Lucky Days (Phil the Time Wizard, QuickLime)

[RarityDash]

The life of a roving western outlaw wasn't an easy one. Actually, that was a bit of an understatement. Sure, it could be a rewarding game if you were good enough at the right amount of things. You could make a profit, but the risks were huge. Danger existed at every turn. You needed to be prepared. That's why it helped to have a little luck. In the case of one particular outlaw in the Equestrian far west, Luck just happened to be in her name.

Risk was something Lady Luck was used to dealing with. She was a gambler. She rarely had to rely on grifting and conning or pulling off more dangerous crimes. A few rounds of a game of chance and usually she had all the bits she needed. The problem was that it was impossible to have all the bits Lady Luck wanted. Sometimes she'd throw the rule books out and try a riskier game. That's what got her into trouble. That's why there were wanted posters in town offering a healthy chunk of change for her capture. That's why she was currently on the run from three Appleoosan lawponies.

"Ya'll ain't never gonna catch me like that, boys!" Lady called back as she raced through the dusty streets of the western town.

Lady boasted, but she still wasn't sure how she was going to ditch the three strong stallions firmly on her trail, who were closing in on her by the second. Lady was born in this town before it was much of a town, but after all her many exploits, it wasn't particularly safe to live there anymore. She hung her hat across the border in Rockwington, Aquelia and only set foot in Equestria when she wanted to test her luck. Lady had felt lucky, so that's why she was back here in Appeloosa. She had made a killing after setting up a card table in a saloon on the edge of town, but one of the poor saps didn't take so kindly to losing big to her and had gotten loud. This inadvertently had lead to her current situation.

Even as the situation looked kind of bleak, Lady still somehow felt lucky that day. She kept her eyes pealed as she ran for her freedom. She was sure that before long, she'd catch sight of something to get the other ponies off her trail.

[QuickLime]

Reno had been through the area with his Father, whom was currently busy probably about to get them kicked out of this town too.. He was just trotting along before he noticed a chase, he grinned and bolted after them as fast as his little legs could carry him, it wasn't long before he spotted a familar face that was being chased, sticking his tongue out he ran harder and harder looking at her as he was now right beside her.

"Hi Auntie!" He exclaimed happily, Reno wasn't truly sure of her relation to them but he knew she was family.. one that was ofcourse just as much trouble as the rest of the clan, but Reno was pretty ignorant to that.

(agh short)

[RarityDash]

Lady was absolutely stunned when some colt joined her in running from the law ponies. She was even more stunned by how he addressed her. Auntie? What in the name of Equestria was he going off on there?

"I reckon ya got the wrong pony, kid," Lady commented, glancing over at the colt. "This pony ain't got no family connections to trouble herself over."

This was as far as Lady knew at least. Her mother passed when she was still a foal. Her deadbeat father wracked up a gambling debt and skipped town on her to avoid the collectors when she was barely a filly. There wasn't any family in Lady Luck's life and there hadn't been for quite some time now. She was happy that way. Even if this colt were related to her, she didn't really care to know.

"Of course that don't mean I ain't got troubles," she glanced over her shoulder back at her pursuers. "Speakin' of which, I'm more than open to ideas when it comes to losin' these clowns."

[QuickLime]

"Nope , not the wrong pony" He shook his head and smiled glancing back at the officers, he thought on it and veered to the side, bucking with his back feet at a stand that was nearby, sending apples spilling behind them to slow the officers down "Now we go faster!" He called to Lady, grinning as he sped up "Come on come on ! "

[RarityDash]

"Good call, kid," Lady laughed. This kid had spirit, tipping an apple stand to trip up some law ponies. That was the kind of kid she wouldn't mind being related to.

The kid's trick had caused the pursuers to lose a few steps, but Lady figured she'd finish things off. Leaping in front of a cart stacked high with apples, Lady bucked hard and sent it wheeling toward the three ponies chasing her. While they had to deal with both the cart and the apples that few from it, she darted off the road and between some nearby shops.

"This way," she said, with a nod. "We should be able to lose them now!"

[QuickLime]

"Whoo!" Reno being a bit.. on the overly innocent side had no idea what he had just done, he was just helping the nice lady, he lept in the air lightly and kept right by her heels "We lost em! " He said and grinned at her, he was dead convinced she was family, she had the typical GoLucky stance, the cockyness.. the fact police were chasing her sort of helped to boot "I'm Reno GoLucky " He added grinning "Whats your name?"

He decided against calling her aunty again since last time it had surprised her.

[RarityDash]

Lady looked back. She was quiet for a moment, watching carefully, just to make sure they weren't still be chased. When she saw that she wasn't, she nodded and turned toward the colt.

"The name's Lady Luck, kid," the mare started with a smirk. "Feel free to call me just Lady if you prefer."

GoLucky? Their names did have a certain degree of similarity, she supposed. She didn't really like that. Though now she was a little curious, she supposed.

"I don't know what this is all about, but if its got anything to do with that no-good snake of a father of mine, I want nothing to do with it," Lady said, shaking her head.

[QuickLime]

"I don't know who your father is, you just look like family is all " He said and grinned lightly looking at her "Sort of a gut feeling to be honest" Reno sort of went of fof instinct instead of logic so he could be wrong, but he was certain he wasn't! I mean besides her name was Lady Luck which clearly fit into the GoLucky's way of naming things.

[RarityDash]

"Lemme see if I understand what you're saying?" Lady started, giving a mild chuckle as she stared at the colt inquisitively. "You jumped into the middle of that chase back there... no, more than that, you threw yourself on the wrong side of the law, tripping those guys up, all because ya had some crazy hunch that I was related to you?"

Lady gave another awkward laugh. "You either got serious guts, kid, or you're completely off in the head."

The mare gave a sly smile. "Either way, I kinda like it. You don't see that kind of reckless crazy so often in these parts. It was kind of like something I might have done." She shrugged. "Heck, I guess we really might be related."

[QuickLime]

"Yes'm!" He nodded grinning as she asked, looking glad that she thought they might be related, rubbing his head against her side lightly "Besides you looked like you were in trouble, and if family is in trouble ya help im right?" He asked looking up at her with those big green eyes of his "Plus It was fun!"

He was beaming with pride from helping her out ! So he quickly checked his flank to see if he got a cutie mark for that..and sighed huffing "Nuts..."

[RarityDash]

"If so, that's news to me," said Lady with a curt laugh. "Only family this mare's ever had skipped town on her to avoid paying a gamblin' debt when she wasn't even quite a filly."

"So there really ain't much I can say I know when it comes to family," Lady said, smiling. "But you might be onto something in sayin' a chase like that is fun, kid. Nothing more satisfying than gettin' the upper hoof on some lawpony fools."

She noticed the kid checking his flank. It was blank, so that's what she supposed it was about. She had had her flank so long she hardly remembered how important having it was at that age. She just smiled and gave a chuckle. Lady had always liked kids, and this was a pretty cute one.

[QuickLime]

Reno sighed with disappointment at the sight of a blank flank , the same as the last he looked… Glancing up at Lady with big sad green eyes he pouted “Miss Lady I’m NEVER gonna get my cutie mark, I’m startin ta worry that I aint special.. I mean I’m awful little an I can’t do much but still… I want it really bad…but it just wont come… How did you get your cutie mark?”

Lady Luck had a very pretty cutie mark that Reno wanted to know about, his daddy wouldn’t tell him about how he got his, always said he’d tell him when he was older. And his older cousin said he got his by doing card tricks… but Reno doubted that was all there was to the story; his family didn’t really talk much about their cutie marks so maybe Lady Luck would.

[RarityDash]

"My story?" Lady started with a snort. "Well, okay, but sit tight because it's a kind of long one."

Lady shook her head as she jogged the old memories. "As I were saying, my father weren't no good. When I wasn't even old as you are, he got into a mess with a dangerous gambling ring here in Appleloosa. The debt piled up and like the no good coward he is, he skipped town, leaving me here all by my lonesome."

The pony laughed before continuing, "Now I was a right stupid little thing back then. I wanted him back. Since my mom was gone before I even knew her, he was all I ever had. As low as he were, I was determined to bring him back home. I thought if I could pay off his debt, he'd come back. I taught myself to play cards, dice, all sort of games, and I started trying my luck against whoever would take me on."

Lady shrugged and gave a sigh. "Now at first I weren't no good at all. I was losing to others my age. Silly little foals that only barely knew how to play. It was frustrating, but I was right determined. With a lot of time and effort it all just really clicked with me and I found out I was pretty gifted at games of chance; I was good enough to take it big time and play with the adults. I did a lot of winning, though most adults don't take kindly to losing to a foal. Those early days weren't a lot of fun. I was cheated, scorned and let's just say not treated too kindly."

The earth pony outlaw laughed again and shook her head. "But I kept at it, and after a few years at it, I had a rep around town as some kind of gambling kid prodigy-- and as a cheat, but that part weren't true. I didn't need to cheat to beat most of them senseless. The creeps who got my father to skip eventually took notice and I started taking them on directly, one by one. I embarrassed the miserable lot of them too. I started to really rake in the bits. I had near as much as my father owed when the leader of the ring finally singled me out..."

Lady snarled and smirked. "That was a challenge. The guy cheated like it was nopony's business but he was just smooth enough that only I noticed. It was disgusting. It took all the skill I had and more than a little luck to beat him fairly." The pony smiled. "And that's when the mark on my flank appeared. I had crushed my greatest opponent yet and acquired more bits than my father had lost. This golden spade was my reward for it all."

"But by that point I weren't interested in getting that useless stallion back. No, several years of hard living had taught me that was always a stupid goal. What good were he ever to me, after all? He probably wouldn't have even come back had I paid the debt and bought a train ticket. And I had done so good on my own regarless. Instead, I decided to keep all the money I had made for myself. It was mine after all and I didn't owe a single bit of it to no pony else. From there, I gradually grew into this hard living outlaw you see before you. I gotta say it's been a fun ride."

Her story concluded, Lady gave a nod to the young colt, curious as to what he'd thought.

[QuickLime]

Reno just sat back on his back legs and listened to her story, ears pricked foreward to listen to every word, eyes widening in excitement as she mentioned the cheater and her beating him with skill alone, she was a very very impressive pony... "Wow Miss Luck you are amazing!" He said throwing his front hooves up and moved to rub his head against her chest 'Really smart too, I hope when I'm all grown up I'm as smart as you" one hoof lifted off the ground.

True Reno had probably picked the wrong pony to admire,but Reno had a way of looking past the bad and only seeing the good, and he saw a very smart , brave, resourceful pony in Miss Luck and he desparatly hoped that he'd be half the pony she was when he grew up.

[RarityDash]

Lady gave a loud laugh at the colt's words. "Ha! I'm not one to brag too loudly, but I won't deny any of that."

"You have good judgement, kid," she said, shaking her head. "You'll go far on that alone. I wouldn't worry about that flank of yours."

Lady smiled and gave a nod. "Now what about you? You got a story? You live in this town?" she asked, now curious about the kid in front of her.

[QuickLime]

"Oh..no I don't live anywhere really" he shrugged "Me and my daddy always travel so I don't stay in one place too long.. so it's kinda hard to make friends " He admitted kicking at the ground "I wont worry about my flank Miss Luck I promise I'll just try to be smart like you" Glancing up at her and grinned "I hope it's for pirates though.." Boy did he love those pirates and their swashbuckling fun!

[RarityDash]

"I suppose we might really be some sort of kin," Lady laughed and smirked. "I don't like staying in one place neither. A life tied too keenly to one place just ain't my style."

Lady chuckled quietly as the young colt's excitement. Kids were fun, especially when they weren't too stupid. This Reno kid seemed pretty sharp for his age too. He was leaving a good impression.

"Pirates, eh? I'll share a drink with a sky pirate or two across the border in Rockwington from time to time. You'll have to toughen up a bit if you want to hang around with that crowd. They're a rough bunch from what I seen. Don't take too kindly to losing neither," the mare said with an excited smile, recalling a few run ins she had had with some griffon sky pirates.