Prairie Moon-A Western Ninjago AU (100 followers special)

-Part 1-

The sun was setting on the western plain, grey clouds mixing with the red and orange hues that managed it work themselves across the once blue sky. A light purple had already started to cover the canopy of the sky. The white moon had already started to make an appearance, along with the first stars in the sky. A boy with blond haired stood on top of a hill, gazing across the landscape before him. A large town, an enormous prairie, and a never ending sky stretched around him. His hands were in the pockets of his leather pants, matching the leather best he wore over his baggy green shirt. A hat with a single green ribbon was perched on his locks of golden hair, slightly covering his green eyes that seemed to glow neon in the setting sun. Breathing in the fresh air, his hand slid over to his holster where a black gun with detailed markings was held. Raising the weapon to the sky he waited for the large clock in the enter if the town to ring it's chimes. Soon enough, he heard it.

Ding...Dong...Ding...Dong...

He pulled the trigger of his gun, once, then twice, signaling to the men on the prairies that the work day was over. Immediately, a stampedes of hollering men on horse back came barreling through the valley.

Whoops and hollers could be heard as the riders raced towards town. It was an unofficial tradition that after every work day, the workers would race back to the town. The winner would get bragging rights, and most likely a free drink at the bar. In their town, bragging rights were great, especially when it came to the ladies. The boy smiled, thinking of his own girl back at town. She was probably out at the orphanage, teaching the children how to do laundry or something of the sort.

The first rider to arrive was on a copper stallion, who's coat seemed to turn maroon red from the cast if the sun's colorful rays. The rider wore a red shirt, dusty blue jeans, and newly polished leather boots. His ten-gallon hat was slightly lopsided, and his brown hair seemed to stick up at strange angles. His hat and jeans both were embroidered with red stitching, making him look very fancy and high class, even if he was a part time blacksmith. The rider swiftly swing out of his saddle, silently landing in his feet. The only noise he made was from the spurs on the back of his boots. Sweat trickled down his pale arms, his skin tone he inherited from his mother looking a light brown from a thick layer of dust. (His sister got his father's skin color, a light brown that looked like the color of a perfect tan.) No one could ever beat the rider on his Arabian stallion. He shot the boy a grin, scars on his cheek and nose glinting underneath his amber eyes.

"Howdy, Lloyd.", he greeted.

"Hey, Kai. How was the workday?" Kai shrugged.

"Same as usual. Un-eventful, boring, yet tiresome." Lloyd nodded as another rider came in, a brown mare trotting in a circle before stopping beside the two boys. A lanky-slightly muscular but still lanky-boy with light brown hair, electrifying blue eyes, an old hat, blue jeans, and a blue shirt sat atop the mare. On his shirt was a yellow star, his name stitched in black thread. His mother had always felt the need to customize his clothes when he was a young teenager, and he had yet to grow out of them. The boy slumped against his horse, his breath heavy and panting as the rest of the riders poured in through the town, some putting their horses in stakes, washing up at some barrels if water on the side of the street, or immediacy heading to the bar or a shop.

"Is it really supposed to be that hard to just round up a few hundred cattle, and watch over them? How long is it supposed to take?", he asked in dramatic exasperation. Kai frowned.

"Obviously not long enough, Jay. You're not dead yet. Since the sun's heat doesn't seem to kill you off, that means you'll still end up marrying my sister...", he mused, annoyed at the thought of this tiny boy becoming his sister's husband. Jay scoffed but was interrupted by another boy coming over.