somepony was after him, so the nightmare had shaken him, it would have shaken anypony nothing to be ashamed of if he was a bit skittish. The moon had set and the only light he had in the cold desert air were the dimming stars. High Roller didn’t have to see where he was flying he knew this route like the backs of his wings it didn’t take High Roller long to memorize the landscape around Appaloosa from his cloud cabin to Phoenix Nest Mesa was a glide in the park so to speak.

He didn’t even have to set an alarm anymore he always woke up before it and no matter how much he tried to get back to sleep he couldn’t. He couldn’t stop moving either he always had to be doing something active or he would fall asleep on the job, now he understood why Mirage was the way he was.

It made him respect the stallion all the more, Mirage had taken two weeks to show the “horseshoes” the ropes in Appaloosa then he had left for Sweet Apple Acres and he deserved every bit of it, Tartarus he already had a little pegasus colt on the way, Blackjack von Stäube.

High Roller couldn’t help but feel unprepared for taking Mirage’s place as Captain especially when Sand Blast, Silver Lining, and Filly the Kid were still on the team. They were patient with him he could tell and he tried to make the best decisions he could but Sand Blast would often step in and take over when he felt that things weren’t going well and it ruffled High Roller’s feathers.

It was unacceptable to High Roller that he still couldn’t hack it as a Dusty let alone the Captain, he couldn’t back down now not after how far he’d come, things could only get easier… he hoped. What bugged him most about Sand Blast stepping in and taking over was Sand Blast was tired High Roller could see it Sand Blast should have dropped his saddle bags with Mirage. High Roller wished that Sand Blast would trust him to lead the Dusty Bolts there was no reason for him to work as hard as he did now; he had more than paid his dues.

High Roller was afraid he was so afraid that he would screw up so horribly trying to do the right thing that he would be run out of Appaloosa, so he steeled his will and took it a day at a time. Why had he ever wanted to be a Dusty Bolt?

No think positive, had to think positive, Filly the Kid! Even though she was an old Dusty she had something he couldn’t put his hoof on, that and it was always funny how she got flustered whenever he did something for her.

High Roller knew that Kid could kick his flank if she wanted to but she hadn’t, yet, he knew that he would have to take their relationship seriously one day if he wanted to get anywhere with her but it was just priceless seeing her blush and stammer whenever he brought her an apple on weather watch or whenever he moved a cloud over her on a hot day.

High Roller needed sleep it was going to be a long day but he didn’t have to think about it for long as he passed over the Phoenix Nest he spotted Kid preening. It was probably rude to stare but what else was there to look at?

Kid was on the ledge of the mesa so High Roller had to pull up behind her off to the left and announce his presence with, “How are things up here?”

Even so Kid still jolted at High Roller’s appearance, “High Roller jeez you should hang bells from your wings or something, what are you doing awake?”

High Roller trotted up beside Kid and took a seat on the ledge giving the horizon a quick scan, “Couldn’t sleep.”

Kid sat down next to him, “Yeah? Things are quiet right now, that’s one thing you’ll learn about this place there’s always no work at all or too much work at once.”

“I noticed.” High Roller said swinging his rear legs over the edge of the mesa.

“How long were you flying over before you came up here?” Kid said looking straight at him,

High Roller had nothing to hide so he decided to tell her, “Long enough.”

Kid gave a grunt and looked back to the stars, High Roller knew Kid well enough to tell that when she had nothing to say it was not a good sign so to keep her talking he decided to tell her the reason he had come to check on her, “I had a really bad nightmare.”

Kid looked at him with renewed interest, “Oh yeah, what about?”

High Roller sighed and ran his hoof through his mane, “Well you killed me.”

“Huh” was all Kid had to say but after a while she asked, “Are you alright now?”

“Yeah I just can’t get back to sleep.”

Kid looked at the stars for a couple minutes before she said something that caught High Roller completely of guard, “Mirage used to have the same problem.”

Hope surged through High Roller like a jolt of electricity he had something in common with the former Captain but Kid wasn’t done yet, “You two are similar in more ways than you know. I hate to admit it but Mirage made the right choice making you Captain if it wasn’t for you we would have lost Gale Force.”

High Roller cringed at the mention of the catastrophe, “We may have saved him but he still can’t fly anymore.”

Kid put a hoof on his shoulder and High Roller’s heart skipped, he was thankful for the darkness his cheeks were burning like coals, “You did what you could, none of us could ask for any more.”

The way that Kid had said it High Roller knew she was speaking from experience, of course he had heard the story of Crazy Wing it influenced everything the Dusty Bolts did. Hard to believe that one pegasus could make such an impact on so many ponies and yet he lived on through the team.

Kid got up from the mesa ledge and stretched expansively, “You should try and get some sleep boss, I got this.”

Getting up and stretching himself High Roller got ready to fly back, “Alright goodnight, road apples, or should I say good morning.”

Kid yawned and rubbed her eyes, “Good morning, sleep well.”

High Roller flew back to his cloud cabin feeling better than he had since coming to Appaloosa, Kid believed he had what it took to be the Dusty Bolts Captain and that was all he needed.

Author's Note:

Well this is all backwards, I wish my stories didn't have a life of their own so I could write them like a normal person. I know I promised an epilogue for Flying with the Dusty Bolts which is still in progress but this one wrote itself before I could get over my writers blocks for the epilogue. In case you're wondering why I keep putting nightmares in the story, this chapter is based off an actual nightmare I had it scared me half to death, I wish I could sleep in peace, so I write stories instead.

Comments

[Flutterstrucked]

Oh Yea! Just got back and I'm about to start reading, been anticipating this!dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Fluttershy_lolface.png

[Flutterstrucked]

So, Yea! I read this, and it's all I could have asked for. There's not really many problems except that every now and then there were a few Grammar probs and you putting Mirages' name in his place, I understand it either way knowing that you're still used to having Mirage as your main Character though. Like how it seems to be going on, and noticed that you're trying the whole Romance tag out, wish you luck in that genre my man.

[Pony Bones]

1874713 Sharp eye, thanks for the head up, I thought it was good to go but then again I was in a rush to publish something. Probably working on too many stories lately, getting too in depth and over thinking everything. I will say the epilogue for Flying with the Dusty Bolts will be worth the wait if I can ever finish it. As far as the romance tag, I hate to admit it but it's addicting my writing for it is getting better but I want my stories to have more depth to them. It's good to see my stories are getting more views sooner than they used to more feedback would be nice but I'll settle for views for now. As always mohalo plenty!