Iron Anon: Tables be turned

>You wake up like usually, still drained and up way too early in the morning
>Leaving you wondering how you had been able to get that one good night’s sleep back in the cave…
>Gus isn't there when you come to, so you assume he was off to chase some tail
>Or just to escape this pent up little prison of shrubbery you had been boxed into
>In fact, you wouldn't mind getting out of here too
>You haven’t done much to stretch your legs in past day
>But you weren't a sly and slippery wolf
>The market place opens up a few hours later, not very busy like the day before
>Because you are so bored, you decide to try your luck
>Making sure no pony is looking in your direction, you quickly scurry from the bush and cling to the side of a cottage

>Hanging in the shadows, you secretly begin plucking items of interest from the vending stalls
>Petty theft really wasn't going to change your public image by much
>After about an hour of patient looting, you sneak happily back into your hedge with a head of cabbage, two ears of corn, a pitcher of a purple drink and two 'premium' dog treats
>Your forced to enjoy your spoils of thievery without any silverware or precooking, eating it all raw
>Still, it tasted fine and the purple drink washed it all down pretty well
>You had noticed a severe lack of meat in the marketplace, reminding yourself that you were probably the only carnivorous thing here
>Wondered how these ponies would react to that...
>Rainbow had held up a pretty good poker face when you implied it to her, but you definitely saw the fear in her eyes
>Just then you hear the clamor of hooves and excited voices moving into town, coming from the direction where you had seen the fillies go yesterday
>Speaking of Rainbow...
>Poking your eyes through the bush, you see a small group of ponies following in a semi circle around a cyan pegasus with a flowing rainbow mane
>They must have given her a bath too, because she looked a lot cleaner and her colors seemed to be incredibly defined
>Rainbow was actually looking surprisingly happy and relaxed for a change
>Though not being tied up alone in cave might have something to do with it…
>They were too far away to hear, but you saw that a lot of them were asking questions... including the trio of fillies

>They are all sporting tiny press hats on their heads as well as holding little yellow notepads in one hoof
>You'll never understand how they do it
>Were the bottom of their hooves sticky or something?
>Rainbow was talking happily to the crowd, obviously loving the attention
>No wonder she had a fan club, probably established it herself...
>Her wing was no longer bandaged and appeared to be fully healed
>On the other hand, she had a small gauze patch on her hind leg as well as a thick wrapping around her whole front hoof
>She doesn't seem to be limping anymore, or was just doing well to hid it from the crowd
>Soon enough, Rainbow and her posse leave your sight heading across town
>Almost everyone they pass stops what they are doing just to wave and say hi
>These ponies... really had a sense of community here
>You couldn't help but imagine that was how you must have looked like after winning the derby
>Seem like such a long time ago
>Later that night, Gus returned with Winona, each carrying an apple for you in their mouths
>You all exchange your gifts of fruit and dog treats
>Winona's apple is (sad to say) the best as she somehow avoided drenching it in spit
>As soon as you finish, you feel something nudge you in the side
>You turn and look down to see Winona holding a stick in her mouth, tail wagging
>Oh... but where could you possible go to play fetch?
>Almost reading your mind, she takes off with the stick out the back
>You and Gus hesitantly follow her, you sticking as low to the ground as possible


>She leads you two around the back of the cottages, eventually coming to stop alongside a patch of the river that ran by Ponyville
>Though it was nighttime by now, there was still the off chance a pony would come by and see you
>So you take to sitting beside a few bushes about 20 yards from the river cliff, hiding yourself from the nearby bridge's view
>You were familiar with the concept of fetch but Gus... He hadn't got a clue
>His bloodline made him a natural survivor and hunter, while his nurturing by the hands of your father had formed him into a hard working sled dog
>He had never actually 'played' before, except for the occasional fight with a rival pup or tug-of-war between the swing and wheel dogs
>He sat between you and Winona as you threw the stick down the length of the river’s side
>Winona promptly retrieves it and come back to drop it at your feet
>You reward her with a pat on the head and then repeat
>Gus only follows the stick with his eyes, honestly not knowing what the hell was going on
>Finally, Winona gives me a agitated bark for just sitting there and he finally decides to jump in
>It doesn't take him long to get the game
>Every time you threw the stick, the two dogs would take off in hot pursuit trying to get it first
>Gus, the biggest and fastest of two, only won a handful of times
>He for the most part gave the fake illusion of a race only to let Winona win at the last second,  only winning for himself sometimes in order keep the game alive
>After they had gotten the hang of it, you decided to have a bit of fun with it too

>You try to psych them out, play a bit of tug-of-war with the stick and throw it in different patterns
>You even, at the end, threw the stick into the river to see if they'd go after it
>You let out a chuckle as Winona emerged victorious head held high while Gus walked out behind her. His white fur was drooping over his body, matted and drenched
>Your laugh is cut short as they both shake their themselves dry
>Nearly every drop lands on you
>Way to kill the mood guys…
>Though you could have survived without that last part, tonight had been fun
>You had never seen Gus so… happy
>Stress-free for a change
>It was like there was something in the air that made everything here so pleasant
>You fall onto your back and stare again into the stars above while the two continued to play like new-born pups
>In the corner of your eye, you spot a falling star
>You try to think of a wish but can't settle on a single one
>The one that comes most to mind is to wish to be sent home... But something holds you back from actually saying it
>Eventually, you all head back to the hedge
>Winona, this time before leaving, yaps for Gus to follow
>He takes a step forward before turning to you, asking for permission
>A quick nod of your head and they were off
>Looks like you'd have to sleep alone tonight,
>You'd live
>As you lay there, a slight frown comes to your mouth
>You couldn't live off slobbery apples and stay hidden in the hedges forever
>And it didn’t seem those ponies were turning over bushes in search of you
>Tomorrow, you'd think of something
>You'd have to…
>Another day ends as you drift into unconsciousness

>The last few seconds of a falling Moon signals another early day
>You continue to lay there, trying to fake an impression of sleep
>Not long after, a bright Sun shines through the hedges, slowly warming you up
>Finally, the heat become too much on your eyelids so you move to open them
>Another day in Ponyville
>Well, another day of hiding in the bushes of Ponyville
>But today was different
>Today, you were going to try and reach out to these ponies
>You couldn't just run out into the streets though,
>They still might try to stumble you to death
>You had no idea what they would do when they found you…
>So you needed to start small or at least find some kind of leverage for the situation
>No matter what way they spin it, you had saved the pegasus's life in the woods
>Even if Rainbow was the only one that knew it
>You stretch your back, setting off a few popping joints
>Ok, then
>Let's see if anything in the market can help us...
>You stare through the crevices of leaves
>It was still earlier morning and the vendors weren't even set up yet
>You'd have to wait-
>The brush behind you shakes
>To your relief, Gus pops out
>He was back already
>Wait, the bush was still moving
>On cue, out came Winona trotting beside the wolfdog
>Well, she had never come this earl-
>The whole bush rattles now as something big pushes through
>Had Gus found another-
>...
>Your heart skips a beat as the brown stetson appears first above the hedge line
>Then the first orange hoof finds its way onto the other side
>You feel a empty pit form in your stomach
>You stumble as you nervously start to get to your feet
>Finally, a head and the rest of a pony finds its way into your sanctuary

>http://youtu.be/WzxQeDWZMl0?t=20s
>Applejack:"Where are ya’ll takin’-"
>Both the orange mare and human freeze in their places, agape mouths matching up perfectly
>In that single instance, it was over
>Looks like fate had other plans for you then ‘starting off slow’
>Those green eyes look blankly into yours as she slowly pieces together what you are
>Applejack:"AH' FOUND IT!"
>She shouts so loud that all of Ponyville must of been awake now
>But it wasn't the volume that caused you to jump out of the bush and run for the closet bridge out of town
>It was the toxicity of her voice
>There was no doubt in your mind she'd snap your neck if given the chance
>You're fucked,
>and you know it
>[spoiler]She knows it[/spoiler]
>You pump your legs and arms as fast as possible, passing ponies who either stare at you in naked shock or scream their heads off
>Already the sound of her furious hooves are closing in on you
>Fuck!
>You been penned up in the hedge for so long that your legs were now already cramping from the sudden movement
>'Pain is nothing more than the fear of weaker men, but you are not a weak man... you are a weak BOY'
>Shut up, Ned! This is not the time!

>You quick pass over the bridge and make your way down a dirt road towards a large barn and farm house, which were both right next to the apple orchard
>What to do?! What do you do?!
>You decide to try and lose her in the orchard
>That is, until, you see the hulky red pony in front of you
>He drops an apple he had in his mouth and stares at you, like he had seen a ghost
>Applejack[REALLY FUCKING CLOSE NOW]:”Big Mac, that’s the monst’ar! Get ‘um!”
>You almost shit your pants when he emits steam from his nostrils as he roughly kicks up dirt with his one hoof
>Skidding to a stop, you turn for the house
>If you got in there maybe-
>Applejack:”You ain’t getting away!”
>That hesitation at the orchard had cost you the small lead you had before
>Her voice was practically in your ears
>She going to ram herself right into you
>You spin around just in time to catch her leaping at you
>You fall on your back, and using her momentum against her, throw her over your head
>She lands a yard from you with a grunt
>You scramble to your feet but it’s not fast enough
>A set of hind hooves find their mark right into your back
>You hear something crack as the raw energy of the Big Mac’s buck transfers into your body
>You’re instantly winded as you go flying into the nearby barn’s side
>For a second, your vision flashes black and your body goes numb
>You slide down the barn’s wall to the ground, landing square on your ass
>Then the pain starts seeping from every joint in your body
>You pick up your head to see Big Mac beginning to walk over to you, cautiously
>But before he can take another step, Applejack comes galloping around in front of him, still furious

>The look in her eyes… terrifies you
>You thought ponies were nice?!
>Big Mac:”Applejack!”
>She doesn’t stop coming right for you
>The pain mixed with the fear of her intentions is enough for you to pull out the revolver
>You line her up in the sights
[woozily]“Stop!”
>You manage only a single word in your breathless state
>She stops about 10 feet from you
>Applejack:”Aw’ ha! So ya can talk!”
>The hick pony seems to have no fear in what you are pointing at her
>You might as well have been jabbing the air with a stick
“I mean it *gasp* stay back!”
>She drops her head while pinning her ears back
>Applejack[bitter]:”Or wat? You’r the one that hurt Rainbow…”
>Her words are as cold as ice
>She walks up slowly to you now while cracking her neck, trying to intimidate
>Before you can react, you hear it
>Rainbow:”Applejack, Stop!”
>You all turn to see Rainbow flying over the dirt path
>Only you two share eye contact however
>She might not know what it is you’re holding or how it works… but she saw what it could do
>The two members of the apple family had no idea what the black metal thing was
>Looks like this was the crossroads of your fate…
>You had to choose now
>…
>You stare long into Rainbow’s eyes before giving a loud audible sigh
>The pegasus body physically relaxes as you let the gun fall to the ground
>Hopefully, this had been the righ-
>A hard, solid orange hoof cracks against your face like a bag of bricks
>Your head is dragged along with its path, twisting your whole body to the side


>Applejack is revering up for another haymaker when a lasso soars over her head and lands over you
>It instantly tightens, binding your arms to your side
>The orange pony’s potential blow is redirected into the ground instead
>Applejack[frustrated]:”Gosh Darnit’ Big Macintosh! I can’t hit it if it kan’t defend itself!”
>What a twisted set of morals…
>She won’t attack you if you’re not able to defend yourself, but she’s perfectly fine sucker punching you
>You could easily get out of the rope, but for now its keeping you from getting hit again
>Big Mac tosses the rest of the rope from his mouth to Applejack
>By that time, Rainbow had made her way over to you all, putting herself down next to Big Mac before walking over to you and Applejack
>Applejack begins wrapping you up in a coil of rope
>You don’t resist however, no reason too
“…So”
>Rainbow:”…”
>Applejack:”…”
>Big Mac:”…”
>There a heavy silence until you notice Rainbow has a satisfied grin on her face
>Looks like the tables had been turned…
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
>Rainbow:”Kind of”
>An orange hoof claps against your cheek
>Applejack:”No talkin”
“What a nice friend you got here, Rainbow”
>Rainbow [firm]:”I thought I told you not to call me that…”
“And why is-”
>Rainbow:”My friends call me ‘Rainbow’, NOT you”
>She turns from you and begins talking to Applejack
>Rainbow:”Where’d you find him?”
>Applejack:”Winona and her new friend lead me right to it… the thing was hiding in the middle of Ponyville”
>Rainbow:”What ‘new friend’?”


>Applejack:”Oh nop0ny ‘s told you yet, right? Well, Winona brought this furry white critter home the other day… Ah’ think it’s sum kind of diamond dog, but it’s real friendly and helps out around the farm when it can”
>You begin to smile as Rainbow slowly frowns
>Applejack:”A really big fellow but he gets along great wit’- And what the hay are you smilin’ at?!”
“His name’s Gus”
>She looks to you and raises an annoyed eyebrow
>Applejack:”Ah’ thought I told ya-“
>You let out a short whistle,
>Gus pops out of a nearby bush, landing swiftly besides you and Applejack
“and he’s my dog”
>You see Rainbow start to slightly sweat as she tries to slowly and discreetly back away
>Applejack:”You ok thair’, Rainbow?”
>You cock your head to one side
“You mean she never told you?”
>Applejack:”Told me wat?”
“How she got that nasty wound on her one leg”
>Applejack:”Yeh, she said you tried to eat her!”
>You give a dirty glare to Rainbow
“Really?”
>Rainbow:”Ah yeah-h, Applejack, about that…”
>Applejack:”Wat do ya mean Rainb-“
“Gus is the one who tore up her front hoof”
>Only after it came out of your mouth did you realize how badly you just screwed Gus over
>He had somehow gotten on this pony’s good side and you both needed that right now
>Before Applejack can say anything, you try and save the situation
“on my command”
>You were afraid that wouldn’t be enough…
>Almost on cue, Winona comes trotting over to sit happily next to Gus, diffusing any potential conflict
>Even Rainbow eases up a bit when she sees how Winona goes so willingly to Gus’ side
>Applejack:”It don’t matter, Ah’ ain’t believen a word you say”

>Finally Applejack finishes and pulls the rope taut with her teeth, almost crushing you
>Applejack[to Rainbow]:”We need ta go get Twilight and the others now that we got it captur’ed”
>Applejack[to Big Mac]:”Can ya keep an eye on him while me and Rainbow go-“
>Rainbow flares up her briefly wings
>Rainbow[outburst]:”No!”
>Everyone looks at her
>Rainbow:”I-I mean… I’ll watch him while you and Big Macintosh go get the egghead”
>Applejack and Big Mac give Rainbow a concerned look
>Applejack:”Ah’ don’t think that’s such good idea, sugarcube“
>Rainbow:”I’ll be fine…”
>Applejack gives you a glance and then one back to Rainbow
>Applejack:”Fine. We’ll be as fast as ah mockin’jay in august”
>They both take off down the road leaving you, Rainbow and the two canines to yourselves
>Rainbow watches them go, finally folding her wings back after they had disappeared into Ponyville
>For a moment, you’re worried that you were about to receive a beat down from a rightfully pissed off pony
>Without a word, she goes over and ever so carefully picks up the revolver
>…Oh, fuck what is she doing?!
>Rainbow:”This is what did…THAT…to the manitcore, isn’t it?”
>She holds it like it was going to blow up at anytime
>You calm down, it seemed she wasn’t going to murder you just yet
“Yes…The one that I saved you from, remember?”
>Rainbow looks down at you with a scowl
>Rainbow:”You kidnapped me, had that flee-bag of yours attack me, tied me up in a cave and kicked me down a hill right into that frickin’ manitcore-!”
 “Who was about to sink his claws into you before I… intervened”
>Rainbow withdraws her glare and looks to the ground

“I could have left you for dead and got the hell out of there… but I came back. That has to amount to something”
>Rainbow:”you… you just needed me for-“
“It wasn’t about that, dammit!”
>For a second, you almost lose your temper but you quickly cool back down
>You give a deep shrug and look to the ground in front of her
“I already told you, I never liked how things played out… and I have no idea what they are going to do with me now”
>You look up but she’s still intensely looking away
>A little breeze passes by as you stare at her for an answer…
>She however ignores it and looks back to the hunk of steel in hoof
>Rainbow:”…what is it?”
>Might as well oblige her with an explanation
“It’s called a revolver from where I come from. It’s a weapon… you ponies have weapons, right?”
>As she inspects it, one of her eyes peers curiously down the barrel
“Don’t do that”
>The mare freaks out and accidentally throws the gun up in the air
[frantic]“DON’T DO THAT EITHER!”
>You manage to awkwardly but skillfully catch it with your foot
>You give her a dirty look and she nervously laughs off her own clumsiness
>Rainbow:”Hehe…ugh…well, the Royal Guards at Canterlot have those spears”
>Spears?
>You’d pay to see an equine try and hold a spear
“But nothing like this?”
>Rainbow:”No… Hey, didn’t you say before you didn’t know anything about magic?!”
“I don’t”
>Rainbow:”Then what the-“
“It’s not magic, anything that can pull a tiny lever can use it”
>She seems a bit curious by this and goes to retrieve it off your boot
>Rainbow:”So how does it-“
>Just before she can touch it, you use every fiber of your being to kick your foot up
>You can almost feel the tendons in your leg tear from the amount of force you use

>The gun, the only thing you had that could defend yourself against all these ponies, goes flying up in the air
>You let out a sharp whistle and Gus leaps into action, grabbing the gun in his mouth like a stick and running off towards the forest
>Rainbow watches him disappear into the woods and then turns angrily to you
>Rainbow:”What the hay was that for!?”
“Sorry but where I’m from you shouldn’t let little kids play with guns”
>She narrows her eyes, trying to get a read on you
>You didn’t need any of these ponies taking an interest in your gun
>If they only had measly pointed sticks, then there was no doubt that one of them would try to study and recreate it
>You couldn’t let that happen…
>For all sorts of reasons, both personal and moral
>Within a few minutes, Gus comes trotting back to you, carrying nothing with him
>Wolves, you knew, would often hide their own extra bits food from the rest of the pack
>Making Gus naturally skilled at concealing all sorts of things
>Now only he knew where it was and he’d never forget it
>The coward of a pegasus takes to hovering as he approaches, on edge
>Applebitch and her other pony friends would be here any minute and you didn’t need Rainbow completely petrified when you tried to explain yourself
>Another whistle and Gus stops in his tracks
“Go on Gus, get out of here… This pony looks like she’s about to have a heart attack”
>He complies, taking off towards the orchard with Winona falling behind
>Rainbow immediately calms down, dropping back to the ground

>You try to take advantage of the moment and lighten the mood
[jokingly]“Geez Rainbow, didn’t know you were such a scaredy cat”
>Rainbow[coldly]:”Call me ‘Rainbow’ one more time and I’ll tape your mouth shut…”
>Backfire.
>Rainbow:”Maybe I should do it anyways since you had no problem doing it to me. Heck, while I’m at it, might as well get Tank to chew on YOUR leg!”
“Who’s Tank?”
>Rainbow:”None of your business, monkey…”
>Dead silence hangs in the air as diplomatic relations reach an all time low
>Perhaps you should try to ease the tension again?
“…”
>Rainbow:”…”
“…I spy, with my little eye, something-“
>Rainbow slams a hoof to your lips before tying an over-the-mouth gag using a torn piece of her excess bandage
>It’s not really preventing you from talking but you feel it’s best to be quiet now
>Fuck today
>Making progress with these ponies sucks
>As if to save you from more painful silence, you hear the sound of hooves approaching
>Rainbow leaves you and flies over to met them about 50 yards away on the road
>You can make out the ponies you have come to know as Twilight, Applejack, Big Mac, and Rarity all stopping in front of her
>They talk for a good 10 minutes in which you hear nothing of the conversation
>The purple one keeps trying to look around Rainbow to get a better view of you
>Eventually Twilight takes the lead and walks towards you, flanked by the others
>They all either have an expression of repulsion or resentment except for the purple unicorn, who studies you curiously
>They all stop a few feet from you