Problems in a small town

The door to what was basically a shack was opened by the hoof of Smith Wesson. The earth pony walked into his home and shut the door with a gentle back kick.

Happy to be home, he checked no one was peering through his windows before opening a draw. Wesson pushed at the base on the left side to reveal a secret compartment, in which he placed the days wages he had earned from working on the orchard. He then sealed the secret space and closed the draw.

Then Smith Wesson poured himself a cool glass of water and made his way outside again. He sat in the lounging wooden chair that was in the shade of the boardwalk that ran along the front of his house.

Wesson leant back in his chair and let out a relaxed sighed. He tilted the stetson on his head low to cover his eyes. He sipped his water, holding it in hoof, and allowed the stress of the day to simply melt away.

Stormy laughed loudly with a grouping of roaming elephants, rolling about in the dirt piles they pushed up. He had been staying in Appaloosa for a while now, trying to fight the heat, but water was quite expense as the temperature when higher. So he searched for alternate means, which turned to be fruitful. He felt glad he had been born a earth pony at times. For the wonders of nature seem more willing to share it's secrets.

He and the younger elephants rolled pass the estate like tumble weeds before he stopped to see the colt enjoying a drink on his porch. He stood, removing himself, yet still covered in dirt. "You are rare sight sir. A colt sitting on his porch in the west. One day when this place grows to bigger city, which will be years and years after we pass away. You'll be a rarity." His eyes seem to have a glow to him in the sunshine as his wide grin spread across his dirt ridden face.

His peace and quiet interrupted, Wesson grunted and flicked the brim of his stetson, tilting it up and away from his eyes. He spied an orange earth pony standing in the street. He seemed to be incredibly happy for a stallion covered in dirt.

It was quite clear to see that he may have been out in the sun a bit too long. Celestia's responsibility could sure have strange effects on a pony. Wesson should know.

He sat up, eyeing the stallion once more and smirking a little.

"That I may be," Smith Wesson replied. "Ah would hope never ta see the west all turned into high rise towers 'n' such. But, like ya said, if it does, it'll be years after we pass."

He raised his glass and took another sip of refreshingly cool water. "'Least I hope so."


( Elephants? Either Stormy has sunstroke or he's high xD )

(Your lucky I didn't make them pink and wearing hats. Which i would of explained a totally reasonable reason that happened. XD)


"AAhahahahahahaaha." His laughed seem to fill the whole of the world that normally is filled with dirt, distant and heat. "All things have a ending. The key is getting the good one." he grinned wide as stepped up the porch and wiped his right hoof, extending to the water drinking pony. "Though before we go on about a delightful discussion we should first be introduced. My name is Stormy Hugeheart. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Smith Wesson quickly summed up the pony was not a threat and decided to be friendly. Not only that, but the stallion didn't like seeing other ponies in town being beaten by the merciless sun. Adjusting his waistcoat, feeling the ever reassuring bulge of his revolver in it's holster, he greeted Stormy's hoof with his own in a shake.

"Smith. Smith Wesson." He smiled in response, gesturing to the empty chair beside him. "Take a seat."

His large glass was still over half-full as Wesson held it towards him.

"Guessin' it would be a might improper of me not to offer a weary traveller a drink."

"Hardly weary, but a traveler I am." He took the glass of water, pounding it down in a large gulp as he gasped with sigh of satisfaction. He sat next to him with his white grin across his face. The colt looked older, perhaps in his thirty with rusty orange coat and thick, red curly hair. His legs were sturdy from the years of walking and a larger build like most of his earth pony race.

"Smith Wesson? Hrm. What a interesting name. Tell me Mr.Wesson. What is your profession."

This was the part of the conversation Smith was always concerned about. Whilst he liked his cutie mark as much as the next pony, it sure had got him in enough trouble in the past. It wasn't exactly very subtle after all...

He cast a glance at Stormy then turned to look over the road as he spoke, observing the many ponies of Appleloosa going about their daily routine in peace.

"I do whatever needs to be done," Smith Wesson replied cryptically. He briefly took his stetson off to scratch his thick mane beneath before replacing it on his head. "If somepony has a problem that just ain't getting fixed, I can do it."

"Ohhhh." He grinned wide as it became apparent to him. "I once knew a colt in your line of work good sir. His name was Bounty. Such a nice fellow, well he was a bit rough around the edges, but.' He tilts his head few times as he set down his drink. "It's interesting you have such a prefession, because funny enough I had been looking for such a colt."

Smith Wesson tensed slightly. To know that Stormy was "looking for such a colt" meant that he either needed his skills for a job, or had come for him. He knew he may have enemies among the underworld and it had happened before. However, he highly doubted the later since the earth pony before him didn't seem like the dangerous type at all, plus he wasn't armed by the looks of it.

Despite this, Wesson remained vigilant. He leant back, allowing the chair to take his weight as he kept his eyes fixed on Stormy.

His reply was in the form of a simple "Oh?"

Stormy grinned wide at his now lack of words. "It seems that we have changed the track on this tune of conservation it seems." He leaned back as he dusted himself, only to start coughing on the little cloud he made by doing so. "You see. Recently I had the pleasure of tracking down a very wanted colt by the name of SilverSpur. Well known for his crimes, though that colt happens to also be my father by cruel chance."

His grin seem to fight to stay on his face as he set down a wanted poster, hoof drawn to fit his likeness. "Sense you live in town. I'm sure you heard about the little incident in town." He fixed the position of his neck as he fought the tense feeling in his shoulders, rolling them to soften them. "A colt with darker blue coat with a gun like the one I have heard you use so sharply demanded my father during are bonding moment to speak with him. I have two requests from you. Find out what their history or if you cannot. Find out where he is. Both of them if you want a extra bonus."

(http://-fim-oc-rp.forumotion.net/t418-discreetly-going-about-town)

Smith Wesson was somewhat surprised at the position he found himself in. What where the chances that Stormy's job required him to find out about SilverSpur and SureShot when he just so happened to have met them only the other day.

This could be the easiest job Wesson had ever taken. He already knew quite a bit of their history. As for their location, he presumed they must still be in Appleloosa, since he last saw them in the griffin's bar. Of course, there was a chance Stormy wouldn't be satisfied with that information but if that was the case, Wesson couldn't imagine it being hard to find them again in the small town. There weren't many places they could be after all.

"I'm interested," he said, "Just two questions: One, how much you willin' to pay? And two, whatcha plannin' on doing once you know all this?"

"Oooo~" He grinned at his questions, as if they were a delightful surprise. "Well, I consider myself a negotiator of sorts." He checked her nail as he wore his grin. "I would pay the miles you traveled to find them, add a percent by the value of information. Bonus percent if you keep them in the dark about it and the down payment for your start up service. Which I will make you price."

Stormy held his head for a moment, as if he had gotten a headache for a flash before returning to his happy expression.

Smith Wesson nodded, deep in thought. Paid for the miles traveled? Stormy was smarter than he originally thought. There was no way Wesson was going to be able to short change this one.

So that meant the upfront payment would have to be high to make up for the lack of payment elsewhere. Of course, Wesson couldn't price it too high either, or else Stormy would be displeased when he found out the truth. Angry stallions can do dangerous things...

Wesson sniffed, took another look at Stormy, then spoke.

"Down payment of 500 bits. Gimme that and I'll get right on the job."

Stormy's eyelids opened a bit as he heard the amount, half touching his bag for a moment. "I don't have the money on me. I would have to carry two sacks to have that many bits on me! AHhaahahahaa." He laughed as she imagined himself dragging 500 bits wherever he went. "Though if you know any antiques shops, or a pawn shop with some money I can get you your bits. Or." He removed a checkbook with a grin. "A check if you want."

"You wanna know information. Information is somethin' of a commodity out here in the west, and a valuable one at that." Smith Wesson explained, looking to seal the deal. "A cheque'll do just fine, so long as it ain't counterfeit. And trust me, if it is, I ain't gonna have no trouble findin' you.

Wesson allowed himself a little smile. If Stormy agreed, he could have made the easiest money in his life.

"I tend to make sure ponies can find me. Never been good at hiding." His grin was wide as he wrote a check out Smith Wesson, before promptly adding 500 bits as the amount tender and set it on the table. Stormy adjusted himself in his seat as he let his mouth move around a bit as it took a break from his grin. "I suppose you want to cash this at the bank now before you tell me anything?"

"That'd be the general idea of how paying by cheques work, yeah," replied Smith Wesson, taking the slip of paper and tucking it into his waistcoat.

Adjusting his ever present stetson, the stallion stood up from his seat. Stepping out from the shaded boardwalk into the sun's heat, he turned back to Stormy.

"Why don't you join me, incase the bank has some problem with this here cheque of yours."

"I planned too. Should you have made it mandatory or not." His grin grew across his face as he quickly popped up to be standing position as he swung his saddlebag on his back, letting a small cloud of dust fly off behind him as he half-hopped down the porch steps.

He blinked as he felt a sharp pain in his head as he reached the bottom, wincing a bit as he took a few hobbled steps forward before it seem to had gone.

Since Stormy was willing to comply and had been nothing but friendly so far, Smith Wesson had no reason to distrust him, yet. He relaxed a little as he began to trot slowly down the main street towards the Appleloosa bank. He felt warm baked dirt beneath his hooves and if he sniffed, the aroma of baking apples that seemed ever present in the town.

"So, if ya don't mind me askin', what exactly do you plan to do when you find your Pa?" Wesson asked, glancing at the colt beside him as he spoke.

Stormy's face was dead serious as he spoke. "I plan to kill him..." He was silent before he burst into laughing as he pats the colt's shoulder. "HAHAHHahaha-just..kidding AHhahahahaa. Your face. So good." He wiped a tear from his eye as he met your pace down the dry mud of the road.

Stormy couldn't wait to return when this place grew up with a road to the other towns and cobblestone streets. "I plan to just talk to him. A colt interrupted are first meeting."

Smith Wesson actually halted for a brief moment until Stormy laughed. He'd been got. Wesson chuckled quietly, shaking his head. But as soon as he mentioned somepony interrupting he and his father before, Wesson's mind wandered. Perhaps he was meaning Sureshot...

Inconveniently, he couldn't simply ask because that would be giving away valuable information before he had been paid. A mere description could do...

"Why ain't that a shame," Smith Wesson commented, "Do ya know who by?"

"A blue colt with a highly illegal piece of equipment." He said with smooth, flowing practice as she tapped the back of his saddlebag, which produced a thumping noise. "I never cuaght a name, but me and him did share lovely exchange where he set a gun to my face. Much friendlier then most talks I have with others. HAHAAHaHhaahahaha."

In the time Stormy had traveled you'd be surprised how many others in life like sticking sharp, magic, burning and hooves included in your face. "Though that shouldn't be a worry. I am paying you to find all the who, what, when. where and why about him." His grin grew wide as he bowed a hello to a passing mare on market street they were turning onto.

That confirmed it then. It must have been Sureshot that had interrupted them. At least it meant that the information Smith Wesson had was more relevant.

"Ah see," replied Wesson, tipping his hat to the same passing mare.

By this point they had reached the Appleloosa bank. Wesson opened the door and stepped into the surprisingly small building. "Take a seat Stormy. Shan't take long."

"Regardless I have book to entertain my wandering mind." He pats his saddlebag before sitting in the chair nearest to the door and cracked the book open, awaiting for Smith to clear his check. The bank was in fact smaller then most you saw and it seem to house two bankers, which seem to be a happily new married couple. Stormy's eyes trailed to the buffalo guard next to the giant safe that likely wasn't full of mountains of bits, though he wouldn't be surprised if it had a pretty amount.

He grinned as a funny memory came to him about a colt named Florence.

Smith Wesson approached one of the booths and produced his check. The banker gladly took it and returned a few moments later. She was able to confirm that the check was legitimate and payable.

Smiling at the success, Wesson gladly signed some paperwork and it was done. He tipped his hat to the mare. "Thank ya kindly."

Feeling considerably wealthier, he returned to Stormy who seemed content with reading his book.

"It's done. Now, would ya like me to tell you what I know here or somewhere more outta the way?"