(Accepting) Equestria: 1955

[Mand'alor Dash 2,224]

@@Gloomfury, ((Germane. Horseworld, bruh.))

 

"This Mud's playing us," suggested the greaser on the right.

 

"He's either the guy who killed Tommy, or just the most irritating Mud I've ever met," added the one on the left.

 

"Either way," interrupted the leader, "Let's show this Mud how things work here in Ponyville."

 

Levitating a piece of lead pipe, the leader swung it towards the Earth Pony's face...

[Gloomfury 243]

@@Mand'alor Dash,

 

Gloom caught the pipe with ease. He still had his smirked as he let out some smoke from the side of his mouth. "Now, normally I would cut your nuts off, deep fry them and force feed them to ya. But seeing as your just misguided punk who don't know any better, I'll over look this. So how about we start over and I by you and your boys a pint?"

[Mand'alor Dash 2,224]

@@Gloomfury,

 

Everypony's jaw dropped. The leader was no small pony, but this little Earth Pony caught his full-strength swing like it was nothing.  The greasers looked between each other, mouths agape.

 

"Uh," one greaser in the middle said finally, "I left my ID in my other pants. You can bring my pint to me outside. That sound good?"

[Gloomfury 243]

@@Mand'alor Dash,

 

Gloom smiled. "No problem." He let go of the pipe and head towards and into the bay. After paying for the drinks he put them on a try and placed it on his back. He then mad his way back outside where the greaser were.  "Cheers, lads. Hope ya like Guinness." He said as he grabbed his one drink.

[Mand'alor Dash 2,224]

@@Gloomfury,

 

As the unicorn gang cautiously grabbed their booze, one of them opened up about the obvious question, "You've never met a Stripe named Thomas DeNero, have you?"

 

In preparation for Gloom's answer, the greasers started sipping their ill-gotten gains just a little bit slower.

[Gloomfury 243]

@@Mand'alor Dash,

 

 "Afraid not, mate." Gloom said as he tossed the tray though the open door to the bar as he drank his pint. He took a few more puffs of his cigarette and tossed what was left on the ground. "Dose he have anything to do with this hit man your looking for who I'm guessing killed one of your mates. Tommy, was it?"

[HunterTSN 1,444]

@@Mand'alor Dash, 

 

"Oh horsefeathers" Zephyr cursed to herself, although she wasn't even sure if her concern was directed at the bats or the screaming filly. "Look kid, I can help, just shhhhhh. I'll even throw in a bit or two, just don't call your parents or whatever" the older mare said. 'Alright so maybe I can't help as much as I say...' she added mentally as her attention was brought back to the neverending swarm of bats.

[Mand'alor Dash 2,224]

@@Gloomfury,

 

"Get a load of this mud," whispered one greaser as he took a sip of beer. "No offense," he added hastily, recalling both the lead pipe and the frothy beverage that he was currently sipping.

 

"Tommy D was his nickname," explained the leader, "His real name was Thomas DeNero. He was shot a few days ago by a mud that looks and sounds alot like you."

 

@@HunterTSN,

 

"What in the hay were you even doing here!?" squeaked the filly, "This is private property! Oh, Celestia, our harvest is ruined this year for sure!"

 

A big, red stallion galloped in a few seconds afterwards, his eyes also focused on the bats. Not saying a word, he gazed down to acknowledge the filly, and then the pegasus mare, and then back to the filly.

 

"She just barged onto our property and spooked the swarm!" she explained, "I think she might have been tryin' a steal our apples."

 

The stallion looked back at the pegasus, now visibly pissed off. From the look in his eye, it looked like he wanted an explanation.

[HunterTSN 1,444]

@@Mand'alor Dash, 

Zephyr leaned away from the imposing stallion, fear evident in her eyes.

 

"Please, I haven't eaten in a day, I just thought you might be able to spare an apple or two. I never, never, meant for this. I can make it up somehow I swear, I ain't have much but I can work it off. There must be something on this farm I can help you with!" She said, praying to Celestia that the giant pony would take her offer instead of deciding to crush her head under his massive hoof.

Edited December 16, 2014 by HunterTSN

[Mand'alor Dash 2,224]

@@HunterTSN,

 

The stallion sighed. "Eeyup. There might be something," he finally said. He then motioned with a hoof for the Pegasus to come with him to the farmhouse. The filly followed closely behind.

 

From the looks of things, the bats appeared to be fighting amongst each other over the apples. There wasn't enough for all of them this early in the year.

[HunterTSN 1,444]

@@Mand'alor Dash, 

Zephyr followed meekly behind the stallion and filly as they led her towards the farmhouse. "So uh... what do you do around here all day?" the young mare asked in an attempt to break the awkward silence that had fallen across the group. "Is there anypony else on the farm? Or maybe a town nearby?"

[Mand'alor Dash 2,224]

@@HunterTSN,

 

"No town around here for miles," the filly sneered, "So you may as well shut yer-" The red one knocked her on the shoulder with his hoof.

 

"Ow!" she yelped, "That hurt! I'm telling Granny!"

 

"Ponyville's about a mile away," intoned the stallion, as the three approached the steps of the farmhouse. Cordially, he opened the door for the girls, letting himself in last. Zephyr's ears were immediately greeted by the roar of a vacuum cleaner, as she spotted an orange mare trying to use it to clean the carpet, and getting visibly frustrated.

 

"Darn it!" she exclaimed after each pass over the rug, "Darn it! Darn it! Darn it! Damn it! Damn this stupid modern doohickey, and damn whoever invented it!" She finally just yanked the cord out with her teeth and trotted over to get a bucket and a scrub brush.

 

With the vacuum off, the radio played loud and clear.

 

"Applejack," called the filly. The mare stopped in her tracks, and looked over at her brother and sister and the Pegasus.

 

"Apple Bloom! Did you let in a hobo again?" she scolded, "I swear, if they don't move those confounded train tracks away from our house..."

Edited December 16, 2014 by Mand'alor Dash

[HunterTSN 1,444]

@@Mand'alor Dash, 

 

"Uh if you don't mind, I think I know how to fix your problem with the vacuum" Zephyr said softly, testing the waters of conversation. The last thing she wanted to do was overstep her boundaries and make the family even more angered by her. "You're using the wrong type of nozzle for a carpet. It comes with multiple heads see, the one you were using is really thin so it can get the corners between the floor and the wall. For carpets you need the wide flat head" she said gesturing to the vacuum that had been tossed away by the orange mare, Zephyr recognized it as the same model she had kept in her Manehattan apartment.

Edited December 16, 2014 by HunterTSN

[Mand'alor Dash 2,224]

@@HunterTSN,

 

"I'll have you know I tried the wide head, I tried the flat head, I tried the square head, I tried the round head, I tried the blue head, and I tried the green head!" Applejack snapped, "The darn thing's busted, and I'm going to get it returned in the morning. And if yer lookin' for work, ahm sorry, but we can't pay. Not till spring, at least, when we'll actually have a bit of cash on hoof."

[HunterTSN 1,444]

"Actually I'm not so much looking for pay as I am..." Zephyr trailed off as she looked down at her hooves and then up at the red farm pony she assumed was named Macintosh. "There was a bit of an accident in the orchard, I offered to help out in order to make things up to you" she stopped and blushed, hoping Mac would fill in the rest of the details. As Imposing as he was, the massive stallion didn't scare her near as much as the hotheaded orange mare in front of her.

[Mand'alor Dash 2,224]

@@HunterTSN,

 

Applejack didn't need more than one guess to figure out what she meant. "So that was you?" She let out a loud huff, "Couldn't have come at a better time, at least. The weather the way it is, those poor things are starvin' out there. Shouldn't take much but a strong push to get 'em to vamoose."

 

After a few seconds of thinking, Applejack continued, "You can help. We just can't pay. Not with money."

[HunterTSN 1,444]

@@Mand'alor Dash, 

"I couldn't ask for pay, especially not after what happened" Zephyr claimed. "I could use someplace to stay, I'm a long way from home and I probably won't be going back any time soon. If I could just stay for a few nights until I can get set up in Ponyville that'd be-" suddenly she was cut off by an obnoxious growl that emanated from her stomach. She smiled sheepishly as her cheeks turned crimson.

[Mand'alor Dash 2,224]

@@HunterTSN,

 

"Fine," Applejack conceded, after deliberation, "We don't turn away a pony in need. There's no spare rooms, but if y'all can rummage up a bunk, you can stay in the apple cellar so long as you pull your weight. I expect you up every day at sunrise to start spraying poison."

 

"And one more thing," she added, hastily, "This one's a biggie. We don't take kindly to outside drama in this family. If y'all have any personal baggage to clear up, please say so now, so it doesn't become a problem later. I don't want any knocks on the door saying we've been harboring a Changeling."

Edited December 16, 2014 by Mand'alor Dash

[HunterTSN 1,444]

@@Mand'alor Dash, 

Zephyr gulped, there always had to be some sort of catch didn't there? She supposed it would have been too easy to just work off her debt and be on her way.

 

"Well there is something" Zephyr began, pausing to try and find the best way to put everything into words. "I think... Well I might have... There's a possibility that I've been accused of assassinating two... really powerful... mob bosses" the grey mare said with a wince. "I didn't, by the way."

[Mand'alor Dash 2,224]

@@HunterTSN,

 

Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh left the room after "suddenly remembering" they had chores to do. Applejack had to take a seat herself. This was a bombshell she wasn't ready for. Would anybody know she's in Ponyville? Who would come looking for her? The mob? The cops? Both? But one thing stood out to her the most.

 

"If y'all didn't do it, then would you care to explain the blood stain on yer fur?"

[HunterTSN 1,444]

@@Mand'alor Dash, 

"I was the first at the crime scene right before the police showed up, there was a survivor who called out to me and I tried to help him before..." Zephyr stopped before allowing herself to cry any more. "Most of the blood is his. One of the officers hit me in the face with a baton, and I had to jump through a window to get out of the police station. I washed up a bit in a lake not too far away from here, I guess I must have missed a spot." 

[Mand'alor Dash 2,224]

@@HunterTSN,

 

This was a conflict for the orange mare. On one hoof, she trusted the stranger. At least to the extent that she's not a murderer. On the other hoof, she was a fugitive from the law, and will also have professional hitmen searching for her as well. She can't put her family in danger, but she also can't turn away an honest soul in need.

 

"Keep yer nose clean. I ain't know nothin' about this, and neither does nopony else in this household." Applejack spoke sternly, as if every word scared her half to death. "And I swear to Celestia, if anypony comes to our door asking for you, I will tell them immediately. I don't care if it's the cops or the mob. I will not give you a warning or a chance to escape. I frankly don't give a damn if you're innocent the second you put my family at risk."

 

"So y'all can stay here for now, but only for a week. After that, it doesn't matter if you have someplace else or not. You're out."

[Gloomfury 243]

@@Mand'alor Dash, 

 

"Non taken." Gloom said as he drank from his own glass. "So an earth pony that look and sounds like me. Well my accent ain't that unique. You hear it a lot in the Griffin Kingdom, Fillydelphia and Detrot. And I doubt I'm the only one with red fur and a black mane. But I just hopped off a train from  Manehattan after getting there from Canterlot. And If were to kill someone I wouldn't use a gun. To  noisy." He then pulled out his knife from its sheath, that is strapped to his leg, and spun it around a little in his hoof. "This here is my weapon of choice, mate. That, or me purley whites." He gave a wolfish grin to show off his sharp teeth.

[Mand'alor Dash 2,224]

@@Gloomfury,

 

"Dang, mud..." said one of the greasers, impressed by Gloom's 'weapons,' "Flamer's piss ain't that yellow."

 

"Oh fuck off, Tokey!" one yelled back. Flamer, presumably.

 

"Enough, you two inbreds," the leader admonished, "I think you've made some good friends today, mud. You need any help later on, the Dice would be happy to be of assistance. That's a promise."

[Gloomfury 243]

@@Mand'alor Dash,

 

Bloom smirked. "Grand!  Good to have friends in all corners of the map. But, would ya kindly stop calling me mud? Name's Gloomfury. But call me Gloom or Fury. Only my family can use my full name. And to seal this new found friendship, how about I help you track down the twat you killed ya mate? Among my many jobs one of them happens to be a tracker."