>>14012
>Cross turns in place and lets Cannon Hooves approach if he wants to.
"Marked Cross. Yeah, I /was/ in the Guard. Wanted to show the world I have what it takes to do a lot of good, and die tryin'. Workin' on the dyin' part, but the good's why I came lookin' for you."
>He peers around before continuing.
"I uh, heard you were around. I'm always lookin' out for the Guard, but now that I'm out looking at the world for myself, I'm feelin' a little lost."
>Comfortably sure that none of his friends are around, Cross deflates.
"Alright, more than a little. Look, me and some friends are lookin' for some fillies that ran off with some ponies nopony knows. There's all this stuff about unions, trains, and gold, but I just can't put things together. I'm a fighter, not a thinker. I'm here for some answers... and..."
>He struggles to finish.
"...some /help/."
>A grimace wraps around his face.
"So if'n it ain't too much off the pelt, I'd appreciate any answers you've got... for a guard like me, and my friends, too."